Motoryacht Sirocco

03/07/2021

20/10/2020

Motoryacht Sirocco is registered! We finally got it done. We decided to just call her 'Sirocco', not 'Sirocco 2', just to keep things simple. There's a couple of errors on this certificate, like she was built by Chung Hwa Boat, not 'Cheng Hua Boat', and we believe this model was not available in 1985, so we've put 1988 as her year of build. We've asked MARINA to correct that. In the meantime, Sirocco is legit! Now to get her licensed for commercial use. That's a separate process.

15/10/2020

We've been quiet for a long time, because the pandemic caught us in drydock. Because we were unable to operate, we have had no revenue, and are thus stuck midway through our major refit. But we are soldiering on. In the meantime, in preparation for the time when we can operate again, we have registered her under the new Maritime Industry Administration (MARINA) rules. We decided to finally change her name, and from now on, M/Y Scruples shall be known as M/Y Sirocco 2. The "2" is because she is named after a real boy. He is now two years old. They will grow up together. Here are some photos of the boat at the shipyard. She has been back in the water since mid-November last year.

21/07/2020

Port side Ford Lehman 120 engine hot start.The white-haired guy is Mang Andy, a heavy diesel mechanic who I convinced to (semi) come out of retirement to service these old motors. He's ancient, deliberate, and a bit frail, but very, very sharp. He has more diesel knowledge and experience in his left big toe than all the rest of us put together. This port engine gave us— mostly Mang Andy— a lot of problems. The starter was rattling, and had to go off to the shop. I bought a brand new one from the same shop, as an extra. When they came back, neither starter would fit, so they had to be machined. The fuel injection pump somehow got full of crud, and the governor jammed. The pump had to be stripped and overhauled, along with the injectors. Then the valve train wasn't oiling properly, so we had to take that apart. Finally, we were able to get it going. It's quieter than the starboard engine, and running smoothly. Mang Andy still needs to readjust the valve clearances.