Oil leaks are messy especially if they are on deck. Adesso had a Navtec Series 7 hydraulic backstay adjuster, a little dated but still worked well except for the oil drips that eventually mixed with all sorts of deck flotsum and jetsum resulting in a sticky mess. A little research showed that the rebuild kits were still available and Blackline Rigging in Victoria were the authorized local warranty/service dealer. Brent at Blackline said the kit and labour was a not cheap but much less than a replacement so I took the series 7 in to be done. A week later it returned with a clean bill of health, at least that is what I thought. Alas a couple within a couple of weeks the dips started again from the pump handle, yuk! After talking to Brent we decided that it was not worth putting more time into the old adjuster and he found us a new year old “last model” replacement that he sold us for cost to compensate for the money already spent!
Just before leaving on this summers trip I installed the new unit thinking this was the end of the oily mess. Well “Murphy” is alive and well – two days after leaving the top seal started leaking. Akkkk. I sent a picture and info to Brent who was at a loss as to why and would contact Navtech. As we were on our way around Vancouver Island it was decided that we would stop in Canoe Cove where Blackline is. Navtech said that the seals were most likely hard because the unit head was not rotated every few months when in storage. Brent not only fixed the leaks by replacing all the seals but found us a mooring bouy to stay at while the works was done. I give 5 stars for perseverance and customer service to Brent at Blackline Rigging!