Getting the Smarmy Sprocket Underway!  

Hey folks, just did the quest today. Since everything appeared random I figured it all up on my own. Here's my breakdown of it and how to win against that annoying engine.

First, I did the math on the boxes (all measurements in millisprockets):

From large to small, their contents weigh:
4956 ms
1920 ms
3991 ms
2000 ms
3000 ms

So, if you place the largest and smallest boxes on one side, and all other boxes on the opposite side (doesn't matter which goes starboard and which goes port) you end up with 7956 millisprockets on one side and 7911 millisprockets on the other.

Moving on to the map, if you read the book second book on the table, it tells you what the stars look like. For instance: Star of Ak'Anon is a lone bright star; cog of cobbleknob is one star surrounded by 8; the malfunctioning gadget is one star surrounded by four, etc.
Point yourself north, peer. Turn 45° clockwise, repeat until you've made a full circle. Note what constellations you saw at what positions. Right click the machine, dial the constellations in order.

Now, for the hard part.
The it's easy to get the engine to the first four steps. But figured out a pair of tricks to get it started. One way, is to pick up your mouse with one hand once it's over the engine, and tense up your arm so that your finger shakes violently against the button. Old skool turbo trick I used for NES. That's how I got it started. Another way, if the keyboard is easier for ya, zoom in so that the engine is all you see, and mash the F key as fast as you can. Alternatively, do both simultaneously. After a short while you'll see a ghost emanate from the engine. KEEP GOING!

Even if you let up briefly, that doesn't mean you'll lose. I did, and still got it started, so it would appear that you have to interact a specific number of times, not a specific rate of speed. You'll get several warnings that the machine is shutting down until you get it started, don't let this discourage you. You'll know that you got it when you see the machine "Vroom".

After you do this, you'll be on an island with the captain in a cage and a bunch of pirates. They come 2-9 at a time, depending which group. They're really annoying, I soloed it as a 25 templar with 31 aa, took two attempts. If you think you're going to die, DO NOT zone out via the ladder on the boat, it takes you to qeynos harbor. If you just die, you respawn at the boat. You can go back in and try again, but you'll be starting over from scratch. Use your long cooldown abilities if you have to on the first pull of 9, but wait until they're fully refreshed before taking on One Eye. The first groups don't respawn unless you zone out, and you will need it. The entire right side of my screen had a tower of negative effects 5 seconds into the fight. Hope this helps you folks!

All you need to do to plot the course is keep entering a direction till it says first course confirmed! Start at the top work your way down. Simple process of elimination.Write down or remember your first direction. Start entering second directions till it says second direction confirmed. Either way it will tell you on the ingame text if it was right or wrong. If it was wrong start over but keep useing the same directions for the ones that got confirmed. Keep plotting the course till you get all 3 confirmed. Only took me about 30 seconds this way. Tip* if your first direction was north, south wont be your second direction so we can eliminate all southern directions. SW,S,SE. So it could only be either E,NE,NW,W.
My plot ended up being N,NE,E.

Hey, my course was W, NW and N.
I didnt know you had to input the directions in the machine by the Chief so I kept just using the scope in the directions in order over and over, doH!
Finally figured it out...thats what I get for playing right after waking up!

this quest is now level 25

OK, I thank everyone for the advice. Just open up the text box, use the gadge on each compass location and reconcile with the constellation book and the ship log. Problem is, everytime I go to prisoner Island, I get murdered (as a level 26 Illusionist with twin). Then I revive back on the ship. Can I get back here with some of my group?

For the boxes - largest and smallest to one side of boat, all others to the other side.

Big hint for the "motor". The "F" key is use. I just hit that a few million times and it did the trick

Okay I just want to be dure I'm not wasting my time on a broken quest. I have tried ever surgestion I could find here and else where.

I've reied read the book, and then checking out each directing a writing down what I so (but I'm still note sure what I'm looking for).

The telescope theing does absulutly nothing (I've hear hints thats your supposed to get a message about what your looking at)

I've tried random guessing at the directions, but there is no message or reaction from the navigator (I've read it ment to tell you if the direction is wrong)

And finally I've tried for several minutes to kick the wond-o-matic to start it and once again no reaction.

My main concern is that this ship is broken, I don't mind complicated quests with riddles. But this is getting rediculous

For those having trouble you have to put the directions you have decided into the machine up next to the Master Chief. Right click it then chose your directions from the list.

The book "Zapho's Celestial Guide to the Stars", recieved after picking up "An Extremely Thick Tome", is tagged as being house placeable, but also no-zone. Ovbiously it's bugged.. it can't be both. I petitioned on this, and did a bug report. When the CS got back to me on this matter, he said they had no such listing in their item database and to recheck the name!!! Mind boggling. Anyway, I was able to zone back onto the Smarmy Sprocket and get the book AGAIN, even though I'd completed the other related quests and saved the captain. The book is in my inventory and I'm hoping a CS will get back to me on the issue shortly. It's still tagged no-zone, house placeable.

I found the treasure at -1048.32 -48.50 -16 It was a blinding green light this is in the commonlands near the dog pond.
To navigate the ship my course was W, SE, W.
I did like other players and turned the directions of the compass making note of what I saw.
N=Blinking stars
SE=Comet
W= 4 stars in a box
What I found disappointing was when I got the quest and saw it was a level 25 quest. At the landing I got my butt handed to me a few times before I gave up until I get a few more levels. I am a Assassin level 23. When 3 or more level 22's hit you all at once I found it more than difficult to stay alive.

the cource is East, South west, North west

you have to put it in twice then talk to the guy and get the update