StillCruising

Hi John (annv). I agree with your comment about it not being a good idea to use discharge testers on leisure batteries but it really was the last result to confirm a theory. All the indications from the charging system pointed to the batteries being fully charged. when I checked the SG of all the cells they were all showing virtually the same same but not full charge (and no 'brown soup' to denote plate breakup). The other thing was that I could hear them gassing fairly vigorously with the solar panel only showing a couple of amps going in. I have seen this sort of thing before when I ran a garage battery charging shop while working for London Transport many years ago where it was usually due to internal cell shorts or sulphaton. With that in mind I figured I hadn't got much to loose with a drop test which in this case proved the lack of capacity. I Regards Bob

Hi All. Just a quick update. Whist aboard last week I rechecked all the electrics. The engine charging and solar panel charging were working OK, instead of calculating I measured the current draw from each light fitting (2D) and they were all around 1amp each (different wattage tubes in some of them). With everything switched off there was a very few milliamps draw probably from the USB adaptors. With nothing sinister found on the current draw front I disconnected the batteries and checked them with a load tester. The 12year old starting battery was perfect however both the leisure batteries showed a significant drop in ‘on load’ voltage. So two new batteries were obtained and fitted and now everything is back to normal. Although the leisure batteries were only two years old I know that whilst in a boatyard last year they had been left for a long time (three weeks) with the ignition on and the Ebber pulsing (as described in my previous posts) so I’m assuming that they became sulphated and therefore whilst appearing to charge up OK they had very little capacity. As mentioned by Smoggy I found the yellow feed wire on the Ebber but since I left the switch at home (doh) that mod will be for the next visit, in the meantime the fuse remains out. Regards Bob

Wow cheers Smoggy a separate switch is exactly what I had in mind. I have PDF copy of the Ebber instructions on the PC but it looks like a copy of a copy and the wire colour code is virtually unreadable so I was struggling to determine what colour the control wire is. Thanks again Bob

I can't edit my previous post but the 2D lights are 15 watt not 10watt as stated. Bob

Hi Again. Thanks for the replies. The boat was originally built (1980) with the isolator in the negative line, this is not the first boat that I have come across in this configuration so whilst maybe unusual is not unique. Provided the batteries can be isolated from the boat circuits it probably doesn’t matter which line the isolator is in, and I have no plans to change it. We have owned the boat for ten years and after the first few months with consistently undercharged batteries checked by their specific gravity I fitted a Sterling Pro Reg B and increased the thickness of the wiring both to carry the extra amperage available and reduce the line resistance caused by the long run to the ammeter and back. To maintain the batteries when the boat is moored up or not in use I have a 100watt solar panel with a Photonic Universe MPPT controller and the remote monitor which Is connected to the domestic batteries only, I can also link it to the starter battery if required e.g. over the winter months. The controller shows the voltage generated from the solar panel, the charge going to the batteries from it and the battery terminal voltage. I therefore know what the current that alternator is pushing out via the existing ammeter and the battery voltage via the Photonic remote. This set up has served us well with no issues for many years but one day last autumn we found that the domestic battery (2x110ah) voltage was dropping very fast with just a few 10w 2D lights on which had never happened before. At first I suspected the alternator diodes as I have seen this before but by a process of elimination I found that although visually switched off on the rotary switch the Ebber was in fact drawing a pulsing 7 amps although there was no sign of it starting up. It turned out that the rotary switch whilst appearing to be in the OFF position was in fact still connecting to the heater on what should be its lowest heat setting. There is a detent in the switch that is supposed to hold it firmly in the OFF position but over the years this has become weak and can easily be moved just by dusting off the dash board. Personally I have never liked the rotary switch set up and we always run it flat out to avoid the clogging up that occurred to a friend’s system, so having taken the fuse out for now I will look to something a bit more foolproof in future. The quickly flattening battery scenario above is what made me think about the possibility of measuring the actual current drain as we would have seen the pulsing but on thinking about it again and taking on board the comments and advice in the various responses to my original post I am not going to bother with the BM2 idea. Finally I apologise if this post has got a bit wordy but I have tried to cover all the details and issues in one go hopefully without being two ‘techy’ Regards Bob.

Hi you knowledgeable folks I would value your thoughts on a little upgrade that I am considering. We have three batteries, two for the domestic supply and one for the starter. In simple terms all the negatives are joined together and a wire goes to the isolator switch the other side of this goes to the engine block and negative bus-bar. The starter positive goes straight to the starter motor, the two domestic positives are joined together and then go to a bus-bar and fuses. The alternator is a normal Lucas type and has an old (probably original) ammeter in the line which when the engine is running shows the total charge to all the batteries. The downside to the above set up is that you cannot measure the discharge from the domestic batteries and this was highlighted recently when a fault developed in the Ebber heater switch causing a large current drain. This has prompted me to think about fitting a NASA BM2 however the shunt goes in the negative line and if I did that it would measure the starter discharge and that is beyond its design parameters. To overcome this I am proposing split the link between the two domestic batteries and the starter battery and insert the shunt. The only disadvantage that I can see is that it will not measure the charge to the starter battery but then I’m not sure that it is necessary a big problem. NB. For the sake of simplicity I have left the direct (but fused) feeds to the solar panel, bilge pump etc. Does anybody see any issues with what I have outlined above of have any other suggestions? Bob Basic Battery Connections.doc

A years ago we were T boned by a Rico boat who succeeded in putting their bow through our back cabin window. They didn't stop despite myself and a number of people on a Wherry who witnessed the incident shouting at them to do so. Of course we had their boat name and number which we reported by phone to Richo's and a passing BA launch also took the details. As it was a Sunday and the boat was unusable due to a bed and floor full of glass and window fittings we had to spend the night in a hotel. On the Monday Richo's thoroughly cleaned out the cabin and temporally covered the missing window to enable us to continue our holiday. When we came home the boat was left with Phil at Moonfleet who did all the repair work and returned the boat to our moorings. Richo's also paid for the overnight say in the hotel.

An interesting study Paul. I have often wondered about proper test of the MPG difference between regular and premium fuels. I have used our 'Norfolk Run' of 450miles with my 2004 Rover 75 diesel automatic (BMW lump) with both cheap and premium fuel several times and found essentially no difference that could not be explained by traffic density or lighter / heavier right foot. Over the past 7 years I have had two 75 diesels, the first was written of by a white van man reversing into it in a line of stationary traffic, but as they are considered as a 'modern classic' the insurance pay out was very good. The current one I have had 4 years and on the Norfolk run consistently returns between 48 - 51 Mpg and local runs of between 34 & 39 Mpg whatever fuel I have used. As far as zoom goes the isn't much even in sport mode so that is not a consideration. Regards Bob

Hi Pumpmedic. Thanks for the links. That is the plastic moulding that houses the diaphragm which mates to the pump housing and switch assembly, the picture shows how little land there is on the mating surfaces. As the pump works ok and holds its pressure (the leak at the joint is very small) I'm assuming that the diaphragm and valves are OK and that there is just a small distortion of either / both of the mouldings possibly due to old age or the hot and cold of the engine bay where it is situated. In fact the combined cost of both parts comes to more than a new pump so hardly cost effective soI will try the disassembly and rebuild with some sealer but if that doesn't work I'll just replace with the 7Lpm new version and take a chance on the flow rate. Regards Bob

Hi. Thanks for the reply's. We will be back to the boat after Easter for a week and since the water leak is very small and is easily collected we will live with it. When we come back I will bring the pump home and dismantle with a view to checking / lapping the surfaces on a glass plate and re assembling with a trace of sealer on the surfaces. Regards Bob

Hi. We have a Shurflow 2095-423-342 water pump which was fitted 10 years ago. Last spring when dewinterizing there was a big leak at the joint at the bottom of the pressure chamber and I found that some of the screws were quite loose and when tightened the leak stopped. We have just dewinterized this year and once again there is a leak at the pump in the same place although it is only an occasional drip this time, maybe 1/4 pint per day, in all other respects the pump works perfectly. As the pump is ten years old I thought I would just replace it however it seems that the model numbers and specs have changed over there years. My pump has a rating of 20psi (1.4 bar) with a flow rate of 10.5 L/m and a power usage of 7.5 amps however from what I can see the latest version 20psi pump has a flow rate of only 7 L/m and a power usage of 4.5amps. There is a version that will deliver 10 L/m but the pressure is 30 psi and I do not want to increase the line pressure by a third in case it causes problems such a leaks that are not in obvious or accessible places. On looking at the web it seems that a leak at this joint is a common problem caused by some distortion of the flanges since there is no jointing gasket. The common fix appears to be striping and rebuilding with the application of some flexible jointing compound such a Hylomar however whilst in my experience this is great for car head gaskets etc. I'm not so sure about using it where it will be in contact with fresh water. So I am thinking about using something non toxic like aquarium sealer. Has anyone else had this problem or can offer any thoughts or fixes ? Regards Bob

Both Coots and Moorhens are migratory however they both migrate from Europe for the winter months increasing the local population not the other way round. Egyptian Geese were introduced in the 17 century and have increased in both Norfolk & Suffolk over the years, they are now moving further east and south. Opps Kingfisher666 crossed can obviously type faster than me. Regards Bob

I had some slides to scan and didn't want to fork out for a pro scanner so I just bought a cheapy. I wasn't expecting much but for what it was it is actually quite good although I do have to play with the settings. https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Del-Digital-35mm-Film-Scanner-Black/11007524196?iid=323398881461 Regards Bob

If you buy the impeller in a kit with the gaskets you get the proper grease included.. Regards Bob

We have an 800watt microwave that is normally used when we are on shore power but we do have a 2Kw Quasi sine wave inverter that is permanently wired in via a switch and fuse to the two domestic batteries. It is not connected to the 240 volt system but on the odd occasion when we want to use it we have a cable that plugs into the socket on the front of the inverter and the other end plugs into the shore power socket, this ensures that you can't have the shore power and inverter on at the same time. Someone once told me that as a rule of thumb you can expect to draw 10amps from the battery for each 100watts pull on the inverter which means that our microwave/ inverter set up draws around 80 amps which is probably about right and does clobber the batteries. You should also remember that the amount of charge that you can take out of a battery is dependent not only on its rated capacity but the age and state of charge of it at the time. The hire boats that have no gas have a huge number of batteries and big alternators to charge them.

Re my previous post this is the helm seat and how it was fitted to a standard base, not very elegant but it works well.

All this talk of old engines and boats takes me back. When I was at school in the early 60's a classmate's uncle had an MTB at Newhaven. the story was that he had bought it from someone who had started to convert it into a live aboard but having 'remodelled' some of the superstructure and interior abandoned the project. My friends uncle and father changed it about again with the intention of using it for fishing trips. They fitted or more likely had fitted two huge diesel ex lorry engines which I seem to remember were 6 cylinder, I don't know about the drive train. The things that I do remember was the sudden disappearance of Newhaven in a cloud of smoke when the engines were started up and the wonderful exhaust sound that accompanied it. In fact when the engines had warmed up and stopped smoking it had a fair turn of speed but regrettably the size of the engines was not matched by their reliability, and although you went out on two engines you often came back on one. The creature comforts were primitive to say the least there were a couple of camping type cookers in a gimbal mounted box to heat water for a brew and galvanised iron bucket type Elsen type toilet with a wooden seat which was fixed to the floor with a couple of wing nuts which were undone when it requiring emptying. This was later replaced with a proper sea toilet, possibly the original which was regarded as great luxury and certainly appreciated by its users. In the days before elf and safety it was a terrific and eagerly awaited adventure to go out for a days sea fishing on it and bring back a few fish for mum. I have often wondered what those engines actually were an indeed what happened to the boat. A question for Vaughan: Did Freeman make a rear cockpit cruiser with two Cortina engines ?. I ask because in the early seventies I knew someone who having hired for many years bought a brand new boat that as I recall looked like a Freeman 26.

The BMC 1800 cc diesel was a marinised Sherpa van engine many of which were built under licence in Turkey. Ours is still running well after nearly 40 years of use in France, on the Thames and now the Broads.

We have car seats, very comfy. We did not fit them, they came with the boat but they are quite small and in their car incarnation have had the backs capable of tipping forward to allow back seat passengers out of a two door car. Since the boat spent much of its life on the French canals I suspect that they were fitted there and came form a small French car. Sorry the photo doesn't show them very clearly but you get the idea.

Its getting to be more newsworthy when it is able to operate !

We used Horning Taxis 01692 630856 on Saturday and found them very helpful.

Thanks for your help. Yes the control is as you describe. We have had the boat some years and on thinking about it the lever movement both forward and reverse and the sideways disconnect have been getting tighter over the past couple of years to the point that this year you have to put some force on the lever for the forward / reverse and it is almost a two person job to pull it sideways for the disconnect. As the boat is currently in a yard for some other work (for some time) I think I will ask them to have a look at it.

Hi Vaughan. Its a Morse control. Both the cables and runs are probably the originals (38 years old) and it is quite possible that they have dried out a bit over the years and could do with some oil dribbled down them or are they plastic lined in which case that is probably not a good idea. The side sliding arrangement to disconnect the drive to give throttle only is what is puzzling me. I have never taken one apart before is it just a sliding shaft with some form of dog clutch ? Regards Bob

Hi. We have a Morse Teleflex MT3 that is getting very stiff to operate especially to disengage the drive to the point where you have to pull the lever sidewise very hard instead of just gripping the shaped part at the bottom. Are these 'user serviceable' i.e. a dollop of grease or oil somewhere or am I looking at a new unit ?

Meant 'Recent Posts' rather than 'Top Ten'.