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LondonRascal
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Posts posted by LondonRascal
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I agree with the shopping around - I had tried to but these engines are not well known over here, I found French Marine Motors (Yanmar agents) could do some but not all the parts, I then struggled online to find them so thought hmm let me go to the yard who supplied them before I will then get the set of spares I need, all the part numbers and do it that way - things like the Impeller had to come in from Japan and only arrived today at the Marina Office. My understanding is you cannot get third party Impellers for the 6CXMGTE-2 engines which I have and only Yanmar ones fit (that does seem a bit hard to believe mind you).
I am happy to go third party on the generator, but will keep to original Yanmar items for the main engines. Prospective buyers like to see invoices full of original equipment parts so it helps to do as the last two owners did and keep it that way.
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I don't so much have a 'crane issue' - and the rough seas we encountered during our trials showed that despite the additional weight up top (which may have induced more roll) she handled the conditions very well. There is not room to really have a Williams 285 the sim platform and still have easy access to the 'sea stairs' since you would be stepping over one of the inflatable tubes - also like the fact while many Sunliner's have a crane, none are as beefy as mine and while electric they are not fully electric (you have to manually move the arm around) only the jib and load line are operated electrically.
Now if it did not have this I would not be wanting to go buy such - indeed I did not originally think the RIB would be part of the deal, as was not included in the draft sales agreement, but the owner decided to include it after all and so since it is there I will keep it and keep it up top certainly make a great little run about to tow behind Broad Ambition during our Lads Week and being small the tolls would be reasonable too lol.
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Just had the Invoice for the works that Mount Batten Boathouse carried out - it totals £1,188.97 - What surprised me the most is the Onan Impeller came in at £99.75 (Inc VAT) this is for a Kubota engine, likely around 50HP - but because it is Onan branded Gen-Set you get to pay Onan prices. Preachment's in Brundall next time around!
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Robin is it possible the crane is designed to lower the rib to the stern rather than the port side?
No it is not - well I would prefer not to risk extending the crane jib out that far because you just put more and more load on the crane support system. It is pretty easy to lower, but time consuming and a little risky as literally one false step and you would be over the side - not too bad if hit water, serious injury if you hit land.
That said, as you will see in time the thing is a rocket ship - Zero to up on plan in about 20 feet lol
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The crew are tame these days, but we also were not on a jolly to Plymouth but a working trip - so could not get tanked up too much in the evenings - that said Pete 'The Wizard' managed on our last night to break, literally lost the power of speech and getting him back on the boat and then to stay in his cabin proved a challenge. I am not sure what the Cider he was on was, but the fumes coming off it were pretty strong lol.
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From 18th to 22nd January myself and ‘Team Indy’ worked on Independence from simply chores like cleaning ropes, to getting to grips with the mechanical side of things in the engine room taking apart the Racor filters to clean and inspect. During this time I filmed as much as I was able between working on items myself and as a result over two hours of footage has been captured. I have created a four part series taking you along from the initial works being started, to her sea trials through seas with 18ft swells and having to return to port with only our starboard engine operational.
Day One & Two:
I had come down to Plymouth on the evening of 17th January after work and by the afternoon of the 18th was all ready for the various lads who were heading down to begin arriving – the first was Simon, a former Royal Navy man and experienced electrician who lives locally to the Marina, later Charlie, Pete and Brian would arrive from Doncaster while Daniel will be arriving in the evening having come down from London.
We had produced a list of items to attend to, and after a coffee and a briefing it was hands to decks – Pete set to removing the galley port light that was leaking and had rotted some of the surrounding wood, Simon had the fridge Rectifier apart, Charlie and myself were cleaning the Teak decks, Brian was on with Fender cleaning – it was like ’60 Minute Makeover’ with people busy with their tasks in just about every part of the boat.
Small items that you may consider to take a short time turned into more complicated drawn out issues (how true is that with boating) but we all got on very well and there was a real ‘team spirit’ despite the chilly weather and wind.
I also spent rather a lot of the day traveling about getting stuff - A new Rectifier for the Fridge, a New six man life raft, fuel cans, sealants, fuel itself, oil, and various other items brought the days spend to over £2,000. The first day ended with use trying out the Crane, uncovering the Williams RIB and figuring out how such worked ready for launch and testing – but the fact the sun had set stopped play so to speak and that would have to be put off.
Considering the distances and time taken for people to travel down and work only stating in the late afternoon we already had accomplished a bunch of items of our list and so it was time to change, relax and head out to the a local Fish Restaurant where I treated the crew to a yummy Fish & Chips supper before we headed off for a few pints in the Dolphin Hotel, where we met with Daniel who had arrived having driven down from London. The following day was going to be starting far earlier and we were eager to get more items off our ‘to do list’ and begin to make our preparations for sea trials to take place on Saturday.
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01:14 just finished the first rough edit of the latest update - I have a problem it is 2 hours long! So a four part series it has become..I will post part one sometime tomorrow. In the mean time here are some photos:
People are welcome to their own opinions and views and I love it - because without differing feelings, passions and view points we would live in a very mundane world and I like the fact whether you agree or not with something I say or do, the fact that thing I did or said caused someone to feel something (good or bad) I think is good because it encourages dialogue, and feelings to be shared.
I know that words typed can, to some, take on a meaning the person who typed them never meant to convey, and had they said it face to face with body language and tone in voice added into the mix come over so very differently.
This thread, this web or words and emotions was and is literally and extension of the videos - the videos anyone can watch and yet here you get all the little updates, the banter and behind the video commentary. I remember years ago when I would talk about what I would do if I owned a typical ex-hire boat - re-fitting interiors, putting in a generator, electric everything, air-conditioning you name it and anyone who read it was left feeling much the same "but why would you do that?" and here we are in 2018 and I never did get the ex-hire boat but I have Independence.
The name alone is a give-away: Doing my thing, in my way without asking permission first, or being lead this way or that by any particular person - nobody at all has had any say or influence on this one bit from the first boats I began looking at to moment I paid for it. Even the boat choice is 'random' it is like a 21 year old lusting over a BMW M3 and if they could, they would love one and then there would be me at that age turning up in a Vauxhall Senator and everyone thinking I had lost my mind but being more comfy with it's sheer size and oh that velour trim! I don't follow others, fashions or others ways, so being the age I am and of all the boats I could have bought going for a Trader 535 Sunliner just does not 'fit' when you see the usual type and age of person who usually are owners of these boats.
I am sure I will make mistakes, some I will learn from, others I may repeat a couple of times before it sinks in not to keep on repeating them - if this all fails and in 12 months time or I get bored, have enough, did not work out for me then I won't feel bitter or disappointed one little bit - I caused it to happen, and shared my experiences with others and the wider world with the Blogs. So feel as you wish, say what you like but the biggest surprise to some has been the fact I don't really care what happens long term but I ma loving the ride and sharing it. I know it may not make sense to spend out on a complete warm air heater install and then openly think "well it will do for now" it should not 'do' it should be as good as it can be and last and last, but I know me, and I am sure it will all come out and get replaced with something bigger and better and more suitable which makes no logical sense but that sums me up.
So for goodness sake do not learn from me, copy me or think I know what I am doing - just follow along and enjoy the ride, or cringe at the back eyes half closed seeing it as a slow car crash unfolding before you either way it's a right good way to spend a bit of time in the evening seeing what has happened next.
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I really don't let things worry me, bother me or concern me - you get on and deal with it. When we had issues with the upper helm station commander and I had to move the boat to the fuel pontoon the most excited (upset/annoyed/bothered) at having to do this maneuver from the inside helm and have no vision of the boat other than the bow rail was to utter "bloody hell".
When Dan dived down and showed me photos of a chip taken out of the port propeller blade I don't fret and worry about it - I think that might make it out of balance, along with the Anodes needing to be replaced I might need a new prop - file away into the 'sort out when in Norfolk' cabinet which is in my mind and get on with the rest of my day.
I think what this thread actually shows and having bought the boat is more about me and my outlook on things than anything else. I had an email from a worried salesman about the heater installation - his manager had got involved and since the company fits out Princess new builds they went over the requirements of what a new 55 foot Princess would have and turns out to be 16Kw output. The fact I am wanting only a 5Kw output seems to have really worried them I might not be warm enough. He also drew to my attention about am i sure I did not want the heads heated?
I guess they are used to more demanding client's since I sent a reply explaining that over Christmas I was on the Broads, on a 40ft boat with a vinyl canopy over the wheelhouse and a heater with a 3.5Kw output which had not only no heat in the heats but nor the galley and I was just fine. I am sure this sort of thing to some causes a great deal of time and thought and planning but with me it is more a case of it doing for the time being and above all can they keep to their deadline of fitting it prior to our departure.
My advice is just sit back and relax, it will work out in the end.
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48 minutes ago, 40something said:
Just a thought but do you know the depth of water at the mooring you have secured?
Nope. I like to live life on the edge - seriously it was only was on Sunday I even got to know what the boat draft actually was.
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If I need to go to Goodchild's I would leave out the New Cut, head down to Breydon hang a right and head up to them that way. I also have to take into account yards that have a hoist able to lift her and who would allow works to be undertaken without necessarily using their staff. This is why Goodchild seem a good bet. They have lifted and re-powered a Princess 55 so I think I would fit under, have also heard good things from those who have had new nav gear and electronics fitted by them and they are used to pretty serious stuff since working on commercial craft there.
Right sorry to tease people here, must get on will do the big write up and share some photos after work :)
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I have just caught up here with all that has been said - will be posting a full update of all that has happened later - and get on with video editing. I have also got (left on the boat sadly) footage from my mate Dan who dived down and got her draft (5ft 2") and found the hull and anti foul to be very clean - but port prop has a small 'chip' in it to be addressed and Anodes are in a poor state - have made inquiry that Goodchild Marine can lift a boat her size and allow owners to work on their boats on the hard, so this could be a goer in due course.
I am now off out to get an eye test and new glasses!
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So a fun packed afternoon of taking the boat to bits - currently I have no portlight in the Galley and in its place a bin bag to keep the water out. I have lost my spreader lights too and the fridge is non-operational so using the second one on the sundeck for beer cooling. This in ongoing and needs a new Rectifier.
My friend Dan who came up today with be doing a dive tomorrow and taking photos and film of the hull along with measuring our actual draft. Today, other than the the above was cosmetic cleaning and further water tank treatment. Tomorrow we will attempt to move the boat alongside my neighbor which should free up enough room to get the RIB in the water. The RIB was tested and serviced in August so I am confident she will run but she needs Petrol not diesel to run the engine. Crane had a complete new Carbon lifting wire, and manufacture certified test as to load also last August.
Life Raft is a six man job, and I might just buy a new one rather than mess about with it being serviced since it is 2003 vintage it has seen a lot of weathering and storage despite its certificated tests and services over that period.
Lots of bits and bobs to get tomorrow including having bespoke stainless steel brackets made to hold the new LED spreader lights on top of the Radar arch and may be having a 4Kw warm air heater installed between now and our departure date to avoid having to run the generator when underway to make electric to run fan heaters.
Anyway all this is being filmed but doing a bunch of things too means stopping to film what is going on is not that easy as on may think but will tr and post updates daily here to keep people up to speed.
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I had changed plans to Great Yarmouth simple because it avoids more miles once on the Broads and the draft might be a bit tight for the New Cut if we come in at Mutford Lock. I will keep a keen eye on this and hope it is fixed soon!
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Well I am worried about the section of line through Dawlish as the sea state tonight there is not going to be kind and may affect trains passing through here.
QuoteDo the last of the parcels include a new VHF/ AIS transponder?
No it did not - having spoken to several people at the Boatshow I was advised to wait until could go with a complete system and not buy a radio only to have it for a short time before an upgrade. The current system works it is just not AIS equipped. I also have two back up hand held VHF's one waterproof and floating, a grab bag, EPIRB but need to get some Flares from the local Chandler
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I found this recently, as had no idea you could buy 12KG Gold bars through mail order.. £397,890 each!
However the site has an option to store your Gold at Brinks - for free for 6 months - lets hope they still have it when you go to collect the bars..
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I think this raises a good point that your 'digital' life is as important as your 'real' life. It is how things are now, where once a generation ago you would collect photos, cine film and in the 1980's and 1990's Camcorder footage that could be found easily, gone through and shared with family - much of this now only exists online. I would consider thinking about keeping a note of your login details with a copy of your Will so they can be dealt with as would be any other items one would own in the physical sense.
In the case of Facebook you can (while you are alive) advise them that when you die you wish to have your page memorialized. In so doing sensitive information (such as status updates and contact information) is removed from your profile, while privacy settings on the account are changed so that only confirmed, existing friends can see your profile or locate it in Facebook’s internal search. You can find out more here: https://www.facebook.com/help/150486848354038?helpref=faq_content
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Finny I have gone one better - a friend has put be on to these:
Fast and easy removing - no heat gun, no razor blades - the same chap called the Marina to see if they would accept the parcel, but has sent me some Teak veneer strips should I need them for the interior to dress any areas. I truly feel like I its me and then a whole bunch of others along side me even when I am on my own and I can see having a few thank you parties on the boat in the finer weather :)
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So the time is ever closer - the last parcels have arrived today (including my vinyl names for the boat) - I measured the stern one, I guessed the size for the bow ones. I now feel they may be a little too tall to fit within the blue band that goes around the boat from the bow. That said, I am not worried since these are not the final 'design' but there was no way I am leaving the marina without the boat being named before hand so these are basic single colour decals was a must for the stern.
I have also found a site that has a weather station 'over the way' from the marina and live updates every 10 minutes for wind speed and direction (handy) - Weather File
This is forecast is from a pretty comprehensive App Windy that I have purhcased:
As you will see Saturday wind is decreasing from 19Kts (gusting 27Kts) on Friday to a much nicer 8Kts to 4.5Kts Saturday afternoon. There will be waves of between 7ft and 6ft with a well period of about 9 seconds.
However, despite it being long range it is not looking very good towards our departure date - for example 26th January has long range forecast of up to 34Kts winds.
I am all set for long journey tonight - leave work, straight to Paddington and get a train down.By the time I get to the boat it will be gone 11pm but at least I am there - tonight's weather is poor as is Thursday - lots of wind and rain. Still what do you expect for this time of year.
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Until one day you meet bad weather and you are delayed held at sea for a day or so. Then you will have real respect of your reserve tank, like it was a block of gold.
I am sure that is very true and have heard countless stories where people have planned and planned turn up to a fuel pontoon to find the pump broken, the tanker has not delivered etc etc and suddenly the next nearest fuel point is several hours cruise away. Some come really close to disaster - running one engine to eek out the last of their fuel, the better prepared expect such could happen and if it does have enough in reserve.
I respect that therefore, but also hope I will not find myself in such a place because of the amount of times the boat, in my ownership will be at sea for extended periods is remote - I am planning to have enough in the tanks to go where I am, and go back again. Modern diesel fuels do degrade over time so you cannot just expect it to be as good as the day you put it in your tank 18 months later - though the process is very slow compared to say petrol and many studies show this.
QuoteThing is if you have the ability and skill to know what the problem is then why not sort it yourself , in can think of a lot of marine engineers in Norfolk that might well take exception at being told that you know as much as they do in identifying problem's with boats and especially marine engines after all their yrs of experience in their trade , a far better approach is to give them clear indications of how the problem manifested its self and exactly what is going wrong , the diagnosis of the problem is the reason your putting your faith In them in the first place , by all means make suggestion's but don't tell a trades man his job it never goes down well , its not a competition to out do the engineer or you might find he refuses the job .
I don't do things myself because I look at the situation, go away and spend a few hours working out things - its pretty logical when you are dealing with mechanical items and not electronics. Having figured things out the best I can, I then realise it will be a messy protracted job and I'd rather have someone do it for me if at all possible and pay them.
You have a good point though to my attitude - it is in all honesty it is probably why All Boat Services did not want to do business with me as I went to them with a list of products to source, estimated retail values of them and asked for them to provide a rough quote to supply and install them. They were keen to begin, and then went off the boil and I did not chase - having said that it would have been over £40,000 of business to them. It would also have created work for a panel manufacture to come up with a new helm console to have the screens flush mounted in, bespoke switch gear put and so on. But that will wait until later in the year and another company who I am sure would be happy take up where they left off, just as Mount Batten Boathouse have been happy to take on the works they have.
My view might not seem correct - but I am equally not rude - however I think in this day and age it should be expected someone to say 'this is what I want doing' and a company be happy to oblige in exchange for their fee.
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The problem (if one calls is that) is there are now too many, very well educated and trained people sharing their skills, freely online. That never ever used to happen - if you wanted to learn something you needed to have ether studied at it, and then gained on the job experience - know someone who had already and would personally tell you - or for a 'rough overview' read up on something in a book.
Now, you can not only get many technical points in seconds on a Google search, but now people are actually sitting down and showing it all in videos and competing against others to film and show it off the best. This is a huge deal because it democratises so many areas of life.
You still need the touch and skill to spray paint like a pro - but now you can get the best equipment, paints and then watch countless videos of professional talking through how much psi to use, the motion, speed in which you move the gun over the surface, distance etc and then people go out there and give it a go. But if they choose not to and still employ the professional that understanding helps them not be hood winked.
We find this far more often now where people will come to a Solicitor and and already know the entire process off by heart through Google - not that we ever would, but I know firms who have done things like charge the earth for effectively form filling exercises. That sort of thing is just not possible now. It can have the detrimental effect however where everyone thinks they are an expert.
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Sorry but how do we know the vent pipes are 1/2" and there is a second filler cap?
Because the fuel lines are the smaller yellow lines, the 1/2" pipe comes out the top of the tank and heads up and away towards the deck (vent) and the 1 1/2" pipe is the cross connecting balance pipe. There is a second filler cap. During fuel polishing both caps were removed, fuel being drawn out of port side, and put back in starboard side after filtration.
QuoteBut a boat yard can be as good as a garage, if you are not mechanically minded, what comes out of their mouth can be rocket science to you and money in their pocket to them.
This is why Google, You Tube and Forums like this help make the rocket science seem easy to understand.
It also helps having asked people, researched things and learnt to then contact an engineer and then instead of asking 'what is wrong', you tell him what is wrong then ask 'do you agree?' and wait to see his reaction. The fact you have gone in there first with an understanding of the issue makes him feel naturally he has to either match it or beat it - but the option of pulling the wool over your eyes has gone since you seem to know a good degree about what may be up and are no fool to con.
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I go back to my original comment that the centre tank is for ballast only and can be used as the reserve when fuel gets low.
I think to be fair the centre tank can be used as ballast only but could be used to form part of the overall capacity of useful fuel.
If I just take the centre tank and regard it as ballast as you suggest, and thus isolate it from everything else, then unless I need to call upon it in a low fuel situation, effectively the fuel in the centre tank will just sit there - maybe for years - never being used.
I therefore would prefer the fuel to be able to move between all three tanks, and in 'everyday use' be drawn from the centre tank - but have fuel returned not to it, but to the port and starboard tanks. This way all the fuel will be of equal age and quality.
I could not run out of fuel (unless I was really stupid) because when both side tanks fuel gauges were showing empty there would in fact remain a full centre tank with 90 gallons in it. This would also always ensure the 'ballasting effect' of this tank would never be lost.
Now, it is true to say that by doing this, should I refuel and that fuel is contaminated it will have got everywhere - in short if i had an issue with it, I would have three tanks full of issues. If that was bad enough to cause me a complete engine failure at sea - well I guess that would be seen on my part as a bad call of judgement, but then equally if I kept the centre tank isolated and the two side tanks equally isolated (other than from fuel return from each engine connected to it) how would that mitigate a contaminated fuel problem?
I ask, since I would have to fill both port and starboard tanks separately (as they would not be cross connected) so the nasty fuel would end up in both anyway. The first I would know is when the engines began hunting. Now yes, I would have a centre fuel tank unaffected by the contaminated fuel, but if that fuel was say 5 years old and little known to me had a lot of sludge in it, bringing that online would not be the saving grace - I would still end up with three tanks of of nasty fuel.
I hope that overall through seasonal fuel polishing I will ensure the fuel was in free from water in the tanks through whatever means, and diesel bug . Compared to everything else, having this done is cheap. At the end of the day though, the boat is not going to see a lot of heavy work at sea so once we have done this trip and re-filled her tanks they won't be depleted for a long time again.
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50 minutes ago, grendel said:
I calculate that using those fillers, to fill up in less than about an hour would be a miracle. just a thought, the centre tank is sealed, does it have a vent, if not then as it fills from near the bottom, any trapped air will stay there.
The centre tank does indeed have a vent. It has the large diameter ( 1 1/2") 'thru pipe' connecting it to the two side tanks - It fills up from this pipe as per video - and if you see there not actually at the very bottom - more mid way up the tank sides.
Then it has a 1/2" pipe coming out the top of the tank (I presume vent) and then two smaller pipes also coming out the top (I presume fuel feed and return).
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Unless I missed it in a post Robin, I would love to know what the fuel fault was as you said the labour charges would not be high. Also I assume that gravity supplies to all 3 fuel tanks and what is the diameter of the connecting pipes, as I assume most of it is in rubber?.
The 'fault' with the fuel was in fact nothing. It was me being told when I bought the boat to ensure that the three tanks were isolated by the balancing pipe between them (including the feed from and to the centre fuel tank from engines etc) and I was told this had to be done because the previous owner had an issue whereby a list had developed and nobody could work out why. The boatyard engineer explained that the wind hitting the boat beam on on her berth had caused the boat to list temporarily (or lean to one side) with each gust of wind and caused fuel to transfer from one tank to the other but not return thus the list grew more an more as more fuel flowed.
I found this very hard to fathom but went along with it. I then had a chap come to clean the tanks and filter the fuel - during this he and I went around and opened up the valves to the isolated centre tank so he could filter and clean the fuel within it. However, upon opening the valves and drawing fuel from the port tank while pumping it in to the starboard the starboard simply filled up and the port emptied - he therefore closed off the valves and isolated the centre tank.
He and I agreed something must be up for the fuel not to have transferred and with one tank very full and the other two thirds full a small list had developed. The only way to correct that was to physically pump fuel from the starboard tank into the port tank. He concluded that ti was either a faulty valve or a blocked transfer pipe.
Enter a new boatyard on the case they came to look at the set up (1 1/2 inch pipe) with four valves between the port, centre and starboard fuel tanks and reckoned they could sort it with the fuel in situ. They took the inspection hatch off the centre tank and pumped fuel out with the four valves closed - the fact no fuel gushed in proved the values were good (at least in closed position) but would they allow fuel in when opened? Yes they do. So no blockage and no faulty valves after all.
So in conclusion the fault was me not opening the valves and just leaving it - it will be interesting to see when I get down there this time around just how much fuel is in what tanks - we will then be headed over to the fuel pontoon for refueling and that will show me how many litres I have lost to all this faffing about, since when Carl lifted the lids on my tanks they were brimmed - I am told now they are 4" from being full - so quite a quantity less than when this caper began. At this point I have slowly lost more fuel through people taking it away in filters, cans, and pumps than I have burnt in running the engines lol
The bill for the fuel side of things I am hoping won't be too bad since no parts were needed, but since I also paid for the generator to be serviced and it's parts, spares for the main engines, and the air-con system to be inspected and run up that will add a hefty amount to proceedings. Having seen old invoices to the previous owner from this boatyard they show hourly rates of up to £75.00 so this affair will have run into a few thousand pounds I am sure.
Independence - Updates | Maintenance & Care
in General Discussion
Posted
The next video will be available sometime tomorrow, in the meantime I have tried to find more info on my Crane - not much luck but seem to have a Davit Series 3010 model . I can find no information on this at all but have emailed the agent based in Plymouth who I am sure supplied the crane to see if they can help either supply a manual or tell me what the load limit is with the Job extended fully. I know the crane can deal with 300Kg to 600Kg (Willaims RIB is 316Kg) but the further out you put that same 316Kg weight the more load is transferred to the crane and its support bracket so I am keen to stay within limits and furthermore know what is what before trying a 'stern deployment'.
I have had three calls today from the heater installation team - they will begin tomorrow with the install and continue next week. They do seem to worry a lot though about things I don't think need quite as much worry e.g. how to drill a 75mm hole in plywood under the sink in the galley - they say it may cause it to look a mess and they are worried about doing it themselves and want to employ a third party contractor (carpenter) I say do as you need nobody would see as you have to kneel down, get your head right in under the sink and then turn it to the left before you would see said issue. Anyway they have assured me it will be sorted come the 1st Feb.To encourage this to be so I have just paid a £2,000 deposit and the rest to be paid on completion of works. They had wanted payment up front because (and I get why) they might install it all, we come down on 1st Feb see it all done and disappear never to be seen again come morning of 2nd and leave them chasing after me for payment - they do not have anything other than my first name and mobile number so we agreed that I would pay a substantial deposit which gives me some room left if the work goes a bit wayward.