Broad Ambition - TLC Time Again

[Andrewcook]

I just would like to say you Time Share Guys put a lot effort in to keeping Broads Ambition in A1 condition. 

[BroadAmbition]

Thanks Andrew - Small point though, she is not run on a 'Time Share' system, we don't allocate certain weekends / weeks between the four of us

Griff

[PeteBelham]

She is a complete credit to her owners who put in so much time, money and effort in to her upkeep who I expect see it as a pleasure rather than a chore. 

[BroadAmbition]

Two items I forgot to mention in my write up, the horizontal motor in the Jabsco search light was changed over, soldered etc by Bro' - that is once more fully  operational.  A float switch in the engine space bilge was not performing correctly, this came to light earlier in the year when the fresh water pump connection let go and filled the bilge with around 500 x Ltrs fresh water, the float switch pump did not operate.  I popped off to Nearest and Dearest and bought a genuine Rule float switch (£32) and fitted that - Sorted

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Onboard as of twenty minutes ago through to tomorrow afternoon.
 

Here we go again

Starter motor fired up the Beta first time of asking, that’s one ticked off.

No coolant leaks in the drip tray, that’s half a tick until completion of power trials on Barton tomorrow after I have refitted the gearbox

Now for Rum coffee, TV on and await JT’s arrival 

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Thursday evening,

The retaining timber cap on one of the sash side guide posts had become loose, cleaned up surfaces and bonded it in place with some sikaflex, ticked that one off.

Friday morning, I was round at Toby's at 0755, there was our B.W gearbox all ready and waiting with its brand new input shaft in place and two new reversing gear friction plates for good measure too.  I discussed the issue that the input shaft only goes just over halfway into the drive plate, there are two options here, mill down the adapter plate by 10mm then reinstate the register this would also bring the propshaft 10mm further up the pipe and the propeller 10mm closer to the skeg and mean we would be out of operation whilst the adapter plate was away.  The second option is to have a 10mm spacer ring made up that would be bolted in place between the flywheel and drive plate, thereby siting the drive plate 10mm further aft.  I have an original worn out drive plate here at home so that is the way to go as getting one made up here in Donny will be a breeze compared to 'Anytime soon this year Norfolk time' then I can take it down and fit at my leisure with minimal downtime.

I fitted the gearbox with the assistance of JT, then gear control cable, raw water pipes, driveshaft, tightened up the new  plumber block, bearing to shaft etc etc.

Then it was time for power trials on Barton Broad, what a great sunny warm day too.  Doug on the helm as he had popped over to check I was doing everything correctly.  I really wanted to prove we had cured the coolant leak which meant getting the engine temp up to 90C, this is normally difficult to achieve unless a long run flat out on Breydon with the river water being warm.  Sailing all the way to Breydon was out of the question.  So, onto Barton, throttle to flat out, helm hard over to Stbd, the new replacement Etrex showed we achieved a maximum of 5:4mph (Acceptable just / sort of) whilst pirouetting and sending oursens proper dizzy the helm was flung hard over to port and repeat, this puts a lot of torque on the drive train and the Beta was working hard, we soon had the temp up to 90c.  Backed off, straightened up, reverse drive tested and then pootled back to the wet shed.  On lifting the deck board, not one drop of coolant in the drip tray - Success

I hammerited the new cap and top of the heat exchanger in bright yellow to discourage anyone treading on the cap in future

I did the last coat of varnish on the bow, took some measurements for a new return spring, checked the bunk light voltage output and diameter of same (We have to order some spares), cleaned throughout, secured and left for home at 1600 - Horrendous drive, traffic tailbacks all over the shop, took me four n a quarter hours,

'B.A' is once again ready in all respects - Minus one burner on t hob - ongoing

Griff

 

[Vaughan]

Just a thought -

I always thought that you could get different length input spline shafts for a BW, to overcome the problem?

[BroadAmbition]

Apparently not, believe me I’ve tried, even emailing manufacturers in America 

Griff
 

Here we go again

qStarter motor fired up the Beta first time of asking, that’s one ticked off

[Andrewcook]

Hi Griff that plate you've just renewed will that now last another 13Years? As to the Old plate was put in when Broad Ambition was commissioned in 2007. Any other major jobs do you think that are likely to be done in the near future?

[BroadAmbition]

Hi Andrew, I’m out with Purdey on a game shoot training all day so will reply properly later

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Ok Andrew I have covered this before but will recap,

Sometime in 06 we decided on a brand new Beta 50hp for 'B.A', to replace the very tired Perkins 4018.  We also decided to have the inherited Borg Warner gearbox fully reconditioned.  This was done by Mr Greenwood in Stalham, then Jason (SOS24:7) delivered the Beta to him for the adaptor plate and for the BW to be married to the Beta, then the Beta & box was delivered round the corner to John Williams boatshed/workshop for our arrival in Sept 07

Now I'm a bit stuck here for actual dates without referring to the logs or trawling back through this thread or t'other one over on the old nbf thread.  Sometime around 2015 the BW developed a slipping friction plate issue, caused by a locating lug on one of the plates fracturing off.  Toby at Marine Transmissions on inspection of the gearbox stated he had never seen the like before.  The gearbox was overhauled once again with extra friction plates installed but what came to light was that during the first fully reconditioning,  Greenwood had not replaced the very worn input shaft as he should have done.  We had no way of knowing this of course.  Toby fitted the best used input shaft he could find, we had to fit a new driveplate.  It got us out of a hole but we new at some point a new input shaft and drive plate would be required

2017 and Toby has come across a brand new input shaft in his endless search for spare parts.  We paid and secured it for future fitting.  Covid delayed fitting but this month the day arrived, brand new input shaft fitted along with a brand new driveplate - the third one.

So, we are now good to go, Toby reckons at our level of yearly hours / use for twenty years at least.  All I have to do is change the oil every three years or so.  There is a minor issue of the input shaft splines not engaging far enough into the driveplate spline for my liking, I will commence getting a spacer ring made up this month to cure that one

As for any other jobs? - Yes of course, our delayed biannual AMP will take place next spring, replace rubbing strips entirely, below water planking work / ribs as and where required, repaint and varnish are now overdue too.  Its ongoing maintenance in the normal manner.

Griff

[Andrewcook]

Hi Griff I trust purdey Gun Dog training was a success?As they say the Dog should not rule you as we should Rule them when your Crew go on Shore leave don't leave Purdey behind before casting off  when ever you all are out on Broad Ambition  Thank you for that interesting reply as to be truthful Griff you are absolutely correct on what you put on the post in the past about the whole thing including the Plate the Ring Clip is now the final outstanding bit to be completed as all this should last the remaining life time of Broad Ambition..Thank you Griff for your reply. 

[Kitch22]

Looks great Griff keep up the good work. I may actually bump into you one day.  Maybe have already with out knowing. Will keep a look out next time I’m down the shed.

[JanetAnne]

10 hours ago, Kitch22 said:

Looks great Griff keep up the good work. I may actually bump into you one day.  Maybe have already with out knowing. Will keep a look out next time I’m down the shed.

Oh you'll know when you do. His repertoire of jokes will leave you, as it has many of us, scarred for life 

[FairTmiddlin]

10 hours ago, JanetAnne said:

Oh you'll know when you do. His repertoire of jokes will leave you, as it has many of us, scarred for life 

Is it Scarred or Scared.

Or possibly both?

[Meantime]

6 minutes ago, FairTmiddlin said:

Is it Scarred or Scared.

Or possibly both?

Think you'll find it's all three 

[BroadAmbition]

The hob burner is once more fully operational after finally chasing down the correct electro magnet and fitting thereof.

However during the Lads Week, the oil pressure gauge has decided to go faulty.  Not impressed, I mean its only been in operation since September 2007 with around 3'500 hours.  It's a vetus unit, a replacement one at a bargain price of only £40 brand new has been ordered and is on its way to us

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Another maintenance weekend will commence later today, just the odd few items to attend to:-

Damage Stbd bow area – Sand back, cuprinol, fill, sand, prime, undercoat, gloss – No need for a graving piece apparently –

Replace 2 x tube heaters

Replace one cctv camera

Sort out onboard alarm system

Fit upgraded battery isolator

Diagnose / change oil pressure gauge

Remove starter motor, strip / clean solenoid, check model numbers

Fit new shower switch

Fit new gas fitting & pipe to hob

Fit replacement heater outlet in double cabin

Take home mast / hardwood for Wizards attention

Fit and trial replacement tv aerial

Fill humid catchers and site in cabins

We need a new replacement mop head, the handle has lost its s/steel sleeve

Oh and owt else we think of or that comes to light

Just another normal maintenance weekend onboard as per the norm then!

Griff

[Andrewcook]

Hi Griff will Broads Ambition be out during the Winter Months ? If not what about the Water Tank s need's to be Drained ? 

[BroadAmbition]

Hi Griff will Broads Ambition be out during the Winter Months ? If not what about the Water Tank s need's to be Drained ? 

Broad (Not BroadS) Ambition will indeed be out during the winter months as per normal.  To date since her recommissioning back in 2007, we have never drained the water tanks during the winter months even when she has been left on her todd for weeks on end.  They have been drained for repair (Once) and flushed through many times for sterilising 

Griff

[Andrewcook]

Hi Griff that's interesting about Broad (with out the S sorry) Ambition  as some Boat owner's winterize thier Boats i.e. water tanks act as you've never have any problems with Her during the  Winter Months while not in commission a part from the  Hoses coming adrift now sorted I believe. 

[BroadAmbition]

We winterise too but to our own parameters. No hoses have ever come adrift due to ice

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Wot got don?

Quite a lot actually, in no particular order:-

Tube heaters - We have been experiencing loss of shore power recently, that is to say the shore power breaker, that's the one in she shed not onboard was tripping off.  We know this as the onboard alarm system sends us a txt alert whenever shore power is lost or reinstated.  One of the onboard 240v tube heaters is cosmetically past its best and we thought this was the culprit.  It wasn't as after testing both of them are working fine. therefore we didn't change them - seemed pointless, but was was repeatedly tripping shore power then?

The answer came from a fellow berth holder who wandered down to see us.  He had been doing some electrical work on the 240v system on his boat, he was convinced he had done something wrong causing the shed electrics to trip out entirely, worrying and perplexing days for him trying to source the fault.  It turned out not to be him or his boat but a rainwater leak on the sheds lighting system that was taking out the whole shed rather than just the lighting circuit.  He has informed Richo's who will sort it out in due course

One of our cctv cameras has packed up, Robin brought a replacement with him, after much fault finding it turned out to be a supply cable, temporary fix done and a new cable ordered

The onboard alarm system was recalibrated and fine tuned

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

The Biggy - that lazy starting issue

After months of putting up with only just catching / starting, changing a battery. Starter motor out (Twice) Solenoid stripped and cleaned, starter motor taken away for testing under load, all cables removed, checked coppa slipped repeatedly, small load wring checked, 12v isolator changed for a new one, glow plugs checked - After doing all this the symptoms were still there, it was infuriating and we were considering purchasing a new starter motor just for the hell of it.  We had to get to the bottom of this one way or another.  I had asked JT to temperature check the supply cables and he had reported on one of his weekends onboard that after starting (Just) with far too prolonged use of the glow plugs that the positive heavy duty cable from the cranking battery to the (New) isolator was a tad warm but from the isolator to the starter motor it was fine.  That was the breakthrough as it turned out

Going back a few months to August I called in at Boulters for a drop test on the cranking battery - it passed, the engineer said the isolator switch could be the culprit as it was fourteen years old, so I bought a new one off them and fitted it, which made little difference, the lazy starting issue was still there

I got to pondering about that isolator switch the new one felt cheap n cheerful and not as robust as the one I had taken off, what with the supply cable getting warm was this the real culprit?  Bro went on line and purchased a genuine sterling 200amp isolator which felt kinda 'Proper' Installed it Friday

Eureka!  - We are sorted at last (He says ever the optimist).  The starter motor is now spinning the Beta over that fast that we don't need to use the preheat on the glow plugs and we are now back to best.  We tested it a few times over Fri / Sat on a cold engine.  Well chuffed.  So the lesson there is not to buy cheap isolator switches - they are not up to the job, and the sods law situation is that not all new parts perform as one would expect.

Photo is of the new Boulters item removed that lead us up the wrong garden path, now consigned to the bin! and the Sterling item fitted

Griff

 

 

[BroadAmbition]

The oil pressure gauge had developed a fault, so that got changed for a new one, Bro' is now ordering a new oil pressure sensor from Beta just for good measure, he is also making up at home a new main earth cable from the Beta, the present one looks fine to me but if it keeps him quiet / happy - I'm not saying owt

The shower drain pump switch that caused our electrical issue during the Lads week - A replacement waterproof item with a much larger amp rating was installed.  Not straight forward as I had to enlarge the hole in the ceramic tiles, my Dremmel with a diamond disc, tile file, wood file did the job.  The new switch has a light on it so you know it is switched on - Really? as if you wouldn't know due to the noise of the pump running

The heater outlet in the double cabin, one of the vanes had broken (They are flimsy thing these) I was going to replace it but managed to clip it back together with nothing broken - Bargain

Humidity catchers - New crystals installed, catchers placed in all cabins, 240v tube heaters switched on via a thermostat set at 2C - that's our winterising completed until the spring

Griff