Broad Ambition - TLC Time Again

[BroadAmbition]

Now back in the wet shed - Mores the pity. Sailed to the Island on Barton 

Griff

[Meantime]

4 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

Of course plus CASDAH

Griff

I remember that, wasn't it a song by The Clash from the early 80's went something like this,

Shareef don't like it

Rockin' the Casdah

Rock the Casdah

[BroadAmbition]

Brilliant. Don’t know how you do it 

Griff

[Meantime]

13 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

Now back in the wet shed - Mores the pity. Sailed to the Island on Barton 

Griff

Mind you it sounds like when you got to Barton you were thinking,

Should I stay or should I go now?

[BroadAmbition]

That's completed a three days visit onboard to carry on / catch up with some items that never got finished.  Due to being STILL ill I was not functioning to full capacity but progressed all the same.  I shouldn't really have been in Norfolk at all but due to a client having issues it gapped my diary so I took advantage of three clear days, even with MrsG's blessing !

The priority was to be the new mast and it's fittings.  To make the new mast fit the s/steel bracket we had to drill a third hole in it.  This made it look 'Not Right' plus removing some of the oak dressing pad to facilitate lowering of said mast had weakened the bracket.  The bracket was held in place by the oak pad

Only one thing for it really, design a new mast bracket this time stronger with a plate on the bottom that would be bolted through the aft coach house roof and not rely on a dressing pad to hold the lot in place.  First job was to remove the pad and original bracket, then off to my local s/steel fabricators who received my order at around 0900 day one and had it ready for collection the very next day at 1300 - fantastic customer service is that

Griff

 

 

[BroadAmbition]

Of course through bolting the bracket mean that the deck head lining had to come down in the aft passageway and half of it in the double cabin. along with associated door coverings / lights some bulkhead furniture removed too, not a five minute job but one that we are well versed in.  The mast had to be centred as was its predecessor, I had some scope for moving the thing fwd or aft only, needed to avoid fouling the deckhead ribs below.  'B.A' fwd and aft coach house roofs are 18mm thick plywood over teak frames / ribs.  After much measuring marking the hole location was decided.  Even then it was drilling through tentavley as there are cables etc down there.

The two Port fastening came out right on the edge of the plywood pad for the previous bracket - that meant removing some of the ply to get the washers to sit squarely.  The stbd two however - a veritable nightmare.  They appeared between two deckhead ribs (Fine) but smack in line with the bulkhead between the passageway and double cabin.  Just how on earth was I supposed to get a washer and nyloc nut on those two then?

Head scratching time, mug of rum with a splash of coffee, have a ponder.  I removed two small sections of the bulkhead as low as I dare so that once the deckhead lining was back up it would still cover them.  Robin on top of the aft coach house roof with the machine screws, allen key and patience.  Me down below with a bright led floodlight, spanner, bonded the nuts to the washers with some grippy stuff and oh so gently tried to hold them in place whilst Robin did the turning thing.  The Port two were a breeze.  The Stbd two were going to be somewhat challenging.  Fwd one - FIRST TIME -   until I realised that using the ring end of the spanner whilst giving me more control also meant that when it was tightened up, there would not be room for me to get the spanner off.  Bugger, removed and started again this time with the open end of said spanner - much more difficult but between us we achieved success.  Said mast bracket is solid, won't ever wobble, we could tow a boat off it!

Griff

 

[KatieR]

Pretty good from the s/steel bods and seems like a good contact to have in the contact book- who were they Griff? 

 

[BroadAmbition]

New Age Welding and Fabrication.  Easy to find.  Stalham High St, turn left down a narrow lane immediately before the fishing tackle shop and they are right in front of you

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Next up a Teak dressing pad was required to cover the base and take the two through roof fittings, one to carry the cable for the nav lights and t'other one for the coax tv aerial.  Into locker to find a suitable sized piece of Teak. - Well actually I had looked previously so the mast bracket was actually sized to width limited by the teak plank I got earmarked.  Two slots were cut - Robin did those, then I got set to and removed material from the back of it, shaped it to suit, sanded, fastened it in place, cut access holes, wood plugged, dressed wood filler next to the blades.  That is as far as I could proceed with it during this visit.  It now just requires final preparation sanding followed by the obligatory six coats of varnish followed by the fittings put in place

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

I got the double cabin deck head back in place along with associated bits of trim, clean tidy, buttoned up and slid the door shut.  The aft passageway will have to remain as it is until we get the wiring connected.

Next up was the tv aerial system.  Over the years we have tried various methods of receiving a good reception from the early days before Norfolk caught up with the rest of the country and finally went digital.  One issue was stowing a tv aerial safely inboard without it getting damaged or getting in the way, along with associated poles to gain height etc. then there were various exterior mounting systems we have tried. This time we think / hope we have finally cracked it.  Thanks to forumites in here advising us which aerial to use we have opted for a 'Ballade' omni directional via a 12v powered booster.

Height is the key to this issue.  The highest point on 'B.A' is of course the top of the mast.  So when the new mast was designed we made provision for a mounting socket on top of it.  I had plenty of aluminium telescopic poles, the Ballade but no socket.  Robin tried Nearest and Dearest without any success, so I went out on my travels - Had to go to Beardshaws again (Very helpful) then into the new Boulters Chandlers in Hoveton  They had a surface mounted socket but it would have been a 'Make Do' at £12 plus me cutting it down and adapting it.  We don't do 'Make Do' with 'B.A' if we can help it.  So off to their Horning outlet.  This time spot on and less money too. 

The Ballade aerial comes with a plastic mounting foot - unscrew that and throw it away.  One end of the pole was too large to fit inside the bottom of the aerial, the t'other end however having removed the spring ball and cutting it down was perfect, bonded in place with some clear marine exterior sealant. at the bottom end the new socket had a hole for a spring ball, cut a slot to the hole, then cut a corresponding slot in the pole, thread the coax inside the pole, fix socket on top of the mast and Roberts your Dads brother.

Now it will be a simple matter of slotting the pole into the socket on top of the mast, plugging the coax into the surface mounted fitting on the teak pad.  When not in use it easily stowed inboard with no 'Sticky out Bits' getting in the way.

The coax is already under the aft coach house roof waiting to be connected.

T'other end of coax however is coiled up loose behind the bonded store cabinet.  This will have to be fished out and taken back to under the helms console where it needs connecting to the already mounted and wired up tv booster thing.  Then a suitable surface mounted aerial socket fixed on the side of the helm console in the vicinity of where the tv operates - All that lot for another day

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

I had a very sneaky visit onboard 'B.A' this week.  Why sneaky?  Well, I working for a customer near to Wisbeach.  I don't normally travel afield to work, but these customers are also friends.  I was booked in for two days, the Monday and Tuesday with me staying over on the Monday night. By Monday at 1900 I was finished, the whole lot done and buttoned up.  I was then fed and watered.  Now I had a choice.  1)  Stay over with them and drive home in the morning  2) Drive home immediately - about 2 x Hrs  3) Drive down to Stalham as it was only 100 miles and approaching 2000

Decision made and I was onboard for around 2215.  By 2300 I had the teak mast dressing pad plugs paired off, final sanding and 1st application of varnish on.  Watched tv for a few minutes, then lights out.  Come Tuesday, 2 x more coats of varnish on.  The birds nest of cables behind the bonded store cabinet tidied up, the coax fished out back to under the helm position (Proper awkward) Coax connected to the booster, aerial socket fitted to side of helm - Heart in mouth whilst cutting the hole - Coax wired up between booster and new aerial socket.  By 1500-ish I was on the road home, MrsG none the wiser but much achieved I didn't expect.  A neighbour in the wetshed will finish off the varnishing in my absence which means me and Bro will do an evening visit one day next week to final mount mast, the two coach house roof fittings - fitted and wired up, deck head liner up with associated bits n pieces etc  - Job done

Griff

 

 

[BroadAmbition]

Another flying visit. Me Howard and Robin onboard 2100 - 2315 (now driving home) mast, deck heads, alarm system, wiring all completed. 

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

'Houston - We have a problem'

Robin had 'B.A' out for a weekend last month - no problem, then a couple of weekends later Bro' was onboard with his family / guests.  The 12v system was discharging overnight and not lasting nowhere near as long as it should.  6 x 120amp Leisure batteries being kept charged up by 2 x alternators and the Solar Panels should last an age

So. Me and Bro’ arrived onboard 1900 Saturday along with Robin, spent the evening testing and fault finding on the 12v system.  Despite the batteries passing a drop test, amp test, voltage both under and off load – the six of them all passed with flying colours

We were still getting a huge voltage drop on them with the inverter running over a period of hours.

The charging system is fine, the inverter checked out ok as did the sterling smart charger and the alternators, solar panels and shore power

Sunday morning more checks and by powers of elimination – it has to be the damn batteries.

There are six 120amp leisure batteries, three year guarantee, they are 3 years and 3 months old – B *****D (Sorry)

So six new ones ordered they will be fitted this coming week.

Departed for Donny sometime after 1500

Robin and Sheila will be taking ‘B.A’ direct to Beccles for the annual vintage wooden boat show come hell or high water - due to recent events I can no longer make it and MrsG is well off station up in Scotland since May and for the foreseeable future - I'm proper missing her

Griff

[Victoryv]

Thats a shame Griff, lost our auctioneer!

[annv]

Hi Did you check electrolyte levels so called sealed, remove sticker on top of battery filler plug underneath.John 

[Polly]

Sorry Mrs  G is on care duty. All the best to you both.

[ChrisB]

56 minutes ago, annv said:

Hi Did you check electrolyte levels so called sealed, remove sticker on top of battery filler plug underneath.John 

I got another 2 years out of a set of batteries by getting into the sealed unit. The plates were dry on top so added distilled water and a Bat Aid pill to each cell every six months or so. Mind we did not use alot of battery power and the beauty of the 20hp Honda was it was fitted with a pull cord and it normally did not need a second pull. The compressor on the fridge was our biggest drain.

[Regulo]

I am not enamoured of "sealed for life" batteries, especially now I've got a Sterling Advanced Alternator Regulator. This chucks a tremendous amount of Amps into the batteries, and while that's great for rapid re-charging, you really should have open cell batteries, so you can regularly top up. Sterling do not recommend using sealed batteries with these AARs, and I'll replace mine with good old open cell ones when the time comes. They can also easily be checked with a hydrometer as necessary.

[BroadAmbition]

so called sealed, remove sticker on top of battery filler plug underneath.John

Yep, did exactly that

Griff

[KaptinKev]

23 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

so called sealed, remove sticker on top of battery filler plug underneath.John

Yep, did exactly that

Griff

Hi Griff and although I'm not a boat owner and my knowledge of boat electrics is limited, but if the batteries are linked, it is possible you might have a bad apple in the mix and sucking the life out of the good batteries?

Just s thought.

[BroadAmbition]

Thanks Kev, They are linked but did all the testing with cables disconnected so could test each battery separately , then progressively together.  Anyroadup the new batteries have arrived, Robin will be installing them this week

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

'B.A' had her BSS examination earlier this month - Failed.  The gas pipe from the bottle through to the bulkhead fitting is s/steel braided.  The s/s braid was showing signs of wear / tear and was past its best.  Consequently the inner orange rubber gas pipe was not able to be seen and inspected.

New gas pipe fitted - All to the good.  Certificate issued.  That's that sorted for another 4 x years

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Bro' ordered some 'Evapo-rust'.  We'll see how our sea magnet responds to being immersed for 12 x Hrs, in fact it's been longer than that, need to go into garage and have a look-see

Griff

 

 

[BroadAmbition]

Wow, what a difference, the metal is now shiny!  Of course left open to the elements it'll go rusty again, so I'll spray paint it with primer and some topcoat

Griff

 

[ChrisB]

Useful bit of kit! That is until you drop a bit of 316 stainless over the side! Trouble is so much marine kit is non-magnetic.

I was reading that those strong magnets have a bit following for the sport of "Magnet Fishing". You attached a long line, lob the business end into The Cut and drag the bottom. All sorts has been found inc. Ordnance!