Broad Ambition - TLC Time Again

[BroadAmbition]

The TV aerial issue is sorted once again as the ballade item packed up, however due to me whimping out and not taking 'B.A' out of the shed yesterday we have not yet trialled it, - that means I need to get onboard for a winter weekend afloat - Sigh, oh ok then, if I must

The new house flag that infuriatingly gets itsen over the front of the yardarms with any sort of stern breeze.  I was going to take the mast home for our Wizard to fit two angled hardwood braces to stop this happening.  However Bro' said why not try it with some nice white dressing lanyards first? - Great idea so I have done so, we will see if this does the trick, that means another winter weekend out on the rivers - Sigh

JT did some cosmetic damage to the Stbd side of 'B.A' during his last weekend afloat, so it was sanded back, 5 star cuprinol applied, the 'Ding' was so shallow that a graving piece would have been huge overkill so a small amount of two pack filler was used, sanded back, primed, undercoated and glossed - Job done, I forgot to take a photo of it finished but it's fine

The Hob, whilst sorting out the FFD it was noticed that the flexible gas pipe was past its best.  A cursory glance it looked fine until one flexed it then it was apparent it was far from fine.  This item can't be check during the BSS inspection as it can't be seen without removing the hob.  A new replacement pipe was fitted.

So until the next time onboard when I will get her out of the wetshed, probably just me and Purdey onboard - Any 'Entertainments officers'  fancy a weekend afloat? 

Griff

 

 

[BroadAmbition]

Onboard at 0230. Just me n Purdey dog (Who is already sock on) Great drive down from home. Heating on full chat. Time for bed said Zebedee

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

A right proper challenge today has been. Had enough, tidy up and relax. Heating on, tv out and dinner 

Griff

[Cal]

One thing we are not missing about the boat is the time and expense of this time of year doing maintenance on the thing.

The van is sat patiently waiting on the drive for it's next outing next week whereas the boat would usually be ashore scheming what would be the next expensive item it could wangle out of us. 

[BroadAmbition]

I’ve encountered some proper expense this trip. 
mop head not done yet, hopefully this morning. Then the split charger to change over once it arrives. I need to get home 

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Wednesday 22nd - morning, well it was about 0900 as I didn't get to bed till nearly 0400

Right first thing - That starting issue that we thought we had cured.  Robin was onboard and out on the rivers for a couple of days last week.  He reported that starting up in the wetshed was fine - no issues.  However the next morning at Neatishead staithe he struggled to start the Beta and if it had not been for the jump leads onboard he doubted if he would have got her running

I couldn't believe it, our starting gremlin was back.  There was nowt for it but for me do do a flying visit, right before Christmas too but this was getting beyond a joke now,  Plus JT and family are due onboard between Christmas and the new year.  I had been doing some thinking and came to the conclusion that the Beta started just fine if we had been on shore power but struggled if we had not been, this latest issue just had to be connected with the alternator charging system onboard and / or via the Sterling 12v split charging unit

So I tested everywhere I could think of, all was fine with no issues so far.  Even doing a battery drain test between the negative pole and cable after disconnecting them, the biggest drain I saw with just every onboard system fired up was just 0:06 amps, virtually nothing which is as it should be as the starter battery supplies nothing other than the starter motor

Then I noticed in the window display four red lights but most importantly no green one on the split charger.  The red ones displaying were high alternator volts, high alternator temperature and two unit failure lights

This was another one of those 'Eureka' moments the 'Alternator-battery digital split charge system' had developed a fault

 A phone call to Sterling technical department.  The tech guy on t'other end was proper helpful, instructed me through numerous tests / readings.  The conclusion was that the split charger indeed was 'Partially' faulty and although it was delivering charge to both the leisure and starter batteries it was very little and therefore faulty

Could I send it to them for a free repair?  Free? - Yes they offered to fix it for free, that's not bad considering the unit is now sixteen years old.

However being Wednesday there was not a prayer of getting the unit to them and back again for the next day, even if I drove to Droitwich and back in the van - never get done in time and JT is due out onboard next week, I couldn't have him having to rely on shore power or using jump cables

There was nowt for it but to order a new one there and then which would be delivered to Robin the next day, he would then drive it over to me.  These units are far from cheap, the one we have fitted to 'B.A' is capable of handling 160amps.  Our twin alternators have the capability of producing 160amps so that is right on the edge but to date we have never seen anything like that demand on the display panel.  The tech guy said that they would still like the original unit back in due course for a free repair / service.  A new unit?   £500:00 but it had to be done,  open wallet surgery once more and it was on its way

Griff

 

 

[BroadAmbition]

So between me, the tech guy and Bro' we have concluded the following.

We have six 120amph leisure batteries onboard and one cranking battery.  A 240v Sterling digital shore power charging unit, a Sterling 12v Alternator to battery digital split charge unit along with Sterling digital display counter / panel

For goodness knows how long now it seems when underway the display panel had been giving us information that was correct and true but on the output side not the input side.  The split charge unit has become faulty therefore the starter battery has not being receiving a full charge, neither have the leisure batteries either come to that.    How did we not know?  Well the solar panels have been putting charge into the leisure batteries only.  When on shore power then both the leisure and starting batteries have been receiving a charge as normal.  This has kept us operating quite nicely (Apart from the starting issues) whilst being blissfully ignorant.  JT is onboard next week and out and about on the rivers,  with Robin and his crew during the first week of the New Year.  They will of course report back

Just who would be a boat owner eh?

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Nowt more I could do on the electrics so now it was time to change over the oil pressure sender.  It is located on the block port side under the heat exchanger and above the starter motor so is a bit awkward to see / get at.  It is screwed into a brass elbow pipe that is itself screwed into the block.

Three cables.  Photographed the lot then got set to remove the sender.  Immediately this disturbed and loosened the elbow into the block, that meant I would have to remove the elbow and 'Re-set' it, oh well.  The sender came away ok, it was whilst undoing the elbow that it fell out and lodged itsen between the starter motor and block.  Could I Eckers like get to it.  Sigh - Remove the starter motor then.  Retrieve the elbow, clean threads, apply gasket sealant only I couldn't as our gasket sealant had 'Gone Orf'   Down tools, off to Motorman in Stalham, visit Tesco's at same time.

Apply new sealant and screw it back in now a lot easier with the starter motor out of the way.  The sender has a tapered thread and is a tight fit so has to be wound out / in into the female thread in the elbow with a spanner making progress slow & awkward, it also has to have gasket sealant applied.  It was whilst lining it up that the lot 'Fell Orf'  Now just how has that happened? I got a bright light tucked mysen down to have a proper look-see.  I had one of those   'I Don't Believe It'   moments.  You know the thing - Eyes telling brain one thing and brain refusing to believe what eyes are telling it.

The elbow had snapped clean off flush with the block leaving the threads in the block with the remainder of the elbow nicely married to the new sender where it had no business to be - In the palm of my hand. 

This was an instant 'Boat Stopper' as starting the Beta would result in engine oil being squirted straight out of the block.  Just how was I supposed to get over this one?  I was dreading the thought of ringing JT and informing him that his planned cruise was off.

Drove round to Toby at Marine engineering in the village, they tell me this is a common occurrence (And how to avoid it happening again) to ring Peachments immediately as they have them on the shelf - I did, but they are shut till 4th Jan.  Toby didn't have a spare one or one he could rob off another engine either.  What he did find was an oil pressure switch that would do get me out of a hole and an 'Easy Out' he lent me to extract the broken off threads from the block

Back onboard, extract the threads, made up a cable tail for the switch, well that is to say I would have done so if our cable crimpers had not lost a through bolt fastener somewhere in the toolbox rendering them inoperative, had to scratch round to find a basic pair, completed cable tail fastened it onto the switch then had to remove it so I could fit the switch with a socket as no room for a spanner, fitted cable tail again being careful not to drop the tiny screw, work out which one of three cables to connect it to,  Fit the starter motor.  Fire up the Beta - All to the good, no oil leak.

Of course our new replacement oil gauge is now inoperative but we have a buzzer and a red light on the dash protecting the oil pressure system.  Rang Beta, two new elbows on their way to my gaff.  Later on in t evening I rang Jason to see if he had one in his multitude of spares - He didn't

So, the Beta can be safely operated.  In the New Year I shall pop back down and fit a new elbow & sender this time with the added knowledge of how to avoid snapping the damn thing off

You couldn't make it up

Griff

 

[Karizma]

wow - now we know why you sounded fed up !!!! joys of owning our own boats 

[Meantime]

Griff, Not gonna say anything about the engine being the wrong colour, but good to see that a Nanni bit got you out of trouble. 

Sounds like you really encountered Murphys Law on that trip.

[Bikertov]

Remind me why I am so desperate to buy into the dream of owning a boat ?

[Meantime]

7 minutes ago, Bikertov said:

Remind me why I am so desperate to buy into the dream of owning a boat ?

Because you're fed up with having spare money burning a hole in your pocket! 

[BroadAmbition]

Of course all this running around and doing 'Stuff' took loads of time up.  By the time I had decided enough was enough it was getting on for 1500 and be dark soon. Also it was cold, wet, grey and miserable outside of the shed.  If I had sailed for an overnighter somewhere I would have been arriving in t dark and sods law would say that the delivery to Robin would be early so I wouldn't get back to the shed in time so I elected to not sail - again.  Took Purdey for a decent walk, and spent the night in t shed

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Thursday morning and I was stuck with nowt to do.  So it was off for a trek with Purdey dog.

I popped over to reception for some elec cards for our shore supply and to see the yard manager with a view to being allowed to use a vice to change over the mop head.  He would ring me when he had a spare moment, good to his word he did.  we went into the engineering shed and workshop.  Handle into the vice, claw crowbar under the copper long nail and easily tapped out with a hammer.  The new head had a fatter, shorter galvanised pin, issue there with it being fatter it wouldn't go into the hole of the stainless steel end cap, so I had to remove it from the wool and two leather washers and replace it with our copper one.  Refitted and hammered home and all was well.  I need to deep clean the handle at some point and either apply teak oil or varnish it

Another item that came to light, the number '1' of the stern registration numbers had somehow delaminated itsen and fell orf, it was on the well deck.  Just how / why had that happened then?  Does it never end?  I bonded it back on where its been since 2006

Now there was nowt to do until the split charger arrived in Boston with Robin so he could drive it over to me.  So I tidied up got my personal gear etc all on t van and wasted a fair few hours

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

Robin arrived and I got set to, three power cables to remove, one earth and two pairs of sensor cables plus four securing screws, two of which are a bit testing to get to.

The first snag presented itsen with the earth cable, it needed a large eye crimping /soldering onto the supplied bare tinned cable end.  Our crimping tool even if it was operational wouldn't tackle this and our soldering gun was nowhere near man enough.  Fortunately a fellow boat owner a few boats down had his van and  gear to hand so that got me out of a predicament.  The two small sensor cables were a right pain to swap over, getting the cable in to the connectors was most frustrating but I got there in the end

The unit has to be manually set via some small switches as to what type of batteries the unit will be dealing with, this is simple and straightforward

On firing up the Beta I had again got two warning light which resulted in not having the green operational led which was the one I really needed.  On the upside I had lost the two 'Faulty Unit' leds which was a relief.  Another call to Sterling sorted this out, the alternator temperature sensor cables needed to be removed and then the unit worked just fine with a proper healthy charge going into our leisure and cranking batteries

We still have some fine tweaking / fettling to carry out in the new year, one or both of our alternators (60 and 100amp) is producing a slightly too high output voltage, that needs dropping down by :2 of a volt and investigation as to why the unit is sensing too high alternator temperature even on cold start up.  Other than that we are now at last good to go.  JT is onboard between Christmas and the New year so he can do the river trials thing but I am once again confident we have at last got it fettled.

After a frustrating couple of days with no river or overnight trip, me and Purdey dog at last set off homeward bound in the 'GriffTile' van.  Job done, she is once again as per the norm ready in all respects as a turnkey woody for her next two planned trips on the rivers this and next week.  Just a pity it won't be me!

Griff

 

[CambridgeCabby]

I think a well deserved and hard earned glass of xmas cheer is due 

[Mouldy]

31 minutes ago, CambridgeCabby said:

I think a well deserved and hard earned glass of Christmas cheer is due 

A glass?  Singular??  Several glasses would possibly be more appropriate under the circumstances.  😉😉😁

[BroadAmbition]

Oil pressure sender and elbow changed. All to the good

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

Ok, back home again.  Had to chuck out two pillows as the mould had gottem.

More investigative electrical work, there are two sensor cables from the split charger one of which was already suspect, the second one is now also confirmed as toast.  These monitor the alternator temperature and battery temperatures.  We have a pair of brand new ones to hand - well that is to say we would have if I could have found the safe place I put them.  I think they are here at home but stuffed if I can find them so we will have to order a new set from Sterling

After much testing Howard declared he had no confidence in the 100 amp alternator, so we removed it.  That will be handed in to a company up here in Donny sometime Monday.  This being Gods Country and not Norfolk means by Tuesday it will have been tested and the results will decide on the way ahead.

It was also noticed that the raw water flexi pipe had been chaffed by the 65amp alternator fans, so I will order some new pipe and fit and re-route it better during our next visit.  The original flexi piping has been fitted since 2006 so does not owe us owt

After yet more checks we can now at last confirm as having sorted out the gremlins.  We are charging at capacity on both shore power and alternator systems with all being to the good.  Our original split charger was sent off to Sterling for diagnosis, they have returned it fully operational so this we will now sell.  A new one retails at £500, I'll put it in the for sale section in due course.

By mid afternoon we had completed our 'To Do List' for this visit.  We had the option of staying onboard till Sunday mid afternoon.  The wind strength had picked up and it was somewhat chilly so we decided to go home. Bonus to this is that I get to go to' my local clay shooting ground tomorrow and Bro' can go and ruin a good walk (Gentlemen Only, Ladies forbidden)

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

To all the bio degradable wood butchering experts out there, I could do with your opinion

Come April we will be replacing the top, middle and bottom rubbing strakes as well as the toe rail on 'B.A'  I was advised by a knowledgeable chap to go for Meranti, but now have been advised to use Utile

Please don't even mention Oak - we have that at present - somewhat disappointing to say the least.

I need to consider crush strength, weather resistance. longevity and the ability of accepting varnish

Your thoughts?

Availability / supply has to be considered, its no good going after 'The Best' if we can't get hold of it

Also I do need to consider Grendel and his scale models, don't want to pi55 him orf, he is both bigger and way more uglier than me 

Price is of no concern (I typed that one whilst blindfolded)

Griff

[BrundallNavy]

Mahogany all the way. What type May depend on what you can get. 

[grendel]

greenheart or purpleheart if it can be obtained, horrible stuff to work, I have some greenheart that I got probably 30 years back (offcuts from where they were putting in new groynes locally), some was made into a planter in the garden, the rest was just left outside, last year I got a bit that had just been laying on the ground, the outside looked rough, as it hadent been protected, planed that off and it was good as new just under that gnarly exterior, so dense it makes mahogany look like balsa, a local timberyard had to use a diamond bladed saw to cut it down back 30 years ago, so it will dull your blades, its insect resistant and rot resistant.

Janka hardness 2350 lbf vs african mahogany - 830 lbf

Quote

greenheart -                                  Chlorocardium rodiei -       10.5 -      2,350

mahogany, African-                      Khaya spp.-                        3.7-          830

mahogany, Santos, Cabreuva-    Myroxylon balsamum-       9.8-          2,200

mahogany, true                            Swietenia macrophylla-      3.6-         800

purpleheart-                                 Peltogyne spp.-                   8.3-        1,860

 

[BrundallNavy]

I fear you might encounter problems trying to bend either purple or green heart round the gunnels.  

[grendel]

Just now, BrundallNavy said:

I fear you might encounter problems trying to bend either purple or green heart round the gunnels.  

there is that consideration, I was just considering the crush strength aspect.

[WherryNice]

Would too hard of a rubbing strake cause impacts to be passed through to the hull structure itself too?