NB Caveat Emptor Blog - Comments

Paul: A full weekend...

nospam@example.com (Paul) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:46:48 +0000

Thanks for that Brian...

Being a cruiser, the fuel tends to start off pretty cold under from the tanks right at the stern. Once the cooker is up to temp though, the oil valve is warm, and the actual oil flowing to the pot is pretty warm, I'd imagine. If you peer through the lighting hole once it's up to temp, you can see the fuel boiling off the surface and burning blue for the very first bit of the flame area.

I have been running it up to temp on 2 of 6 until the pot gets warm enough to self-vaporise.

I do have an EV as well, although it doesn't appear in many photos - it's around somewhere though. It's a huge 25L one, teed into the output of the calorifier. That's why I'm a bit mystified as to why the PRV weeps. It does seem to have stopped after a quick turn, so maybe it was just dirt on the valve seat...

Cheers,

PC

Brian: A full weekend...

nospam@example.com (Brian) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:58:30 +0000

Just a couple of point that you may find helpful.
I have a Dickinson diesel cooker and I find the "burn rate" is very dependent on the diesel temperature. When we first arrive on the boat and light the stove we have to run it at a minimum of about No 2 1/2 Once the diesel tank which is in the engine room is warm we then drop it to about 1 1/2 as a minimum setting.
Do you have an expansion vessel on your hot water system, if not this is why the pressure relief valve weeps as the water heats. Its expanding with no where

Paul Catchpole: Back to work, but still progress made...

nospam@example.com (Paul Catchpole) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 09:36:13 +0000

Hi Malcolm,

Yup, you're right, I did buy her at the bottom end of the market, and to an extent, I've been lucky that the hull survey was fairly good. Major replating would have put an 8k dent in the budget!

My thinking goes that a 30yr old, 40ft cruiser-stern boat has [or had, at least] a maximum value on the open market of around £23k. So as long as I don't spend more than that in total, including the purchase, then I'm not wasting my money.

But mostly, it's to make it a pleasant place to live!

PC

Malcolm: Back to work, but still progress made...

nospam@example.com (Malcolm) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:31:53 +0000

Hi Paul, just interested as I knew you had bought the boat at bottom end and wondered what you had planned to spend or whether you are adding to it as you go. Must admit I don't mind 'tarting up' and 'making good' but the thought of stripping and starting over is quite daunting so take my hat off to you. Cheers Malc'

Paul Catchpole: Back to work, but still progress made...

nospam@example.com (Paul Catchpole) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:20:52 +0000

Erm, more than I expected... I paid very little for the boat, and was expecting some hull work to need doing. To be honest, there's less needed of that than I thought.

Ben, working with me for the week, has been paid, as he's had to be away from his usual clients for that time, as well as the boatyard fees and the like. It's burnt most of my remaining annual leave until March too!

Boatyard and Ben came to around the 2k mark, plus the costs of materials, so the total is probably hovering around the 4k level at the moment.

I hadn't planned on getting the stove onboard before Christmas, so the extra costs of that, plumbing and the new fridge haven't helped keep the budget down either... But it was probably easier to put it on board now, than when she was floating!

Is that more or less than you expected?

PC

Malcolm: Back to work, but still progress made...

nospam@example.com (Malcolm) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:41:40 +0000

Just to let you know that I'm really enjoying following your blog. How much have you allowed for the re-fit? Malc.

Paul: Insulation, framing, wiring and the ever-so-big cylinder...

nospam@example.com (Paul) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:09:15 +0000

Don't know, although I could check the PRV - it is a boat one, despite the huge size!

PC

Brian: Insulation, framing, wiring and the ever-so-big cylinder...

nospam@example.com (Brian) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:14:27 +0000

Do you know what the pressure rating of the calaorifier is, most boat ones are good for 3 Bar but domestic ones run at about 20 foot head.

Paul Catchpole: Shower pump thing...

nospam@example.com (Paul Catchpole) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:18:01 +0000

Yes, I know what you mean. You're not the first person to try and dissuade me from this plan!

The 'other' brand, can't remember what they're called, have sealed lids and a remote vent. Perhaps I should have paid the extra £40 and bought one!

We'll see how it goes, although lid sealing and the like will be necessary.

The bilge is continuous at least!

PC

Brian: Shower pump thing...

nospam@example.com (Brian) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:16:06 +0000

I think I would stand the whole thing in a 25lt plastic drum. If the switch fails of the pump gets bunged up then the smelly water leaks into the bilge.
Brian

Paul Catchpole: Wiring - planning for the rebuild...

nospam@example.com (Paul Catchpole) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:59:58 +0100

Ta for the comments Richard - I'm glad somebody is reading this stuff...

You're right, of course, on the alternator - it'll only produce peak output very early on in the charging cycle, and only at full revs. I understand it's worth keeping the Vdrop down to a minimum as the reg senses at the alternator...

Alternator take off is off the crank, at full speed, I don't have anything driven off the cam at the moment - although I know of the concept. Currently it's on a 2" alt pulley and around 7" on the engine.

Splitting the sides of the boat to reduce cable size is a good plan - one I must have thought of and forgotten!

We've two water pumps, if you include the shower pump - likely to be run simultaneously, and I'm looking for a bigger main one. Currently max current [possibly stall current?] is listed as 10A for each of them.

The fridge, I'd like to have switched separately at the distribution board, so even though it might use the bus -ve return, it needs its own +ve, unless I remote-relay it.

Mind you, I've got an update to stick up about the fridge, detailing the consequences of buying a boat with 230v 13A mains sockets, some which are 12v and some 230v - and a fridge with two 13A plugs... That may negate the 12v operation...

Ta for the help!

PC

Anonymous: Wiring - planning for the rebuild...

nospam@example.com () — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:41:21 +0100

Ok. My comments for what they are worth lol.

1. Doubt that the alternator's going to produce more than 30A unless you have a very large dia. pulley on the engine, especially if the take off is on the camshaft.

2. Split the cabin -ve return....have a return (and feed) on both sides of the boat hence smaller cable reqd.

3. Up the size on the horn feed to 5A....needs more power than you might think.

4. Wire the fridge direct to the bus bar.

5. Water pump was only 4A or so, from memory.

Richard.

Paul Catchpole: Auto switchy stuffy

nospam@example.com (Paul Catchpole) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:44:57 +0100

Aye, I think the box is the same then... I've had a poke at the gearbox end and the lever is mighty stiff in either direction from there - I'll have to have another look at it!

Ta for the help!

PC

Anonymous: Auto switchy stuffy

nospam@example.com () — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:41:54 +0100

Well mine was the bullet proof LH150, as I think yours is from what I can deduce from the photos.

Never had a problem with sticking cables, take the control cover plate off and whack some grease on the ball mechanism and cable ends. If that doesnt cure it, may be worth disconnecting the cable at the gearbox end and check that the force required to shift into forward and reverse is the same.

Richard

Paul Catchpole: Auto switchy stuffy

nospam@example.com (Paul Catchpole) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:35:34 +0100

Hi Richard,

Ta for the comment - it certainly sounds like you travelled far and wide in your Springer - excellent stuff.

I've no idea what hours are on our ST2, but since the boat, we suspect, was a Bijou-line hire-boat out of Penkridge, it may have been around a bit!

I've never seen another throttle control like ours, so it's good to hear of yours. I quite like it, to be honest, despite it being a unusual at first... What gearbox did you have on the SR2, a lister one?, and how stiff was it to change at the control - as ours is flippin' stiff especially out of reverse...

Cheers,

PC