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Messages - PK

#1
Main Message Board / Re: Cruising to Bahama's
August 08, 2013, 07:39:17 AM
We are recently back from a year cruise from San Francisco to Mexico for 6 months and back to San Diego.  The boat can handle it, plenty of space for two a paddle board, kayak, dinghy, spares etc... (remember to raise the waterline!)  Like Steve we spent a fair amount of $$ prior to leaving, but it was all worth it.  I think about the trip every day.  Be careful it may ruin your ability to go back to work and not day dream all day.

http://pksadventures.blogspot.com/

#2
She has sold :clap 
Hopefully to some good people who will soon join the community here.  I guess that ends my relationship with the C34 forum, except to kill time at work.  If anyone is thinking about cruising or going to Mexico, I have lots of info.  Feel free to drop us a line.  Fair Winds all.
#3
It makes me sad to post this, but it needs to be done. :cry4`  We are selling our lovely boat, Autumn Wind.  She is currently in San Diego after our year long cruise from San Francisco to Mexico and back.  As you can imagine she is decked out with everything you need to live aboard and cruise Mexico and or the channel islands in comfort and safety.  We put a LOT of cash into her just a year ago in order to get ready for our trip, so all of the important gear is basically brand new.  You can check out the listing on Yacht world for all the specs, and give me an e-mail if you want to know the inside scoop on everything she has.  While there is so much more to her than this, I know everyone wants to know that she has the all important walk thru transom and swim step on the MKI hull shape,  super nice for getting into the dingy, showering, landing fish, etc... Even the listing in Yachtworld doesn't do her justice.  We have loved out time in Mexico and the C-34 is a great boat for Mexico cruising.  Now it's time to get back to the real life and plan for our next trip.  

Our blog:   http://pksadventures.blogspot.mx/

The listing:  http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1995/Catalina-34-2604418/San-Diego/CA/United-States#.UaKBPx_D-P8

e-mail:  plautzkline (at) gmail (dot) com

If you have ever thought of cruising Mexico, spending a week at Catalina Island or anything in between, this is a great way to do it without all the hassle of refitting your boat.  We hope she goes to someone who will use her and love her like we have.


#4
Main Message Board / Re: Ocean Cruising Adventure Series
February 01, 2013, 08:07:08 AM
Yes, trust me, reading other people's blogs can be a dangerous thing!  You never know what they will influence you to do.
#5
I agree, That sounds crazy :shock: (even if we cheated and started in San Francisco :D)

http://pksadventures.blogspot.mx/

PS: Here in Banderas Bay the sky is blue and the sun is out.  Temperarature of 84 in the cabin.
#6
Main Message Board / Re: boom preventer
January 30, 2013, 02:39:28 PM
We went with Wichard's Jibeasy.  While not technically a preventer it pretty much does the same thing.  It works like a climbing friction device, so with enough loops thru the device and enough tension it will keep the boom where you want it, but with enough pressure it should theoretically let the boom come across if you were knocked down or something catastrophic happened.  We lead one side back to the cockpit so it could be let go or tightened from the cockpit if needed, and attached the device to the aft most bale on the boom.  Ran the the line from the aft shround turnbuckle thru the device to the other aft turnbuckle with a block attached to it and then back to the cockpit.  The downside is that in light air you need to loosen it, or you will need to push the boom around by hand.  It has its flaws but has worked for us so far.
#7
I wanted to give an update and say thanks to everyone for all your help on this one.  Our bypass of the oil pressure switch and the fuel pump solenoid for the glow plugs seems to be working.  We have started the engine multiple times now and it fired up better than ever.  Makes me wonder if something was failing over a period of time and the two things together brought it to light?  Sorry about the spelling and grammar previously, I didn't want to tempt the internet gods by trying spell check as the internet coverage in Tomales Bay was very spotty.  I was just happy to get the replies sent.  We made it over the bar yesterday afternoon, into thick fog, but did make it to Bodega Bay for the night.  Now it's time to source some parts to replace the oil pressure switch and the fuel pump solenoid.  I really appreciate the support and help.  It is nice knowing there is some help out there when you are in a bay that has no dock you could even sail up to if you wanted to, the exit bar would be sketchy on a good day under sail, and any help was four days out due to the holiday.

Stu:  Thanks for the help.  It may be a while until we are back in the estuary as we have left Grand Marina to spend the next year traveling aboard.  That being said it makes these fixes all that more complicated in transit and the help ever more valuable.  You can follow us here if you like. 

http://pksadventures.blogspot.com/

Thanks to everyone again. :D
#8
Update, it appears that bypassing the oil presure switch, removing the glow plug wire from the solenoid and jumping it directly to the first glow plug has worked! :clap :clap
By bypassing all of the safety systems on the engine we got it to work.
Question, by bypassing the oilmpressure switch will we have a problem?  Obviously this will need to be replaced ASAP, but is this switch necessary to keep oil moving thru the system? 
Secondly, is it really possible that both the oil pressure sensor and the fuel filter solenoid went bad on the same day?
Thanks for the input, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel after two days at anchor working on this problem.
#9
Thanks Ron.  The circuit breaker is pushed in. 
The oil pressure swith is concerning me.  I have voltage between the spade connectors when diaconnected and testsed with the key in on position.  Yet when they are conmected to the oil pressure swith and the mey is turned to on it sounds the alarm and does not operate the fuel pump like it should.  If I bypass the oil pressure swith the fuelmpump works normally and the alarm does not sound.  The way the system used to work.  Basicslly if I bypass the oil pressure swith, the fuel pump operates correctly.  If the oil pressur switch is bypassed temporariliy with the emgine on will this cause a problem?
Second issue is at the solenoid just to the port of the fuel pump.  This is the solenoid I use a little jumper to activate the fuel pump to bleed the system without turning on the glow plugs.  It has voltage and when jumped or the oil pressure swithch is bassed it activates the fuel pump.  It also has the glow plug wire attached to it from the panel.  The glow plug wire is getting voltage at this solenoid when the key is turned to the glow plug position.  The glow plugs are not getting voltage though when the key is in this position.  Leading me to believe that this solenoid is faulty.
Is is possible that both these items went bad at the same time or is one effecting the other somehow?
If they are in fact both faulty, can i bypass them to start the engine?
My current plan is to bypass the oil pressure sensor and take the glow plug wire off the solenoid and attach ot directly to the first glow plug. 
As always thanks and any input is helpful
#10
More updates.  Thanks to a call from Jim in Erie PA we looked at the oil sender unit since it sounds like it must be closed to allow the fuel pump to run.  By bypassing the oil sender (i just disconnected the oil sender wires and used a short jumper to connect them, bypassing the oil sender unit). We are able to get the fuel pump to activate when the key is turned to the on or glow plug position, just like it used to before all of this.  Upon cracking the bleed screw on the secondary fuel filter I get fuel squirting out with the fuel pump running.  So it looks like fuel is not the issue here.  Still unable to active the glow plugs.
If the engine were to start, would it be ok to run it for a short time without the oil sender unit? 
After reading Stu's link below, I'm still a little confused about how the wiring to the glow plugs proceeds.  I see it commong out of the switch at the control panel and have voltage there, and see it at the glow plugs, but do not have voltage there.  Can someone detail out where this wire goes for me or if there is a switch or solenoid that may have failed. 
I have air and fuel, so am thinking that the 60ish degree temps may be preventing me from turning over the engine.  Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
#11
Update on the below situation.  We used Ron's suggestion and when engaging the glow plugs looked for a couple of volt drop on the engine voltmeter.  This did not happen leading us to believe that the glow plugs are not getting power.  We found power behind the panel at the harness for the glow plug wire, but as stated belowmhave been unable to verify power at the engine side of things.  Will continue to try to trace where the gap is.  Also the fuel lift pump does not click when the key is turned to the glow plug postion as it should.  Have verified power at the fuel pump and can use a jumper to activate it and hear the clicking, so I am assuming it works, it just needs to be activated somehow.
Leads me to think there is something incommon between the glow plugs activating and the lift pump activating.  Possibly at the key switch, possibly a loose ground.  Would love to hear any thoughts on this one.  Thanks.
#12
Here's a good one for everyone.  We are anchored in Tomales Bay right now and for some reason can not get our engine to start.  That's wgy we could use the advice quickly. 
It is the m35.  Symptoms are that it cranks fine, so we believe the batteries are not the issue.  When keynis turned to the glow plug position the alarm continues to beep.  Usually it only beeps when the key is in the "on" position but then stoppes while you are warming the glow plugs.  The fuel pump (i think) it is the little cyclinder thing on the back of the engine that normally clicks while you are glow plugging is not clicking during the glow plugging right now.  So maybe this is the issue?  i haveconfirmed power to it.  I have confirmed power out of the switch at the panel for both the fuel pump and the glow plug wires.  I have been UNABLE to confirm power to the glow plugs. I may not be doing it correctly?  I feel it is a glow plug issue.  Can you feel them get warm when they are hot?  What would be preventing them from getting power?  Are they connected to the fuel pump somehow, is this system interconnected?  Any help would be great especially quickly. :cry4`

Ps our phone number in 775-842-4523 if you want to call.  Thanks
#13
Main Message Board / Re: Water pump woes
August 05, 2012, 09:54:52 PM
Not to take this in a different direction... Does anyone have any tips for rebuilding a sherwood pump.  I have the new lip seals and bearings and would like to rebuild our spare pump, but am having trouble getting the seals out and then not sure about back in.  If it was leaking salt water from the weep holes should we replace both seals and bearings or just the water side seal?  Any advice would be appreciated. 
PS I only have the tools on the boat, so please don't say take it home and work on it there :D
#14
Fleet 1 / Re: Standing rigging
May 30, 2012, 03:54:19 PM
We just had all of the standing rigging replaced at Svendsens in Alameda last week.  Partly because we are next door at Grand Marina and partly because they gave us a good deal at the boat show last month.  Chris their rigging foreman is a good guy and gave us a bunch of good advice (I think)  We cleaned the mast, rebeded the spreaders and changed the masthead light to a LED while it was down.  Would have been nice to replace the sheaves as well but we needed something to do next time we pulled the mast. :D  We had the usual boat yard issues that drive you crazy, but I guess that's expected being out of towners.  Chris made up for the other things that lacked in our opinion.  Nobody treats your baby like you do I guess.
#15
For those for you that have placed 4 6v batteries in the compartment forward of the sink and used wet cell batteries...Did you form any sort of battery box around your batteries to contain spillage or did you not worry about that issue?  How big of an issue is it really?
Also, what route did you use to cable a reserve battery into the space under the aft berth?  Thanks