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Will your alternator output connect directly to the fused positive on your house bank then go to the 1-2-Both switch?

I installed a CPT Autopilot, and would buy it again. I think it's a great piece of equipment, and the right solution for me. Sails by heading only, no frills. Low current draw so my solar panels more than keep up, strong motor, built for immersion, quiet, and works everytime. I solo sail in the ocean, and San Diego Bay. I've been in 20 knot winds with ocean swells and the CPT held course fine. Proper sail trim is critical for any auto pilot or windvane to work properly. If I were to do extended cruising I would look into a windvane before installing a below deck unit. I'm currently playing around with a sheet to tiller set-up using the emergency tiller.

Because it was so badly clogged up I removed it.

To clean I kept one end cap on, stood the HX up in a bucket and filled it with premix 50/50 Barnacle Buster. Let the Barnacle Buster sit for a couple hours. Then flush with clean water. Took the end cap off and put on the other end. Flipped the HX over, filled with Barnacle Buster, let sit a couple hours. Then flushed with clean water.

I will be flushing in place as part of my annual maintenance from now on.

Good summary Derek. I just finished a similar trouble shooting project. Things I would add to your list are -

Folks on this message board have spoken highly of the blue Globe run dry impellers. I tried one in my N202M-15 Oberdoerfer. My experience is they do not flow enough water above 1800 RPM's, and steam begins to show in the exhaust. I replaced it with an Oberdorfer OEM impeller and all is fine.

Instead of a radiator shop, muriatic acid or Lime-Away, I bought the 50/50 solution of Barnacle Buster to clean my HX. It's non toxic, and cleaned the insides to like new. Pricey, but great product in my experience.

Another critical item in the raw water cooling system is the injection nipple on the exhaust riser after the vented loop. Mine had a blockage even though water was exiting the transom. With my 90 degree angle adapter attached to my drill, I was able to drill in place to clear it out. I believe the nipple ID has to be 3/8" minimum. The closer to 1/2" ID the better.

Hi Cliff. The "Vetus 2" in the photo is my name for the photo. It has nothing to do with the model number of the strainer.

The strainer in the photo is a Vetus FTR 140/16 which is for a 5/8" inlet and discharge hose. It has been working fine. I am considering changing to a Vetus FTR 140/19 which is for a 3/4" hose and to change my 1/2" raw water flanged seacock to a 3/4" flanged seacock at my next haulout in a year or two.

On the MK1 there's a removable piece of floor by the water heater to access the bilge and aft most keel bolt. It also gives access to pull the wires across the bilge.

Rich, I have a MK1 and my compressor module is located in the same spot fwd of the stbd water tank. The power cable runs from there to the hull then along the hull under the lip the removable panel over the tank sits on, then turns by the fridge to run along the bulkhead for the aft vertical saloon seat cushion under the galley drawers and sink, under the floor across the bilge to the bulkhead the macerator mounts to, then along that bulkhead up through the hole the holding tank hose passes through to the main distribution panel.

Jim, what blocks and chair do you use to go up the mast? Thanks.

Forgot to add if you're considering getting a whisker pole, this is a great time to add a t-track onto the mast for one. Easier and safer to deploy and store.

If you're going to pull the mast to replace wiring and coax, consider everything you want to do on the mast and do it all now. Example new standing rigging, remove corrosion and repaint, LED spreader lights, radar, wind transducer, windex, LED tri-color with anchor light, new VHF antennae, add a second conduit run and check that the original conduit run is still properly fastened to the inside of the mast. Due to age the conduit sometimes comes loose and you'll get a banging inside the mast at anchor.

I installed a Vetus FTR140/16 brand strainer mounted slightly above the water line. The top can be opened with the sea cock open and no water spills out. It's a straight line to outside the boat if you need to clear the sea cock.

Hi Justin, - FWIW - a while back I couldn't get my M25XP to start. It turned over fine, and ran fine the day before. Turns out when the engine shutdown cable passed by the rudder tube it developed a tight radius bend in it for some reason. It wouldn't shift the engine lever all the way to the run position even though the handle was all the way down in the cockpit. I increased the bend radius and it was able to return the lever fully to the start position, and the engine started.

Look for a sea cock in the locker under the head sink connected to the toilet supply hose. Open the sea cock and that will allow water to flow to the toilet.

The anchor light is on the top of the mast.

I did an extensive rewire of my boat in 2016. I put a write up with photos in the Tech WIKI. There's others write up's there too. I pulled the mast to add a second conduit run, plus LED spreader and tricolor lights, new steaming light, electronics and radar. Depends on what you're doing and ease/safety while doing it.

When I rewired my MK1 8 years ago, I installed the reserve battery just forward of the starboard water tank where you're talking about and used 1 AWG marine cable. My M25XP starts no problem on reserve or the house bank. After much discussion on this forum, I sized the start and charge cables to the max alternator output of 105A, but have an MRBF of 250A on the reserve and house bank for the inrush current of the starter. My alternator has never come close to putting out 105A. I have a write-up of my electrical upgrade in the Tech Wiki.