Messages

Curious: what kind of moisture meter do you have? I am considering one myself.

It is a GE Protimeter Aquant BLD5760.  Works great.  Bob

Hi Forum,

Just about the time I got my stanchion issue resolved I noticed water on the head floor.  With my moisture meter I traced it down to the port side jib track.  Unlike the stanchion, the jib track runs along a lengthy section of deck.  How is the track secured to the deck?  Are the screws ended with washers and nuts?  Will I have to rip into the underside fiberglass?  Is it at all possible to seal it without removing the track?

TIA,

Bob

The problem of water infiltration at the stanchion has been solved.  The stanchion was re-bedded with butyl tape. Had a couple of heavy rain storms and the area under the stanchion is dry.  I am going to have to rebuild the void, but I am fine for now.

Sadly, this is not my only water infiltration issue.  I have water coming into the head through the jib track.  There is a new thread called "Wet Deck 2" dealing with this issue.

Thanks for all the help,

Bob

Bob,

I removed all the rotted core -- reaching in with a narrow blade on a multi tool.  But I decided it was best to also cut the inside fglass skin back so I could get a full piece of core under the entire repair area. That was what the big boys recommended, versus piecing in with a couple small marine plywood pieces.  I plan to grind the edges back so that after I epoxy in the core (held in place with blocking/pressure from below until cured) I can lay in successive layers of glass tape/resin/microfibers until built back up (down) to the original level/thickness and then some -- in my case there's a liner covering the repair, so I can over do the thickness somewhat.  I will have a special size backing plate made to cover the entire patch area and then some.

Also I wasn't sure that I was getting all the rotted core out unless I removed the lower skin.

Ken

All of these suggestions are great.  I am going to wait until I really understand what others have done before I start into this job.  One tool I am going to get is a borescope so I can see into the void.  Bob

Forgive asking a probably obvious question (but I can be dumb sometimes) (ok, often)
But is the lower right pic showing the area from inside the cabin or is it from above the deck with the deck cut away?

Paul

Hi Paul,

Yes, that image was taken from inside the cabin right above the nav station.  The plan seems to be to let the area dry out completely.  Then make sure that all of the wood in poor condition is removed.  That will be a hard task as I do not want to remove any more fiberglass.  I will take marine grade plywood to fill the void.  This will be done in three pieces.  The first one goes forward of the void.  The second one goes aft of it.  The third one goes into the void.  The holes will be cut into the third wood block using the backing plate as a guide.  Then the whole area will be "glassed-in."  Finally, the backing plate will be secured.  I still would welcome any further comments.

Cheers,

Bob

Hi Forum Members,

This is not something which must be done at once.  I discovered another spot of wet deck and have taken some temporary means to stop the problem.  We had not realized that water has been getting into the boat from underneath one of the port stanchions.  It was a place that the previous owner had made a rather poor repair.  We need to get some idea of how to make the "real" repair.

(Left image) The area marked in yellow registered as wet with my moisture meter.

(Right top image) We removed the stanchion and re-bedded it with butyl tape.  Note we still have "spider" cracks.

(Right bottom image) Here is the block of wood that the previous owner used to "anchor" the stanchion.  From the first image you can tell that the water soaked wood extends forward and aft of the block.  There is still enough integrity to the block to hold the stanchion.  What we want to know is how to fix the problem for good.  Can this be done from inside the cabin?

Thanks,

Bob

[think]

Hi everyone,
I just re-connected my wind instrument wiring at the mast base, and unfortunately, the read out at the helm is only registering the wind direction, not the speed.  It worked fine last season, before hauling and taking the mast down. No visible damage to the wind vane when re-installed to top of mast.  I was able to read DC voltage at each wire connection at the mast base.  Has anyone run into this problem? Not sure how to troubleshoot.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.  Thanks.
Mike....

We have the same API.  From time to time it shuts down.  We think it has to do with voltage.  Cleaning contacts and reducing corrosion on the circuit seems to bring it back.  Our instrument is working right now.  Good Luck.  Let us know what it was when you solve the problem.

Cheers,

Bob

We're familiar with the local fleet, we have sailed with Bob and pat

I assume that all went well and that you should be down here this afternoon.  We all await the "baby pictures."

Cheers,

Bob & Pat

Thanks Ken.  That is what I will do.

I have an answer.  This is from my log notes:

Saturday, November 15th the 178C (GPS) started to flicker at a rapid rate.  Paul Ferrara was on board.  He is an EE.  He suggested that it was the display transformer, which would have been a bummer ($600. for a new GPS).  This is the second instrument on the same circuit to "go bad."  The API has had fits lately.  Today Franco wanted to clean the contacts on the tachometer as it was acting up also.  When he did so, the GPS worked fine.  Answer:  High resistance on the instruments circuit did not allow the GPS transformer to boost the voltage in order to correctly drive the display.

Hope this is the answer.

Bob, they make much nicer ones now.

http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=35

http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=28

We got the heavier ones, LLC and 40-40 UAB (NOT these two in the links - you'll have to find them on Garhauer's website), one each on each side leading back to our foot blocks, which were not standard on the Mark Is.  

Hi Stu,

Thanks for the info.  I had found the Garhauer page, but I did not know which one to buy.  The 40-40 US looks like one I should get as the price is right.  A search of the site could not find 40-40 UAB.  The LLC-3 & LLC-2 might work, but I think I will buy the 40-40 US unless someone advises me not to.

Cheers,

Bob

Hi Everyone,

I noticed that the sheaves on both of our jib track cars are badly worn.  Garhauer seems not to make the more massive ones that were original equipment back in 1987.  They do sell T track cars:  http://garhauermarine.com/search_process.cfm  Does anyone know the current replacement?

Here is mine:

Well it has work well for a couple of weeks now.  Don't you just love "gremlins?"  Will keep watching it, but I have other issues with which I must deal.  See Garhauer track car.

Cheers,

Bob

I too have added a dedicated start battery and no longer have the GPS go off line when starting.

The other benifit is that the engine starts easier, takes less time to heat the glow plugs.  

Ralph

Hi Everyone,

Well, the API was working today!  Don't you just love intermittent problems .  It may have something to do with the engine starting.  We do have a battery bank for engine starting, but I am going to have to look at the way the house batteries and the engine start batteries (along with the instruments circuit) are wired.  This was all done by the PO and Franco has done all of our systems work.  I am having some health problems once again, so I may not get to it for a little while.  Will keep you posted.

Cheers,

Bob

Hi Forum Readers,

I have a two year old Raymarine ST60+ API that is going "crazy."  Here is what I "think" I know.  When I arrive at the boat and power up the instruments, the ST60+ works fine.  For example, today it read 5.0 knots with the wind coming out of the East.  Then I turn the motor on and the direction needle goes "nuts."  The wind speed show --- in the LCD.  If I cycle through the programs they display correctly and the instrument goes to OFF on command.  Any idea what is going on?

Thanks,

Bob