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Messages - Ray & Sandy Erps

#16
Main Message Board / Re: Refrigerator insulation
August 25, 2008, 10:13:04 AM
There is a wealth of information on boat refrigeration at Richard Kollmann's website.  Insulation is one of the biggest factors affecting performance.

http://www.kollmann-marine.com/
#17
Main Message Board / Re: Prop Fouling
August 23, 2008, 09:37:05 AM
I generally try to get three years out of my bottom paint up here in the PNW.  During one haulout, a fellow at the boat yard recommended coating the prop with parafin (wax).  I melted it on using a propane torch.  The propeller stayed very clean for half a year or so, but it eventually started to foul again. 

I've pretty much accepted the fact that the propeller is going to require cleaning twice a year or so when I dive on it to check zincs and stuff like that.  I'm in the water anyway, and it really doesn't take that long to scrape the barnacles off.
#18
Main Message Board / Re: XP25 motor slowing
August 14, 2008, 03:46:00 PM
Although I would first suspect restricted fuel intake, as already mentioned, there is another possibility not mentioned yet.  An obstructed exhaust outlet, most likely at the elbow, could also cause low power problems. 
#19
Main Message Board / Re: Sunsei solar panels
August 08, 2008, 09:19:38 AM
I'm embarrassed to ask, but is 1500 miliamps equal to 1.5 amps, or 0.15 amps or what?
#20
Fleet 5 / Re: Princess Louisa Inlet
July 30, 2008, 09:46:36 PM
This is a little video of our nearly 9 knot sail across the Strait of Georgia on the way back.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbW7ypihzHM
#21
Main Message Board / Re: Excessive alternator heat
July 29, 2008, 02:02:08 PM
You know, we could have a problem here with the definition of "excessively hot".  An engine running at its typical 160 to 180 deg F is also too hot to lay your hand on.  Although it's only a layman's opinion, I think an alternator rated at 105 amps ought to be able to put out 105 amps for short periods of time and it's going to get hot.  De-rating it certainly will be easier on the alternator, but now you're running a $10,000 diesel at lighter loads for longer periods of times, which also has trade offs.

My recollection is that we ran our blue circle alternator for two seasons without de-rating it and it was still running great when we sold the boat.  I do remember openning the access door when it was pumping out the amps for short periods of time though.

Anyway, it would be nice to hear from an alternator guy just what kind of heat these things will put out and what they can withstand.
#22
Main Message Board / Re: Excessive alternator heat
July 28, 2008, 08:11:40 PM
Good article.  I found it interesting that they actually figured you got more amps out of the life of the batteries by discharging them a little more deeply instead of just running off the top 10%.

We have a 105 amp Leece Neville (sp?) alternator on our boat and we regularly get 100 amps out of it for the first five minutes or so before it starts tapering back a bit.  It's on a single belt and I have to be careful when I first start up the engine so I don't get excessive slipping when the alternator kicks in.  Openning up the side door like Stu suggested is a stategy that we used to use when we had our C-34 with the blue circle alternator.
#23
Fleet 5 / Re: Princess Louisa Inlet
July 28, 2008, 06:25:55 AM
Craig,

I see you got your new anchor installed.  Did you get it wet?  We've found that ours doesn't set as well in sand.  Had to try twice at Sidney Spit and it took a few tries on the south side of Spencer Spit last year.

#24
Fleet 5 / Re: Princess Louisa Inlet
July 27, 2008, 07:14:51 PM
We arrived back in town July 25th after three weeks.  Highlight was our sail back south across the Strait of Georgia.  We had a 20 knot beam reach across and had our heavy cruis doering a consistent 8.4 knots through the water with a few bursts up to 9 knots.  Those were the biggest numbers we've seen on our knot meter since buying the boat three years ago.

Sat in Roscoe Bay for five days before we had to do something about our holding tank and batteries.  The sail boaters had the power boaters out numbered 3 to 1 on most days.  A large raft of power boaters came in one night (five) and since they were all running their generators, I fired up the honda for an hour to get a bit of a charge.  A solar panel is definitely on our list for next summer.  It's so darn quiet up there that I really hated to run the generator.  Our daily amp consumption was 45, so I think I could get by with a single panel sitting on top of our boom in anchorages until we get a more permanent mount on top of a bimini.

#25
Main Message Board / Re: Best Sailing dogs
July 03, 2008, 07:44:20 AM
We have a Boston Terrier.  Great dog, but a sailing dog...... not so much.  Temperature sensitive and not much of a swimmer.  Regarding the eagles, I heard 2nd hand about a tree that came down on nearby Camano Island recently.  In the tree was an eagle's nest.  When someone took a closer look, there were some pet collars in the nest.
#26
Main Message Board / Re: hose on shaft
July 02, 2008, 12:45:33 PM
If you can have a diver stuff a sealant around the shaft from the outside first.  I've heard of some folks using plastic bread bags for this while changing the packing in their stuffing boxes.
#27
Boy, that's a tough one.  My first guess would be that the rear main is leaking because it got damaged on installation or the oil was leaking from another source back there to begin with.  Rubber seals often cut wear marks into the steal shafts they seal against.  I've always smoothed those out with emory cloth before installing a new seal.  On big highway trucks, they used to actually sell sleeves to go over the damaged area with new seals.

As to the oil pressure question, I guess the only way you're going to know is to put in a mechanical oil pressure guage and see for yourself.  You can pull out the oil sender unit that runs the idiot light and install it there.  There may be a spec for the pressure written some where, but if the pressure is below 60 lbs/in, I would look for another reason for the leak.

Bummer though.  Sounds like some more dirty work ahead.
#28
Main Message Board / Re: Taking One for the Team
June 25, 2008, 08:01:09 AM
QuoteI'll report back on how it fares in the C34 environment.   If it runs well through its four year warranty period, I'll be a happy customer.  If it's a major pain in the butt, I'll accidentally lose it off the swim grid, never admit my error, and quietly buy a Honda...

you will never make it in politics with honesty like that.  I really hope it works out.  I sat on the fence for a while before purchasing a Honda.  The lemming effect had a strong influence on me as well as parts availability on the imitation I was thinking about (Kipor).  I'd like to see someone start competing with Honda a little more.
#29
If I recall, the fuse holder near the starter powers the instrument cluster.  If I'm wrong, I'll be corrected shortly.  Here's a link to the first hit on a "fuse holder" search

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4247.0.html
#30
Have you recently had your propellor redone?  Our propellor made a ringing noise for awhile after being tuned up at the shop.  It's been discussed previously.