Zen and the art of sailboat maintenance

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Comment by Terri on February 15, 2009 at 8:56pm

Define easy?? So you do have to prime when switching over? just easier to do?

Comment by LOLA on February 15, 2009 at 7:21pm

I looked up on the net info as follows:
Dual filter controller with built in vacuum/pressure gage for monitoring the online filter. There is a built in fuel pump, which allows easy engine bleeding-with or without the engine operating and also allows easy filter bleeding and servicing. The fuel pump can also supply fuel to the injector unit, if lift pump fails. A remote annunciator panel allows an advance warning that the filter is clogging, by an amber LED light. Also a green LED light indicates when the fuel pump is on. The Early Warning Panel is only 1" square, so it can be mounted in close quarters. A bleed port allows for filter servicing and bleeding out air and can be adapted for "fuel polishing". The FilterBOSS is built with heavy duty valves with Viton seals. All fittings are Bi-lok brass grade CA360, with type K copper tubing .035" wall thickness. Con-x weather tight cannon plug with 10' electrical harness is included, along with a remote early warning panel, an installation/operational manual and placards. H8.5 X W6.5 X D5.5 7.5 lbs.

Price $975

Comment by h on February 15, 2009 at 7:10pm

Terri,

Just scrape it off using a Paint scraper which is about 1" wide. Iwould paint the lot.

When selecting antifoul paint, I am having a great success with International Paint Micron 66. The most expensive paint, but I think it is head and shoulders above Micron Extra. in 18 months I probably need my bottom cleaned only twice.

I have no experience with the Pettit range or others.

Comment by LOLA on February 15, 2009 at 2:18pm

Another sailor told me this week, that the current CURRENTS magazine has an ad for a dual fuel filter system. I guess if your filter gets clogged, a switch is turned on (automatic or by hand?)...Would have to be another tube, or I would think you would have to bleed the line....has anyone seen this, and can reply on.?

Thank you

Comment by Terri on February 15, 2009 at 1:45pm

When bottom painting the boat what should I do concerning some barnacles on the thru hulls? Scrape out with screw driver? Do you put any paint up there? Also I know you don't paint the knot meter paddle (not sure what u call it..been a long winter) do you coat it with anything? thank you, Terri

Comment by Suky on February 6, 2009 at 8:12am

wondering if any of you had checked out this web site and what you thought.
http://www.ehow.com/video_2280525_maintain-boat-fuses.html

Comment by Kevin Wood on February 2, 2009 at 12:23pm

Thanks...I found out that, fortunately, the removal was pretty easy on our boat - room enough for guys at Grenada Marine to replace entire sail drive in a couple hours. On our boat the engine "rooms" are basically covers, under the counter in the galley on one hull and under storage areas on the other (not always pleasant, but very accessable, and just about dead center over the keels - good place for the weight).

Getting that job completed and the boat splashed on Christmas Eve - a Sunday that year, no less - was the real miracle! Didn't happen without some extra "grease", to make for a merrier Christmas for the guys that came in that day to do it (still feeling no pain from the previous night's merriment, no less) - but it sure beat losing an $8k charter!

Comment by PCarrico on February 2, 2009 at 9:14am

Kevin,
Have you looked at your engine room to see if you have the 6" of forward area to slide the engine forward in case you need to remove the saildrive for the diaphragm replacement? It might help to know in case a mechanic tells you that you'll need him to remove the entire engine to service the diaphragms. Having that knowledge would help save a lot of money.

Comment by Kevin Wood on January 31, 2009 at 10:38pm

Your comment about yards looking for work is probably on target...we haven't done it that frequently...and haven't had problems (except as noted below).

And, actually, as I think about it, I misspoke - the seals and gear oil we replace annually, but not the diaphragms. You probably know far more than I about the mechanicals there.

As a user, however, I've been quite pleased. On our cat, they are mounted amidships, angled inwards from where the engines are mounted amidships. they have been trouble-free (except for when I wrapped an anchor chain around it...still attached to an anchor...and pulled the entire shaft our of the saildrive - but that's another story...). In that position they are well-protected from grounding, and well away from where any swimmer in the water is likely to get too close. They may be a bit more prone to fouling on lines or buoys, however, as they protrude much more from the hulls than the typical shaft-mounted propeller.

Comment by PCarrico on January 31, 2009 at 10:22am

If I was looking for work I'd advise annual replacement of the diaphragms also.
Seems excessive to do it annually.
Some maintenance is event driven, like if you caught a line in the prop and it torqued the saildrive hard causing distortion on the engine mount. I've seen saildrives take that sort of abuse.
When saildrives are installed, a consideration needs to be made to allow the engine to be moved forward away from the sail drive to enable the spline shaft to separate. I've seen some installations that didn't take this into consideration that required the entire engine to be removed with the saildrive to change the diaphragms. Some boats designed have the engine installation that excludes a change to a saildrive due to engine room size constraints.
I have one boat owner that I'm trying to convince to install a saildrive into his boat because there is an incredible amount of vibration in his running gear prop shaft. He doesn't deliver the boat, so he's not suffering the ridiculous vibration his crew endures. His boat would be perfect for a saildrive installation, but he'd rather buy a new sail versus paying for a convenience for his crew.

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