Can anyone recommend an engineer to fix a leak in a Hunter Delta lifting keel?

[gmatkin]

My investigations have convinced me the problem is pretty well hidden inside the crane structure - which I don't fancy taking out myself without guidance.

So I guess I need to hire someone to take the job on. Are any PBO forum members able to recommend someone within a reasonable distance to Faversham?

Thanks, Gavin

 

[seumask]

I had the crane out by myself and got the Hydraulic Cylinder serviced when we had ours about 4 years ago. I'd be very surprised if there was any water leaking in from the Crane mounting as you will see when you get it apart.
You may get seawater in that compartment as it sloshes around in the keel casing in rougher weather and you may get fresh water seeping in from the bolts that go through the deck to hold it at the roof level, or lastly the keel hold down bolts can weep down from the keel case.

To get the Crane out you remove the 2 bolts through the deck, uncouple the keel from the lifting wires, and the push the top of the crane pole towards the middle of the boat, this may mess up the headlining a little if your not careful. Once the top is over the middle of the keel or slightly beyond, it become free. The bottom was not bolted in on ours but held in place with a small panel next to its base which was held in with 2 screws, clearly this will need removing first. You'll find its all fairly easy to wiggle out sideways and backwards. the whole contraption weighs about 12 kg IIRC.

Its a lot easier to do if the keel is not all the way up, so make sure the boat is choked up a bit and drop the keel down, I managed to do this with a 2 ton trolley jack and plenty of wooden chocks, or do it while in the water with the keel down.

 

[gmatkin]

I don't imagine there's leak of water from above or below - this is a puddle of hydraulic fluid.

Can I ask this please - I can see how to unbolt the top of the crane from the cabin roof, but can you recall what's holding the bottom of it in place? I've noticed the split pin that I guess retains the doberry that attaches to the ram.

Thanks,

Gavin

 

[gmatkin]

Thanks Seumask - ours seems to be sitting on a pad of epoxy alone - but I guess there will be more to it when it's out. I'll take another look.

Presumably you obtained new wires when you services yours - where did you get them from? Removing the water tank is such a fiddly business (someone in the past sealed the tubes in place using Sikaflex) that I'm inclined to get everything done while I'm in there!

Gavin

 

[seumask]

Gavin
Not sure where your water tank is , as we only had a set of cans which went under the port side V birth, our galley was port side next to the keel.
Now I recall the crane foot did sit on what looked like a pad of epoxy.
We had new wires made up by our local chandler, most riggers could do it. However I also used some 10mm Dynema strops which I made up myself while they were being made up and they worked fine.

If you have got it all out it would be worth having the Cylinder serviced, most small hydraulic shops can do this, ours was corroded and we needed several new parts, including a new outer cylinder sleeve. I also had new flexible Hydraulic pipes made up as the originals were looking tired and bringing to deteriorate. About £200 for the lot IIRC.

PM me if you need any more info and I'll see what I can remember.

 

[gmatkin]

I think the water tank was a later addition - it lives in a glassfibre box just above where the hydraulic fluid lines join onto the cylinder.

What we haven't got is anything obvious that retains the bottom of the crane. I shouldn't think it needs much to keep it in place, but I'd prefer to think there was something!

The water pipe from the filler goes through a hole in the bulkhead next to the tank - and the line out goes under a bit of lino and then up through the wardrobe locker and then aft to where we have a sink.

There's also a now-redundant filler cap that isn't connected to anything, which also suggests that the boat had a different water system at some point.

Gavin

 

[gmatkin]

I successfully got the crane out, put it in the jamjar and took it home. The ram was oily, so I think it's the cause of the leak, not the hoses and connections, as I'd hoped.

I'd quite like to take the hydraulic ram out of it to take to whichever engineering company is to service it, but in order to do so I think I'll need to take the blocks out of the top of it.

Before I undo the grubscrew that retains the spindles and blocks, can anyone tell me whether I'm about to unleash a mess of ball bearings please? If that seems likely, I'll leave it to others.

Thanks, Gavin