Claymore Comes Out

Now don't cry, its only for a few months, and just think of all the fun you will have doing all those little jobs , that always turn into major jobs, and how much time they are going to take you, and the money it is going to cost. and all the lovely days you miss on the water in the winter.
so as I say stop crying you have this to look for wards to until she gos back in the water next year, that is of course if you get it all done in time.
have a good winter. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Lucky you! I was due out this week, but on Sunday (last sail of the year) the starter motor failed. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Since I can't winterise the engine without making it go I've postponed things. Meanwhile the starter motor has been sent on a wee bus trip to Campbeltown wherin lives, apparently, a guru on such things.
 
[ QUOTE ]
The boat - I hasten to add, not her skipper.

[/ QUOTE ]Phew, was worried for a while - thought you were starting a "shirt lifting" thread what with all the "rum, bum & baccy" chentlemans' cruises.
/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
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hammer.thumb.gif
"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>
 
winter maintenance programme: details

November: Go down to yard to inspect boat. It seems a bit grimy but not bad. Find an unwanted ladder and poke about inside. All seems fine. Retire to pub to wax lyrical about proper boats v modern flimsy rubbish.

December. Check boat. Discover that the ladder has been stolen! Gits! It turns out it was their ladder, but that's not the point, it's the principle. Find a much more crappy ladder, definitely unwanted but which doesn't quite reach. Tie it securely on the boat. Retire to pub to complain about lack of trust amongst modern boaties.

January. The boat is fine, drying out nicely. Go on board to sort things out and inadvertently break something. Retire to pub to complain about modern rubbish boat gear.

February. Consider buying antifoul - but it's 80 flippin quid! Huh, I'm not paying those stupid prices! It's also very cold, not the right time for antifouling, Retire to pub to complain about prices of antifoul.

March. Jings, it's March already! Hastily slap on some antifoul at £85 quid. The anodes need doing as well. They are jammed solid, dang. Some bloke comes over for a chat, and pub etc. Three hour job takes three days. Retire to pub to complain about chandlers not being open very late on weekday evenings, huh call themselves a business, pah etc.

April. The yard says the boat is going back in on Monday. Monday! Argh, and anodes aren't done. Will they do the anodes? Yes. Fret about anodes all week.

Late April. Winter refit somehow complete despite doing not much, and boat is due for relaunch cos there are loads of other behind. But first have to pay loads of money. No problem, i will pay. Oh no you don't say the yard, we know your sort pinching ladders etc - no IMMEDIATE payment, no boat. Such impudence! Anyway, what's the fifteen quid for "sundry items" hm?... Oh, three bolts for the anodes eh, very reasonable...
 
Just as a matter of interest I had a nice chat with our mutual designer the other day.

Prompted really by the article in YM, I contacted IPC ( Dick Durham) and asked if he would send Alan my regards and maybe he could make contact. This he did; very nice chap and very informative.

Regards Nick
 
No "claim" about it: B.Sc., C.Eng, MIEE (or I suppose MIET now /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif). Doesn't make me an expert on starters, though. This was the first time I had taken one apart and I couldn't see what was wrong with it.

It's now back from its visit to the guru and he thinks it's working fine! Grrr...

And it's another week before I can get back to the boat.
 
Perhaps you're more of an expert than you thought if your guru couldn't find anything wrong either. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Wiring?
Solenoid?
Battery?

What noises did you have on discovering the failure?
 
The solenoid and starter went together on the Campbeltown jaunt. The bar connecting the solenoid to the pinion yoke seemed a bit loose to me, but I didn't really know how it should be, and "the man" says it's OK.


It was making a "rasping" sound as if the pinion wasn't engaging in the flywheel starter ring. I found a very slight raised lip on the latter which I filed off (a fun way of spending a couple of hours!), but this made no difference. Clearly I'm going to have to look elsewhere, starting with the wiring. I don't think it's a battery problem, but nothing can be ruled out!
 
Well I will think fondly of you working through your maintenance program while I am executing my program which currently is: January, 3 week cruise; February, 3 week cruise; March, 3 week cruise; April, 2 weeks holiday in Queensland Oz to get toasted up ready for winter.

Err, then better think about doing some work to pay for my maintenance program /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif.

John
 
Dave - far be it for me - a very non-technical and completely unqualified person to be making suggestions to yourself of a technical nature - but I assume that the tried and tested Claymore methods of ranting, cursing of parentage and a sharp smack with the lump hammer have all been implemented before the offending article went on its jaunt to the toon of the Campbells?
 
horrible thought, have you checked that the starter ring on the flywheel is not worn ( sometimes just in the bit where the engine likes to stop) Then measure the actual voltage at the starter while it's trying.
 
Is that the Claymore that was in Tarbert on a swinging mooring during the Music Fest?

Or is there another on the Clyde?

Welcome btw....

Donald
 
Oh, suitable quantities of bad language were deployed! Getting the wretched thing on and off involves lying on the deck and hanging down the hole, working an Allan key 1/12 turn at a time while supporting the starter's weight with the finger tips. My ribs are still sore, but the scars on my hands are healing nicely. I did gie it a wee tap or two wi a hammer, but no what you would ca "a guid melt".
 
When the problem first appeared, on Sunday morning at anchor in Loch Spelve in flat calm, I turned the flywheel round a bit before re-trying and I eventually got it to start. Because of this, while motoring back to Craobh (and on no account stopping the engine, regardless of the nice breeze that sprang up!) I did think that missing teeth on the starter ring might be the problem. With the starter off, however, I could see and feel all the teeth in turn and there were no localised breaks or wear - only a very slight raised rag on the top of each tooth on the side that the starter pinion reaches first / leaves last.

While the fact that the pinion won't engage suggests a mechanical problem, I'm now wondering if the reason is that it's getting too weak a "push". My current thoughts are that an electrical joint has gone high resistance or possibly the cranking battery has collapsed (but the volts show OK so that seems unlikely). I've another week to think of more possibilities before going through it all methodically.
 
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