Koop Nautic Searocq 1522 stabilizers

[Harrison]

I have a 1996 boat fitted with Koop Nautic Searocq 1522 stabilzers. They are defective and I suspect the electronics. Can anybody help with the following:-
1. I am trying to find an operattions manual for the system, a photocopy would be fine.
2. Can you recommend an engineer that could examine the system and find the fault? I don't want all the components to be systematically replaced until the fault is found as happens so often these days.
The boat is based in the SW and any help would be appreciated.

 

[david_bagshaw]

we have koop as well do you have an address for them?
Koop Nautic Holland BV

Postbus 2576
6401 DB HEERLEN
NEDERLAND
t: +31 45-5447100
w: http://www.koopnautic.com
e: Email Koop Nautic Holland BV

are you certain it is the electronics, as ours have been very reliable, however we had a hydraulic pump fail, which in the early stages gave the impression we had an other fault as the fins stuck at strange angles. koop are very helpful, good after sales, ours are 86 build and backup in 93 was excellent. we took the control box and gyro to their factory as above and they bench tested them and the trim & fin angle potentiometers changed. later the on off switch failed , but I changed that my self in 96ish.

have a manual but it is on the boat in Holland, and of little use for fault finding, apart from the wiring diag. however I can talk you through various tests.

hope this of use.

 

[William_H]

Just for education and general interest. Can you please describe the system and how it works as I suspect these devices are way beyond the experience of most of us boaties. ie where are the fins? does it have a gyro for sensing roll? olewill

 

[Harrison]

I will try to explain. The boat is a Trader 50'. Two blades are fitted amidships. They are fitted about half way between the waterline and the keel, one each side. They are about 2' square. They are mounted on a shaft which penetrates the hull at 90 degrees to the surface of the hull therefore splayed outwards. They face fore and aft when non operational. A giro senses ROLL and high pressure high speed hydraulic rams move the blades in the same direction as each other by varying amaounts according to the amount of roll. One blade will tend to pull that side of the boat down the other will tend to lift and the boat will stay stable. The boat still moves about but the effect of the stabilizers is best measured by turning them off and the effect is quite dramatic. Needless to say the controls are complex. Adjustment can be made for the amount of correction, anything from a beam sea to a following sea, static heel and natural list. We normally cruise at about 10 knots and they make a huge difference to comfort at that speed. I hope the explanation helps, come back if you have more questions.

 

[Harrison]

David
I have been in touch with KN and contacted the RIGHT person, WIN VERKOALEN. We are now arranging for the circuits to be tested. Thanks for your input, I will let you know the outcome. Where are you based?

 

[david_bagshaw]

glad to have been of assistance, would like to know the outcome.

Personally in the midlands, the boat in the netherlands near Amsterdam

edit to add
I would add to the how they work bit ....

Koop told me it is the rate of change of the roll angle that they calculate fron the gyro output, ie not just the angle of roll. I believe vosper bought them for their fin profile and electronic wizardary. Amongst other items they were early users of proportional valves for this type of application. The fins effect on hull motion has to be experianced to be belived. When we were commissioning the first season having bought Resolution in the previous autumn, we were overtaken by a red funnel cat, very close, needless to say we expected the worst, but did not roll more than 5 degrees!