Moving from Brighton to the Med - we're off!

[jimmy_the_builder]

I'm supposedly in SoF sometime in early April though.

I think there are quite a few forumites around on the Easter weekend, if you might be down then?

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Hah! I was out in a polo shirt on 1 March in UK. But 3 March it was snowing. I'm supposedly in SoF sometime in early April though.

Reminds me of our first introduction to Med boating life. That was also in March and we got to Cala d'Or in Majorca to find that it was snowing and for about 3 days the max daytime temp was 4degC. The boat we had then was a Targa 48 and since we had bought it in Majorca, it had no heating whatsoever as the carpy standard fit HFL aircon had no reverse cycle function. Our only source of heat was the griddle in the cockpit so we sat huddled around the griddle for warmth like hobos huddled around a brazier. As ever in the Med, the locals told us this had never happened before but we soon found out that they always say that when a tourist complains about their weather

 

[benjenbav]

I think there are quite a few forumites around on the Easter weekend, if you might be down then?

Cheers
Jimmy

There's a sporting chance we will be. A fairly large group is planning to descend on us and the arrangements are getting more complex by the day. So I may just crack and tell them all to do their own thing whilst I stay at home and sulk!

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

RK Marine put the boat back in the water today, and this afternoon I moved it back round to Swanwick. At the same time that they fitted the new steering rams, RK also appear to have fitted the new Volvo Penta hyper drives:

Shakedown cruise this weekend, then the plan is to lift the boat again next week. All I need now is some nice 30c temps this weekend so I can try the aircon out...

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[DTIM]

Loving the lights Jimmy, will look even better in the Med! Great post keep the photos of the move coming.

 

[jfm]

Looking very good Jimmy! Triple hyperdrives! I plan to be at Swanwick Sunday afternoon to drop off my "Vega consignments" at Fairline Southampton, so will say hello if you are about

 

[benjenbav]

Nice. That stern line makes it look as though you are practising med mooring already. The double sets of cleats on each side of the platform should be very handy for that.

 

[ACE]

Lights looking good Jimmy..... .

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

So we've spent the weekend on the boat (in this lovely weather) giving everything a try, after all the recent work. A few oddities have cropped up:
- the voltage on my port batteries seems to be moving around a lot (between about 13.5 and 15v) while the engine is running. Stbd is completely steady at about 13.6v. What could this be - alternator regulator?
- when completely trimmed down, the leg trim displays are different (-4 and -6); they used to be the same
- it looks like there is a tiny leak from the generator exhaust skin fitting
- the aircon is effective, but the compressor is much noisier than I was expecting, like a blimmin loud fridge. If you turn the fan right up this masks it - do most people run the fans at max? If you have the fan running at low speed the compressor definitely makes a bit of a racket
- my autopilot heading is all over the place, despite swinging it again and realigning to the gps cog. The fluxgate compass is about 500mm away from the aircon unit; could this be causing probs? Even when switched off?

So if nothing else, this short list of snags does at least prove the value in this shakedown weekend; I'll speak to RK and Seacraft tomorrow, but for now the plan continues to be to lift the boat again late this week, and get it away late next.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[Hurricane]

- the aircon is effective, but the compressor is much noisier than I was expecting, like a blimmin loud fridge. If you turn the fan right up this masks it - do most people run the fans at max? If you have the fan running at low speed the compressor definitely makes a bit of a racket

You wont care about the noise in the middle of summer, Jimmy.

No ideas about the autopilot heading only you will need to get it fixed.
I once had a similar problem on the old JW.
The solution was to reflash the course computer (autopilot).
Much earlier kit though.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

- the aircon is effective, but the compressor is much noisier than I was expecting, like a blimmin loud fridge. If you turn the fan right up this masks it - do most people run the fans at max? If you have the fan running at low speed the compressor definitely makes a bit of a racket
- my autopilot heading is all over the place, despite swinging it again and realigning to the gps cog. The fluxgate compass is about 500mm away from the aircon unit; could this be causing probs? Even when switched off?

I don't know what aircon unit you've fitted but where is the compressor? Is it a chilled water system with the compressor in the engine bay and the air handlers in the cabins or is it a single stand alone unit in the accomodation? The compressor is noisy which is why most systems locate it in the engine bay. We always leave our air handler controls on auto but set the temp at a relatively high level like 22degC so there is a chance that the temp actually gets down to this level and the air handlers cycle to a low fan setting. If you set the temp at 16degC or whatever, the temp never gets down to this level and the air handler fans stay at max which is too noisy for sleeping, at least on our boat.
Yes IMHO, if you've placed a big metal box 500mm from the fluxgate compass, then there is a good chance it will be affected so try moving the compass

 

[jfm]

So we've spent the weekend on the boat (in this lovely weather) giving everything a try, after all the recent work. A few oddities have cropped up:
- the voltage on my port batteries seems to be moving around a lot (between about 13.5 and 15v) while the engine is running. Stbd is completely steady at about 13.6v. What could this be - alternator regulator?
- when completely trimmed down, the leg trim displays are different (-4 and -6); they used to be the same
- it looks like there is a tiny leak from the generator exhaust skin fitting
- the aircon is effective, but the compressor is much noisier than I was expecting, like a blimmin loud fridge. If you turn the fan right up this masks it - do most people run the fans at max? If you have the fan running at low speed the compressor definitely makes a bit of a racket
- my autopilot heading is all over the place, despite swinging it again and realigning to the gps cog. The fluxgate compass is about 500mm away from the aircon unit; could this be causing probs? Even when switched off?

So if nothing else, this short list of snags does at least prove the value in this shakedown weekend; I'll speak to RK and Seacraft tomorrow, but for now the plan continues to be to lift the boat again late this week, and get it away late next.

Cheers
Jimmy

Hi Jimmy
Good stuff. BTW, I left boxes with Ian @ FL southampton this afternoon - tvm

1. Yup, duff regulator sounds most likely
2. Leg displays must be RK upsetting things on reassembly
3. Airco compressors are noisy. Only solution is a split system or become a good sleeper. Sound blanket might help a bit but the thing needs to have an open air intake so blanket is unlikely to work
4. Subject to 2 things, the duff a/p doesn't matter. If you select auto, it will just hold that heading, even if "wrong". And it you select track, it steers by xte not heading. The 2 exceptions are (a) heading line on plotter and radar will annoyingly be off, esp if you have radar set to head up not course up, and (b) when you first engage a/p to "track" it steers boat to heading, so boat will annoyingly lurch off to left or right, before it senses the xte and brings you back to the line. All I can think of is move the fluxgate away from the airco; apols for stating bleedin obvious. Awkward if you dont have slack in the cable

Fab weather though!

 

[volvopaul]

Jimmy, have you had new trim rams? the pot sensor is inside the boat driven from the left hand trim pin as you look at the drive from the back of the boat, a recalib ration is on the cards so should cure that problem.

Anything metal too close to a compass will upset its field, so maybe thats the problem if something metal has been installed near it.

Did you have coolers done?

 

[Pinnacle]

Blimey Jimmy.......its all getting a bit close now, isn't it! I was in Cannes last week and I must say I can see the attraction of relocating.

Hope you get everything sorted before you go.

Kr P

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

I don't know what aircon unit you've fitted but where is the compressor? Is it a chilled water system with the compressor in the engine bay and the air handlers in the cabins or is it a single stand alone unit in the accomodation? The compressor is noisy which is why most systems locate it in the engine bay. We always leave our air handler controls on auto but set the temp at a relatively high level like 22degC so there is a chance that the temp actually gets down to this level and the air handlers cycle to a low fan setting. If you set the temp at 16degC or whatever, the temp never gets down to this level and the air handler fans stay at max which is too noisy for sleeping, at least on our boat.
Yes IMHO, if you've placed a big metal box 500mm from the fluxgate compass, then there is a good chance it will be affected so try moving the compass

It's a Dometic all-in-one unit (remember we are talking about a titchy Targa 40 here) so I guess it's what it is supposed to be. I didn't remember it being this noisy when it was demo'd to me at LIBS, is all.

Bit annoying about the interference with the compass, cos the installation location was recommended by Dometic. I'll need to do a bit of rtfm-ing to find out how far away the compass needs to be.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Hi Jimmy
Good stuff. BTW, I left boxes with Ian @ FL southampton this afternoon - tvm

1. Yup, duff regulator sounds most likely
2. Leg displays must be RK upsetting things on reassembly
3. Airco compressors are noisy. Only solution is a split system or become a good sleeper. Sound blanket might help a bit but the thing needs to have an open air intake so blanket is unlikely to work
4. Subject to 2 things, the duff a/p doesn't matter. If you select auto, it will just hold that heading, even if "wrong". And it you select track, it steers by xte not heading. The 2 exceptions are (a) heading line on plotter and radar will annoyingly be off, esp if you have radar set to head up not course up, and (b) when you first engage a/p to "track" it steers boat to heading, so boat will annoyingly lurch off to left or right, before it senses the xte and brings you back to the line. All I can think of is move the fluxgate away from the airco; apols for stating bleedin obvious. Awkward if you dont have slack in the cable

Fab weather though!

Np on the boxes.

The alt regulator thing is a bit annoying, if only because it's a fault that has only manifested itself at service. I've got no choice though, can't ship the boat with a known defect.

Similarly I'd rather not live with the a/p fault, so if I can fix this before the boat goes, I will. It's a bit odd in that the devitation seems to move around from about 10 deg to about 60 deg, all while the aircon is off.

On the plus side I completely reconfigured the rudder indicator today, and it's loads better. And, completely agreed - cor what a scorcher.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Jimmy, have you had new trim rams? the pot sensor is inside the boat driven from the left hand trim pin as you look at the drive from the back of the boat, a recalib ration is on the cards so should cure that problem.

Anything metal too close to a compass will upset its field, so maybe thats the problem if something metal has been installed near it.

Did you have coolers done?

Hi VP

Yep, I had one new trim ram, so I'll get them to do the recalib. And yep again to one new fuel cooler, and the other one reconditioned. I said no to the aftercoolers being done.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[vas]

I'll need to do a bit of rtfm-ing to find out how far away the compass needs to be.

VERY far and I don't think you can get magnetic shielding on the aircon or anything metal tbh...

don't bother rtfming that's standard practice. assuming the compass is low down in the bilges, just see how much slack you've got on the cable and move it further.
Recalibrate (the turn round in a big circle constant speed blah blah job) and should be ok.

Deleted User: 22C??? I'd go for 26-27 same way I'd go 19 during winter.
same in the car unless you like catching cold 2-3 times during the summer.

ah, fwiw, 2C here right now, snowing yet AGAIN down to 200m altitude in Volos, windchill should be around 0C. Brilliant!

cheers

V

 

[grumpy_o_g]

VERY far and I don't think you can get magnetic shielding on the aircon or anything metal tbh...

Shielding would be very tricky, yes. Jimmy, don't try and make any sense out of the way your compass is behaving now it's got a ruddy great electric motor next to it - compass correcting is an art not a science, unfortunately.

Whoever put the motor less than two feet from the flux-gate should not be allowed to work on boats unsupervised. The last compass I installed had a safe distance of 3 feet from displays, etc. I think, and flux-gates are much more sensitive than a compass.

Assuming you won't be using the Air-Con under way and if you can't easily move the flux-gate then get hold of a good compass correcter and get them to have a look at it. They can bring huge deviation down to manageable levels by putting lumps of soft-iron, etc. in exactly the right place.

 

[jfm]

The last compass I installed had a safe distance of 3 feet from displays, etc. I think, and flux-gates are much more sensitive than a compass.

Suppose I have a mag needle compass and a fluxgate sitting on the beach pointing perfectly at magnetic north, and then I place an aircon unit say 2 feet away from each of them. Are you saying I'll get a different deviation on the two compasses? I'd love to hear the science behind that. (I would have said the deviation is identical on both)