Mystery Object on boat.

[oldgit]

While attempting to mend other stuff found this in the engine compartment.
Anybody know what it is or its purpose in life.
Absolutely no info on it other than the the chap who installed it...somebody called "Paul"

 

[harvey38]

Galvanic isolator by the looks of it.

 

[wonkywinch]

As Harvey says, it's an older one of these:

Zinc Savers / Galvanic Isolators

 

[oldgit]

Cheers you learn somethin every day.
One less mystery box.

 

[Clancy Moped]

Give Paul a call.

 

[MontyMariner]

One less mystery box.

Put a label on it

 

[Chiara’s slave]

It wouldn’t be a proper used boat without a few deeply hidden mystery objects. I always open and peer into every sigle explorable compartment once in possession, you never know what you’ll find, except that it will be unexpected. I found 19kg of lead in my forward collision compartment on board Chiara. Presumably to counter the effects of storing the anchors in the lazarette instead of the anchor locker. Theres no accounting for some folk.

 

[dunedin]

Whatever it is, the mains wiring looks like it needs urgent attention as the insulation is badly split

 

[LittleSister]

It wouldn’t be a proper used boat without a few deeply hidden mystery objects.

You need those to balance out the parts you know you must have for things to function, but can't find!

(In my case I know there must be charge-splitting diodes somewhere between the alternator and the batteries, but haven't found them yet.)

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I found a roll of Kenyan Shillings stuffed at the back of the chart table initially looked like dollars, very disappointed when I found out the exchange rate.

 

[wonkywinch]

Whatever it is, the mains wiring looks like it needs urgent attention as the insulation is badly split

It's earth cable, it doesn't matter.

 

[DownWest]

Acting as the 'slightly knowledable' friend on a boat inspection, bunch of rocket line projectiles in the aft locker. Well out of date..

 

[Parabordi]

While attempting to mend other stuff found this in the engine compartment.
Anybody know what it is or its purpose in life.
Absolutely no info on it other than the the chap who installed it...somebody called "Paul"

I got one of them too, saves prop fizzing away

 

[PaulRainbow]

Whatever it is, the mains wiring looks like it needs urgent attention as the insulation is badly split

Only Earth wiring, so no danger of shock. Badly done crimping though, i'd snip them off, re-crimp and put some heatshrink over the join.

 

[Daydream believer]

It's earth cable, it doesn't matter.

It depends on what you want left under the water at the end of the season

 

[wonkywinch]

It depends on what you want left under the water at the end of the season

I don't think split insulation has any effect on the conductivity of the earth cable

 

[oldgit]

You need those to balance out the parts you know you must have for things to function, but can't find!

(In my case I know there must be charge-splitting diodes somewhere between the alternator and the batteries, but haven't found them yet.)

When the short lived period of elation after purchase has evaporated and when starting to wonder exactly what you bought.

My AIS stopped working.
It became fairly obvious that the automatic aerial switching thingy had failed, either through fatigue or possibly my fiddling with the chartplotter.
Called in the local Raymarine electronics wizard who did his best, but failed to resolve anything.
He suggested to find the magic box and do a check or two ie. was there 12V getting to it.
Dead easy eh..., just follow the antenna cables and wiring.
Several days later after dismantling most of the boat, admitted defeat and gave up.
A replacement antenna switch would anyway cost an eyewatering amount, so simply added a dedicated third aerial for the AIS and directly connected the existing aerial to the VHF radio.
Never have found the location of the non functioning AIS switching unit.
Then the fluxgate failed. Again searched in vain for in location, again gave up but far more quickly this time .
Bought a "new to me" fluxgate installed it with new wiring and Hey Presto all working again.
About 6 months later discovered the duff fluxgate hidden away in a bilge.
A bilge pump had failed allowing the bilge to fill therebye drowning the fluxgate.

After bringing to boat back to home mooring discovered in the lockers
1 x brand new Icom handportable with GPS thingy
1 x brand new spare starter motor
Several new inflatable lifejackets.
2 x replacement sets deep sea seals in boxes
2 Complete sets of oil/fuel filters and impellers( All genuine no cheap rubbish) and a set of those wooden bung whatsits.
1 complete set of engine anodes.

 

[Daydream believer]

When the short lived period of elation after purchase has evaporated and when starting to wonder exactly what you bought.

My AIS stopped working.
It became fairly obvious that the automatic aerial switching thingy had failed, either through fatigue or possibly my fiddling with the chartplotter.
Called in the local Raymarine electronics wizard who did his best, but failed to resolve anything.
He suggested to find the magic box and do a check or two ie. was there 12V getting to it.
Dead easy eh..., just follow the antenna cables and wiring.
Several days later after dismantling most of the boat, admitted defeat and gave up.
A replacement antenna switch would anyway cost an eyewatering amount, so simply added a dedicated third aerial for the AIS and directly connected the existing aerial to the VHF radio.
Never have found the location of the non functioning AIS switching unit.
Then the fluxgate failed. Again searched in vain for in location, again gave up but far more quickly this time .
Bought a "new to me" fluxgate installed it with new wiring and Hey Presto all working again.
About 6 months later discovered the duff fluxgate hidden away in a bilge.
A bilge pump had failed allowing the bilge to fill therebye drowning the fluxgate.

After bringing to boat back to home mooring discovered in the lockers
1 x brand new Icom handportable with GPS thingy
1 x brand new spare starter motor
Several new inflatable lifejackets.
2 x replacement sets deep sea seals in boxes
2 Complete sets of oil/fuel filters and impellers( All genuine no cheap rubbish) and a set of those wooden bung whatsits.
1 complete set of engine anodes.

What about the 5Kg weed, & 3 illegal immigrants, that you have not mentioned

 

[Refueler]

Cheers you learn somethin every day.
One less mystery box.

You're lucky to have found out so easy !!

My mystery box is still an unknown ...

 

[Daydream believer]

Probably got a mouldy cheese sandwich in it.