Problems

[GHA]

If you are not practical and can't maintain and service your own boat the costs can be horrendous.

Though not all doom and gloom, these days there's masses of tutorials on most topics you can think of on youtube/google plus with the huge selection of cheap but sophisticated electronics boards and components you can put together a comprehensive nav/boat monitoring system for the cost of a good night out way ahead of any one stop commercial systems.

If you were born not able to figure out one end of a screwdriver from the other then better know how to open your wallet though

 

[NotBirdseye]

Though not all doom and gloom, these days there's masses of tutorials on most topics you can think of on youtube/google plus with the huge selection of cheap but sophisticated electronics boards and components you can put together a comprehensive nav/boat monitoring system for the cost of a good night out way ahead of any one stop commercial systems.

If you were born not able to figure out one end of a screwdriver from the other then better know how to open your wallet though

You'd like to think! If anyone can point me in the right direction of a "How to Service a Yacht Diesel engine for dummies..." I'd appreciate it XD. (And when I say dummy... think 'Explain like I'm 5'. )

(Having done further research on another topic (surveying) it appears the manufacturers provide this, so no worries ).

 

[Deleted member 478]

You'd like to think! If anyone can point me in the right direction of a "How to Service a Yacht Diesel engine for dummies..." I'd appreciate it XD. (And when I say dummy... think 'Explain like I'm 5'. )

I opened my wallet, let the moths out, and paid for an RYA Diesel Engine course. Was well worth the moolah.

 

[NotBirdseye]

That I have no doubt!

 

[Deleted member 478]

That I have no doubt!

You're David Smith and I claim my £5

 

[NotBirdseye]

You're David Smith and I claim my £5

Heh, sorry! Not this time.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Though not all doom and gloom, these days there's masses of tutorials on most topics you can think of on youtube/google plus with the huge selection of cheap but sophisticated electronics boards and components you can put together a comprehensive nav/boat monitoring system for the cost of a good night out way ahead of any one stop commercial systems.

If you were born not able to figure out one end of a screwdriver from the other then better know how to open your wallet though

Your right until you look for one on your own problem
I wasted no end of data looking on one subject

 

[sailaboutvic]

The thing is most of us can maintain and service our boat , I been doing it since owner one and only as a last resort I let anyone touch anything on my boat ,
I not yet met anyone who can do every thing and know every thing , although I met many who think they can .
When I stuck I first turn to the manufacturer for help that followed by your good guys here, hoping some one had the same problem .

This is where people get conned .
Great example.
last time I had anyone on board was about a six weeks ago and only because he was a Raymarine engineer and said he could repair the course computer only to find once on board he got out his meter , checked for power at the course computer then said "your course computer packed up " that's all he did , nothing else ,
Not even tried the pilot .
I had already told him the problem was the course computer over the phone ,
and tried to sell me a old one for for €900 , which I declined.
Here the problem just by checking if there was power at the computer there no way he could be 100% it was the computer, I don't know much about electronic but I know that much .
It's only because I tested the data cables , the motor , the clutch, and tried a different display I was convince the problem was the C C .

Once there where engineers that would fault find a problem , now there answer is , keep replacing stuff until the problem solved .


Before that was two years ago when we had problems with our windlass breaker tripping , which still trip now and then , buy hey we live with it ,
after doing every thing I could with suggestion from guys here , I called in the two experts over three week period,did they find the problem , like hell they did , suggestion from ripping out the whole lot and start again until the fault was found , well we don't need to pay engineers at £50 an hour tell us that . What I really wanted some one to fault find the problem .

Are people not trained to that leave any more ?

So we can see how people who know very little can easily get conned .

 

[NotBirdseye]

This is unfortunately a problem, lots of mechanics are mere 'fitters', they don't do 'repairs' they do 'replacement'. Someone setting up as a "Diagnose and Repair" specialist with the caveat of 'No new parts guaranteed' could potentially earn a lot of money simply on the diagnosis part. It's a shame really.

 

[geem]

That's worrying, also try Amazon if you need it in bulk! Sometimes it has slightly different names, some actually use it for hair cleaning :|. 90%+ is very easy to find.

We got 96% from the local chemist. It wasn't expensive and you really don't need much

 

[sailaboutvic]

I think giving some of the yards we know about the status of ‘professional’ is inappropriate. With regard to Coppercoat we had an example. The instructions say thin with isopropyl alcohol of at least 90% purity. We were doing our own Coppercoat in a well respected yard that is actually an official Coppercoat applicator. We ask the yard manager where we could get the appropriate alcohol. He says its hard to find so we just use the 70% purity! We found 96% isopropyl alcohol in a local chemist. What effect this has on Coppercoat I dont know but if the instruction say use at least 90% and the ‘professionals’ dont, I think we will stick to diy. Coppercoat is working very well by the way

We did our Dufour in 2013 scraped the bloody thing off our self , never again I say , I managed to give the hull except the rudder, keel and the stands where four coats while my other half mixed in a day . Took some doing ,
The new owner took her out last winter and he reported back saying , he was very happy with the little fouling he found after two years in the water without him doing any cleaning .
One Month down the line we be doing it again on this boat , but this time we won't be going any scraping .

 

[geem]

AQ

We did our Dufour in 2013 scraped the bloody thing off our self , never again I say , I managed to give the hull except the rudder, keel and the stands where four coats while my other half mixed in a day . Took some doing ,
The new owner took her out last winter and he reported back saying , he was very happy with the little fouling he found after two years in the water without him doing any cleaning .
One Month down the line we be doing it again on this boat , but this time we won't be going any scraping .

We had ours done professionally the first time. We did it ourselves in September last year for the second time. We only had to sand with 80grit to get a key. Not as bad as scraping! Took us a couple of days to apply the Coppercoat with just me and wife. Hard work but worth it in my opinion.