Succesful first sail!

Zagato

Zagato

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Chichester Harbour
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After a loooong 10 month wait I actually got the sails up for the first time yesterday in the unknown to me Crabber. Have to say I was a bit apprenhensive, it was bowing a 3-5 in the protected Chichester Harbour, but with no one else around I had plenty of room to mess it up - stay sail first, no problems and easy to tack, then after a play I went for the main, again went up easily, sailed well, easy to tack and I didn't have to back the stay sail - huge relief and delighted with her, easier to manoeuvre and sail than the Drascombe. The stay sail sheets for instance stayed on their winches so there was no need to start groping for the sheets as you do with the Drascombe as they share the same winch positioned in the middle of the cockpit, the sail also didn't get caught on anything which it does with the Drascombe (lights & Tabernacle) Really pleased, had a good 3 hours play...



The only snag is that although the diesel leak is cured (bleed screw the water leak came back after 20 mins of the engine running. I put on a new water exhaust/trap on this morning but have an nasty feeling that will not have cured it. I have tightened hoses but they were pretty tight anyway so back to the manual, call the engineer and put up a new post!!

Sorry, not sure why I can no longer put a picture up!! Just used to cut & paste the URL from Photobucket, somebody been messing about with something!?
 
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If your exhaust hose has wire reinforcing it needs to be removed for the end that goes over the lip of the spigot so the clamp only has to compress the rubber part of the hose. Can be tricky to get it seated and sealed properly on the plain part of the spigot.
 
Did you find out where it was leaking from? That has to be the first step.

Can't see that this needs any special engineer's skills, at least not unless and until you find out it's something major, which is unlikely. If you want to spend the money to avoid grovelling under the cockpit yourself then fine, but he's not going to do anything that you couldn't do.

Glad you're happy with the boat, though. Sounded crazy that you were thinking of selling her before ever going sailing!

Pete
 
Thanks 'T' I have the cir clip around the same part of the hose it was on before and checked it doesn't leak. Put in the Force 4 trap in the end - only £40, seems good enough quality, thick plastic.

I can't see where the leak is coming from Pete, hence the call to engineer for suggestions, not easy to see around the engine as you know. There is an overflow pipe that comes down the left hand side of the engine which may be dripping. Need to have someone steer the boat next time whilst I look as it started 20-30 mins into a run. Ran the engine for 10 mins but no drips, needs a run to warm it up (car hoses drip after they are warm so hopefully something simple). I wouldn't be too worried if it leaked into the bilge but it leaks into the ballast if the bungs are not blocked - not great on these boats, they are not filled with lead ballast. The ballast can corrode, think it would take a lot for it to rust and expend but it's still a concern obviously on a long trip. Got to go kids have just come in, daughter has her head on my shoulder wanting attention!!!!!! Thanks for the ideas will look at the manual when I get a mo...
 
Not sure what an overflow pipe would be in the water system. All the pipes go somewhere so there is either a split in one of the pipes or a loose clip.As Pete says, not an "engineer" job. You just need to methodically follow the hoses and tighten the clips. There is an outside possibility it is a worn seal in the waterpump, but unlikely in a relatively low hours engine.
 
Zagato said:
Sorry, not sure why I can no longer put a picture up!! Just used to cut & paste the URL from Photobucket, somebody been messing about with something!?
Click to expand...
You used the page url. It ends in .html, although it did seem to come from the Image Code button. This was from the Direct Link button

Nice day for a sail. Cloud looks frightening.

IMG_3076_zpsc349b18f.jpg
 
Zagato said:
I wouldn't be too worried if it leaked into the bilge but it leaks into the ballast if the bungs are not blocked - not great on these boats, they are not filled with lead ballast. The ballast can corrode, think it would take a lot for it to rust and expend but it's still a concern obviously on a long trip.
Click to expand...

Obviously your boat may be different to mine, but are you sure the engine bilge is not separate from the main bilge? Mine has a glassed-in plywood trough under the engine which would catch any leaking oil or water.

I've also poked a camera on a stick down into the deep bilge (looking for a filter bleed screw I dropped) and it's all nicely sealed with resin. No risk of any water getting into the ballast (which, as you say, is steel punchings and would rust if it could get wet). But on my boat at least, it's all thoroughly encapsulated in resin.

Pete
 
Mine has two holes from the engine bay which go through to the top of the floor. The ballast as you say is encapsulated in resin but steel punchings can be on the surface of the mix, wether or not there are enough punchings in the mix to be touching to create any significant corrosion not known. It's quite common for the Crabber ballast to have cracks in it from shrinkage when new (the slate in the mix is used to reduce this shrinkage!) and you can see rust on the top and in the small cracks. How badly, if at all this will effect the ballast and it's likely hood of blowing is anyone's guess but It's not a prospect I fancy. Older Shrimpers are well known for their small ballast to expand either side of the lifting plate making the plate eventually jam completely (no big deal to get it sorted by the way).

This has been discussed quite a bit on the Crabber forum with the result that many have treated it in various ways .e.g. pouring in anti-rust stuff then sealing it with marine sealant etc whilst some have poured resin in down the sides and cracks hoping that the lack of oxygen will stop further corrosion if indeed there was any significant damage done at all - most agree it is nothing to worry about incuding Crabber... Their new 26 uses lead ballast by the way - much better!

I looked into this before I bought and found it was quite common (past thread on here somewhere also about it) I poured ACF-50 on my ballast expecting it to pour down the side and into 2 small cracks but it stayed on the top :D, luckily my cracks were only 2mm deep and similar with the sides. I have yet to seal it (last job not yet done but the ACF-50 will make it pretty waterproof anyway) but I don't fancy salt water sloshing about ruining floor boards etc. I am hoping to return to the boat Sunday/Monday to check it out again, last resort would be to block of the holes properly and let the water drain aft into the bilge (as long as it doesn't get to a height in the engine bay to touch anything like pulleys etc before it back fills into the main bilge - don't think so but it is on a slope, all needs looking at again.

It would help if I had the Yanmar manual on board but i don't have a printer (cost too much!) so will be taking notes this morning...
 
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Tranona said:
Not sure what an overflow pipe would be in the water system. All the pipes go somewhere so there is either a split in one of the pipes or a loose clip.As Pete says, not an "engineer" job. You just need to methodically follow the hoses and tighten the clips. There is an outside possibility it is a worn seal in the water-pump, but unlikely in a relatively low hours engine.
Click to expand...

No I can't afford an engineer, I was meaning I would give him a call for advice, where to feel for a leak, if he's not in the area he will charge £100 just to come out to the boat. The engine is in so tight it's difficult (impossible to see around it) so he may have some pointers.

Regarding your last point about the hose/wire the leak was present when i got the boat so it maybe another hose I haven't had off so will check them all. If the leak is coming down the outside of an overflow pipe thats a start - all good fun...

I remember taking out and putting in various SAAB V4 engines once whilst trying to find a decent engine. I gave up in the end and bought a recon engine then sold the blimmen thing. Hence the reason I want an interesting car with modern mechanicals e.g. Caterham or dare I say it Tranona a Morgan (racing style, no bumpers, headlights with those XK type rims, black or dark green with red wire wheels etc) there is one for sale at the moment - will probably go with a Caterham though as there is so much club activity around here & Brands Hatch :D and building one will be half the fun....er grief!

So I took my V4 engine out got it repaired and put engine back in.

Take out engine, repair to balance shaft no good.

Take out engine of scrapper.

Put into mine.

Take out again, no good.

Scrap running car take out engine.

Put engine into mine.

Engine balance shaft going, take engine back out.

Buy new recon engine, have a mechanic put it in.

Mechanic cocked it up so trailer to another mechanic and we pulled it out and put it back incorrectly (first guy forgot to take a washer off the clutch so was juddering like mad)

car was sold SOON after - never again but I got the engine in and runnig time down to 2 hours and engine out down to one hour - not bad, they are buggers to fit.

Fed up with old mechanicals, old daily drive Land Rover was becoming a PITA to get through MOT's, even my old Nostalgia 4.2 XK was a 6K engine re-biuld liability so it went - no more old cars for me. So even though she is a delight to sail Pete, I can do in a Drascombe or similar what I want to do sailing wise and will get a Caterham eventually (only have one chunk of money to play with you see!). Cars are my first interest, cheaper and more useable to me throughout the year. A trailer sailer Shrimper/Drascombe is an able enough boat for my type of sailing. Blimey verbal keyboard diarrhoea this morning.
 
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Zagato said:
Need to have someone steer the boat next time whilst I look as it started 20-30 mins into a run.
Click to expand...

Why not tie a little ruff of kitchen towel around each pipe, then you can see afterwards which one had water on the outside of it?

Still don't understand what you mean by your "overflow pipe". There is no such thing on a 1GM10 or 2GM20 (can't remember which yours is). What is it connected to?

Pete
 
Zagato said:
Thanks Lakey will have a play, not sure why it's changed!! What did you do, I just used to cut & paste the image URL?
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I just clicked on the button "Direct Link" it changes to "copied". The URL is then in your clipboard ready to be pasted into a message window.
 
prv said:
Why not tie a little ruff of kitchen towel around each pipe, then you can see afterwards which one had water on the outside of it?

Still don't understand what you mean by your "overflow pipe". There is no such thing on a 1GM10 or 2GM20 (can't remember which yours is). What is it connected to? Pete
Click to expand...



I can't see what it's connected to thats the whole difficulty with it. Will look at the manual in a minute! Wrapping paper around is one idea or mark with chalk is the usual way for drips but again need to look at manual to see what to mark and where it is... I'll take a little mirror on board to help....
 
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May I suggest you turn the boat around on its mooring, moor by the stern tenporarily and run it hard ahead so the engine is nicely warmed up and loaded up on its mounts, the stern gear 'loaded' too? You can now examine with a good wee torch/ mirror without needing the services of a second person?
You can take screen grabs of course of the on line 'pages' of the manual too of before going aboard..useful to identify the cooling water ' flow chart'..
Work out where is located the ' anti syphon device'somewhere up higher than the engine, as this is easy and useful to check, as a suggestion.
 
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