What Could Go Wrong??

[Thedreamoneday]

I'm keen to tap in to your experiences of things that have gone wrong whislt living aboard, in particular around equipment/ system failures,are there any common areas that tend to fail on a boat due to prolonged use? Has there been anything that caught you off guard and what did you do to sort it out? Also having experienced them could you have done anything differently to prevent it.

I'm interested so I can hopefully be more prepared even though I dont think you could ever fully prepared.

Any comments much appreciated.

 

[Downsman]

That's a wide ranging question.. Generally speaking, and this is probably side stepping a straight answer, the more complicated and 'high tech' a boat's equipment the more likelyhood of a malfunction of some description. Obvious really, although I'm sure many boats with all sorts of sophisticated gear have few problems. In my experience, and I've only been liveaboard and voyaging since 1996, I've met more boats stuck in marinas awaiting spare parts for generators, water makers, radars, computer navigation kit etc: Met one bloke in Malta who couldn't get water out of his tanks because the pressure system was on the blink..
Doesn't mean you have to go spartan, most modern gear is very reliable.. but a good rule is, if you can carry spares for it and fix it yourself then fine..whatever 'it' is, but if you're not an air conditioning engineer and your boat's super cool below... be prepared to get your wallet out when you're somewhere hot and sunny and the aircon packs up..

In direct answer to your question...so far for me anyway in two Atlantic crossings and four Med cruises..touch wood..nothing has broken that I haven't fixed myself. 1977 Nic 32, no radar, plotter or...air con..:encouragement:

 

[Thedreamoneday]

That's a wide ranging question.. Generally speaking, and this is probably side stepping a straight answer, the more complicated and 'high tech' a boat's equipment the more likelyhood of a malfunction of some description. Obvious really, although I'm sure many boats with all sorts of sophisticated gear have few problems. In my experience, and I've only been liveaboard and voyaging since 1996, I've met more boats stuck in marinas awaiting spare parts for generators, water makers, radars, computer navigation kit etc: Met one bloke in Malta who couldn't get water out of his tanks because the pressure system was on the blink..
Doesn't mean you have to go spartan, most modern gear is very reliable.. but a good rule is, if you can carry spares for it and fix it yourself then fine..whatever 'it' is, but if you're not an air conditioning engineer and your boat's super cool below... be prepared to get your wallet out when you're somewhere hot and sunny and the aircon packs up..

In direct answer to your question...so far for me anyway in two Atlantic crossings and four Med cruises..touch wood..nothing has broken that I haven't fixed myself. 1977 Nic 32, no radar, plotter or...air con..:encouragement:

Great post, cheers

 

[Richard10002]

I had problems with auto helm and power generation.

With hindsight I would probably have fitted some kind of secondary auto helm, but not sure what, and it doesn't matter on the canals

For power I would have had a Honda Eu20i from day 1, some kind of alternator regulator system to keep the volts at least 14.4V, but preferably with some adjustment facility. Given the cost of solar, if space allows, I would have 300W and an efficient controller. Batteries would have been Trojan T105 x 4 or 6.

 

[Salty John]

Think out your heads system carefully, you don't want this.....

View attachment 42733

 

[GrahamM376]

If it can go wrong, the chances are that it will at some point so keep it simple. We had to lift the engine out in a marina, rings stuck and it blew the oil out, replaced it a couple of years later. Last week the masthead anemometer had enough of F8s and decided not to turn. Fortunately nothing critical/dangerous so far.

 

[TQA]

You need 2 or more bilge pumps one of which should be manual and the other automatic.

You need a separate bilge alarm.

If you ever have water over the floorboards nobody has ever said " I am glad we went for that smaller bilge pump."

 

[Tranona]

Suggest you ask the charter company maintenance man when you have your holiday. as already suggested they will almost certainly have domestic systems - loos, water systems, electrics and electronic top of the list along with windlasses, running rigging and interior furnishings. These are the things that take a beating partly because of high levels of usage and partly because many components are designed for weekend sailors and not full time liveaboards.

 

[BobnLesley]

1. If you don't fit it, it can't break.
2. If it's already fitted and working, then don't use it, or it will only break.

Nav stuff: Our previous boat had a GPS, an echo-sounder and a Tiller-pilot, whilst this one's got a whole raft of bells and whistles; other than the three we had previously, if any broke I'd not replace them. Depending on size/choice of boat, I'd say we've met far more people with wheel-pilot problems (of all makes/types) than with tiller pilots; perhaps that's because with tiller-pilots, they're of a price that you can afford to just carry a spare/replace rather than repair a broken one. No good in the Med, but I reckon that for every one hundred auto-pilot breakdowns, you'll come across one wind-vane steering system that can't be fixed on the spot.

General stuff: In the Med, the main breakdown we met people sitting around whilst waiting for parts/repairs was refridgerators, here in the Caribbean it seems to be water-makers and generators; I accept that not having the means to chill beer is untenable, so you need to hope for the best, but I wouldn't give space to either of the other two.

Engines seem to break in the Med - they get a lot of use - so be sure to start with a newish/sound one and look after it properly.

Remember that you can carry on without a lot of stuff and just repair/replace when it suits you: Our favourite in ten years is still a yacht that we met in Sardinia in 2005, two people had been sitting in an expensive marina for five weeks, awaiting spare parts/repairs...

For their dishwasher!

 

[RupertW]

Here is a recent list of tasks done, mostly fixing and replacing. It does include regular simple tasks like putting on replacement Bimini and misses out some big ones like, "Replace bent mast" and "Get new rudder beam manufacture and fitted"

Alas the "to do" list is at least half the length of this one.

B Lots of large flat latches, washers and fittings for top loading lockers full of heavy stuff. NB locker tops are thick - 2cm so need flat head bolts long enough

Tasks in reg tasks list
Measure main hatch for mozzie/rat/cockroach net

Jabso Lite electric loo for guest loo maybe - see YBW thread
D lofrans Tigres windlass
Gearcase (the metal body) 631677 #475 AALU but would need windlass rebuild
Stripper - 635271 #335 or 635272 #335A don't know which
Bolts in maintenance kit 72050 Tigres
Gypsy needs to be for 10mm 28mm which is DIN766 not ISO4565
1,140 in UK
D Some sort of hook/strong snaps hackle for 3rd reef to give another 10-20cm from the boom hook to reach the ring on the 3rd reef itself. It would only have to be undone when the halyard tension is off. Could even have a permanent shackle and ring on the sail. Think through the options.
Note that the 3rd reef may be the sensible option in relatively moderate 28-35 knot winds when very broad reaching with gybes needed. When broad reaching to reaching would hope that lowering the traveller, tightening Vang and letting out the mainsheet would do the job of de powering the weather helm
D White rubber washers - for tap fittings, for swimming handle?. Like the idea of some kind of material I could cut into washers
D Leave spare padlock key with Zvone
D Leave outboard parts and padlock key with Zvone
D swap books to STd aft cabin
D Quick clean of port cockpit locker
D Life bouy in port aft cabin
D Wash anchor locker and chain
D Take all clean dry stuff from cockpit lockers into cabin - use port aft cabin D Collate Zvone tasksand take the cushions out first
D Hose down bilges – esp forward holding tank and around then clear bilges using pump
D Sort out own cash - have 6.6 so fine for Zvone but need to take out more from PO for paying HMRC - don't think I've paid that yet
D Collate Zvone tasks
D Get picture again of decklignt socket (Push bulb into decklight socket - Zvona coming in evening to try again. Clearly wont work. When have picture then email Z Spars - get Zvona to text it again, or email.)
D Sort out warps ready for the Winter
D Sort out fenders ready for the Winter
D Take better picture of deck light bad fitting and get the part
D Fully charge batteries
D Find sail bag for main
D Find sail bag for Genoa
D Zip up the mainsail
D ! Check and fix source of rain leak at mast - could go very rotten over Winter - note that Zvone thinks its v hard to do - can fix almost any leak but that - do I have mastic? Put glue on (not very clever long term) - retest with kettle of water after 13:15 (3 hrs drying). If any leak remains then leave to dry and use insulating tape. Took a lot of heavy rain the a few drops came through. Put duct tape on small wire and poured jug of water over. Possibly not a perfect job but only one with slight moisture now is portmost blank hole
D AC tasks - NB UNPLUG MAINS AT PONTOON
(Could just switch mains off at RCD but better to be very safe)
- Work out lead from junction box to forward suite spur
- Do forward suite spur - ensure all connections enough above reasonable flood line - ankle to knee height - anything more and electrics won't be the big issue ideal might be in passageway from bunk bed cabin wardrobe
Create a circuit diagram and keep it up to date
end of AC tasks
D Put AC double socket up forward under floorboards if poss
D Take off and store any bits of kit that don't need to be out - e.g. Asymmetric tack arrangement on bow
D Put fiddle or string on lower shelf above sink
D Tack back Velcro by mast - staples coming out
D Check engine oil - near min so put in a litre
D Get exact part number for broken outboard
D Photograph and note winch model that has stripper missing
D Refuel including cans
D Note amount of fuel into tank and engine hours -tank I25l !
D JT cheap waterproof watch
D cacachuette things
D Venice ensign - esp if dangly bits at end
D Clean steps using treadmaster cleaner
D Air pipes are for fan ventilation, so stainless steel grills will be fine to fit as they blow not suck
D Italian ports ( going north from Pescara) with marinas
In all watch out for tidal range of 1m for shallower harbour entrances - be. Aware of tide state
San Benedetto del Tronto - big and safe looking marina - Is town too commercial?
actually see www.cruiserwiki.org/Porto San Giorgio - another big marina
Civitanova Marche - good sized marina, 4 miles from Roman/Mediaval must see town - N/NE winds cause swell
Numana - beach but otherwise nothing special
Ancona - mostly modern after WW2 bombs but does have an old town - watch out for swell at marina entrance and do not enter if so
Fano - also much WW2 damage to old parts but old town looks v interesting
D Halyards for port and starboard courtesy flags
D Check radio and arial connections - Zv. Either connect up properly or new simplest DSC radio - can buy ourselves that if Zvona confirms the radio, not connections are the problem. NB 10cm*13.5cm*5cm and hemmed in, so v small set. Raytheon Ray 45 is set.
D Kettle
D Test polarity reverser
D Drill hole in plank for rope to hand as fender board
D Get Salja invoice and pay
D DC plug USB
D Go through all Croatioan flag nav and safety needs - JT dealing with
D Plastic coat hangers
D Find another way to clean Jools loo bottom of bow – only way is soaking in loo cleaner eg domestos for a few hours – 3 hours partially worked. Wouldn't leave any longer on a single soak as rubber valves might perish
D Fix hose - cut off small section
D Hose down Joolz loo
D Hose down fwd loo
D Clean stern and aft end of decks
D clean fender stains off hull near stern
D Give cockpit and table a really good scrub
D Clean decks with hose and brush
D Agree time to meet Zvona - sent text
D Throw out basil plant
D Put battery on charge when Hoover charged
D Do wiring to switch between anchor light and tricolour and hole in right panel - found purple but need to find light blue other side. have now found all blues clumped together to black boat earth connection. Therefore cannot reverse polarity at switch as there is no means of telling which blue is which as they are all electrically connected. So anchor/tricolour switch will have to be at mast. need to wait until have panels back. Do final test - set now at anchor light. One aft is off, one further aft is nav lights
D Check engine oil when engine cold for at least 4 hours
D Take pictures of sinks snd shower heads
D Messure sinks and shower heads . 197mm is size of likely replacement horizontally from tap base to shower/tap head. 28 from tap control to base of hose/nozzle. 36 from base of hose to far side of sink, with 20 to centre of sink so perfect tap base to shower/tap bed
D Clean/fix cooker as big ring howling and little ring too feeble
D New screw hole and flathead screw to firmly fix panel by charitable sockets as it moves every time a plug is pulled out
D Find head torch or buy cheaply in UK
D Connect boatside distribution box earth to boatside of Galvanic isolator (done but with bare wires - !! !! - Need 3 (plys 3 more or othernbare wires ) forked or if nec hooped crimps for 9mm screw AND to engine block earth - see circuit diagram in Galv ISO instructions. Note that engine block earth is connected to negative (black) terminal in back of chart table cupboard
S Fix mains lead socket to stern and lead to at least one socket by chart table
- D RCD connected to boatside distribution box
- D Chart table AC socket cable connected to distribution box
- D Connect boatside distribution box earth to boatside of Galvanic isolator !! !! - Need 2 forked or if nec hooped crimps for 9mm screw AND to engine block earth - see circuit diagram in Galv ISO instructions. Note that engine block earth is connected to negative (black) terminal in back of chart table cupboard
- D Fit galvanic isolator to back panel
D Put GI status monitor somewhere visible
- D Lead shoreside cable through wardrobe and into chart table cupboard
- D Attach shoreside cable to shoreside of RCD - live and neutral
- D Connect shore side of earth cable to shore side of galvanic isolator
- D Make hole to pass chart table socket cable behind removable panel
- D Make socket shaped hole in removable panel
- D Fit socket
- D Attach chart table socket cable to socket, leaving enough slack for full panel pullout
(Check resistances through each part of the circuit, RCD on and off)
- Plug in and test
D Plan aft cabin suite and follow all actions above
D Plan starboard cabin spur and follow all actions above
D Retest all parts of circuit at the end
D One or two more blue and white fenders
-----------------
D Locking winch handle - bring non-locking harken back for Goshawk
D Finish replacing spinnaker halyard - or return rope
D Use spinnaker pole to try lifting dinghy off boat and back
D Rubber snubber for chain
D Check all nav instruments in daylight
Check basic Autohelm
D Check all lights at night - want anchorlight instead of tricolour until work out how to switch
D Put up courtesy flag on stay
D Put ensign on
D Replace spi halyard as frayed and too short
- Got a red and white one but seems very fat for a 12mm rope
- Not enough levers so have to either have reefing line back to cockpit or spinnaker halyard. Reefing lines at winch at cockpit much better.
As asymmetric comes with a snuffer then should be fine to hoist without a lever. Can winch up the last bit and tie on winch. if that doesn't work then get a pulley back to cockpit but without a lever.
(- check length with some to spare - twice mast height plus 50 percent or 3 - times mast height to be totally sure? Manual says 38m x 12mm
Check width of rope - have I any similar which I can bring to shop?
Want a colour we don't otherwise have but blue or lime green would me good to fit in with the other pole up and downhauls )
D Deflate each dinghy compartment a bit - did one of them
D Frap halyards
D Put on Bimini
D Unfreeze hatch catch above cooker
D Write email to Salja with the missing bits - spinnaker halyard, spinnaker pole halyard, downhaul and stopper - anything else ready for Asymetric?
White spinnaker halyard is way too short to go back to cockpit and is very badly frayed at one point
D Write email to Salja with the missing bits - spinnaker halyard, spinnaker pole halyard, downhaul and stopper - anything else ready for Asymetric?
White spinnaker halyard is way too short to go back to cockpit and is very badly frayed at one point
D Put up spi pole
D Fix front loo pump leak
D Change wiring to anchor light not - but weird connections to deck floodlight and steaming light
D fix aft loo pump leak
D Get thick grease to try out loo leak mitigation
D Super glue for loo washers - araldite does not work (says it won't work on most plastics and this seems to be true)1
mainsheet
D Genoa sheets
D Roller reefing line
D Work out best use of levers - need roller reefing line on a port lever, so lose one of them or move to starboard - moved double reef to staroard
D Try to fix existing dinghy inflator - split pipe?
D Fix anchor locker alignment as defaults to open
D Try new Caribe type connector and see whether it works
D Fix forward nav lights - and tape up with black electrical tape when working?
D Glue wet locker vinyl - empty and dry out wet locker first
D Glue wet locker vinyl - empty and dry out wet locker first
D Take apart and fix fwd loo (3 hours to replace joker valve and clean limescale)
D Replace waste pipe for fwd loo - bought 6.5m
D Re clean and oil companionway sides
D Contact CA people - JT
D Scrub Alexandra off port bow and fit Rising Star transfer
D Get iPad on JT wifi and check emails for Kindle purchases
D Take apart and fix aft loo (3 hours to replace joker valve and clean limescale)
D Get starboard ensign halyard fixed up again - when not windy
D Fix floating light - in stbd cockpit locker - replaced it
D Find table bolts
D Fit table boltsq
D Finish cleaning speed log then fit in Kremik - fit at beginning of July trip
D Fit radar reflector
D Measure boat for genoa
D Measure boat for asymmetric
D Get batteries up to full charge if engine use doesn't do it - want a 12.7
D Measure air intakes 12cm from each screw hole square. Round hole is 10cm
D Put seizing wire on anchor shackle
D Saw end off and whittle dowelling to fit bilge pump
D Clean cooker ring and injectors
D Trim tread master steps and Hoover
D Remeasure Rising Star letters and take photo for printers
D Tidy up med masthead halyard (temp starboard halyard)
D After dark - check compass light
D Fit new compass
D Glass sucker handle - fit lanyard
D Check flares
D - no record in file on boat Check ship radio licence
D - need to replenish Check first aid kit
D Take close up pictures of stuck floorboard for forum advice
D Get dinghy securely fastened in case sail is rough
D Check weed and decide on scrub out/anti foul - will get it dived clean just before May 250 euro quote
D Finish tread master steps - trim urgent
D Fit new autohelm
(Check auto helm - still not holding course or shifting compass heading in same proportion as main compass. NB take loads of pictures of all wiring before removing and replacing
Computer is raymarine smartpilot course computer s3)
D Take close up pictures of stuck floorboard for forum advice
D Replace Croatian courtesy flag
D Take pictures of engine mount and get advice
D Check nav lights **** fwd nav lights not wkg****
D Check anchor light
D Check steaming light
D New fire resistant lagging for fridge pipes measure. 0.8cm diameter of pipe. Length 2m
D Get car park card sorted
D Get boat papers and vignetta
D Check if compass includes binnacle mount - oredered new compass
D Use Crusader data sheet to measure for jib
D Check mast and take pictures
D Email insurers before going home to explain the situation

 

[ChattingLil]

we are at the very beginning of the adventure and not crusing yet, but we are liveaboard and so far the list of failures (20 year old boat) have all been expected or not too serious (eg fridge regassing, upgrade electrics/electronics, failure of autohelm electronics, interior lighting, diesel cooker not working, eber not working, holding tank blocked, fresh water leaks, calorifier leaks) - except for one stupidly obvious thing : anodes. We didn't check which anode size and fittings we had and now we have moved from sea to freshwater marina we need to replace them all and we don't know the sizes. Therefore we need to come out to go on the hard so we can measure them before going to get them. Had we thought of this, we could have done a quick lift and hold.

The advise to take loads of photos is good!

 

[TQA]

we are at the very beginning of the adventure and not crusing yet, but we are liveaboard and so far the list of failures (20 year old boat) have all been expected or not too serious (eg fridge regassing, upgrade electrics/electronics, failure of autohelm electronics, interior lighting, diesel cooker not working, eber not working, holding tank blocked, fresh water leaks, calorifier leaks) - except for one stupidly obvious thing : anodes. We didn't check which anode size and fittings we had and now we have moved from sea to freshwater marina we need to replace them all and we don't know the sizes. Therefore we need to come out to go on the hard so we can measure them before going to get them. Had we thought of this, we could have done a quick lift and hold.

The advise to take loads of photos is good!

Haulout to measure anodes?

If I was in that position I would have my snorkel gear on with underwater camera and a suitable ruler with the inch marks widened with a marker pen. Job done in 10 minutes.

Or pay a diver to do it.

 

[ChattingLil]

Haulout to measure anodes?

If I was in that position I would have my snorkel gear on with underwater camera and a suitable ruler with the inch marks widened with a marker pen. Job done in 10 minutes.

Or pay a diver to do it.

yer, thought of it, but diving is not permitted in our marina and we have 10 to do - of at least 3 types (long keel steel) so it's worth getting right. Also, it's the first time we've done it and we do have other things to check.

 

[KellysEye]

Everything will break if you use it 24 x 365 except electronics. The reason is all the kit is made for weekend and holiday sailors who don't use the kit much. Look at the spares packs in a chandler and for anything that isn't there ring the manufacturer and ask what will beak. We did and they were very helpful. Make sure you have all the appropriate tools and exploded parts diagrams for everything. I used to spend one to two days a week servicing or repairing things. The longest I went without doing that was one month and then three things broke on the same day.

 

[AndrewB]

Everything will break if you use it 24 x 365 except electronics. The reason is all the kit is made for weekend and holiday sailors who don't use the kit much. Look at the spares packs in a chandler and for anything that isn't there ring the manufacturer and ask what will beak. We did and they were very helpful. Make sure you have all the appropriate tools and exploded parts diagrams for everything. I used to spend one to two days a week servicing or repairing things. The longest I went without doing that was one month and then three things broke on the same day.

+1, but including electronics. In 20 years of cruising, everything went wrong, but nothing stopped us. Keep it simple, make sure you can fix it yourself, or if not can cope without it.

Pity the guy in the next berth who tells you he can't go out sailing this weekend because his fridge isn't working.

 

[duncan99210]

If it can break, it will break and in the case of our boat it generally has at some stage or other. Many things you can do without or do a temporary fix. There's a limit to the spares you can carry but a good collection of nuts, bolts, shackles, gaffer tape and rope will often let you sort something out that will get you to your next port or allow you to keep on sailing.

 

[ChrisE]

We had our standing rigging replaced before we left for a year's transat. Forestay broke in the middle of nowhere 800 miles from shore. Just as well we had a detachable inner forestay. Just an example of having a backup for everything.

 

[Thedreamoneday]

Excellent post (including the longest post I've ever seen cheers RupertW) I'm writing it all down, please keep them coming.

 

[RupertW]

Excellent post (including the longest post I've ever seen cheers RupertW) I'm writing it all down, please keep them coming.

If I'd ever realised how much work I'd end up doing fixing and replacing things I would have run a mile but nothing has broken twice so I have got to reach the end of the lists eventually.

 

[charles_reed]

If things are regularly serviced, few problems.

Most experience difficulty with electrics mainly, I suspect, because of the inordinate number of "experts" out there with their (almost) mutually contradictory theories.

Keeping things simple is a good principle, but regression to the Palaeolithic unnecessary.