Where to Put It

[Gludy]

I want to fit a thru-the-hull bronze fishfinder sensor (I am not personally doing the fitting of course). I have a Princess 385. The chap doing th fitting has been honest enough to tell me he does not know where to put the sensor so that the flow is failrly laminar and not too turbulent. Naturally, it has to be down fairly central but where along the hull for the best position?
If anyone has any advice - I would be grateful.

By the way, despite all the pressure to finally give the boat her maiden trip I had not done so - the volvo chap just phoned me to say that he would have been surprised if my boat had gone a mile without breaking down because the impellers were so shot. There has been a whole list of stupid things down to extreme sloppiness on the part of the volvo folks who previously did the maintainance. The good news is that the engines are good, little used and nothing too expensive needs doing. Never the less had I tried to bring her around to Swansea by sea instead of road, I would not have got very far.... so in the end, everything has turned out for the best and after this weekend I will have a boat fit forthe sea!


Paul

 

[Guest]

Re: but you had a seatrial?

How very very lucky. If that nice swansea engineer hadn't gone round and replaced lots of stuff that even tho it seemd ok on the seatrail and on the survey when the temperature was static at 85 degrees, yes despite that, lots of engineering things on the boat were phew so close to breaking or exploding, well I don't know what. I mean, those other engineers etc etc and here's the bill. How very very lucky. A good job an expert is fitting the fishfinder, even tho he obviously hasn't done one before...

 

[miket]

I would imagine it would be much the same as for the depth sounder transducer. Normally fairly well back (aft of centre) and low down. See where Princess put the depth sounder transducer and mount the fishfinder in the mirror position (on the other side).

Matts does have a point.
No problem if you know the engineer you are using, but if not, ask him to give you a couple of references from current customers, and contact them. There are plenty of unscrupulous, unreliable cowboys around.

If he is correct, and maintenance has been poor, ensure that he checks the engine alignment and that the bolts on the "flexible couplings" are all there and tight. My oversight on that cost me £2k for a new shaft, coupling etc.

 

[BarryD]

Re: but you had a seatrial?

Valid points - In days of youth I've stood reading a garage/MOT report and wondered if all these things are wrong how on earth did I ever manage to drive it down here.

Having said that Gludy - first thing you do when you buy a new second hand car is get it serviced and replace the cam belts. Same with a boat - just watch out that your not being stung for unrequired preventative maintenance. At least you will always know where you started from in terms of wear. Can be expensive though!

Barry D.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Its not a question of honesty. Its notoriously difficult to find a position for a thru' hull transducer on a planing boat which will give you a consistent reading at planing speed due to turbulence created by the props and hull. Correct me if I'm wrong but has'nt the 385 got a vestigial keel as well which adds to the difficulty
I've had difficulty in the past with losing signals from thru' hull transducers and, of course, once you've made the hole, you cant shift it!
I would suggest that you go for an in-hull transducer first (if you can get one for the fishfinder you are getting). This is a transducer which sits in an oil filled tube glassed or silicone sealed to the inside of the hull. The fitter can find the best position by placing the transducer in a water filled plastic bag and moving it around the hull whilst the boat is at planing speed; once the optimum position is found, the tube is fixed, filled with oil (castor oil usually) and the transducer inserted. If you still get problems, you can always move the tube. A good starting point for the transducer location is about 1m forward of the sternglands and about 1m up from the keel

 

[Gludy]

Thanks for the advice - I do have the choice of transducers and may now go for the cheaper plastic one which I can at least experiment with. The boat has a skeg keel and I think I will take your advice about the initial siting and mirror the log position.

Paul

 

[Gludy]

Re: but you had a seatrial?

Nope - it is not the local engineer just running up a bill. I was there when he opened up the hatches and found no connection for the temperature alarm, I was also there when the anodes were removed, the crankcase breather , the air filters etc. In all the work he is now doing there are no expensive parts and I think he is being open and honest.
NMearly all the things that are being dealt with would not have shown up in a short sea trial. It was my first boat so I was inexpreienced and would know a lot more next time. I am however pleased that the hull is ok and the engines etc very sound. It is a matter of a lot of small things that could have led to very big bills not being done but have now been caught in time. A chap on my pontoon just had a bill for £2600 for new intercoolers because the anodes had not been replaced in them (cost £5 each). So my limited experience to date and what I gain from others is that as far as possible I should do first line maintainance myself and be aware of what can go wrong so that I can prevent it.
In the case of the phone call from my volvo chap, I asked him to chack the impellers - the checking of the starboard one involving taking out cupbaords etc in the bedroom - so his time was almost the same if he had not replaced them and the parts are not expensive.
He has fitted fish finders before and explained that the positioning of the sensor is critical and varies so much boat to boat - that is also a fair point for him to make and better than pretending to know something he cannot know - how many volvo registred mechanics have fitted a fish finder to a Princess 385? I guess very few.
One the points exposed was wiring a 12 volt supply to a mains socket, the main helm window wiper not being connected to power! A number os silly things like that - many of which I had uncovered before he even visited the boat.
I am also confident that the person who sold me the boat was honest and was not aware of the impending huge bills if some basic maintainance had not been done.
It has taught me that just having money and asking for someone to take over the complete servicing of your boat does not always produce the best serviced boat - always better to check as much out yourself as possible.


Paul

 

[Gludy]

Re: but you had a seatrial?

Barry - I am not being stung, although I appreciate your concern. I am simply going over the boat doing many little improvements etc and having everything checked out so that I know the exact starting point - then it is under my control and my fault if I do not maintain it.
The volvo chap even argued against the fitting of new exhaust elbows on the grounds that if they have not gone by now (500 hours), they should never go. I am not convicned of that argument though.
The facts are there for anyone to see - anodes almost gone, batteries not topped up and written off, temperature alarms not connected even though they worked and the engine was not running hot, impellers in a terrble state and ready to disintegrate any second - even though they still managed to pump some water and the engines were not overheating.
I am a begiiner at all this but do feel that I should know how to do first line maintainance so that if anything foes wrong at sea, I may be ablle to do something about it. So in some ways, what has happened has been a good experience for me.
After this weekend the boat will be ready for sea and I will be taking her out and will feel a lot more confident knowing that in doing so I am not making anything worse.
I even have Soltron and CorrosionX!!!! (grin) but that's another subject and another thread.

Paul

 

[Guest]

Re: nuff said!

Ooh. I was entirely wrong then. However|....erm, nothing, think you've covered it all.

Grate pity if you can't get out this w/e, nice bit of autumn, bit of gale coming thru from Monday....

 

[BarryD]

What do I know!

Gludy - it just seems that you bought a boat that needs a lot of money pouring in to it, I'm suprised that more didn't show up on the engine survey. However I agree that it is great to know the starting point of everything - and will undoutably end up doing the same for mine when I get her. Mind you before I do anything I will sail her 170 miles (OK but I will hold the fenders whilst others sail) so that should be a great shake down cruise if nothing else...

Barry D.

 

[Gludy]

Re: What do I know!

Barry - Whilst I am spending money on the boat most of it is going to getting every little detail right and lotsd of improvements. For the mechanics, I have had to buy 2 new batteries plus a number of filters, anodes etc - all the normal servicing stuff. The labour rate is £25 odd per hour (not a bad rate) so I suppose I will spend a few hundred on that. So it is little more than me just having a service.
I am pleased with the boat, in fact, so far, very pleased.
They say the two best days you get are when you buy a boat and when you sell it - so far, I must be lucky because I have enjoyed every day (expect for the weekend of puttin the radar arch back in a forece 8 gale. I really enjoy doing the jobs and making sure they are done properly. There is nothing expensive that has come up out of the blue.
I will be practicing berthing her this weekend - I have a very tight berth and almsot touch the boats oposite before I can get her clear of the pontoon and begin to turn a bit. That should be an experience. A birthday party this weekend plus some visitors combined with some poor tides is limiting the opportunity to get out. The eeather forecast is looking good though.
Are you not taking a fair risk doing you maiden 170Nm voyage? I almost did that and would have done it exept for bad weather. However, I now know that boat would not have made it.

Paul

 

[Guest]

Re: warning: drip corner

Hmm. I have to get home tonight. Do you think it wise to take the car all that way, or praps would it be safer to get the car trucked home...


Now, Barry it's only 150nm tops. And Gludy - now holding the record for having bought a boat and managed to not drive it at all for almsot six weeks is it? - stop giving barry the heeby jeebies. I think it essential that early on, you do a long, long trip 8+ hours - that way you know and aren't afraid of taking safer (longer) routes and so on. Of course, take somone with you. But the calm weather lasts until SUNDAY. After that, you have a nice excuse not to go out at all for another few days or mebbe a week. or maybe worry about winterising?

 

[BarryD]

Re: What do I know!

Paul - guess I've spent four or five hundered on a dinghy, charts, books, binos, hand held VHF etc and I don't even own a boat yet! Next purchases are a chart plotter and an sub 5hp outboard. Throw in the survey and lift costs todate and I've spent over a grand with nothing to show for it YET but I refuse to keep count as (agreed?) its supposed to be fun.

Risky first trip? Hmm possibly but she is a boat not a caravan. I'm taking her out this Saturday with the owner on board and maybe Dave Steward if he makes it in time. I will put her through her paces then and play for an hour or so - MOB sharp turns, speed runs, wave hopping etc.. Assuming I don't break her (I'll own her by then) then I think the issue will shift to my crewing ability, and of course the weather - I'll also get a better idea of her gas guzzlling habits - if we fill her before and after the session.

Barry D.

 

[BarryD]

In your case Matt truck it and get a drink NM

<BG>

Barry D.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: but you had a seatrial?

Every boat always has 'impending huge bills' hanging over it. Its just a matter of luck which owner picks up the tab! You just have to adjust your mindset

 

[paulineb]

Name change ?

Better take her out for a quick spin soon cos you'll have to change your name to Gluey if you're stuck in that marina much longer ;-) ;-)

Pauline B

 

[Gludy]

Re: warning: drip corner

Matts - I am not giving any advice to anyone, I am hardly in a position to do that.
I would have loved to done a sea trip to bring her back - in hindsight, I now know that this would have been wrong. Barry seems to have it right as far as I can see and has done and is doing more checking out work on the boat than I maybe did.

I have had the boat in the Marina for a month and have worked on her every weekend but have had to wait until this week for the local, very busy, volvo guy to check her out. I wanted her checked out and anything found put right before taking her to sea. As it happens no major parts are needed, the engines themselves check out as good, it is just a matter of lots of little servicing parts. I am not trying to hold any record for how long to have a boat before taking her out to sea. After this weekend I am out along with some exprienced skippers - I will have a few trips like that and then book my one to one skipper course which will be 4 full days on the boat. By having some prior experience before the course I think I can make more of the course.

One of the reasons I bought the boat at the end of the season was that I could spend time, get her ready and learn a lot before Ithe nice weather an a number of planned long trips next season. I do intend to keep her in the water over winter as there can be a number of good sailing days, even in Mid-Winter.

However, I am really enjoying myself..... and that is the main thing.

Paul

 

[Gludy]

Re: Name change ?

Grin ... that caused a few chuckles at this end!

Paul

 

[Gludy]

Re: What do I know!

Your pre-boat expenses are very much like mine.... makes it seem as if you have something whilst you wait for the boat.

Seems to me that you are taking all the precautions before the trip and I really look forward to hearing of the experiences on this forum.





Paul

 

[chippie]

Re:Gludy

Gludy, take no notice of these people giving you a hard time.
It's your boat and you are enjoying her and doing what you see as the right way of going about making her seaworthy. Good on you mate!
Best wishes and good luck!