Got Questions? Ask Them Here.

[ehh]

Motor mounts etc

Here is a picture of the supports for my motor, a betamarine 10. I'm not sure of the term really but I mean the metal bars that the motor mounts bolt to. The aft ends are pretty rusted. Enough that large flakes have come off. The front ends are almost rust free. The motor is only about 5 years old. Can you tell if this is a serious problem brewing or is this just par for the course? Should I try to remove this rust and treat with anything?

 

[Roger Long]

Can you tell if this is a serious problem brewing or is this just par for the course?

If I understand you correctly and you are referring to the metal plates which are attached to the to the of the fiberglass engine beds, yes, you a have a very serious problem developing which will need attention within the next 5 - 10 years. If you want them to look better and buy yourself a little time, look for stuff in the hardware store called "Naval Jelly" (Loktite makesa version). Wire brush as much loose stuff off as you can, then apply the jelly according to the directions, and follow up with Rustoleum. I suggest brushing rather than spraying.

 

[ehh]

If it is going to be a serious problem in 5 to 10 years then I won't panic. Preventive maintenance is a given. Any chance that rust converter might loosen the rust under the bolts and therefore cause things to start shaking even sooner? What would be the signs that I should have this looked at by someone professional ASAP?

 

[Ed A]

If it were mine i would not panic but i would replace the metal. Having the mount come loose would result in more serious damage and costs. I would also look for a water leak. probably someting is keeping the metal wet. maybe the shaft is dripping a bit to much and slinging water arround in the engine room. Go down and look arround with the engine running and in gear ( with help on deck). Look for any water leak and fix that too. you may have someting dripping you dont know about.

good luck, its not as bad a job as you think.

 

[Ed A]

another idea would to use a product called corroseal, great paint that will greatly inhibit rust. popular in restoration and comercial steel boats. you would need to clean them up first then coat the plates.

 

[redunculous]

Maine I have one that is hurting my new boat owner head and would appreciate your input

I have the following calculated - please correct me where I am wrong

I have 4 x Trojan T105's at 225 AH and they are in series parallel - this gives me a combined 450AH at 12 volts

I have a 50 Amp Alternator

I wish to run my aircon via an inverter (please don't ask me the whys)

I have come to this conclusion

my aircon requires 11.5 amp via AC Mains, to start to convert this to the DC requirement I have multiplied Volts x Amps (110 x 11.5) which equals 1265 VA

1265 divided by 12 gives me the amps required via DC which equals 105.4

105.4 minus 50 amps (alternator running)

= 55.4 amps remaining

450 (battery bank) divided by 55.4 = 8 hrs runtime

Is this right?

 

[redunculous]

Maine I have one that is hurting my new boat owner head and would appreciate your input

I have the following calculated - please correct me where I am wrong

I have 4 x Trojan T105's at 225 AH and they are in series parallel - this gives me a combined 450AH at 12 volts

I have a 50 Amp Alternator

I wish to run my aircon via an inverter (please don't ask me the whys)

I have come to this conclusion

my aircon requires 11.5 amp via AC Mains, to start to convert this to the DC requirement I have multiplied Volts x Amps (110 x 11.5) which equals 1265 VA

1265 divided by 12 gives me the amps required via DC which equals 105.4

105.4 minus 50 amps (alternator running)

= 55.4 amps remaining

450 (battery bank) divided by 55.4 = 8 hrs runtime

Is this right?

I would like to point out that I dont intend nor believe my AC will run for 8 hrs on this I am just finishing the calculations.

I also have not taken into effect the loss from an inverter and the actual output of my alternator - I am just doing the basic maths as a start

 

[Maine Sail]

I would like to point out that I dont intend nor believe my AC will run for 8 hrs on this I am just finishing the calculations.

I also have not taken into effect the loss from an inverter and the actual output of my alternator - I am just doing the basic maths as a start

When I get a chance later I will look more closely at your numbers.

As a quick starter your "usable" bank is 225 Ah's not 450 Ah's, if you want them to last more than a few months of use. Deep discharges kill batteries quickly and at that amp draw your inverter should cut out well before the bank was completely dead anyway. The general guidance from manufacturers is to not discharge lead acid batteries below 50% of capacity.. Your bank is 450 Ah's so 50% is 225 Ah's usable.

 

[redunculous]

When I get a chance later I will look more closely at your numbers.

As a quick starter your "usable" bank is 225 Ah's not 450 Ah's, if you want them to last more than a few months of use. Deep discharges kill batteries quickly and at that amp draw your inverter should cut out well before the bank was completely dead anyway. The general guidance from manufacturers is to not discharge lead acid batteries below 50% of capacity.. Your bank is 450 Ah's so 50% is 225 Ah's usable.

Thank you Mainesail

I'm glad you pointed it out as I did not take that into account in my calcs, I think I have a good grounding of the levels with regards to battery maintenance and definitely do not want to kill them

I'm off to the boat to carry on with cleaning up the PO's mess. Look forward to all replies.

(I'm happy to purchase a small genset also)

 

[kloudie1]

Redunculous.. Looks like a genset is in your cards.. The inverter is only about 90% efficient (takes about 110 watts DC to make 100 watts AC).. and the alternator can't be counted on for full power always.. so the number is closer to 3 hours of run time on the DC capability you have ..

 

[Maine Sail]

Thank you Mainesail

I'm glad you pointed it out as I did not take that into account in my calcs, I think I have a good grounding of the levels with regards to battery maintenance and definitely do not want to kill them

I'm off to the boat to carry on with cleaning up the PO's mess. Look forward to all replies.

(I'm happy to purchase a small genset also)

Some other thoughts but typing from the phone is not easy.

#1 Peukert! You will not get anywhere near the 450/225Ah's when running a 100+amp load. Those batteries are rated using an 11.25 A load. Any load higher than 11.25A will drastically reduce the number of usable Ah's. My guess is that you'll actually have less than 80Ah's usable, if that, with a 100+ amp load. Even if your alternator contributes a full third of the power you're still a solid 4-5 times beyond what the batteries Ah capacity was rated at.

#2 Inverter efficiency: With an AC you may find you're only getting 80-85% efficiency, if that.

#3 AC Startup. You'll need a big inverter than can handle big in-rush to start the AC when it cycles. You'll then hope that the batteries don't trip the inverters low voltage shut down when the voltage dips.. Every cycle of the AC could be equal to the current needed to start your engine. With a small boat AC's cycle frequently. These start ups could be like starting your motor 15-25 times per hour..

#4 Alternator: You'll likely burn out your alternator as they are not designed produce full output for long periods of time. The full output will also not be 50A and more likely in the neighborhood of high 30's to low 40's when hot.

#5 Recharging: At some point you'll need to put all those Ah's back into the battery which can take 110-125% of what you took out to go back in. This is a LOT of engine run time on a small 50A alt.

#6 Engine: Running your engine lightly loaded for long periods of time, a 40A alt is lightly loaded for a marine diesel, is not the best practice and can lead to cylinder bore glazing. You'll want to run it real hard when not using it for AC requirements to remove any glazing that has begun.

#7 Generator: Unless you have a bank that is significantly larger than what you currently have, a generator is going to be your best bet.

 

[Por Fin]

Maine Sail,

I'm probably overthinking this one, but here goes:

I'm in the process of cutting out the cabin sole to replace our 30 y/o steel dieslel tanks. I'll have to cut through the teak/holly, the underlayment (3/8" ply) and the supporting grid (what's the marine term for joists?). Once the new tanks are in, I'll need to rebuild the structural members under the underlayment.

What species of wood should I be considering for the job?

 

[redunculous]

On that note

Genset has been ordered!

Thankyou for the input all.

 

[redunculous]

(what's the marine term for joists?).

Is it not just Beam?

 

[Winkfish]

Stringers?

 

[redunculous]

Rubbing compound

Maine Sail

With regards to your Tips on Polishing, I have a surplus of 3M 5955, is that going to be ok to use before the presta ultra?

I know its not exactly what you recommend but its what I currently have to hand and would save me money purchasing another 3M product (however I will on your say so)

Just wanted to also pass on my thanks for all the info you hand out - I've done a lot of work on my newly (new to me) purchased boat and your Musings and website have been a lot of help and easy to follow.

Kind Regards

Redunc

 

[Maine Sail]

Rubbing compound

Maine Sail

With regards to your Tips on Polishing, I have a surplus of 3M 5955, is that going to be ok to use before the presta ultra?

I know its not exactly what you recommend but its what I currently have to hand and would save me money purchasing another 3M product (however I will on your say so)

Just wanted to also pass on my thanks for all the info you hand out - I've done a lot of work on my newly (new to me) purchased boat and your Musings and website have been a lot of help and easy to follow.

Kind Regards

Redunc

It should work fine...

 

[rdowall]

Wilcox Crittenden Seacock

Ask away!

Hello Maine Sail,
I posted a question and photos of a Wilcox Crittenden Seacock yesterday and would like your opinion. I haven't been able to find the '0' rings for the tapered plug and I've never seen 'o' rings in a bronze thru hull before and wonder if they are needed (Groco, Spartan, and other WC seacocks don't have '0' rings). The 'o'rings are quite flimsy (1/32" thick) and may be susceptible to deformation when over tightened. Could it be that the 'o' rings were designed to retain the grease in the cone since I doubt that the watertight integrity of the valve would rely on the little 'o' rings. The unit appears identical other seacocks except for the grooves that accommodate the '0' rings.

BTW - I looked at your website re: rebuilding seacocks and other topics and found it very helpful. I really appreciate your contributions.

Thanks in advance,
s/v Endeavor

 

[SVTatia]

Round Butyl Tape

Maine Sail

I need round butyl tape (cord) for the re-installation of my ports which are similar to the NFM ones. I bought the tape from you - can I roll the tape as if making a "joint" or perhaps laying two or three of them to get the proper thickness then rolling or would you recommend buying the black round one from NFM?

Thanks

Marcelo

 

[Maine Sail]

Hello Maine Sail,
I posted a question and photos of a Wilcox Crittenden Seacock yesterday and would like your opinion. I haven't been able to find the '0' rings for the tapered plug and I've never seen 'o' rings in a bronze thru hull before and wonder if they are needed (Groco, Spartan, and other WC seacocks don't have '0' rings). The 'o'rings are quite flimsy (1/32" thick) and may be susceptible to deformation when over tightened. Could it be that the 'o' rings were designed to retain the grease in the cone since I doubt that the watertight integrity of the valve would rely on the little 'o' rings. The unit appears identical other seacocks except for the grooves that accommodate the '0' rings.

BTW - I looked at your website re: rebuilding seacocks and other topics and found it very helpful. I really appreciate your contributions.

Thanks in advance,
s/v Endeavor

That was a poor design, and not needed, but because you now have the grooves you do need the o-rings or they will weep earlier and sooner. They can be had at any hardware store just bring the old ones for sizing.

Re-lap, without the o-rings, and be sure to clean teh grooves very, very well, and use the Spartan grease and all should be fine. I suspect WC started that when they realized most boaters had nop clue about servicing seacocks so tried the o-rings as a stop gap from complaints of weeping etc..

They're still great seacocks but you just need to find the right o-rings in size and diameter and then buy a bunch to keep on hand. The Spartan grease is worth every penny...