PeterDHS

We moved home and relocated our 46 foot NB to Sawley. Not moved since Covid. The boat now needs blacking so asking for your recommendations in the Sawley area. Also the strakes (rubbing bars) are separating from the hull in places and will probably need welding down before blacking. Is this a difficult / expensive job ?

Bought 2 metres of self adhesive from Seals Direct, probably cheaper than a tube of Sika. Also bought some 'U' section rubber for around the engine hole (cruiser stern)...amazed how much noise and rattle this has eliminated.

I've been told that it is bad practise to use foam anywhere near cables as it 'eats' the cable insulation and makes it brittle. iId also change that cable for multistrand while you still have access.

Terrific....crisis over....and you did right to flag the Forum instead of going to bed and waking up as another CO2 statistic ! Melodramatic perhaps, but this is how easily it happens. Happy boating Peter.

Yes, sorry' I don't have a baffle on mine....take it out.

That is so wrong......you look to have a 'straight' flue. Get outside and remove the chimney and look down from a safe distance. If you can't see the fire then the flue is blocked. If you don't have a flue brush just put the fire out then use a boat pole to scrape the crud out. Note however that if it is thick crud you risk a chimney fire if it catches so no real alternative but a proper clean asap. I assume you have a chimney and cowl fitted and not left the chimney cap in place ?

Did you check for leaks with the engine running ? Some only weep with vibration. Also double check the PRV and it's run off pipe are functioning properly so eliminating leaks caused by high expansion pressure on the hot fittings. If those are fine my money is still on a shower leak.

Agreed. My simple understanding is that the corrosion inhibitors decay at a faster rate than the antifreeze content. so cheap blue antifreeze might well protect from freezing for upwards of three years but your engine will be rotting from the insides. The inhibitors in pink antifreeze will last five years between changes, when you would probably want to flush the system anyway. As said, changing the AF, flushing and disposing is a pain. Fewer times the better,

Excellent photo....shows exactly what is needed. Hope it has permanently cured the dreaded whine !!.

Most isolators are easy to diy fit BUT most boats do not have clear/logical/safe wiring. We have all done a short-term fix at some time, forgetting the consequences. I would therefore strongly recommend that you get a competant marine sparks to fit it.

Top fix depends on whether you have rails or gutters. At the tyre end drill 8 to 10 mm holes once at top and two at bottom 75mm apart. Thread lorry rope down thru top hole, out thru one bottom hole' in thru other bottom hole and knot securely. This ensures that pressure/strain transfers to a wide and protected portion of tread whilst the knot is safely away from chaffes. Mine are still good at over five years, although the rubber (ex go-cart best) is perishing.

Remove the filter. Put a scotchbrite green pad over intake, secured with elastic band. Marine engines do not live in the dust like car or tractor engines and only need a coarse filter to keep leaves out.

Any tips for actually inflating/ measuring the accumulator pressure ? I find it very hit and miss. Awkward location etc and the very process of unscrewing the airline loses 10 psi so you never know the actual pressure.

You should have a label on the calorifier which states the max operating pressure, and you 'should' know your pump cut-out pressure... or can find it easily from a web search. Add a bit to this for heat expansion. Almost invariably the answer is 3 bar.

Alan talks about wearing the oil out, which I think is a bit of a misconception. Oil at 200 hours has (probably) got the same 'lubricity' and does the same job as new oil. What is different is the contaminants that it picks up and recirculates. In a gearbox the contaminants could only be bits of stripped cog through changing forward/reverse without counting to five. In an engine the contaminants could include shards (hence the filters) but also includes by-pass gases, emulsions etc. I've always understood that a sloppy engine passing gases quickly makes the oil acidic and the main reason for oil changes was to prevent internal corrosion. Perhaps someone should come up with a calibrated 'litmus' strip for testing the dipstick !!