Hello all

I am seriously looking for a Super Maramu, 1989-1995. If anyone is
thinking of selling, either immdeiately or within the next 6 months,
please let me know. I will consider any location depending on how
attractive the entire situation would be.

In the meantime I am learning alot from reading the postings on this
web site !

Regards,
John Martin

Dear John,
Watermaker filters become fouled by virtue of what's in the water,
not as a result of time. Here in South Florida, I have gotten 35
hours on the fine particle filter. I have also had to replace it
after 3 hours after sailing through several sarragasso patches near
the gulf stream.
Sounds like you did everything correctly when troubleshooting. You
probably just hit a patch of water with a lot of junk in it.
Best Regards,
Joel F. Potter
Cruising Yacht Specialist
Amel's Sole Associate for the Americas

I had the same concerns locating butane after I arrived in Guadeloupe
from La Rochelle. In general, it has been my experience that the
French islands sell Butane in the blue cannisters, the British and
Dutch islands do not. For example, I had to take a taxi to the
French side of St. Martin to locate the one store which filled Butane
cylinders. The USVI and BVI dont seem to sell it. Last year I had
the whole system converted over to propane and added a propane vent
in the locker where the cannisters are located so any excess or
leaking propane would vent overboard. The system has worked fine
since and I have no problem finding propane in the BVI where the boat
is currently berthed. Michael Glass Second Call








--- In amelyachtowners@y..., pagandaisy <no_reply@y...> wrote:

It occurred to me after the last e-mail that as important perhaps

as

the the electrics is gas for your range. It may be that there is
butane available in the blue campgas bottles somewhere in the
Caribbean, but I've never seen it. Do you have a dual gas system

to

accomodate propane? Arnold

asm283
THANKS FOR THE INFO ON THE WATER MAKER. ACTUALLY I FLUSHED IT WITH
CLEAN WATER FOR 3-5 MINUTES AFTER EACH USAGE AS I WAS INSTRUCTED AND
DID "PICKLE IT" FOR LONG TERM. IN FACT I HIRED A LOCAL CARIBBEAN
WATERMAKER SERVICE COMPANY TO ADD TEES & VALVES TO FACILITATE THIS
CHOIR! AS FOR THE TRIP, I WAS QUITE BLESSED WITH LIGHT DOWNWIND
SAILING FROM FRANCE TO THE CARIBBEAN. I NEVER SAW OVER 30 KTS OF TRUE
WIND AND BUT 2 DAYS WAS FROM MY STERN QUARTER! LITTLE INCLEMENT
WEATHER, NO THUNDERSTORMS OR SQUALLS EITHER! MY ANTICIPATION WAS FOR
AN OCCASSIONAL GALE, BUT NEVER HAPPENED! THE MOST WIND WAS IN SIR
FRANCIS DRAKE IN THE BVI! NO COMPLAINTS THOUGH.

Hi I have the same watermaker. It is imperative that you run it on a
consistent basis. If you leave it for a long time you should pickle
it. I went as far as having it removed and stored, since I will not
go cruising untill next year. Call Joel Potter he knows quite a bit
on the subject. Filters are cheap change them ofter. How was your
trip across?

ASM283

--- In amelyachtowners@y..., jfolino901 <no_reply@y...> wrote:

I HAVE SM # 347, LAUNCHED 11/5/01. SHE HAS THE LARGER WATERMAKER BY
DESSALATOR (150 LITERS/HOUR) & WORKS QUITE WELL. HOWEVER AT JUST

OVER

11 HOURS ON THE WATERMAKER, I LOST BOTH LOW & HIGH PRESSURE

READINGS

ON THE GAUGES. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO RUNNING BOTH THE
ENGINE, GENSET & WATERMAKER & JUST A CASE OF OVERDEMAND. I CHECKED
THE SEA CHEST AND IT WAS CLEAN! HOWEVER AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE
ENGINE, THE WATER MAKER EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEMS. SO I CHANGED
BOTH THE 25 MICRON & 5 MICRON FILTER CARTIDGES WHICH CURED THE
PROBLEM. THE 5 MICRON FILTER LOOKED HEALTHY SO I SAVED IT FOR

FUTURE

USE! I DON'T RUN THE WATER MAKER IN PORT. I USED IT FROM FRANCE TO
PORTUGAL LAST NOVEMBER. THEN FROM PORTUGAL TO THE CARIBBEAN THIS
JANUARY TO FEBRUARY. I RETURNED TO THE BOAT MID MARCH FOR A WEEK.
COMMENTS REGARDING FILTER LIFE OR ANY OTHER ASPECT. THE MADE WATER

IS

CLEAN & QUITE FREE OF SALT OR MINERALS.
THANKS,
JOHN FOLINO, SULAJON

--- In amelyachtowners@y..., "davidcrisp" <david@f...> wrote:

Am on the verge of buying a SM, if nothing else the design of the
boat has sold me, it is amazing; they seem to have thought of
everything!
Amel has an option that I have on my boat that is a fresh air

circulating system. Basically it consists of a fan sucking air from
the outside and distributing troughout all the cabins. Of course Amel
has figured out how to keep all the cabins watertight. I have not
sailed the boat in the tropics yet. I hope to do that soon. But,from
what I understand the ventilation is good. You can increase
ventilation to the aft cabin by closing the hatch. If you have
further questions please contact me vciaravino@...

ASM283

The only area that I wonder about is ventillation. Oddly there are
no dorades, only a few opening hatches and ports. Having sailed on

a

Halberg Rassey where opeing ports and hatcjes are numerous I am
really wondering what ventillation is like on the SM.

How do you get good ventillation in the vessel when at sea or in

bad

weather when hatches cannot be open?

What is ventillation like on a SM at achor? I am working on the
premise that I would not want to rely upon the AC except in
exceptional circumstances.

Is it a common modification to have additional opeing ports or
dorades fitted?

Regards
David

I HAVE SM # 347, LAUNCHED 11/5/01. SHE HAS THE LARGER WATERMAKER BY
DESSALATOR (150 LITERS/HOUR) & WORKS QUITE WELL. HOWEVER AT JUST OVER
11 HOURS ON THE WATERMAKER, I LOST BOTH LOW & HIGH PRESSURE READINGS
ON THE GAUGES. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO RUNNING BOTH THE
ENGINE, GENSET & WATERMAKER & JUST A CASE OF OVERDEMAND. I CHECKED
THE SEA CHEST AND IT WAS CLEAN! HOWEVER AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE
ENGINE, THE WATER MAKER EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEMS. SO I CHANGED
BOTH THE 25 MICRON & 5 MICRON FILTER CARTIDGES WHICH CURED THE
PROBLEM. THE 5 MICRON FILTER LOOKED HEALTHY SO I SAVED IT FOR FUTURE
USE! I DON'T RUN THE WATER MAKER IN PORT. I USED IT FROM FRANCE TO
PORTUGAL LAST NOVEMBER. THEN FROM PORTUGAL TO THE CARIBBEAN THIS
JANUARY TO FEBRUARY. I RETURNED TO THE BOAT MID MARCH FOR A WEEK.
COMMENTS REGARDING FILTER LIFE OR ANY OTHER ASPECT. THE MADE WATER IS
CLEAN & QUITE FREE OF SALT OR MINERALS.
THANKS,
JOHN FOLINO, SULAJON

--- In amelyachtowners@y..., davidlambertsen <no_reply@y...> wrote:

I have a 1989 Maramu with a Perkins Prima 60 diesel engine. Has
anyone replaced this engine in an Amel? Can you suggest a
replacement engine? Any advice for me with this project? Any
lessons learned or regrets? Should I just rebuild the Prima 60?

Merci beaucoup a tout.

David Lambertsen
s/v Have Fun!
Maramu #258

David, I might also suggest that you read the recent article in
Practical Sailor Volume 28 Number 3 February 1 2002. It ranks all the
major diesel engines from the perspective of mechanics.Page 14 has the
arithmetic averaging thats most interesting.
best J. Dernehl

--- In amelyachtowners@y..., davidlambertsen <no_reply@y...> wrote:

I have a 1989 Maramu with a Perkins Prima 60 diesel engine. Has
anyone replaced this engine in an Amel? Can you suggest a
replacement engine? Any advice for me with this project? Any
lessons learned or regrets? Should I just rebuild the Prima 60?

Merci beaucoup a tout.

David Lambertsen
s/v Have Fun!
Maramu #258

I also had a perkins prima on my 1992 SM . The engine had a overheating

problem that I could not correct. We came to the conclusion that the
engine had a design problem. I understand that it was first created as
a truck engine then modified for marine use with a turbo charger. I
also understand that it is no longer in production---non of this made
me feel good about investing more in this engine. I installed a
westerbeke #82BFOUR some months ago with great success. As the boat is
normally in U.S. waters parts are easy to locate.
best
Jim Dernehl

Am on the verge of buying a SM, if nothing else the design of the
boat has sold me, it is amazing; they seem to have thought of
everything!

The only area that I wonder about is ventillation. Oddly there are
no dorades, only a few opening hatches and ports. Having sailed on a
Halberg Rassey where opeing ports and hatcjes are numerous I am
really wondering what ventillation is like on the SM.

How do you get good ventillation in the vessel when at sea or in bad
weather when hatches cannot be open?

What is ventillation like on a SM at achor? I am working on the
premise that I would not want to rely upon the AC except in
exceptional circumstances.

Is it a common modification to have additional opeing ports or
dorades fitted?

Regards
David

Rich,

We have not found a secret compartment on our Sharki. When we bought
our boat, Joel told us that all Amels had a secret compartment. He
didn't tell us where one is. I will have to email him and see what
he says.

Delores

It occurred to me after the last e-mail that as important perhaps as
the the electrics is gas for your range. It may be that there is
butane available in the blue campgas bottles somewhere in the
Caribbean, but I've never seen it. Do you have a dual gas system to
accomodate propane? Arnold

Hello Arnold and Delores & Gene,
Your input is very helpful. Our SM is 1997 vintage, with both
220V & 120V input (the latter via step-up transformer). We have
gotten used to the variety of shore power plugs in Europe, and have a
collection of about 10. Polarity testing is important everywhere, as
is voltage testing. We know two SMs that fried everything on board
by plugging in to what turned out to be 440Volts!
So in addition to the 30amp plug on my 110Volt cable, I will buy
a 50amp to 30amp adapter for those big marinas. Thanks!! See you in
the Caribbean.
Roy Benveniste SM 195 "Excalibur"

We've been sailing the Caribbean for almost 20 years. Pagan is a
1994 SM so I'm not sure all the appliances aboard are the same as
yours. The only one aboard that doesn't run on both 50 and 60hz is
the diswasher, and as we never use it, that's not a problem. You'll
find every variety of voltage and both 50 and 60hz in the islands.
I'm fortunate dthat I had Amel install a dual system when they built
the boat5. i can bring either 120v or 220v aboard. It makes things
very simple. If you wanted to do the same a retrofit is very
simple. If you intend to island lhop you'll end up purchasing
locally a few different male plugs. I strongly suggest tht you buy a
receptiacle tester to avoid electrolisis. It's an inexpensive device
that tests for open ground, reverse polarity, open hot, open neutral,
etc.. I have found both open grounds and reverse polarity in island
marinas. They have gotten somewhat more professional about their
electrilcal service since I first came to the Caribbean, but you will
still find some pretty outrageous wiring. Good luck

Arnold

--- In amelyachtowners@y..., rbenven44 <no_reply@y...> wrote:

What kind of shore power plug is needed in US and Caribbean

marinas?

(For instance, 30 Amp or 50 Amp?) We have been in Europe since

1997,

and don't know what is standard in American waters.
Thanks.

You are going to find one or the other amperage at the various
marinas depending on the age of the marina and what size boats they
can accomodate. Our last marina only had 30 AMP. Our current marina
has 50 AMP so we purchased a Y adapter to accomodate our two 30 AMP
cords. The newer marinas are going with 50 AMP to accomdate the
larger boats that offer more revenue to their businesses. Best to be
prepared for both. ~~/)~~

What kind of shore power plug is needed in US and Caribbean marinas?
(For instance, 30 Amp or 50 Amp?) We have been in Europe since 1997,
and don't know what is standard in American waters.
Thanks.

I have a 1989 Maramu with a Perkins Prima 60 diesel engine. Has
anyone replaced this engine in an Amel? Can you suggest a
replacement engine? Any advice for me with this project? Any
lessons learned or regrets? Should I just rebuild the Prima 60?

Merci beaucoup a tout.

David Lambertsen
s/v Have Fun!
Maramu #258

--- In amelyachtowners@y..., jfolino901 <no_reply@y...> wrote:

NOW THAT MY SM IS IN THE CARIBBEAN I WONDER HOW OTHER BOATS ARE

ABLE

TO UTILIZE 220 VOLT POWER @ 60 CYCLE. I DON'T NEED TO RUN THE WATER
MAKER, DISHWASHER, WASHING MACHINE, BUT HAVE USED THE BATTERY

CHARGER

AND MAY FOR THE FIRST TIME USE THE AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM!
COMMENTS, PROBLEMS?
JOHN FOLINO, SULAJON #347

You can use 220 60 hz for everything on the boat except, clothes
washer, dish washer and microwave. Im not sure about the watermaker.
A/C and battery charger are OK. PS You should have 50 hz in the
caribean.


Vito

S/M # 283

NOW THAT MY SM IS IN THE CARIBBEAN I WONDER HOW OTHER BOATS ARE ABLE
TO UTILIZE 220 VOLT POWER @ 60 CYCLE. I DON'T NEED TO RUN THE WATER
MAKER, DISHWASHER, WASHING MACHINE, BUT HAVE USED THE BATTERY CHARGER
AND MAY FOR THE FIRST TIME USE THE AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM!
COMMENTS, PROBLEMS?
JOHN FOLINO, SULAJON #347

After three months on the hard, we are preparing to relaunch MALAIKA
II in Kusadasi, Turkey and plan to spend the next few years in the
Eastern Med (Turkish/Greek Water, etc.)and are wondering if anyone
has experience with anti-fouling paints in these waters. Since the
original AwlGrip Silver Label is difficult to obtain in Turkey, we
are considering using International Micron Extra (a semi-hard self
polishing paint) on the hull and International TriLux on the
AutoProp. Any comments?