[Attachment(s) from Peter Forbes included below]

Can any wise person tell me what this device is for and how I find a plastic replacement in Europe?

Peter Forbes

Amel 54 #035 

Grenada

 

Joel,

Your chemical engineer on call suggests that you might be looking for calcium hypochlorite rather than calcium chloride.

Other than that...  just like you said!

Bill Kinney

Sm160, Harmonie

Back Creek, Annapolis, MD

 

 

Hi Joel,

I believe sodium hypochlorite is Clorox,  We use it sometimes in high  alloy gold castings to create an aged finish (patina).

I use it infrequently and always flush everything with water and always offshore . The Clorox mix only stays in the piping for 12 hours and then overboard. Works for me so far but that is a survey of 1.

I like the idea of vinegar in the bilge.

 

Just as an additional thought, I found that the rubber hoses that connects the metallic pipes of the intercooler on the 4jh3hte to the Turbo and the intake manifold had split. It is very difficult to see as the cracks are small. However I saw an increase in performance immediately when the hoses were changed. They crack due to the step that is on the top of the intercooler. After many times in and out of the engine room the hose wears out.

Just my finding for the day.  Have you seen this before?

Fair Winds

Eric

Kimberlite Amel Super Maramu #376

 

 

 

From: amelyachtowners@... [mailto:amelyachtowners@...]
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2017 1:19 PM
To: amelyachtowners@...
Subject: RE: [Amel Yacht Owners] Re: Electric Heads

 

 

Hi Eric. CLOROX/calcium chloride has an extremely deleterious effect on the ‘mystery metal’ which seems to be more copper than bronze, on the outlets of the holding tanks. When I get a new listing, I check to see if any toilet cleaner products are aboard with calcium chloride as an ingredient. More often than not if these are used, I can then find small pin hole leaks on the pipes exiting the holding tanks to the through hull valves. Often these pipes are in full failure. Replacement is not fun, easy or in any way pleasant and rewarding. It is, quite literally, a crappy job as those of us who have done it can attest.

 

On the initiation schooling I give to all my’ new to them’ Amel owners, I strongly suggest not to even have CLOROX aboard. It is an extreme oxidizer and chews up rubber seals and pump parts, the copper strap in the bilge sump joining the iron ballast to the zincs, and accelerates aging on almost everything it touches.

 

White vinegar is a softer solution. Not as good in some cases, but not as ugly and aggressive either.

 

Have fun with your Amel, Joel

 

Joel F. Potter/Cruising Yacht Specialist LLC

THE EXPERIENCED AMEL GUY

954 462 5869 office

954 812 2485 cell

 

 

From: amelyachtowners@... [mailto:amelyachtowners@...]
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2017 9:32 PM
To: amelyachtowners@...
Subject: RE: [Amel Yacht Owners] Re: Electric Heads

 

 

I had a similar problem when I originally received Kimberlite from Amel. It was delivered with electric toilets.

 

The solution I found was to hold down the red flush button for 10 seconds.

This puts just salt water in the hose and whatever came out of the toilet is now in the tank and

just salt water returns to the bowl. You might try pumping the toilet more to get just salt water in the hose.

I also originally had to change the toilet to tank hose every few years due to permeation of odor in the hose. Now with a 10 second flush I have not had to change the hose in over 10 years.

 

I have 2 problems with the electric toilet.

When the boats sits for a few days the salt water in the tubing has a sulfur dioxide odor for the first flush—very smelly. Possibly someone else has a better solution, for us I add Clorox to the sea chest with water and operate the toilet until I smell Clorox. I let this sit for 12 hours.  The water comes out black on the first flush and then no more smell for a while. I bought the fresh water flush valve and initially intended to use it for a fresh water flush. However I hate to waste fresh water , so I stayed with salt water.

 

The other problem is the weakness of the base of the toilet. I have had to replace the forward base twice. Probably because we make passages with three other people and it gets more use.

 

Any suggestions to solve these issues?

Fair Winds

Eric

Kimberlite Amel Super Maramu #376

 

 

 

 

From: amelyachtowners@... [mailto:amelyachtowners@...]
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2017 8:28 PM
To: amelyachtowners@...
Subject: Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Re: Electric Heads

 

 

I cannot address the electric head issue, as we have manual Jabsco’s. Our boat was right on the cusp of switching from manual to electric. 

That said, after having owned our fair ship for 8 years, I would like to solicit others’ experience. 

We have two standard manual Jabsco’s. Do other SM owners with manual heads also have Jabsco’s?

I ask that, because they have been such a huge problem for us. I know that heads are often at the top of the list for maintaining. 

However, ours have been particularly gruesome The positioning of the holding tanks nearly a meter above the bottom of the head means a constant battle to prevent black water (extreme euphemism) from flowing back into the bowl, at times filling it. In the dark, the ladies can be very rudely surprised. 

We have tried almost everything: changing joker (tricuspid) valves every month, purchasing the newer Jabsco “lock” handle mechanism, and finally putting an extra in-line valve between the head and the holding tank. 

It is quite a bit better, but gravity still sometimes wins. 

Are we alone? 

Appreciate any feedback from this invaluable forum (for non-native English speakers, invaluable doesn’t mean not valuable, but rather extremely valuable). Don’t ask me why, not sure. For example, inhospitable means “not hospitable”, but inflammable means “extremely flammable”. 

But I digress. Thanks again as always. 

 

Tom Peacock

SM 240Aletes

Rock Hall, Maryland

Departing for Antigua November 3

 

On Oct 11, 2017, at 7:52 PM, greatketch@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:

 

 

Ian and Margaret,

 

Like you, our SM has two factory installed manual heads.  We are happy with them and have no plans to change them.

 

My experience with the Jabsco electric heads is very limited, and pretty much all bad--in some cases really bad! My sample size is small, and they really can't be as bad my impressions...  but I wouldn't go that way.

 

For 15 years I lived on a boat that had a Sealand Vacuflush.  It was fantastic.  Reliable.  If flushed with a tiny, tiny bit of fresh water (really important with Amel's tiny, tiny holding tanks!) 

 

If I wanted to swap out to electric heads that would be the way I would go without a second thought.  Installation in an Amel would take a bit of thinking, but they have lots of configuration options.

 

Bill Kinney

SM160, Harmonie

Back Creek, Annapolis, MD

---In amelyachtowners@..., <smlocalola@...> wrote :

Our SM has two manual heads, both Jabsco. We are looking at Installing Jabsco Quiet Flush Electric Heads. They seem to fit the SM head floor pan cut out nicely. Any opinions on number of electric heads? Two electric or one+manual? Other things we should consider?

Ian & Margaret

SM153

Loca Lola II 

New River, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

 

Hi All,

I know many of you have traveled North along the Florida coast during various parts of the year. A little advice requested. I will be moving my boat from Ft. Lauderdale to Brunswick, GA. We will be moving it in early December. That brings the prospect of North winds against the Gulf Stream (December pilot charts and conventional wisdom seem to indicate this). Is there a general consensus as to a straight shot (~2.5 days). Daily hops (~5-6 days) or a combination depending on 3-5 day forecasts. Just don't want to get caught out at night in a bad blow and have to find shelter in a skinny poorly marked inlet. This stretch is unfamiliar to me. I researched acceptable inlets so there are a number to choose from. 

Thanks for your time.

Chuck & Kim

s/v Joy #388

On 13 Oct 2017, at 10:50, Ryan Meador ryan.d.meador@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:

I think I'm going to try adding the locking Jabsco head (and maybe valve) before I resort to a big change like adding a Lavac.  If they work for a year, I'm willing to do some maintenance once a year.  Besides, that's keeping with the "don't change anything for a year" rule, right? :D

Tom, do you know the part numbers of the things you installed?

Thanks,

Ryan

SM 233 Iteration

Boston, MA, USA

On Fri, Oct 13, 2017 at 10:11 AM, carcodespam@... <no_reply@...> wrote:

 

Change for a Lavac Vaccum and you have never to think about it.

Gerhard