|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Re: Does my ONAN need a new 12V charger?
Bill & Judy Rouse <yahoogroups@...>
Alex, That battery is undersized. Why did you buy a Grp27? Your 54 came with a Grp31. The Grp27 battery you bought is 840CCA. Deka makes a Grp 31 1000CCA battery. Did you replace your other batteries? Do you have the 4 cylinder Onan, or 3? If you are reading battery voltage in the cockpit, you must be reading it on a Volvo output panel, which means that you have the entire suite of Volvo electronics, 2 computers and various sensors powered-up as well as the 12VDC exhaust fans running. I am guessing 6-10 amps at 12VDC draw on your starting battery. This is NOT a way to test resting voltage, nor is it the thing to do before starting the generator. In my opinion, you undersized the starting battery. This is especially significant when we are talking about the generator. The length of 12VDC wire from the starting battery to the starter is almost 7 meters from battery to starting motor. If everything is perfect, the wire that Amel uses for this is adequate, but, with an undersized battery, I suspect NOT. Continue testing the "resting voltage," but at the battery. Continue to look for resting voltage of less than 12.8 volts, then see if you can determine why. Turning ON your Volvo systems and energizing the fans will drop the voltage and drain the battery. You did not say whether you "prime" the Onan when starting. This is pressing and holding down before starting. This should not be necessary for you unless the Onan has not started in a while. If you do this before starting, you will drain the battery. Hopefully, you will learn why the resting voltage got as low as 12.4 volts (basically discharged), and hopefully your battery is OK. However, I think you need to plan on replacing that Group 27 starting battery with the correct size. BTW, if after running the Onan only for 1-2 hours the resting voltage on the starting battery after turning OFF the Onan should be 12.8-12.9 VDC at the battery...if it is not, the little alternator on the Onan needs attention. I have forgotten the output of that little alternator, but see to remember something like only 10 amps. Good luck. Best, CW Bill Rouse Admiral, Texas Navy Commander Emeritus Amel School www.amelschool.com 720 Winnie St Galveston Island, TX 77550 +1(832) 380-4970
On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 3:01 PM, Alex Ramseyer alexramseyer@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:
--
Best, CW Bill Rouse Admiral, Texas Navy Commander Emeritus Amel School http://www.amelschool.com 720 Winnie St Galveston Island, TX 77550 +1(832) 380-4970
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Alarm Sound
It could be from the Boxtron Unit
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
-----Original Message----- From: trifin@... [amelyachtowners] To: amelyachtowners Sent: Mon, Nov 20, 2017 3:37 pm Subject: [Amel Yacht Owners] Alarm Sound Hi all,
I am at home in Sydney and our 54 is on the hard in Greece at Cleopatra Yard, Preveza for wintering. I have just been informed by the marina staff that there is an 'alarm sound' coming from he boat. My immediate assumption is that the battery monitor is indicating low battery voltage. Is this the only 'alarm' sound I could expect? Are there other things that cause audible alarms that I could be missing. I left the boat 8 weeks ago with a full charge, with everything individually turned off, but the main breakers on. This resulted in a current draw of about 1A. I was reluctant to leave the mains power connected, so temporarily connected one of my (not yet installed) 240W solar panels to the batteries, and positioned it on the side deck on the southern side. When I left, the net inflow of current seemed sufficient to maintain the batteries with a daily net 24Ah. Thoughts please?? I will ask the marina staff to investigate in the morning Eek! I don't really want to replace my battery bank next year! Or could the alarm be something else entirely ?? Cheers Dean SY Stella Amel 54 #154
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Alarm Sound
Bill & Judy Rouse <yahoogroups@...>
Don't forget, even though it is on the hard, it could be high water alarm if a freshwater hose has let go. There is a high water float switch behind your saltwater A/C pump for the high water alarm. I doubt this because the gray water pump would also have to fail, but.... Best, CW Bill Rouse Admiral, Texas Navy Commander Emeritus Amel School http://www.amelschool.com 720 Winnie St Galveston Island, TX 77550 +1(832) 380-4970
On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 4:47 PM, Ryan Meador ryan.d.meador@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:
--
Best, CW Bill Rouse Admiral, Texas Navy Commander Emeritus Amel School http://www.amelschool.com 720 Winnie St Galveston Island, TX 77550 +1(832) 380-4970
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Alarm Sound
Ryan Meador
I agree that a low battery alarm is the most likely culprit, but I'd also worry about smoke and/or CO alarms. On my old boat, overcharging the batteries would set off the CO detector (apparently H2 trips them as well as CO). I would hope the battery compartment on an Amel is well-ventilated enough for that not to be a concern, but I've heard things about the 54 on this list... My boat is also equipped with a high water alarm that is both audible and sets off the strobe at the top of the mainmast. Pretty neat upgrade the previous owner installed at the insistence of his insurance company because he was keeping the boat on a mooring. Another thought: do you have a propane/LPG alarm? Ryan SM 233 Iteration Boston, MA, USA
On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 3:33 PM, trifin@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Alarm Sound
Hi all,
I am at home in Sydney and our 54 is on the hard in Greece at Cleopatra Yard, Preveza for wintering. I have just been informed by the marina staff that there is an 'alarm sound' coming from he boat. My immediate assumption is that the battery monitor is indicating low battery voltage. Is this the only 'alarm' sound I could expect? Are there other things that cause audible alarms that I could be missing. I left the boat 8 weeks ago with a full charge, with everything individually turned off, but the main breakers on. This resulted in a current draw of about 1A. I was reluctant to leave the mains power connected, so temporarily connected one of my (not yet installed) 240W solar panels to the batteries, and positioned it on the side deck on the southern side. When I left, the net inflow of current seemed sufficient to maintain the batteries with a daily net 24Ah. Thoughts please?? I will ask the marina staff to investigate in the morning Eek! I don't really want to replace my battery bank next year! Or could the alarm be something else entirely ?? Cheers Dean SY Stella Amel 54 #154
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Bow locker and hawse pipe deterioration
Thanks, James, for your good input.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
I'm thinking of using Heavy Wall Schedule 80 PVC electrical conduit for the new hawse pipe - easy to work with and should last longer than I. May just lay up fiberglass panels for the bottoms. Craig SN#68 ---In amelyachtowners@..., <lokiyawl2@...> wrote : Craig, Good information. Just note that plywood panels can definitely rot out if glassed on the top and bottom. Just think of all of the rotten plywood core decks, transoms in power boats etc. If you can however exclude the water from the wood completely or keep the moisture content of the wood below a critical level it will never rot. Epoxy resin will do a better job of excluding moisture than polyester. The edge of the plywood panel where the end grain of the wood is needs to be very well sealed since moisture will travel the fastest through the end grain. Any holes in the panel need to have a ring of epoxy around the hole to prevent any moisture entering the panel, caulking isn’t enough IMO. A Marine plywood panel should have a waterproof glue but you can buy panels that vary greatly in durability based on the wood species selected. Wood boats can last a very long time (one boat that I maintain is 109 years old and the planking is almost all original and solid) even though they remain wet for most of there lives. Using durable woods and providing good ventilation are the key points. For the bow lockers I would suggest selecting a species in the “durable” category such as Fir or Sapele. Be sure that the panel is solid core with no voids and that the inner plys are of the same species/durability rating. If the locker contains air that is saturated (near or at 100% humidity due to a lack of venting and water being in the locker) any exposed wood will tend to take on moisture and cannot ever dry. Opening the locker lids on a nice day or providing some kind of ventilation can help lower the humidity levels in the lockers and thereby extend the life of the original or replacement panels. Thanks for the information about the chain pipe being galvanized, I did not realize this. This might be a good place for 316 stainless or perhaps using a very thick fibreglass pipe which will of course wear over time. James SV Sueno, Maramu #220
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Predict Wind
Hi All, Any consensus on average cell tower range while sailing off the coast of Florida. I'm going on a short trip North and was wondering if I could get a Predictwind update en route. Not critical just wondering. Thx, Chuck s/v Joy SM388
On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 11:39 AM, Alex Ramseyer alexramseyer@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Predict Wind
Thanks Alex
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
-----Original Message----- From: Alex Ramseyer alexramseyer@... [amelyachtowners] To: amelyachtowners Sent: Mon, Nov 20, 2017 1:40 pm Subject: Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Predict Wind I'm using the standard version and it has served me well. When you are offshore, you will have very slow data download and subsequently you will automatically try to limit the information that you receive to the necessary minimum.
Alex
NO STRESS
AMEL54 # 15
On Monday, November 20, 2017, 11:55:36 AM GMT-4, Courtney Gorman Itsfun1@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:
Perfect Thanks Kent!
-----Original Message-----
From: Kent Robertson karkauai@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> To: amelyachtowners <amelyachtowners@...> Sent: Mon, Nov 20, 2017 10:41 am Subject: Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Predict Wind I use the Standard version. If I were racing, I'd use the Pro version. It would be nice to see the currents, but certainly not necessary. Predict wind has free Gulf Stream information that I look at before sailing on the east coast of the US.
Kent S/V Kristy
SM243
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Re: Does my ONAN need a new 12V charger?
Alex Ramseyer <alexramseyer@...>
So these are the answers to Bill's questions: 1. I read it from the display in the cockpit, which in the past showed the same numbers when I did it at the battery. 2. I went to IWW in St. Georges and the employee tested a battery in the shelf (they store them loaded), but I was stupid enought not to interfere when he took another battery from that same shelf when we went to the cashier. 3. it's a Deka battery: Starting Battery Sealed 27M6 1050 MCA 12V
4. This morning I saw 12,8V before starting and the genset started fine. But yesterday I had the main engine running for ca. 10 min after I discovered the starting problem. 5. I own no load tester, but I will get one from a friend and uncircle the problem.... Thanks for your advice, Alex / NO STRESS AMEL54 #15
On Sunday, November 19, 2017, 1:23:39 PM GMT-4, greatketch@... [amelyachtowners]
It certainly looks like the alternator on the Onan is not charging the battery. Lots of possible reasons... As with anything electrical, start with ALL the connections. They are not always the most likely cause, but they are cheap and easy to fix, so it makes sense to test them first. Since the problem started after a service on the generator, it is quite possible you bumped a wire and broke a connection somewhere. Many times I have been working in the engine room and managed to bump the main power switch on the genset... "Why won't this darn things start???" Be sure to NEVER disconnect the alternator from the battery when it is running. That will kill the diodes in very short order. If it turns out the alternator is the source of the problem, it is almost certainly able to be rebuilt at a fraction of the cost of a new one. That service is available all over. Bill Kinney sm160, Harmonie Fort Lauderdale, FL ---In amelyachtowners@..., wrote : When the generator runs, I see 13,6V on the starter battery. When I turn the ignition key of the engine in the cockpit the current goes down to 13,2V (maybe because of the ventilator in engine room / generator is still running). When I start the main engine the current goes to 14,4V. After
servicing the ONAN and replacing the starter battery a short while ago, everything worked find
for a while, but this morning the ONAN only started AFTER I started the main
engine. The starter battery showed 12, 4 V initially. It showed 13,2 after I
run the genset for 2h and then 12,8 anoher 2h later. All observations come from the little display in the cockpit. So what is the conclusion of you fellow Amelians from this observations? Thanks,
Alex SY NO
STRESS in Grenada AMEL54
#15
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: Flopper stoppers off the poles?
Davi
We use a big bucket with a rubber flap in the bottom of the bucket in which I have made a lot of holes. when not in use as a flopper stopper, it hangs on the solar gantry and we store fruits and onions in it, it works great for that as eventual water do not stay in the bucket. it works ok as a flopper stopper, but i think a triangular shaped plywood board with a small lead weight would be better as larger surface and rellatively easy to store. Will probably manufacture one later. Concerning rolling going down wind it's much less that one can expect, on our Atlantic crossing we run pooled out Genoa and Balooner for 6-7 days and the rolling was not a big issue, on the contrary very comfortable, and easy to furl when encounter squalls. Paul on SY Kerpa SM#259
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Predict Wind
Alex Ramseyer <alexramseyer@...>
I'm using the standard version and it has served me well. When you are offshore, you will have very slow data download and subsequently you will automatically try to limit the information that you receive to the necessary minimum. Alex NO STRESS AMEL54 # 15
On Monday, November 20, 2017, 11:55:36 AM GMT-4, Courtney Gorman Itsfun1@... [amelyachtowners] wrote:
Perfect Thanks Kent! -----Original Message----- From: Kent Robertson karkauai@... [amelyachtowners] To: amelyachtowners Sent: Mon, Nov 20, 2017 10:41 am Subject: Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Predict Wind I use the Standard version. If I were racing, I'd use the Pro version. It would be nice to see the currents, but certainly not necessary. Predict wind has free Gulf Stream information that I look at before sailing on the east coast of the US.
Kent S/V Kristy
SM243
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Amel 54 Corrosion
Mohammad Shirloo
Hello Arno;
I second Bill's comments. In our long search for a 54 we saw
many examples. If properly maintained, Amels maintain their factory fresh look
for a very long time. When we purchased our 54, she was 6 years old and other
than a few minor items, it would be hard to tell she did not just recently roll
out of the factory. On the other hand we did see others with obvious signs of
neglect. In these cases, our assumption was that there were many other
issues that we could not see visually and we would walk
away.
Take your time and select the right one and you will have a
great boat that you will enjoy for years.
Respectfully;
Mohammad Shirloo
323-633-2222 Cell
310-454-3148 Fax
From: amelyachtowners@... [mailto:amelyachtowners@...] Sent: Monday, November 20, 2017 5:37 AM To: amelyachtowners@... Subject: Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Amel 54 Corrosion
Arno,
Care and maintenance are important factors regarding the condition of
almost any boat.
I could give you specific reasons for what you've seen, but it is safe to
say, things would have been different with a different owner. I have seen
pristine 30 year old Amels and I have seen terrible 2 year old
Amels.
Appearances are only part of the story in choosing the right Amel for
you.
Good luck in your search and feel free to ask any question.
Best, CW Bill Rouse Admiral, Texas Navy Commander Emeritus Amel School www.amelschool.com 720 Winnie St Galveston Island, TX 77550 +1(832) 380-4970
On Nov 20, 2017 07:05, "arno.luijten@...
[amelyachtowners]" <amelyachtowners@...>
wrote:
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Re: Flopper stoppers off the poles?
Danny and Yvonne SIMMS
Hi, At anchor at times I unroll a bit of the mizzen and sheet it hard in the center. It helps hold the boat into the wind and waves. Likewise when running flat off with the twin headsails if there is too much rolling I extend some of the mizzen sheeted hard to the centerline. Helps quite a lot. Regards Danny Ocean Pearl SM 299 Ocean Pearl
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Mizzen Use Anchoring Heaving To
rossirossix4
We all know the wonderful benefits of sailing "jib 'n jigger" off the wind. You might find this article helpful on the use of a mizzen sail for anchoring, sailing, etc. http://www.tor.cc/articles/mizzen.htm We have not yet really had success heaving to with mizzen alone but we probably haven't given it a good try. We like the idea. Maybe someone else has some pointers. Bob and Suzanne, KAIMI SM 429
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Bow locker and hawse pipe deterioration
Ric Gottschalk <ric@...>
There is a plywood I call marine-core It is used for billboards and exterior exposed applications. I replaced both my floors with this and tabbed them in with fiberglass. Both were primed and painted before installation. Both lockers have weep holes thru the hull Ric Bali Hai SN 24 Annapolis
From: amelyachtowners@... [mailto:amelyachtowners@...]
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2017 9:53 AM To: amelyachtowners@... Subject: [Amel Yacht Owners] Bow locker and hawse pipe deterioration
Over the years there have been several posts about the bow locker floors deteriorating due to water rotting out the plywood. I did a minor repair to mine some years ago, but other sections succumbed and I've now removed the entire floors from both lockers.
Interesting findings: - Indeed, virtually all the plywood was rotted out, as I expected - Surprisingly, the main entry point for water was the hawse pipe. (I thought my deck locker hatches had been leaking, but they had not.) I had seen some rust stains but never found the cause. Turns out the pipe is a standard galvanized one and, over the years, the chain sliding up and down removed the galvanizing and the pipe rusted through. There was a finger width opening on the back side of the pipe at the top and another further down and these are not at all obvious. - Having removed the floors I could inspect the bow thruster structure (with some contortions to get myself below the floor level). The structure is made of plywood, well tabbed into the hull and the corners are glassed together, leaving the middle wood surfaces exposed and, surprisingly, unfinished. Oddly, the lower half, from the hull up, is nicely protected by gelcoat. The upper half is not finished at all and the plywood is starting to delaminate on the front side (which is virtually impossible to see with the floors installed). This is where water will run down from the hawse pipe normally. Fortunately, it is only the surface layers of the plywood that have delaminated and the remainder is still solid, so I can build it back up with fiberglass laminate. - The floors were only tabbed on the top (getting to the bottom being impractical) and this provides an excellent lip to lay the new floors on. I'm using marine plywood and applying fiberglass to the bottom before installation to prevent a recurrence.
So, with many of our boats in the 25-30 year range, this area is worth a close inspection. I'm adding a 10" X 16" inspection hatch on the port side locker to allow for future inspections and easier cleanup of the chain locker in the future.
Cheers, Craig Briggs, SN#68, Ft Pierce, FL
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Predict Wind
Perfect Thanks Kent!
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
-----Original Message----- From: Kent Robertson karkauai@... [amelyachtowners] To: amelyachtowners Sent: Mon, Nov 20, 2017 10:41 am Subject: Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Predict Wind I use the Standard version. If I were racing, I'd use the Pro version. It would be nice to see the currents, but certainly not necessary. Predict wind has free Gulf Stream information that I look at before sailing on the east coast of the US.
Kent S/V Kristy
SM243
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Bow locker and hawse pipe deterioration
James Alton
Craig,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Good information. Just note that plywood panels can definitely rot out if glassed on the top and bottom. Just think of all of the rotten plywood core decks, transoms in power boats etc. If you can however exclude the water from the wood completely or keep the moisture content of the wood below a critical level it will never rot. Epoxy resin will do a better job of excluding moisture than polyester. The edge of the plywood panel where the end grain of the wood is needs to be very well sealed since moisture will travel the fastest through the end grain. Any holes in the panel need to have a ring of epoxy around the hole to prevent any moisture entering the panel, caulking isn’t enough IMO. A Marine plywood panel should have a waterproof glue but you can buy panels that vary greatly in durability based on the wood species selected. Wood boats can last a very long time (one boat that I maintain is 109 years old and the planking is almost all original and solid) even though they remain wet for most of there lives. Using durable woods and providing good ventilation are the key points. For the bow lockers I would suggest selecting a species in the “durable” category such as Fir or Sapele. Be sure that the panel is solid core with no voids and that the inner plys are of the same species/durability rating. If the locker contains air that is saturated (near or at 100% humidity due to a lack of venting and water being in the locker) any exposed wood will tend to take on moisture and cannot ever dry. Opening the locker lids on a nice day or providing some kind of ventilation can help lower the humidity levels in the lockers and thereby extend the life of the original or replacement panels. Thanks for the information about the chain pipe being galvanized, I did not realize this. This might be a good place for 316 stainless or perhaps using a very thick fibreglass pipe which will of course wear over time. James SV Sueno, Maramu #220
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Predict Wind
I use the Standard version. If I were racing, I'd use the Pro version. It would be nice to see the currents, but certainly not necessary. Predict wind has free Gulf Stream information that I look at before sailing on the east coast of the US. Kent S/V Kristy SM243
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Predict Wind
For those of you who use Predictwind would you mind telling which version you chose and why? Right now I am trying to decide between Standard and Pro and am not sure if there are enough advantages to get the Pro. All advice is appreciated. Thanks
Courtney
54 Trippin'
Brunswick
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
Bow locker and hawse pipe deterioration
Over the years there have been several posts about the bow locker floors deteriorating due to water rotting out the plywood. I did a minor repair to mine some years ago, but other sections succumbed and I've now removed the entire floors from both lockers. Interesting findings: - Indeed, virtually all the plywood was rotted out, as I expected - Surprisingly, the main entry point for water was the hawse pipe. (I thought my deck locker hatches had been leaking, but they had not.) I had seen some rust stains but never found the cause. Turns out the pipe is a standard galvanized one and, over the years, the chain sliding up and down removed the galvanizing and the pipe rusted through. There was a finger width opening on the back side of the pipe at the top and another further down and these are not at all obvious. - Having removed the floors I could inspect the bow thruster structure (with some contortions to get myself below the floor level). The structure is made of plywood, well tabbed into the hull and the corners are glassed together, leaving the middle wood surfaces exposed and, surprisingly, unfinished. Oddly, the lower half, from the hull up, is nicely protected by gelcoat. The upper half is not finished at all and the plywood is starting to delaminate on the front side (which is virtually impossible to see with the floors installed). This is where water will run down from the hawse pipe normally. Fortunately, it is only the surface layers of the plywood that have delaminated and the remainder is still solid, so I can build it back up with fiberglass laminate. - The floors were only tabbed on the top (getting to the bottom being impractical) and this provides an excellent lip to lay the new floors on. I'm using marine plywood and applying fiberglass to the bottom before installation to prevent a recurrence. So, with many of our boats in the 25-30 year range, this area is worth a close inspection. I'm adding a 10" X 16" inspection hatch on the port side locker to allow for future inspections and easier cleanup of the chain locker in the future. Cheers, Craig Briggs, SN#68, Ft Pierce, FL
|
||||||||
|
|