In my opinion you may be able to drop the whole thing down about 10 cm or whatever the depth of the gear, if necessary you could shorten the top lashing between the sail and the top bearing. But to strengthen the foil I would try and source an internal bushing that slides snugly up the foil. This would spread the load. There is quite a lot of torque onto that foil when furling the sail all concentrated at the bottom. To simply use the foil alone may not last very long.

What material should the bushing be? If it is perfectly round then the obvious choice is aluminium, machined to fit, but it could be some kind of composite material or even in a pinch, for an at sea fix  a piece of hardwood until a machine shop is found. 

Nick

Amelia AML 54-019

Kilada Greece

On 27 Jan 2020, at 08:24, Danny and Yvonne SIMMS <simms@...> wrote:

Hi Graham,

I would say you are fine to drill a new hole and drop the foil. As to cause I will lay odds that the  bearings in rhe swivel at the top are full of salt making it hard to turn and that extra load directly contributed to that failure.

Regards

Danny

SM 299

Ocean Pearl

On 27 January 2020 at 15:28 "Graham Boyd via Groups.Io" <crwggb@...> wrote: 

SM Main mast furler foil sheered at base just above the gear box (see pictures).

This metal fatigue event rather spoilt our Chinese NY cruise yesterday. The actual sheer occurred when furling the sail head to wind in 15 kts of wind. 

Has anyone else suffered this failure? If so what was the fix?

I understand from this site that the top of the foil in the mast is unsupported. This makes me wonder if there is sufficient "extra" length of foil in the mast to just drill new holes in the foil above the sheer line and drop it back into the gear box. Would the swivel then "fall off the top" of the foil when the sail is hoisted? Failing that extending the foil at the top to support the swivel with the sail up could be the answer.

Any thoughts/experiences welcome!

Graham
SM140 Sula
Hong Kong

jj

Thanks Bill Rouse, would you please send a link where we can find Onan instruments?
Thanks again
Stef

Dear colleagues

My Amel has one Steyer  motor 140 hp.

The waste gate is stuck and the turbo specialist tell me- " no way- you need replace the all turbo ".

I try contact the Steyr motors ( sales , service and office ) but no one give me any answer!....

Can you give me some ideas.

My boat is at Cleopatra marina dry dock - Preveza - Greece.

kindest regards

José Alegria

A55#003MERIT

josealegr@...
Mobile: + 351 91 866 30 37

Thanks James! I've looked into all of those things except the internals of the injection elbow. I'll definitely check that as soon as I can. I'll give the muffler a double check while I'm at it. I'll let you know if I find anything... seems like I'm swallowing more seawater than most here.

Now something I overlooked earlier... at the through hull there is a little over a foot of extra wide pipe/hose. I'll attach a photo and hope it comes through. Looking up the exhaust from the outside, it appears to be totally hollow. This must be where the non-return rubber flap should be installed as referenced by Oliver and others.

Does anyone have any experience in replacing this? Probably best to source this part from Amel? Although given my SM is 1990, so this specific modification might be non-Amel for me. Is it just held in place with some marine adhesive?

Any advice is welcome here. Haulout is scheduled soon so it would be an ideal time to fit something.

Cheers,

Mike

SV Trilogy - SM23

Opua, NZ

On Sun, Jan 26, 2020, 3:30 PM James Alton via Groups.Io <lokiyawl2=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:

Mike,

   A few things that you might check on your exhaust system that could be the cause:

1.  Check to be sure that the exhaust hose is looped as high as possible between the muffler and the discharge.  Perhaps a previous owner used less hose and lowered the loop from the original design?  In order for seawater to enter from the exhaust port it has to climb over this loop so the higher is better.

2.  Insure that your muffler is working properly.  Run the engine, shut down and then remove the exhaust hose to the muffler.  I like to see the muffler less than 1/3 full due to the drain back from the exhaust hose.  In order for the engine to flood from the exhaust port the muffler first has to fill with water.  If the muffler has more water than this, you could have a problem inside the muffler that does not allow the engine to properly clear the muffler usually due to corrosion. 

3.  Engines can also flood from the seawater intake side of things.  The line should be looped as high above the WL as practical and there should be a vent at the top of the loop that must function or seawater can be siphoned over the loop and into the engine.   Insure that the vent is working properly. 

4.  Ensure that the seawater injection elbow normally located at the connection between the exhaust manifold and the exhaust hose is not corroded through.

My boat is a Maramu so our systems are probably somewhat different.  I have removed the exhaust hose a few times after a rough passage and before starting the engine to see how much water had accumulated in the muffler and so far the level has always been nominal, or about the same as after shutting down the engine while dockside.  I have therefore not been too concerned about running my engine on passage and have not had any water in the engine to date.  

There are a number of low pressure check valves that you can install in the exhaust system to help prevent seawater from being driven in the exhaust port that you could look into but I suspect your problem is due to a faulty component or some change that has been made in the design of the exhaust system.  Best of luck to you, seawater can sure do a lot of damage to your engine so I hope that you can find the cause and rectify it.

Best,

James

SV Sueno

Maramu #220

On Jan 25, 2020, at 4:56 PM, Ruslan Osmonov <rosmonov@...> wrote:

Hi Mike and everyone, this is the page where Charles Doane explains what he did at the end to deal with his flooded engine on his Boreal 47. 

https://wavetrain.net/2017/12/12/lunacy-s-flooded-engine-the-final-solution/

His solution was a valve with electric switch to avoid accidental start with the valve closed. 

I’m a potential buyer and would like to understand if such a solution applicable in Amel’s setup. 

It would be great to eliminate one more worry to run an engine on a passage especially when seas are rough. Additionally when seas are rough diesel gunk can mix up and clog fuel filters, yet another problem to deal with. 

On Sat, Jan 25, 2020 at 4:22 PM SV Trilogy <svtrilogy53@...> wrote:

Hi everyone,

Sorry to bring this topic up again, but I thought I should share our recent experiences on the issue...

We have experienced seawater backflow twice this year while on multiday passages in the South Pacific. The first time, we were unaware of Amel's suggestion to run the engine while sailing. The second time, armed with the knowledge that one should run the engine once a day, we had a crankcase full of seawater after 18 hours. It's now clear, as explained by Oliver, that under certain conditions, the running of the engine needs to happen more often.

Because we have a 1990 SM, there doesn't seem to be anything in the exhaust line to block/baffle/slow down sea water from backflowing toward the engine. We also have a stainless muffler without a drain. The old Perkins Prima M80T, still alive and well, may have survived simply by being old and worn, allowing the incompressible seawater to escape around the rings before bending any rods, blowing gaskets, or cracking the engine...?

At any rate, wouldn't the simplest solution be one that prevents seawater from entering the crankcase altogether? To me, the variables involved in deciding when and how often to run the engine are more complicated than something more bulletproof, like a valve. One has no way of knowing really how much seawater is being pushed up the exhaust in a given seaway. Let alone the fact that we are burning diesel for the sole purpose of producing exhaust gasses.

All that considered, I don't yet have an ideal solution. A muffler with a drain would probably cover it. Then depending on the passage, one can decide to pull the plug or to run the engine at certain intervals. For us, we will probably run the engine every couple of hours in a rough sea until I add a drain to the muffler or come up with something better. An engine full of seawater is a terrible thing to experience while making landfall after a long passage... I'm just grateful the engine survived and that we were carrying enough fresh oil.

If I do come up with a simple and "bulletproof" solution, I'll be sure to report back.

Cheers,

Mike & Hannah

SV TRILOGY

Opua, NZ

On Mon, Jan 13, 2020, 9:10 AM CW Bill Rouse <brouse@...> wrote:

Thanks, Scott. I agree completely

--

	CW Bill Rouse Amel Owners Yacht School +1 832-380-4970 | brouse@... Address: 720 Winnie, Galveston Island, Texas 77550  Website: www.AmelOwnersYachtSchool.com

View My Training Calendar

On Sun, Jan 12, 2020 at 2:46 AM Alan Leslie <s.v.elyse@...> wrote:

Agree, seems quite a few of us are on the same pages on this KISS
Cheers 
Alan 
Elyse SM 437 

--

Being new to my SM2000 I was surprised at the lack of instrumentation
for the generator. Having had 2 generator equipped boats that had oil pressure, temp. and 
A/C load I am curious if all SM are missing these vital instruments. They give advance warning of an oil leak, bad impeller
or A/C overload. I'm also a commercial pilot and would not fly without this instrumentation. Is this the norm for these boats?
Bill Reynolds
Cloudstreet SM #331

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

~~~⛵️~~~Matt

On Jan 26, 2020, at 4:32 PM, SV Trilogy <svtrilogy53@...> wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I've done some searching but haven't found a definitive answer. I'm curious for those of you with solar panels mounted on an aft arch (mine is aluminum)... do you have any grounding in place? My panels and arch have been in place for roughly two years and I haven't noticed any problems. No other equipment on the arch at this point. Does grounding just protect in the event of a panel failure/short/leak?

The MPPT controller is grounded to the generator. Is this OK?

Can anyone recommend some tests I could perform with the voltmeter to make sure everything is OK?

Thanks,
Mike
SV Trilogy - SM23
Opua, NZ

Mike,

   A few things that you might check on your exhaust system that could be the cause:

1.  Check to be sure that the exhaust hose is looped as high as possible between the muffler and the discharge.  Perhaps a previous owner used less hose and lowered the loop from the original design?  In order for seawater to enter from the exhaust port it has to climb over this loop so the higher is better.

2.  Insure that your muffler is working properly.  Run the engine, shut down and then remove the exhaust hose to the muffler.  I like to see the muffler less than 1/3 full due to the drain back from the exhaust hose.  In order for the engine to flood from the exhaust port the muffler first has to fill with water.  If the muffler has more water than this, you could have a problem inside the muffler that does not allow the engine to properly clear the muffler usually due to corrosion. 

3.  Engines can also flood from the seawater intake side of things.  The line should be looped as high above the WL as practical and there should be a vent at the top of the loop that must function or seawater can be siphoned over the loop and into the engine.   Insure that the vent is working properly. 

4.  Ensure that the seawater injection elbow normally located at the connection between the exhaust manifold and the exhaust hose is not corroded through.

My boat is a Maramu so our systems are probably somewhat different.  I have removed the exhaust hose a few times after a rough passage and before starting the engine to see how much water had accumulated in the muffler and so far the level has always been nominal, or about the same as after shutting down the engine while dockside.  I have therefore not been too concerned about running my engine on passage and have not had any water in the engine to date.  

There are a number of low pressure check valves that you can install in the exhaust system to help prevent seawater from being driven in the exhaust port that you could look into but I suspect your problem is due to a faulty component or some change that has been made in the design of the exhaust system.  Best of luck to you, seawater can sure do a lot of damage to your engine so I hope that you can find the cause and rectify it.

Best,

James

SV Sueno

Maramu #220

On Jan 25, 2020, at 4:56 PM, Ruslan Osmonov <rosmonov@...> wrote:

Hi Mike and everyone, this is the page where Charles Doane explains what he did at the end to deal with his flooded engine on his Boreal 47. 

https://wavetrain.net/2017/12/12/lunacy-s-flooded-engine-the-final-solution/

His solution was a valve with electric switch to avoid accidental start with the valve closed. 

I’m a potential buyer and would like to understand if such a solution applicable in Amel’s setup. 

It would be great to eliminate one more worry to run an engine on a passage especially when seas are rough. Additionally when seas are rough diesel gunk can mix up and clog fuel filters, yet another problem to deal with. 

On Sat, Jan 25, 2020 at 4:22 PM SV Trilogy <svtrilogy53@...> wrote:

Hi everyone,

Sorry to bring this topic up again, but I thought I should share our recent experiences on the issue...

We have experienced seawater backflow twice this year while on multiday passages in the South Pacific. The first time, we were unaware of Amel's suggestion to run the engine while sailing. The second time, armed with the knowledge that one should run the engine once a day, we had a crankcase full of seawater after 18 hours. It's now clear, as explained by Oliver, that under certain conditions, the running of the engine needs to happen more often.

Because we have a 1990 SM, there doesn't seem to be anything in the exhaust line to block/baffle/slow down sea water from backflowing toward the engine. We also have a stainless muffler without a drain. The old Perkins Prima M80T, still alive and well, may have survived simply by being old and worn, allowing the incompressible seawater to escape around the rings before bending any rods, blowing gaskets, or cracking the engine...?

At any rate, wouldn't the simplest solution be one that prevents seawater from entering the crankcase altogether? To me, the variables involved in deciding when and how often to run the engine are more complicated than something more bulletproof, like a valve. One has no way of knowing really how much seawater is being pushed up the exhaust in a given seaway. Let alone the fact that we are burning diesel for the sole purpose of producing exhaust gasses.

All that considered, I don't yet have an ideal solution. A muffler with a drain would probably cover it. Then depending on the passage, one can decide to pull the plug or to run the engine at certain intervals. For us, we will probably run the engine every couple of hours in a rough sea until I add a drain to the muffler or come up with something better. An engine full of seawater is a terrible thing to experience while making landfall after a long passage... I'm just grateful the engine survived and that we were carrying enough fresh oil.

If I do come up with a simple and "bulletproof" solution, I'll be sure to report back.

Cheers,

Mike & Hannah

SV TRILOGY

Opua, NZ

On Mon, Jan 13, 2020, 9:10 AM CW Bill Rouse <brouse@...> wrote:

Thanks, Scott. I agree completely

--

	CW Bill Rouse Amel Owners Yacht School +1 832-380-4970 | brouse@... Address: 720 Winnie, Galveston Island, Texas 77550  Website: www.AmelOwnersYachtSchool.com

View My Training Calendar

On Sun, Jan 12, 2020 at 2:46 AM Alan Leslie <s.v.elyse@...> wrote:

Agree, seems quite a few of us are on the same pages on this KISS
Cheers 
Alan 
Elyse SM 437 

--