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Re: Holes in the watertight bulkhead

Danny and Yvonne SIMMS
 

Hi Eric, no I haven't. I have wiring holes at the top outer corners. None at the lower. The only plumbing hole is the grey water bilge pipe passing through and well sealed. However next time I'm aboard I will look but I would be surprised to find such holes since in 12 years I have not seen them.

Kind Regards

Danny

SM 299 Ocean Pearl

On 19 July 2021 at 02:12 eric freedman <kimberlite@...> wrote:

Danny,

Have you noticed holes for wires and plumbing in the port and starboard outboard lower corners of the bulkhead going from the forward head and the forward hanging locker to the main cabin?

Fair Winds

ERIC

Kimberlite Amel SM 376

 

 

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> On Behalf Of Danny and Yvonne SIMMS
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2021 1:39 PM
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Warning about "UFOs"

 

Hi Gerhard,

you rightly say that there is little we can do about these lost containers because they float so low we cant see them, even if a good watch is being kept. The Amel bulkhead system is our friend. On the SM (which I know best) we have the collision bulkhead which seals off the anchor chain locker. The access port on mine is always closed. Then the gasketed door to the front cabin. We had a report in this last week of a SM being holed forward of this and by closing the door was able to restrict water ingress to the front cabin and make port safely. The water only rose to the level of the berths and the fore /aft trim of the boat was little affected. 

Another example of Henri Amels superb attention to design that matters.

Danny

SM 299

Ocean Pearl

On 11 May 2021 at 23:23 "Gerhard Mueller via groups.io" <carcode@...> wrote:

Gladefully it still don't have happened to me. But more and more container ships lost a large amount of containers at sea. They are called UFOs (Unidentified Floating Objects) and they are a real danger especially for sailing boats and fishing boats because even in moderate sea they are not seen or very late. Also the radar don't see them with no area above waterline. Since October 2020 and March 2021 more than 2,500 containers are lost. It is said about 12,000 containers are drifting in the oceans right now. Most of them goes to the ground when lost from the ship but others like reefer containers can float a very long time.

--
Gerhard Mueller
Amel Sharki #60
Currently Kalamata, Greece

 



 


 
Re: Mold between cushion and chest freezer on 55

Danny and Yvonne SIMMS
 

Hi, as I said in my previous SM 299 Ocean Pearl has the void built in on top of the freezer. We spent time in the Caribbean and repeated trips to the Pacific Islands from NZ. We have not experienced the problem of wetness in the cushions

Regards

Danny.  

On 18 July 2021 at 22:57 Arno Luijten <arno.luijten@...> wrote:

Quote:
” On Amelia there is a void built in to the bench, so the bottom cushion stays dry.”

Sorry but this is not valid in the tropics. Our lid is also “vented” but that makes very little difference. It still gets wet if you keep the cushion on all the time. As matter of experiment I filled the void with insulation material. That brought the duty cycle of the freezer down but the problem of condensation remained, it jus took a bit longer to get wet. The problem is that the cushion is filled with moist air from the environment and gets relatively cool on the freezer side. This makes the moist condensate like the outside of a glass of a cold beer. 

The backrest cushion only gets wet if you use the countertop cavity as freezer. Used as fridge it is OK. It is all about temperature differential and humidity. 

Cheers,

Arno Luijten
SV Luna,
A54-121
Re: Mold between cushion and chest freezer on 55

Danny and Yvonne SIMMS
 

Hi Nick, likewise on Ocean Pearl SM 299.

Regards

Danny

On 18 July 2021 at 17:15 "ngtnewington Newington via groups.io" <ngtnewington@...> wrote:

On Amelia there is a void built in to the bench, so the bottom cushion stays dry.
The back rest however is Velcro’d to the bulkhead with no void and it gets damp from the galley chest fridge. It would be possible to make a narrow void though.


The insulation is clearly not great. 
The way to go is to build new insulated boxes using vacuum panels but it would be quite a project….one that I am not in a hurry to do but maybe one day…
Nick
SY Amelia 
AML 54-019
Sailing Sporades GR
 

On 17 Jul 2021, at 13:54, Arno Luijten <arno.luijten@...> wrote:

Try living in the tropics with your Amel. You will find this annoyance on daily basis.  We remove the cushion during the night to allow the moisture to evaporate.
There is a 40+ degree Celsius temperature gap between the outside and the inside of the freezer. The design and materials used are not able to prevent condensation of the moisture in the air at the rim and the top of the freezer-lid.
Solving this problem is a major undertaking as you need to improve the insulation of the lid big time.
By taking off the cushion during the night the problem becomes manageable. That is what I do and I know several other Amel owners do. 


Cheers,
Arno Luijten
SV Luna,
A54-121


 


 
Re: Pacific Crossing 2022

Stefan Schaufert
 

Dear Juan, dear Kent & Iris,

our plans are also the Canal, Galapagos, perhaps Ecuador and South America (after a analysis of the weather conditions: not by boat ;-) and then FP …
in 2022.
But depending on the Covid restrictions. Thus everything is open.
Would be nice to stay in contact for this. 

Only going back to the Caribbean in December this year seems to be sure.

Best regards
Stefan
A54 #119 Lady Charlyette, currently still in Santa Maria, Azores
Re: Reinsert SM Bow Thruster after service

CW Bill Rouse
 

You also need to clean the rust from the bottom of the motor in the opening for the bow thruster tube, then use a lot of waterproof grease. This clip from my Amel Book may help you:
image.png
CW Bill Rouse Amel Owners Yacht School
Address: 720 Winnie, Galveston Island, Texas 77550 
View My Training Calendar


On Sun, Jul 18, 2021 at 9:42 AM Eamonn Washington <eamonn.washington@...> wrote:
Hi Danny

that is a good tip to wriggle the propellor when trying to reconnect the 2 parts, I'll try it tomorrow.  I always had it well oiled, and greased the area where the 2 parts join, but I never greased into the lower part or spline.  I will also do that, as I see Nikimat also did it.  Hopefully tomorrow will be less frustrating.

Eamonm
Travel Bug
Super Maramu #151
Ireland

Re: Reinsert SM Bow Thruster after service

Eamonn Washington
 

Hi Danny

that is a good tip to wriggle the propellor when trying to reconnect the 2 parts, I'll try it tomorrow.  I always had it well oiled, and greased the area where the 2 parts join, but I never greased into the lower part or spline.  I will also do that, as I see Nikimat also did it.  Hopefully tomorrow will be less frustrating.

Eamonm
Travel Bug
Super Maramu #151
Ireland
Holes in the watertight bulkhead

eric freedman <kimberlite@...>
 

Danny,

Have you noticed holes for wires and plumbing in the port and starboard outboard lower corners of the bulkhead going from the forward head and the forward hanging locker to the main cabin?

Fair Winds

ERIC

Kimberlite Amel SM 376

 

 

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> On Behalf Of Danny and Yvonne SIMMS
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2021 1:39 PM
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Warning about "UFOs"

 

Hi Gerhard,

you rightly say that there is little we can do about these lost containers because they float so low we cant see them, even if a good watch is being kept. The Amel bulkhead system is our friend. On the SM (which I know best) we have the collision bulkhead which seals off the anchor chain locker. The access port on mine is always closed. Then the gasketed door to the front cabin. We had a report in this last week of a SM being holed forward of this and by closing the door was able to restrict water ingress to the front cabin and make port safely. The water only rose to the level of the berths and the fore /aft trim of the boat was little affected. 

Another example of Henri Amels superb attention to design that matters.

Danny

SM 299

Ocean Pearl

On 11 May 2021 at 23:23 "Gerhard Mueller via groups.io" <carcode@...> wrote:

Gladefully it still don't have happened to me. But more and more container ships lost a large amount of containers at sea. They are called UFOs (Unidentified Floating Objects) and they are a real danger especially for sailing boats and fishing boats because even in moderate sea they are not seen or very late. Also the radar don't see them with no area above waterline. Since October 2020 and March 2021 more than 2,500 containers are lost. It is said about 12,000 containers are drifting in the oceans right now. Most of them goes to the ground when lost from the ship but others like reefer containers can float a very long time.

--
Gerhard Mueller
Amel Sharki #60
Currently Kalamata, Greece
Re: Mold between cushion and chest freezer on 55

Arno Luijten
 

Quote:
” On Amelia there is a void built in to the bench, so the bottom cushion stays dry.”

Sorry but this is not valid in the tropics. Our lid is also “vented” but that makes very little difference. It still gets wet if you keep the cushion on all the time. As matter of experiment I filled the void with insulation material. That brought the duty cycle of the freezer down but the problem of condensation remained, it jus took a bit longer to get wet. The problem is that the cushion is filled with moist air from the environment and gets relatively cool on the freezer side. This makes the moist condensate like the outside of a glass of a cold beer. 

The backrest cushion only gets wet if you use the countertop cavity as freezer. Used as fridge it is OK. It is all about temperature differential and humidity. 

Cheers,

Arno Luijten
SV Luna,
A54-121
Re: Mold between cushion and chest freezer on 55

Brent Cameron
 

Olivier and Nesa on Vela Náutica did exactly this on their Amel 54 in a very good two part video on their YouTube channel. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=caZtybwa0-Y
As you say, it isn’t an easy fix but they were very happy with it in cooler climes at least.  I know they got to the Caribbean but she’d they heard how it works there.  It is clear from their videos that this system wasn’t one of the better designed features of Amels. 

Brent Cameron
Future Amel owner & Amel Owner's Registry Moderator
On Jul 18, 2021, 1:15 AM -0400, ngtnewington Newington via groups.io <ngtnewington@...>, wrote:

On Amelia there is a void built in to the bench, so the bottom cushion stays dry.
The back rest however is Velcro’d to the bulkhead with no void and it gets damp from the galley chest fridge. It would be possible to make a narrow void though.

<image0.jpeg><image1.jpeg>
The insulation is clearly not great. 
The way to go is to build new insulated boxes using vacuum panels but it would be quite a project….one that I am not in a hurry to do but maybe one day…
Nick
SY Amelia 
AML 54-019
Sailing Sporades GR

On 17 Jul 2021, at 13:54, Arno Luijten <arno.luijten@...> wrote:



Try living in the tropics with your Amel. You will find this annoyance on daily basis.  We remove the cushion during the night to allow the moisture to evaporate.
There is a 40+ degree Celsius temperature gap between the outside and the inside of the freezer. The design and materials used are not able to prevent condensation of the moisture in the air at the rim and the top of the freezer-lid.
Solving this problem is a major undertaking as you need to improve the insulation of the lid big time.
By taking off the cushion during the night the problem becomes manageable. That is what I do and I know several other Amel owners do. 


Cheers,
Arno Luijten
SV Luna,
A54-121


--
Brent Cameron

Future Amel Owner & Amel Owner Registry Moderator

Oro-Medonte, Ontario, Canada
Re: Intermittent starting issue

eric freedman <kimberlite@...>
 

Pat ,

Just look at the connector at the battery. If it is corroded simply change the cables. It is an inexpensive and quick fix.

Just Make sure to use tinned wire, I used 1 gauge not 1/o with closed ends lugs . They are closed at the battery end and not subject to the fumes from the battery.

Fair Winds,

Eric

SM 376 Kimberlite

 

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> On Behalf Of Patrick McAneny via groups.io
Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2021 7:12 AM
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] POSSIBLE SOLUTION Intermittent starting issue

 

Eric, I had not thought about the condition of the cables as a source of my problem. I will cut back a cable and see what the condition is. My boat is a bit older than yours ,so that could be it. I need to resolve this before it gets me into a serious situation .The Scotchkote looks like good stuff.

Thanks,

Pat

SM Shenanigans

Sassafras River, Md.

-----Original Message-----
From: eric freedman <kimberlite@...>
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Sent: Fri, Jul 16, 2021 6:46 pm
Subject: [AmelYachtOwners] POSSIBLE SOLUTION Intermittent starting issue

Over the last 5 or so years I have encountered this intermittent problem.

With a new engine totally rewired by me and all new panel and wiring I assumed the problem was solved.

 

However, it was not. I found that Amel used welding wire and not tinned wire from the starting battery and the main switches. Additionally , the lugs that they used were open at the terminal end. Thus, allowing the battery acid laden air to enter the wire, When I cut the wire open, I found that it was corroded for almost 2 feet from the battery.-which causes a lot of resistance . The voltage at the starter motor was + or – 11 volts.

The Valeo solenoid is rather sensitive to low voltage.

 

Upon further inspection of the cabled from the starting battery to the vapor barrier connector was a completely different color than the wire outside the battery box.

 

I replaced the cables and used closed end connectors on the cables. I also soldered the cables to the connectors after crimping them. I then applied Scotchcote,  

 

 

which is used on many underground connections.

Now the engine starts and stops like a charm. I also noted that the generator starts much more quickly.

 

While I was in the battery box, I noted that the common lugs posts for all the batteries were somewhat corroded. I loosened the nuts and applied corrosion x in between the lugs. My next project is to replace all the battery cables.

 

Fair Winds

Eric

Kimberlite Amel Super Maramu #376

 

 

 

 

 
Re: Mold between cushion and chest freezer on 55

Nick Newington
 

On Amelia there is a void built in to the bench, so the bottom cushion stays dry.
The back rest however is Velcro’d to the bulkhead with no void and it gets damp from the galley chest fridge. It would be possible to make a narrow void though.


The insulation is clearly not great. 
The way to go is to build new insulated boxes using vacuum panels but it would be quite a project….one that I am not in a hurry to do but maybe one day…
Nick
SY Amelia 
AML 54-019
Sailing Sporades GR

On 17 Jul 2021, at 13:54, Arno Luijten <arno.luijten@...> wrote:



Try living in the tropics with your Amel. You will find this annoyance on daily basis.  We remove the cushion during the night to allow the moisture to evaporate.
There is a 40+ degree Celsius temperature gap between the outside and the inside of the freezer. The design and materials used are not able to prevent condensation of the moisture in the air at the rim and the top of the freezer-lid.
Solving this problem is a major undertaking as you need to improve the insulation of the lid big time.
By taking off the cushion during the night the problem becomes manageable. That is what I do and I know several other Amel owners do. 


Cheers,
Arno Luijten
SV Luna,
A54-121
Re: Pacific Crossing 2022

karkauai
 

Hi Juan,
Iris and I hope to transit the Canal next Spring, spend at least a few weeks on Panama's and Costa Rica's Western shores, then sail to Ecuador. We are thinking that we'll leave the boat there and spend a month or two exploring S America before going to Galapagos and beyond.  World travel is going to be Covid-crazy for at least another year, I suspect, so who knows how our plans will really come together.  It would be fun to share thoughts, or even to buddy-boat all or part of the way.

You and others interested can contact us at
karkauai "at" yahoo "dot" com

Kent & Iris
Kristy
SM 243

--
Kent & Iris
KRISTY
SM243
Re: In Mast Furling

CW Bill Rouse
 

Alan,

You are one of the best Amel owners I know with extensive knowledge and extremely experienced. Your knowledge and experience are far beyond the average sailor. A large portion of my SM & 54 clients who have mainsail battens have experienced issues from torn or chafed sails to fractured and broken foils. And, this always seems to happen with unexpected weather with a rush to furl. Many of the Amel mainsails I have seen with battens use a 25mm wide batten, some like the one in the photo I posted earlier are 14mm. There have been more issues with the 25mm batten than the 14mm, but as you can see in my photo, the 14mm verticle batten also jams, twists, and breaks.

I believe the biggest issue is that none of us want to be mid-ocean with a sail fouled because of verticle battens, when, at best, battens are going to possibly improve your 3000-mile passage by hours, not days. I believe the risk of an issue increases with the lack of experience, but even the experienced sailor may have an issue caused by vertical battens in a furling sail. I firmly believe that the risk of an incident on an ocean passage is not worth the reward of arriving a few hours early. 

That said, if the Amel owner sails his Amel competitively, even if he competes only with himself, vertical battens will give that owner an edge that will be measured in tenths of a knot.

Bill
CW Bill Rouse Amel Owners Yacht School
Address: 720 Winnie, Galveston Island, Texas 77550 
View My Training Calendar


On Sat, Jul 17, 2021 at 5:08 PM Alan Leslie <s.v.elyse@...> wrote:

[Edited Message Follows]

This is what can happen if the mainsail is not furled properly.
It's not the batten's fault.
This batten has been twisted around the mast foil and consequently broke.
It got twisted and broke  because the boom wasn't level when furling, much more than just once.
We have short vertical battens in our Deme Voiles (sadly out of business) hydranet mainsail and in 8 years we haven't broken one.
It's like anything on a boat (or in life), if you don't learn to do it properly you will create problems that can turn into disasters.
Cheers
Alan
Elyse SM437

Re: In Mast Furling

Alan Leslie
 
Edited

This is what can happen if the mainsail is not furled properly.
It's not the batten's fault.
This batten has been twisted around the mast foil and consequently broke.
It got twisted and broke  because the boom wasn't level when furling, much more than just once.
We have short vertical battens in our Deme Voiles (sadly out of business) hydranet mainsail and in 8 years we haven't broken one.
It's like anything on a boat (or in life), if you don't learn to do it properly you will create problems that can turn into disasters.
Cheers
Alan
Elyse SM437
Re: Pacific Crossing 2022

Juan de Zulueta
 

This is indeed good information.
I will contact the agent in Panama 🇵🇦 

Envoyé de mon iPhone

Le 17 juil. 2021 à 19:06, Leopold Hauer via groups.io <leopold.hauer@...> a écrit :



Hello Juan,

 

we had Roy Bravo from Emmanuel Agencies as an agent for the Panama Canal and can really recommend him. His linehandlers are very experienced too.

emmanuelagencies@...

 

We liked Shelter Bay marina very much,  safe and great atmosphere, we stayed there a few weeks and also had our SM on the hard while we went home during rainy season.

 

Since we went to FP via Ecuador we don’t have  current informations concerning Galapagos.

 

The only real haul out facility in the Marquesas is on Hiva Oa:

direction@...

But I doubt that they can  handle a SM, noonsite says ‘up to 42 ft’.

 

You would have to leave the boat in Tahiti or Raiatea. Tahiti city Marina is wonderful ( no dry dock though), you would have to write them and negotiate prices.

In Raiatea there is 

https://www.raiateacarenage.com

where you can leave the boat on the hard.

 

 

http://www.tahiticruisersguide.com

could be very helpful to you. 

 

You should also  join the Facebook-group “French Poly Cruisers”- they are very active and can give you any kind of current information.

 

Good luck and best regards,

 

Leo Hauer

Yin Yang SM 69 In Fiji

I am at home in austria


Von meinem iPad gesendet

Am 17.07.2021 um 10:15 schrieb Juan de Zulueta via groups.io <jdezulueta@...>:



Our boat is currently in Carriacou, Grenada innTyrell bay marina until October. We are planning to cross the Pacific Ocean via Panama and Galapagos with another Amel boat friend around May 2022. 

i have a few questions :

- I would like to know if other members of this group have similar plans ? Interested to sha

- some of you might have crossed recently and want to share experience regarding Panama crossing (agent recommendation), Galapagos…
- in Marquises , there is a boatyard called Maintenance Marquises, is this boatyard suitable for a super Maramu? In Polynesia where would you leave your boat for a couple of month to be able to come back home ? In December and or in July August?

look forward to read from you.

--
Juan de Zulueta
OPHELIE X
Super Maramu #32


--
Juan de Zulueta
OPHELIE X
Super Maramu #32
Re: Pacific Crossing 2022

Leopold Hauer
 

Hello Juan,

 

we had Roy Bravo from Emmanuel Agencies as an agent for the Panama Canal and can really recommend him. His linehandlers are very experienced too.

emmanuelagencies@...

 

We liked Shelter Bay marina very much,  safe and great atmosphere, we stayed there a few weeks and also had our SM on the hard while we went home during rainy season.

 

Since we went to FP via Ecuador we don’t have  current informations concerning Galapagos.

 

The only real haul out facility in the Marquesas is on Hiva Oa:

direction@...

But I doubt that they can  handle a SM, noonsite says ‘up to 42 ft’.

 

You would have to leave the boat in Tahiti or Raiatea. Tahiti city Marina is wonderful ( no dry dock though), you would have to write them and negotiate prices.

In Raiatea there is 

https://www.raiateacarenage.com

where you can leave the boat on the hard.

 

 

http://www.tahiticruisersguide.com

could be very helpful to you. 

 

You should also  join the Facebook-group “French Poly Cruisers”- they are very active and can give you any kind of current information.

 

Good luck and best regards,

 

Leo Hauer

Yin Yang SM 69 In Fiji

I am at home in austria


Von meinem iPad gesendet

Am 17.07.2021 um 10:15 schrieb Juan de Zulueta via groups.io <jdezulueta@...>:



Our boat is currently in Carriacou, Grenada innTyrell bay marina until October. We are planning to cross the Pacific Ocean via Panama and Galapagos with another Amel boat friend around May 2022. 

i have a few questions :

- I would like to know if other members of this group have similar plans ? Interested to sha

- some of you might have crossed recently and want to share experience regarding Panama crossing (agent recommendation), Galapagos…
- in Marquises , there is a boatyard called Maintenance Marquises, is this boatyard suitable for a super Maramu? In Polynesia where would you leave your boat for a couple of month to be able to come back home ? In December and or in July August?

look forward to read from you.

--
Juan de Zulueta
OPHELIE X
Super Maramu #32
Re: In Mast Furling

CW Bill Rouse
 

Yes, I have owned both. Amel makes their own in-house-designed masts. Beneteau buys off-the-shelf masts from the lowest bidder. Amel designed its electric and manual furling system. 

The SM didn't originally have battens and hopefully the one that you are buying does not have vertical battens. If it does, let me know. 

Best,

CW Bill Rouse 
Amel Owners Yacht School
+1 832-380-4970 | brouse@...
720 Winnie, Galveston Island, Texas 77550 
www.AmelOwnersYachtSchool.com 
Yacht School Calendar: www.preparetocastoff.blogspot.com/p/calendar.html


   


On Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 11:00 AM Eric Forster <eforster70@...> wrote:
currently looking at a 2004 SM 2000. The only other inmast furling that I have been on was in a Beneteau, do they use a different furlying system?

Re: In Mast Furling

Eric Forster
 

currently looking at a 2004 SM 2000. The only other inmast furling that I have been on was in a Beneteau, do they use a different furlying system?
Re: Pacific Crossing 2022

Ben Driver <bddriver@...>
 

This may help

Or 

On Jul 17, 2021, at 1:15 AM, Juan de Zulueta via groups.io <jdezulueta@...> wrote:



Our boat is currently in Carriacou, Grenada innTyrell bay marina until October. We are planning to cross the Pacific Ocean via Panama and Galapagos with another Amel boat friend around May 2022. 

i have a few questions :

- I would like to know if other members of this group have similar plans ? Interested to sha

- some of you might have crossed recently and want to share experience regarding Panama crossing (agent recommendation), Galapagos…
- in Marquises , there is a boatyard called Maintenance Marquises, is this boatyard suitable for a super Maramu? In Polynesia where would you leave your boat for a couple of month to be able to come back home ? In December and or in July August?

look forward to read from you.

--
Juan de Zulueta
OPHELIE X
Super Maramu #32
Re: In Mast Furling

CW Bill Rouse
 

There is one more potential issue, but you did not state which Amel model, nor did you state if your Amel mainsail has battens.

image.png
CW Bill Rouse Amel Owners Yacht School
Address: 720 Winnie, Galveston Island, Texas 77550 
View My Training Calendar


On Sat, Jul 17, 2021 at 5:54 AM Juan de Zulueta via groups.io <jdezulueta=icloud.com@groups.io> wrote:
Eric,

the in Mast Furling is not a problem but a big advantage of the Super Maramu since it helps you to steer your boat from the cockpit alone in all see conditions.
we have been sailing with my wife since 1999 on on Santorin and now a Super Maramu across the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean with no problem at all.
it just require a bit of practice and Caution.
Don’t hesitate to buy this fantastic boat !

best regards
--
Juan de Zulueta
OPHELIE X
Super Maramu #32
Carriacou, Grenada

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