Thanks very much, Bill.  At the suggestion of another owner, I checked the tension of the outhaul line and found it to be iron tight.  Apparently the lines shrink a bit over the years.  This puts a lot of load on the bearings of course.  I now have it loosened so it hangs a bit down without touching the boom.  That reduced the amps to about 20-50.   Still above the 15-20 measured for the furling motor but less than before.   I will wait to take the gear box apart until I reach Vigo where the boat will remain for the winter.   

Joerg Esdorn 
A55 Kincsem 
currently in Cascais 

Loosen the spectra lines that attach the line to the car 

The outhaul line should be tight with no deflection in the line. 

I believe the reason that loosening it helped reduce the amps was because the bearings need replacing...reducing side pressure to the axel of a failing bearing will usually allow the easing of the binding pressure. 

A loose outhaul line will allow some slippage through the gearbox line tender sheave on most Amels, although I have yet to see this happen on a 55, which has a different sheave than a SM or 54.

Best,

CW Bill Rouse
Amel Yacht Owners School - www.AmelYachtOwnersSchool.com
720 Winnie St
Galveston Island, TX 77550
+1(832) 380-4970

On Wed, Oct 2, 2019, 3:07 AM Paul Brown <feeder.brown@...> wrote:

Thanks Joerg 

On 2 Oct 2019, at 10:02 am, Joerg Esdorn via Groups.Io <jhe1313@...> wrote:

Loosen the spectra lines that attach the line to the car 

Hello Paul,

originally, this line is rather tight, indeed as Bill says, in order to prevent slipage. But with time, UV and salt, this Vectran-core line tends to shrink and gets tighter and tighter which puts more load than necessary on the motor itself. You should loosen a bit the small line tackle at one end of the traveller's line.

Olivier

Paul, 

You may want to check the block at the end of the boom too, mine and others’ were a bit seized. We cleaned it up and also ordered a replacement from Amel, as it seems to be specially adapted from the stock items. 

Best,

Thomas

GARULFO 

A54-122

Rangiroa, French Polynesia 

On Wed, 2 Oct 2019 at 06:20, Paul Brown <feeder.brown@...> wrote:

Thank you Olivier, I will slacken off a little.

I was wondering if this was causing my slow blow boom fuse to open earlier than it should, as it seems to open often 

Regards Paul 

On 2 Oct 2019, at 6:13 pm, Beaute Olivier via Groups.Io <atlanticyachtsurvey@...> wrote:

Hello Paul,

originally, this line is rather tight, indeed as Bill says, in order to prevent slipage. But with time, UV and salt, this Vectran-core line tends to shrink and gets tighter and tighter which puts more load than necessary on the motor itself. You should loosen a bit the small line tackle at one end of the traveller's line.

Olivier

On 03 October 2019 at 15:53 Paul Brown <feeder.brown@...> wrote:

Thanks Thomas 

 

On 3 Oct 2019, at 2:48 am, Sv Garulfo < svgarulfo@...> wrote:

Paul, 

You may want to check the block at the end of the boom too, mine and others’ were a bit seized. We cleaned it up and also ordered a replacement from Amel, as it seems to be specially adapted from the stock items. 

Best,

Thomas

GARULFO 

A54-122

Rangiroa, French Polynesia 

On Wed, 2 Oct 2019 at 06:20, Paul Brown < feeder.brown@...> wrote:

Thank you Olivier, I will slacken off a little.

I was wondering if this was causing my slow blow boom fuse to open earlier than it should, as it seems to open often 

Regards Paul 

 

On 2 Oct 2019, at 6:13 pm, Beaute Olivier via Groups.Io < atlanticyachtsurvey@...> wrote:

Hello Paul,

originally, this line is rather tight, indeed as Bill says, in order to prevent slipage. But with time, UV and salt, this Vectran-core line tends to shrink and gets tighter and tighter which puts more load than necessary on the motor itself. You should loosen a bit the small line tackle at one end of the traveller's line.

Olivier