nwj2000

It looks like a reconditioned BMC is going to be about £3500 fitted and a brand new Beta 38 about £6000 fitted. Quite a bit of difference, but with the Beta I get twin alternators which would be good. Would this add to the value of the boat?

Does anyone know where I can get a quote for say, a new beta 38? It's going to cost about £3500 to get a reconditioned BMC fitted, I've no idea how this stacks up against a new engine.

I think it's a requirement that you give them your old engine as part of the deal, but I'm not sure.

Currently I have a BMC 1.8 and I've had a number of problems with it which I won't go into now, but the upshot of it is that the engine is worn and will need replacing at some point soon. This means I have to make a decision, do I buy a re-conditioned BMC unit from someone like Calcutt boats, or do I buy a brand new engine? What are the pros and cons of each route? If I go for a new engine, what is the best choice? Also, if I'm fitting a new engine I may as well swap out the gearbox too I guess? I know nothing about gearboxes, are there differences in performance between different models or do they all essentially do the same thing? Cheers, Nick

Hi There, I'm new to plumbing, so bear with me! I have one 5L accumulator right next to the water tank after the water pump. The water feed then goes to the galley where there is another 5L accumulator off the same cold water pipe. From there a feed goes to the marco water heater and there is a valve that allows you to switch between the water heater and calorifier which is at the other end of the boat. Now, take it as said that whoever plumbed the boat was a total monkey. He's not done a great job trust me. But my question is this; Should I have two accumulators coming off the same pipe within four metres of each other? Shouldn't I have one on each the hot and cold circuits? The pressure on the hot is pretty poor. Also I only have a 20psi water pump, is it worth upgrading to 30psi or is my pressure valve going to keep blowing then? Cheers, Nick

I went to change the cylinder the other day and the gas locker stinks of gas. Is this normal or do I have a leak? If so what is the best way to find where it's leaking from? Should I be calling an engineer? If so where do I find one?! Thanks, Nick

Thanks guys. I was considering the Honda because I was told this would be a lot more reliable than the Hyundai if in every day use. Also, I was thinking about keeping it in my engine room, or is this a bad idea? I could keep it chained on deck I guess. I don't have a spare locker for it.

Hi There, Thinking of leaving my permanent mooring and mooring closer to work, only problem is no shore power. I have been thinking about a generator as a charging solution. I have a Victron 50amp/1200w charger inverter and use about 40/50 amp hours of power a day (360Ah battery). I've been advised that the Honda eu10i or eu20i would be the one to go for. Can anyone advise if I need the bigger one and if so if it will work properly with my charger? If I was to use the larger unit, how long would I have to run it per day to put 50Ah back into the bank? The eu20i is 1600watt and has a maximum of 9amp output according to the tech specs. Thanks, Nick

Hi Guys, I've just spent the best part of £2000 updating the electrics on the boat. I've had fitted; Victron 1200w/50amp inverter charger. Galvanic isolator Split charge diode Three new batteries (360 ah total) Upgraded wiring from alternator Victron Battery monitor As I understand it, the alternator drops the charge current after a short while to avoid over charging the batteries, this is aggravated by the voltage drop you get over the split charge diode. The upshot of this is that the leisure batteries don't get nearly enough charge. My electrician is telling me I need a battery management system to fool the alternator into outputting more amps. He is recommending Adverc. Does anyone else have a battery management system or know anything about them? Are adverc the one to go for? Thanks in advance for any advice. Nick

I'll try that, cheers.

Is that as simple as it sounds? Does it require adjustment or just tightening? Yes I do this but it still drips.

It sounds like that is the best option, it's a lot more work though.

Is that the right term? Stern Gland? It's the bit where the prop shaft goes out of the hull above the bilge. I twist the greaser to pack the gland at regular intervals, but despite this there is a constant drip. I get one drip about every 1-1.5 seconds. Not normally a problem as I'm on the boat most days and can run the bilge pump, but just went away for a long weekend and the whole engine bay flooded 8 inches deep. I need to get an automatic bilge pump with a float switch, but my question is does it sound like this is leaking too much? and if so what can I do about it? Thanks, Nick

I currently have a sump box that all the waste water from the shower and sink flow into, a float switch then triggers a pump to clear the box. It's been working intermittently, every time it fails to switch on the box leaks and I get a flood under the floorboards that in turn runs to the last bulkhead at the back of the boat. I've been advised that these sump boxes aren't very good and that I need a whale gulper. Problem is that these only have one input so I would have to drill a separate skin fitting for the sink waste and also fit a switch to turn the whale gulper on and off. The easiest thing to do is replace the sump box (although still £130), but is the other option a better choice? Thanks for the help, Nick

Hey Guys, I need to replace the Houdini hatch on my boat as water literally pours through it when it rains. It's not a genuine Houdini but a third party manufacturer of unknown origin. Replacing the seals won't work I think because there is a fundamental design floor in that there is a recess where water collects between the seal and the aperture in the hull. The seal is after a time permanently submerged and the water seeps under (See attached image). I've therefore reached the conclusion that it needs replacing. I wanted to know if anyone has experience with the genuine article, or could recommend another manufacturer. I hear Gebo are good? Cheers, Nick Hatch Photo Just been reading that Gebo's leak. Anyone have any experience? I want a hatch that doesn't pour water on me whist I'm trying to sleep!!

Hi Guys, Just wanted to say thanks for all the help. I fitted the new sender without incident and the gauge now works perfectly. I had the thermostat housing off to discover that there was no thermostat fitted, henceforth why the engine was taking ages to come up to operating temp. I fitted the new thermostat and all seems well now. Cheers, Nick

I have the bowman.

Sawley Marina. Know of any mechanics? Will I need any special tools?

Hi Guys, I need to fit a new thermostat and an oil pressure sender to my BMC 1.8. I've tried to find a mechanic but am having a nightmare and am going away on the boat for the week next week, so I'm going to have a crack myself. Having never fitted either, is this something I can do myself? If so any idea how to go about it? My understanding is this so far; 1. Oil pressure sender - Should be near the oil filter somewhere, I need to pull the electrical connections off it, unscrew, screw in the new unit and reconnect. 2. Thermostat - Should be under a cap with a hose attached near the top of the cooling system. Disconnect hose and cap, pop old unit out, fit new unit, reconnect cap and hose, top up cooling system. Can anyone tell me if the above is about right please? Any help is much appreciated. Nick

No fear, I'll be doing all of that and more before I pick up a paint brush! Just wanted a heads up really. Nick Sounds great, any idea where I get more info on one of his courses please?

Hi Guys, I want to paint the exterior of my boat. I've no idea how to go about it. Any advice on the following would be greatly appreciated; 1. What prep do I need to do? The paint finish is quite poor at the moment as it was hand painted last time. Which type if any of power sander should I use? 2. What paint do I need? 3. How to apply it to get the best finish? Thanks in advance, Nick

Good point Roger. The previous owners were caravanner's and I got the impression they didn't use the boat much at all. It was also apparent that they knew even less than I do about boats, therefore I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been left unattended for long periods.

I'll try that, cheers.

It was playing up before the oil/filter change. Checked it again last night and it seems fine whilst warming up - 50/60 psi. Once warmed up and left at idle it then drops to zero. It's a fast drop though, like it flicks instantly to zero rather than in-line with the engine rev drop. There is no oil pressure warning light, only the gauge.

Hi Guys, Thanks for all the feedback. Yes I probably am suffering from the post purchase blues a little. I feel better about things today after reading all your comments. I have filled the water tank. It's brought the stern up about 2-3 inches. The diesel tank is about half full. It still looks a bit too high at the front and low at the back to me. See new pictures (how do I insert these directly?!); My link My link Not had a chance to look at the skin fitting from the inside just yet, will try and do this tonight. Cheers, Nick It was canal water I think.