Tony Brooks

I don't think that it is a semi-trad, but as I think I could see the ends of an engine bed in the stern gland photo, and again in the calorifier photo it may well be, but the OP talks about "the steering platform" and that suggests an over the engine steering step. Then we come back to the rear bulkhead, where it is located and if it has limber holes. I on't think he can grasp the vast range of possible layouts even on nominally trad sterns, that is before we add semi-trads to the mix. It was clear from the start that he thought all boats of a "type" would/should be built and laid out the same, like cars end to be.

Unless it is a very odd alternator the part you are waggling is not part of any alternator I know. Alternators typically have three or two mounting points. A long single one or a pair (front and back) that are bolted to a bracket rigidly fixed to the engine in the same plane as the alternator end plate mounting points. The alternator swivels on these for belt adjustment. The other fixing is the adjusting arm that the remaining alternator end bracket can move along and be clamped to. The arm you can waggle has its web at 90 degrees to the alternator bracket and is a totally separate part. It can't be an adjusting arm because as far as I can see there is no means of moving the alternator to different positions along it. If it is supposed to be a fixed rear alternator mount then what stops it simply swivel and dropping down, so the alternator goes out of line with the belt. At best, on the present information it seems like a bodge to me and I can't see PSA doing it, so presumably a Penta part. I would like to see some more photos showing the way the alternator is mounted on the engine and adjusted, both from the front and back. I don't know if anyone else thinks it all looks odd.

That is the one thing that contributed to selling the boat. At that time I learned that Roger had been given a serious health diagnosis and I feared that his son, Mat, who had a leisure industry degree might bring about changes to make it less attractive. However, that was before Covid, so more recent experiences should give a much better idea than mine.

But if you asked for advice or help would you ignore that advice and later tell the people who had advised you that you had got the same information from somewhere else as if it were something new. If you were then asked for further information or clarification would you ignore the request. If you did not understand something would you ignore it or try to explain what you don't understand and ask for help. Would you persist in using terms that had been corrected for you to the effect it makes the OPs meaning hard to understand. The odd one off incident is to be expected, but this sort of thing just goes on and on in this case, and it seems we have go on at the OP to get information we need. As far as I am concerned we still don't know for sure the relative position of the engine, engine beds, real bulkhead, calorifier, and if the bulkhead is sealed to the hull sides and baseplate. That is vital information if one is to work out where the water supposedly leaking from the calorifier comes from.

What engine is that, and I can't see the alternator in that photo so not sure what has the movement. It looks to me as if the bolt is undersized or worn, or the hole on the end of whatever it is, is worn. The "bolt" might be a hexagon set screw where its threads have been squashed by constant movement. If it is a set screw try using a proper bolt with a length of plain shank. I don't think it would be sensible to try to squash the two mounting lugs on the engine together to try to grip the "thing", I fear one may split or break at the weld.

If you can't see that a long time after having something explained to you that you then pop up with what you were recently told by some random bod as if it is something new and go on to say you have to work it out, despite the earlier explanation, is likely to annoy people who have apparently been wasting their time trying to help you then no wonder you are in the position you seem to be. The world, by and large, expects people to conduct themselves in a way that makes communication easy, if you are unable to fit in with the world then don't expect the world to fit in with you, but do expect the world to misjudge what your motives are.

You may not like it, but when you come up with stuff like this: Which basically tells me that you are ignoring such advice and explanations that I have already given you to try to help you, or: when it has been explained on more than one occasion that a "leak" does not necessarily mean leak water to the outside and that these pumps can and do leak pressure back into the tank. Or not confirming that you did the back to tank leakage I just advised and that you were told about days or weeks go. You may not be doing it deliberately, but like it or not the impression you are giving me is that you are. Good luck, hopefully your new friend off another boat will help you sort it out.

Exactly as we have explained to you before and were seemingly ignored. This feels like it was weeks ago. And we told you how to check for it - did he? If the pump runs with the taps all totally closed more than every few hours or more than like it or not, you have a pressure leak so the pressure in the pipes and pump drops. When it reaches pump cut in pressure the pump runs for a short while to reestablish the pressure. Explanation - the pump probably has at least three pairs of two valves in it, they are small, roughly 12mm or so in diameter. They tend to be a disc of plastic that flexes the edges when working. It is all too easy for a hair, fibre, rust, lime scale, or dirt to lodge under a pair of valves, so pressure can leak through them back to the tank. No external leaks and no obvious signs. We even pointed out to you that the lack of an inlet filter was almost asking for muck to jamb valves partially open. Once again - how to test for valve back leakage: pump on and taps off, when the pump stops turn it off and time the length of time between runs. I think you find this is about every 18 minutes. Turn the pump back on and when it stops quickly turn your main valve, near the pump inlet tightly off. If the pump now takes longer to turn back on then you have back leakage through the pump. If so fit a strainer on the inlet side plus a plumbers flap type one way valve between the strainer and pump. That is often the cheapest way of solving the problem until the pump leaks so you have to replace it, the valve and strainer can remain in place. Even if you do not intend to do it, I think that you are giving a very good impression of someone who is essentially spamming the forum for their own amusement. I am getting fed up with trying to explain to you what might be going on, so you can understand and then decide what to do, and apparently being ignored. Maybe your new mate has more patience than I do.

We found Vodafone and pre BT EE gave a usable signal at Calcutt (Locks marina) for telephone and 3 for email, and light emailing. Phone standing on back deck and email/browsing via a 3 MIFI thing hung in the window. Not good when the kids come home from school. I imaging the high banks on the meadow marina may baffle the signal to boats in there.

If by Richard you mean @RLWP then I think that he has retired and sold the business, but might now respond in a private capacity.

Thanks, but that is not a data plate, but I think it may well be this one: Link to manual So, an item designed and with installation instructions for houses. I doubt you will get much help from a boating website, and I also fear you may have problems finding a UK engineer to sort it, when it needs sorting. I note that it seems to need a 240VAC supply, so no shore line or inverter = no hot water from it. I suspect the mains electricity is used for ignition and to run the electronics. I see the manual shows a flow switch AND a gas valve. I suspect the flow switch monitors water flow into the boiler and then tells the electronics to start the igniter and turn the gas valve on electrically. This means that any flow through the flow valve will cause the boiler to fire up, but possibly without a diaphragm involved, so the diagnosis is the same. Something dropping pressure in the hot system so the pump or accumulator causes flow into the boiler I note that you have not confirmed if any hot taps are dripping, which would be the most likely cause, but are intent of looking at things that seem unlikely to be involved.

Please, I ask again, lets have a photo of this gas boiler and preferably its data plate as well. At the moment we have no idea what it really is, and for some reason you don't seem to want to enlighten us. None can help if questioners won't give all the information we require. You seem to expect us to guess and that is the way to poor help and confusion. As I showed yesterday you also seem to make contradictory statements, this may not be deliberate, but a result of you knowing what you know and thinking everyone else knows the same. We emphatically do not and can not unless you make things absolutely clear. Gas instant water heaters (not boilers) can be used in homes and boats, especially the smaller ones, so is it a boiler or an instant gas water heater? Again a photo will probably do.

Totally agree, the only reasons they use timer relays is to provide for owners who can't count, reduce diesel knock on cold engines and reduce emissions when cold, none of which, apart from the counting, is of much consequence on a boat engine.

All I can say about that is that when I was running diesel engine courses for BT engineers who were being multi-skilled I was told that there were problems on these engines (BT use then for emergency generators in village exchanges). What I was told was confirmed later by an industrial engine engineer on one of my boater's courses. It seems that if the oil pump wears it will not open the valves enough to get a full charge of air into the cylinder. This lowers the possible compression pressure. I also know from car experience that if the lifters fill with old gooey oil they do not leak enough to allow the valves to fully close, but on a diesel I would expect piston to valve contact if they were held open more than a mm. The lifters are designed to leak a little each time the valves close, so if the leakage is reduced they are likely to jack the valves slightly open.

Not much sensible information, glow plug relays can't cause battery or alternator problems - just cold starting problems. How about being more specific about the actual problems so we can try to help. OK, so Peugeot-Citroen engine designed for vehicles. First of all I very much doubt they only draw 15 amps each when first energised, more like 50 amps and then dropping is typical for more modern vehicle engines. Secondly, vehicle engines often have fancy timer relays that keep the plugs energised after starting so if the mariniser kept the same relay it may not be a straight swap for an ordinary one, however, I don't see why it needs the timer function for marine use. Thirdly, all ordinary non-timer relays use four pins as you call the connections. Two for the contacts and two for the operating coil so you could look for split charge relays and some of those are supposedly rated at 140 amps. You could also use an "old car" type starting solenoid as used on cars with inertia starters. Whatever you do ensure that you mount it away, but close to the engine, not on it. Vibrations are known to do nasty things to relays

That seems to agree with the information I have gathered from the internet as far as the CC is concerned. If the OP has used a higher grade (CD, CE, CF etc.) I can't see that causing the symptoms unless he has done that from the start and badly glazed the bores, but I think that us very unlikely.

Assuming the boiler is an instant gas water heater like a Morco or Paloma (you have not confirmed exactly what it is as far as I can see). The only way that I can see the boiler randomly firing is if there was a pressure drop on its outlet (hot) side pipe work, so the pump pushed some water through it to make up the pressure. This would only be for a second or two. If the pump did not run each time, then it would suggest to me that the accumulator is working to some degree, but as the accumulator is on the COLD inlet side of the boiler I can't see how that would be the cause. If the lever valve on the calorifier outlet (hot) is turned off then the calorifier, plus PRV is isolated from the hot pipework, so it can't cause that. Are those taps still dripping, would any dripping taps be hot taps - rhetorical questions for you to ponder. Hopefully a member with more recent experience of such heaters will be along to add their thoughts. But random firing of such boilers needs pressure under the diaphragm in the heater to open the gas valve and that implies pressure loss on the hot side until such times as the pump cuts in to repressurise the hot pipework.

It is a perfectly valid conclusion, but one can not be 100% sure.

Yes, sorry about that, I have been back to look at the photos and can see it was a lever valve all along. That is good, but remember all it does is it isolates the hot water system from the calorifier. It does not isolate the calorifier from the rest of the water system

That valve seems to have been changed from a service valve to a lever valve since the first photo was taken, and we discussed it. In that and a subsequent photo or two seemed showed the service valve turned off. All the lever vale or the service valve would do is to allow whatever water that may be in the calorifier out into the hot system. That water will be replaced by more cold water via the inlet which will be the lowest connection on the calorifier. You proved days ago that the calorifier was full of pressurised water when you turned the PRV and got spurts and gurgling. Despite the lever valve being off as far as I can see the calorifier is STILL under pump pressure, so if it or the immersion heater is leaking, then it will still be leaking when the pump is turned on. I reiterate what Alan told you. The calorifier will work with or without the immersion heater. The immersion heater is an ADDITIONAL heat source. If the two rubber hoses that connect to the calorifier, one above the other, at about a mid-point, get hot when the engine gets hot then the calorifier MUST work. If they do not get hot then the hoses or the coil in the calorifier probably have an air lock in one. We can tell you how to sort that if/when required.

It is not so much as what I need to know, but what you want to do. If you are saying he bottom of the black uni is about 14" above the baseplate then the decision is yours. Are you happy this is high enough to remain above bilge water level. If so and you don't need to change the calorifier then if you want to use the immersion heater just get it sorted. If you are not happy it is high enough above the bilge water then either get it disconnected or get it fitted higher in the calorifier. An Essex flange would allow a plumber to do this. If you do need to change the calorifier, and you want to use the immersion then choose one with a top mounted immersion heater. When deciding how high the bilge water is likely to get you have to look at how well any boards above that area are protected from rain or snow, how well any deck drains work, and how long you are likely to be away from the boat and thus unable to monitor the bilge water level. I am not sure we have many members around there, but i thinkwe might have one that seems to know what he is on about. I can't remember his name and he may not be willing to get ivolved. FWIW, I think that you are probably highly intelligent, as many people with your type of affliction seem to be, but lacking, understandably, the technical knowledge to allow you to communicate with me at a level I need to understand what you are trying to say and to allow you to see why certain things are important, so I suspect you just shut out what you think is unimportant. The layout of the back of the boat I mentioned today is a case in point and if we had been given this close to the start of the thread it may well have saved a lot of time. Although you may now have grasped the fact that not two boats are the same, I think that you had the impression that they are, so could not understand why you were being asked more questions rater than being given the answers you wanted. Knowledgeable eyes on the spot avoids the need for accurate descriptions, images, and strings of questions, so you can be given explanations to allow you to do things yourself and understand them. That then feeds into you being equipped to do your own future diagnosis.

In case this helps. There is a vital piece of information missing from that text and that is the API or ACEA specification for the oil. These describe how the oil behaves and performs. It will indicate how the oil deteriorates in service. Have a look through the manual to see if you can find it. I would expect it to look like API SN, CF. It is the C bit that you need and the second letter or letter and number is the important bit.

The rough location, so this could happen, has been asked for at least twice before so I doubt a member visiting would be acceptable to the OP.

I agree with that. The button is probably a "test" button that trips the RCD. That would isolate everything 240V. As above, there may be another switch for the immersion heater, but then there may not be.