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Mel Good
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Posts posted by Mel Good
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Very briefly - we are going to do that when we are down. We'll be there for the full weekend so can really check it out. I think my FIL doesn't really want to touch in - he felt very guilty that the 'problem' happened on his watch....we've told him a million times that it had nothing to do with him but he's more nervous about it now.
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No change in the oil level this morning thankfully. We are heading down tomorrow so can finally take a look ourselves.
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I think the main thing is that there was good intent of everyone involved with the added complexity of our distance and lack of knowledge. That includes everyone here - thanks for the support, it has allowed me to ask more questions and dig more. I very much appreciate it
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Our heads were spinning with all the new terminology- not to mention the first quote we got which was €4000!!! I felt we hadn’t quite the right people involved and am thankful I went with my gut here. Fingers crossed this is the fix
he checked the compression and mentioned one area was high and that maybe oil was dripping on to one of the pistons….(that’s where pistons came into play)
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Sorry that’s what they were talking about earlier- my excitement got the better of me. It was a broken injector!!!
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Well I finally have good news and a ton of lessons learned. So it turns out that one of the pistons physically broke! Oil/diesel might be a red herring as he was unable to verify a mix - in fact he said there was too much oil and he felt it was thin so possibly just bad cheap oil. He took out all oil and put good oil in and replaced the piston.
We now have to keep an eye on the oil level - I have everything crossed.
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I believe this mechanic is knowledgeable about the engine, however what he really struggles with is working and manoeuvring in a boat. He struggled to get the right position, and his solution is to take it out of the boat, as that is what he is used to. I'm hoping (perhaps unrealistically) that someone more accustomed to working on boats will be able to repair it on the spot - does that sound unlikely?
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Yeah it's honestly hard not to think the worst but I am moving away from my normal sceptical self and trying to focus on the positives. We knew about the heating at the start and reduced our offer with the idea that it would need to be replaced. The windows are going to 'get it' in terms of a good clean and review this weekend. The cooker has been looked at and can be salvaged thankfully - the problem was more with the way it had been installed and secured so that we can fix. And now the engine....as you said @Alan de Enfield there will be nothing left to fail... ;o)) I work in technical emergency management so at least I am not overly surprised but outages and degradations - the only thing here is that I do not yet have the knowledge to assess these myself....clearly that will come and possibly quickly than I expected.
Second mechanic is going to look at the boat either today or tomorrow and then we should know where we stand. The first guy as I mentioned knows his tractor engines and is used to fixing things on land - I will feel more comfortable with a boat person investigating it. I don't think I will like the bill but I guess the saying "Having a boat will make you a millionaire....but only if you're a billionaire when you buy it" is true
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He could have misspoken about the gear oil as engine oil sounds much more viable. We are not near the boat which isn't helpful - heading to it this weekend so will take photos then. It's a 4108.
The engine sounded good when we used it but now apparently there is a crackle (whatever that means) and my husband did say that the revs were jumping up and down randomly.
We reached out to the previous owner who was less than helpful so not sure what's going on there.
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just spoke to my father in law and got more details albeit somewhat vague: first injector not connected, he said no gear oil although I think he meant that it is now a mix of oil and diesel as there is a leak.... this is not a good day
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Now I don't want to panic myself too much but we recently bought a Broom Commander 35 (ca 1979) - took it on it's first journey as our boat and everything seemed to go smoothly. My husband did the first leg and myself and the kids joined him for the second part. Boat seems to be running perfectly although he did mention there was a bit of smoke when he started it 2 or 3 times throughout the day. But he said it passed quickly....
Two day after the trip my father in law went to move the boat for us and said there was a lot of smoke so turned it off immediately. We had a mechanic take a quick look - he is know to the family and actually deals with tractors not boats however as this is a perkins engine he said he'd take a quick look in case it was something obvious. After looking he said that somehow the diesel has mixed with the oil???? How does that even happen? We have a mechanic coming to look at it tomorrow or the next day but I thought I'd ask here if this is something that happens to boats? is it typical? has anyone any experience with it?
I understand that nobody on the group can look at our boat and actually diagnose it - really just putting it out there so I can get an idea of what I might be dealing with or at least come up to speed on terminology
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what I am learning quickly is that there is a lot to learn about boats and little is ever straight forward. Thanks all for the replies I am a little wiser - going to lean heavily on our mechanic who will hopefully guide us in the right direction
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Hi All, so the gas oven in our boat needs to be replaced - apparently it failed the safety inspection in 2013 but was never addressed. I have looked at some very fancy boat cookers but they also have very fancy price tags. The information about what you can and can not use is somewhat confusing - is there a dummy's guide to buying a gas cooker for a boat?
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thanks all - just circling back to say they are definitely being removed as they are deemed not safe.
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On 04/08/2021 at 10:43, buccaneer66 said:
I can't remember what it was called but that product looks very similar, I got mine from the local DIY store.
Interesting - I will definitely try it out
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Yep it's the 'death trap' piece I'm most concerned about. There are three of them which are now going to be taken out and a heating system put in place.
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4 hours ago, buccaneer66 said:
Back in the day I used to live in one of those old fashioned metal mobile homes with the aluminium window frames If it is just condensation there was a product available that was basically just a wick and you laid along the bottom of the window with the end hanging outside, it collected the water and dripped it outside.
now that sounds positively simple - you don't happen to know the name of them? or where to get them?
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We found a reputable mechanic (marine engineer) and on our first call with him, he said to get them out. I guess they are not safe and are taking up space so no point in keeping them.
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5 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:
I want to come back to this because some of the posts are not very specific in their context.
As I said in my first reply, the OP needs to find out exactly where the windows are leaking - if they really are.
Removing the whole frame and glass intact and resealing is not a that difficult job and should be within the scope of any competent DIYer. This is needed when the leak is between cabin side and frame.
If the "leak" is really condensation running down the window, then you need to make sure the drains that many aluminium window frames have between the inner channel and the outside are free. They often get filled with mossy stuff, and occasionally the window glass falls down and blocks them. This should also be an easy DIY job and does not mean resealing. (As someone posted above). The drains will not have any effect on condensation forming on the inside of the frame and running down onto the surround. This again is not a leak.
The pig of a job is when the leak is between the glass and the frame, but that type of leak is not very common, despite what the rubber seal that is exposed to the sun and air may look like. Until prove wrong, I do not expect the OP's windows are leaking in this way.
Before even thinking about what may need to be done, it is best to ensure you know that you actually have a leak (and it's not condensation) and where the leak really is.
Thanks @Tony Brooks I appreciate the clarification especially as I am learning. I will be meeting a mechanic on the 14th and all of this information will help me understand what I want to review and no doubt help me understand what he is talking about.
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well it's good to know someone else is in the same boat (I apologise hehe) - am definitely on for comparing notes
13 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:Dismantling window frames to replace seals is has been noted and from my own experience,is a pig of a job.
The screws holding the frame together will nearly all need drilling out.Straightforward if they are cross head,but if like mine slotted head,they are a sod to get the drill bit centred and if the bit slips off centre it will damage the frame.
Removing the frame and re-sealing to the boat is straightforward,but stripping and re-sealing the glass is not.
Try trickling the Tolleys,between the seal and glass,it might work,I tried it but it didn't.
Check that drain holes or slots in the bottom of the frame are clear.On my boat,there is an alloy strip about 2"wide glued to the inside bottom frame,and prevents any drips inside while any water ingress drains out.
I have had to accept that water will get into the inside by capilliary action I think,but if there is a good passage out and a strip on the bottom frame,it shouldn't drip over your bedding.
Clearly I underestimated what a big job dismantling the window frames is. Just thought it would be an easy way to really see what's under the frames, add new rubbers...etc I have quickly moved away from that idea. there are two leaking points that we've spotted so far - ironically it was too wet and we had the kids with us so we couldn't have a good look to see exactly where the leaks were coming from
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12 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:
Cpt. Tolley's is not needed in bucket loads, and it won't work if there is not a leak. It comes in a little plastic squeeze thing with a small nozzle. Once you have identified a leak, you wait for it to dry out and then apply a little of the liquid to that area. It will normally seep into the leak point. You wait for it to dry and apply more and repeat until it stops not seeping into the leak. It is probably just PVA in water, with something to lower its surface tension to help it run into cracks. So as it dries, it seals the leak. On your boat it will probably be a long term repair, especially f it is leaking between the frame and the glass but is likely to wk between the frame and the GRP hull side.
For steel boat owners - it will never be along term repair between frame and cabin side because rust will keep on forcing the frame away from the cabin side.
I might have got a bit excited about Cpt Tolley but after watching the youtube clip about it, it appears to be good stuff. Initially we were looking at a steel boat but went for this one as it seemed like a better layout for our family. I sure am learning a lot today - thank you
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7 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:
And as there is no expanding rust to worry about if there are leaks between glass and frame, would rather try Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure before trying to dismantle the frame. (No, it's not a joke, its areal product).
Just ordering a bucket or two of that now - thanks for the tip
3 minutes ago, Rebotco said:The aluminium frames look to me to be in basically good condition.
Some fine grade wire wool and soapy water will probably bring them up a treat.
The seals may not be as bad as you think. On mine, the nasty bits turned out to be largely surface growth of moss/lichen etc, and cleaned up pretty well.
Ok that puts my mind at ease that nobody is looking at these windows in horror! Best get scrubbing so
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1 minute ago, Tony Brooks said:
No, I can't see badly degraded rubber in the photos. The rubbers between glass and frame will perish, go hard and look moth-eaten where it stands clear of the frame, but usually the rubber doing the actual sealing is still doing its job and in fair condition. I would almost take a craft knife to the manky bits and cut it flush with the fame so it looks better. This is why I said check where any leaks are.
Get a sheet of perspex cut to size and simply screw it to the wooden frame inside the boat.
ah interesting - I will definitely check that out
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23 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:
Seals Plus Direct can probably supply the rubbers you would need, but to fit them you will almost certainly have to dismantle the frame. I would not advise that you try that unless good at DIY and freeing stuck screws/drilling out pop-rivets.
Before you contemplate that, make sure that any leaks are between glass and the frame and are not either condensation running down or leaks between the frame and the cabin side. If there are leaks between the glass and frame the talk to Eagle Boat Windows who will refurbish them.
If the leak is between the frame and cabin side then by all means take the window out, make good and refit with new sealant - either self-adhesive closed cell foam strip or butyl rubber strip sold for the job. Avoid silicon like the plague.
Your photo seems to show the start of condensation on the windows, and it will only get worse as the weather cools down. Think about secondary double glazing using perspex sheet or for a trial the thin film and adhesive tape type the likes of Wilko supply.
Thankfully I am pretty handy and thankfully can call on some others to help. It seems like a mammoth task as all of the windows are in need of some TLC. You can see that the rubber has really badly degraded in some parts so I'm not sure I have a choice but to take them out.
Those photos were taken yesterday when the rain did not stop falling but I guess that's a good indication of what's going on.
About to google secondary double glazing using perspex sheet as I can't quite picture it
8 minutes ago, Bee said:Boat windows are awkward things, replacing them is shockingly expensive but there are only three components in a window, the frame, usually aluminium, the glass and the rubber seal. As Tracy D'Arth says, taking them apart is a sod of a job so just spend time cleaning them. You do have an advantage over those of us with steel boats though and that is that you will not have rust eating away beneath the frame and causing big problems. If you have to replace the screws that hold them in use stainless screws and the same holes. Good luck, boat stuff is a learning curve and by the time you have learn't half of it there is nothing that you can't tackle, houses are dead easy, cars a piece of cake and if that Elon Musk bloke wants a space capsule built that'll be dead easy too.
Thanks - I would prefer to give them a clean but there is clearly some problem areas which I won't be able to leave alone - can't help myself
31 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:Probably the only way is to refurbish, window makers are a come and go lot, you may not find the original makers. Seals Direct will likely find you new rubbers but removing them and disassembling is not for the faint hearted.
Looks to be a nice boat, enjoy!
Thanks - seems like it's going to be a steep learning curve
Smoke - oil/diesel mix
in Boat Building & Maintenance
Posted
Happy to report back that everything is good with the boat. No change in oil levels and the engine is running well.