Kraken

Morso 1410 Lime Kiln £690 Midland Freaky Friday £628 Midland display stove, almost always available £599

Thanks for that. I'm beginning to think you're right. But it's an old alternator that I don't think is available for a like for like replacement. I was hoping to repair the old one to avoid inevitable required modifications to the mechanical electrical installation.

Well thanks for trying anyway. I've taken the alternator back to the rebuilder, so he's got that close up but obviously the boat is still at a distance. He recons there should be battery voltage across b+ b- before excitation and no voltage at IND. What should it be? He thinks the regulator is at fault. If that's correct, where can I find a new one? I also have a cast rectangular CAV remote regulator with terminals - A WL F +Hi +MED and +LO if you recognise that description. Would that be a good replacement for the one on the back of the alternator or is it more like an Adverc type device?

By momentary, I meant when held against the spring for the starter. This seems to work normally but the on position seems to be dead, so it looks like this part of the switch is faulty.

As in the previous post, the first time I started the engine, voltage at IND was 17 volts and the second time 15 volts, so both times, similar to charge voltage. This was after exciting the alternator from the battery.

Hello Tony, I tried the tests you suggest. With the engine running the meter already showed battery voltage minus a couple of tenths. When I touched the lead from the battery to IND, it didn’t jump to battery voltage since it was already there, but did jump from battery voltage to charge voltage immediately. Charge voltage was 17.7 volts and 30 amps. This was starter battery only since the contactor was not activating. I switched the engine off and connected starter and leisure batteries together, because the leisure batteries were quit discharged as the contactor hadn’t been working and I needed some power. Over a few hours the voltage varied between 13.5 and 14.4 volts and current between 22 and 30 amps for the leisure batteries and between 5 and 8 amps for the starter depending on time and revs. So fairly normal I guess once the alternator is excited. So from your comments this would point to a fault in the boat wiring, but why nothing from the IND terminal. This points to some fault in the alternator. Regarding your other suggestion, disconnecting the contactor made no difference. Other things I have discovered. Testing the contactor independently, it doesn’t work. Also the ignition switch is faulty. There is power to the momentary on position for the starter but nothing to on position. So everything connected to it (alternator warning light, Adverc warning light, engine hours meter) doesn’t work, but of course the alternator warning light comes on when the alternator is excited and stays on. It also glows dimly when the IND terminal is disconnected. So what would cause all these components (alternator, ignition switch, and contactor) to fail? And why the initial 17.7 charge voltage?

Thanks for that, I'll check later today.

OK, thanks Tony, I'll try that.

I'll try that next time I'm at the boat, maybe Wednesday. The contactor (the one recommended on Gibbo's site) is a relatively recent change, in the last couple of years, and doesn't necessarily coincide with the current problems. It was a preventative measure to replace the tiny one that is supposed to be a potential problem, but hadn't been for the previous 14 years.

It's the small trapezoidal shaped one mounted on the end of the alternator, but it's turned off by an Adverc (I think that's the way it works)

The alternator is a Cav AC5. Notes from the previous owner said the warning light would remain on while the engine was running and flash when the batteries were fully charged. Why would this be? After many years the alternator stopped working, which turned out to be a burned out warning light. I replaced that and it burned out again after a couple of years. This time I couldn’t find a 2 watt bulb and used a 5 watt bulb instead. This burned out in about an hour melting the light lens. I carried on for a while by removing the bulb after the alternator was excited. Then the alternator started to self excite and there was an unexplained 3 amp current with all the electrics off. Eventually it stopped working all at all. I took the alternator in to be checked and they said it was burned out and needed a rebuild. They had to remake some of the internals due to lack of available parts. On reinstallation the starter battery was initially charging at 1 ½ amps and about 15 volts, the domestics not at all. There is a lead from the alternator IND terminal to the warning light and the split charge contactor. You can see that the contactor is not being activated. It’s like there is nothing coming from the IND terminal. Why would this be? After turning the engine on and off a couple of times to check things there was no output at all. Took it back to the rebuilder who says it’s fine on his test bench. Any ideas? Could it be that something in the rebuild (rewinding?) has caused a need for more current to excite?

1410 £628

I've experimented with several paints and found the very worst to be Midland's own brand. Second worst is Craftmaster . The black was never really black, but very dark grey. It went chalky after a year and looked much worse than the 15 year old paint. It was difficult to apply and hard to avoid brush marks. It never went fully hard and would just tend to rub off. On a multi coloured item like a pole, the colours would smear over thr top of each other with use.

Regarding references to Sherbourne Wharf, remember that the facilities have moved to the Fiddle and Bone. And Walsall Basin, why the little yellow barrier across the entrance?

Some good suggestions here for mounting, but does anyone have any recommendations for the flexible panels?

I don't think you will have a significant problem. Up is easier than down. You have to put the bow or stern in the middle of the curved cill and push out from behind a closed gate. I've done C&H, HBC, Ripon, Derwent etc. in the last couple of years. My boat is 60 feet 10 inches and the three shortest locks were Salterhebble top, HBC top and one about two down from that. I could only do these going up or backwards down. I could go down the HBC top frontwards but couldn't get out from behind the gate. Needed to be about three inches shorter. Salterhebble required the pound below to be full to the top of the weir so the bow could ride up the slight slope of the very tall cill. Cleared the closed bottom gate by 1/2 an inch with the fenders up. Single handed, the biggest challenge is keeping the boat in the required position while you operate the lock. It's easy to wind above and below Salterhebble top, but HBC is a problem

Can anyone suggest a BSS examiner in the Wigan/Burscough area? Thanks

As others have pointed out it is difficult to overtake unless the boat ahead cooperates by slowing down a bit. On a long straight like Barby it's perfectly reasonable for someone to close up and expect to be waved through. I can't understand why dick heads like you behave like this. Anybody have an explanation?

This is a misconception. 6 volt requires less cabling

The head gaskets only seal the combustion chambers and not any water passages, so I wouldn't think it could be that. More likely a cracked head or cylinder, or water jacket rusted through into a cylinder. I've had this happen twice with subsequent over heating and sump/reduction gearbox overflowing with emulsified oil and water.

Do you use the centre line for anything? Since any offside landing area is almost always short/single bollard/ non existent, wouldn't you just step off at the bow with the bow line?

I'm sure the LEDs in your link are very good, but could you recommend a regulated LED of reasonable quality that is perhaps a bit more financially efficient?

The T105s and USB 2200s have a smaller foot print than typical 110 ah leisure batteries by about 80mm in length, but they are about 50-60mm taller. And four six volt batteries wired to give 12 volts have fewer external connections, not extra (4 interconnect cables compared to 6)