oggie

Went to the boat today, pulled all the batteries out and tested each as they came out. All the domestic batteries read 12 volts plus and needed a little top up of distilled water, but the good old starter read 8 volts and again was a little short of water. Put a new starter battery in and one domestic to try it and eureka it started first time. Thanks for all the input Bob

Many thanks for all your input, when it stops raining I will go to the boat armed with a fully charged new battery, some emery paper, vasline, a hydrometer, a can of WD40 and forearms like Popeye (to move 4 big batteries out of the way). I will hopefully go through all of the suggestions on here and let you know the outcome. Thanks again for your input. One tiny worry, if I start the boat without putting back the leisure batteries, will all be ok as long as I keep all the LB connections out of the way, ie the charge from the LB alternator will having nowhere to go won't cause a problem will it? Thanks again Bob many thanks I think its bullet biting time.

Hi Richard, Yes I did try that but still had the same symptoms, think I'm going to have to remove the whole bank test and replace the dud ones, as I said they are all original and very close to 5 yrs old. Bob The starter motor appears to be sealed. The only connection I can see is where the heavy live cable is bolted to it. Bob

Hi Steve, quite correct, like you say its a big job to remove the old starter battery as its last in line of 5. I have to remove 4x135 amp hr leisure batteries to get to the starter battery. I have tried to bypass the old starter by connecting jump leads to the live side of the isolator switch and the negative to the earth on the engine block. Would the old battery still cause a problem? thankyou Bob

I have taken the jump lbut leads diectly to the earth on the engine and also to the live on the starter motor effectively by passing the battery and its terminals but still get the same symptoms. Thanks Bob

Thanks John, mine is also a cruiser stern. How did you solve the problem? Bob

Hi all, I have a bit of a problem starting my Isuzi 42hp engine. I went to the boat over the weekend to check that all was ok after the winter. The boat has sat idle since the end of Sept last year but was absolutely fine when last used. I checked the voltage meters on board and was suprised to see that the starter and domestic bank were both showing well over 12 volts so thought all would be ok when I tried to start it. How wrong was I, the buzzer came on when I turned the key but a lot quieter than usual and the volt meter crept over to just under the 12 volts. Needless to say when I tried to start the engine it would not even turn over. Not a problem I thought, Ive been a motorist for almost 50 years and worked around boats for many a year also. So I borrowed a fully charged battery from my son,which had come off his 2.2ltr Deisel car, put the jump leads across expecting everything to wake up but symptoms stayed exacxtly the same, it started to turn over for maybe half a second or so then seem to lose all power and just got a continual clicking from the starter moror. I thought I must have borrowed a duff battery. I needed a new battery for my caravan so bought a new 110amp hr battery put it on charge over night to make sure it was fully charged took that to the boat and again it tried to start but wouldn't, even with fully charged batteries conected via jump leads it is as if the battery is flat ie the volt meter goes slowly to the 12 volt area where before it used to shoot up and the buzzer is a lot quieter than usual. I even took the battery off my 2.0 ltr deisel car and tried that but still nothing. I have removed and cleaned the earth on the engine also done the same to the live on the starter motor, checked all the connections and all seem to be ok. The jump leads are not the thickest Ive seen but will happily start a car, the batteries on board are the original ones making them almost 5 yrs old, but they are showing as having plenty of volts. I even connected a charger to the starter battery and after less than an hour came up as being fully charged. In desperation I even took the control panel off to see if there was any loose connectios or corrosion but everything was fine. I am running out of idea's fast, I am happy to replace the starter battery and any others if they need to be changed but would like to be sure that is the problem before I do. Any idea's or help from anyone out there especially anyone who has had the same problem would be most appreciated. Thank you in advance Bob.

We have always found the food and service here very good. havn't been in for over a year so things must have changed. We did have a bad experience at The Bubble on the Trent and Mersey, food was awful, was pestered with fly's, when asked to speak to manager was told he wasn't available as he was doing the cooking. Ticking that one off our list.

Hi all. I am looking for a loud, simple, fairly inexpensive horn to replace the mickey mouse one that was fitted to my boat. I want to make myself heard as I creep through blind bridges only to meet that inconsiderate clown thundering through from the other side totally oblivious to any other boat. Usually giving that "what gives you the right to be here" look. Any idea's would be appreciated. Bob.

Have spoken to Graham and he has taken my number, but like most good woodworkers he is in high demand, also tried others but all very busy. Looks like I will have to wait or travel further afield, Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Oggie

Cracking idea, boatyard charged me a tenner to do half a dozen crimps and I supplied all the bits. Oggie

I was driving a launch in Cowes harbour a few years ago, and was tucked up alongside a jetty waiting for a huge storm to pass through when lightning struck the top of a yachts mast a couple of hundred yards away, there was a huge bang and it looked as if the top of the mast had exploded. I was asked to go and check that the yacht was OK and my reply if I wrote it here would get me a lifetime ban. When the yacht was slipped a couple of days later it turned out that all the electrics and electronic had been cooked and had to be replaced, I think at the owners expense. What always puzzled me was why out of probably 30 or 40 masts did it pick on that one, it didn't appear to be any higher than any of the others moored around it. luck of the draw I suppose. Oggie

Doesn't that work on the principal that "what you can't see, can't hurt you"

Not read all the replies on this topic but thought I'd add that I recently read through the the owners manual which came with my Isuzu 42hp engine. Which states engine to be started and ran at one third throttle ie: 1000 rpm for a full 10 minutes to warm the engine before putting it under load. I try and adhere to this whenever possible but the engine does come under partial load when the Adverc management system kicks in after 5 minutes of running. Oggie

Thankyou, will look for him next time we are at the boat. Bob