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maiden voyage


ChrisPy

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it was a cold blustery day in Bristol Floating Harbour (why do they call it that).

mooring lines singled up, engine warmed up, thruster checked.

release the centre line, hop on and away at tickover, extricating myself from a fairly tight location. Touch of right rudder, touch of right thruster and swing round to give a clear run out of the marina.

 

all sweet and responsive. The rudder trembles a little but no more than I expected. The prop had been moved back a little to make room for a flexible coupling and leaving room for a rope cutter to be clamped on one day. Fast walking speed at 1000rpm. At this rate the batteries will never charge !

 

Slithy Tove steers sweetly in forward, from stationary the boat can spin on a (large) sixpence, with the centre of rotation about a third of the way from the stern.

 

In reverse very sluggish, difficult to get steerage way especially with a sharp breeze blowing.

 

Returning to the mooring - oo err - three attempts to swing into the marina in reverse, on the last attempt she slid in beautifully, with a few blasts of the thruster and minimal reverse throttle I got her stern against the pontoon within a yard of the correct position, about 30degrees out of line. A final blast on the thruster and all lined up, hop off and make fast on the centre line.

 

And all single handed. Brilliant!

 

Only fault was that at about 1200rpm I think I can hear the audible engine alarm. It's quiet at 1000 and at 1400. Any ideas?

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Congratulations Chris! :lol:

 

It's been a long wait. (I'm glad I bought a part-fitted boat).

 

What sort of stern gland do you have? (Vetus water lubricated?) If so, I thought flexible coupling's weren't recomended?

 

Anyway, the only engine alarm I have is for overheating and I think the same alarm also indicates a drop in oil pressure - what was the temperature & pressure?

 

Give it a try while you're moored up in gear with the deckboards up so you can investigate. Just be careful with the spinning propshaft and alternators.

 

Mike

Edited by blackrose
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Congratulations Chris! :lol:

 

It's been a long wait. (I'm glad I bought a part-fitted boat).

 

What sort of stern gland do you have? (Vetus water lubricated?) If so, I thought flexible coupling's weren't recomended?

 

Anyway, the only engine alarm I have is for overheating and I think the same alarm also indicates a drop in oil pressure - what was the temperature & pressure?

 

Give it a try while you're moored up in gear with the deckboards up so you can investigate. Just be careful with the spinning propshaft and alternators.

 

Mike

thanks, Mike. yes it's a standard Vetus water lubricated. The coupling is only a simple R&D, doesn't give any noticeable movement.

 

the big wait wasn't really the fitting out, it was more about getting it on the water.

 

I checked temperature and pressure - no problem. The noise just seems to cut in at intermadiate speeds. My poor hearing doesn't help. :lol:

 

PS there's a cracking new black LB widebeam in the marina called Kins, complete with a 3-legged dog.

Edited by ChrisPy
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it was a cold blustery day in Bristol Floating Harbour (why do they call it that).

mooring lines singled up, engine warmed up, thruster checked.

release the centre line, hop on and away at tickover, extricating myself from a fairly tight location. Touch of right rudder, touch of right thruster and swing round to give a clear run out of the marina.

 

all sweet and responsive. The rudder trembles a little but no more than I expected. The prop had been moved back a little to make room for a flexible coupling and leaving room for a rope cutter to be clamped on one day. Fast walking speed at 1000rpm. At this rate the batteries will never charge !

 

Slithy Tove steers sweetly in forward, from stationary the boat can spin on a (large) sixpence, with the centre of rotation about a third of the way from the stern.

 

In reverse very sluggish, difficult to get steerage way especially with a sharp breeze blowing.

Returning to the mooring - oo err - three attempts to swing into the marina in reverse, on the last attempt she slid in beautifully, with a few blasts of the thruster and minimal reverse throttle I got her stern against the pontoon within a yard of the correct position, about 30degrees out of line. A final blast on the thruster and all lined up, hop off and make fast on the centre line.

 

And all single handed. Brilliant!

 

 

Only fault was that at about 1200rpm I think I can hear the audible engine alarm. It's quiet at 1000 and at 1400. Any ideas?

 

Wow single handed,

 

No worries there are courses you can take :lol:

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thanks, Mike. yes it's a standard Vetus water lubricated. The coupling is only a simple R&D, doesn't give any noticeable movement.

 

the big wait wasn't really the fitting out, it was more about getting it on the water.

 

I checked temperature and pressure - no problem. The noise just seems to cut in at intermadiate speeds. My poor hearing doesn't help. :lol:

 

PS there's a cracking new black LB widebeam in the marina called Kins, complete with a 3-legged dog.

I too have the standard Vetus water-lubricated bearing and they do indeed state, as Mike also alluded, that no flexible coupling should be used.

 

With regard to the alarm.... there will doubtless be a warning light associated with every alarm. The possibles are oil, temperature and alternator volts. Maybe your alternator belt is very slightly loose and at certain revs it is vibrating more than at other frequencies and slipping. Just a guess?

 

Chris

Edited by chris w
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Congratulations of getting afloat Chris, was good following your build bloog in the early days. I had an audible alarm when i first went afloat too, it turned out to be a charging alarm and was caused by the batteries being fully charged and one of the alternators shutting down when the regulated voltage was reached. I do recall it being somewhat revs dependant too. Just a thought.

Rgds

Les

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