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I posted the original comment about the Leyland. I got that information from a mechanic who worked on my engine over 20 years ago. I don’t remember any other details. A web search shows this related info.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f137/westerbeke-60-technical-manual-112066.htmlI found some related hits for 1960s vintage land rovers.
Rich Carter
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There are two heights for the 424, the standard ketch and the tall-ketch, sloop and cutter. My mast (sloop) is about 48′ off the deck and 53′ off the water. Add to that masthead light and antenna so I figure I need about 57′ minimum. I think the standard ketch is about 4′ shorter.
Rich
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Tor
I can probably outpoint you but the ketch looks cooler. The sloop kind of looks funny with the short rig placed up forward.Rich
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The rating has nothing to do with the actual weight of the boat. It’s a formula the CG uses to evaluate cargo carrying capacity and is related to the waterline length and beam. I think my doc says gross-17.
When hauled with empty water tanks, she tips in at 24000 lbs. I think she actually weighs about 22000 with the balance being fuel, ground-tackle and beer.
Rich
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BlackSheep makes 90 deg across the bottom on a tack, a bit better if there’s enough wind to heel her over. When a mark is precisely 90 degrees off my beam, I can tack over and clear it at best VMG. I usually give one or two extra boat lengths before tacking for maneuvering room around the mark.
It’s taken me many years and several boat units to get this performance. When I first started racing, I’d be dogmeat if someone came in on my leeward rail. I’d have to tack over to keep from being pinched up. Now the rest of the boats stay out of my lee. There’s no wind there and they can’t out point me.
A good suit of sails helps as does proper sail trim. The biggest improvement came with a backstay adjuster. You just can’t get enough tension in the headstay to pull the belly out of the headsail without it. If you try to tighten the turnbuckles enough to trim the sails, you’ll gall the treads. You need about 3000 lbs in 10kts of wind (true), more if it picks up.
I can get a bit of bend in the mast but it’s not much. I adjust the traveler to put the boom about amidship and tension the clew to pull as much belly out of the main as possible. I don’t use a cunningham but I’m considering it.
If you have the ketch model, there is little that can be done to tension the forestay. If someone figures out a method, I’m sure that owners would be interested to hear. If you have a sloop or cutter, a hydrolic backstay tensioner is suggested. The transom chainplate and transom need reinforcement however.
http://www.richardcarter.net/boat/TransomChainPlate/Rich
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My comments
You show a shunt in the ground return line from your batteries. This is marked as voltmeter shunt, but voltmeters don’t use shunts. You shouldn’t put a shunt of any kind in your battery ground line. It can cause problems with radio equipment.
What’s an echo charger?
If your 400A fuse blows while your engine is running, you’ll toast your alternator diodes. A zap-stop might be advised.
http://www.emarineinc.com/products/Balmar-TSP-12-Transient-Spike-Protector-Zap-Stop.htmlRich
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Thanks Rodd,
I currently have a dual horn now. It’s pretty lame sounding and probably not legal for over 12M. An air horn needs a compressor where the horn is mounted. That’s OK for a power boat, but I don’t want to mount one on my mast. The loudest horn I can find that’s not run with air is the one linked below. I had that on my boat for years before it failed. Defender doesn’t sell them for some reason. That’s why I went with the dual horn two years ago when I replaced it. That was a mistake. I’ll probably replace it with the same one I had. Before buying the thing, I thought I’d see if anyone found a better horn. I’ll remove the dual horns and mount them in my dinghy.I’ve had a VHF with a PA and automatic fog horn for years but I never bothered to hook it up. I replaced my VHF and bought a PA speaker which I’ll mount on my mast. While mounting the PA speaker, I figured I should replace the wimpy horn up there. You know how these projects go. Once you start something it’s hard to stop.
Rich
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Offhand, it sounds like one of your batteries is bad. A bad battery can get very hot when charging, to the point where it will boil away any remaining electrolyte. I suggest having your batteries tested. Flooded batteries can be tested with a device that looks like a large eye-dropper. You open the fill plug and draw a sample of electrolyte from the battery. There are little balls in there that float or a gauge. You use it to check the specific gravity of the electrolyte.
http://www.amazon.com/E-Z-Red-SP101-Battery-Hydrometer/dp/B000JFHMRUYou can’t use this on sealed batteries. That’s why I don’t like them. After charging, test your batteries and get rid of any that fail. Use only distilled water to top them off. You should test and service them once each year.
A pair of 4D’s sound a bit small for a boat the size of a 424. Do you have room for larger batteries? I use 4 golf-cart batteries. You shouldn’t mix batteries either. You are better off having identical house batteries.
Rich
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This sounds like what I’d do. I don’t understand where you’re moving them to however. What is the “console”? How long a cable run will you have and what gauge cable are you using?
Rich
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Interesting recommendation. I might try that the next time I do a repair. The method I use comes out lighter than the original work, not a bad idea if I’m doing a whole panel but if I just want a small repair your method might work better.
I find that raw teak comes in several different shades, even if it’s supposed to be Burmese teak. Most of the boards I have are a light shade of brown, but some are a dark color. I don’t know why, perhaps they are from different parts of the tree. I’ve been getting most of my wood from an exotic hardwood shop in NH, http://www.goosebaylumber.net/SpeciesSpecs/ExoticLumberTurningStockQ_Z.html. They are within driving distance for me.
Rich
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Allan
What are you using for exterior teak finish? I’m still using Cetol, but I’ve been considering painting the teak brown (just kidding).Rich
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Matching the interior color is very difficult. You might be better off refinishing an entire bulkhead rather than trying to match the color on a small section. Pearson used different finishes over the years. On the earliest 424’s, the finish darkened to a very dark brown. On later hulls, a more durable finish was used but it still ambers over time.
When I’ve done repairs below, I strip the area using a non-toxic paint stripper. Then I apply a coat of cetol followed by a coat of Epifanes. I then rub on a coat of Minwax wipe-on satin polyurethane. I use the Minwax finish for maintenance. After we clean the interior, I apply a thin coat with a rag.
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Glow plugs pull a lot of current. If your wiring to the glow plugs isn’t heavy enough, you get power loss in the wires. There’s supposed to be a solenoid switch on the engine. When you push the preheater button, this closes the solenoid switch which supplies power directly from the battery with a wire connected to the back of the alternator or starter.
Glow plugs are service items. They must be replaced occasionally. You can unplug the cable from the glow-plug and check for continuity. There should be almost zero ohms.
As I recall, the W-60 becomes difficult to start when the injectors get dirty or worn. The injectors should be rebuilt about every 600-800 hrs.
Regards
Rich
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As originally equipped, my 424 had the batteries in a locker on the starboard side. This gave the boat a permanent list. I moved them to the bilge beneath the salon table and replaced them with a set of four golf-cart batteries. I have a separate starter battery that is on the shelf in the hanging locker. Two alternators charge the independent battery banks. In a flooding situation, the batteries in the bilge might get submerged. The starter battery is up high however so I should be able to start the engine.
Removal of the battery box in the starboard lazarette opened up to a huge storage area.
Rich
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It sounds like you’re having trouble priming your water pump. My 424 originally came with a self-priming diaphragm water pump, but it went up in smoke many years ago and has been replaced by a sureflow wabble-plate pump. If air gets in there, it can sometimes be hard to get the thing primed. I have best luck with a full tank.
there’s a foot-pump in the galley that is currently not connected. I have plans to hook it up to the manifold valves under the sink but I need an additional valve to do it right. It might be of use in priming the electric pump if I hook it up to the pressure side of the pump with a shutoff valve. It’s on the list.
The foot pump was originally connected to the water tanks with T-connectors such that all three tanks fed the foot pump with no valves. This allows water to drain from the windward tank to the leeward tank. That’s why it’s no longer connected. The three hoses now serve as tank drains for wither layup.
Rich
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