Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Gentlemen, please tone it down!
I’ve read all kinds of bad advice over the years and have probably given some bad advice myself with good intentions. That’s why we have a forum. There is no reason differing opions can’t be tactfully expressed. It would be rude to directly state that advice given was wrong. Its perfectly fine to say that you have a different opinion however. Please give each other a little sea-room here.
Regards
Rich<.. snip>
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
I replaced mine about 20 years ago. I used a checkbook. The yard did it. I watched them however to see how it was done. They used a threaded rod run through the bearing and a piece of cast-iron pipe and large washers to fashion a press. There are two set-screws that hold the cuttless bearing in place, both on the port side as I recall. In theory, if you remove both, you can press the old one out with this arrangement. It stuck in there so they cut a grove in the old one and tried the press again, Out it came.
Hope this helps
RichQuote:<.. snip>Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
Eric
I assume that you are referring to keeping the harness from rattling? Most folks use foam, the kind used to insulate water pipes.Don’t forget to lace-in a steel wire with the bundle. Fasten the steel wire to the mast somewhere at the top of the mast so that it takes the weight of the bundle. Otherwise the wires will stretch over a few years and fail.
Regards
Rich
Original Message
<.. snip>Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
I found three references when I did a google search. Pearson used a rubber gasket under the stanchions when they mounted them. The gaskets work very well. They are made of a soft rubber that compresses easily. I’ve been looking for similar stock to replace the gaskets under a few deck fittings that lack them. Interestingly, I noticed severe electrolysis in the fasteners that hold one of my stanchions to the deck. One of the screw heads broke off for no apparent reason. After reading the last reference I see what the issue is. Carbon is used in the rubber industry. The last two mention graphite as being a metal, which is not true. Its basically a kind of carbon, which is technically a metal. Graphite is mined. It is mostly crystallized carbon but contains other trace elements.
“snip…Another concern is that graphite promotes electrolysis. Graphite has a very noble potential of + 0.25V, which can lead to severe galvanic corrosion of copper alloys and stainless steels in saline waters.”
“Carbon is a metal that is used in making rubber, and so carbon rubber when mated to stainless steel can produce quite a reaction.”
“Metals are rated on what is called a Scale of Nobility, which simply means the materials ability to resist this kind of corrosion. There is also a chart called the “galvanic series” which shows the electrical potential of metals in seawater. A more noble metal is one that has a neutral or negative electrical potential. It will not generate a flow of positive ions, and is called “noble.” The reverse of this is the least noble metal, which has a high positive charge, and which will generate an electrical current. These include such metals as zinc, unalloyed aluminum and copper, iron and steel. Graphite and carbon bottom out the list, being the most highly charged metals.”
Rich
Original Message
<.. snip>Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
Sounds too good to be true. You have my interest. Please keep us informed.
Rich
Original Message
<.. snip>Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
I put some of that moldable dripless teflon packing in a couple of years back and have mixed feelings about it. If I adjust the stuffing box at regular intervals I can get it down to a slow drip as regular packing, but I’ve never been able to get it dry. maybe I’m afraid of overtightening it. There are two problems with a leaky stuffing box, the obvious problem of water in the bilge and the not so obvious result of having salt water sprayed all over the area between the engine and v-drive. At a minimum, the v-drive jack-shaft suffers.
There are reported reliability problems with dripless seals and then there is the expense. At the time I last serviced the drive train, I replaced everything and expenses went out of control. I wasn’t interested in spending another few hundred on a dripless seal. I may switch over one of these days. Interesting article on the general subject
http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/boatkeeper/dripless-seals.pdfRich
Original Message
<.. snip>Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
I suppose you could get into a religious discussion about charting software. I’ve purchased three packages over the years, the most expensive two were Cap’n and Nobeltec. (I didn’t actually purchase Cap’n, I wrote some software for them and they sent it to me for free). I didn’t like it so I got Nobeltec VNS. It’s pretty good. I used to use my laptop for all my navigation, but now use a cockpit RADAR/Chartplotter for piloting and the notebook for planning. A good package runs about $500 these days, which is a piece of change. As I’ve said before, I wouldn’t waste my money if it didn’t have great route planning including currents overlay. Here’s a screen shot from my machine. My GPS isn’t connected. It overlays the raster charts into a quilt, so it looks like one continuous chart and overlays current arrows right on the screen. The blue boxes are raster charts (free download). When you zoom in, detail from smaller charts is shown automatically. Currents in my cruising area run typically a knot or so, but can run as high as 6 kts in a few spots, and they run in different directions at different times. You can mouse-over the current arrows and see what they are running. You set the time of day on the tool-bar. The dark line is a route I had previously run from Chatham to Woods-Hole. You can open a navigation window and set COG for each leg based on current predictions for the date and time you expect to depart and it computes the ETA for each waypoint. I go back and forth for each waypoint, checking the tide for that time of day and adjust SOG accordingly. I adjust my departure time to make use of the current. If I play it right, I can make an average SOG of 8+ kts yet only have a speed through the water of 6.5kts. Play it wrong and have an average SOG of 4kts. I have an older version of VNS. I should upgrade one of these days. It would be nice if route planning automatically adjust each leg speed for the current so I don’t have to manually enter it, but there are usually only a few legs in a route so it isn’t a big deal. It has a few annoying things that are probably fixed in later releases.
There are other packages out there. You can’t tell how good they are until you pay for them. Coastal Explorer looks similar to VNS. If it has quilting, current arrow overlay, and supports route planning as well as VNS it might be a good choice.
Rich
Quote:<.. snip>Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
In my opinion, a dedicated cockpit mounted chartplotter and a laptop based navigation package each have their place. I do my planning on my laptop using a decent sized screen with a good user interface. Here in the Northeast, we have substantial tides and currents that run as high as 6 kts in some channels. Timing the trip with the current can make all the difference in a day. Tides run out of phase from one place to another, so planning the right time to reach various waypoints can be tedious without having the right tools. A laptop based charting system with Tides and Currents is a great addition. This shows current arrows on the chart. You can change the date and time to observe what the tide will be at that point at any point in time. I adjust my predicted speed over ground for each course leg and work my ETAs for each waypoint based on current.
http://www.nobeltec.com/products/prod_tides.aspWith free charts available for downloading and inexpesive laptops available, its an inexpensive upgrade. I use nobeltec, but there are other charting software packages out there. I assume they have an equivalent tides-and-currents feature. If they don’t, keep looking.
As I mentioned earlier, I used to do all my piloting using my laptop below at my nav station. Putting the RADAR/chartplotter at the wheel makes it much easier to drive, but then the waypoint database needs to be sync’d between the laptop and the chartplotter. You can do it by hand if you wish. I wrote some software to convert from one database format to another. There’s an open-source tool called gpsbable, but not all the chartplotters are supported. Garmin is pretty much the standard for non-marine GPS systems. With a huge user base, its garmin protocol is supported by most PC based mapping software so you don’t need a conversion utility. WPL sentences can be exchanged too, but the NMEA standard never meant it to be used that way. There are problems using this method on many instruments. NMEA 2000 is a later and more capable protocol, but it isn’t supported on many instruments.
I use two entirely independent systems for GPS navigation. My cockpit instruments have their own GPS and the chartplotter has its separate antenna and system. On rare occasions, I’ve observed one or the other lock up for short periods of time. This happens if something interferes with the satellite signal when there are few satellites in view. Having two systems means that both probably won’t have problems at the same time. Battery failure, power surge, or lightening strike could take out all my electronics. I keep a handheld battery operated unit as yet another backup. There are occasions when the satellite constellation can either have problems or fail entirely. As I’ve mentioned in numerous earlier messages, having a backup such as LORAN, radio-DF, and basic navigation skills is highly recommended.
Rich
Quote:<.. snip>Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
Eric
since you’re in New England, I suggest contacting Northeast Rigging for an opinion and price.
http://www.nerigging.com/Rich
Original Message
<.. snip>Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
Eric
I originally purchased a RADAR unit in 1986 for my 424. It may be the same model as you presently have. I replaced it a few years back with a JRC color RADAR/chartplotter and never regretted it. JRC makes the guts of many of the RADAR units such as Raymarine but are less costly. JRC stopped selling under their own name. Distributors put them out on clearance. I bought mine for about $1300. This is the only distributor I could find with a websearch. They want too much money for what they have in stock. If you keep your eye out you might find one for a little over a grand.
http://www.boatersworld.com/bm/RadarAutopilots/JRC/316300565.htmlI mounted my display in the cockpit. I put a teak mounting panel on the binnacle guard. I’m not entirely pleased with the instrument mount and may redo it, but it works.
http://www.richardcarter.net/Cockpit.htmlI too cruise in the Northeast. I really like having the RADAR/chartplotter at the wheel. I have a laptop below that runs Nobletec which does a lot better job as a chartplotter but running below to navigate is a pain. I rarely need the RADAR but use it when its convenient. Power consumption isn’t a big deal. The FURUNO used a lot more power. If your budget is limited, go for an inexpenive unit and skip the bells and whistles. Most collisions occur at closer distances than 12 miles. Having a long-range and powerful RADAR is of limited use. My Furuno was a better RADAR unit but it sucked down the watts and I had to mount it below. The JRC works just fine and doesn’t run down my batteries.
Don’t forget to budget for charts. The c-map cartridges are expensive.
Regards
Rich
Original Message
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
Alan
Don’t use the tape. You want teflon pipe sealant similar to below. You can use this on fuel lines too.
http://www.ryderfleetproducts.com/cgi-bin/ryderfp/products/srm/oid/46299/erm/product_detail.jsp?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=productRich
Original Message
<.. snip>Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
Alan
The water injection elbow is a regular service item. They rust out from the inside. The combination of hot exhaust gas and salt water eats them up. They last about 7 years. If the pipe has gone its only a short time before the injection elbow goes. My advise is to replace the whole assembly. You want to unscrew the pipe where it connects to the exhaust manifold and coolant reservoir. Removal of the fitting can be very difficult. I suggest a large pipe wrench with an extension on the handle. An injection elbow isn’t expensive nor are cast-iron pipes. Injection elbows come in two flavors, an injection elbow and a high-riser. I suggest using the high-riser type. although more expensive, it protects better against water getting into your exhaust manifold.Use teflon pipe thread sealant just as you would with water pipes.
Hope this helps
Regards Rich
Original Message
<.. snip>Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
Rodd
The grease fittings come in two standard sizes, each is a standard pipe-thread. The seacock has standard pipe-thread plugs. The standard grease fitting fits the seacock. I bought a package of them at the automotive store some years back. There were about a dozen in two sizes. As I recall, my seacocks were initially very hard to turn. I pumped some grease into them and still had a devil of a time getting them to budge. I think I put a pipe-wrench on the handle. Once I got the grease worked into the valve however they became easy to actuate. A couple were hard to reach, the worst being the valve under the galley sink. I’ve since added an access hatch in the sole under the sink. I added this to get at the v-drive pan, but it comes in handy to access the valve too.One thing to watch out for is the valve under the forward cabin sink. Mine had a hose adapter made of common copper. This lasts a couple of decades in salt water but gets slowly eaten by galvanic action. While you are servicing that valve, consider replacing the nipple with a proper hose barbe.
Regards
RichQuote:<.. snip>Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
Have you tried injecting grease into the frozen sea-cock? You unscrew the drain plug on the side of the seacock and screw in a grease fitting. They you take a grease gun and pump some grease in there. Then work the handle back and forth a few times. I haven’t yet found a fitting I can’t free up with this technique.
Regards
Rich BlackSheep #47Quote:<.. snip>Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum