My little piece of peace

Hi BF,
See - - http://www.minardsdiesel.com/outboard.htm - - as I believe they have 2 reconditioned 27hp units - - I am not sure if there are any new ones available - note, the propeller is quite small and the engine revs to 4500 rpm and reduction is not half enough for displacement work on a displacement operating regime... (I have 15 x 12 I think on my 20hp saildrives can't be bothered going back in this thread to check that and reduction ratio...)

 

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR721.loop.shtml#skip an intense low is NW of Longreach and roughly heading towards the SE (Brisbane) about 1200km away at the moment... rather unusual roe a storm of that cloud/wind pattern to be so far inland though - I would expect that sort of low to be over water and gathering in intensity and when over land to rapidly deteriorate....

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/satellite/?tz=AEST&unit=p23&view=33&domain=14 here it can be seen maintaining strength and moving quite well right across Australia? (this site gets automatically updated so may not show the full event over time...

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/cha...EST&area=Au&model=CG&chartSubmit=Refresh View a longer term animation where the forecaster does not seem to feel it will make the distance...

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/synoptic_col.shtml shows it started over sea near Darwin, (2 days ago), and wandered roughly ESE refuelling with moisture from the Gulf of Carpentaria to continue so far....
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Hatches to be replaced tomorrow (Monday) and I have found I need to adjust the gear & throttle linkages and all will be as it should at this point in time...

The Next modification is to lower the Aft P & S berths so I have comfortable sitting room therein, remove a couple of guides under the berths so I can install a pair of 500 to 600 litre fuel bladders from http://www.turtlepac.com/en/products/super-deck-tanks.html when I measure the size of the space, and get a quote...

 

Hatches in place - Beautiful work and fit from Robbie, (remember I react badly to epoxy), everything is shipshape now, except the propellers - barnacle attack - which must be cleaned off in a 'coupla-days' - - The rest of the hulls are spotless (when there is a good water-flow from the tide the copper / epoxy mix works beautifully - but I do not think it will be good to put on the aluminium leg or propellers... Any suggestions that will not adversely react with the copper on the hulls?

About 7 consecutive overcast days (mostly raining), but the PV panels are keeping the batteries topped up... Rowing out to the boat is not fun with a 15 knot + cross wind - but it is good upper body exercise...

I have been going through the myriad options in security camera systems and receiving some helpful ideas too - Thanks.... I like a local (wireless) at the moment... We will see.... Budget is very low so a bit of saving is necessary (next fortnight?)...

 

Decisions, decisions and a shortage of money

I recall pontificating on that topic elsewhere and feel that reliability and parts are important as is SIMPLICITY and robustness - NO turbo-chargers, NO common rail injection system, Be careful with the heat-exchanger as blocking/corrosion there is an instant boat stopper... Consider having the oil filter and fuel filter placed with EASY access for changing...

- I am contemplating a 5 to 10 litre reservoir for the engine lubricating oil, - placed directly after the circulating pump, (which normally feeds to the oil filter and returns to lubricate the upper cylinder regions), - and thence on to the oil filter, where the tank and filter are easily accessible and easily removed... with the filter AFTER the new tank, the added reservoir should increase service intervals... That way all the heavy sludge should fall to the bottom of this removable reservoir and the rest removed by the filter...

- To change the engine oil remove and empty and clean the reservoir, change the filter, refill with engine oil and DONE with minimal fuss

- My tiny 20hp (3 cyl 722cc) Nanni's have only 3 litres of engine oil - Far too little for long passage motoring so a conversion is being considered and for special tanks to be made... - I would use the same idea if I changed over to 27hp Yanmar diesel outboards - ONLY when they fit LARGE (15"+ dia.) propellers and gear ratio to give 1200 max propeller rpm...

Just my feelings ... anyone care to comment?
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How effective are those electronic devices ("ultrasonic" or high frequency transducers) at keeping barnacles and other undesirable growth off the undersides of boats? http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=KC5498&form=CAT2&SUBCATID=965#11 - just mount it on the top of each sail-drive leg.....

Security camera recording something like - - - - Bloodyhell what a range of prices and options... Will sit quietly and consider.... expenses, expenses, expenses !
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http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=MB3606 works well (a 12V or 24V AGM battery charger does an excellent job...

 

They work well until the barnacles grow on them.

Its like Copperbot,-- works great, the best antifouling ever ,--you just have to give it a scrap and sand every month.

 

Hi Frosty,
My copper powder mixed in epoxy and roller-painted as several coats on the bottom is working very well, where there is a strong tidal flow... ABSOLUTELY NO GROWTH of ANYTHING on the hulls, but the aluminium legs and aluminium propellers are a veritable garden of barnacles....... I am very weary of copper and aluminium in contact and the epoxy paint with copper would, - I feel, - certainly not last on the propellers... I was thinking of those electronic thingies for the legs/propellers only...
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When the copper that is exposed now fades away then your back with the rest of us.

 

When? - - been wet for a year now... and no sign of (what is the word?) - ablation?

 

Barnacles may not be your main problem. Aluminium is lower on the galvanic series than copper, so its the aluminium which dissolves first in the cell that's been set up. Hope you keep a close eye on your zinc anodes, at least Zn is lower than aluminium on the scale, so that's good.

Keep the paint on your saildrives in good shape, and obviously avoid antifouling them with any metal-bearing options. To me the biggest disadvantage of saildrives, if not used very regularly, is not being able to get them out of the water when not in use.

 

Hi Brian@bne,
Yes that is a big worry - I saw an aluminium leg at Monties, (I was there to change my propellers), - almost totally demolished.... After 6 months one of my legs had almost sacrificed the anode and replacement was NOT cheap... On the Nanni it sits around the hub and fares out to the propeller base... a fairly precise moulding...

 

Mas
The zinc anodes would last a lot longer if you did not have all that copper powder in your antifoul mixture. The 'battery cell' looks like this: cathode is your copper powder, electrolyte is sea water and anode is zinc (or aluminium if zinc all gone).

Basically you are trading off the cost of haul-outs for hull cleaning versus keeping enough zinc protection. Individual circumstances dictate which choice is best. Its the BOAT phenomenon - as in Break Out Another Thousand.

Now, zinc anodes are cheap in the overall context aren't they?

 

All I can say to that is, "Outboards are the go", if I can find one that comes with a 15" propeller and rotates at a max of 1200rpm and is DIESEL at about 27hp

 

Try Prop Speed, it is a silicon clear cover over zinc cromate bse, it will be the best prop and leg antifoul you will get, have been using it for years, works wonders.