aardvarkash10

loving that coach bolt! True #8 work right there.

Where are you, and have you got a model name and number for the alternator? Unless its weirdly unusual, pretty much any auto-electrician should be able to help you out. If its a larger unit, find a sparkie who does a lot of heavy commercial work.

Here to expand your vocabulary KM. Service to the Community. Fridge access sounds good though...

I really like that he "passed the batten over". An appropriate homophone for a sailing forum.

Bumping - still available.

^ pretty much what I had in mind.

...the more I hear the more I'm inclined to just chuck an alternator-switched coupling relay at it and call it done...

Correct on the comparative, and in your situation the absolute readings were not particularly relevant. Every DVM has a measuring and sampling error. Once you are down into hundreths of a volt, that error is significant for everything except lab-calibrated equipment. For day-to-day stuff in a 12 or 24V system, 1/10ths of a volt is all the resolution you will ever need and most digital meters (even cheap ones) should be reasonably accurate in that range.

Thanks MH, but I suspect that would seriously overcapitalise our yacht. The charge control device is interesting tech though - thanks for the link. We don't have any real problem with capacity atm, but I would like to take the "human cock-up factor" out of the charging network which is manually controlled by the isolator switch currently. I did my time as an auto-electrician, so I can turn the alternator thats fitted into any configuration (int/ext regulated, machine/battery sensed etc) without too much trouble. I was going to put a diode splitter into the battery system and

very unusual if it was - batteries are only slightly advanced on rocks as complex devices. Best tested under load - 20 - 25A (more if you can get it) draw of the entire bank, look for a battery that has significantly different readings to the others

yeah but I'm a lazy leftist who relies on the hard sweat and skills of the business classes to enlighten me Thanks Fish - very helpful and informative as usual. So was KM, in his own ideosychratic way.

0.04V difference between them? Thats almost measuring error levels - less than 1%. I'll bet that if you check with a hydrometer you will find slightly different pH levels across them too. I wouldn't sweat it. but I would monitor it (without getting paranoid).

Here's Stepping Out's history on Racetrack. What do the numbers mean?

Two smallish batteries, start and house. Isolator switch is fitted that allows either or both batteries to power the starter. Machine sensed Ingrams Bosch pattern alternator - I'm assuming 55A. 120w solar panel. Normal loads for a low-specced 10m yacht - cabin and nav lighting, vhf, stereo, fridge, pi-plotter and screen, occasional charging of cell phones and laptop. I'm thinking this is sufficient for a VSR - any comments? Also, the existing laptop and cellphone charging devices cause a lot of interference on VHF and FM radio signals. The radios share a masthead ant

https://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/boat-search/zigzag-fullstop Yup - it WAS up on TM as late as last week

Wasn't she recently on TRadeMe?

The ritual of putting grease into the gland and screwing the crown down is good for my soul. And having just spent 45 minutes getting the bloody engine aligned onto the shaft while contorting like a cross between a speleologist and a gynecologist ,the drippy seal is staying!

yeah, they were fine. Got all flash and changed out the galvanised coach screws into the engine bed with shiny stainless ones. Dumb really - no-one sees them!

was gunna, but deminishing returns. Next time.

Buttoned up, ready to go back in. New exhaust mixer fitted a few new water hoses, new fuel lines new oil and filter, new rear main oil seal, internal anodes replaced, manual crank starter removed because only part of it was there anyway, some bolts and nuts replaced. Didn't get to the alternator step up, next time. The timber on the front where the manual start used ot be is to mount the intake water screen to because I had to cut of the one that was fitted to the side of the engine bay to get engine out...

No - we are based in Auckland and in a 10m keeler, but I figure its unhelpful to get too Auckland-centric. Who knows, we may winter the boat in the BOI or Nelson or Wellington or somewhere at some time. And I'd like to think the thread could be useful to people outside this ugly metropolis. But good point - perhaps let us know what your weapon of choice is when you describe the route. A trailer yacht is going to have a different route plan to a performance catamaran.

I'm new to this sailing gig but very much enjoying it. We are not racing anywhere, but are are exploring the Gulf and finding new to us locations each time we go out. Winter sets a new challenge with short cool days and almost certain foul weather from time to time. But it also gives great clear days and the promise of some reasonable breeze. So, after all that poetry, here's the deal. Post up your Winter Weekend route. Tell me about where, when, what the required wind direction and strength might be, what the highlights of the weekend might be, and any tips for any landfall

Totally agree Jim. I hate good tradies who undercharge - they are aften not around next time you need them

I ended up having it made. Ryan runs a workshop from home (just out of Waiuku on the Awhitu Penninsula) part time specialising in stainless exhaust fabrication and has a strong sideline in resoring and building 4WD projects from what I could see. Super-friendly, quick, and reasonable but not cheap - $220 all up. Exhaust is in 316 and is an exact copy of the fabricated item it replaces. Ryan machined the grip rings on the barb for the water inlet - nice attention to detail. He is contactable if you have something in mind - 027 289 4007

For anyone following this in years to come, the rear main seal for our 2QM20(H) is actually 60-82-8 dimensions, and the SKF part number is 23445. Original part is NOK AH3220F, but this has been superceded. It looks like Yanmar had a series of different specs over time for this engine. Be warned!