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idlerboat

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Everything posted by idlerboat

  1. I have a range of charge controllers running. From non descript early Chinese PWMs to a Victron in my Van. I like Victron stuff and have installed a bit of it , but the price of the bigger capacity units is more than I could justify for the benefits. (even if the display/controller unit is great fun to watch ). I think you will find that although based in the Netherlands , the bulk of their gear is manufactured in either India or China. (Like most). My big bank at home 5K of panels running into 3 banks of 2 volt AGMS (@12 volts a bank) is running three of the largest EPEVER con
  2. Hi...long time no post.....The rough weather has got in the way.....but we dont talk about that anymore... Im a little confused with this. Why not just get a micro computer (with ssd ) and go from there ? It covers all bases. Is cheap. reliable. and very easy to use. and can cope with all the very useful extra data that is worth finding.........They are also screen fast.... It is important to say at this point that you dont need new !!! I am assuming the project device is not going to be expected to do HD Netflix....so is what I am humbly suggesting. Me and several friends have
  3. A standard laptop with free software can convert HF weather fax signals. It works quite well and can be set to run automatically , downloading each fax as a file. But..l still have a imarsat phone. I used a txt weather service to get extra weather details. It was cheap but imarsat costs are very high. Talk costs for calls in , run at $10 minute so you need to tell people to text you only ( free or 50c) I would go iridium if l had a choice now. Starlink ( Elon Musk) will go mobile at the end of this year , and it promises to be much cheaper and faster per data amount than anyth
  4. idlerboat

    Bonding

    🙂.. that would be nice...in older timber "wet bilge " boats it's almost impossible to keep lower fittings electrically isolated. It is possible to design a new boat with a limited amount of through hulls. Not so easy to retrofit an older boat. My 38 foot yacht has no seacocks . The diesel engine is unmarinised and does not use plumbed raw water cooling ( direct or heat exchanger) . I would suggest that at the least , tapered emergency bungs of the right size should be kept with any older seacocks, as they tend to break off where the threads are between the through hull and seacocks
  5. idlerboat

    Bonding

    So ? Are you telling me that cheap fittings have not been put on boats ? In my world, the assumption is that all bronze through hulls without a known history are suspect. It's not worth the risk. Also given that, why replace them with anything metal ?
  6. idlerboat

    Bonding

    You mean like ALL bronze fittings ?😅
  7. idlerboat

    Bonding

    MH I totally agree with that article. It confirms what l have said. It's not new. Changing the skin fittings to corrosion resistant ones is the best option.. But l am talking about the great many vessels that have bronze through hulls. Ask yourself what causes de zincing ? ...and apart from changing the fittings what reduces this from happening.
  8. Re mh. 1. Hmm maybe.. but hey it's the US.. so as l said.. the vessel would be going back to the US. 2. What l said.and it does. 3. Yep . Don't change what l said. So.. again. International registration effects the country of final berth. Sure you can buy a vessel OS and register in its final country of berth... But as l said....if you don't you Will have to pay dues... I don't understand why that is being complicated or suggesting otherwise....
  9. idlerboat

    Bonding

    Total electrical isolation is very difficult. It becomes harder as the vessel becomes older ( regardless of what material it is made of) . Complete electrical isolation of the motor to hull is also difficult even if you have polymer engine mounts and prop couplings. Bonding of metal through hull fittings of all types and uses on plastic, timber and Ferro boats will save a lot of grief ..... ( Unless you are not going to keep the boat and pass it on to someone else who will then ask me and l will tell them to replace all the pink ...bronze hull fittings..which they will then break off when
  10. idlerboat

    Bonding

    "Would not worry about bronze skin fittings and valves as these are not in the circuit." 🙂 I would. ....and they are. Particularly on a timber vessel. They are highly prone to becoming brittle , and to be blunt...snapping clean off. They also inhance local timber "electrolysis" ..but better you do some more research.. ( off line..).
  11. Having your boat registered in a country is mandatory if you wish to travel between countries. This is not local registration or state registrations. Be very careful about some advice... Having a vessel registered in a country other than the country that you wish it to reside in can make you liable for GST/VAT/or other import duties. 10 % of the value of the vessel (the value is not up to you to decide) can be a lot more than registration. The registration papers will be required by most countries on first presenting to boarder control/customs. The paper work and initial contact is ofte
  12. Do you need flat ? lots or little ? ( shipping containers are cor 10) I dont have a price but know that it has come down in price because people are laser cutting it and making all sorts of outdoor stuff with the "rusty look".
  13. For two years, regardless of the brand ( but Altex no5 is good) At least two coats on all surfaces with one / two more on all leading and trailing areas. Fair out "missing, old antifoul" either wet and dry to a gentle fair or Prime and fill with an easily sanded fairing compound. (Dont use an epoxy filler in this case). Build thickness is just that... coarse rollers will put a lot on...but there is not a lot of point if there is large "valleys and peaks". Better to put three light coats on with an even build. Use an extension handle on your roller and get into a rhythm. Thi
  14. Sorry, I should have been a bit more complete in my description. Completely home made except for the sewing. The pieces are two mirror image sides, and top cover flaps.The material is a "sunbrella" type cloth. The edges are folded and seamed and then backed up with seat belt webbing. Along the bottom is a series of eyelets. These eyelets allow short lengths of cord to attach the sides to sail slugs in the boom top groove. This works with both a slugged or loose footed main, but obviously not with a bolt roped main. (This last usually requires some kind of extra hardware to be riveted onto the
  15. Yep...stackpac and Lazy jacks. (regardless of your batten choice) Makes life so much easier. Full cars will allow you to drop the main even with the wind on...but they are very expensive.. A two piece stackpac with solid fiberglass rods that connect to your lazy jacks is great for cruising. You can let the stackpac sides drop below the boom and pull the lazy jacks forward to the mast and tie them there. I cut the pieces out for mine and supplied them and a roll of 50 mm seatbelt webbing to the local horse blanket and tarp maker to stitch it up. Fantastic and cheap end product.
  16. The canvass and rubber "flat" fire hose makes excellent super anti chafe tubes.
  17. The TV thing first, if the signal is reasonable in the area you are in... Believe it or not but a set of $5 rabbits ears, attached to the shrouds with a plastic clamp works way better than all the omni directional units I have ever tried !! ...and no, they are not at the top of the mast...just as high as I can reach from the deck. I still use them (they do rust out ) and in my current marina I get 64 channels. When I travel , after docking I get them out and just point them in the same direction as the local roof top antennae are pointing. Press search on the TV and... usually bingo. I
  18. idlerboat

    Lithium v AGM

    Super capacitors are also an alternative. I know of a number of installations with solar charging. As a technology they are streets ahead of "chemistry" based storage. They will definitely ramp up in their usage and the price will come down a lot over the next few years. Here is a link to a commercially available stand alone power supply . https://solarbatteriesonline.com.au/product/sirius-energy-storage-capacitor-module-3-55kwh-48v/
  19. idlerboat

    Lithium v AGM

    This last picture is taken right now to my right...(with the lap top that I am typing this to you on) : ) no its not on my boat... But I just want you to understand that I am not playing...internet stuff.......that is less than a third of the bank I am currently putting in. And YES 20 years IS the design time for Commercial AGMs. Please read again about cycle parameters. I am a super practical person. I have limited finances. SO...Cost. Reliability. Longevity. Proof of product. Appropriate for circumstances . Thats what I do. / and what I always tell anyone else to do.
  20. idlerboat

    Lithium v AGM

    Im not sure what that means ? AGM s do not require any physical (apart from electrical) maintenance. They can be installed upside down quite happily. AGMs wont last 20 years on a boat ? maybee... but mine are well on the way. (second hand ex critical infrastructure batteries, now on my boat for 12 years) I guess we will have to wait for the other chemistry to get a bit older before it can make the same claims...
  21. idlerboat

    Lithium v AGM

    Not to nit pick....but I can get a 200amp AGM for $335 retail.... That changes the dollar per usable for the AGMs to $5.58....... Commercially graded AGMs have a 20 year constant use design time. "Cycles" as such, is very hard to quantify. The actual percentage of discharge before a recharge event may be anywhere from a percentage of 1% to the full 30% (assuming that your system has a system regulator that wont allow it to discharge any further.) This of course is the same for any battery system in a boat. High end and proper charging for LiFePo4 should have a temperature senso
  22. 😄😄😄😄😄😄 I guess I am now getting old. Please read your regs. RED OVER GREEN IS A SAILING MACHINE,,,,,,, yep. ... they dont make them but..... colregs state the above. (I have them on my boat). _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ rule one... If you comply with colregs... then ..you do... !! You DO NOT HAVE TO BUY A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT. Rule two... You are an idiot if you cant be seen.... if you value insurance more than your life then get
  23. 👍 The value of what you have done is more than the out of pocket cost. Its knowing your engine better, Knowing that often the charges for these kinds or repairs are "marine" ...Knowing that often there are other ways. So often you will hear ...leave that to an expert... OK...but if you are in the middle of an ocean passage , you may not have access to said expert...Wouldn't it be better if YOU became that expert ? ....I could say more...but the experts get upset..
  24. The batteries will last longer on than off. Commercial and emergency battery back up systems sit on a charger of some sort permanently . Letting the charge drop and then running it back up is hard cycling, which has a finite number in any battery system.
  25. The hawser cap with a chain slot is .Iike most boat things a very old idea. It can't work with most modern winches. The gypsy and entry port on them does not allow enough clear space. I have done them on big vessels , but of course they don't really need them... If you get joy in building ..build. If you want to ⛵ sail ..keep it safe and simple and sail.
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