Saturday 27 August 2011

Hout Bay in winter,continues

I guess we had a very mild winter,I do not recall much snow this year?

 The HBYC marina.

This is John,owner of the Morgan 31 Rosie Dry, which is the white boat behind him,next to that is the blue boat,also a Morgan 31 ex Pato but now renamed Hirondelle.Nice weather for winter,spring is close I think?

R McB

Thursday 25 August 2011

Good Gud Filters,a warning!

I have used the GUD brand of filters for decades,they are a well known and trusted quality brand in South Africa.They will not sell to you direct but will supply you via one of their many outlets on request,it was they who told me about the none return valve in a used filter from my BMW/Hatz diesel engine.

A warning flyer from G.U.D and found at one of their trade outlets.



Tuesday 23 August 2011

Bio-Tank Cleaner

When did you last pour diesel into your water tanks on your boat? Never,neither have I but it happens,more common is diesel into the bilge,the smell just will not go away?
For some years now we have had the right bio mix and method to remove the smell and the taste from fresh water tanks.

We still have some stocks left,please contact me if you want to place an order.

R McB

Diesel in your Water Tank?  Need a ‘Magic’, easy and relatively quick remedy?

A confession!  “Did I just do that?”  5 gallons of red diesel straight into one of the three fresh water tanks.  “I can’t believe I just did that!” 

After 40 years of avoiding this error, at last I had joined this elite and secretive club.  Who would wish to admit to this ‘crime’?  I had no choice as I observed my other  half who was running the hot water at the time.   So crime 2 – she, I mean I, allowed the red diesel to enter into the calorifier circuit, producing a lovely rainbow pattern in the sink.  Joking about it was my only recourse, as jumping off the Itchen Bridge seemed the only other option that would placate those around me.

Now what?   Straight onto the web – what had others done to rectify this error?  Well the most common answer was – avoid doing it!   Far better to have put water into the diesel tank than vice-versa.  From practical experience we would agree with that sentiment.  The second piece of advice was – “Isolate the water circulation system immediately – don’t use it!”   I had failed on that count as well! 

The most favoured solution offered was to replace all the affected water circuits with new pipes, tanks, pumps and calorifier as well.      This seemed extreme, very costly particularly in the time required to do the job.  Fortunately the boat was not needed for 6 days so I at least had time on my side.  

We started by taking the inspection hatch off the affected stainless steel water tank.  Yes there was the diesel and its characteristic smell but no water!    We had hoped to find the diesel floating on the top of the water – effectively isolating it from the water system but no, the tank had been nearly empty and that is why we had hot water seriously contaminated with red diesel.  We drained the tank, extracted it from its foam retaining structure and took it back to our workshop to transport it to the tank cleaners, who seemed less than certain that they could remedy the ‘diesel smell’ issue.   Retired for the day to ‘sleep on the problem’.

Next day dawned early, as I found sleep difficult – so onto the web again to see if any better ideas were available.  Well others had used agitated ‘Fairy Liquid’ to remove the diesel from tanks, with a variety of solutions to remove the residual Fairy Liquid and any remaining diesel smells.  So we tried that on our tank – hot water flushing and quite a lot of Fairy Liquid, followed by several hot water only flushes, then cold water only flushes, ending up with 16 Milton tablets standing in cold water overnight.    It worked!

Those on the web were far less confident that such remedial action would work for plastic tanks and pipes.  I tried using the technique on the affected hot water system, using the calorifier to heat the water and re-circulating it through the system using the affected water pressure pump.  Several attempts were made but one could always detect a trace of diesel, particularly the first flush from the calorifier.  I guess the heat brought the diesel off the walls of the calorifier, which then floated to the top to become the initial burst of hot water / diesel mix.


BioMagic

Tucked away in one blog, was reference to ‘BioMagic’, with claims that it had been used successfully to eliminate diesel and it’s smell from fresh water systems – mainly in caravans.   It claimed it was not necessary to remove tanks or plastic piping – too good to be true?

I looked it up on the web;   http://www.dairymax-uk.co.uk/ 
and then phoned Alex on 01530 249253.   He listened to my problem and confirmed that BioMagic should solve it for me but to follow the instructions carefully, particularly the inclusion of methylated spirits in the flushing process.   He reported success on many caravan-based systems and on one yacht.


We ordered some, re-installed the tank with new input and output plastic tubes, and flushed the whole hot water system through as per instructions, then put in the
BioMagic leaving it for 24 hours to ‘do its thing’.   We then flushed the whole system through again and there was no sign of diesel in either the cold water system, or the hot water system.  Bio Magic had worked!
Talking around the Marina, another person had the same problem but with plastic tanks.  We advised he try BioMagic, which he did.   He did not dismantle any of the system.    First try left some traces of diesel but following the second treatment all traces of diesel had gone.

So BioMagic worked for us, is not that expensive and certainly will save a lot of time and expense in not having to dismantle the water system and substitute new parts.

Eddie Hill
Firstaway Charters
Ocean Quay Marina
Southampton.
07798 730044

Monday 22 August 2011

A new Yankee cut headsail is for sale

When I say new,its been taken out of the bag just once but never raised on a boat at all.Size wise it suits a 48 foot yacht (Endurance 48) it may also suit any other similar sized yacht.The make is Ellens & Hudsen,well known Durban sailors and sailmakers,the quality and hand finish is really good.



The sail could also be used for its fabric alone to make a new suit of sails for a smaller boat,the tan cloth is a pleasure on the eye and does last a lot longer than plain white dacron.


New bag and tan dacron head sail.


Fine hand done leather works on the cringles,this looks like the head of the sail.



More nice finish work,this will be the Clew.



Bronze Piston Hanks can be removed if you want the sail to fit a furler,all that is needed is a suitable bolt rope sewing on.


Brand new and ready to ship!


We can have our local North Sails supply the bolt rope tape,cut and fit as their basic charge,you may want a UV cover sewing on too?

Technical stuff:

Known as a number one Yankee it is a 75% sized head sail,the area is 390 square feet or just over 36 square meters,the weight of the cloth is 325 grams.

The Luff is 15 meters,the foot 8.4 meters and the Leech 9.5 meters.


R McB



Nets,how to order them for your side rails

Those heading off shore may want a set of nets on the side rails forward of the mast,its a great idea and does allow you to drop a sail onto the deck with no fear of it falling over the side,winch handles and other small items are often contained by the same netting.

New netting,about the correct size for a yacht,there is enough for a boat about 45feet I would think.
Should anyone need any,its for sale .

How to order more?


Check the rule,this is two inch netting? wrong its four inch netting,check the next picture to see why.


When you phone Appledore Lighthouse here in Cape Town to order your netting,you give them the size of the net corner to corner not across the width,so if you asked for two inch netting you will get one inch!


The hight of this netting  suits the deck to top safety line on most yachts,its about 750mm.





Sunday 21 August 2011

The Gardener 8L3 diesel engine,pictures in detail

We had a phone call last night,there are two of these amazing engines for sale,with a mass of history too it seems,Burma,Dunkirk and also as the Queens launch in Canada.Contact me for prices etc.

The engine is a life time runner,150hp and 900 rpm!

R McB

Check the yellow track and see just how economical a Gardener 8L3B diesel engine can be!



http://www.boat-yacht-charters.com/build/engine/engine.php

Try this link to learn more about SV Asia

The hull came with a Gardner 8L3 engine that was made in 1952 and spent most of its life in a New Zealand Railways shunting locomotive. It was apparently rebuilt around 1992 and shortly afterward the locomotive was laid off. The engine has then spent the last 15 years sitting in a shed.

The Gardner's are widely regarded as the best marine engines ever built. They are very reliable and very fuel efficient - much more than a modern engine. They are also massive - the 8L3 is a 24 litre engine that is rated at only 150 Hp. From my initial look at the engine it seemed in good condition, despite a thick coating of 15 years of muck! This cleaned off and after 15 years sat in storage this engine started at first attempt. It sounds magnifient and from all indictions is in excellent condition.







As happens with my blogs from time to time,it goes off in what may appear to be an unrelated direction,to day its the turn of what turns out to be one of the best diesel engines built in days gone by,the Gardner 8L3.

Engine

The choice of the main engine for SV Asia has been a difficult one.

The hull came with a Gardner 8L3 engine that was made in 1952 and spent most of its life in a New Zealand Railways shunting locomotive. It was apparently rebuilt around 1992 and shortly afterward the locomotive was laid off. The engine has then spent the last 15 years sitting in a shed.

The Gardner's are widely regarded as the best marine engines ever built. They are very reliable and very fuel efficient - much more than a modern engine. They are also massive - the 8L3 is a 24 litre engine that is rated at only 150 Hp. From my initial look at the engine it seemed in good condition, despite a thick coating of 15 years of muck! This cleaned off and after 15 years sat in storage this engine started at first attempt. It sounds magnifient and from all indictions is in excellent condition.

Sunbeam Sport oil cooler mounting bracket templates

January 23rd 2014:

We are now about to start re making these Items, having used the templates supplied by the Imp Club
and cut a pair out by hand, I know they will fit, not like some we Imported some time back.

Roy

This is one of those oddball items that we need when using the Sport type two row tube oil cooler,known as the Wire Brush cooler.


The mounts are the side plates on both ends of the cooler.

Left hand end.


Right hand end,note,these are from a vendor,this bracket had to be re bent to allow it to fit,so beware your buying the correct item.

 Templates made from a drawing supplied by Bob at the Imp Club spares department,I needed to know where they the correct shape? some welding will be required to fasten the captive nuts under the plates.


The drawing is (i think) available only to Imp Club members and from Bob Allan,the Spares man,find him at spares@theimpclub.co.uk introduce yourself and have your membership card handy.


Hi Roy

Great templates. Would be a good idea to have as a downloadable PDF on the website perhaps as many people fit oil coolers to their non-Sport Imps and the original brackets are getting very hard to find now.

Kind regards
Grahame Pearson
Editor, Impressions

www.theimpclub.co.uk

The Imp Club Limited
Registered Office, 130 Swanley Lane, Swanley, Kent BR8 7LH
Company number 3452604