Short Maintenance Visit

Half day visit and fitted the altered sump pump mounting.

Also changed the 55amp alternator for the 70amp alternator, to improve recharging time. Fitted a new inner belt but confused about which are my new belts so did not replace the outer.  This will have to wait for a later visit.

Planning our 2015 long cruise

I had thought we would go south to the K & A. We started out with this I tension a couple of years back but turned round at Oxford because of unremitting bad weather and then enjoyed fabulous weather all the way back. However, J suggested Liverpool so looked up the detail of our previous cruise there. Eventually found the spreadsheet, 2009, six years ago!

Now booked for Liverpool Link for late June. Press reports of online booking and changes to the access routine seem premature. The only change since our last visit is that boats transit from Hancocks Bridge to Malthouse Dock in one day (in 2009 boats were required to stop overnight at Eldonian Port).

Maintenance Visit

Visited for 2 nights, part maintenance and part leisure. Weather forecast was not good but turned out dry and sunny, but cold. Difficulties lighting the diesel stove seemed to be over now that the catalyser has been replaced.

When we took the boat round for a pump out the over voltage alarm on the Smartgauge was activated. I bought a replacement voltage regulator with a field wire fitted on eBay and replaced the faulty one. Running the engine pre and post fitting the new unit demonstrated the fault was fixed.

I had brought the 5 domestic batteries home when last visited the boat. One had a faulty cell and two more failed to hold the fully charged voltage. Refitted the remaining 2 and 3 new ones.

When new the engine had one alternator and the sump oil pump was at the front of the engine. When I fitted a second alternator the pump has moved to the side and mounted on a steel plate bolted to the side of the engine. The pump was held in place by 2 large cable clamps secured by bolts on the plate. A few years back I noticed that the cable clamps had broken and, although still in place, the pump was loose. Attempting to replace these I first ordered the same size cable clamps on eBay. Unfortunately, although the right size for the pump the holding holes did not align with the bolts on the plate. Then I ordered two cable clamps from Beta Marine but they supplied the wrong size. I gave up trying to correct this and the pump has been held on with just the one cable clamp. I was never happy that the pump could come loose if the single cable clamp broke. I have now modified the plate.

The picture on the left shows the remodelled plate with the clamps fitted. The picture on the right shows the new bolt, nearest, and the cut off bolt just to the right of the new one. After cutting off the old bolt, a new hole was drilled and tapped. The new bolt was screwed in and welded on place at the back.

J's new top accidentally left behind so extra visit now planned to bring it home. Plan to replace the domestic 55amp alternator with the 70amp alternator and fit the new pump plate. We're almost ready for the next cruising season.