Ariel #414

[Tim Mertinooke]

How did it go?

Pictures?

[mbd]

Hey Tim. No pictures, sorry. But, launch day went very smoothly, thanks.

Yesterday was mast stepping day. I took the afternoon off and joined a couple of other sailboats at the club to do the deed. We waiting all afternoon for the wind to die down, and it was 6:30 PM when it was finally my turn. I took the launch out to my boat to head in to the crane. I opened to raw water seacock, turned the key and with great anticipation, pushed the button to start the engine. ...Nothing. No turning over, just nothing. It ran and started perfectly the day before. :confused:

So, instead of rigging the boat my next trip out there, I'll be bringing Nigel Calder, Don Casey and Mr. Manual to troubleshoot my starting issues. :mad:

BTW, nice looking website! (http://www.fuji32.com/page_home.html)

[Tim Mertinooke]

Good to hear the launch went smoothly. There is always that moment with me where even though I know it will float, I expect the worst.

I ran into a similar situation this spring running mine on shore. The throttle for my diesel needs to be set back to neutral in order for it to start. I would throttle down some and then turn the key off, then pull the stop cable to turn the engine off. I couldn't turn it over again unless I put the throttle back in the neutral position. I don't know exactly how it works, but it appears to reset something. Hopefully your problem is as simple solve.

Thanks for the website plug. Once I have more material it should fill right up.

[mbd]

Thanks for the thought Tim. I went down this weekend with your angle in mind, thinking I had missed something, but to no avail. Eventually, I DID get it going though. As a last ditch effort, before I started dismantling everything, I thumped the solenoid with a rubber hammer, powered up, pushed the button, and vroooom! Go figure. Looks like I'll be needing a solenoid.

Hopefully, the mast will go up THIS weekend...

[Tim Mertinooke]

It's the old "hit it with a hammer" trick. I have tried that on most things I work on to no avail. Glad to see it worked for you:)


BTW-Excalibur Launch date is confirmed for 6-14. There was a 6-13 spot open, but being a sailor I was too superstitious to take it! The plan is still to head north on the monday after the 4th of July with Casco bay in our sites the end of that week. You should pm me your cell number so we can do some coordination.

[mbd]

Nothing wrong at all with 6-13 - that's my son's b-day!

I'll be in touch...

[mbd]

At last the new season is here!! :D

[CapnK]

Sweeeeeeeeettttttt... :)

[ebb]

Of course she's the center of attention.
THAT's a GOOD LOOKING little boat.
OK, now check out the others in the background....

Feel the same thing???
Anything at all?:p

[mbd]

Well, I missed out on getting the boat hauled before the docks were pulled this year, so I'm staying in until the end of October. So far, so good!

[mbd]

Wow! Another gift weekend for October! My son and I went to explore an old fort in the middle of Portland harbor.

It's easy to get lost in the lists of lists of things to do and jobs that need tending to. Yesterday was a nice reminder of what it's all about...

http://picasaweb.google.com/mbderr/FortGorgesOct192008#


A good day! :)

[mbd]

I just love these boats!

...still dreading that November winterizing though. :o

[Tony G]

That looks like it was a great time, Mike. Truely envious here. I gotta chuckle, with a tear in my eye, 'Novermber winterizing'?! Must be nice!

[commanderpete]

Yesterday was a nice reminder of what it's all about...


Very nice Mike

[Lucky Dawg]

Hey Mike,
On the prospective winter project list... on the chain locker cover pictured in post #11 http://pearsonariel.org/discussion/showpost.php?p=9602&postcount=11, I can't tell from looking at it - is the panel with the anchor raised or routed out? My eyes are playing tricks on me and I can see it both ways!

[mbd]

Hi Kyle, I see what you mean... It's a removable panel. It's got little clip things and a cleat along the bottom on the backside so you remove it and access the chain locker. I'll be tarping this weekend and can take some pics if you're interested...

[mbd]

Well, after some unpleasant news in the beginning of the year at work which left me wrestling with the idea of selling Sea Glass for a couple of months, then a long and soggy Spring which seems to have no end in sight, Sea Glass is finally back in the water at her new mooring field.

[mbd]

The sun poked out for a moment and the wind picked up just enough to go out for a short sail. I think these guys were just happy to have some sun to dry out a bit - they didn't even try to move, just watched us slowly ghost past them...

[mbd]

I had a "full circle" moment as we sailed past Orca. She was the first Ariel I came across on the web a number of years back and the one that got me hooked. I even emailed the owner Ed a few years ago to see if he was selling back when I was looking for my Ariel. Now, I'm happy to have landed in the same mooring field as Orca and will see her every time I go out. Looking good Ed!

[mbd]

Also, a quick "thank you" to Ted Mahavier for his generosity - a little piece of Chalupa lives on (main sheet block) and will enable Sea Glass to sail the waters of Southern Maine for the forseeable future! (Hope you're enjoying your spacious CD28 Ted!)

[carl291]

Mike, I know what you mean on news from work, Who gets GOOD news from work any more? I would guess only the people who work the printing presses making money for this Gov'ment.

Boat looks great. Ted M. is a very generous man indeed, I got a couple of much needed parts as well,

Have a great sailing season.

[mbd]

Thanks Carl - we're trying to get out between rain storms!

Here's Sea Glass at her new mooring, and Orca just beyond. Nice to have another Ariel for company. :)

[mbd]

Well, it's been a short but fun Summer. Sea Glass and crew spent the last couple of weekends at Chebeague Island in Casco Bay. Just a few hour sail and we're at the Chebeague Island Boatyard, but it feels worlds away.

[mbd]

I felt quite at home with all the Alberg hulls in the mooring field. Ensigns are everywhere, they've got a huge fleet there.

#1 - an Electra
#2 - Oops! I stand corrected. One much more knowledgeable than myself pointed out this is a Sea Sprite 27, not a CD 27. That means it's not an Alberg hull - but it's still pretty nice... :o
#3 - one evening, a Triton pulled in and anchored at Crow Island, just across the way. To the right, you can see an Ensign, just behind it, the recently purchased Commander 126, then some non-Alberg to the left...

[mbd]

Chebeague Island is a very special place. One day we hiked out to Deer Point, on the SE tip of the island.

#1 - Deer Point looking West to Little Chebeague Island
#2 - Deer Point South towards the Atlantic

Cheers everyone, enjoy the rest of the season! Fall is here in New England. :o

[Tim Mertinooke]

Maine...the best cruising ground on Earth!!! I know what you're feeling inside when you take your kids to these magical places. We're doing our kids right Mike.

[mbd]

Sailing off the mooring...

[mbd]

Pretty decent Sunday afternoon view of Portland harbor from the mooring...

[mbd]

Back on the mooring...

[bill@ariel231]

Mike
That companionway looks great! I may have to add one of those to periwinkle ;)
Cheers
bill@ariel231

[Tony G]

That companionway looks great! I may have to add one of those to periwinkle
No kiddin' there! Thoses hatches have been an inspiration since day one. Put me down for some teak on #113. It won't be on the slider but we'll get some just the same.

[mbd]

Spring has sprung! Hopefully I'll be putting her on my mooring sometime this weekend.

Picture courtesy of the Chebeague Island Boatyard webcam...

[Tony G]

Congrats, Mike!

She looks great out there. That is probably the best use of a webcam I've seen yet!

I must confess, through the winter months I go to the St. John Island Spice webcam that look out onto Cruz Bay Ferry dock. Whew! That was cathartic. Thank you, Mike.

[mbd]

So I headed out to the island this weekend to bring Sea Glass to her home mooring. The forecast was for 70's and sunny with a nice breeze picking up in the afternoon, thanks to a high camped offshore for a few days.

Sunday morning, my wife took me up the the ferry landing and this...

[mbd]

Here comes the ferry...

[mbd]

I'm not complaining. It did clear up somewhat once I got out there, and at least it wasn't hot. The item in the foreground, however, was a harbinger of things to come...

[mbd]

The Yanmar ran for about 5 minutes then abruptly stopped. I have never been a fan of where a PO place the fuel fill - on the floor of the cockpit. A curious decision to say the least.

After finding lots of water and algae in the fuel, I diagnosed a failed rubber ring on the fuel cap. As much as I like my Yanmar, it is not a hydrogen fuel cell and algae is the wrong kind of "bio" for the diesel.

The sail home will have to wait. So I put the main sail on and called it a day.

[mbd]

There are certainly worse ways to spend your day...

[ebb]

Apart from the fact that you have Sea Glass moored in a Impressionist painting....

Mike,
that fuel tank situation sounds like a disaster!
Visited a site called Diesel.com where I learned you have 28% degradation of diesel after 28 days storage in the tank.
To keep a diesel happy it's like the guy who has to keep the plates spinning, running from one to the other constantly!

What does one do with fouled fuel? How do you get the solids out?
How do you get the slime out, clean the tank, clean the lines? Can you afford changing the filters constantly?
Is the station where you buy the diesel selling you good stuff?
Man!

Just gonna say you can always go sailing! But looking at how tite and tidy and skinny the blue cover is on your boom... have you checked your mainsail recently?

Wish mine was in the water!

Hope it's not as complicated as it sounds, nor as expensive.

[mbd]

Hope it's not as complicated as it sounds, nor as expensive.
Me too - and hopefully not a "disaster"!

[carl291]

Mike,
I know this may be long winded but..... Once Algae is in your tank you have one of two choices, kill it or starve it.
Kill it, you have to treat with a biocide, this stuff is very dangerous for you to use, think totally suited up and don't get any of this on your skin or breathe it either. This difficult for an individual to purchase.
Starve it, All the water moisture has to be removed from the fuel and kept out long enough to starve the algae, I can't tell you how long that is , it depends on the algae, probably 3 or 4 weeks ( although forever would be good) Go to a NAPA type parts store and buy fuel additive that removes moisture, in ME anyone that sells diesel will have the stuff, my favorite brand is HOWES but any will work. Drain the water out if you can ,replace filters and run engine. You may want to consider a fuel/water seperator for your boat if you don't already have one. Keep your fuel tank full and use the correct amount of fuel conditioner for several weeks and your problem will be solved.
I might add here a test for algae or simply sludge, drain some out of the filter and smear on a cloth. spray this gunk with a degreaser or starting fluid. If it dissolves it is just gunk, if the cleaner does nothing to it , it is algae.:(
That's my "short" answer!!

[mbd]

Carl thanks for the reply! Also, I was just assuming all the black floaties in the watery fuel I was draining was algae. I'll certainly take your advice for future use, but this time around, being that the boat is still at the boatyard out on an island and difficult to get to, I elected to go the "call the boatyard" route. I've been pleased with their responsiveness and have no doubt they'll do it properly. I'm just worried, as Ebb mentioned above, what the final invoice will look like...

[Orca]

Sorry to hear of the troubles Mike. I'll be putting in around June 9 and bringing her over to the mooring that weekend. Ed

[Commander227]

Mike,
Sorry for your troubles.
This is a common problem, the internal tanks are usually way too big and you can never burn through a tank in a year. the fuel gets treated in the fall, a gallon or two are added in the spring, on and on. pretty soon the mean average age of the fuel in the tank is five years.
What I like to do is ditch the inboard tank completely and add a 3 gallon outboard tank complete with squeeze bulb. you do need to add a fuel return line by installing a brass barbed fitting from the hardware store or better yet another fuel quick disconnect. The squeeze bulb helps with bleeding the engine after filter changes etc. With this tank you can take it home with you to fill it, easily inspect the fuel and ditch any remaining fuel at the end of the year. The whole set up will run ya about $75.00. On a long voyage, just bring more tanks.
Mike
C227

[mbd]

Carl, that is a fantastic idea! I've been intending to do the squeeze bulb thing, but had never heard/thought of the portable tank. It'd help with my trim issues too. Very clever. Thanks!

Ed - hope to see you out there soon!

[mbd]

Today I'm on the fence with the portable tank idea. It certainly has some merits, but so does a well cared for (eh hem!) permanent installation...

[mbd]

Saturday the 29th looked like good weather to bring her home. The weather report said 10 MPH winds from the South in the afternoon, and the boatyard cleaned the fuel system and pronounced Sea Glass 'ready'.

[mbd]

...but the winds didn't materialize and as soon as I put the motor into gear and gave it throttle I started belching a black cloud of exhaust and trailing soot in the water. But the fuel was quite clean. The boatyard had just closed, so I made the decision to just get her to my mooring already where she was closer. Halfway home, the engine finally just quit. But the wind did pick up enough to have a nice quiet sail home where I tucked her in for the day.

It is high time for some TLC and proper care and feeding of the Yanmar anyway, which I'll deal with this season. Fortunately, I don't really need an engine where I'm located.

I was glad to have her close by and back home, and was rewarded Monday with a very nice and breezy sail out and around one of the islands. :)

[mbd]

Sea Glass at her mooring...

[Triton106]

Mike,

That looks like one of the Ariel's big sister ship Triton that you are moored next too. Do you know the owner or the hull number?

BTW, beautiful pictures!

Ray
Triton 106 "Blossom"
Alameda, California

[mbd]

Thanks Ray. No I don't know the hull# and have only spoken with the captain in passing. I'll make a point to check next time I get a chance. It is interesting to see how small an Ariel appears next to a stretched out Triton...

[mbd]

Ray, the Triton pictured is Aurora II...

[Triton106]

Thanks Mike for id'ing the Triton in the picture. Here is the picture of Aurora II on Naitonal Triton Website:

6860

Moored at Willard Beach, South Portland Maine. Notice Portland Head Light in the background.

[Jon]

Mike,

Is there a picture that shows the Triton next to an Ariel? Sure would love to see that.

[ebb]

As I've said before
it'll be like comnparing Marylin Monroe with Jamie Lee Curtis.....

[Jon]

Ebb, by growing up in the Deep South I have always had a keen eye for women and for horses and a comparison of those two is a match race. It just depends upon where you are and how frisky they are when you do see them but know this and it's a guarantee: both are show ponies and they'll break your heart if you let them. I still like seeing comparative pictures though, lol.

[mbd]

...from post #299. Not exactly side-by-side. A little deceptive because I'm farther out in the mooring field, and perhaps the darker hull makes Sea Glass appear a bit smaller? Although, I'm waiting for Pete to post the pics everyone would really like to see. :o

[mbd]

Well, haulout is next week. I've been spending my Fall sailing time clearing a spot beside the garage to store the boat. This gives me the option to store her indefinitely for *FREE* until I am able to get to the upcoming project$. (No more plans to sell her - looks like you guys are stuck with me.) :)

The season began with a webcam shot, so it somehow seems fitting to end the season with one.

[ebb]

She must love you!

[CapnK]

Mike -

I am glad to know you will still be around, and with Sea Glass.

I never voiced that opinion before, since it was contrary to your own (thankfully short, and quite possibly, faulty) thinking ;), but think it safe to do so now that you have come to your senses.

{two_thumbs_up} Atta boy!!! :cool:

[mbd]

Thanks for the sentiments fellas. I had thought I was ahead on things and had a few more years before anything else BIG came due. Oh well, onward through the fog...

[commanderpete]

Great news Mike. Your boat is too nice to give up.

[Chance]

Alberg designs and Maine sailing waters, is there a better union? Very good to hear you'll be maintaining stewardship of Sea Glass.

[mbd]

Time to get started on those commissioning chores...

8840

[Commander 147]

That looks a lot like Wisconsin. I spent 3 weeks there this winter and shoveled the white stuff almost every day I was there.

[Crazer]

Looks like Ithaca too. I got so tired of the late spring this year that I'm moving back to Maryland this summer, and I have sworn never to live north of the Mason-Dixon line again. Good to hear from you.

[ebb]

how long will it take for that big
chunk of ice on your boat to melt?

[paulsproesser]

winter has been kind to us here in maryland. let me know where you settle and maybe we can meet up this summer.

[mbd]

Been awhile since I've updated this thread.

The good news is that I finally got the tarp off Sea Glass and started doing some clean-up and mucking about.

The bad news however, is that Sea Glass will not be splashed yet again this season.

But the good news is that I AM sailing another exceptional Alberg designed boat this Summer!

The bad news is that she is not mine, but through a series of serendipitous events, I am now fostering a Sea Sprite 23 while I help the owner sell her.

Meet Totoro. A 1977 CE Ryder Sea Sprite 23. Incidentally, her decks were also redone by the capable hands of one Mr. Tim Lackey. Get in touch if you or someone you know would like to buy an excellent boat in great condition. Details here: Sea Sprite 23 Classifieds (http://www.seaspriteassociation.com/classifieds/forsale-ss23/cayce/)

http://www.seaspriteassociation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Totoro-101.jpg

[Lucky Dawg]

That is a sweet little ride. Love the oars. Where ate the oar locks? An Alberg?

[mbd]

The owner made those oars along with an almost finished Bolger designed stitch and glue dinghy, which also goes with Totoro - unless I buy it and finish it myself. Oar locks are one of the first of the "care and feeding" projects to do. Feels great to get back out on the water in a pretty boat. :)

[Lucky Dawg]

You lobstah fishin'? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/25/blue-lobster-caught_n_5710735.html

[mbd]

Ha! Yeah, I saw that - it seems like I should at least know the guy being in the same town and all.

Update:
So Totoro was sold last August, but the new owner still hasn't picked her up. :confused:
What a fantastic and pretty design by Mr. Alberg! The SS23 is a really nice little sailing vessel, but tight down below.

...nd Sea Glass has missed another season. I've done a couple of things on her but just didn't get the inertia going to get her ready.

I have gotten some sailing in on a friend's Rozinante though! :cool:

9359

[Commander227]

How is sailing the Rosinante? I nearly bought one before I settled on The Princess.
What a stunning boat!

[mbd]

She sails every bit as good as she looks too! We went out last weekend and I cannot believe how incredibly well she points! I think the extra sail area of the mizzen really moves her along deceptively well in light airs too. He's also engineless, so not dragging a prop through the water is a big plus too. Every time we go out, we just sail right past other, often larger boats. And I have yet to be out on the boat when someone didn't compliment her looks. On the down side, there is a LOT of Spring maintenance to get her ready, and the extra sail adds a few more lines to deal with. I'd think it'd be a challenge to single hand. But wow, what a boat!

The best part though, is her name: Ariel... ;)

[mbd]

So it has been a long time coming, but it is time to part ways with Sea Glass. She is up for sale and needs a new home. (http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/showthread.php?2786-FS-Ariel-in-Maine-3200)

She has been a wonderful vessel, has given me and my family many many cherished memories, and has always gotten me and my crew home safely. But she should not be sitting in the side yard like she has been. It's criminal. The diesel needs attention or repowering, and that is just not in the cards for me. So for someone who is ready for that challenge, she's a perfect fit and ready.

I'm very sad however - but it's not all bad either. Remember sv Totoro, that perky little Sea Sprite 23 from a few posts earlier? Well, as it turns out, after 2 years, the owner never had her hauled down to Jersey or picked her up. The first winter, I shoveled the snow out of her cockpit and put a tarp over her. The next winter I kept checking on things and she still hadn't left.

That following spring, as I was commissioning Sea Glass to sail her engineless for the season, I talked it over with my wife and said, what if I offer Totoro's owner a ridiculous price? Long story short, I did, he said yes, and the little orphaned SS23 found a home.

So I have been, and will continue sailing Totoro for the immediate future. At this point in time, with 2 high schoolers and their schedules, the smaller boat is just a better fit. So we'll continue on with Sea Glass' little sister and hope Sea Glass finds a new family she can take care of soon.

[Lucky Dawg]

Hey Mike,
While I know that the time is right when the time is right... I hate to see you go! I've appreciated your input and insights over the years.

[mbd]

Well, Sea Glass has been sold. She isn't going too far. She'll be sailing out of the other end of the bay. Fortunately for her, her new skipper knows his way around diesels and happens to be a carpenter as well. Hopefully he'll sign on here soon and take advantage of this great community.

So thanks Kyle and everyone else who makes this such a great place to hang out. Maybe my next post will be one of Sea Glass out sailing with her new family! Until then, fair winds!

[414]

Hello All,

I am the lucky new owner of Sea Glass, hull number 414! I know Mike is a well respected member of this forum and I hope I can earn my keep too. Many of you have likely never met Mike in person but I have had the pleasure and he is a great guy who clearly loves these boats very much.

I’m excited about her and looking forward to getting on with the engine rebuild and rudder issues that she currently has. We should have her in the water by next spring and sailing the coast once again. I’m a newbie to “big boats” and have only owned a small aluminum fishing boat and a 12’ sailing dinghy, so lots to learn for me.

Just wanted to introduce myself and say thank you to the members of this forum for already providing a huge resource of knowledge.

-Ben

[GSGardner]

Welcome Ben! Congratulations on your new boat!

[Lucky Dawg]

Welcome Ben! Keep us posted on the gory details of the work you'll be doing. We eat that stuff up. Congrats on upgrading to such a great yacht!

[414]

Hi Everyone,

I'm starting to get my head around the list for A 414 - Mike's (MBD) old boat 'Sea Glass'. I've got a bunch of ideas and a a few big items that must be addressed and most of them I have a good idea how I want to tackle them. The rudder though is a different story.

After reading what I can find here and elsewhere on the rudder I'm thinking this one is not as bad as it looks. There is not really anything that is soft except one spot in the center that I can cut out and fit a new piece of mahogany in with epoxy and some bronze rod. Also the shoe is perfect - no play between the shaft and shoe. The rudder to tiller connection is also good with a just barely noticeable amount of play. And Mike already did the upgrade to the delrin bushing and gave me a new o-ring too (he really is a great guy)!

SO what would you do if this were your boat? I'm not afraid of pulling it and doing whatever will get me the most years.

Thanks!

-Ben 1015110152

[mbd]

...SO what would you do if this were your boat? I'm not afraid of pulling it and doing whatever will get me the most years.
OH OH! You'll learn not to say something like that around here! :rolleyes:

Seriously though, a PO had previously encapsulated the rudder with expoxy/glass. It had long failed and I would just bottom paint it each year. I had been picking at it over the years to determine if the wood underneath was still solid.

I'll now return to vicariously spectating. I am really looking forward to watching your progress. She is in good hands!

[414]

Hi Nathan (in response to post #188 of this thread. Way back in 2007),

I'm the new owner of 414 "Sea Glass" and I've read through this thread about 5 times now (yes it's a little much but I'm excited damn it!) and I just realized I can actually contribute here.

The portlight frames still look great 10 years later. No chipping or fading, or at least if they are fading it is very even. For this specific application it looks like the rustoleum is a great choice.

-Ben

[414]

Hey Everybody,

Finally pulled the '83 Yanmar 2GM out of #414 today. Surprisingly quick and straightforward job. Mike (mbd) had done more than half the work for me before I bought it. All I really did today was unhook the wiring, fuel lines, raw water and unbolt (had to cut one) engine mount, and the control linkages and come-along it up through the companionway. It's now sitting on blocks in the shop ready for teardown. I've already taken the exhaust elbow off and it was pretty rough in there, I don't have a picture to post now but I will post it soon. Here are a couple shots of the engine ready to come out and one of it gone. Feels crazy to have it out - and exciting!

-Ben

P.S. Sorry for the sideways images. Still learning how to use the forum!

[414]

Here is a view of the inside of the exhaust elbow and the exhaust port on the head. The port on the head was about 2/3 full but I couldn't help but poke it before getting a picture. Obviously the head is coming off so we'll see how she looks on the inside.

On another note - I'm pulling the current fuel tank and building a new one. Any input on size that would make sense? From research it looks as though 3 gallons will get about 12 hours of run time so I'm thinking between a 3 and 4 gallon tank but I'd be open to input before I go building one. It will be a custom tank - not interested in a portable or plastic tank - I'll just make it up from either stainless, aluminum or (dare I say it?!) mild steel! or I might cut up the current tank and reuse it's bits and pieces. It's aluminum. The reason to move to a new tank are many including:
-Tank is under cockpit floor and the filler is in the cockpit floor too.
-Tank is too big and it will take too long to move 12 gallons of diesel through this little bugger.
-Tank has no access port for cleaning. New tank will include a port large enough to get a hand inside

Another question I have on the tank is where is the best place to mount it? I'm thinking about inside the rear lazarette with the fill neck in there too. I'd need to open the hatch to fill it but it would limit the potential for water entry and would be nice and tidy looking. Spills while filling could be an issue with other items in there but I need to be careful either way (don't want diesel going overboard through the cockpit drains either). Breather would be kept in the same location on the transom.

Thanks for any input!

-Ben

[Bisquit]

Good luck with the rebuild. Looks like she needs it but I think the 2GM is worth the effort. I have a 2GM and I put my tank on a shelf under the cockpit floor above the stuffing box. The fill is on the cockpit floor but no problems with water or spills so far.

10202

10201

[414]

Hi Bisquit,

Thanks for the response - I know it's a common place for the tank and would probably be fine but it just gives me the hebejebes! What has your experience been with with fuel consumption? Ever have issues with algae in the tank?

Pulled the head off late last night and everything looks good. Cylinder liners are in great shape with cross hatch still visible and no scoring or uneven wear apparent. Valves looked good too. A little carbon build up on everything but nothing that would cause the engine to not run or even run rough. I lapped the valves since I had it apart anyway and cleaned all the carbon that was accessible. Going to order the gaskets and get it back together soon.

The thing I was not expecting was the water injection elbow (it's the u-shaped one in this case). On the outlet side it was very corroded but had a fair amount of area for gasses and water to escape as you can see in the picture. After much heating with the oxy-propane rosebud the inlet side came apart (meaning separated from the exhaust piping that is between the water injection elbow and the cylinder head, what would be called the manifold if it had multiple ports) the interior had closed down to less than a pencil's width for the exhaust to escape! It was impossible to see this until the two had been separated. In the photo you can see a greenish area that is the passage.

So my thoughts now, after seeing the inside of the engine looking quite normal, is that the exhaust had closed down to the point where back pressure was extremely high and thus the engine could not pull in the fresh air charge. This made the fuel to air ratio very rich for any given engine load and caused incomplete combustion, giving the black smoke that Mike experienced back when she conked out. The only thing this doesn't explain is why the mechanic reported low compression on inspection in the boat:confused:. I should have tested it before tearing the engine down but I was just so convinced I'd find a smoking gun in the valve train or scored up cylinder liners I just went for it - lesson learned.

[CapnK]

I had a ~6 gallon tank on my Com-Pac 23D (w/a Universal M2-12, IIRC), stainless and custom-made to fit under what serves as the laz/seat on those boats. It was that capacity because that was the amount of space available there. To run it dry would have taken 24 hours or more of non-stop motoring, as it had a 1/4gal/hour burn at hull speed, so you should be able to get by with a 2-4 gallon tank plenty fine. I'd go with a small tank like that under the cockpit floor like Bisquit has, and design it to be pretty easily removable for cleaning/inspecting. Shouldn't be hard to do, with that small of a volume. You can use an outboard engine bulb/line to transfer from a jerry tank sitting on the cockpit seat into your main tank with little drippage/mess, and keep the inlet inside one of the cockpit lockers for simplicity. Thanks for taking care of the old gal! :)

[414]

Hi Kurt,

That is a good idea, thank you. It is a nice space for the tank since it's hard to use for much else and if the filler neck was under the cockpit seat instead of in the cockpit floor I'd feel a lot better about water entry and such. Also thanks for the fuel usage numbers. That's about what I've been able to dig up on the 2gm but good to hear from someone with experience with a similar engine and similar weight boat.

The rebuild has been on hold for the last week or so. I stupidly misplaced a part which is not helping. Also, I always think that at the holidays I'll have time to putter but I never seem to find it!

More photos and details soon.

-Ben

[414]

Whooo Hooooo!!! Found the misplaced part, bled the fuel system and cranked the engine on the stand. After about 5 seconds of cranking it fired and puffed out some white and black smoke then quit. After another 5 second crank it started and idled along! Black smoke cleared up in a couple seconds of running. After maybe 10 seconds I shut it down because it's currently inside (exhaust build up) and the cooling system is completely removed and I don't want to go backwards on this thing.

Now on to temporarily getting the cooling system hooked up, testing the transmission and letting it run for a good while to see if my hopes are correct at this point. If that all checks out then it's on to resealing, cleaning, painting and all the work on the boat to get ready to put things back together.

Excited to have a living engine! Here's hoping it's healthy too.

Happy New Year to all!

-Ben

[414]

Had a scary moment in the engine rebuild yesterday when after hooking up the temporary cooling system (a bucket filled with water and some garden hoses) water started spraying from the exhaust! Shut the engine down and when in the house to have dinner. Later that night I realized that the zinc bung just below the exhaust had been leaking and the exhaust manifold wasn't on tight. It was creating a venturi effect and sucking in the water spray from the bung and pulsing it out with the exhaust. Today I tightened the manifold and the problem resolved.

I then descaled the engine with 7-10% HCL (muriatic acid from the hardware store) circulated through for 5 minutes, followed up with baking soda and water to neutralize the acid then about 5 gallons of clean water that I allowed to circulate through the system for 5-10 minutes. All told the engine was running for about 25-30 minutes. I might catch some flack for using HCL for the descale and I wouldn't recommend it for routine maintenance but I decided to go for it after testing a few bronze (brass perhaps given the anodes?) parts from the engine in undiluted HCL (~30%) for 5 minutes. They did fine but were totally descaled. Also this engine is all cast iron - no aluminum heads or any other part and I removed the two zincs to prevent them from being eaten. Lastly the engine had a bunch of fine sand in the bottom of the water jacket that was sort of encased in scale. The only way I could see to get it out was to bust all that scale first then flush it out. Seems to have worked.

I then drained the oil from both the engine and transmission. The engine oil was great but after the 30 minutes of running the transmission oil looked like thin mayonnaise :(. I'm hoping it's from condensation that built up over the years this motor sat and not from something I have yet to discover. We'll see when I give it a flush then refill with new oil and run it again.

Next is to take care of a few oil leaks, replace all the rubber hoses, new thermostat, raw water impeller, degrease the thing and slap some paint on. Then on to the interior of the boat - new rear engine mounts, paint for the whole engine "room" and a drip pan of some sort for under the motor to keep everything out of the bilge.

What have others done for a drip pan under the engine? I've got a bunch of 20oz copper left over from a recent job and I'm thinking of making a simple soldered copper pan that laps onto the logs the engine is mounted on then hangs down under the oil sump - with a pretty agressive slope forward so I can mop up the inevitable spills easily. I also have some galvanized sheet from another job that solders nicely and it would take paint better than the copper. Anyway just spitballing now... if anyone has a recommendation let me know.

-Ben

[414]

Still chipping away at the 2gm. New zincs, fuel filter and I replaced the couple of fasteners I chose to cut to remove the engine. I also slapped (and I do mean slapped) some new Yanmar grey paint on it. Time to deal with the engine room if I can get a day that isn't super cold or raining. Plan to cut out the rear engine mounts and replace them then clean, sand and repaint the whole area before re-installing the engine.

I'm thinking of tearing out most of the existing wiring. It's all pretty old (much original I'd guess) and some of it is confusingly complicated for what it is. I need to dig around more but that's the way it's headed I think.

Also need to make a hinge for the foot of the mast (is this a tabernacle or is that specifically the type that leaves a couple feet of mast on the step before the hinge?) and a bow roller for the new-to-me Bruce 33 that'll be up front.

Scored a mooring recently too at Broad Cove in Cumberland, Maine. About 20 minutes from the house in the municipal field. It's an unpopular spot because of the long tender ride out (read row in my case) to the field, the shallow (and this year no) dock and it's a long walk to the water from the car. But It's all mine! I'll be dragging a 10' row boat with a 2 year old and all his stuff over the mud every low tide I get a chance to. Super excited!!

[mbd]

That's awesome news - and the engine is looking great Ben!

[414]

Took advantage of the very non-typical weather we're having here in Maine to get the "engine room" and deep bilge painted tonight. I'm hoping that with the above freezing temps for the next few days and a small space heater I'll be able to get it cured. I can finish the paint that can be seen at the back end of picture after the engine is in.

In finishing up the engine I've replaced the couple of coolant hoses that run from the raw water pump to the block and from the block to the thermostat housing and head. I opened the raw water pump and had a good look at it but the impeller was in perfect condition so I let it be. I've got an extra (thanks Mike!) and I'll keep it on board with the tools to change it. From here on I'll make it a yearly maintenance item. I also pulled the oil pan while I had it out of the boat just to get a look at the bottom end and see if there was any metallic chips or shavings in the pan. All was well in there with barely any sludge which surprised me given its age and the amount of non-run time all boat engines experience.

All that's left to do before dropping the engine back in is to make a catch pan for under the engine that slopes forward to catch drips and make them easy to clean up and perhaps a two new rear engine mounts (I had cut about .5" off the top of one to get the nut to unthread but they are actually still stiff and in goodish shape). They may wait though as boat funds are running particularly low.

[mbd]

Looking good Ben! You're giving the old girl the attention she deserves. In looking over this, while building your drip pan, another thing you might consider is setting up your bilge and bilge pump similar to Capt. Ebb's. Lot's of good ideas and educational reading in his thread!

It's somewhere in his thread here: http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/showthread.php?249-EBB-s-PHOTO-GALLERY-THREAD

But once the engine is in, access to that bilge is difficult, unless you have the arms of an orangutan, which I don't thing you do. :)

[414]

Boy the months do slip away!

I thought I should give an update on 414. She's been rechristened as "William King" after the great state of Maine's first governor. Sea Glass is a great name but I felt like I was using Mike's boat until I painted the topsides, boot stripe and bottom and renamed it. Now I feel like I can call it mine (but your still welcome anytime Mike!). The Yanmar 2gm has been great. Starts right up, idles well and will rev to a little over 3k. I was having some trouble with the transmission but it turns out I had overfilled it. With fresh oil the dip stick is very hard to read. Once the level was corrected it has been engaging properly with no slipping.

I also relocated the thru-hulls for the bilge pump and engine exhaust to the transom. I know this is an unpopular choice because it messes up the lines but it was important to me to be able to see that the exhaust is flowing the right amount of water and since I had already done the engine I decided to make it symmetrical and do the bilge pump the same way. So I made up two 2" stainless thru-hulls from pipe and round flanges, added 2" ball valves on each inside the rear lazzarate. Then they got painted along with the topsides in an effort to make them less noticeable. They also are about 16" above the waterline and I like the idea of that.

Speaking of the exhaust- I couldn't bear to buy another yanmar mixing elbow after seeing what had happened to the one that was on the engine, so I made my own. It's an experiment to see if it will hold up to the vibration and is made from mild steel automotive exhaust pipe. If it makes it the season with no cracks or other issues I'll make it again but out of 316 stainless. It's been good so far with about 6-7 hours on the engine. It has a pretty radical ubend that comes as high as I could directly after the engine and a few inches of drop before the water is injected. I don't want any water getting back to the exhaust valves and since my thru-hull is mounted high I wanted the insurance here.

I also rewired the mast with new anchor and steaming lights and a new VHF antenna and cable. Getting the wires through the deck as a little puzzling to me and I went back and forth on how to do it but finally settled on a traditional goose neck. I ordered some 1.25" 316 stainless pipe elbows and a flange from Amazon and made it up. I was concerned it would be ugly on the cabin top but I located it right next to the mast (just forward of the beam) and it disappears since that area is busy anyhow. Also in the mast department was a new port lower aft stay. I made it up with sta-lok ends and it was very straight forward. It did however make me wonder about the rest of the standing rigging and I'm thinking of switching to Dyneema next year or the following. Anyone have any experience with synthetic standing rigging?

Along with the new antenna was a new VHF. The standard horizon GX2200 and a USB cable that allows me to run openCPN on my computer. It's not really needed for the kind of sailing that we've been doing this summer but it's fun to mess with and the program is free so the only added expense was the $30 for the cable from milltech marine (which works great by the way). And if we did get stuck out in the fog or after dark we'd have both GPS and the AIS receiver which is comforting.

Lastly I stripped out all the wiring from the whole boat, including the switch and fuse panel. I made a new fuse box that houses the fuses and switches and got new ground and positive bus bars that are currently located just aft of the port side settee next to the battery. Nothing exciting there just wiring that works and most importantly wiring that I know since I did it - but since my memory seems to fade daily I also labeled both ends of all the wires :o.

That's all for now. I hope everyone is having a great summer on their commanders and ariels! These are really great boats and me and my little family have been having a great time learning to sail a "big" boat on ours.

-Ben

[mbd]

That is one mighty fine looking vessel! :cool: