DBG8492
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2023
- Messages
- 290
- Vessel Name
- Sovereignty
- Vessel Make
- 1986 Marine Trader 36 Sundeck
Update...
Got back to South Florida at 0330 Friday. Worked my regular job all day and went to the boat that evening to unload all our stuff from the truck and load it aboard. I sorted out the Thruster/Windlass wiring/voltage issue - which I'm sad to say wasn't even real. I mistakenly thought the batteries were wired in series, but they're actually in parallel. That's embarrassing considering I wired the damned things... I have a separate thread on that over in the Electrical section...
Figured out that the Freedom 25 device works as it should. The fault is in the Heart control panel. I don't have time to source a replacement so we're going to manually monitor and control the charger and leave the inverter off so shore power controls all the 115 outlets. The ProIsoCharge controls the alternator, and it works well. Once on the hard, pretty much the whole system will be torn out and replaced.
Worked on her all morning this morning, first getting the forward wiring sorted and then getting the main online.
For the main, all I did was close the seacock, pull the cover off the strainer, and then pull the raw water feed from the heat exchanger. Then I maneuvered the open end of that hose higher than the pump and used a garden hose from the dock to feed water into it until it started coming out of the strainer. There are two loops - one behind and one in front of the pump, so I knew that even if the water drained out of the hose when I re-attached it, the water in both the pump and those loops would remain. With that done, I re-attached and re-clamped the hose and had the Admiral start him up. Once he caught and was running, I opened the seacock, and a few seconds later, we got raw water from the exhaust.
The only thing left to do is install the new oil pressure and water temp gauges and install a new water temp/oil pressure alarm system.
The thing I forgot was an on-engine oil pressure gauge. I mean, I completely forgot to order one... Just a brain fart. Tractor Supply has a 100 PSI gauge in stock. That's not ideal, but it would work - only it's a two-hour round trip, so I may not be able to get there. I will go ahead and go to Lowe's and buy the pipe I need to make it happen, but I may not get the gauge installed before we have to leave Monday.
The good news is that we found a yard only a few day's cruise from where we are that will allow us to DIY and live aboard for a reasonable rate and far enough inland to be well-protected from hurricanes. I won't get her out of FL within the 90-day window for paying FL property taxes, but that's a small price to pay. I have Starlink, so I can work from the boat - we will just have to buy a very good AC unit and find a place to install it temporarily.
Knowing I don't have to trek 1000 miles to get to a yard that won't put me in the poor house is a huge weight lifted.
So to sum it up:
Gotta do some light provisioning tomorrow, but other than that, we are set to cast off Monday at first light. Low tide is at 0130 with a high at 0720 so we should be in a good spot to go when the sun comes up at 0645 although we will probably time our exit a little later to try to catch the first bridge on the quarter hour.
Thanks for all the help and I will keep updating with our progress.
Got back to South Florida at 0330 Friday. Worked my regular job all day and went to the boat that evening to unload all our stuff from the truck and load it aboard. I sorted out the Thruster/Windlass wiring/voltage issue - which I'm sad to say wasn't even real. I mistakenly thought the batteries were wired in series, but they're actually in parallel. That's embarrassing considering I wired the damned things... I have a separate thread on that over in the Electrical section...
Figured out that the Freedom 25 device works as it should. The fault is in the Heart control panel. I don't have time to source a replacement so we're going to manually monitor and control the charger and leave the inverter off so shore power controls all the 115 outlets. The ProIsoCharge controls the alternator, and it works well. Once on the hard, pretty much the whole system will be torn out and replaced.
Worked on her all morning this morning, first getting the forward wiring sorted and then getting the main online.
For the main, all I did was close the seacock, pull the cover off the strainer, and then pull the raw water feed from the heat exchanger. Then I maneuvered the open end of that hose higher than the pump and used a garden hose from the dock to feed water into it until it started coming out of the strainer. There are two loops - one behind and one in front of the pump, so I knew that even if the water drained out of the hose when I re-attached it, the water in both the pump and those loops would remain. With that done, I re-attached and re-clamped the hose and had the Admiral start him up. Once he caught and was running, I opened the seacock, and a few seconds later, we got raw water from the exhaust.
The only thing left to do is install the new oil pressure and water temp gauges and install a new water temp/oil pressure alarm system.
The thing I forgot was an on-engine oil pressure gauge. I mean, I completely forgot to order one... Just a brain fart. Tractor Supply has a 100 PSI gauge in stock. That's not ideal, but it would work - only it's a two-hour round trip, so I may not be able to get there. I will go ahead and go to Lowe's and buy the pipe I need to make it happen, but I may not get the gauge installed before we have to leave Monday.
The good news is that we found a yard only a few day's cruise from where we are that will allow us to DIY and live aboard for a reasonable rate and far enough inland to be well-protected from hurricanes. I won't get her out of FL within the 90-day window for paying FL property taxes, but that's a small price to pay. I have Starlink, so I can work from the boat - we will just have to buy a very good AC unit and find a place to install it temporarily.
Knowing I don't have to trek 1000 miles to get to a yard that won't put me in the poor house is a huge weight lifted.
So to sum it up:
- 115V Charging works, but requires manual intervention
- 12V Charging system works using the ProIsoCharge for three banks
- Depth gauge functional
- New VHF
- The main runs and draws/exhausts water
- New main sensors and alarms being installed
- Impeller, belts, and fluids changed
- Steering works pin to pin
- Heads work, but I'm not sure of the plumbing, so I bought a $100 "camping toilet" for use underway, but nights will be spent at marinas so hopefully, it won't see much use
- Y valve and OBD valve are both locked closed and cable-tied
- Propane system is not trustworthy to look at, so nothing will get cooked on the stove or in the oven - we have the grill on the aft deck and a butane camp stove for cooking out there was well
- Fridge is iffy - seems to work unless it's 90 degrees inside...
- Thruster/Windlass both work - hope we don't need the windlass
- Plenty of PFDs, fire extinguishers, and all safety gear/signage required by the CG
- New-to-us West Marine tender on the davits - for emergency use only
Gotta do some light provisioning tomorrow, but other than that, we are set to cast off Monday at first light. Low tide is at 0130 with a high at 0720 so we should be in a good spot to go when the sun comes up at 0645 although we will probably time our exit a little later to try to catch the first bridge on the quarter hour.
Thanks for all the help and I will keep updating with our progress.