Wednesday 11 May 2016

Six Month Maintenance Summary - New Zealand Edition - The Sequel

As promised in the last maintenance summary, here is summary of the maintenance conducted since we arrived in New Zealand.

Of interest, we have been cautioned not to publish such lists as, in the very distant future, when we may want to sell Fluenta the potential buyers may be scared off because they will discover cruising is actually a fair amount of work.  Perhaps, but the reality is that any complex machine used in the harsh marine environment will need lots of maintenance.  Further, it is not only old boats but even likely more frustratingly, new really expensive boats that need constant maintenance (was listening to stories of an almost new multi-million catamaran that spent most of the season in the yard ...).

What is nice about this list is that there some capital improvements to Fluenta that will make her more pleasurable to live on and sail:

  • Rain enclosures:  Peter from South Pacific Marine Canvas did an excellent job designing and building us a rain enclosure around our cockpit.  It is designed so that the boat can be sailed with it partially up and works together with our UV panels.  Peter has logged many miles sailing and was great to work with.  We had been planning this project for several years but waited until we found someone we could trust to do the job.  Liz had bought all the material last year when a canvas shop closed.
  • Battery Charging:  Another project that has been on the books for several years.  At anchor we are pretty much energy neutral with our big solar array and wind generator.  Any battery charging shortfall or the occasional battery equalisation is done with our great little Honda 2000 petrol powered generator at anchor.  On windward passages the wind generator steps up to the plate and again makes us close to battery neutral even with our big autopilot (for example, from the ITCZ to the Marquesas we did not need to run the Honda or the engine to charge). Downwind is another story altogether though.  We have used the Honda at sea but it varies between being merely inconvenient to just plain impractical.  Our old alternator set up on the diesel propulsion engine was okay but not optimized for battery charging at low RPM's.  As we cruise at about 1400 to 1500 RPM on the Perkin 4.236 so we are not spinning the alternators very fast.  Our new system has two 120 amp alternators working together controlled by a Balmar 612-Dual regulator.  Using the Balmar belt regulator function I have derated the alternators to reduce the load on them and still get about 155 amps at a high idle.  Perfect for charging our big house bank (940 amp hours at 12V) on passage while still sailing.  As well, we get the maximum charge during the short periods we run the engine to enter and leave anchorages and tight passes.  There is still the stock alternator that charges the separate engine start battery.  This project of course led me look closer at the rest of the system and clean up or replace many of the power busses in the rest of the electrics as well as add new alternator brackets.
  • Sink Drain Pump.  Okay, this doesn't sound too exciting but it is ... twice, yes twice we have had departures delayed as the sink drains have failed.  The lovely sink drains that I had sourced in back streets of Mexico and Fiji did not like the fact that they would be exposed to sea water depending on the heel and load of the boat.  Also, as the old system relied on gravity to drain the grey water to the sea a quite amazing ecosystems would grow in the pipes requiring much effort to clean.  In the new system there is a big gulper diaphragm pump that pulls the grey water out of the sink, sends it up and over a vented loop and then down to a thru-hull.  Now no sea water comes back to the sink, nothing appears to be growing in our lines and a failure of the sink drain would not cause the boat to sink.  Of course, now that the sink drains are not exposed to salt water they should also last a lot longer.
  • Shower drains.  Really, I do not like plumbing but ... our old shower drain system was crazy.  There was a barely downwards slope to a big grey water tank.  This results in constant plugged lines and a smelly grey water tank that takes up too much prime storage space.  Now we have another diagram pump that pulls the water out of the shower and sends it through a vented loop and overboard.  Now we have more storage for wine and rum and hopefully now I can spend less time unplugging the shower pipes.  We also did away with a float switch so there is one less part to fail.
  • Rigging:  Rigging is a lot more fun but the only addition here was to reduce the friction in the system by putting some better blocks in systems that seemed to have more friction that they should.  Not really a capital improvement but we changed how our the vang is rigged to reduce the twisting load on it and replaced some of the tired component.
  • Non-Skid: Most of the deck is teak which is great non-skid but I added a bit of non-skid tape in a few areas where I regularly would step on gelcoat.
  • Heater: Kind of a funny project since we spend most of the time in the tropics but I recommissioned the diesel heater.  This time last year in New Zealand we were wishing it was working but a combination of better weather and the rain enclosure means we have not used it yet.
  • High Water Alarm: It is funny how little projects can make a difference.  Set above our two electric bilge pumps is a independent high water alarm connected to a really loud alarm and bright warning light.  The bigger electric bilge pump also has an audible alarm so we should never need the dedicated high water alarm.  At sea however, after we do a big roll to port, the old mercury filled float switch would set itself off for a short second. This short second of ear piercing, blood pressure spiking sound is not good for ones health even if you know it does not mean you are necessarily sinking (if we are sinking we should have the big electrical pump alarm first and then the high water alarm).  Our new alarm is solid state and has a few second delay so there will hopefully not be anymore false alarms.  Sleep on passage is precious.
  • Iridium Go:  Addressed in a previous post.  This is to complement our high frequency radio and Pactor modem.
  • Staysail Recut:  We also had the staysail recut to work better in strong winds.  Could be argued that is is corrective maintenance but anyway it will be nice to have this sail working properly.
We also contracted out tasks less this year which is nice especially considering the issues we had last time in New Zealand.  We had problems with the diesel shop (who with prodding fixed the issues under warranty), compass shop (we fixed the issues ourselves but no refund from the company), and worst, the water maker debacle last year (note: recommend sending your Spectra watermaker direct to Spectra in the US rather than risking wasting money with Enertec here in New Zealand).

Even in New Zealand where we have been able to usually buy just the right bolt we have needed improvise a bit.  Wendall and I filed down this set screw (grub screw in NZ) to fit the furler

Checking out the view ... and the rig plus changing out some blocks

Victoria has been splicing up some soft shackles which she has for sale.

Johnathan adding grommets to our RHIB seat bag with help of the kids from Nirvana.

Maintenance to the halyard blocks.  Should be less friction now.

We have replaced a lot of the old wiring this year.  Victoria fits better into the spaces than I do.

Even Benjamin has got into the maintenance game. Here he is fixing one of his cars.  I am in the background replacing yet more wiring.

Here is the output from the spreadsheet.  It is cleaned up a little bit and colour coded as follows (there are a few errors in the colour coding but coloured tables and Blogger do not play well together so I am not going to tempt fate and correct them):

  • Green:   Improvements
  • Yellow:  Preventative Maintenance
  • Red:       Corrective Maintenance 


Date Maintenance Periodicity Category
23-Nov-15 a/p rudder response failure - reset brushes

26-Nov-15 check alternator belt tension 25 engine
26-Nov-15 Oil (100 hrs) - 7.95L of oil 125 engine
26-Nov-15 WM Flush filter - broken bowl and leaking intake
WM
26-Nov-15 burnt wire bundle under alternator - cut out and replaced approx 16 wires. Added conduit plus hose chafe protection

26-Nov-15 panel around SSB

26-Nov-15 propane solenoid

26-Nov-15 pump out engine pan

27-Nov-15 Oil Filter Change 250 engine
27-Nov-15 nmea 2000 power - new cable

27-Nov-15 shower drain wiring - replace bilge pump - rule 800

27-Nov-15 tidy up nmea 2000 connections

30-Nov-15 renew mast boot
rebed
30-Nov-15 Rigging check - NSR
rigging
01-Dec-15 rebed and add insulation - staysail halyard block
rebed
01-Dec-15 rebed mast collar
rebed
01-Dec-15 rebedding - emergency tiller access
rebed
01-Dec-15 rebedding - hyd hose
rebed
01-Dec-15 renew caulking - mast collar
rebed
01-Dec-15 deck wash hose adapter

02-Dec-15 ball bearing block for main halyard
rigging
02-Dec-15 non-skid - dorade trunk

03-Dec-15 check engine hoses 12 month engine
03-Dec-15 Outboard 15 hpanode 6 mon outboard
03-Dec-15 outboard 15HP zinc anode replacement
outboard
03-Dec-15 outboard handle and foot
outboard
04-Dec-15 oil leak - oil cooler hoses
engine
04-Dec-15 NZ flag repair

07-Dec-15 RHIB - Tube patches
rhib
07-Dec-15 flag halyard

08-Dec-15 RHIB - remove/replace shackle
rhib
08-Dec-15 check fuel filter bowls Monthly
08-Dec-15 hull/Prop clean - checked - okay Monthly
08-Dec-15 Prop/shaft zincs - checked - okay 2 mon
08-Dec-15 vent cap for gas jerry can

09-Dec-15 RHIB - New lines - chaps
rhib
10-Dec-15 watermaker strainer clean
WM
10-Dec-15 check charts for next season plus ipad charts, paper charts, navionics big chip, Coastal Explorer charts

11-Dec-15 engine water strainer 30 days Engine
11-Dec-15 Engine zinc - replaced 30 days Engine
11-Dec-15 Oil cooler zinc - change next month 30 days Engine
11-Dec-15 mainfurl - Grease the grease nipple on the aft end of the spar. 2 Mon Grease
11-Dec-15 Windlass - bimonthly 2 Mon Grease
11-Dec-15 Outboard 15 hp grease 6 mon
13-Dec-15 replace reefer strainer - used old spare

17-Dec-15 charts for chartplotter - refund on Cmap and new Navionics XG50

17-Dec-15 Nautical Almanac download - 2016

18-Dec-15 stanchion repair
NSR
18-Dec-15 rebed stanchion port above computer cupboard
rebed
18-Dec-15 rebed stanchion port above fwd galley cupboard
rebed
18-Dec-15 staysail repair/recut
sail
19-Dec-15 remove bad grounding wire to aft lights
electrical
19-Dec-15 replace dodgy splices to port aft ceiling lights
electrical
19-Dec-15 resplice ground wire to port aft reading light
electrical
20-Dec-15 replace port aft reading light
electrical
20-Dec-15 terminal block behind galley - corrosion and burnt connector
electrical
20-Dec-15 ball bearing block for furling line
rigging
20-Dec-15 replace sheave - pole uphaul
rigging
20-Dec-15 15hp outboard throttle cable replace

20-Dec-15 grease outboard throttle cable

21-Dec-15 chafe protection - oil cooler hoses
engine
21-Dec-15 chafe protection - transmission sensor wire chafe protection
engine
21-Dec-15 pressure water pump - replace power wires.

21-Dec-15 Stbd Genasun MPPT - replace

22-Dec-15 Beauchat speargun - new shaft lines

22-Dec-15 cmap marshall is charts for CE - big laptop

23-Dec-15 clean nav laptop fan

27-Dec-15 rebed - window fwd head
rebed
27-Dec-15 check fuel filter bowls Monthly
27-Dec-15 hull/Prop clean Monthly
27-Dec-15 Prop/shaft zincs - good - uncovered gunk 2 mon
28-Dec-15 rebed fittings above SSB
rebed
28-Dec-15 rebed toerail outboard of sailing cupboard

28-Dec-15 slice wire outboard of sailing cupboard

29-Dec-15 deck leak - stbd side above tin can cubby
rebed
29-Dec-15 rebed midship cleat stbd side

29-Dec-15 rebed stanchion outboard of stbd book cupboard

29-Dec-15 rebed toerail outboard of stbd book cupboard

30-Dec-15 mock up rain catcher

01-Jan-16 shower drain - not draining

02-Jan-16 WM - plugged intake ?
WM
02-Jan-16 fix battery connection - IR thermometer

02-Jan-16 WM - change prefilter

02-Jan-16 WM - repair intake bracket

03-Jan-16 Battery water - fwd - 60 days 60 days
03-Jan-16 Update PC predict wind

04-Jan-16 MOB light - new bulb
MOB
04-Jan-16 MOB light - new D cell x 5 12 mon MOB
04-Jan-16 Battery water - aft - 60 days 60 days
05-Jan-16 RHIB - seat bag grommets
rhib
05-Jan-16 genoa furler furling line - replace - 91' at 2.61/m
rigging
05-Jan-16 Bimini - bend frames

05-Jan-16 reglue chafe guards on RHIB

06-Jan-16 engine raw water to pump hose clamps - replace - wire insert rusted
engine
07-Jan-16 anchor shackle - check and replace seizing

07-Jan-16 tighten engine mount bolts - port aft and check others.

10-Jan-16 outboard - clean carb bowl

10-Jan-16 outboard fuel line- replace fuel hose - o ring not sealing

10-Jan-16 propane tank - leak at valve fitting. New fitting ?

11-Jan-16 oil pressure buzzer

11-Jan-16 Sink drain

11-Jan-16 sink drain pump. New Jasbco diaphragm pump

12-Jan-16 van - 12 V socket x 2
van
13-Jan-16 replace aft head light with LED
electrical
13-Jan-16 rebed deck hardware - kids cabin - padeyes
rebed
13-Jan-16 rebed pole up haul block
rebed
13-Jan-16 rebed fittings in fwd passageway - liferaft cradle and three padeyes

15-Jan-16 check forestay extrusion for tight setscrews - tightened top one.

17-Jan-16 Engine zinc - looks good 30 days Engine
17-Jan-16 Oil cooler zinc 30 days Engine
17-Jan-16 clean grey water tank and bilge

18-Jan-16 pickle WM
WM
01-Mar-16 predictwind app for ipad

06-Mar-16 reglue inside veneer fridge lid

07-Mar-16 Engine zinc 30 days Engine
07-Mar-16 Oil cooler zinc 30 days Engine
07-Mar-16 Force 10 oven knobs

07-Mar-16 Prop/shaft zincs 2 mon
08-Mar-16 rope clutch - mast
ap
08-Mar-16 vang - replace lower fitting
nsr
08-Mar-16 Vang - twist ?
rigging
08-Mar-16 vang clevis pin - new cotter pin
rigging
08-Mar-16 Battery water - aft - 60 days 60 days
08-Mar-16 Battery water - start battery - 60 days 120 days
08-Mar-16 Outboard 15 hp gear oil 6 mon
08-Mar-16 teak deck clean

09-Mar-16 alternator spike suppressors - Balmar
engine
09-Mar-16 bilge clean

09-Mar-16 repaint and mark anchor chain

10-Mar-16 anchor roller - replace port side roller with cylinder or cone ?
NSR
10-Mar-16 bimini - water proofing 6 mon
10-Mar-16 clean water tanks 12 mon
10-Mar-16 Pressure water filter 4 mon
11-Mar-16 BCD pressure valve - take apart button and service
dive
11-Mar-16 Diving regulator service
dive
11-Mar-16 aft cabin stbd reading light - new bulb
electrical
11-Mar-16 clean corrosion from #1 house bank alternator positive to fuse box
electrical
11-Mar-16 Alternator regulator MC612-Dual
engine
11-Mar-16 clean reefer strainer and bowl 2 Mon reefer
11-Mar-16 rain enclosure for cockpit
sewing
11-Mar-16 replace reefer strainer

11-Mar-16 windlass cover - add front snap

12-Mar-16 clean ground leads for house bank alternators
electrical
12-Mar-16 new alternator - Bosch 120A - alternator #1 - no output, burning smell, glows !
electrical
12-Mar-16 new alternator - Bosch 120A -- alternator#2 - replace - low output
electrical
12-Mar-16 alternator x 3 and starter - check wiring 125 engine
12-Mar-16 check alternator belt tension 25 engine
12-Mar-16 mainfurl - Grease the grease nipple on the aft end of the spar. 2 Mon Grease
12-Mar-16 Windlass - bimonthly 2 Mon Grease
12-Mar-16 Windlass Service - preseason service - every 6 mon 6 mon Grease
12-Mar-16 Outboard 15 hp grease plus corrosion spray on throttle cables 6 mon outboard
12-Mar-16 Navionics app

12-Mar-16 Wind gen - increase V max to 14.4

13-Mar-16 RHIB Tubes - patches
rhib
13-Mar-16 replace MOB light
safety
13-Mar-16 hull/Prop clean Monthly
13-Mar-16 Mildew clean - cabin and cockpit

14-Mar-16 anchor shackle - check and replace seizing 3 mon
14-Mar-16 clean DST sensor

18-Mar-16 15hp throttle adjustment ?

18-Mar-16 Inspect lifelines 12 month
18-Mar-16 lifeline chafe guards adjust

18-Mar-16 speargun - new lines

20-Mar-16 check fuel filter bowls Monthly Engine
20-Mar-16 Fuel Filter - Primary 250 engine
20-Mar-16 Fuel Filter - Secondary 250 engine
20-Mar-16 Transmission oil change (every 400 hrs or annually) 400 engine
22-Mar-16 corroded wire - energy monitor
electrical
22-Mar-16 check alternator belt tension 25 engine
22-Mar-16 alternator belt - engine bank

22-Mar-16 alternator regulator - change absorption time and FFL

22-Mar-16 alternator regulator - change to Deep Cycle

22-Mar-16 alternator regulator - check by removing sensors

22-Mar-16 alternator regulator - check oil pressure signal

22-Mar-16 Battery water - fwd - 60 days 60 days
22-Mar-16 chartplotter - clean NMEA0183 connection

22-Mar-16 chartplotter - more slack in cable

22-Mar-16 clean engine pan

22-Mar-16 oil drain pump impellor replacement

22-Mar-16 shower drain system improvement - jabsco gulper pump

22-Mar-16 WM overflow - add a bracket

23-Mar-16 alternator adjustment brackets - Balmar
engine
24-Mar-16 alternator x 3 and starter - check wiring 125 engine
24-Mar-16 heater - test (Half Moon Bay)
heater
24-Mar-16 Autopilot - check bolt torque 3 mon Lazerrete
24-Mar-16 autopilot brush and hyd fluid check 6 mon Lazerrete
24-Mar-16 Lubricate steering cable 6 mon Lazerrete
24-Mar-16 Steering cable tightness - check quarterly 3 mon Lazerrete
24-Mar-16 heater wiring - repair

24-Mar-16 replace a/p brushes - new ones 18mm, old 6.5 mm

25-Mar-16 alternator - move ground wires x2 to battery negative

25-Mar-16 Binnacle bolts and duralac on binnacle

25-Mar-16 compass leak

25-Mar-16 compass light wiring

25-Mar-16 vang attachment - new bolt at boom

26-Mar-16 clean or replace ground terminal post in battery compartment
electrical
26-Mar-16 clean positive post
electrical
26-Mar-16 high water alarm with time delay like water witch
electrical
26-Mar-16 remount heater fuel pump
heater
26-Mar-16 Lubricate steering chain 6 mon
26-Mar-16 voltage drop in ground

28-Mar-16 battery connections clean - aft

29-Mar-16 start bank alternator shunt - replace
electrical
29-Mar-16 alternator common ground - clean

29-Mar-16 alternator shunts -clean and replace with power post

29-Mar-16 Honda generator - dynmea start cord plus "marinized" with stainless steel bolts etc

30-Mar-16 diode isolator - move and new wires

01-Apr-16 a/p top hyd fluid
ap
01-Apr-16 Autopilot - check bolt torque 3 mon Lazerrete
01-Apr-16 Lubricate steering cable 6 mon Lazerrete
03-Apr-16 covers on positive lugs x2 in engine compartment

03-Apr-16 dent in paint port fwd - from mooring

03-Apr-16 honda generator - overspeed ?

03-Apr-16 mom8 attachment'

03-Apr-16 Outboard 15 hpfuel filter - clean 6 mon
03-Apr-16 Outboard 15hpsparkplugs - new 6 mon
05-Apr-16 Genoa furler - replace liner on bottom bearing, drill and tap new fastening to 8 mm. Make teat screws x2, add 10 mm grubscrew to hold drum down
rigging
06-Apr-16 saloon table strut bolts - short with thumb area

07-Apr-16 dent in fibreglass - companionway

07-Apr-16 HF ant wire - renew - SSB GTO15 connection - battery lug to bulldog clamp. Fill lug with solder and cover with heat shrink 12 mon
07-Apr-16 redo crimp on aft port battery ground - 90mm2 to 8 mm terminal

07-Apr-16 sup pump - new handle

08-Apr-16 heater ducting repair
heater
09-Apr-16 battery connections clean - fwd
electrical
09-Apr-16 new positive bus instead of power post
electrical
10-Apr-16 calibrate barometers

10-Apr-16 patch old SUP

12-Apr-16 Iridium Go
Iridium
12-Apr-16 update Iridium Go Firmware
Iridium
13-Apr-16 fix sea boots - heat gun

14-Apr-16 check fuel filter bowls Monthly Engine
14-Apr-16 engine water strainer 30 days Engine
14-Apr-16 Engine zinc 30 days Engine
14-Apr-16 Oil cooler zinc 30 days Engine
14-Apr-16 Honda Generator - Fuel Filter 6 mon Generator
14-Apr-16 Engine coolant change 13L 12 mon
14-Apr-16 port aft scupper blocked

15-Apr-16 Honda generator - Clean air filter 6 mon Generator
15-Apr-16 Honda generator - oil change 6 mon Generator
15-Apr-16 rain defector on dodger

18-Apr-16 furler - check top bearing
rigging
18-Apr-16 port spin block replacement
rigging
18-Apr-16 rig check - upmast

19-Apr-16 Honda Generator - spark plug CR5HSB NGK 12 mon Generator
19-Apr-16 Essence of Salts for heads

19-Apr-16 stove - aft burner thermocouple grounding - cleaned contacts and added 3xwashers to protect surfce

23-Apr-16 add longer floater line to anchor rode
anchor locker
23-Apr-16 extend anchor rode rope to bitter end
anchor locker
23-Apr-16 new nav laptop

23-Apr-16 RHIB – new dingy tank. Install new fittings

23-Apr-16 Vesper - AIS USB isolation

24-Apr-16 portable watermaker – annual maintenance 12 mon Safety
24-Apr-16 Review Ditch Bag contents 12 mon Safety
24-Apr-16 panel under stbd electric winch

24-Apr-16 SUP mount install

24-Apr-16 table temp repair

26-Apr-16 Iridium Go - copy emergency contacts to contacts from Sat Phone
Iridium
26-Apr-16 confirm emergency numbers in Satphone 12 mon Safety
27-Apr-16 new sea strainer for engine raw water
Engine
27-Apr-16 Overhaul winch - Anderson 12 mon winch
28-Apr-16 check engine mount nuts 50 engine
28-Apr-16 engine air filter check 125 engine
28-Apr-16 engine water strainer 30 days Engine
28-Apr-16 v berth hanging locker - won't latch

03-May-16 Iridium satphone activation
satphone
03-May-16 reregister satphone with GEOS SOS
satphone
04-May-16 dodger clean

05-May-16 check fuel filter bowls Monthly Engine
05-May-16 check fuel filter bowls Monthly Engine
05-May-16 Battery water - aft - 60 days 60 days
05-May-16 clean speed sensor

05-May-16 hull/Prop clean Monthly
05-May-16 Prop/shaft zincs 2 mon
06-May-16 rain enclosure - fixes

07-May-16 Alternator regulator - buzzer goes off
alternator
07-May-16 alternator regulator - set deep cycle flooded, max batt temp 43, max alt temp 100, absorption 3 hrs, min volt low
alternator
07-May-16 alternator x 3 and starter - check wiring 125 engine
07-May-16 check alternator belt tension 25 engine
07-May-16 top up oil at 4803.6 topped up from just over half way to full on dip stick
Engine
07-May-16 Replace Iridium Go antenna adaptor
Iridium
09-May-16 mainfurl - Grease the grease nipple on the aft end of the spar. 2 Mon Grease
09-May-16 Windlass - bimonthly 2 Mon Grease
09-May-16 Watermaker carbon filter 6 mon WM

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