All posts by Webmaster

Refrigerator Insulation

Insulating the box from the hanging locker is actually the easiest part of the project. I did it a while ago to get rid of the condensation on the locker wall. I’m now doing the rest of the box and it is a lot more work.

In the locker figure out where you are going to drill the holes. Put vertical strips of 2″ wide blue tape and drill the holes in the center of the strips. Drill 3/8″ diameter holes into the void. I spaced the holes about 6″ apart. Start the foam at the bottom and work up. The foam will expand out of the holes so be prepared to wipe it away if it looks like it will go beyond the tape. You will learn to get it so that only a small tails comes out, leave it. After it cures, trim it off with a knife,

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Refrigeration – Discussion

HI,

I’m in the process of installing a completly new refrigeration system. In removing the original equipment I found the installation to be lacking. The refrigerant lines run from the compressor to the box in what appears to be a PVC pipe. The lines were insulated for about 6″ from the box and a foot from the compressor. For the entire 12’/14′ run through the PVC there was NO insulation. In fact the two lines were twisted together and taped every 2 -3 feet.

This has to have effected the effiiency of the whole unit and probably contibuted to condensation.

I don’t know if this was a Friday afternoon boat issue, or if everyone has the same condition. If you can get into the aft locker, you can see into the PVC pipe to check the situation on your boat. Removal of the piping was quite easy. I’m not sure

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Batten Cars – Discussion

Does anyone have experience with Ronstan ballslide batten cars on a Charleston mast? Strongly considering getting a set for the full length battens as the batten compression makes the mainsail somewhat difficult to > hoist and requires a trip on deck to pull it down when dropping. Appears to be a great product, not requiring a track, thus much less money than Harken and others. Also allows for addressing the batten slides only vs. replacing all slugs, as would be required with a special track.
Leon
Akula-San Francisco
C380#144

 


Leon,

I installed the Ronstan Battslide Cars 2 years ago, when I bought new sails.You will need more than just the batten cars, there are cars in between the battens as well. It works well for me. I too didn’t like much having to go forward to pull down the sail.
In practice it depends on how quickly and accurately

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Prop paint recommendations – Discussion

My question is that in the North East, is it really necessary to paint the prop and shaft with the special anti-fouling paint?

Right now, I have prop and shaft all polished and cleaned.
Thanks
Jack

C380 #68
JaxSan


 

I used PropSpeed paint on my prop. It is very expensive but a year latter i did bottom cleaning and all I had to do i wipe it with a piece of carpet. Prop is the only exposed metal in water aside for 25mm of prop shaft. I changed zinc even though there was more than 75% left because it was covered by barnacles.
I would use PropSpeed again
Regards,

Mario Vrdoljak


I second the Petit product.  I have used it for a number of years and had no barnacle attachment.  A friend in a neighboring marina had so many barnacles on his after only 6 weeks in the water

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Zinc’s and Corrosion – A Discussion

Galvanic corrosion (also called ‘ dissimilar metal corrosion’ or wrongly ‘electrolysis’) refers to corrosion damage induced when two dissimilar materials are coupled in a corrosive electrolyte.

When a galvanic couple forms, one of the metals in the couple becomes the anode and corrodes faster than it would all by itself, while the other becomes the cathode and corrodes slower than it would alone. For galvanic corrosion to occur, three conditions must be present:

  1. Electrochemically dissimilar metals must be present
  2. These metals must be in electrical contact, and
  3. The metals must be exposed to an electrolyte

 


Hi all,

I would appreciate input on the underwater zincs used on my C380.  With the installed Yanmar, I’m aware that it lacks engine and heat exchanger zincs.

Since I’ve only needed to replace our zincs once, during her initial survey in 2007, I’ve forgotten many details.  Before rushing to judgment, about only replacing

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Heat Exchanger Cleaning

1.  Obtain replacement “O ring” gaskets (2).

2.  Drain coolant from heat exchanger (drain under aft end of heat exchanger.

3.  Loosen / remove hoses that will interfere with heat exchanger removal.

4.  Remove bolts securing alternator & alternator brackets.  Secure alternator forward and out of the way (should not need to remove wires).  Be careful not to lose spacer holding alternator to engine block.

5.  Remove bolts from caps securing heat exchanger core.  Tap caps with rubber mallet to loosen and remove.

6.  Score end of heat exchanger core to align same with heat exchanger body.  Slide forward and remove.

7.  Clean / service heat exchanger core (Rod out tubes, soak in radiator flush for 24 hours.  Clean with brass wire brush.  Be careful not to lose straight horizontal rubber/plastic gasket mounted on aft end of heat exchange core.  [Editor note:  Yanmar recommends replacement of the O-Rings and end

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C380 Westerbeke/Yanmar Transition

It’s interesting that you have the Yanmar engine with C380 hull #184. I have C380 hull #185 and have a Westerbeke engine. I had thought that there were several Westerbekes after my hull #. Looks like I got one of the last Westerbekes or did the Previous Owner of your boat decide to wait for a Yanmar engine?

Paul McManus
Sea Sea Rider C380 #185
Port Orchard, WA

 


When we were looking to buy our C380, I called both Warren Pandy, and the Westerbeake representative that handled both warranty issues. I recall Warren explaining that there really wasn’t a specific hull number that could be sited as when the transition occurred. As I recall he mentioned that they tested the Yanmars on a boat or two prior to making the final decision to transition. He further indicated that even when the decision was final, the transition really didn’t occur

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Salon Floor Refinishing

I am planning on refinishing the floor down below this spring.  I recall others have used regular floor polyurethane. What specific brand has been best, and what finish (gloss, semi-gloss, satin)?  Any hints?
thanks,
Steve Klegman C380 # 113, Folie A’ Deux

 


Steve–

Yep–we used std floor poly—-from Home Depot or Lowes…maybe Minwax.
Semi-gloss per admiral Jeanne.
Has lasted 11 or 12 years & still looks good except in one small area under table which is most-used spot.  Will probably try to spot refinish.

Yor’re probably aware that with poly extra care is needed to make area dust free.
When I did flooring, I took all the pieces home, so much easier to work/sand/apply  & keep dust free: vacuum/wipe.

We do use a strip-type carpet in main walkway.
Warren
warrenell@msn.com
C 380 #44, My Bride II

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Raw Water Alarm

All,

In a sidebar conversation, Warren came up with a really simple way to add the raw water alarm to our boats. The sensor that straps to the exhaust hose can be wired into the existing circuit for the engine overtemp alarm. This way, if either the engine overheats, or the exhaust hose gets too hot from lack of raw water, the alarm will sound. The sensor alone is just $54.

The steps would be:
1. Strap the sensor to the exhaust hose just below the water injection elbow.
2. route both wires to the terminal strip in the engine compartment.
3. connect the black wire from the sensor to the same terminal with the black ground wire.
4. connect the purple wire to the same terminal as the engine overtemp alarm. This wire could be identified by finding the sender on the engine or looking at the back of

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Raw Water Alarm

Today I installed the raw water alarm.  I purchased this unit, which has a temp sensor which straps onto the exhaust hose after the water injector.  If it gets too hot, it closes and completes a circuit to ground, just like the engine oil and temp alarms.  The idea is to warn me of the loss of cooling water before the uncooled engine exhaust cooks the exhaust hose and/or muffler.  This happened to me on a charter boat in the BVIs in January.  Black smoke billowing out of the engine room is no fun!

http://www.borelmfg.com/products_alarm.htm

There was room in my engine panel to install this, and it is shallow enough that it fit even in the center where the pod is shallowest to fit around the pedestal.  Hopefully the pictures below come through:

Cut  a 1-7/8″ hole in the panel

From the back, wired the + to the power terminal

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