What did you fix on your boat today?

[rgano]

Punched the stbd windshield wiper and noted the wirer doing a rather poor job. A couple years ago I had decided to replace the crummy slip-on blade connection to the J-type on my car/truck, a MUCH better system which doesn't occasionally throw a wiper blade over the side! Welding was required to add the mild steel J to my SS pantograph wiper end piece. Fast forward to this event and I find that despite my anti-corrosion work at installation, the J-adapter was bent over due to corrosion. Today I will be cutting the end off of a stainless steel wiper arm with the J-hook so the welder has two pieces of SS to work with instead of mild-to-SS.

 

[Hippocampus]

Played credit card captain and having someone else redo my soles with Amtico. Took the opportunity to redo our dining table. The lift was bad. $450 later got that from vendor. Took the opportunity given I had it apart to refinish the table at home. Went back and found the inverter charger broke. Have friends in from Trinidad from prior sailing days who want to see the dark side boat. So scrambling to get and install the new inverter charger. I can do the disassembly but using the yard for the install. Thinking if it craps out again (P.O. Replaced it 2 years ago) I can hopefully get the next replacement on the yards dime. I did pay them to troubleshoot the entire electrical system. P.O. did nothing. All prior work done by pros or at time of original construction. Yard says serendipity. Boat two down burnt his 50a cord. I think surge damage but can’t prove it. Oh well…..it’s a boat.

 

[koliver]

Completed a 14 mile off-shore Predicted Log contest and had a strong diesel smell. One of the port engine Volvo fuel delivery lines had a pinhole leak, putting out a fine mist of diesel fuel. Ordered a replacement which I was going to put in last week, but tripped on the galley steps and slammed my head into the edge of the salon table, mutilating and breaking my nose. All sewed up and waiting for more healing before I replace the fuel line.

IIRC you are running TMD40s. 25 yrs ago when I was running those engines I had a similar high pressure leak on one high pressure pipe. Once it was fixed another went the same route, so I bought the rest and did them all. Cheap PM, no further issues till I sold those engines.
Good luck with yours.

 

[kthoennes]

...Still can't get cheap used chart plotter to talk to GPS/RADAR.... It's August already.

See, right there, that's why I don't want to replace my broken radar array with something new and sexy and all HD and digital. Then I'll have to replace the multi-function display, then I'll have to replace the AIS unit, then I'll have to replace the VHF radio, then I'll have to replace the external VHF control in the salon, then I'll have to replace the old GPS mushrooms (all three of them), then I'll have to replace the antennas (all three of them), then I'll have to replace the two separate depth sounders, then I'll have to replace all the cables and connectors and snake them through the bowels of the ship through all the nooks and crannies. Nope. I'd rather go to a junkyard and pull a 2005 radar array out of pile of cast-offs. It's not even the money necessarily -- I don't have the time or patience for the Upgrade Aggravation in my life.

 

[2savage]

Still replacing ropes. For some reason a previous owner thought three strand was more 'nautical' and used it everywhere. It has gone stiff, twists readily, was over sized to begin with and has mold on it. Swapping for double braid and eight strand. Hundrdes of feet so far and a few hundred to go.

 

[Max Simmons]

So, last weekend trip:
Replaced sonar module on chartplotter/depthsounder
Gen set not pumping water, pulled strainer apart, cleaned, re-assembled, now working
Replaced spreader lights that were burnt out
Replaced starting battery terminal
Dropped oil filler cap for outboard overboard so McGyvered a temp replacement from a extra rubber drain plug for the extra inflatable. Note to self, order new plug!
Updated my list of other stuff to repair

 

[rgano]

See, right there, that's why I don't want to replace my broken radar array with something new and sexy and all HD and digital. Then I'll have to replace the multi-function display, then I'll have to replace the AIS unit, then I'll have to replace the VHF radio, then I'll have to replace the external VHF control in the salon, then I'll have to replace the old GPS mushrooms (all three of them), then I'll have to replace the antennas (all three of them), then I'll have to replace the two separate depth sounders, then I'll have to replace all the cables and connectors and snake them through the bowels of the ship through all the nooks and crannies. Nope. I'd rather go to a junkyard and pull a 2005 radar array out of pile of cast-offs. It's not even the money necessarily -- I don't have the time or patience for the Upgrade Aggravation in my life.

You forgot the fluxgate compass....

 

[Simi 60]

Raw water for Genset was slow, strainer was clean
Easy access to skin fitting but couldn't see that well so 240v lead and led floodlight shining in.
Valve off, removed pipe , timber broom handle in hole (neat fit), valve open and rod it out.
Pulls out broom handle and gets a gusher up over the top before I can shut valve off.
Water all over light, lead, connection, me.

No smoke, no sizzle, no one died but sh!t

 

[Hippocampus]

For non running rigging actually prefer 3 strand. It has a better “hand”(feel) and is easier to splice. Once a year take all lines and rope off(regardless of type) and soak in a mix of calgon and fresh water. Then soak again in Dial . Then again in fresh rinse water. The little crystals of dried salt cut the rope fibers at a microscopic level. While others are compulsive about rinsing their deck with fresh I’m compulsive about rinsing all cordage whenever feasible. The soaks (which are for days and periodically agitated) are a supplement to the more frequent rinses. Current crop of low stretch dyneema/spectra cordage breaks down where’ve it takes a sharp bend. Like around a small radius block. So for key functions regardless of appearance it just gets replaced on a schedule.

 

[RobbGrrr]

Too many to count by now, but my favorite so far has been failure of my flybridge bow thruster control.

A week of rain got a bit of water into the electronics causing the thruster to run and run ...and run, until the battery was too low to hold the solenoid in. Then it stopped long enough for the shore powered charger to top the battery and pull the solenoid to fire the thruster again. The cycle repeated until I got a call from a friend (to whom I now owe beer) at the marina.

The thruster motor got hot enough that the plastic armature vents melted and ran down the sides. Still works though!

Needless to say I've since added a separate disconnect in the engine room for the thruster and the windlass and updated my leaving-the-boat practice...

 

[JosieWhales]

Windlass fixed I thought.

Windlass stopped working after last pull out. Following wiring leads me to an old thermo switch just before battery post.
New up dated thermo switch installed. Windlass works perfect, success was short lived.
My wife while on the phone with her father Inadvertently stepped on our deck switch and pulled the fastened ancor tighter to the Windlass and moved its mounting bolts crooked.
New project on the list.

 

[Captankirk]

Backing into slip today, discovered stern thrusters are not working. Haven't even investigated yet. Kind of afraid to, since as original post indicated, a simple thing turns into a nightmare. I can live without stern thruster for rest of the trip. I'll get it fixed when we get home.

 

[wkearney99]

A week of rain got a bit of water into the electronics...

...and updated my leaving-the-boat practice...

And your To-Do list has been updated to eliminate the ways water could get into the electronics?

For us it's worked to have a large canvas cover over the whole flybridge console. But I still treat everything up there was requiring a 'waterproof' installation. Because both foul weather AND cleaning crew with a hose... happen.

Late last season I had to deal with the Twin Disc throttle control getting screwy, and it turned out that mineral/salt deposits must have been collecting inside of it on the circuit board since it was installed (ca. 2005) and were causing the control to malfunction. Thankfully a simple disassembly and cleaning solved the problem. But I still swapped the salon/flybridge controls, if just to make use of the like-new lower unit at the topside location. And reapplied the caulking under it to help prevent water intrusion.

 

[MOJO]

More on how small jobs grow. The light bulb in a main saloon reading lamp burned out. No problem, I'll just change the bulb, shouldn't take but a few seconds. Except... the bulb was corroded into the socket and broke when trying to remove it. Couldn't get the corroded base out of the socket w/out destroying the socket. Oh well, I've got a spare socket, I'll just change it out. Except... wires going to the socket are solid black - need to strip them back until I get bright, shiny copper. I keep stripping back, back, back until I've stripped back 4' of wire and it's still black and I've dismantled two cabinets to gain access. Obviously manufacturer didn't use tinned wire. Ended up rewiring the entire main saloon 12v wiring, a.k.a. How changing a light bulb can turn into a 3 day project!

 

[wkearney99]

More on how small jobs grow. The light bulb in a main saloon reading lamp burned out. No problem, I'll just change the bulb, shouldn't take but a few seconds. Except... the bulb was corroded into the socket and broke when trying to remove it. Couldn't get the corroded base out of the socket w/out destroying the socket. Oh well, I've got a spare socket, I'll just change it out. Except... wires going to the socket are solid black - need to strip them back until I get bright, shiny copper. I keep stripping back, back, back until I've stripped back 4' of wire and it's still black and I've dismantled two cabinets to gain access. Obviously manufacturer didn't use tinned wire. Ended up rewiring the entire main saloon 12v wiring, a.k.a. How changing a light bulb can turn into a 3 day project!

Ok, THAT is the kind of story I'm talkin' about! Ya think it's going to be one simple thing.... Murphy sez otherwise!

 

[RickyD]

We were running north through Martha's Vineyard sound a few weeks ago. We were buddy boating decided to go 'inside' between the lee shore and a long shoal that runs North/South for about 8 miles. It's a fairly narrow area, relatively. We were about 1/4 mile from the shoal and about 1/2 mile from the lee shore.

My auto-pilot suddenly take a 90 turn to port. I hit Standby and get back on course. I reset the AP and things appear fine, then about 5 min. later another 90 turn to port. This is sending us straight for the shoal. Again, I reset AP and things seem fine. 3rd time is a 90 degree to Stbd. OK, I 've had it. I turn off AP and start hand steering.

While hand steering I mention to my wife that the steering feels oddly 'loose', but I have steerage so don't think much of it. After about 5 min. %^$#@!

I pickup the VHF and hail the boat in our convoy directly behind me. (We all agreed to monitor the same channel so I know everyone else can hear the exchange). "Be advised, I'm coming to a stop". the response "Uh, ok......is everrything OK?". I respond "I've lost steerage".

At this point my wife looks up from her book and says "Uh, did you just say that we lost steerage??!!!!"

I run to the lower helm where there is still some, albeit sloppy steerage. I have my wife take the wheel and hold a position using the lower helm. This is normally a 6 turn wheel (lock to lock). She advised afterwards she was getting 10-12 turns lock to lock just to hold position in idle.

I pull the hatch above the steering ram.....I immediately seem hydraulic fluid EVERYWHERE. @#$%$#%!!

I'm looking around and I see no burst or detached hoses. The steering pump looks fine. then I look at the AP pump. It's covered in steering fluid. I put my hand on the closest fitting......it spins in my fingers FW#$@#$#!!

I start tightening and it's just spinning and spinning. After some perseverance it finally seats. I run and grab a wrench and tighten every single hydraulic fitting I see. This is the only one with an issue.

I go into the engine compartment and grab a steering bleeder and a bottle of hydraulic steering fluid. I run to the upper helm and re-fill the system. I check the steering and AP pumps again and no leaks. We manage to continue on our destination.

As I'm pulling into Vineyard Haven the steering starts getting loose again. If I spin the wheel vigorously 3 turns port, 3 turns Stbd i can feel pressure build up again, so I realize what is occurring.

In my panic, I filled the system, but didn't bleed the system. Air bubble were working their way up through the system to the top, which happens to be the upper helm. The more I steered, the more air bubbles bled up and the more I would loose steering in the upper. By vigorously turning the wheel, I was effectively aerating the oil giving me enough fluid to steer. I limped through the anchorage and managed to find a spot.

The challenge was, my wife was in the Whaler we were towing. I was alone. I had to drop the anchor myself and the only helm that has a windlass control was in the upper.

Once anchored I bled the air out of the system including the AP pump and everything was back to normal.

Man, I can relate. I had been meaning to check my hydraulic fluid and pressure. I knew pressure was lower but only seemed to remember when I couldn't check. Nice easy cruise to the neighboring marina that is protected by a long channel bounded by breakwaters on both sides. I turn into the channel and steering feels funny. Next I'm headed into the stb breakwater at a 45. Can't control it. Quickly I put the port engine in reverse. Wow, the wind over the port won't let me turn. Ok, more power to the stb forward. finally get turned and out of the channel. Of course I know what the problem is but my buddy says try the down helm. It worked. Drove back to my marina and added fluid and pressure. All good.

 

[RickyD]

Somewhat related. How does this sound. I needed to take my AC pump apart. Slotted screws on all the bolts that I can't see but I can get a short driver on. But, there is this one bolt that is in the back and I'm barely able to get to it and certainly can't see it. I try and try and just can't get it. Finally I get the mirror and flashlight. Crap, its a hex. I then changed all the bolts to cap screws.

 

[HTurner]

Removed exhaust manifold/heat exchanger on my Yanmar 4JHE engine. Prior owners never believed in gaskets in the heat exchanger and used JB Weld and engine paint to hide/fix prior corrosion between a bronze end cap and the aluminum body of the heat exchanger. Without diligent maintenance corrosion here is common. The 4JHE does not have anodes. Too much wasting, and the aluminum cast has become thin and brittle. So...



Today ordered $3500 in parts.

 

[RickyD]

Ok, my 4kw generator won't start or even click. I didn't even test it because I knew the 12 year old battery was the culprit. If it wasn't, it was time for a new one anyway. Replaced it, no click. Ok has to be the starter motor. Had it rebuilt, no click. Hired a repair company to take over. He said it has to be the circuit board as he has seen this before and is even waiting on the same part for a different customer. Waited weeks. Got the new board in, no click. What the hell?? Oops he says, "I must have blown this 10amp fuse while poking around" he says. The most expensive fuse I ever bought, but I do have a new circuit board

 

[wkearney99]

Somewhat related. How does this sound. I needed to take my AC pump apart. Slotted screws on all the bolts that I can't see but I can get a short driver on. But, there is this one bolt that is in the back and I'm barely able to get to it and certainly can't see it. I try and try and just can't get it. Finally I get the mirror and flashlight. Crap, its a hex. I then changed all the bolts to cap screws.

I have found using a cell phone or a cheap inspection camera are two of my most handy things to have around for repairs these days. A shaky video is better than nothing, especially at a later date when you need to remember a part#/serial# for something when you're ordering materials and the boat is hours away.

 

[kthoennes]

MOJO's post above, shared pain ! I feel you buddy! Yep, that one too. On our previous Carver 3207 the boat horn was embarrassing. Press the button and it made a pitiful little "tweeeee" sound like one of those paper noisemakers at a New Year's Eve party. Thought I'd replace it with a manly boat horn. Queen Mary grade, chrome, double trumpets. Wake the dead. Well, might as well do compressed air, not an electric horn. So I need a compressor. Air lines. Volume tank. As long as I'm doing a compressor, it's very handy to have compressed air on the boat for other purposes too, blow up toys, cleaning, air tools, etc, so I might as well do a real compressor in the engine bay, not just a baby horn compressor. Marinized of course, don't want sparks in the engine bay. $$. More air lines. Need power to run it. Manifold and valves, and an air outlet on the aft deck. Need a new switch on the helm. New mounting brackets and glass over the previous holes. I lost my mind. We sold the boat almost immediately after for significantly more than we bought it for, and this was well before post-COVID market craziness -- but I don't think the "profit" covered the cost of that horn system.

 

[quinsky]

Actually not an unexpected problem but rather one that I had expected since we bought the boat. Our new boat has a Vacuflush head in it. I expected that at some point I would have some kind of a problem. We have been on a 2 week trip and sure enough the Vacuflush started leaking vacuum. I have not fixed it yet, we just worked around it. I will fix it next winter by installing a Marine Elegance head.

I recently posted about that same issue. I removed the Vacuflush and installed a Marine elegance and after a few days noticed the bath mat was was wet and yellow. After some boat yoga to find the problem, it turned out to be the rubber exhaust tubing which had a pin hole under the hose clamp which was factory installed. Raritan sent me the new parts and I got to reinstall the new head.

The best (or worst) story is when I tried to compress the dripless shaft seal using a boat hook and metal pry bar as a fulcrum. The pry bar slipped and broke off the breather valve from the transmission. Not an expensive part but i discovered it had British threads (BSP) and required a BSP to NPT coupling. The old coupling broke off in the tranny housing so I had to buy the appropriate easy-out which worked but screwed up (no pun) the threads in the housing. So then I had to find and buy a BSP tap to re-thread the hole. It took another week of searching the net and calling several places before I found someone who had the BSP to NPT couplings.

I felt pretty stupid breaking the valve but then I was proud of myself for figuring out a solution.

 

[kthoennes]

Yes! You know two weeks ago I accidentally broke off the air intake filter on my shop compressor. No big deal I thought, that's a common part. Nope. Made in China, but 1/2" BSP threads on the filter. Pain in the neck, took me hours of hunting and digging through plumbing supply stores and three tries online ordering replacement filters that didn't fit before I finally found a BSP match.

 

[firstbase]

Need to varnish rails, transom, name boards/nav lights but too hot. Job gets bigger every 95 degree week that goes by. Replaced the control board on a Vitrifrigo refrigerator. Well, not me, a guy who took AMEX replaced it. My biggest current fix is a leak in my freshwater system. Oozing 280 gallons a month or so. Closed off the tank valves and, thank God, no leak. That tells me it isin the lines somewhere and not a leak in my water tanks. I went below and there seems to be some water running down the inside of the hull from up and behind the starboard fuel tank. A place no man has seen since 1987 when the tank went in. I have no idea what to do to fix it so....will call another guy who takes AMEX I guess. I do have the FW plan from Grand Banks and will give it one last look before I call.

 

[wkearney99]

My biggest current fix is a leak in my freshwater system. Oozing 280 gallons a month or so. Closed off the tank valves and, thank God, no leak. That tells me it isin the lines somewhere and not a leak in my water tanks. I went below and there seems to be some water running down the inside of the hull from up and behind the starboard fuel tank. A place no man has seen since 1987 when the tank went in. I have no idea what to do to fix it so....will call another guy who takes AMEX I guess. I do have the FW plan from Grand Banks and will give it one last look before I call.

Where's the water line for the windshield wiper washdown run on your GB? The one in my EB47 runs up along the forward bulkhead of the engine room up to the flybridge. The valves in mine started to fail (looked like condensation leaking out from the vents above the windshield). So I just turned off the valve for that line down in the engine room. Mine also used to have an icemaker under the forward port bench in the salon. It also has a valve in the engine room. Neither of these were shown in the diagram in the manual.

 

[Comodave]

Need to varnish rails, transom, name boards/nav lights but too hot. Job gets bigger every 95 degree week that goes by. Replaced the control board on a Vitrifrigo refrigerator. Well, not me, a guy who took AMEX replaced it. My biggest current fix is a leak in my freshwater system. Oozing 280 gallons a month or so. Closed off the tank valves and, thank God, no leak. That tells me it isin the lines somewhere and not a leak in my water tanks. I went below and there seems to be some water running down the inside of the hull from up and behind the starboard fuel tank. A place no man has seen since 1987 when the tank went in. I have no idea what to do to fix it so....will call another guy who takes AMEX I guess. I do have the FW plan from Grand Banks and will give it one last look before I call.

Can you just cut the water line where it goes behind the tank and run a new section around the tank and splice it into the line?

 

[twistedtree]

Wow, if anyone was ever thinking of buying a boat and reads this thread, it will set them straight and they will go back to gardening.....

 

[Pack Mule]

Nothing

 

[firstbase]

Where's the water line for the windshield wiper washdown run on your GB? The one in my EB47 runs up along the forward bulkhead of the engine room up to the flybridge. The valves in mine started to fail (looked like condensation leaking out from the vents above the windshield). So I just turned off the valve for that line down in the engine room. Mine also used to have an icemaker under the forward port bench in the salon. It also has a valve in the engine room. Neither of these were shown in the diagram in the manual.

I believe my wipers pull water from the v-berth head. That is what shows on my drawings. I haven't gotten far enough into it to figure out where the valves are. From the head up to the crawl space under the flybridge helm is a short run. Shouldn't be hard to check but I replaced my horn recently and there was no evidence of any water in there.

 

[firstbase]

Can you just cut the water line where it goes behind the tank and run a new section around the tank and splice it into the line?

If I can determine that the leak is in that section I would think yes. Actually, I misspoke earlier. I didn't shut the valves off at the tanks. I turned the breaker for the FW pump off. No pressure in the system, no leak. I am assuming that this means the tanks themselves aren't the issue.