A bit too hot to do too much!

Spent the morning grinding the newly epoxied in tubes flush... they'll need a light sand before painting, but otherwise, look good... very pleased with how its worked... looks tidy, neat and won't let tons of water in.

I then gather the courage to drill yet more holes in the coachroof for the organisers.... got it just right... but bolts were too short at only 95mm (Phoenix is a tough old girl!)

So, after this, I came home.... a few jobs there that couldn't be put off any longer!

big drills!

A few days ago, someone asked me whether I was still enjoying the work on Phoenix, or whether it had become a chore.... I answered truthfully... that I enjoyed it...

But today, i've had some more sanding to do.... and I've decided that I've had enough of sanding!

Fortunately, its not been the only thing I've been doing.... The new drill bits I ordered for the 22mm holes in the dog house had arrived.... and all 3 are now knackered!

I ended up having to drill from both sides, and while the alignment was pretty close, it wasn't perfect... so I nipped to a DIY and bought a big 22mm masonry bit.... that did it!!!

I then stuck a pipe through each hole and epoxied them in.... this all took me the whole morning...

So, I sanded the inside of the doghouse.... god, I hate that job!!!!

Along the way I removed the second traveller for the staysail and fitted a strong U bolt for the staysail sheet... anything to not sand...

This evening i've cut and sanded the block to mount the deck organiser on.... but too late to start drilling hardwood now....

onwards and upwards... more progress tomorrow with a bit of luck... it still feels like I am moving towards her being ready, rather than yet more dismantling... so all OK!

holes in dog house for reefing lines etc

new drill bit required

Following standard wisdom, I measured the location for the holes through the dog house several times before cutting, and then measured again....

And finally plucked up the courage and applied drill to fibreglass.

Hole locations seems absolutely perfect.... but there is one other problem... the hollow box section upon which the dog house sits isn't hollow!

The drill bit finally gave up after cutting through 2" in the first hole and 1" in the remaining 3 required on the port hand side simply by becoming too blunt to cut.... fibreglass and hardwood are pretty tough on drills!

So, it appears that i've got 40" to cut through in total on one side and 10" on the other.... that'll take some doing.... and some new drill bits!... a pic to follow.

I have however found a lovely bit of hardwood in a locker below that is perfect for mounting the deck organisers and the clutches, so brought that home to cut, rather than try in the confined location of a boat.

Up and down

That's what the windlass now does!

It took me a good chunk of the day to do the job though...

Fortunately Vince turned up first thing and helped for an hour.... Which was a god send as pulling the old cable out was definitely a two person job... Thanks Vince!

So, new cable in, wiring up done and... ping!.... Windlass working, both up and down.

Also fitted new stereo... No speakers yet though!

This weekends challenges

Back on board.... Going to try and...

Fit conduits for control lines through dog house
Strip back and varnish interior of dog house (first coat)
Fit windlass cables
Rewire forward nav lights

Should keep me busy!

Honda 2.3 outboard carb clean

Just thought of this post that I wrote a good while ago, and that it would make a useful blog entry.... so here goes.....

My Honda 2.3Hp outboard has been running somewhat roughly recently, and had started to need excess choke in order to keep it running.

A good check over was in order, so I brought it home to check it out.... 

It seems to be a common issue from previous threads on this forum, so I suspect i'm not alone in having this problem...

so.... last night I removed the carb, and discovered it to be really quite dirty, and after a good clean out it ran as sweet as it had ever done.... and thought it would be worthwhile sharing what is involved in detail for those less comfortable just getting stuck in, but willing to give it a go with a bit of guidance....

1] Remove the cover. This is done with the black rubber strap at the rear of the cover. 

2] You will see three bolts that hold the starter cord (recoil system) to the top of the engine. It is worth undoing these three dome headed nuts, and removing the recoil unit, so that the whole cover can be put aside for better access to the engine

3] On the rear of the engine at the right hand side you will see a black plastic 'U' shaped item. This is the air intake. On top of this is a small clamp that holds the throttle cable in place. Loosen this clamp (don't undo completely), swing the small metal plate out of the way to free the cable and remove the cable from the clamp.

4] Now there are two bolts that hold the air filter on. they are on the right hand side, and towards the rear of the plastic air intake. The lower bolt is recessed a couple of inches, so you will need a socket wrench with an extension on it to reach the bolt. You will need a 10mm socket. Undo these two bolts taking care, and withdraw the two bolts one at a time. remove the air intake and place it in a clean location. They also hold the carb onto the engine, so make sure that the carb does not fall off. (it probably won't)

5] Carefully wiggle the carb by hand (don't use a lever or a hammer - its a delicate component!), and once lossened, lift it clear of the engine.

6] The choke cable and throttle cable will still be attached to the carb. maneouvre the carb so that these can be taken off (they have a small dog leg on the end of the rod/cable and just need orienting correctly to detach them)

7] Once the carb is clear, then take real care not to damage the paper gaskets that ensure an airtight fit to the engine and air intake. Unless you are unlucky, then these will be fine to reuse. If they get damaged, then spares are readily available, or you can make new ones from gasket material.

8] At the bottom of the carb is a metal 'bowl' with a 1.5" long pipe as part of the component. This 'bowl' is held in place by a single 10mm bolt. Undo this bolt (remember to take care of the gaskets!). Note the orientation for reassembly. Once removed, then you can start cleaning. 

9] In the bottom of the carb is a metal tube (that the bowl was bolted to), this has a very small hole in the side of it. This must be clear as this is how fuel enters the rest of the carb.

10] Next take a fine wire (soft as you can find) and gently (very) poke it through the hole exposed inside this 'tube'. This is the main jet, so must be clear, but is also very delicate, so take care.

11] Hold the choke and throttle fittings open (where the cables/rods connected) and two round 'flaps' will rotate to show you the main carb body as a cylinder. Blow through the cylinder to clear any dirt dislodged.

12] Finally reassemble, and reattach to the engine by reversing the steps above.

A couple of other tips.... when cleaning the carb, use a lint free cloth.... any threads or fluff left in the carb will cause havoc. Undertake the whole process in as clean an environment as you can manage... with any fuel system, cleanliness is critical. 

Good luck!

tough economy?

Can't be as bad as I thought.....

Wednesday morning I spoke to three companies about a quote for a new engine for Phoenix.... probably going to be in the order of £10k by the time its fitted.

All three promised a reponse that afternoon, but not one of them has come back to me yet, after 2 days.

Things can't be that tough out there!

new engine update

Been investigating the new engine, and it looks like it'll be one of either Beta or Nanni.

Questions are:

What size? - currently have 80Hp, but probably don't need that much, so open to guidance

What gearbox? - options are either PRM or Technodrive... don't want a Hurth, as i've had problems with them in the past

Where are the ancilliaries? - can I get at the impellor when the engine is fitted?

Will it fit? - is the engine space sufficient

Is the alternator big enough?

Do the bearers angle the engine too much, and i'll therefore need a header tank?

Is the calorifier above the heat exchanger - again, will I need a header tank?

And then, do I do the install myself, or get it done professionally?... I like the idea of getting into the engine compartment and cleaning, painting etc.... so may well remove the old one myself... but installing, aligning etc would be nice to be done by a pro.... but can I justify the cost?

And what about where it is done?..... can it be done at Shotley?... or do I need to move the boat?... how, with no engine?... can I get it started long enough to get her down the river to the Beta or Nanni agents, or will Shotley supply and install at the right price?

I've asked for quotes, but quite a few decisions to work through!