Recent content by ConchyDug

Man I'd tell the Puddle Pirates/Aux Puddle Pirates to pound sand and move the bowl outside the engine compartment depending if the state requires it. Recreational boats do not require a COI and Vessel Safety Checks are just that voluntary. You however have to stay compliant with state laws...

Dang yeah, focus on the AC side of the boat first as several people pointed out. I went with new panels with toggle breakers just makes a cleaner install. Also don't assume a crimped connector is good on these boats pull on them, not crazy hard but enough to test the crimp. I definitely had...

Big thumbs down for Brunswick who owns Navico which includes Promariner chargers we changed stacks of these at the boat dealership I worked at in-between aviation jobs. They only stay in business because they shoehorn their boxes on all the boat brands they own... Boston Whaler, Grady White, Sea...

I have 5 100ah(100lbs total weight) LiTime batteries after watching Prowse tear one apart 4yrs ago. They can run an aircon or linear drive autopilot... no problem. The 5th one I put in has BT built in, which is cool but not needed. I got the "mini" version which is a pouch design which all the...

MLX3 is great stuff and easy on the wallet, easy to splice as well. 1% elongation at 30% load is great bang for the buck compared to StaSet 2% at 20%. MLX3 has higher average strength per comparable size of StaSet so the elongation would be even less for MLX3. For 8mm line, StaSet is like $1/ft...

Probably need a photo of the actual traveler to get help.

3d printing is another route to go if you have a printer and some flavor of design software. ABS/ASA filament would probably be the best.

The red exhaust riser indicates it's a Westerbeke and somebody did a silver rattle can job on it... probably recently to make it presentable for selling. That would make me dig more on the engine. Having in mast furling on a 38 is strange indicates a new mast was installed, unless it's one of...

https://skygeek.com/ultrachem-fluid1-4oz-ultrachem-assembly-fluid-1-4-oz-tube.html?srsltid=AfmBOoouPNMGf4Kcs-GTW0szIoUbhT8JsrQg_1JceFXri2gZQO7njepK This stuff is expensive but I'd definitely find something like it so you don't nick the seals/o-rings on reassembly. The one I did had some pretty...

I faced this situation last summer, the pointy Ericson bow is a funky location to mount modern ground tackle. I couldn't find an elegant solution and bolted an off the shelf Lewmar roller at an angle. It's worked so far even rigged it with a bobstay to fly the kite from, the 1/2" diameter bolt...

They are bulletproof and simple generally you'll have a mast end release T-handle on the nicer ones which make gybing less chaotic in sporty conditions. Spin poles are thicker walled than whisker poles in aluminum or carbon and can take abuse. I sail with a 139% Genoa and just furl up the sail a...

*Whispers* Buy a used spinnaker pole that fits the "J" dimension. You can find used carbon poles and change end fittings as you see fit. I'd rig a topping lift on a clutch or camcleat then the weight is less of a factor. Socket fittings are for bigger boats that do dip pole gybes and some boats...

I've rebuilt a Sailtec adjuster and have the manuals. I can email them to you if you think it'll give you any insight how Navtec might've built theirs. The manufacturers don't like to freely give out the manuals but if you're persuasive they might. High strength loctite is used in them and has...

Asphaltenes are precip from petroleum products not the microbial crude from water contamination. I've had it happen after mixing Jet-A(Free sump fuel from work) into my tank, bigggg mistake, incompatible fuels can cause the "tar". Also fuel additives can cause this as well.

Alternators will load an engine. Especially big ones, you'll hear the engine load up when the alternator starts charging. It's like 1hp per 25amps so on smaller hp diesels that's a high percentage on higher hp engines it washes out. Looking at an engine's power output chart with hp/tq you can...