Help with learning systems?

[Rick R.]

We purchased our 32-200 the other day and it seems that the PO doesn't know the systems.

Can anyone help me minimize the learning curve?

1) Does anyone have the 32-200 owners manual they could copy and mail me? I will gladly pay for your time and postage.

2) Besides cleaning out the PO's things, what things should we check or do to this beauty?

3) Can anyone tell me where the thru-hulls are accessed so I can make sure I keep plugs there?

4) Should we have the fuel tank cleaned?

Any helpful tips or input will be super!
Thanks
Rick

 

[PDX]

Click on the "Downloads" area at the bottom of the main page. Then click on E32. There are manuals, and additional information, for both the 1970s E32 and your model. If what you click on turns out to be the wrong boat, just keep going down the list.

 

[Glyn Judson]

Things to do with your new boat.

Rick, First of all, congratulations on your recent purchase, I know you'll love her. Finally, welcome to the list. More than a decade ago my wife had a heart stopping scare when single handing to Catalina Island. A disused and unterminated hose from an old exhaust vacuum breaker began to siphon water into the bilges as a result of hours of sailing on a starboard tack. She went below for something to find the sole awash with SALT WATER!!!. The dropped sail, called the USCG and began motoring. That resulted in the mushroom fitting on the port side lifting out of the water and thereby terminating the taking in of water but she didn't know that. They responded, pumped the bilges dry and after staying with her for a short while, broke off. She proceeded safely the rest of the way to the Island without further incident. I might add that a USCG cutter, USCG helicopter, Bay Watch Redondo Beach and Bay Watch Isthmus Cove, Catalina all responded. She was a popular gal on the water that day and kept her cool throughout it all. The next day with the boat safely dry (a Harbor Patrol man friend climbed around in the bilges and found the errant loose hose and terminated it. The next day Marilyn dove the hull and mapped every through hull fitting and its location. With that data, she began to search out the inboard half of each fitting until she was 110% sure of every hole in the boat. Now, to the point of my writing this. The through hull fitting locations in your boat may well differ in location slightly or not when compared to another identical boat to yours, I know that to be true of the E31 fleet. The only way to be certain is to get down and dirty and do it yourself. Start at one end and work your way to the other. Look under every locker, into every cabinet and do it with a powerful light so as not to miss anything. We thought we had everything covered in our boat but missed that little 1/4" black hose hidden up in the port coaming. Make a sketch of your hull, both port and starboard and create a map of all the fittings. Start and keep that in a notebook that you always have onboard for this and other things of importance. Note the size of the seacocks and make a shopping list of plugs according to the information you've gathered. We still have that fitting location map in the notebook and another thing we have in our notebook is a Xerox copy of the face of our fuel gauge with lines along the needles path indicating true quantity of fuel available. Our martini glass shaped tank can get very empty very fast relative to the upper half and it's good to know how much is left and how much to ask for at the fuel dock in order to prevent a tank vent spill. As an aside, I just added a vent whistle http://www.greenmarineproducts.com/ to help prevent just that from ever happening again. We've yet to even try it, it's that new so I hope it works as designed. This might be an inspiration to you not to rely upon the help of others regarding such an important collection of information and that it's best done by you so you're sure as can be. Welcome aboard again and I hope this has been of some help if not inspiration to get down and dirty. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA

 

[footrope]

Speedo and Depth Sounder

The boatspeed sensor and depthsounder, if installed, also have through hulls, especially the boatspeed paddlewheel. There are no hoses on these, just a wire coming up through the fitting. These are sometimes hard to find from the inside and an underwater view might be necessary to figure out where to look.

For example, our depthsounder is at the very tip of the bow and the boatspeed is under the bottom drawer of a galley cabinet. It's also useful to know the location of these two so that you know where the slings should NOT be placed when getting hauled out of the water.

I agree with Glyn, you have to know where all the through hulls are and be able to gain access quickly. This applies to above the waterline fittings, too, because while sailing they may be submerged on the opposite tack.

If the fuel tank has an inspection port, it wouldn't be a bad idea to check for water or black gunk, the latter especially for diesels. If your fuel filter has a clear bowl you can check for sediment.

If there is an anchor, inspect it and the rode for condition issues. Track down the bitter end and make sure that it's attached to the boat.

Congratulations on the boat and on your good instincts about learning about it!

 

[Rick R.]

Great stuff.