Our Journey So Far
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Category: Hints & Tips
Forum Name: 461 / 470
Forum Description: 461 / 470 Hints and Tips
URL: https://www.myhanse.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=8498
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Topic: Our Journey So Far
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Subject: Our Journey So Far
Date Posted: 04 July 2014 at 07:16
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It is now 18 months since we left Spain and so far have had a leisurely journey down to South America then through the Caribbean, where we are now in Curacao. I thought some may like to know what changes, what problems we experienced so far. Med to Canaries: Fitted twin headsail and pole before we left, so far so good. Had mainsail checked over completely by local sailmaker, any possible problems rectified. A gale soon after Gibralter found two snapped reefing lines, the standard alternator failed and the fuel tank is designed in such a way that when the vessel is on a port tack the fuel pickup cannot reach the fuel inside. Two batten pockets tore away, turned out the sailmaker had not sewn reinforced them but just covered with tape. We learnt in Las Palmas that there is a serious design fault with the boom design. Where the lines leave the boom sheaves at the mast end of the boom the three slots are machined with SHARP edges. OK until you are on your reefing line with the boom well out, the lines then rub continually on those sharp edges. I would urge anyone with in line reefing to check these slots. I ground them down with a Dremel until they were a safe smooth curve, but they should have never been left like this at the time of manufacture. The same situation occurs at the end of the boom where we had the outhall damaged for similar reasons. The hydraulic backstay adjuster is an American unit. It was refurbished in the UK before we left at ridiculous cost, in Las Palmas the pison end broke and when we inspected it we found a small bronze piston with a stainless lever which had corroded and broke. The bronze piston had a shaft about 5mm in dia, which had broken in half in use. This unit is totally unfit for service and we replaced it with a screw operated tensioner. The battery bank had suffered as a result of the failed alternator and was completely replaced, capacity excluding engine battery 675aH. We also fitted a new 100A Balmar alternator with Balmar 4 stage controller, so far excellent investment. Our 500W of solar panels and controller are doing their job well. Fitted 2 Ultrasonic AntiFouling units, kits we bought from Jaycar in Australia (online). I can report they are doing an fabulous job, when we lifted out in Trinidad we had NO barnacles, worms or weed on the hull. It didn't even need pressure washing. Lesson Learnt: DO NOT trust any "professional" to do a good job unless you know them well from experience or have had good references from others. Our sailmaker did a poor and careless job which created problems for us down the line. Canaries to Cape Verdes: No real problems apart from crew. One new crew member lied about her (lack of) experience and qualifications. The other was a commercially endorsed Ocean Yachtmaster who did not believe in using a preventor downwind and broke our vang when he forgot to release the preventor I demanded be used. Water maker failed, salinity probe faulty so no water. New one fitted in Cape Verdes. Cape Verdes to French Guyana to British Guyana Apart from 4 days of unexpected strong gales no serious problems. The autopilot control head gave up and let the autopilot go in 4m seas... Fortunately had a spare head on board, problem caused by water getting under the waterproof keypad. Watermaker (Spectra) failure again, this time pressure sensors on filters. Disconnected them and had to ship in new ones from US when we reached Trinidad. Note: We use Jepperson C-Map and Navionics for our chart plotters. BOTH of them were inaccurate going up the Moroni and Essequibo Rivers to the point where following waypoints supplied by Doyles the charts were 100-200m out and had us going over land. Trinidad: One of the electric winches making a rough noise, thought it may be the motor. It was not the motor, it was the worm drive from the motor to the bottom of the winch. Harken 53.2 winches, but Italian gearbox, Sealed For Life. Both gone, two causes. The designers had failed to recognise that as the winches heated up and cooled down they would breathe in and out small quantities of salt air. After years of this our gearboxes contained NO OIL and a brown soup of rust and salt water. To compound the problem Harken had used a gearbox designed to be used horizontally so the gears were in an oil bath, but had fitted them vertically. We had both boxes stripped down new bearings, seals etc fitted and a small screw fitted which will allow them to be drained and refilled in the future. Fitted a stainless steel protective plate over the wooden step separating the shower from the toilet; water always lays there and will eventually deteriorate. Similarly we protect all cabinetry in the shower / toilet with plastic sheets as water gets in under varnish if not cared for. Electric windlass sometimes fails to run. Have eventually diagnosed this to worn contacts in the relay. But where is the relay unit? Eventually found it inside the windlass mounted on top of the motor. Fortunately it is a standard relay unit, we found a Quick unit fitted. Also found the clutch mechanism is worn (burnt) where the windlass has been used to pull the yacht to the anchor. Microwave failed but were unable to find a replacement. Fortunately were able to have it repaired. Major Problem with the masthead main halyard sheave. Between French Guyana and Trinidad we found two occasions where the main halyard was almost cut through about 10-15cm from the top. We could see nothing wrong in the masthead but it was eventually diagnosed that the sheave had two problems. Firstly it was designed a halyard up to probably 14mm, perhaps even 16mm in dia. This meant the groove is large and quite shallow. Secondly over time the sheave wore and the edges of the sheave became sharper. These two factors allowed the halyard to rub against the aluminium sheave casing, which of course was made the same way as the boom. So on a downwind course with the boom well out the halyard was constantly rubbing... We had a new sheave manufactured with a deeper groove and to take a 14mm halyard to give better guidance and support. Trinidad to Cartagena Three batten pockets tore out at the ends and 3 battens slipped overboard. Poor quality repairs in Lanzarote but also we are encountering unseasonal high winds. Stopped in at Curacao to repair the sail and get new battens, which have to be flown in from Barbados. So, all for now. Despite the problems we are having an amazing experience. Most of the problems we have met are ones which on normal use may never come up, but our experiences may be of use or interest to those planning to go further afield in the future. ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Replies:
Posted By: panos
Date Posted: 04 July 2014 at 17:22
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Thanks for sharing. Very helpful to have feedback. Referring to the watermaker we threw all electronics and automation away and we have no more problems! Before we couldn't get the watermaker (desalator duo 60) to work longer than an hour. We connected a three way manual valve and first feed the product to our sink and we taste it. If all ok we turn the above valve and feed the product in a 100 lt day tank. After we taste the water in the day tank we pump it in our main tank. In this way we never contaminate the main tank. We also fill 10lt jerry tanks and we recycle them with a schedule so that they are always fresh. A friend had his RO membrane broken and was feeding salt water in the main tank for hours! He stayed without water for two weeks and used rain water and his beer and wine supplies to survive! ------------- Panos Hanse 630e - selling her - |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 04 July 2014 at 17:30
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Thanks for your comments. As far as I hope (!) the saline probe will pick up if the output is saline above a prescribed minimum. That is certainly what happened when the probe failed, it would not let me make water. I read about your trip on the ARC. If you are looking for an adventure Panama to Australia for 4 months let me know! Our current crew had to go home, mother of one became very ill. Finding crew in Curacao almost impossible. Regards, Graeme ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: panos
Date Posted: 04 July 2014 at 17:45
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My pleasure. The last couple of years I felt that the 630 was a mistake since I lost the pleasure of singlehanding and the ability to enter shallow ports. The ARC was the final test and lately I got an 37' classic full keel ocean cruiser. She is not fast but now I am semi retired and have plenty of time. To make a long story short currently I am preparing the "new" (to me) 36 year old cutter for a circumnavigation. I don't know if I will ever do it but for sure I will cross Atlantic once more next year. ------------- Panos Hanse 630e - selling her - |
Posted By: Johan Hackman
Date Posted: 04 July 2014 at 19:30
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So what will happen to your 630, Panos? Johan -------------  http://www.johanhackman.se" rel="nofollow - http://www.johanhackman.se |
Posted By: panos
Date Posted: 04 July 2014 at 21:10
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Last year I only used for 15 days and chartered it for the rest of the summer. It breaks my hart to see her been abused by "tourists" who have nothing to do with sailing and complain because "it is tilting". Obviously some nice brochure convinced them to charter a sailing boat. Most probably I will sell her. She is a fantastic boat for weekend or short vacation use. Now I am half retired and want to live months on board. It is impossible to find company for such a lifestyle and me and my wife are not enough to handle such a big boat in an emergency or long passage. To cross an ocean with the 630 at least four good sailors are needed and one of them to be also a good mechanic, electrician etc. practically it is almost impossible to cross an ocean with the 630, for me at least. Are you in the market for a really big boat? She is very fast! Last summer I sailed her almost singlehanded over the Aegean (250nm) in 20hours! I selected as always the night shift (12:00 to 6:00) and the professional skipper I have went to sleep. The wind was from 140-150 and gradually increased to 30knots! The pilot couldn't handle the waves and I was locked at the steering wheel impossible to reef or to reduce the front sail. For four hours we were planning at 14 to 18 knots!!! Extremely thrilling! I will remember this night. Also the face of the skipper when he appeared in cockpit and realized we had covered about ninety miles and were almost there. Average speed for the passage a little bit over 12 knots! I couldn't shout for help. Nobody would hear me! The noise was too loud and the skippers cabin so far in front... This is the reason I said "almost singlehanded". ------------- Panos Hanse 630e - selling her - |
Posted By: kweetje
Date Posted: 05 July 2014 at 10:03
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Hi Panos, what size of boat seems good to you for doing a circumnavigation with 2 people, man & wife on board ? For the last 2 years, i'm preparing our 375. She is almost ready now, but sometimes i wonder if a 47ft wouldn't be better... ------------- First 4000 miles, no substantial problems |
Posted By: panos
Date Posted: 05 July 2014 at 16:22
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Nooo! Definitely no! Any boat bigger than about 40' is not good for long passages. You have limited muscle power and a big boat with heavy sails and equipment will exhaust you in work. The effort required to do the same job in a 470 can be four times more than in your 375. Of course the seas appear calmer in a bigger boat but this is only a matter of getting used to the movement. Imagine to have to set and douse the gennaker 5-10 times per 24h! In the 470 you will simply not use the gennaker because of exhaustion! My only concern with the modern boats is the hull integrity, Especially the rudder and the hull to keel joint! This is the main reason I selected a full keel boat, and of course the seakindness and the ease of singlehanding. The price you pay is of course speed and some pointing. ------------- Panos Hanse 630e - selling her - |
Posted By: gertha
Date Posted: 05 July 2014 at 17:36
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Kweetji If the plan is a circumnavigation, and the budget will run to a 47 ft, will the budget also run to some paid crew for the long passages ? Two handed off shore sailing is hard work, basically it is 2 people sailing single handed, or one on his own with help in the tea making department. I just completed an Atlantic, we were 4 handed, another boat was 2 handed. The 2 handers were knackered in the Azores , one of my crew helped them for the last leg to Portugal. I sail two handed for a day or three; but the long legs I use the internet to find crew, this is not an exact science as people do not tell the truth; however the crew are normally useful and often very good. Personaly it is not the size of boat that I would look at ; but the reality of 3 weeks sailing 2 handed; if you and our wife can do the sailing the 37 ft is by far the best bet. Having said all this I know several couples who sail everywhere as a couple some in 50 ft boats, if you do go bigger back up your autopilot and power generator. Simon ------------- Swanned off |
Posted By: kweetje
Date Posted: 06 July 2014 at 06:43
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Panos, thank you for your answer ! I only was thinking of 470 for having more stability and more stowage. I guess you are right about the effort. I still remember sailing through a gale single handed. I was too late for reefing, and it cost me an hour and a lot of effort to get sails reefed correctly. So i guess you are right. We'll probably stick with our 375... About hull integrity: i must say that in the 4 years sailing with the 375, i have become confident in the strength of the hull. But you are right, the rudder is quite exposed... However when i look at ARC, i see most ships now are modern cruisers, with the same type of exposed rudder... Gertha, i now the "find a crew" site... I also heard that for instance in the acores you often can find people waiting for a boat to hop on. We mainly would like to do the trip as a couple, but sometimes a 3rd person could be handy i guess. I doubled all important systems onboard our 375. So we have for instance double auto-pilot and spares for most vital systems. I guess sailing with two people, with the help of the auto-pilot is feasable in fair weather conditions. In strong gale this becomes a different story however. A friend and myself did a delivery from sweden to southampton. We had a week of strong gale. We were exhausted... ------------- First 4000 miles, no substantial problems |
Posted By: Alain & Anne
Date Posted: 06 July 2014 at 09:56
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Interesting so far, and making me thinking that I should write a comprehensive report about our six years sailing from France to New Zealand with our 430e Uhambo. All in all we reached New Zealand last November after a two months cruising from Tahiti through Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga and Minerva Reef. We have had the windows repaired and Uhambo is gently sitting in the yard until we return from our "vacations" in France. ------------- UHAMBO 430e#004 White hull-teck deck-Yanmar 55hp-long range cruising OCC Our blog: www.uhambo.fr |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 06 July 2014 at 16:43
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We are sailing in 461 and whilst I agree with some of Panos's
comments, I would not necessarily shut the door on a 461 or 470. I do
agree on the earlier comment about crew, dishonesty and personality have
constituted most of the tension on our travels. We have had some really
good people, but I would say 50% of them have been dishonest with their
skill levels and experience, their true capabilities. Paper
qualifications are no guarantee of ability, one highly qualified man
nearly put us on the rocks in Las Palmas because he insisted he knew the
capabilities of the boat and found too late a bow thruster is of no use
in winds > 15 knots. In many ways the more qualified the more
arrogant people become and will not accept your advice or knowledge of
your own boat. We also had problems with one crew who hid his (small)
drug stash in his surfboard, this was dealt with firmly. The one other
drawback of crew is you MUST provide them with a Crew Contract to
protect yourself, if anyone wants one please PM me with your email
address. On the plus side we have been able to rest in heavy gale
conditions for 4 days whereas we would have been exhausted if we had to
handle it by ourselves. Because we travel with our 6 year old we are
effectively only 1 1/2 crew and don't always get the sleep we need. Most
of the crew we have had have responded well to our son and often spoilt
him rotten, he has great memories of fishing, snorkelling and making
Lego with friendly people. On the other hand we have sailed many lovely miles on our own using just the self tacker and mainsail with no problems. The main reefs easily and the self tacker takes out a lot of the work. We always sail conservatively, if it looks like perhaps we should reef, we reef!! The true advantages of the bigger boat revolve around the extra comfort and sea handling, the much larger storage space and extra room for entertaining when you do reach port or anchorage. We have often had 8-12 people around for drinks and supper and the cockpit is generous enough to cope with this number. We are on a journey that may last for 2 years or more, so we carry relatively large quantities of food, extra fuel (240l in drums as well as our tanks), spares for everything we can imagine, clothing (children and wives always need more than you can imagine) plus toys, books, birthday and Christmas presents. Fishing gear, diving gear and scuba tanks, hookah air generators, fuel for the outboard. A veritable chemist shop of vitamin pills, large drug store, medical kit. Much of this all goes under the bilges, we have devised waterproof sections and everything is carefully sorted and packed. We use excel to maintain a large spreadsheet of what food, how much, where it is, use by date. We also use an excellent iPad product called "Whats on my Boat" and "My Boat" which between them enable me to categorise, describe and list every non-food item on the boat. I can also keep maintenance records, trip records and budget on the same system. Yes, you may need to factor in paying a skipper for a section. I hate paying people to sail from one beautiful place to another, on the other hand they do need to keep a roof over their heads somehow in the future. I look upon it as an insurance cost! If I had the choice again, I would still go for the larger vessel. When we have been in rough weather I have always felt safe in her, a great feeling of trust is shared between us. The epoxy hull is very strong with the steel chassis inside. With a 15-20 knot wind on the beam we easily run at 8-9 knots, sometimes 10. If you are going to do a circumnavigation I would definitely look at having made a twin headsail, joined at the luff. You can let both wings out or keep the clews tied together for a superstrong 120% genoa.       ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: Mark&Catherine
Date Posted: 06 July 2014 at 17:06
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Great tip about the iPad apps, I'm downloading them now ------------- 385 ubulukutu sail number GBR 3350L in Turkey and Greece with Mark and Catherine |
Posted By: CharlesP
Date Posted: 06 July 2014 at 17:52
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Really enjoyed reading your accounts Graeme. Lovely photos. More of both please? Charles ------------- 'MERIDIAN LADY' 320 Nr 536 2010 Medway |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 07 July 2014 at 03:53
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For those who may be contemplating taking on crew at some point, below is an Agreement I have used on several occasions. NOTE that marine law makes the skipper totally responsible for the repatriation of your crew back to his / her home port or onward to another port that will accept your crew member without an ongoing ticket. Example, an EU citizen can stop off i n another EU country or colony without an onward permit; this is why St Martins and Martinique are popular stops to "off-load" EU crew, apart from the DIY Crew List registration. Also by the crew affirming they have sufficient funds for their own expenses and agreeing to pay their own costs, you at least have one leg to stand on. I hope no-one minds this relatively long post but I found it difficult to get the right mix of crew agreement and if it helps any fellow sailors, great! Crew Agreement Date:_____________ Dear I am enclosing a copy of the Crew Agreement covering your participation as a crew aboard Sailing Yacht “YOUR BOAT NAME” I know it appears rather legalistic, but it in fact covers everything we spoke about. Having an understanding in writing is prudent for all concerned. I would be grateful if you would complete it, have it witnessed, and send it back to me at your earliest convenience.
Please note each page needs to be initialized where indicated.
Please complete the medical sections on page 1, if appropriate; initial the cost paragraph where indicated; complete the crew details on page 2 and provide two photo-copies of your passport as requested. Then sign and date the agreement on page 4, have it witnessed where indicated and return it to me.
I will complete my parts and send you back a copy for your records. I am sure you understand the need for such an agreement. It helps clarify the situation and is fairly standard information for international ocean passages of this nature. Here we have the information organized in written down form for all to agree upon and be witness.
Skipper______________ CREW AGREEMENT YACHT:TOUR BOAT NAME (here after referred to as " the Yacht") VOYAGE FROM: _______________________ TO: _________________________________ INTENTIONS: This agreement is designed to anticipate problems that might occur while aboard, both at sea or coastal cruising, and thus avoid them. It is designed to protect both the skipper/owner and those who join him. To facilitate inquiries, should anything go wrong, a copy will be sent to the skipper's representative before departure; and I suggest that you send a copy to someone you deem appropriate. It is wise to inform someone at home of your plans. Crewing on S/Y YOUR BOAT NAME works best when all are considered equals. You will be consulted, when appropriate, as a part of decision making, but you must be also willing to share all work, difficulties and dangers. In completing this agreement YOU TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR DECISION TO JOIN, and agree that you are willing to accept all that may come your way. There have been no inducements or promises or consideration that is not fully described in this agreement. The skipper hereby declares his belief that the boat is properly equipped and prepared for the planned voyage, and that he is fully competent to manage, alone or with crew. He invites the crew to test this statement in any way they wish - by their own inquiries and judgement, or with the help of others. When you sign this you agree that you have full investigated and found that the boat is properly equipped and that the skipper is capable , fit and competent. You understand and agree that I am the captain and you must obey all lawful orders. MEDICAL DETAILS: The boat has a well equipped medical kit, and a Satellite Phone with which emergency help may be obtained. However, you must take full responsibility for any current or past medical conditions that may recur, or any medical or health problems that may occur during or as a result of this trip. Make sure that you have ample medication for at least twice as long as the expected passage. You must inform the skipper of any potentially serious conditions that could affect safety at sea. Give details below of any known drug allergies, conditions that might recur, and current medication(s): (mark "NONE" if none)_____________________________________________: ________________________________________________________________
Medical insurance may help save your life. List details of your medical insurance, if any and all contact details: _________________________________________________________: ___________________________________________________________ Apart from spoiling your trip and making it harder for others aboard, seasickness can be dangerous, even fatal. Unless you know, from extensive experience, that you will not be affected, you must have, and be willing to use, reputable seasickness treatment. This is your responsibility. PASSPORTS, VISAS AND REPATRIATION: When you enter another country you will need to have a passport and maybe a visa, and should be able to prove you can get yourself out of the country (other than by yacht) to another country to which you have full right of entry. The simplest way is to have an air ticket, or to carry sufficient cash or credit cards to cover one. You are responsible for this and you understand that you may be asked to furnish proof to the skipper on boarding. TRIP INTERRUPTION: You understand that should you leave the yacht, for whatever reason, at a port other than that to which you had agreed in this agreement, you will be responsible for all your own travel and related costs. You also understand and agree that if you are asked to leave the yacht for reasons of illegal activities, lack of competence, inappropriate behavior, crew incompatibility, illness, or the inability to carry out required tasks, which, in skipper's opinion, is endangering the safe operation of the yacht, you will also be responsible for all your own repatriation costs. However, in this event, the Skipper will take all reasonable measures to disembark you at a suitable port along the intended route, from which you can arrange your travel home. MAINTENANCE WORK: Keeping a cruising boat in safe condition requires work on repairs and maintenance , and this is an obligation to be shared by all aboard. Good crew looks for ways to help, and taking part will make you feel involved. As a guide you should be willing to put in about a half an hour a day, plus half a day per week, on maintenance or and repair to the boat. This does not include domestic work, in which you will also be required to share. COST: You may be asked to contribute an amount of money to cover your actual cost aboard during the journey. To help avoid disagreements, all arrangements and all transactions must be recorded, at the time they are made, in this document initialed by both parties. You agree that at any monies you pay toward your own actual costs of the journey is not for any charter fee or passenger fee for the benefit of the boat or its owner or the skipper, but only for your own share of actual costs of the journey. CREW DETAILS: I will provide along with this agreement two (2) photo copies of the biometric (identity and validity) pages of your passport, that includes information such as: passport number, issue place , date of issue, expiration date, home address; and photo copies of any relevant Visa’s, if necessary, for countries along the journey. Also include other information such as: next of kin's full name, address and telephone number and an alternative contact. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ DECLARATIONS I have completed the above details fully and honestly, and have volunteered any further information I am aware of that may affect the safe enjoyment of the proposed voyage by all aboard. I do not have in my possession, and will not acquire during the journey, any illegal drugs or weapons and will immediately inform the skipper if I become aware of any on board, or anyone trying to bring such items aboard. I will, if asked, allow the Captain to inspect my personal belongings to affirm that I do not possess any illegal drugs or weapons. I declare, by written statement on this agreement, details of any convictions, in any country, for the involvement with illegal drugs or weapons. I will not carry any packages for any third party on the boat without first requesting permission and inspection from the skipper. I accept that the skipper may change his plans, and will not hold him responsible for transportation to the original destination of any such packages, should that destination not be reached by S/Y YOUR BOAT NAME.
I will make myself familiar with the location and operation of all safety equipment aboard the boat. I will seek to learn all aspects of seamanship by reading appropriate manuals and books aboard, and by asking help from the skipper and others. The responsibility is fully mine to learn and to ask to be taught any skills that I need for safe operation of the boat. If there is anything happening aboard the boat about which I am uncomfortable, I will discuss it with those concerned as soon as possible in order to avoid irreversible resentments that may spoil the atmosphere for all aboard. If the skipper is held responsible for bailing me out of trouble if I transgress local laws and customs, I agree to fully reimburse any cost incurred; and to compensate him for the time lost for every day of delay my action may cause. I take full responsibility for any requirements and cost relating for my entry and exit in countries to be visited by the boat. I agree to share all work aboard, and obey all lawful orders given to me relating to the safe conduct of the boat, at all times. I am aware that there are risks that I will face in this voyage, and take full responsibility for my decision to join the crew. I, or my heirs, next of kin, legal representatives, successors and assigns, and in consideration of the acceptance as a crew member of the S/Y YOUR BOAT NAME, do hereby waive any and all claims which I may have against (owner’s name) Camille Ishak, or any other duly qualified and authorized captain appointed by her, arising out of, or in any way connected with, my participation as a members of the crew of the yacht, and understand and agree that, as a member of the crew of said yacht, I have no recourse or claims of any kind against the vessel or its owner, and shall hold them harmless against all consequences of my participation as a crew member aboard the yacht. This agreement shall be governed by the Laws of the United Kingdom. Crew member: ............................................................................................................................. Skipper: ......................................................... (YOUR NAME HERE) Dated at:________________________this ______day of ________, 20____.
CREW AGREEMENT S/Y YOUR BOAT NAME
WITNESS: On this day personally appeared before me_____________________ as identified by his / her passport and who executed the within and foregoing instrument, and acknowledge that he/she signed the same as his/her free will and voluntary act and deed, for the uses and purposes therein described.
-----------------------------------------------------------------Witness Witness Details: ...........................................................................................................................................................
------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 07 July 2014 at 05:47
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If anyone wants to read our more detailed blog, here is the link. I am well behind, just in the process of completing French Guiana now. http://www.climbing-frames-etc.co.uk/DreamtimeWanderer/ If you have any questions please ask. ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: panos
Date Posted: 07 July 2014 at 05:52
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Thanks for sharing ------------- Panos Hanse 630e - selling her - |
Posted By: kweetje
Date Posted: 07 July 2014 at 06:48
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Graeme, thxs a lot for all the information ! I shure wish you a nice further sailing adventure ! We still didn't decide on bigger boat or not, but you stated one very important thing: You need to be confident in your ship. At this moment i have this confidence in our 37 ft. But... for shure if i would be sailing a 470 i would be confident in her also i guess :) ------------- First 4000 miles, no substantial problems |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 27 July 2014 at 15:40
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If there are any scandinavian members reading this post, can anyone advise how we can place advert or find an experienced couple preferably with one child age 5-8 who would be interested in sharing the journey Panama to Australia January to August 2015? ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 05 August 2014 at 20:37
|
Settled into Columbia after a lovely sail from Curaçao to Cartagena. Hit big seas from Curaçao to Aruba, had to wait 5 days for a good weather window (weather warning for small craft seas over 3m wind excess 35-40 knots). After that the run from Aruba was as good as could be, we sat 24/7 with our twin head sails flying out with no pole, 8-10 knots in 20-25 knots from behind. The twin headsail has proven to be brilliant, we can run within anywhere between 150-210 degrees without the pole, no main, no risks of gybing. If anyone is considering any significant downwind sailing I would strongly recommend. Also we can just let one wing fill out and overlap the other and we have the equivalent of a strong 120% storm genoa. This part of the world is great, as I write we sit in the Hard Rock cafe in Cartagena having set price lunch ($9), great ambience, fast wifi and bright sunshine. Sometimes we look at one another and cannot believe life can be so rich; South America is so Alive! ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: CharlesP
Date Posted: 05 August 2014 at 22:20
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As we take shelter in a marina from a Mere Force 7 storm, I am enjoying reading of your exploits. Stay safe and enjoy your meal Graeme. Charles ------------- 'MERIDIAN LADY' 320 Nr 536 2010 Medway |
Posted By: Bjarne
Date Posted: 06 August 2014 at 08:20
|
Hi Graeme To recruit
Norwegian (possibly also Scandinavian) crew you can try the site Sorgenfri.com
(http://www.sorgenfri.com/forum/categories/baat-soeker-mannskap/listForCategory).
This is a Norwegian site, mainly in the Norwegian language. However, you can
post an ad in English under the Forum category “Båt søker mannskap” (Boat
seeking crew) and hope for answer.
Good luck
and good winds. Best
regards from Bjarne, impatiently waiting for my new 505 next April. |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 25 September 2014 at 04:46
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Only a month and a half have gone by but it seems like 3 months of activity. Columbia was Great. We went to local activities, learnt to differentiate coffee into the good, bad and ugly. Made lots of contacts and some good friends, having a 6 yr old on board opens lots of doors.  Walking the Plank? Still happens in Club Nautica...  Club Nautica marina was what you could describe as "interesting" in the same way women use that wonderful expression "fine". Total lack of customer service, close promptly at 5, closed all day Saturdays and Sundays... But the other sailors there made up for it and there was always the regular sport of watching those out at anchor drag past you when the winds suddenly shot up to 35 knots and the harbour became somewhat "untidy". We are in San Blas now and I cannot tell you just how different this part of the world is from that around it. It isn't just the beautiful anchorages, it is the friendliness of the local people once we made the attempt to go past the tourist superficiality and go under the surface. We had one unfortunate setback on the way from Cartagena to San Blas. WE hit something or wrapped something around our prop at 3 in the morning, lots of vibration from the sail drive and prop, engine couldn't go past 2000 rpm and in the middle of a squall! When I was able to dive on the prop the next morning I couldn't see anything. BUT - when I next inspected the sail drive half the oil was gone and if I try to go past 1500 rpm a noticeable vibration becomes evident. At the moment we are losing about half a litre of oil a day. We have a Brunton 3 blade folding prop. Can anyone suggest what may have happened, I can see I will have to haul out and replace the seals (again, just done in Trinidad) Is it possible for a prop to go out of balance even if there has been no physical loss of materiel, ie chunks out of the blade? I have to treat the cause of the problem of the new seals will go again. All advice would be welcome on this one.   Fresh crab, dressed, all for $2  The library at Isla Carti is seeking a librarian... ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: bovine
Date Posted: 25 September 2014 at 08:02
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Hi are you saying oil is leaking out and water is not getting in, if so the propeller seals are not at fault. Have you got oil leaking between the sail drive and engine, is it possible oil is being forced out by pressure within the saildrive . Have you dived and inspected the the operation of the folding prop Just some ideas Dave |
Posted By: panos
Date Posted: 25 September 2014 at 14:32
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Hi, I bet the prop shaft is bent ! ------------- Panos Hanse 630e - selling her - |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 25 September 2014 at 15:42
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Thanks Panos. The sail drive shaft is only a stubby thing, do you think that would be possible? If so, will be great fun sorting out in Panama, guess I can buy bits in Uk and fit when I haul out. Have to find someone with experience here. ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: panos
Date Posted: 25 September 2014 at 18:06
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Of course is possible. If you hit something big (a log or a palette for example) you can loose or bend a blade or if the propeller is much stronger than the shaft you can have a bent shaft. This explains the loss of oil, the vibrations and the increased friction. I'm betting a case of beers! Another even worse scenario is a deformed sail drive case, but this is a very remote possibility. It could be deformed or broken pinion gear but in this case you wouldn't loose oil and a loud noise coming from the not matching gears. ------------- Panos Hanse 630e - selling her - |
Posted By: Alain & Anne
Date Posted: 25 September 2014 at 19:01
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Hi Guy's, Giving our experience with Yanmar SD50, I wouldn't bet so quickly!  1° Oil leek: the external water pressure against the shaft seals would avoid any leeks from inside to outside. When the seals are worn the oil level in the saildrive tend to rise, as you get water inside! 2° Oil "disappearing": most of the time it comes from the main seal between the engine and the gear box. 3° From what I know, the propeller shaft is much stronger than the folding blades. 4° In case of a bent shaft, you could not rise the engine revs so high (1500rpm). The noise would be horrific much before. From our experience, we broke two teethes of the propeller shaft pinion, and we couldn't go over 1000rpm. 5° I suggest that you check existing oil underneath the engine (remember that the oil capacity of the saildrive is around 2,2liters, which means that it would have gone dry in less than 3 days...with a lot of oil signs around the boat....) 5° Personally, I suspect a bent blade. 7° All in all, you will have to haul the boat out to check it, and open the bottom box to check the bearings. 8° In case of change of bearings, keep in mind that the shims should be adjusted with cautious. Not doing that in Tahiti, lead to a saildrive breakdown and replacement: 5000€  PS: If I am wrong Panos is welcomed on board for drink and sailing...in New Zealand Alain ------------- UHAMBO 430e#004 White hull-teck deck-Yanmar 55hp-long range cruising OCC Our blog: www.uhambo.fr |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 25 September 2014 at 19:01
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Thanks Panos. Having looked at the price for a new prop shaft (£700) I am wondering if it would be possible to have it straightened out? If we were back in Guyana someone with a micrometer and a press would probably have a go, in Panama not so sure. What do you think? ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: panos
Date Posted: 25 September 2014 at 21:06
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Ok, I don't want to start an argument since Alain certenly has a point with oil vs water pressure. Although the theory that the upper seal is responsible doesn't explain the vibrations and increased resistance and low RPM. My bet still holds because my theory is that the slightly bent shaft acts as a pump and pushes oil out of the leg, only when turning though. Whatever the problem the leg has to be disassembled. I dought if it is possible to straighten a hardened shaft but if it is possible only a third world mechanic has the talent to do so. Technologically advanced mashine shops wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. Replacement would be much much cheaper. My two cents only! ------------- Panos Hanse 630e - selling her - |
Posted By: La Humla suse
Date Posted: 27 September 2014 at 08:05
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Great to hear about your journey. You mentioned good experience with ultrasonic antifouling earlier. I thought that we have a sandwich construction of the hull made installment difficult. How did you solve that ? Anyone else have experience with ultrasonic antifouling ? |
Posted By: Rod
Date Posted: 29 September 2014 at 11:08
 12 weeks static in water of more than 30C, using ultrasonic with two transponders. Hull clean with just a light slime, but saildrive as can be seen. Discussion with manufacturer suggests that maybe the seal between hull and saildrive is stopping the signal. Am going to relocate transponder nearer to saildrive to see what happens. Transponder is glued to bottom of bilge and transmits thru the hull. Saildrive now clean by diving, and hull ready for the winter season here in Dubai, started last week with Barts Bash. PS background is the marina and under the dock live many angel fish feeding off the growth. ------------- Hanse 415 - "Ti" Gocek, Turkey. |
Posted By: Mark&Catherine
Date Posted: 29 September 2014 at 12:05
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Hey rod, my hull was covered in rubbish when we lifted her out for transport to turkey, proof that your ultrasonics worked as ewe were all of 10 meters away. What make is it, I might get some fitted. Mark ------------- 385 ubulukutu sail number GBR 3350L in Turkey and Greece with Mark and Catherine |
Posted By: Rod
Date Posted: 29 September 2014 at 17:36
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Mark, the make is Sonihull from NRG. Now I have to figure out the sail drive. How's Turkey? In cruise mode yet? ------------- Hanse 415 - "Ti" Gocek, Turkey. |
Posted By: Mark&Catherine
Date Posted: 30 September 2014 at 05:34
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Not yet, mast goes in this week, I have my new aquair generator to fit too. Trying to source a solar panel that's the correct size for the companionway garage, give me 10 more days, I'll send photos ------------- 385 ubulukutu sail number GBR 3350L in Turkey and Greece with Mark and Catherine |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 30 September 2014 at 18:25
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Hi to Panos and Alain and other very helpful inputs. I think Panos owes me a case of beer, collection point to be agreed. View off the side of our pontoon at Red Frog Marina, Bocas del Torro  Pathway from the marina gateway into the nature reserve. This is by far the most beautiful marina we have ever used as well as really good value. ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 30 September 2014 at 18:34
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Reference Ultrasonic Antifouling I assume you are talking about a standard Hanse hull. Ours is epoxy biut I wouldn't think that would make any difference. I think there may be a problem iif the hull is laminated with a foam sandwich between the layers. Otherwise it is still performing as it should. The diver complained to me this morning to please turn off the ultrasound as it was echoing in his skull. We get a bit of slime along the waterline and I still get bits in the log wheel sometimes. But when the prop came off this morning its on;y going to need a bit of a scrub and polish to take it to the manufacturers. When we were in Trinidad, Curacao and Aruba we could have sold and fitted several dozen units if that way inclined. Regards, Graeme ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 30 September 2014 at 18:49
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For your interest, we have two JAYCAR kits fitted. One is directly over the saildrive the other is forward of the keel. My saildrive is CLEAN after tropical waters for 12 months. No growth inside saildrive. No growth on prop. Jaycar reference is:- http://www.jaycar.co.uk/productResults.asp?keywords=YS+5600&keyform=KEYWORD&SUBMIT.x=25&SUBMIT.y=9 We fitted two of the £90 kits. ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: panos
Date Posted: 30 September 2014 at 21:02
Where are you now? I'm always happy to win or to loose a case of beer!  ------------- Panos Hanse 630e - selling her - |
graemefromdownu wrote:Posted By: bovine
Date Posted: 01 October 2014 at 08:04
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Graeme something else for your hand luggage,the prop shaft no doubt has two rings worn in where the seals touch. The shaft diameter is 34 mm have it machined down to 32 mm you buy new seals that size from any bearing supplier,make sure you ask for ones with a stainless spring though Regards David |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 01 October 2014 at 14:44
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Hi to Panos and David. I was of the impression the seals for the Yanmar drive were of a bespoke design and not a standard rubber ring. Am I wrong? Secondly, we are in a relatively new marina called Red Frog. It is well along the East Panama coast in a beautiful natural park called Bocas del Torro, rated in the top 10 unspoilt holiday destinations in the world. Costa Rica is just down the road, there are islands dotted all around. People are friendly, good restaurants everywhere, the rum is good and inexpensive, climate is almost Camelot - ish (rains between 3 and 5 in the morning, otherwise sunshine everywhere. Money goes a long way. Only downside there are very few marine chandlery or services available, for example I have to bring back our Mastervolt inverter to UK for repair because there is no-one who will touch them here. We will be here till January so if you fancy a break for a week or two we always welcome guests. Flights are into Panama City, local flight down to Bocas del Torro. www.redfrogbeach.com/marina.html ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: bovine
Date Posted: 01 October 2014 at 17:34
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Hi Graeme The oil seals on the SD 50 are bog standard easily available and just a couple of quid each. I had milky oil last year,on inspection the shaft was worn so I skimmed the diameter down to 32 mm and bought new seals,you can only do this once though,the next time it's a sleeve Regards Dave |
Posted By: graemefromdownu
Date Posted: 22 December 2014 at 14:12
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Firstly a Happy and Enjoyable Christmas to all the people who have read and been so helpful in dealing with our problems. After rereading Alain's comments on MyHanse, I sucked out about 2.5l of oil from under the engine. It is slightly blacker than than brand new oil but has the same smell. I guess if I put about 4 l of oil into the drive on the journey from San Blas to Red Frog Marina, this would account for a fair portion of the missing oil. The point raised is how it ended up in the oil pan. When in Trinidad I did a modification to the bleed screw on the top of the gearbox, I had it drilled and a small nipple soldered into the hole. I attached a tube to this nipple with a small feeder bottle (with an airhole in it) about 50cm above. This idea was suggested on the Cruiser's Forum and also by the engineers in Trinidad; it allows the oil in the saildrive to expand and gives a visual indicator if I am losing any oil. As far as I can see, it has not been leaking. Which leaves the oil seal between the gearbox and the engine. Are these prone to breakdown, do you think my little feed bottle would be putting too much pressure on the seal? How difficult is it to replace this seal? Does anyone have any suggestions, can the engine be separated in the boat enough to get access? I have a seal with me, I bought one before I left London. I have ANOTHER conundrum (this expression reminds me of Red October when the Russian Ambassador has to admit they have lost another submarine...). I wrote a while ago about the poor engineering design of the Harken electric winches. One of the motors we took out in the beginning because the rough noises we heard seemed to be motor bearing noise. This turned out to not be the case. However ever since I reinstalled this motor it runs half the speed of tghe one which was not removed; ie it is a two-speed motor and both speeds are half those of the other motor. It was suggested to me that the control relay contacts may be worn (It is the winch on the main halyard so gets more use) so I replaced that with a new one when we returned from London THis has made no difference. Before removing the motor I colour-coded the wiring so the external connecting cables went back together the same way. I asked the engineers who checked out the motor if they had changed anything inside, they said the brushes and bearings were all ok. I cannot think of what else may have changed or whether in fact they miswired something inside the motor somehow. Does anyone know how the two speeds are achieved or how a wrong wiring could cause the problem we have? It doesn't seem to have the same amount of power as the untouched winch either, though this could just be subjective. Regards, Graeme Warmest regards, Graeme ------------- 461: Dreamtime Wanderer, on her way to Australia. |
Posted By: panos
Date Posted: 23 December 2014 at 02:19
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About the Harken dual speed winch. I believe that the way the two speeds are achieved is mechanical: the electric motor turns one direction and gear train A gets engaged while the other direction engages gears B which have a different gear ratio. This is similar to the way the manual winch works. If you have access to the motor you can verify it by just watching carefully. A marker could be useful to detect sense of rotation. If this is the case the motor is defective, meaning one of the many windings is either burned or not making contact to the commutator. An electrician servicing car starter motors might be able to help. Rewinding a DC motor is fairly simple. My two cents ------------- Panos Hanse 630e - selling her - |