Search options (Page 2 of 3)

5ft.8in.and my wife keeps telling me to walk standing straight...why?but why??? Still... wouldn't trade boats for more standing room. Heard we shrink somewhat growing old....soon have ample head room!!!

The previous owner of my Contessa had a BETA 13.5 installed in 2006 to motor the intercoastal. I am very satisfied with the performance. I knew very little about diesels and called Beta Marine for advice on winterizing and to order parts. Mr. Stan at Beta Marine NC , importer of the BETA motor, knows his product inside out and willingly gives valuable advice. I strongly suggest you browse the BETA Marine site for more info and give Mr. Stan a call. My boat is not accessible at the moment and I didn't note the prop size. It is a 3-blade  which I presume replaced the 2-blade that I found in a compartement. You are right is paying close attention to the choice of the prop. I read in another forum of someone who had to have his new prop repitch after having said that his hull speed was 7 knots. You can google «prop pitch calculator» and simmer that info with other advice. As for your keel I wouldn't be overly worried. There is a lot of material in that area and not in a high stress area...I'd be more worried about the fin keels that followed in your wake. Good luck

Hi
Here's my 2 cents worth...I didn't do the installation on my boat but wasn't getting a reading when I put the boat in the water but did get one when heeling a bit. Former owner told me it worked fine except at times in really murky water. When I opened it I found out that it was missing mineral oil so that there was an air gap when the boat was level. i added mineral oil and it's been reading true since. To get a good reading it should be installed as close to center as possible because of the heeling. Mine is in the small compartment in the v-berth and works fine.

Hi Bernard,
Trouble shooting section of the Beta manual (Beta being essentially the same motor as the Kubota) does not mention black exhaust water. It does indicate that black exhaust gas might be caused by an over pitched propeller-engine will not reach its full rpm. Solutionsuggested: Get the propeller re-pitched. This being said you would probably have noticed the condition before. Could it simply be that Irene stirred up a muddy black bottom in the inlet? I take for granted that you have a strainer to prevent most debri from reaching the heat exchanger. If not it would be good insurance to install an inline strainer that can be easily cleaned. That's my 2 cents worth of advice but definetly the best advice I can give you regarding your motor is to call Beta Marine in North Carolina. The kind gentlemen knows his engines inside out.

Hi
My mind was set on a Garmin Oregon300 as I thought that touchscreen was hip. I did not really want to believe the comments of the geocachers stating that the screen was more difficult to see(glare) than the <<traditionnal>> GPS76 Map. I wish I had heed the concerns. If I had a chance to replay I would go push button.

Hey Paul,
I fully agree with Christopher. The vast majority of sailboats have their system cooled with raw water. It is taken for granted that the motor itself is kept cool by a closed circuit of an antifreeze solution which is cooled by circulating raw water drawn in by the impeller at the rear of the motor. Good idea to install a filter in the intake hose even if you have a strainer on the hull. A keel cooled system drawing no water from outside would be advisable in shallow murky water such as the barges in the inner canals in France but not recessary in open water. Perhaps it would be a good idea to check with other marine mechanics or with the guys at Binnacle to get a second opinion.
Good luck with your project.

Hi, My stuffing box drips also even when shaft is not turning. I've read it should drip a little when running and not when engine is not running. Is that so? I haven't got around to replacing the stuffing yet but did pick up the material...project for next spring. A friend did his with 1/4 in. but found out that it was too tight to fit properly. Seems that 3/16 in is the proper size for a 7/8 in shaft.

Hint for the icebox.
I rinse off four liter wine plastic containers (the type with the small spigot), refill them with water, freeze them and drop them them in the ice box before leaving for a trip. It keeps the box cool for suprisingly long and the water can be used gradually for cooking.

Hi,
Co26 nu. 305 I bought last year came with a storm jib although the boat is rigged with a roller furling. Jib is still crisp and was seldom used if ever. I was planning to  install an additionnal forstay but changed my mind after reading all the technical stuff about affecting the mast integrity etc... on the forum. I opted for a new set of sails: main with 3 reefs and 130% furling genoea. In any case my jib is up for grabs if you decide to go ahead with the extra stay but I'd advise to read what the tech specialists think of it. I would sell it for half the price of a new one shipping to NS included. I can send picture if you wish.
... )))))) May the wind fill your sails and the sun shine in your face

Thanks for sharing the info. I found climbing a bit tedious when I had to go up. I have since purchased an ascender used in mountain climbing which works just great when clipped on the jib halyard with the bosun chair hooked on the main halyard. I find it much easier to pull myself up with the ascender than by gripping the mast or pulling on a halyard with bare hands. I keep the ascender on the boat; in a hitch the mast can be cllimbed without anyone on the winch.