Hi skippers.
I am trying to come up with some neat idea on how to install a panel to hold a radar display-monitor and a chartplotter display. Would some of you have some pictures or some means to give me an idea of what you have used or seen in someone else's boat?
Thanks for any help
-picard-
1 2011-02-01 12:46:12
Topic: Instrumentation panel (0 replies, posted in Repairs/Modifications/Upgrades)
2 2010-10-21 10:23:04
Topic: Stuffing Box (and more?) (9 replies, posted in Technical)
Hi skippers. Me again.
My recently acquired co26 has been on the hard for about four years.
Question: should I repack the stuffing box before she goes in the water next Spring? Would the flax be all dried up (surely it is) and does that mean that it MUST be replaced, or it all be OK again when I launch?
Anything else I should check? The Yanmar is all winterized and put to sleep. I am going to replace the thermostat, impeller and filters. The diesel tank is clean of goo, etc.
Thanks
picard
3 2010-10-11 10:28:09
Re: Winter lay-up in the Maritimes (14 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
Thank you folks, I have the great (believe me, great) pleasure to inform you all that replacing my 1/16" impeller gasket for the right one (a thin one) the system works just great. The exhaust pipe looks like Niagara Falls!
Thanks to you also for the advice on gasket construction. Very interesting.
Next question (I'm getting addicted to this 
) - Do any of you have a raw-water strainer on the inlet hose? My boat came with just the on-the-hull strainer. Is this enough?
4 2010-10-10 05:57:08
Re: Winter lay-up in the Maritimes (14 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
Thanks stephan_d i am going to do just that. Let's see what happens.
5 2010-10-10 03:30:20
Re: Winter lay-up in the Maritimes (14 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
Thank you guys for your attention to my question and taking the time to reply. Much appreciated.
The problem I have now is that the water/antifreeze is not being sucked through the cooling intake. I have replaced the impeller but used a 1/16" gasket, that I cut from that orange rubber gasket material. Because the original gasket is paper thin, now with the rubber gasket there is a ~1/16" space between the impeller and the cover of the impeller housing, and I am wondering if that gap is reducing the impeller pressure.
But if I accelerate the motor I can see that water starting to flow through the intake hose but only until a certain level (height of water in the hose) then the water stops flowing. Why does this happen? Anyway I will now re-check the impeller and install an original (thin) gasket and see what happens...
6 2010-10-05 09:15:49
Topic: How do you clean the diesel-fuel tank? Help! (17 replies, posted in Repairs/Modifications/Upgrades)
Hi
The co 26 I just purchased has been sitting on hard for 4 years. The fuel (diesel) tank was about 1/8 full. I decided to siphon out the fuel to replace with fresh diesel. As I siphon the fuel through transparent tubing found out that there was some dark crap sitting at the bottom of the tank and now running down the tubing along with the fuel. What is it? Algae? What else could it develop there? (It looks more like a gelatinous soft thingy.)
Now I would like to clean the tank and if the thing gets worse may be even clean/replace the hoses.
So, now, what is the best/common way to clean all that stuff from that metal tank? Can I clean it with the tank in place? Do I have to take it out? And if I do how do I proceed? How do I clean it with?
Your help would be most appreciated. Thanks.
7 2010-10-03 15:26:09
Re: Winter lay-up in the Maritimes (14 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
Stefan_d
I don't quite understand the thermostat idea. Doesn't the impeller circulate the water as long as the motor is working, regardless of the motor's temperature?
-picard-
8 2010-10-03 08:03:17
Topic: Winter lay-up in the Maritimes (14 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
Hi skippers.
I'm very ignorant about inboard motors and I just got a Co26 with a Yanmar 1GM10. So here is the question for all of you helpful and learned skippers: What maintenance should I do to that motor before laying it up for the winter? The motor/boat has been on dry for 4 years but it amazingly the motor starts and seems to work fine. I just changed the impeller. Please advise.
Thank you all.
9 2010-09-14 17:31:37
Re: Mainsail dual-sheeting system (12 replies, posted in Boat handling / Performance)
John
I Had that same idea, but on friend of mine, a ex-Contessa owner, told me that he had exactly the same system on his boat. And the only suggestion from him was, and I quote -- "You might want to sail Askew as she is and then decide whether to add the boom-vang. One thing you'll probably have to do is to make an arrangement to hold the block up off the deck at either side of the mainsheet system so that they don't flop around striking the deck whenever you're in light winds. I found that annoying on my Contessa and I seem to recall that I had short lengths of line attached to the blocks and then to the lifelines to keep them off the deck."
... and life goes on. Cheers.
10 2010-09-14 09:59:52
Re: Mainsail dual-sheeting system (12 replies, posted in Boat handling / Performance)
11 2010-09-10 07:13:53
Topic: Mainsail dual-sheeting system (12 replies, posted in Boat handling / Performance)
Hi folks. I am ASKEW's new skipper, a 1974 co26. Just got her three weeks ago. And now I am a new member of this illustrious group.
The boat came with a dual-sheeting system to handle the mainsail -- an inverted V with each leg going to each side of the stern. Since I am unfamiliar with this type of system I would like to hear from you on its pros and cons. Your help will be much appreciated. Thanks.
-John-