@ronar-m
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Hi
Sorry. I haven’t visited this site for a few weeks. In answer to your question about the return hose ……When working on this with Ronar M, I purchased a new fitting to bolt onto the exhaust manifold outlet. The fitting had a threaded hole to take the coolant pipe coming from the air vent. However, though bought to fit the Perkins 4107 engine, it did not. Luckily the shipyard I was working in had a few old Perkins spares and I was able to buy the correct fitting second hand. This was bolted directly to the exhaust manifold outlet and the water injected straight into it. This is the route: the water comes from the sea, through the gearbox (to cool it), then through the heat exchanger (to cool the engine) then up to the air vent in the side locker and finally down again into the exhaust fitting just described. From there it follows the rubber exhaust pipe into the waterlock, then through the gooseneck and so out to the transom. Hope this helps. In Roger’s pictures it is the smaller black tube going into the squarish brass fitting
Cheers, TrevorHi All
Like Roger I have now fitted a vetus system to Ronar M. The worst bit of the job was removing the old system. Also on the port side of the engine is a large calorifier which made it something of a squeeze to get the waterlock in. I bolted a piece of marine ply to the rear of the engine bearer and screwed the waterlock to that but had to re-route the sea water intake over the top of the gearbox before joining it back to its original route along the port side of the engine.
Cheers, TrevorHi Roger
I was very interested in your Vetus system as my poly lock tubing has not provided a permanent solution. I am thinking of following your lead and fitting a vetus system on Ronar M but I have a couple of questions.
1 on your photos I cannot see the bottom of the gooseneck. I presume this is above the level of the steering tube so there are no complications there
2 I think the air vent is a great idea – saves you dodging out of the cockpit to the back of the boat to make sure the water is still running – but I can’t see from the photos how this is linked into the main pipe work. Can you help me with this?Cheers and thanks, Trevor
Hi All
The account above is not the end of the story. On my way from Plymouth to the Isle of Wight last summer for the Round the Island Race we were motoring with no wind. Gradually the smell of exhaust increased to unacceptable levels so we found an anchorage and investigated. The flexible stainless polylock tube had broken completely just where it joined the water injector. I was able to strip back the insulation and remove the remains of the pipe. Luckily there was enough spare in the main body of the pipe to pull it up and fix if back on the water injector as a temporary repair. One of the crew had had something to do with trucks and he said they regularly use polylock tubing and it regularly fails.
Polylock tubing is not cheap so I have plans to get a solid stainless pipe made up and only use the polylock at the two ends where it joins the manifold and the water injector. The problem is how to support the exhaust pipe with flexible fixings to allow for vibration. Ronar has wing tanks so, as you can see in the pictures above, the exhaust runs over the spare diesel tank. I cannot drill any fixings into the tank so I’m toying with the idea of fibre glassing some wooden bearers to the top of the tank and fixing the exhaust pipe to then via flexible fixings. I’m hoping more flexibility will make the exhaust pipe last longer. Watch this space. Cheers, TrevorHi Both,
Thanks for your detailed replies, which were very useful. I have now fitted the new fridge unit which has proved very efficient and so much quieter than the old one. The one I fitted was made by Waeco and has a Danfoss compressor unit. I too think it is a bit more ‘thirsty’ than the old one. The only problem I had was that the new unit stands on a square base plate whereas the old one was narrower and rectangular. However, I was able to cut away part of the support for the old unit to make way for the wider square base plate. The power cable and the tubes to the evaporator plate (one inside the other) fitted easily down the side of the cool box.
Cheers, TrevorHi there
I am assuming that you are dealing with a Perkins 4107 or 4108. Ronar M has a Perkins 4107 and the belt designation here in the UK for that engine is SPA 1060.
Good luck
Trevor
Hi All
I have done nothing with the vinyl on the bulkheads yet as I have been preoccupied polishing the topsides and antifouling etc. I have also replaced all the interior lighting with LED. I got 10 bulbs which fit the old fittings for £29.99 from Amazon. I sympathise with Jeff and see the day when wiring or some other work necessitates the removal of the headlining – in fact I have put off jobs knowing what a hassle it would be to put back. I would like to replace it with ply or matchboarding which could be taken down for jobs to be done and then easily put back up. Any experience of that out there? It’s so difficult to explore the pros and cons if you daren’t take it down to look. What is there above the headlining to fix anything new to?
Cheers, Trevor
Hi All,
Thanks for all that good advice. I am encouraged to remove the vinyl and either varnish the wood underneath or paint it. I can also see the day arriving when the headlining has to go too – and the perforated board. It’s good to know others have done it. I’m not sure about the stapling of the new headlining, Jeff – are the staples stainless?
Cheers, Trevor
I have heard of a variation – a flopper stopper that avoids the 15kg. I have always intended to make one but have never got round to it so don’t know how well it works. It’s a equilateral triangle of plywood or plastic of side about 18 inches. There are 3 holes, one at each corner to take ropes which join a couple of feet above it into a single rope which is suspended from the boom. One corner of the triangle is weighted with a lead disc so that corner dives as the boat rolls down. As the boat rolls back the triangle becomes horizontal again and resists the roll. I am told it works well.
One reason I haven’t made one yet is that I usually find that rolling at anchor is due to the boat lying across the wind and swell. So I put the mizzen up and that turns the boat into the wind and prevents rolling. Good luck. TrevorHi Erling
Try Traffords Limited, 7 Doolittle Yard, Froghall Road, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2NW UK. Phone (0)1525 717185. email: info@traffords-insurance.co.uk
I have found them very reasonable and cheaper than most. They boast lower prices because they do not maintain a posh London office etc.
Cheers, Trevor
Hi Van,
Sorry, that’s all I have. The pix were taken by a professional with professional gear so ought to be ok to enlarge, crop etc.
Trevor
Hi All,
I got no replies to this but have long ago done the job and thought it a good idea to write it up to help others in the future. I took out the floor of the port side cockpit locker (just a few screws) to reveal the pipe. I removed the pipe between the manifold and the casting where the cooling water is injected (This latter I will call the siphon breaker. It is actually in the after upper port side cockpit locker but the joint with the exhaust pipe is in the lower locker). I then had two fittings made, one to bolt onto the manifold, the other onto the siphon breaker each with a tube which would slip tightly inside a 32mm ‘polylock’ flexible s/s exhaust pipe. The suppliers of the polylock tubing also sold heavy duty jubilee clips to hold everything together. I also bolted some angle aluminium into the base of the locker which would hold the exhaust pipe firmly and support its length. I fixed this aluminium down to bolts which hold on the lid of port side wing tank. The new exhaust was wrapped in fireproof webbing and fixed to the aluminium angle with a standard automotive exhaust clamp. Works perfectly
Trevor
ps when I took the old exhaust off it was full of hard black soot – I could just about get my little finger up the middle – but the old Perkins was working fine!Hi Mike,
The coach roof has a balsa core (in my case synthetic foam as I have had the balsa party removed) You only need to screw through the inner GRP skin. The screws (I used s/s self tappers) should not stick out behind the wood more than, say, 15mm.
Trevor
Hi Mike
I cut the wood to about 1.5 inches wide and to the appropriate length. It’s about 3/16th of an inch thick. I have a thicknesser/planer machine at home which helps.
Trevor
Again, same here. I have resorted to holding it back up with wooden strips screwed on the outside of the headlining. I have used nice varnished mahogany and s/s screws. Looks good. I have not used any backing strips – just screwed into the existing deck head with no problem
TrevorHi
I have gained access to the electrical connections on my Neco auto pilot – I needed to adjust the limit switches. Beside the sink there is a deep locker with lid in the formica worktop. You need to measure very carefully and then drill a large hole through the bulkhead (about 10 cm in diameter). Then you can take the cover off the Neco’s electrics through this hole. A good lead light and a mirror are a must have.
Good luck, Trevor
Hi Van
I have successfully removed the main mast from Ronar M. Your advice was very useful and all went smoothly. However, now I need to pick your brains about the mast step. Mine was full of water and there seems to be no drain hole. Let me describe what I have. There is a long slot into which the heel of the mast goes. This slot has a ‘floor’ but only at the extreme ends (on which stand some wooden chocks). The central part of the slot opens out into a lower sump and it is this that was full of water. I removed the water with a sponge and then poked around with a piece of stiff wire to see if there is a drain hole that is blocked. I found nothing. I am visiting the boat again next week and could then send some photos. Meanwhile I would be grateful for anything you can tell me about what you found when you removed your mast. Cheers, Trevor
ps I am reading a fascinating book at the moment which is based in your area. It’s ‘The Boys in the Boat’ by Daniel J Brown. I can thoroughly recommend it.
Hi John,
I had a similar problem with Ronar. I contacted Armitage Shanks. They had no similar sinks in production but gave me the name of a company (I can’t remember it)in London which bought up all their old stock. They had none of the correct model but some very similar. I did not go ahead as the cost was about £140. Also a friend of mine, a builder, found one that would do very well. All he had to do was persuade its owner he wanted to replace it with a new one. This he eventually did and I got the old one for £40. Good luck, Trevor
Hi Steve
I have the same problem with Ronar M. I have undone the top of the stuffing box but still can’t get at the relevant bit because there is a sleeve on the rudder shaft which prevents the top of the box coming up high enough. I have tried screwing the top down tighter and this seems to have helped but not eliminated the problem altogether. I too would like some advice
Cheers, Trevor
Hi All
Yes, I fixed the solar panels straight onto the roof with s/s bolts and penny washers. I put penny washers on the inside too. I sealed the whole thing with white mastic and have had no trouble. One of the solar panels has now ‘popped’ and needs replacing after 8 years. Cheers, Trevor
Hi Van,
Thanks for taking the time to write such a long and helpful account. I feel a lot more confident now. The crane operator in the boatyard is very experienced which should help. I did wonder about the configuration of the mast step and found a stray block of hardwood down there once; now I know what it is.
I know that the wiring is joined at the bottom of the mast by what we call ‘chocolate boxes’, in the uk – small polythene fittings with a brass insert that you cut off a longer strip. I think this is not very satisfactory and would like to replace them with a waterproof junction box of some kind. What arrangement do others have? cheers, TrevorHi Jeff,
Since writing the above I have checked out my solar panels and found they are branded as ‘SOLARA’. Trevor
Hi Jeff,
I have installed two semi flexible panels just where you describe. Fantastic! Ronar is on a swinging mooring and there is therefore no access to shore power but I never have any trouble with low batteries because the panels just keep things topped up. On a 5 day passage from Plymouth to N Spain I had the auothelm on continuously and the fridge and didn’t need to run the motor to charge the batteries.
They each rate 35w and I got them through Barden Energy in the UK. They came with their own junction box, regulator and wires. The wiring runs forward under the cockpit roof, then to starboard and down into the nav table area. Easy. Cheers. Trevor
