Comments on: So Much To Say, So Little Time

By: Douglas

Douglas — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:05:57 +0000

All the sailing magazines, that I read for eleven years, while I was preparing to cut those dock lines, never prepared me for how much work that is needed to go , and or while , cruising,,,,,,,, so ,,, welcome to the club !

It is the most difficult thing to do, to work out there, while cruising ,,, even just washing yourself, or the dishes, can be that extra work that “breaks the camel’s, back” .

You and “T” , have been pushing soooo hard , for sooo long ,,,, I hope you, do get a chance, soon , to take a real long break , and refresh yourselves .

If it was easy ,,,, everyone would be doing it ,,, but we wouldn’t want that, would we ?

By all standards , you guys are doing great ,,,, Hang In There ,,,,, there is more to come !

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:23:39 +0000

Ben,
It’s great to hear that you are back in charging mode, alternator-wise. Shaula’s alternator is also an Ample Power, the next size down I think. You may have told me, but do you limit your alternator’s output?

I still think you should change to Gates green stripe belts. They make better contact with the pulleys, with less belt tension, which reduces friction on the alternator’s bearings. How much use did your alternator have before its problem? Seems like your bearings should have lasted for many years if the belt wasn’t slipping and had the correct tension and good alignment.
Dan

By: Ben Eriksen

Ben Eriksen — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:08:58 +0000

I got the Alternator rebuilt for $140. All is fixed! The alternator shaft was wobbling when I spun it by hand. Bearings I suppose. Anyways, it’s all reinstalled and working great. No more belt dust, normal belt temps, and good charging.

Alternator is a Ample Power 137/116 amp alernator = very high output. Current belt is Yanmar OEM. So far so good. I have 2 spares.

Thanks for the info on batts Rod and Dan, I will be checking them out. They had a good charge overnight on shore power, and todays run through the Dismal Swamp underpower gave them even more juice. Let’s see how well they hold it.

And huge thanks to Steve for the dock, the shower, the ride to the alternator shop and including us in his dinner plans – amazing guy he is!

By: Chad

Chad — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:30:08 +0000

Hurry up and get Elizabeth to Elizabeth city.

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:38:13 +0000

Ben,
It sure sounds like your alternator belt is slipping. Are you using one of those notched belts? I don’t remember if you are using the basic Yanmar alternator, or a high-output alternator? A Gates green stripe belt is the way to go.

I agree with Rod that if you are reading your voltage while your laptop etc. is drawing current, the battery’s actual (resting) voltage is a fair bit higher. How many hours a day are you charging your batteries? I assume you have a refrigeration drain?
Dan

By: Rod Bruckdorfer

Rod Bruckdorfer — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:02:47 +0000

Steve, your offer to Ben and Teresa is very kind and thoughtful. We hosted them in Baltimore. They are really cool and awesome.

By: Snoodle Time

Snoodle Time — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:58:34 +0000

Ben,

When I woke up this morning, I saw your boat anchored in Hampton Creek. I recognized the bow as that was all I could see from my window. Curious as I am, I had to walk down the dock to see if it was really you. Sure enough, I could see you and Teresa too. I’ve quietly read your adventures and it sure was nice to actually see your boats.

If your boat was pointing downstream, our dock would be off your starboard bow. Anyway, the way our condo works, is we have a dock and I can invite guests to tie up. First three days are free, and the next seven are $20/night. There is limited electricity and good water, and you and Teresa are more than welcome to tie up. I have a shower at the condo if either are inclined, and it might make it easier to work on your boat while tied up rather than anchored.

Also, if you or Teresa need a ride somewhere, I can help you out there too.

Let me know.

Steve

By: Rod Bruckdorfer

Rod Bruckdorfer — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:49:06 +0000

Ben: Accurate battery voltage can only be measured after the battery has “rest” for at least 20 minutes without a load on it. Also after the battery is charged, there is a surface charge on the plates. To obtain an accurate reading after charging a battery, the surface charge must be removed by applying a load to the battery for a few minutes, then letting the battery “rest” without a load before measuring voltage. Because batteries are the heart of a boat’s 12V electrical system it is almost impossible to obtain an accurate voltage measurement when sailing or cruising. “True” voltage can be estimated by adding 0.08 to the voltage measured by a voltmeter. I usually add 0.1 to the voltage reading to obtain an estimate of battery’s voltage, i.e. charge state.

% charge – Voltage 12V system (http://www.trojanbattery.com/ProductLiterature/documents/UsersGuide_0109_English_001.pdf)

100 – 12.73
090 – 12.62
080 – 12.50
070 – 12.37
060 – 12.24
050 – 12.10
040 – 11.96
030 – 11.81
020 – 11.66
010 – 11.51

[For a flood -wet - cell 12V battery system]

The above is a reasonable estimate of start of charge but is not an indicator of battery capacity. As an example, an old battery rated when new at 200 amp-hour may only have a capacity of let’s say 100 amp-hour, hence when charged to 100%, the voltage would still read 12.73V but the number of usable amp-hours would still be 50% less than when the battery was new.

Although flood cell battery technology is over 100 year old and very well developed there is still a lot of “electrickery” in a battery.