When we bought our Jersey 36 Jersey Lass with a very basic setup, we knew she had some power issues that needed resolving. She was virtually unused and I was confident that I could address these. I'm not a mechanic so having new engines on an exceptionally seaworthy boat sounded like a good idea. The new Vetus 4KVA generator had less than 10 hours on the clock and was driven by a Farymann engine. I thought that this would be good to go for years. Alas not.
With hindsight, our power problem could have been half caused by my lack of mechanical knowledge, but here starts a very sharp learning curve.
Original problem with diesel soot coming out of the generator exhaust
Our pride and joy Jersey Lass
Original 'new' generator with less than 10 hours on the clock - but a glazed cylinder led to problems
Maiden voyage
On the initial voyage up from the River Crouch to the Norfolk Broads our surveyor's iPad ran out of power so we turned on the generator to charge it and keep the Navionics app working. During this and future trips, we used the generator wherever needed for whatever purpose.
I mistakenly thought that running the generator on less than full load would help 'run in' the engine. But after a few months of use we realised there was a black oil-like stain on the water and it was coming from our boat!
After extensive investigation and picking various brains we found that we weren't leaking oil, we were in fact leaking diesel soot from badly burned diesel. This excess diesel soot would then mix with the used raw water-cooling water and pump out the exhaust in the form of black stuff...not a good look when you are predominantly cruising in the beautiful Broads National Park.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2022 من Practical Boat Owner.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2022 من Practical Boat Owner.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
A sailor's guide to UK sharks and fish
Genevieve Leaper looks at some of the shark species around the British and Irish coasts and how to spot these fish from your boat
Multihull anchoring
Brush up on your multihull sailing skills before heading off on a holiday charter with Gavin Le Sueur's guide to anchoring
A revolution in fabrics
Marine fabrics are using natural fibres, less harmful chemicals and longer-lasting colours. Jake Kavanagh looks at the cut of the cloth
Shoestring voyage of adventure
Richard King and Serafin Colmenares Jr. look back at the remarkable Pacific voyage of Florentino Das in his 24ft home-built boat
A fine day out with a visitor
Six hours afloat and a guided tour to vindicate a fictional sailing heroine's navigational skills
Boats for Baltic cruising
Duncan Kent picks the best sub-40ft sail and power boats for crossing the North Sea and exploring a Baltic summer
Boatyard life
The tide of the year Is rising. Time for work
Weather or not to go sailing
Ignore the apps: it's much safer to swear by the weather wisdom of a local oracle
The angelic East Coast pocket cruiser
It is 100 years since the first Deben Cherub was launched. Julia Jones looks back at the history of this 21ft river racing class
Best anchor types for varied cruising
Rupert Holmes on choosing the best anchor for your boat, your style of cruising, how you’ll use it and your budget