trawler-world-list@lists.samurai.com writes: I ran across something like that at Canadian Tire Stores in Toronto. Bought one and after I played with it for a while, read the instruction that said it is not sealed. It is meant to sit on the dashboard or under the rear window of a car. So, beware yours might be the same make and you want to be careful using it on a boat. I intend to seal mine with silicone around the edges. George of Scaramouche.

Michael Oritt posted.. "Aqua Alarm" brand..yes that's the one I have... Can't remeber ..getting old, Rob BRueckner

Bob England posted: "... A VERY large 120 volt automatic basement pump hooked to a VERY loud alarm and VERY bright red light when it's running would be a good addition to any boat left unattended and could also be used underway in emergencies..." Comment: Good from several perspectives!! Powered via an inverter when underway, such a pump could be automatically available even when a generator is not running. And a boisterous alarm might even attract some attention from marina personnel when dockside. About the only disadvantage I can think of is that a permanently installed pump is less available to assist others. But setting up a portable pump in an emergency is something I hope to never face. Float alarm switches in various bilge compartments have multiple advantages. They can be used to signal when a bilge pump fails, can indicate a salt water cooling leak into the boat when underway, and can signal the presence other fluids in the bilge like fresh water or diesel fuel. Above all they offer a preventive signal before things get too bad. After a diesel fuel hose ruptured a few years ago and I awoke to about 55 gallons of diesel fuel under my starboard engine (discovered from the smell) overflowing the engine "pan", I now have auxiliary float alarms throughout the boat and one under each engine. Tip: I previously posted about my UNSUCCESSFUL attempt to use a $12 (appx) D cell battery operated leak detector from Home Depot. It's designed to drop a pair of contacts on a basement floor under a water heater to detect any leak. I hung one in my bilge about six inches off the bottom and after a few weeks it began to alarm. I bought another...same result. I concluded that the bilge of a boat is just too damp for these. Another "great idea" thwarted by mother nature!!! My Dad and I assisted USCG personnel many years ago when an 80 foot or so commuter style boat ran up on a breakwater in NY. (Dad and I arrived first on the scene and when the USCG arrived, and they assumed we we part of the "crew".) My job was to keep the pump strainer clear from debris in the engine room. What a mess!! Once water gets a few feet high you'd be amazed at the stuff floating around. And any oil from the bilge or drip pans floats on the water surface covering everything, making it like ice to step anywhere. Extremely dangerous in rough water. So keeping loose things in your bilge and engine compartment secured is an unheralded way to possibly avoid clogging a pump intake in an emergency. I keep oil absorbant pads under my engines, spare pads at the rear of the engine room, a roll of paper towels, a couple pieces of foam for kneeling, a few pieces of wood for various emergency applications, a funnel and a plastic oil change pan for my filters....good grief!!!, I guess I fail this test. Perhaps a few weights on deployed pads, securing spares with a cord or storing them high in the bilge would be better. Rob Brueckner 1972 Hatteras Yachtfisherman

Robert asked:".. What would be the best way to "plug" the exhaust pipe so water cannot enter while I do the change over? .." Comment: I recently posted emergency equipment suggestions from an article in Yachting magazine. The author suggested fenders and or balls of appropriate diameter...insert a either bit soft and add air pressure or shove them in if the fit permits. After purchasing new hose, I would plug the exhaust and replace the old hose in the same day to avoid leaving an open exhaust overnight..even if plugged....strange things CAN happen... You may also be able to raise the stern a bit by emptying your water tank and running your your fuel tanks lower than normal....If you have boats in adjacent slips, and accomodating neighbors, you might be able to run a line under your boat and tie each end to a neighbors boat...just in case!!! Rob Brueckner 1972 Hatteras Yachtfisherman

In a message dated 11/3/2005 17:46:29 Central Standard Time, keith@anastasia3.com writes: So what do you folks think of having a drivesaver on a single engine trawler with no get-home power? It may save my tranny, but I'd be totally without propulsion afterwards. Hmmmm.... Well, all I did was take the broken drive saver out and bolt the coupling halves back together... Rest of the way to Valdez without incident. Had another drivesaver shipped in, installed it and Bob's your uncle. Regards chuck

"Keith" writes: >If you guys want to really do it right, forget all the standard stuff and go >with Swagelock fittings. http://www.swagelock.com/products.htm. You can >build some really nice manifolds using their compression fittings and port >connectors. This is the stuff they use on NASA's rockets, space shuttle, >etc. There is another company that makes a similar quality fitting system, >but I can't remember their name right off. I do agree with getting rid of >copper and replacing it with USCG approved fuel hose, and have been doing >just that on my boat. I strongly second this. I've been working with Swagelok fittings for thirty years, and they are excellent. The thing I like best is that the joints can be very easily disassembled and reassembled with no compromise in their integrity. On "Island Eagle", every tubing connection (air lines, hydraulic steering, even some pressure water) is done with Swagelok. While the price is slightly higher than other options, these really are worth the money. Scott Welch "Island Eagle" www.islandeagle.net "The person who makes no mistakes usually doesn't make anything"

alweld@comcast.net writes: >In regards to potable water lines, I'm considering using the Pex tubing with >the crimp type fittings with the brass compression rings. I see this >material being allowed in the major building codes, so I'm going to make the >plunge. It' going to be difficult because I never thought plastic toilet >seats were the future. On Island Eagle I went with all new PEX for my potable water system and the results have been excellent. Scott Welch www.islandeagle.net "The person who makes no mistakes usually doesn't make anything"

elnav@telus.net writes: >Scott, out of curiosity, why did you pick a ratio that did not produce >the peak RPM for the alternator armature at max useable engine RPM? No particular reason; the ratio used gets me pretty close though, and makes it easier to set up my tach. > >Scot wrote: >One last note, with such large alternators you need to worry about side >loading on the drive shaft. I solved this by driving both alternators >off a single pulley but with the belts running about 180 degrees from >each other. > >REPLY >Excellent design. I wonder why more engine/boat builders don't provide >such a detail? I don't know. But it's pretty easy to do. One problem is that in many cases the drive is from the crankshaft, which is down low, and so it's hard to mount the alternators down low. In my case the aux drive of the 6-110 is about waist-high. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com "The person who makes no mistakes usually doesn't make anything"

elnav@telus.net writes: >The buna float with a small magnet buried inside (Aqualarm) that >triggers a reed switch which in turn operates a relay has the >electrical parts placed well above the normal water level, so corrosion >is not an issue here. The sealed magnet and reed switch cannot foul on >soap, oil or hair etc. The auxiliary relay contacts can handle the high >current and arcing associated with switching an inductive motor load. Arild, I thought this too, so on Island Eagle I used one of these switches as the switch for my high bilge water alarm (a 6" fire bell). Last summer, while I was making a particularly complicated docking in Brentwood Bay (did I mention that Island Eagle is 60' and single screw with no bow thruster) the switch failed... in the "ON" position! Talk about heart-stoping, but I could not leave the pilothouse to investigate. I removed it and seems that the reed switch had become stuck. Very strange. Basically, I think that we need to more or less accept that all float switches fail. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com "The person who makes no mistakes usually doesn't make anything"

WRHNCO@aol.com writes: >I would have agreed with you ten years ago. Since I replaced both switches >with some pricey Ultrapump switches, I have had zero problems in about ten >years. I use the Senior models for both and have the alarm. I use one on a >Flojet for the "dribbles" sump and have another on a Rule 3700 for the "big >problems that haven't happened yet." I guess they are still in business but >have had no contact with them since I bought. The paperwork is at the boat >in another state or I would give more contact info. They are really specific >about using adhesive lined heat shrink connectors (as am I...). Yes, that will be my next experiment. However I have also had good luck with mercury switches. One thing that I do not like about the electronic switches is that they are hard to test. I like to lift mine every few weeks and listen to the pumps run. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com "The person who makes no mistakes usually doesn't make anything"