shakedown weekend @ the sandbar and some broken things

[Island Pilot]

So we took Sea La Vie out for her first fishing trip this weekend to the Islamorada Humps to target black fin tuna (BFT), then hit up the Whale Harbor sandbar. Fishing was ok... caught a few small BFT, nothing to write home about, small tuna tastes as good as big tuna ..... The sandbar was a blast!!! I lovvveeeee having a generator, at the end of the day we put the 5 year old down for an early bed time in "my bed" (mid cabin berth) and we the adults stayed out for another few hours into the evening. The Marline 300 is now not just a boat, but a baby sitter!!!!!!

We have been cruising the boat a lot in the last few weeks of ownership, but I will consider this weekend the first real shakedown cruise as we burned 100 gallons over 2 days. I now have two projects;

1. Fischer Panda Farymann diesel ran flawlessly all weekend, except now will not start...
2. Bait pump died on us (despite the fact that I replaced the bait pump before the trip) causing me to use the wash down hose to keep the 12 dozen bait we caught the night before alive.

So theory for #1 (generator) is that the valves are out of adjustment as the head of the generator engine was replaced by the seller directly prior to me purchasing the boat, or I have some burnt up relays.. I am on a business trip right now and ordered relays and a new set of feeler gauges, I get back home tonight, so tomorrow I am going to delve right in and start trouble shooting.... In my research, I can see that the Fischer Panda generator is going to need constant attention... I am going to need to put this on my list of things to replace in the next few years.... is the new Fischer Panda generator (Kubota diesel) more reliable??? I don't want to go the honda 2000 route, I have my fears about CO2, and often have a child sleeping below decks......

Theory for #2 is simple (bait pump)... burnt up ground wire (see attached pics). I found a bad connector when I replaced the pump the first time, and thought I traced the problem... After the new pump failed again, I did some more testing. The circuit was holding 12 volts no load, erratic 1-2 volts under load... I dug upstream of the connector and found more burnt wire.... I did not have time to dig any further into the wiring.... I hope I can find the break, but if not, I am going to run a new pair of wires from the cockpit switch back... This project will wait until after the weekend as my folks are coming into town, and getting the generator running is priority #1.

I will update as I dig into it... Pics of the weekend follow....

 

[SkunkBoat]

Nice post. Nice pix. Nice boat.
Blackfin do make great sashimi if you rest it in the fridge overnight but.....BFT= BLUEFIN Tuna

Burnt wire is not a good thing...Sounds like its a good time to run new (heavier gauge) wire. Also, make sure the fuse or breaker is the correct size and functioning.

 

[SirGrady226]

Beautiful boat! Glad you are getting to enjoy the paradise of South Florida.

 

[Greyduk]

Ahhh to be young with a new ( to the owner) Grady. Great pictures and boat. Enjoy!!

 

[Island Pilot]

Thanks guys! Skunkboat, you are correct.... for the north ..... I wish we had true BFT here, my buddy just caught a big blue fin tuna off long island.... on my bucket list!!!! You can get into YFT (Yellow fin tuna) in the outer Bahamas... Hopefully this year I can post some pics of that trip.... I fly into Fort Lauderdale around 10pm tonight, then drive another 1.5 hours... I may start working on the generator as soon as I get home.... my wife is going to kill me!

 

[SkunkBoat]

BFT!

 

[Uncle Joe]

Best of luck with your Grady....she is a beauty.

Just FYI....I am no pro but that burnt up connector is exactly the same as the connections that came with the Lenco electric trim tabs I installed on my Grady last spring. I don't know if that type is common for a lot of marine applications or not.....just sayin.....

Enjoy!

 

[wspitler]

I have a 2007 FP genset and it is pretty flawless. I find that when the starter RPM is just a bit low, ie. corrosion on the starter terminals, weaker battery, etc., it won't start right away. The compression release is not easy to manipulate, I don't even try. Don't hesitate to get a good battery connection and hold the start button in for up to 15 seconds and see if it starts. I doubt the valves are the problem if it was running fine during your trip. All it needs is clean fuel and compression. If it turns over fast, look for the fuel shutoff relay and make sure the shutoff is opening. I adjusted my valves once initially and they have been right on ever since. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. I love my genset.

 

[Island Pilot]

BFT!
View attachment 5569

That is a fish!!!!

 

[Island Pilot]

I have a 2007 FP genset and it is pretty flawless. I find that when the starter RPM is just a bit low, ie. corrosion on the starter terminals, weaker battery, etc., it won't start right away. The compression release is not easy to manipulate, I don't even try. Don't hesitate to get a good battery connection and hold the start button in for up to 15 seconds and see if it starts. I doubt the valves are the problem if it was running fine during your trip. All it needs is clean fuel and compression. If it turns over fast, look for the fuel shutoff relay and make sure the shutoff is opening. I adjusted my valves once initially and they have been right on ever since. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. I love my genset.

Thanks for the info. I will start by checking the fuel shutoff relay. Hopefully it is a simple fix. I will update my efforts.

 

[magicalbill]

Thanks for the info. I will start by checking the fuel shutoff relay. Hopefully it is a simple fix. I will update my efforts.

Island Pilot:

Neat pics: Glad your enjoying the boat..thanks again for your help with my trailering questions.

RE: FIscher Panda:

I have a new one on our new Marlin. It works fine and I was told to keep a load on it as much as possible while running. Ours is a 41 Amp Cap and the advice given to me by other owners was to keep it at 16.7 Amps while running. This is tough to do as you would need to run your A/C in combination with other items. If you have chill plates, that could help.

The purpose of this is to keep soot & buildup off the insides of the engine. FP also says in the manual to spend three hours gradually building it up to a full cap load for the last hour. (1st hr, 30% 2nd hr 50% 3rd hr. full load.) This exercise needs to be performed every 50 hrs. This would obviously involve creating a "dummy load.". FP says this is important, as diesels like to be loaded while running.

Not sure if light loads are causing your current problem, but I'm told it's important to keep a load on it for longer life.

Enjoy the boat!

 

[Island Pilot]

Island Pilot:

Neat pics: Glad your enjoying the boat..thanks again for your help with my trailering questions.

RE: FIscher Panda:

I have a new one on our new Marlin. It works fine and I was told to keep a load on it as much as possible while running. Ours is a 41 Amp Cap and the advice given to me by other owners was to keep it at 16.7 Amps while running. This is tough to do as you would need to run your A/C in combination with other items. If you have chill plates, that could help.

The purpose of this is to keep soot & buildup off the insides of the engine. FP also says in the manual to spend three hours gradually building it up to a full cap load for the last hour. (1st hr, 30% 2nd hr 50% 3rd hr. full load.) This exercise needs to be performed every 50 hrs. This would obviously involve creating a "dummy load.". FP says this is important, as diesels like to be loaded while running.

Not sure if light loads are causing your current problem, but I'm told it's important to keep a load on it for longer life.

Enjoy the boat!

Thanks for the advice! I have only been running with the AC, but may need to also run the water heater. It will of course be cooling off into the 80’s here in the FL keys soon .

You have the Kubata diesel in yours, mine is the Farymann diesel. By most accounts I have read, the model I have is pretty much junk and obsolete. I am going to have to nurse her along for a year or two. Glad to hear the newer model is more reliable, I will be budgeting for your model in the next year or so. How is the trailer hunt working out??

 

[magicalbill]

Thanks for the advice! I have only been running with the AC, but may need to also run the water heater. It will of course be cooling off into the 80’s here in the FL keys soon .

You have the Kubata diesel in yours, mine is the Farymann diesel. By most accounts I have read, the model I have is pretty much junk and obsolete. I am going to have to nurse her along for a year or two. Glad to hear the newer model is more reliable, I will be budgeting for your model in the next year or so. How is the trailer hunt working out??

Okay. I have a couple companies I've been in touch with..Continental and Amera Trail. (I recall you have talked to Amera Trail.) I really want to use Broward Trailer in Hialeah, but they are over my budget for the near future.

Search progressing....

 

[Island Pilot]

If I don’t just get a yard trailer to pull her every 6 weeks or so, I am going to go with the Amera Trail. Loadmaster was about a 12k quote (I had one built for my Parker, great trailer) but the Amera Trail is heads and shoulder above the Loadmaster. Their quote is 15k. Worth it for me.... Only down side is that I will have to get the boat to Kissimmee as they don’t have a jig for the 30 Marlin.

 

[Island Pilot]

Update...

I got home around midnight last night... Got up early and dug into the generator... Ugly battle... I lost... I tested the relays, fuel pump, fuel solenoid, adjusted the valves (they were ok), pulled the injector, turned it over with the injector out (it misted nice diesel), removed the exhaust manifold, air intake, tried to start it with WD40, prayed, made lots of phone calls... Huge shout out to Tony at Bones generator in Miami for taking my many calls... Thanks to my wife who works from home, for continuing to come out and press the start button for me... Anyways... no joy.... I have narrowed it to, two possible problems... #1, injector is bad and popping at the wrong pressure, or #2 there is not enough compression in the engine... I hope it is problem #1 but think it is problem #2.. We shall see...

So only one picture... Its the injector... and a bottle of Crown Royal... Do you guys think the generator will run on crown?? I know I do ....

I am sending the injector out to be tested this week.... If it is good, I think I will pull the generator and drive it to Tampa where it was just rebuilt. That job may include some crown....

 

[Halfhitch]

Damm it......if it took that much Crown to remove that injector, you better stock up for the genny removal.

 

[Island Pilot]

Damm it......if it took that much Crown to remove that injector, you better stock up for the genny removal.

Ha! I am dreading the generator removal. I may speed up the trailer acquisition and just drive the entire rig north and have them work on it in the boat....

I got to be honest. I have already started contemplating designing a custom fiberglass box for the port side of the transom, which would fit a Honda 2000, with the exhaust plumed through side of the hull... combined with a nice victron hybrid inverter charger system, would be a lot more reliable, and far cheaper than my current setup....

 

[magicalbill]

Ha! I am dreading the generator removal. I may speed up the trailer acquisition and just drive the entire rig north and have them work on it in the boat....

I got to be honest. I have already started contemplating designing a custom fiberglass box for the port side of the transom, which would fit a Honda 2000, with the exhaust plumed through side of the hull... combined with a nice victron hybrid inverter charger system, would be a lot more reliable, and far cheaper than my current setup....

Not a bad thought.. My only concern with that would be a list to port because of the genset weight that would have to be continually corrected with tabs. Unless...are Honda's lightweight? If so, that may be a viable option, but I ultimately would be partial to just trailering it somewhere and saving yourself the aggravation.

I am not a do-it-yourself type person, so my default setting is to make phone calls and line up mechanics.

Keep us informed!

 

[Island Pilot]

Update.... As predicted... Low compression (150 psi). So I gona pull the generator out.... It was literally just rebuilt by Yacht Power Products in St. Petersburg prior to me closing on the boat in September... I have an email out to them, hoping they will cover the repair under warranty, I am assuming a bad exhaust valve. We shall see...

With that said, the last owner threw nearly $6K at this generator keeping her running.. It is pretty much brand new (rebuilt twice now)... But I am reading more and more internet horror stories about the reliability of this thing... So I am going to get it running and maybe just sell it.... I have begun some preliminary proof of concept on my Honda 2000 idea.

I only need power to run an AC (7-10 ac amps) and a Genius 4 bank smart battery charger (3.5 amps max ac), I just installed. The Honda 2000 will easily handle that, the new 2200... even better...

I own two Honda 2000s, which are over 10 years old, and have spent most of their lives on the bed of my truck, uncovered, running at least 500 hours a year powering my RV on the road. All I have ever done for maintenance is change the spark plug every few years, oil with synthetic, and I just this year put new carbs on ($120). They have at least 5000 hours on them, start every time and run nonstop for 50 hours at a time (I have an extended tank)... They are still in service.... A new one is less than $1K.... So here is my thought.... Build a nice matching fiberglass box, bolted to the port side of the stern euro transom. I will use Grady gelcoat color, and stainless hardware/vents/exhaust fittings... It will actually make a nice seat or step and look pretty OEM when I am done with it. The exhaust will exit the same general location as the outboards, or I can plum the exhaust to the old generator exhaust location. The honda weighs less than 50 lbs, but if there is a list because of the additional weight, I can relocate the batteries to the old generator platform. Net gain will be about 200 lbs lighter with the 250 lb generator gone.... I crave simplicity, reliability and ease of maintenance.... I am not seeing that in the small high RPM marine generator world...

What do you guys think???

 

[SkunkBoat]

Looks good to me as long as you deal with having air flow when running it but still watertight when underway. That spot takes some water when you back down.

Makes more sense than a below deck generator that eats money.