What don't you know about your boat?

Post by **Admin** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:06 pm

Related to my other topic "Cruisair", I realized, there is an awful lot I don't know about my boat, being that I bought it used, and never had the full walk through and orientation that one can expect when buying something like this new. Some besides my A/C, I realized I didn't know how to dump my holding tanks at sea. I always have them pumped out at the station, but on our last trip, two of my friends who own boats asked me how to dump out while under way, and I was like, uh, I don't know. Then I started to think about a bunch of questions I could ask myself, and realized, I couldn't answer them. Made me feel kind of lame. I figured I couldn't be the only one that doesn't know certain things, so I wanted know, what are the things that you feel you should know but don't. Here we can post questions about things we don't know, and then hopefully, spawn separate threads to answer them so this particular thread won't end up too crazy. David Sumich Bertram33.com Forum Administrator

lobsta1 · Post by **lobsta1** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 7:39 pm

In the 3 years my mistress has owned me, I've been through just about every curved inch of her. Replaced oil & tranny coolers & also new oil lines. Replaced raw water pumps, elbows & stb heat exchanger. Rebuilt carbs, ran new power to bridge with new breaker panel fed with 6 gauge wire. Installed loudhailer w/intercom, relocated radar & fishfinder displays. Rebuilt rear cabin bulkhead & transom door. Installed new 30" Bennet tabs & mounted the old Bertram swim platform back on. Installed new S/L 900 FF windlass & a custom mounting pad for the davit carrying a 35 lb Kingston fastset anchor. Installed new Crown head plumbed into a new Electrasan that I relocated onto a pad I glassed in under the drawers on the port side in the v-berth. replaced all the gate valves with ball valves. Pulled out & rebedded the entire rudder ports on both sides.Redid the cabin & put in access to storage in the salon walls. The old B33C's had flat formica covered slabs. Pulled out the old dinette & convertible sofa & replaced them with a queen sized oak futon with 2 drawers under & 2 wicker chairs & small table. New carpeting in the cabin. Replaced all the bridge gauges. My Cruiseair blower froze up. Had to dismantle hanging locker, discharge freon & break the lines apart. When I did that, found the problem was the blower shaft had slipped over & jammed up. Dismantled the blower assembly to fix that. Reassembled everything & then waited a few weeks for the guy to come & recharge the unit. By the way, this was just after rotator cuff surgery & I basically did this one armed. First day the Nites Off owned me, got her back to the marina & realigned the port motor. I've probably forgotten a bunch of stuff, but you get the idea. I've gotten to know my mistress pretty well. 1978 33 FBC NITES OFF

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 2:21 am

Al, It sounds like it's about time to have an engine blow,doesn't it?Seems like you've done everything else.Just kidding. Dave, One of the great things about these boats to me is the fact that you can access everything. Every time I have a question , it's pretty easy to chase it down and get the gist of it.The plumbing that you mention is almost always different for every boat, as I'm sure you know. I had a similar experience with mine when I first bought it but with the ability to see all the plumbing it was easy to see my mistake. I was actually pumping it overboard with every flush without realizing it. It wasn't routed to the tank at all! Frank Price '87 SF 'JEANNE CLAIRE' Rowley Ma.

Post by **Admin** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 5:53 am

So Frank, with our boats being nearly twins (by the way, where is a picture of yours??? Let's get it up on the Images page!) can you tell me how your holding tank pumps out to sea and to the holding tank? Mine is probably the same. David Sumich Bertram33.com Forum Administrator

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 5:03 pm

David, I'll have to get out and have a look to refresh my memory but the basics are that it goes from the head to the Y valve and from there it goes either overboard or to the tank,depending on the position of the valve. What I can't remember is what the rest of the plumbing does. I have some great pics of my boat but not digital and I don't have a scanner, so I'm working on getting a decent digital camera.I'd love to get a photo or two in. Frank Price

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:59 pm

David, I was just out in the boat installing the heads today and let me tell you, it's getting cold out here. Anyway, before I came in to thaw out, I looked again at the plumbing to the holding tank. It's one complicated bunch of hoses. Mine has obviously been changed a little, so I don't think it will be the same as yours but the way mine is plumbed, if you want to pump waste overboard from the holding tank, you just open the seacock and turn on the macerator pump. The Y valve on mine is ahead of the holding tank so won't affect pumping it out. I hope this helps. Frank Price

captgene · Post by **captgene** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 3:43 am

Mine goes like this. Head to "Y" valve. "Y" valve to either Holding Tank or Thru hull. Macerator is on a "T" fitting at the bottom on Holding Tank. Right side of "T" goes to Dockside pump out located just ahead of water tank fill on Stb. toe rail. (yes I have filled my holding tank with water by mistake). Macerator will pump out as long as thru hull is open, regardless on the "Y" valve position. E.W. Dugan

Post by **Admin** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 5:44 am

OK, I think I have seen similar components in mine also, so I think both of your comments are helpful. Thanks! E.W., us SF guys are lucky in that our dockside waste pump out is on the port side, all by it's lonesome. As long as you couldn't do the opposite I suppose, it is OK. David Sumich Bertram33.com Forum Administrator

photo finish · Post by **photo finish** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 7:10 am

I do not have a holding tank at all,i only have a lectrasan that pumps directly overboard.i am not sure i like not having a holding tank at all because i feel guilty even though it is supposed to be safe and eco friendly. Tim Stamm Photo Finish 1981 33' Bertram FBC

captgene · Post by **captgene** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 7:28 am

Electrasan works pretty well unless you and your crew have a case of the trots at the same time. Tends to overload the system a bit. they put a lot of those in smaller boats with limited space and that usually was disaster because it almost always in the bildge where the salt was getting to them. E.W. Dugan

lobsta1 · Post by **lobsta1** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 8:36 am

Tim, While you're working on the repower problem I've got another for you. Couldn't find the final ruling, but I believe the Keys are a No Discharge Zone. That means the Electrosan is NOT legal there. You MUST use a holding tank in those areas. I'm running into the same problem up here in New England as more & more areas are declared NDZ's Here is the initial announcement. Up here in NE the EPA has a separate web site showing all the areas. Couldn't find one for the SE. http://www.epa.gov/Region4/oeapages/01press/010720.htm If you want to add a holding tank, I suggest you DO NOT use the Todd tanks. They are very thin walled & subject to permeation. You want a tank at least 3/8" thick. Good Luck Al 1978 33 FBC NITES OFF

photo finish · Post by **photo finish** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 3:00 pm

yes i am sensitive to the no discharge zones.I know the possibility of only flushing when you are not in the sanctuary zones doesnt make any sense.so yes that will be another project. and sorry guys for taking up so much hard drive space,but i like to ask alot of questions before spending money or putting holes in the boat. Tim Stamm Photo Finish 1981 33' Bertram FBC

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 3:44 pm

Tim, You certainly don't have anything to apologise about. This forum is what makes it worth checking this site out every day and , as they say, there is no such thing as a dumb question. By the way... We're all learning a bunch on your nickel, thanks. Frank Price

Post by **Admin** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 6:50 am

Yes, activity on this board is crucial. Type away. David Sumich Bertram33.com Forum Administrator

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 8:12 am

This LectranSan replacement would be a great topic for me. When they work, they're great and need nearly zero maintenance. But they're not reliable and even now I'm waiting for a warm enough day to go up there and remove mine so that it can be serviced by Raritan. Every summer it rears it's ugly head with some sort of problem and every year another harbor is closed LectraSan discharge. But, looking down in the bilge there's not a lot of room to install a good sized tank. Which leads me to think that I'll need to connect two together and wind up with an installation nightmare. Has anyone gone through that retro-fit ? Thanks, Rick