B&G 496/213 Masthead Repair

 My 15 year old B&G 213 masthead wind meter failed some time ago.  The directional indicator at the top is fine, but the cup speed indicator seems to have bad bearings.

Bearings required (2ea) are:

030804161

F1/8 x 5/16 x 9/64

FR2-5-ZZ

Inch Flanged Bearings

I'm pulling it apart and will replace the bearings.  First obstacle is a stripped 1.5mm set screw.

I'll try a few options before drilling it out, it will need replacing.

If I have to, I'll buy the entire bearing housing, which is $150NZD and is part # 213-10-038

These things are more than $1000 if you can find one, so worth trying.

Update 11/5/21:  I just ended up buying a new bearing for $169NZD.  I reassembled it and I'm just waiting for the rigger to re-install along with a new VHF antenna.

Update 2/6/21:  The rigger has installed the rebuilt wind unit, along with a new VHF antenna and in fact 2 new lenses and bulbs for my tri-color and steaming lights.  He also replaced my burgee line from the mast top.

New ship's clock!

Wireless has a matching Weems & Plath clock and barometer set.  Recently the clock failed, due to what I suspect to be a faulty plastic movement.

Trouble is...the bloody things sell for nearly $400NZD.  No replacement parts are available, even if I could find a way to work on it, as everything was glued together.  Even the battery was an oddball (try finding an N battery).

So I looked around an found a local alternative here in New Zealand.

Cruising Electronics

This is a business run by sailors for sailors and I'm happy to support them.

This is an outfit based in Cable Bay Northland that market various clocks, barometers etc.  I purchased the small version of the clock/tide clock combo.  Looking at it online I saw that it was obviously set in a brass case, with a traditional opening to ease battery replacement (the W&P required pulling it off the bulkhead).

I bought this clock for $155 NZD.  It arrived today and I was amazed.  It's heavy, as the case is thick polished brass.  The beveled glass face is also very thick, as are the hinges and "dog".  

Opening the case allows the entire clock to swing outward for easy battery changes.

I've now bought the matching barometer.

Deck Paint

 It's been a long time since I've updated the blog, due to a combination of available time, but also because the first few years of ownership were a flurry of renovations and improvements.  I had reached a point where Wireless didn't 'need' a lot.  I had addressed all of the 'must-haves' and life didn't allow for many 'want-to-haves'.

Well, the time has come to admit that the deck surfaces can no longer be rejuvenated with polish.  The gelcoat is dull and chalky, and more importantly, it has many spider cracks from becoming brittle under the New Zealand sun.  My 2014 deck project was focused on the teak work, re-bedding fittings, and a good surface polish. 

Spiders cracks evident around grab rails.

In preparation, I have gone over the deck identifying and fixing imperfections and the spider cracking.  To give the crack repairs a fighting chance, I enlarged them with a ball tip cutter on my Dremel tool.

This now gave me the ability to get some Epifill to stick.  This product is easy to mix and also sands easily.  Because it is epoxy-based, it sticks tenaciously and is water proof and durable.

I'm afraid I don't have before photos of the spider cracks, but you can imagine they radiated out from stress points like deck fittings, and particularly in the cockpit sole.  I'll take a battery of photos moving forward.

So the next step, now that I have sanded the Epifill, is to look for areas that may need a 2nd application.  After that I'll follow this process:

1. Select area to paint (I'm going to break it down into sectors to make it manageable)
2. Thoroughly wash this area with degreaser and sugar soap
3. Wipe surface down with grease and wax remover
4. Sand the area with 120grit sandpaper until uniformly dull (to give the primer a surface to bite into), wash or vacuum o remove dust.
5. Mask off the area *I am NOT removing deck hardware...this is controversial, but I will do this in time and it is unnecessary given the bedding compound tends to ooze out beyond the footprint of the hardware anyhow.
6. Final wipe down with grease and wax remover
7. Apply 2 coats of primer, sand with 220g between and after
8. Wash or vacuum to remove dust.
9. Wipe surface down with grease and wax remover
10. Apply 2-3 coats of top coat.
11. Mask and apply single coat of Kiwi Grip to non skid areas.  Mask radiused areas with 3M stretchy tape.
12. Apply new vinyl "Nonsuch" decals to the cabin sides (the pattern was developed by an enterprising owner some years ago)

Crack filled and sanded

Beating the drone - Silent Running SR1000 & EPDM Foam

UPDATE 10/2/17

It worked!!

Result of engine soundproofing. 





8/11/16

The vibrations from the Westerbeke 35D3 cause a large amount of noise in the cabin of my NS30U.  Running the engine makes the environment in the cabin rather unpleasant, you certainly wouldn't hold a conversation under power, let alone invite anyone to relax below or have a nap.

The main reason for this, as I have discovered through research, is that the area under the cockpit is a collection of large flat plywood and fibreglass panels that resonate with vibration from the motor, despite the rubber engine mounts.

The largest culprits are the plywood panel separating the engine area from the cabin (behind the stairs), the sole of the cockpit, the cockpit hatches, and the plywood panels on the starboard side of the engine that form the storage cabinet and enclosure for the fuel tank.

Short of building a contained engine box, which would be almost impossible given the irregularity of interface between the plywood panels and the cockpit sole, the placement of the raw water inlet and wet exhaust, I needed to find a solution that absorbed the vibration.

A moment to discuss this...the droning noise in the cabin is caused by vibration, not 'engine noise'.  The engine is not particularly 'noisy'...the exhaust is contained in the wet system, the air intake noise is minimal, and the engine is in excellent tune.  The noise I'm experiencing is akin to being inside a large drum, everything is vibrating, you can feel it in the palm of your hand...from the cockpit sole and hatch covers, to the doors on the cabin cupboards and the fuel tank.

So how do you stop vibration?  One way, which doesn't involve lining the entire engine area with expensive mats, has been developed by a company called Silent Running

Silent Running SR1000 Marine coating

Silent Running SR 1000 is a VOC compliant, water based product that is easily applied with a spray application. This sound damping paint can be used on the interior of the hull, stringers, engine beds, bulkheads, ceilings, hatches, engine boxes, bow thrusters, HVAC units, duct work, generator covers and mechanical enclosures. SR 1000 is designed as a “permanent” coating and has excellent adhesion to all metal, fiberglass, and wood. The key to Silent Running is to build it up, in multiple coats, to a minimum of 40mil final application thickness (depending on thickness of substrate).
Silent Running will dry to the touch in roughly one hour, at which time you can re-apply. Clean up with water is quick and easy. Silent Running dries to an off-white color, brightening any enclosed areas. Comparatively, Silent Running is easier to apply than the standard foam tiles, provides a reduced amount of time for application, and is designed as a permanent coating.
Silent Running is more effective than traditional damping methods, not only due to its chemical properties, but also because of the complete adhesion to the substrate regardless of curves or angles. Silent Running will not absorb water or chemicals and will endure the extreme conditions in the marine environment. Typically Silent Running is roughly half the cost of traditional foam products and a third the weight. Silent Running weighs 8 oz. per sq. ft. at a 50 mil final application thickness.
Silent Running can withstand temperatures from -30F up to 250F. With typical applications for which Silent Running was designed, we provide a 6-8 dBa reduction (roughly 60% of the noise) with the minimum application thickness recommended based on substrate thickness. This is a significant reduction. The effects of noise and vibration on crew members would be reduced considerably, the working environment improved overall and the life of the vessel extended.
(courtesy Silent Running website)

Check out this demonstration:

Video Demonstration


I've ordered 4l of the SR1000 product, and will apply it starting at the engine mounting stringers, working away from the engine in all directions until I have the required coats of every surface within the engine room/sub-cockpit area.  This will include some tricky areas like the underside of the cockpit seats and vertical surfaces.

The side-benefit of this project is that the entire sub-cockpit area will be painted white, which will brighten and clean up it's appearance.  It will also form part of the larger project to re-organise the electrical wiring and fuel hoses running around this area.

I will add to this post as the project begins.

UPDATE 28/11/16

Before image of the hull floor adjacent the engine:

Following the application of the Silent Running SR1000 at a rate of about 1 litre per square meter:

Because SR1000 can be painted over with any water-based paint, I intend on adding a couple coats of Zinsser 123 on top to further brighten the engine room and make it easy to clean.

Next is to wait receipt of my foil-lined foam pads, which I will apply to all the vertical surfaces and the underside of the cockpit, to further absorb noise.



UPDATE: 4/12/16

I've completed the first panel installation of the closed cell, foil-faced, adhesive backed sound proofing mat.  This product is approx. 10mm thick, with a robust foil facing and adhesive back.  I plan on augmenting the overhead installations with some additional high-strength spray glue.

This panel is a removable panel that live to port of the engine, allowing the port side locker to be used for stowing fenders etc, without the risk of them rolling down toward the engine.

Built from marine ply, painted, and then covered in the sound proofing material:



6 meters should be enough



The edges and joints are sealed with aluminium HVAC tape, which is very sticky.

The completed panel

Update: 12/12/16 The soundproofing is gathering pace now, with the engine room hatch complete and the area around the fuel filter complete. This requires some careful measuring and patience.