tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post7465552028766875495..comments2024-03-28T01:37:16.911-04:00Comments on Our Odyssey: We got the shaftLouisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06306854459459257368noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-12899624969524307382013-05-27T08:34:38.061-04:002013-05-27T08:34:38.061-04:00Yes, I am doing all my own electrical work. The s...Yes, I am doing all my own electrical work. The same is true for plumbing, electronics, HVAC, and many other parts of the project. We just could not afford this boat if I had to pay yard rates for that kind of work.<br /><br />What we are having the yard do are the things for which I lack either the tools or the skills. I can't weld, I can't cut holes through 1/4" steel plate, I can't spray paint (especially in confined spaces), and I can't remove or install shafts and bearings. I'll admit I probably <i>could</i> have removed all two tons or so of lead pigs from the chain locker, but that, too, seemed like a job for younger men than I.<br /><br />As to "necessary," that's a trick question -- the last two owners used the boat just the way it was, so really nothing we are doing is necessary in the strictest sense. That said, yes, it is required for us to be able to use the boat as we envision.<br /><br />I will post more details as we get into the project, but the short version is that I could get neither an alternator nor an inverter/charger large enough for our needs in 12v. The existing inverter and alternator are working "OK," but the charger is so noisy that the VHF hums, and the inverter is so dirty that we can't run the microwave, induction hob, or electric blanket without fear of destroying them, and air conditioning is out of the question.<br /><br />Running the generator every time we want to cook or even warm up our coffee, while probably cheaper in the short term than upgrading the electrical system, is not really how we want to live. If we used the boat only occasionally, we'd just live with this limitation, but these are tasks we perform every single day of the year.<br />Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17930398671280529448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-45870072587289388912013-05-27T08:14:18.392-04:002013-05-27T08:14:18.392-04:00Thanks, Charlie.
These are completely different a...Thanks, Charlie.<br /><br />These are completely different applications -- conventional stainless is a bad choice for salt water. Also, a well pump seldom sits idle; even if it does not run continuously, it runs at least daily -- the opportunity for crevice corrosion to develop is minimal. By contrast, a propeller shaft sits idle more than it turns, sometimes for days, weeks, or even months at a time.<br /><br />Trying to fit a smaller shaft would also be more expensive than just replacing with one of the same size, For starters, the propeller itself would need to be changed; I haven't priced a 32" nibral wheel, but I am guessing it's close to what the shaft is going to cost.<br /><br />As I said earlier, our very lives will depend on this single component. It's probably not the right place in the project to be trying to reinvent the wheel to save maybe a couple thousand bucks, which is all you might be able to save. When all is said and done, the cost of a prop shaft is less about the difference between, say, Aquamet and stainless, and more about the equipment and labor involved to machine the proper taper and threads on the ends, true it, fit the prop, etc.<br />Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17930398671280529448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-11341777184805508952013-05-27T05:34:29.810-04:002013-05-27T05:34:29.810-04:00It sounds as if you're going to do the Great E...It sounds as if you're going to do the Great Electrical Upgrade yourself. True? By the way...why is this necessary? Just wondering.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-3744844058824424042013-05-26T13:34:19.250-04:002013-05-26T13:34:19.250-04:00You might check out the shaft used in a water lube...You might check out the shaft used in a water lube turbine pump. This is like one used in a well for a city well. The shaft is 10 ft long and can be make longer. they have a chrome sleeve where the bearing runs. also they run at 1800 rpm (+/_). they last for yrs. running in water. You could use a smaller size and have the chrome sleeve sized to 3". I know <br />this is a lower cost way than you have talked about.<br />charliewaller830@aol.com<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-71233957569368462582013-05-24T23:59:30.907-04:002013-05-24T23:59:30.907-04:00No way to see it without pulling the shaft out of ...No way to see it without pulling the shaft out of the boat, not something that is commonly done on a pre-purchase survey. Remember, we have no struts -- the shaft is completely enclosed in a steel tube. All the corrosion mentioned above was inside the tube, between the two cutless bearings.<br /><br />Defevers have far less "concealed" shaft -- pretty much just the part in the shaft log and the cutless bearings themselves. By contrast, on my boat only about 18" of the shaft is visible, out of a total length of nearly 11 feet. Also, on your boat, there's less opportunity for stagnant water to sit against the shaft like this. <br /><br />You probably have nothing to worry about. If you wanted to inspect, though, you'd only have to move the shafts back a couple of feet, not pull them all the way out of the boat as we did.<br />Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17930398671280529448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-45319346482390315102013-05-24T23:47:52.871-04:002013-05-24T23:47:52.871-04:00So did you miss the shaft corrosion on survey? I t...So did you miss the shaft corrosion on survey? I thought mine looked good when we hauled last spring but maybe we just didn't look hard enough.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-33552753979844579312013-05-24T08:25:40.447-04:002013-05-24T08:25:40.447-04:00Thanks for chiming in -- that's a good point, ...Thanks for chiming in -- that's a good point, and probably good for our readers to know.<br /><br />That said, one of the myriad problems with West's price match policy is that it only works brand-for-brand. Since West has managed to re-brand many commodity products with it's own label, they won't match them. For example, "Seachoice" is a brand of commodity products found in many retail stores and online outlets that is more or less identical to many WM-branded products, but you can't go in to WM, point at, say, a WM anchor shackle, and then show them that you can get a Seachoice one for 80% -- they won't match it.<br /><br />One of my dirty little secrets is that I am generally brand-agnostic, with only minor exceptions. So for example, I don't see a good reason to buy Blue Sea hydraulic breakers when I know that Airpax breakers are just as good. I can usually find Airpax or Carling hydraulic breakers at discounters and surplus sellers on eBay for half or even less than Blue Sea prices. But if I need a hydraulic breaker on short notice and go into West, Blue Sea will be my only option. Again, price matching will not apply.<br /><br />Lastly, while I have not experienced this myself, the Internet forums are rife with tales of WM managers finding ways to weasel out of price matching. (I have also heard that this has improved, I think by pressure from HQ.) So I will use it as a tool, but I try not to count on it.<br />Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17930398671280529448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-37772113892635432802013-05-24T08:11:11.574-04:002013-05-24T08:11:11.574-04:00The shaft is probably beyond repair. Even a compe...The shaft is probably beyond repair. Even a competent shaft repair outfit would likely spend more money fixing this one than a new one costs; you'd have to start with a metallurgical analysis to determine exactly what alloy it is so the welds could match exactly. Next you would have to grind out every pit. There are not dozens -- there are hundreds or maybe even thousands of them. Then you'd have to weld each and every one. Then you'd have to grind each one down before turning the entire shaft on a lathe for the entire length. Lastly you'd have to X-ray every inch of the shaft to make sure each weld is perfect.<br /><br />My take on this is similar to that of, say, running re-treads on the steer axle of the bus. Our lives will very literally depend on this propeller shaft -- it's the only one we have, and if it breaks in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in rough weather we can lose the boat, and have to roll the dice in a tiny inflatable life raft, hoping there is a ship within a couple hundred miles.<br /><br />I will reserve final judgment until I see what the shaft shop has to say when they get it, but my guess is that the yard's assessment that it is headed for the scrap pile is accurate.<br />Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17930398671280529448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-2329459093435201112013-05-24T07:51:21.096-04:002013-05-24T07:51:21.096-04:00Just to be clear, John, I know you did not know ab...Just to be clear, John, I know you did not know about either of these issues. As regards the chain, I will get back to you after we actually measure it (when we paint new markings on it), so you can know how annoyed to be (if at all) with Dog River.<br /><br />When we spooled it all out on the ground here, I flaked it back and forth as much as possible, mostly to inspect it and let it dry out. Once it was out, the yard said it didn't look like 400', so I measured one of the "flakes" and then counted them, and came up with only ~325 or so. Then we counted the red marks, and could only find six, which would make 350' if they were spaced every 50'. That said, it's possible one of the marks is so badly faded we just can't find it, and/or my flake-counting method is off by a couple of feet per flake. Either mistake could account for another 50'.<br /><br />I'm not entirely sure how we are going to measure for the new marks, but first we are going to switch the ends so that the old bitter end is now attached to the anchor and vice-versa.<br />Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17930398671280529448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-24404057884519551312013-05-24T06:39:11.736-04:002013-05-24T06:39:11.736-04:00Another tip... West Marine has a price match polic...Another tip... West Marine has a price match policy. If you go to a web site and print off the page showing the item as in stock at a cheaper price, they'll match it. Only way I can afford anything there. :)The Big Ole Bushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06834636762687335311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-21708952447618790922013-05-24T02:47:29.044-04:002013-05-24T02:47:29.044-04:00If there was anyway to get that shaft to Republic ...If there was anyway to get that shaft to Republic Diesel in Louisville KY, they could press the prop off and repair that shaft and repair the prop and rebalance it. They would grind out the pits and build it back up with SS weld then turn it back down to the correct size.They have repaired shafts for us as big as six in by 22 foot for us.<br />Deweyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12881817630689202609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-26898970727184980342013-05-23T23:32:58.379-04:002013-05-23T23:32:58.379-04:00To bad about that shaft being in such bad conditio...To bad about that shaft being in such bad condition, but it sounds like your other projects are starting to fall into place. We will sit here on the starboard side of BessyBus and toast to your successes. SteveSteve Dwyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01295487418429648977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208406.post-34688858874940730142013-05-23T23:12:18.780-04:002013-05-23T23:12:18.780-04:00Oh dear. The shaft corrosion is not something I wo...Oh dear. The shaft corrosion is not something I would have expected, although it makes sense as you explain it. Here's hoping you have no more unpleasant surprises.<br />And I'm curious how I paid for 400 feet of chain and you only have 350 feet.<br />So I can only say you no longer owe me a dinner, and the next one is on me, with very good wine.John Samfordhttp://www.johnsamford.comnoreply@blogger.com