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2010-12-31

Another nautical milestone passed...or is that "mile buoy"?

After considerable consultation and debate, I've purchased this engine for Alchemy. A fellow in my club announced himself not only as the Nanni diesel rep for Toronto (a French marinized Kubota), but as the Beta Marine rep (an English marinized Kubota).

This is the "keel-cooled" version used in barges and whatnot, but I'll have the usual heat-exchanger on it, but with two alternators, a ZF25 hydraulic transmission, the raw water pump relocated (perhaps) to the top of the engine, and the oil filter relocated off the block, rotated to the vertical and put on the bulkhead for ease of filter changing. This last "option" makes sense also because you can fill a vertically oriented filter with fresh oil and spin it on, leaving very little oil-free space in the circuit when you fire up the engine again. Also, you don't spill much, if at all. Makes sense to me.

The basic layout and measurement of the 60 HP block are here:


I will have to fab up a cardboard mock up to play with to determine motor mount positions, "risers", if needed and distance from the forward bulkhead. I have to include the space needed for the thrust bearing, the stern tube, the PSS (shaft seal) and the Aquadrive unit, all of which are aft of the transmission plate.

So there's a lot to figure out and no doubt a lot to measure, measure, cut. I'll keep my miniscule, if surprisingly international, readers apprised of our progress in the New Year.

2010-12-28

Peru-sing South American Cruising



This might be the first time I link directly to another blog's post instead of writing it myself, but Michael and Edi on Sequitur, a Canadian Hunter 49, have posted a reminder that it's not all barbeques and sundowners for the ocean cruiser; a large part of it can involve bribery, bureaucracy and extortionate fees.

What's Spanish for "I voted with my keel"?

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/sequitur/?xjMsgID=156150

A very good post from cruising grounds less familiar than most for many Northern Hemisphere sailors.