the news about the engine is not good
time for some serious thinking
http://blip.tv/file/get/Dylanwinter-ktlVlog109955.mp4
the email from Robin is below I trust the man and really like him - he has told me like it is - he wants to make sure that there are no surprises
Dylan, I have looked at the problem and would like to offer the following observations.
The MD really is rather over sized for her but a lovely engine none the less.
Having checked all four mounts I must report that the forward port side mount is separating and the after mounts are suspect as you already know.
This engine is a very tight squeeze as I am sure you are aware. The forward engine mounts are not the designed units for the Volvo but a pair of Metalastik units on a fabricated bracket to permit installation in the space available. This particular design of mount is not currently listed by Trellborg (they now own Metalastik in Leicester) so I will need to contact them with details.
However to do this I would need to remove the mount from the engine and it is likely that the best way would be to remove the engine from its existing location. I am not confident that enough room can be gained by lifting it alone.
My fear now is that the labour cost could be significant and seem out of proportion to the work involved.
If I were to advise you formally then I would be looking at around four days work, especially if new mounts have to configured for the forward ones. My normal charges are in the region of £200 per day, so you can see why I am concerned.
The parts costs may not be too high and my guess is around £125.
So the worst case scenario is a bill approaching a thousand pounds including VAT.
I would naturally reinstall the engine having checked it over and given it an oil change and filter change for the fuel system. We could try and consider repair or replacement of the gear change at the same time.
All of this I will leave with you to consider. It is a large figure for a seemingly simple job, which it may yet prove to be. I just do not want to suggest one figure and come back to you with a shockingly higher one due to 'unforeseen problems'.
Sorry this news is not good,
Robin Dunn
Morris Marine Services
www.morrismarineservices.co.uk
Dylan, I have been in touch with Trellborg and sadly they no longer manufacture the mounts.
It may be possible to replace these mounts with simple bobbins but that would not give you the failsafe facility and should the engine break free due to a rope or other rubbish round the prop the engine could dislodge from the engine beds while still running.
Either way we would still need to remove the engine to effect a full repair.
Sorry the news is bad. Robin.
Outboard on the back for the summer then. You’re welcome to borrow mine while my boat’s on the hard, though it’s a short shaft so you’ll have to do some fiddling with a bracket and it’ll be crap in bad weather, but then who wants to go sailing in bad weather?
Summer’s here and you’re in a sheltered area. Go sail.
My suggestion is outboard bracket on the back (20HP Model £80 on Ebay New – smaller one buckles in chop), purchase a 4-6 HP 2 Stroke Outboard Longshaft, even better if you can get one of the ”extra long shaft Sailboat” ones, should be able to pick up for £200-350, plus you must make sure it is a remote tank version otherwise you refill every half hour,,, this will keep you on the water for the summer, you can then decide at your leisure what the next move is, you could try doing most of the work yourself I have removed with a mate (who is the meachincally minded one and the owner of the boat) (3 off us in total working) a MD1 and replaced with an MD2 in a Halycon 24, made gantry up for 4×4 timbers from Wickes, you could and then replace the brackets with mounts from a motor factors… or makes new mounts up as long as you can line up the shaft…but this is a lot of work to do, and then put an old engine back in again….. if you get on Ok with Outboard you could use the space to keep a small generator as you will no longer have battery charging via the MD1’s alternator…..
Costs
Bracket £80.00 fit with a large as possible backing pad in the transon, if your Mirror is something like the same age as my Hunter heh transom will be pretty thick but you must still have a backing pad otherwise it allow the transom to flex.
Outboard.
Go for either Yamah/Marina 2 stroke 4 or 5 6 AC longshaft two stroke, spares easy to get and it is a very reliable engine and very common, (Shaft and other bits are still used on 4 stroke engines in some cases)
or go for an Evinrude/Johnson 5/6/7/9.9 of late eighties/nineties they are all the same block and bits just tuned different for different power outputs, again they are a common engine, (often seem on the back of Mobo’s as backup) – some even having 5 amp charging built in.
Then
Over the summer decide what to do next, you can still sails as you have the Outboard while you decide if to refurbish Slug/Engine/Mounts and keep it or sell up and move to bigger boat… only troubles is Marine Engine problsm affect most boats as most die from lack of use/corrosion/neglect rather wearing out,
Chris
Thought long and hard about this one.
What would I do in these circumstances?
Not easy.
The MD is basically too big for the Slug.
That doesn’t change much as it just means you could fit a smaller engine, but that would still cost!
I’ve got a nice smooth Dolphin 2 cyl 2 stroke (petrol) with gearbox, that is currently doing nothing and is almost new.
But that’s no good to you as not only would it cost you to fit it, I’m in SW Ireland.
Next up is, like Joseph said, an outboard.
Also like he said, it’s crap in bad weather (been there, got the tee shirt).
But it would get you sailing again for the summer.
If you could beg, borrow or….??? a 4stroke outboard for the summer, I’m sure it would be suitably quiet (I have a 4 stroke 6hp Suzuki which is quiet). But actually buying a new one….
These people (no connection apart from being a satisfied customer) http://www.ronhalemarine.co.uk/superbasket/product/30/Suzuki_DF5
do a new 5HP for 900 quid.
Even that might possibly be a decent ‘investment’ as you could trade it in p/e for an inboard when the time came.
So….
I think, for what it’s worth, I would ask around all the boatyards and clubs for a decent outboard, and/or consider buying a new one.
Ron
Dylan
Already voted on YBF forum to keep the slug, but hadn’t seen this detail then. Agree with Joseph (above) re outboard for the summer.
Then if it was me it would (have to) be some DIY. I built a boat with no experience of woodworking, and I’m sure I could get an engine out, fashion some sort of bearers so that available mounts would fit, and get it back in again. Yes it would be a struggle. No I don’t know the first thing about fitting engines, but I’m confident I’d get there in the end. You’ve got youth on your side (I’m 2 yrs older!). You could change the cutlass bearing arrangement at the same time – flexible couplings seem to take need for precision of alignment out of the question.
You’ve got a long way to go, so getting these niggles out of the way early will just smooth the next decade.
Good luck.
Hi Dylan,
sorry to hear the news . A 4 stroke O/B will keep you going over the summer. no messing
with mixing fuel & oil . Suggest a long shaft 4 stroke. The downside is an O/B needs more fuel than a diesel …I know as I have a 2 stroke 8 HP on my 22 ‘ Alberg. You will also need portable fuel tanks . This will at least keep you going for the summer while you think about dumping the ‘slug’ !
good luck,
Ivor
Dylan,
I/we can tell you are REALLY down about this. Remember that the goal is to go sailing.
And sailing is a beautiful thing.
Can Robin just remove the engine and seal the thru hull openings. You could then purchase an outboard. You’d be on an outboard without having to haul around the weight of the diesel.
Start by forgetting that Sea Witch in the farm shed, unless you -really- want a Sea Witch.
There’s at least a year’s solid work to get it up to the standard the Slug is now.
Plus possibly as much money as a full Slug renovation, just to make it usable.
And you’d still have a hard-to-sell Slug with cactus engine mounts.
The Slug isn’t worth much with dead donk mounts, so you can’t devalue it much whatever ou do, so…
If it were me, -and- IF I wanted to keep the Slug, I’d take an angle grinder to the floor
& make a Big Hole so Robin can get at The Beast easily. Disappear the whole cockpit
floor if needs be, to an inch short of the edge of the floor.
The extra working room should cut Robin’s man-hours by 50% or more and allow him to
fit whatever brackets are best for the engine.
When he’s finished, use the 500+? quid saved to build a new floor & motor box/access
hatch in epoxy/plywood, & wave a paintbrush at it to hide the evidence. Enlist
professional assistance if needed.
Talk to Robin about it to ensure the numbers are right. And maybe a local boat builder / repairer. Whatever, it’s probably still less than your Lad spent on his Himalaya trip.
And less than nett cost of a replacement boat..
Wishing you all the best
AJ
Adelaide AU
An outboard and bracket for the stern will cost something. If you have to buy a new one it could cost as much as getting the mounts repaired, but if time is of the essence then it might be worth considering. As you noted, the inboard is nice in the winter. If it were me I would be asking myself if I wanted to put £1000 into the slug or did I want to put it into a boat with a better engine (and a bit better sailing performance). Is there a model with an outboard in a stern well in Britain. I would think that twin keelers are perfect for this. The Capre Dory 25 and several other designs available in the US have this feature. It gets the prop well in the water and is not hanging off the stern. Whissstock design # 146 (whisstock.com) has this feature. It looks to be a very nice little boat.
Hi Dylan,
However much it hurts, I think you are best to throw the stick again.
The engineer is proposing a proper fix with new mounts, and maybe the gear change sorted, which would hopefully last you for the rest of the journey. You could possibly persuade him or someone else to replace just the one that broke in place for less but you’re just going to get the problem back again sooner or later. Think how much better the boat was after the stern gear work at Wells.
Neither you nor the boat will be happy with an outboard on a bracket on the transom and a dead inboard inside. It will cost at least a 1/3 of the proposed repair price and won’t be as good for long passages and is unlikely to appreciate the stop-start pottering you do while filming. Finding petrol in some places will be an issue too.
Given how far you’ve got to go, you might look at a different boat but you’ve probably got to come up with 6K or more to get something that isn’t going to have or develop its own set of similar problems.
Get this guy to sort it… he sounds good.
And don’t blame the Slug too much. I reckon for the usage you get… including all those extra in-gear stops and starts… your mean time between failures and average repair cost are well ahead of many much more expensive boats.
Hi Dylan
I was reading other comments posted, in part I agree with outboard ‘solution’, gives you
some time to re-think and decide either to make it permanent, fix the MD or get another boat.
However , to me it’s more a questions of two things: the budget and the commitment to your KTL project.
When I put myself in your shoes, this is what I would do: I would not questions at all abandoning the Slug, the engine problems are common to all boats. Getting another old boat would just give you another ‘set’ of problems, I am speaking from experience. All my life I am living, fixing and sailing old boats. As long as you are happy with the boat, you should keep it and fix whatever must be fixed.
The available budget will always decide, in the end. Also, IF there is a budget, then you can think of another boat which would be in better shape and/or provide better ‘performance’. Of course one should strive to spend the minimum possible and still get the satisfactory result. I would agree with Max above, that you should do the part of the job yourself – with some friend’s help – remove the engine, put it back. This is not a rocket science, does not require any special tools and/or knowledge, but it is a part which takes the most time. That would leave you with only a part of the work to be paid to mechanic – taking care of mounts and alligning the engine once it’s back.
To me, paying a high-rate specialist to do the simple work is always something I try to avoid. One example – if I need something fabricated by welding, I cut and prepare all components and then give it to a welder to weld it together. Otherwise I would pay his welding skills for the time he would be cutting steel – and this is not something very high-tech.
I would like to see you back sailing as soon as possible. The outboard might be the answer. As already mentioned, the outboards will use (much!) more fuel … so depending on amount of time you will run the motor, this might be or might not be the issue. But what ‘bothers’ me a bit when I think of that is the cost – if you want any kind of reliable (old or new) outboard, I do not see how you can do it below 1000 pounds. Maybe only if you can borrow it, then you need only the bracket for it. Somehow I tend to think that this would only make some sense if you do it as a permanent solution and remove the MD completely.
Eh… I will be looking forward to see what you are going to decide.
I wish you all the best and I am sure you will do the right thing, given the circumstances.
Good luck,
Zoran
Sorry to see you struggling with this problem Dylan but you have some great advice above especially AJ and Zoran. I don’t think you should waste time or money on an outboard but get some handy friends and get the beast out and then let the mechanic remount/realign it properly and that, hopefully, will get you the rest of the way around! The slug is worth it -best of luck whatever your decision.
Graham
Since you already have an outboard engine, use it the rest of the year. Personally, I would get the Sea Witch, clean it up, and use it the rest of the year. Take the Slug home and find someone or yourself to take the engine out at your leisure. After engine is out and shaft hole blocked, you could use the Slug by placing enough concrete block in the bilge to equal the weight of the MD1 MINUS the weight of the outboard and gas tank.
Good luck, Dylan!
Bill
As an alternative to hanging an outboard on the back, how feasible
would it be to remove the beast in pieces, cut a hole in the bottom
of the slug and build an outboard engine well (3/4 inch marine ply
wrapped in fiberglass). I’m thinking Cape Cutter 19
(http://www.capecutter19.com/photos.htm) as an example.
Looking at Vlog79, you might just have enough room and, with a long
shaft, would have all the advantages of an outboard with few of the
disadvantages.
Hi Dylan,
this company, (in the US) says their mounts are; ‘interchangeable with Metalastic etc; http://www.avproductsinc.com/ any good??
regards,
Rob
Hey Dylan,
How are ya now, as we say in my neck of the woods. I like AJ’s, the Aussie, suggestion. Do as much of the grunt work yourself as you can, and only pay Robin to do what you aren’t capable of. Don’t fall into the outboard trap, they aren’t cheap and they don’t work that well on a sailboat. If you cut the hole, you might even be able to pull the Beast out yourself with the help of a friend and some rented equipment, such as a hydraulic lift. Then you could get Robin to do the tricky bits, fitting the mounts and re-installing the Beast. You could get the floor back into the cockpit. A lot this work depends on how fine a finish you want to achieve. For me cheap and serviceable wins out over fancy and expensive.
ah
Charlottetown, Canada
Dylan
Drag the motor out, Glass up the back bulkhead to hull joint to make the back locker water tight and make a cut a hole in the bottom to drop an outboard through, glass in a box to mount the motor on. My Achilles has an outboard in a well in the cockpit, my old Hurley 22 had an outboard in a hole in the back locker. Neither suffer in swell and you can get at the outboard. Got to be cheaper and easier than the old engine on bodged bearings? Secondhand 4 stroke will do the job and they are quiet and not smelly.
Neil
Hi Dylan
I have a car, cost me more than twice the purchase price in repairs – and it needs to go to three times. I don’t use it because it makes me feel like a freakin idiot every time I sit in it. So perhaps I understand a little of where you’re coming from, and worse, because if wasn’t for that I would have bought my first little boat.
All the same, for you, its a matter of luck. The cost of the repair is less than the value of the boat. So it really makes sense.
Maybe KTL needs to become incorporated and take out a credit card.
It would be nice to see KTL progress to a boat that would allow you to explore a capacity for finesse and display a little more prowess, maybe. But that doesn’t seem to be where we are right now.
Me, I’m using an old banger with clattering drive shafts to try and follow your excellent example and sail my own whimsical way. Sooner the better. And then, as often as possible.
And, I’m looking forward to the blog that teaches how to make a better job of turning meek supplication to the powers that be into the championing of a cause. That transition is going to be an inspiration to us all.
Dylan.
Before you part with your valuable cash think about the objectives of your project.
If it is to explore just the rivers and sea sailing on calmer days, then perhaps purchasing a trailer sailor (similar length or up to 26ft – I used to own a MacGregoer) would solve the problem.
Is the Slug too much of a risk to take up the North Sea and around the Outer Hebrides etc anyway?
Is it still a love affair with her or has she become a tiresome bitch. Might fetch some cash on ebay?
Think hard about your safety at sea – which is the prime importance – not the entertainment of others.
If you need a manual inflatable life jacket I have a spare I can send you
You need a sponsor from a Named Boat Yard for a Trailer sailor that has been taken in as part exchange.
Must be one out there that needs credible advertising.
Brian
Hi Dylan,
I’m for keeping the Slug as the devil you know. There must be some willing hands on this site within stiking distance of the Slug who would be happy to help remove the engine with you. Those US mounts look the business too. Had to replace a mount on the Volvo 2001 in my Folkboat which is on a subframe made from L section steel and once the engine was out things looked a lot simpler, I even found a few lost tools down there too.
You provide the sandwiches and they will come…
Keith
Hi Dylan, What a time eh?! Good advice above and i would tend to agree with the keep the slug lot. AJ’s idea has mileage and as an engineer you can keep control of things. All boats cost money especially engines. I bit the bullet and replaced my sadler’s engine after nearly being run down by Emma Maersk in Felixstowe!! Hurt the wallet but the best thing to do. So keep old Sluggy – better the devil etc and by the time you get to Hull you should have sorted all the biggies (hopefully). If all else fails I have some oars and rollocks you can have.
Illegitimi non carborundum.
Kind regards
Richard
Hi Dylan, Sorry to here your news. I agree with those above saying keep the Slug and fix the motor. Mitigate the costs by doing as much of the work as possible your self, i.e. removing the engine and leave the engineer to do the specialist bits. Do you also have to factor in haul out and storage ashore costs while the work is undertaken?
Good luck
John
I agree with Keith. The DIY option with maybe some local help. Do you really need to remove the engine? Invite yourself to the local yacht club for a chat and they are bound to know someone capable of helping you without the full yard charges.
Regards,
Steve
Dylan, don’t be downhearted. Remember King Alfred!
An outboard offers a short term solution but won’t get you around UK. I had a 4HP 4 stroke in a well which drank petrol and made me deaf. Your budget will be depleted for a short gain.
Volunteers will help you get the engine out, and back in together with your engineer. A pint and ploughman’s should do it.
A sponsor eg betamarine. A chandler ( Compass;Gaelforce). Why not ask. Show them the CDs
Best of luck
Hi Dylan
I support the idea of keeping and finding a fix for the Slug. Its half of the KTL legend!! And its a match to the story.
There is a lot to be said for keeping an inboard diesel in a boat if you can resolve it for a reasonable amount of money. For me that would be first choice.
This said, I have a 1986 Yamaha 9.9 hp high thrust 4stroke on our Westerly 22. It is quiet, reliable and quite fuel efficient as it can push the boat at hull speed at 1/3 throttle. On the W22 its in a centre notched engine well in the stern and has never given any trouble there. If I were installing an outboard I would prefer to install it in a centre locker just aft of the rudder. Or in the Slug, it might be possible to cut away a section of the transom and build in a mount and well similar to the W22. This would be a relatively simple glass and install job most of which you could do yourself with a few simple tools, some plywood and epoxy and glass. It might not even look half bad as the motor would be partly enclosed and fitted in rather than mounted to a bracket. I can turn our motor up out of the water when underway which lifts the prop and reduces drag.
A motor so fitted should probably counterbalance the larger weight of the current MD1 in the bilge and would give you the under cockpit space as clean storage. You could also close off a couple of through hulls at the same time.
Outboard maintenance is easier and less expensive as they can be removed and taken to any competent mechanic if you don’t wish to do it yourself.
Lastly, 1 point that has not been touched on is the possibility of selling the MD1 shaft prop etc. once its removed. There is very likely someone who would want it. No idea what it would be worth in the UK. On this side of the pond a good working MDI and bits would be worth $1500-2000 probably.
The KTL story seems to call for a fair bit of time on the iron breeze so you need to make sure what you choose is reliable and economical. Most of your run time also seems to be in protected waters. A well installed outboard could be a proper replacement if the MDI becomes too costly to sort out. The Slug will not change or cost any more than another purchase and you know it well now.
Keep it simple and fix the motor problem.
All the best. I really enjoy my regular KTL fix.
Bob
Hi again Dylan,
Please ignore previous post on vlog 108, obviously engine has to come out.
You’re between a rock and a hard place, as our American cousins have it.
I don’t know what to suggest for the best, but replacing the Slug is not going to solve your problem I don’t think.
If you decide to keep the Slug (I hope you do) maybe the best thing to do is to sort the supply of compatible engine mounts out first. Getting the engine out & in again can be approached from a DIY angle – I’m sure you could gets lots of free help to do this from your many followers and I include myself in that bracket.
I hope you don’t have to abandon the trip. It looks as thought the other web logging navigator, Nathan Whitworth (onkudu) has had to give up completely now and seek paid work. I’m sure something will turn up for you.
Best of luck anyway
Richard
An long shaft 4 stroke and you can buy an item that reduces cavitation in rough water. Inboard engines are money pits.
Keep the Slug and the Beast! My personal experience with an outboard-in-a-well on a 25′ Coronado was the primary reason we sold an otherwise sweet boat. I’m sure others have made it work but the engine had a breathing problem when stuck in a box (I would too) and its overall unreliability compared with diesels finally drove me away. However, I have to admit you meet the most interesting people when your motor quits in a crowded fairway.
I’m not particularly handy but poverty has driven me to pulling more than one engine out of crowded spaces. Add beer and a touch of whiskey to the sandwiches and I think you could find a crew with some wrenches, timbers, lifting straps, what we Yanks call a “come-along”, and a good supply of imaginative curses who could get the Beast out. The worst thing that could happen is that they wreck the boat which, as someone else pointed out is more or less worthless right now anyway. Enter the Sea Witch as Plan B.
I also did some deck butchery as suggested by AJ. I hired a professional for a few hours to show me the fiberglass ropes and proceeded on my own after that. Not a real big deal if you don’t mind chemical stink. Commercial replacement hatches are available but you can make your own for the cost of some high-quality plywood. Buy the new mount from America, glass in a new beefed-up landing zone for it and drop a refurbished Beast back in its lair. Actually sounds like fun. If I could afford it, I would fly over from the Pacific Northwest and give you a hand. No worries. This too will pass.
P.S. You probably know this, but I have found that LOTS of digital photos of the area before and as you start ripping and tearing come in surprisingly handy when it comes to putting things back together months later. And it will be months later.
The ‘Beast’ has not given up the ghost, just the bearings that it sits on, the engine by Dylans own admission was ‘new’ when he bought the boat….now these Volvo MD1’s just go on for ever…why even think of getting rid? The talk of removing the Beast and either replacing with another Diesel or, heaven forbid, an outboard is missing the point. The bulk of the expense is in removing the thing in the first place. The Mk1 Mirror was always fitted with the Volvo MD1 as standard and it will have been included in the calculations relating to righting moments and the trim of the boat. The Mk2 gave the option of inboard or outboard and the ballast was adjusted accordingly, removing the engine could make the Slug quite tender.
The Volvo is indeed a very snug fit, (I too have a Mirror Offshore), and an earlier posting re cutting away a large portion of the cockpit sole to improve access would appear to be sound. I know that the small inspection hatch on the cockpit sole leaks anyway so this would address two problems at once. Does the engine need to come right out? probably not… just lifted high enough to be able to remove and replace the mounts….and YES Dylan will replace ALL of the mounts while he’s at it.. won’t he! Gear change can also be looked at whilst this is being done….
Don’t even think of fitting an outboard for the amount of sailing/motoring that lies ahead, especially as suggested 2nd hand off e-bay for £80!!.. …that Volvo MD1 and the big prop 2 feet under the water are just what you need, it’s how the boat was designed.
The other thorny issue is how to pay for this….Despite what many may think KTL is probably only just on the edge of break-even…there are a lot of hidden costs, web hosting, VAT, Paypal, mooring fees… etc…etc… and therefore not a lot of spare cash. And that Google thing was a massive hit to take. I would suggest to Dylan that as a ‘one off’ each subscriber should donate $5, this would cover the cost of the repairs and leave enough ‘in the bank’ for any other mishaps. Or , again, as a ‘one off’ to double the subscription when it next becomes due, then go back to the std rate thereafter, I think most of us would be happy to do that to keep this story going… wouldn’t we?
Changing the boat?
wouldn’t be KTL would it??
Hi Dylan, sorry to hear about the demise of the mounts. I think I’m with the guys who say cut the floor to make removal easier. Leave the keyhole surgery to the medics. Prepare jigsaw. A replacement floor with a QD but secure hatch is pretty basic stuff and would cut down on the aggro a lot all round. Leave a reasonable flange for a gasket around the outside, and concoct an inspection hatch as before. The mounts are probably car mounts, so tapping up a classic car or motor factor should produce something suitable – e.g. MGB or similar (common=cheap). I know there’s a lot of science in rubber compliance, Shore hardness etc, but in the end you have to go with what you can get. There may be a part number stamped on the metal cheeks of the mounts which could help identify the type of mount, but it was probably an educated guess by the installer in the first place.
I have repaired separated mounts on a 2CV using some special adhesive (metal to rubber) from Permabond, and it works as long as the rubber is not rotten. You could make up some strip steel preventers so that if the Beast decides to break the mounts again it can’t go far.
I had a 1963 Kingfisher 20 for a few years with a transom mounted outboard and although the Yamaha 8hp was very reliable, the physical act of heaving it up and down on the bracket everytime I needed to use it nearly did for me and sailing. The later 20+ with the well is better, but the inboard 1GM10 on the Trident I have now beats all of these compromise lash-ups hands down.
Stick with the slug, but get out the jigsaw and get started. Can’t make it worse as she’s commercially scrap now, even though she’s dear to all our hearts. Once you have made the primary incision, and are doing something other than worrying about it, it will seem a lot better believe me!
Go for it!
Good idea Applescruffs!
As a take away for the family can cost £30 I’m happy to go for fish and chips next week and put a tenner in the pot. The decision is yours Dylan but you may end up not paying a penny if others join in. On the other hand, like Olympic tickets, you may get nothing (I’m not bitter, honest!) I know you hate to ask for money but perhaps this is the one time you need to.
She’s a good little boat and deserves to live on and it’s a great story too.
Long may it continue.
kind regards
Richard
Hi Dylan, there is a lot of displacement activity going on here isn’t there.kick up the bum time. I like simple thinking so;
First, do you need an engine? For the last 400 years folk managed and for the last 60 Charles Stock certainly cranked up the miles without one.If the answer is yes, do you have £1000?
If the answer is yes, get on with it.
If the answer is yes to 1 and no for 2 ask the bank or friends or fans for money and get on with it.
If the answer is no to 1, get on with it- and maybe offer to sell the engine to someone- buyer collects.
Irrespective of the answers to any of the questions, get on with it, once you have a long E coast to get up with very few left turns now. Let me know if you make it to the Forth and I’ll give you a tow!
Mark
Dylan,
I emailed you before when you thought you had a vibration problem with the MD1. Your engineer report is fine, he is doing his job and advising you professionally. You and I have to live in the real world so that is why I replaced the the rear mounts in my Mirror Offshore in situ. I also took out the front mounts, examined,repainted the brackets and put back without engine removal. It can be done by the determined! Think of the pounds saved and the satisfaction of doing this yourself! Landrover bobbins have been used successfully in the past to replace the front mounts – just need the corners cutting back to allow them to mate at the correct angle. Don’t do your alignment until back in the water.
Regards Neil
Fix the beast, I find the plod, plod, plod of that diesel part of the charm. An outboard would be awful.
I’m in for $25 bucks if you go that route.. what’s that ten quid?
Dylan, Stick with the Slug. Options are look big and pay up to make what you already have work or go Outboard, ballast up as necessary and recoup anything you can selling the Beast as spares/salvage/scrap. On the basis that the Slug has barely begun her journey, looking big and paying up has merit especially seen as a long term investment. Off course doesn’t put the money in your pocket does it but that another problem altogether.
David
The thread is indeed tangled. We’re co-mingling “new-to-Dylan” boats which might come with their own set of new issues, outboard power versus inboard power, new outboards versus second hand. Whew. Where to begin. Starting where you did, Dylan, with “the news about the engine is not good”. Perhaps, but the news about the engine is also “not unexpected”. The bearings (mounts here in the States) were indeed old, and the additional stress from the shaft situation a while back didn’t help the bearings any. Even if Robin didn’t condemn the other mounts so quickly, it’s just common sense to do them all, since they’re all the same age and have been subjected to the same abuse.
On new boats versus the old boat… I think this is an entirely separate question. Since the disabled Slug has a market value near zero, you’d be more out of pocket for any new boat — lets just skip that barn find — than any repair, so if the budget is the issue, any repair is cheaper then any boat. You’re not going to find another boat as capable as the Slug for 1,000 pounds. You’re either going to spend more, or get less boat (and more problems). Now if you just *want* a different boat, that’s another question, but switching boats to save money in the end doesn’t wash.
On outboards versus the Beast… I did nearly this same swap on my old 1970’s Columbia 26. It came to me with a weird “inboard two cycle” engine called a SailDrive, basically an outboard style motor that passes straight through the hull via a special watertight flange. This was a huge selling point when I bought the boat, since I thought is was really convenient and classy to have the “key start inboard motor” instead of a pull-start outboard, and the prop forward of the big spade rudder meant I could spin around on a dime by diverting the thrust.
Later after three haulouts for repair of that water-soluble motor (corrosion issues), I pulled it out, glassed over the hole, and put what ultimately was a series of outboards on a bracket on the transom. What did I learn?
First, the boat sailed much better. The outboard was lighter, and by tipping it up out of the water, the drag from the prop and lower unit were eliminated so I could point higher and sail faster.
Second, I found I used the motor less. It was more of a hassle to engage (tipping down and pull starting) so I found I used those improved sailing abilities more and reached for the pull rope less. Third, I found the noise of the outboard, which I’d feared, to be different, and less intrusive, then the inboard. Somehow having it “out there, beyond the transom, on a flexible bracket absorbing much of the vibration” was different then the inboard which had bodily shaken the whole boat at its resonant frequency. The outboard noise was “easier to ignore”.
That was the plus side.
But on the negative side, the whole drill of hanging over the transom fiddling about with the outboard, and having to flush its delicate aluminum innards out with fresh water after each and every run was just too much hassle. I also couldn’t use the outboard effectively in heavy seas, since mounted way out on the transom it would lift clear of the water and cavitate even though it was the longest of long shaft motors mounted so low it nearly submerged on the low side tack. And although they were inexpensive individually, my series of ultimately three used outboard motors (two 2-cycle and one 4-cycle) were off the bracket to the shop a number of times. Each newer model purchased when the older one was deemed not economical to repair was quieter and more powerful then its predecessor. The new outboards they have today (at many thousands of dollars) make about as much noise and vibration as a sewing machine, but a nearly new outboard is at higher risk for theft when the boat is unattended for long periods.
Perhaps the most telling fact is that my criteria for the boat that eventually replaced that Columbia included “no more outboards”. I had tired of carting them about to and from the shop. With my 1990’s Hunter and inboard Yanmar, I am a happy man every time I turn the key. If its mounts later need work, so be it.
Summarizing (too late) the boat with an outboard was a changed boat. Not necessarily a better boat, but a very different boat. The characteristic low pitch rumble of the inboard was replaced by the scream (2-cycle) or roar(4-cycle), or nowadays with the high tech models it might be the “quiet hum” of the outboard, and it was never quite the same.
An outboard might be cheaper, and if a new or new-ish model might be quieter or more reliable then the big diesel, but I don’t think it will ever be the same. It will always feel like an “added on” bit, a true “auxiliary” that won’t inspire the same confidence as the Beast when the Beast is in proper trim.
On the repair itself… I agree that the Slug’s age and appearance mean you can take the “60 grit shortcuts” like cutting out the floor for access, and they might add to the boat’s character, but before making the first cut, I’d inquire whether it would save as much as projected in the end.
Robin knows his job, and he might just know how to get the Beast out the same way they got her in. It’ll no doubt save something if he can do his work through a new skylight in the cockpit sole, and even more if you pull the Beast yourself, but maybe it wouldn’t save the full cost of replacing the sole, even rough, after you’ve had to craft the access hatch and all. Before taking a grinder to the floor, have a chat with Robin as to how much that will really change the bottom line.
So… if you’re just tallying the votes, no to a new boat, unless you just want one, no to an outboard, and yes to fixing the mounts and getting the Beast back on line as painlessly as possible.
And yes to the extra $5 per subscriber assessment if it gets you back underway.
I was happy to help out with a few bucks (ok, more then a few bucks) during the Google Christmas Surprise, and would consider a fiver a bargain if only for the camaraderie I felt when watching the V-Logged “epoxying of the engine bearing” with my girlfriend, who turned to me immediately and said, “Now that man knows that isn’t going to work, that seems like something you might try… he knows he needs to fix that right”. And indeed you do, so we can get on with the journey. We’ll help however we can.
-Doug
Guys and Gals, If you value KTL then actions speak louder than words. We all know Dylan is a proud man and not the sort to accept ‘charity’ but come on, lets help the old boy out a little. Just signed up three more times with paypal, not bothering to enter the new account details after paying. It isnt much but if we all do that 2 or 3 times, Dylans problem will go away (well, we will feed her for a while anyway LOL) and we can be sure of enjoying Dylan’s eye candy and ramblings for the 2011 English summer. If you participate in a forum that discusses KTL, please make the suggestion there too!
Dylan, it aint charity! Really enjoy your work, and just feel like I should pay you a bit more for it on this cycle – you dont charge enough for what your giving us anyway… Hope others that value your work might be thinking the same!
Paul
Dylan…
Before giving up on either the Slug or its MD, I’d research other engine mount suppliers. There are quite a number of them and somebody may well have the mounts you need. Having done this job a number of times on several boats, it really is no biggie, if you can find the parts and they are not all that expensive. You will need to to make sure the prop shaft is aligned properly on re-install and perhaps some pro help would be good to do that for you, but removing that MD is not “rocket science”. If at all possible, I’d keep, repair or replace that simple inboard diesel rather than try to marry the slug to an outboard. Much of that boat’s charm and utility is based on that engine and the boat is designed for it. Good Luck, wish I were there to do it for you!
Rob in Tennessee, USA
Hi Dylan,
Tried to write after Mondays vlog but did something on k/board and it all dissappeared. So now its mostly been said:)Stick with the devil you know and minimise costs
1.$25 = approx 15 quid I’m in for £15. I’ll do the Paypal thing after this note goes.
2.You need a “Slu(d)g(e) fund. for safety & repairs (no torches new cameras or pasties)
3. This feels a little like a club since ’09 and in addition to the “match dues” we may need some additional subs. Bottom line is money or lack of; as Applescruff, Richard, Neil,etc have indicated and you can’t rob the family to pay for OUR pleasure – You can for yours!!
PS I use an early MD2 and old Volvos seem to go on for years around these parts…but hey I’m a newcomer to this game and in and around the yards theres always plenty of helpful people but I’m not going to teach you to suck eggs. Lets get the “Kitty up” and the show on the road ASAP. I’d like to be Compass mental by the time you get to the Bristol Channel.
Regards Brian
Brian
What we need is to pass the collection plate. Let’s keep the slug and get Dylan sailing again.
Jesse
USA
Dylan,
I can’t imagine seeing you and any other boat or an outboard on the boat I have followed for the last several years. More than willing to kick in $20 bucks to get you back moving forward in the boat we all started with. Forget the O/B, you will hate it. I have 3 that run and start perfectly and I still hate them. My friend has a very cantankerous Yanmar in a North Sea 27 that sounds. smells and acts like a sailboat motor. My .02 cents but would be glad to help with a small investment in your project…
Daryl
Kansas
Speaking of kicking in… I already kicked in my $50. It’s a piece of cake. Just go to PayPal and “Send Money” to [email protected]. Don’t worry. Dylan won’t go all sentimental on us. We’re just fulfilling our obligation as mariners to render any assistance to a vessel in distress, just defined a little more broadly to include a vessel in distress on the hard rather than at sea.
Hi Dylan,
After reading all the arguments above and my experences with several old boats:
1. Keep the Slug
2. Keep the beast
3. Do as much DIY as possible
4. I’m in for an a donation or 1-time increase in fees.
Starting over will cost a lot more then the repairs.
The Slug/beast has become part of the adventure.
Ralph
USA
Pontification: Don’t buy a boat that you don’t like better/ love more. Safe statement as we all really know that.
Observations: I have an inboard diesel and and outboard gasoline engine on different boats. Both sailed in the environments like you frequent. One engine is not clearly superior to the other. On shallow draft boat like ours, the inboard prop is just as likely to become ineffective as the outboard in chop. 4 stroke outboard is quieter than the diesel. Outboard starts with a pull when the battery is dead. When the outboard starts fussing, I can take it off the boat yourself and take it to my garage. On the other hand, the outboard only works as well as the inboard if you can mount it low on the centerline. Not apparent that is possible on the Slug.
I am having a little difficulty putting your repair cost in perspective. You know, converting pounds and stones and shillings and the like to money. But it would not be a boat if it did not cost more than a sane person would spend on it.
Dylan,
I’m relatively certain that its all been said by this point, but I feel inclined to chime in as well.
The least expensive car to own, is the car you already own. I’m pretty sure that goes for boats too. Another boat – let’s say the Sea Witch, even if free will cost you a good thousand just to clean up. All the rigging would have to be replaced, not to mention what would need to be done just to make the interior something you want to crawl into. I’m betting that soaking sails in petroleum laced water doesn’t do much for the physical integrity of sail cloth, plus, you would still need a damn outboard which has been figured at 800 pounds or so. This assumes that the boat could be cleaned up (what a job!!) and that she floats. That looks to be more than the price Robin has quoted you and contains at least as many unknown variables if not more. It looks like a year to me, and time for us middle-agers is not what you can consider a “renewable resource.”
The idea of an outboard is an attractive quick fix, but I don’t think it addresses all the other functions the inboard provides – and that is where you MUST see that repairing the existing engine is the sanest, most cost effective option. The Volvo gives you:
-Reliable propulsion in all sorts of seas, not to mention that a diesel lasts almost forever
-Efficiency – fuel is NOT getting LESS expensive
-Ballast – the boat was made around that engine and its specific weight, shape and location.
-Peace – outboards, even 4 cycle’s are obnoxious compared to the beast
-Charging capability for batteries etc
-Heat – that’s one hell of a lovely hunk of hot iron down there in the winter, isn’t it?
So, please, keep the beloved Slug, do as much of the repair as possible yourself and have Robin take care of the parts that will only leave you wedged beneath the stern at one AM cursing like a sailor. As a matter of fact, Have Robin do the whole thing – with the right engine mounts. If they cannot be purchased new, have identical ones made. I for one would be happy to help pay for this and as you can see most of us feel the same way. If we all pitch in, this is nothing more than one of those zephyrs that come and go as you sail down the river.
Do tell us how you would like us to contribute – if PayPal is preferred, just let us know – that makes it easy!
Sean
Dylan
Have greatly enjoyed the trip so far. Keep the email updates coming, its good to know what is going on & how you feel about it. Wouldnt be the same without the slug. Maybe fix the beast, seems by far the best motor for the job. I have sent $20 by paypal, will kick in more if required. This is a once in a lifetime trip, wouldnt miss it for anything.
Bruce
Australia
D
Glad to hear you have decided to bite the bullet and get the beast sorted out. It’s just how it should be. That or a Centaur, but from what I’ve seen recently, that option would cost a whole lot more to get in reliable order.
Keep us posted re progress!
J
Hi Dylan. I can see that my suggestion of an outboard in my email to you may well have its downside. So if you can’t afford another boat you will have too stay with the slug. That rubbish in the barn is just that, rubbish not worh considering.
Most people who try to sail around the UK are either retired like me or youngsters in Corribees ala Ellen Mac, usually to raise money for this or that charity.They aslo make a lot less stopovers with less outlay for harbours etc. You are not in these situations.
I think we all admire your ambition in this project probably because we would love to do the same thing but don’t have the time skill or bottle. Come to think of it, what does your wife think :-).Your reasons for the adventure are to fulfil your own dream. I don’t know many subscribers you have and how many renew their subs but I suspect that those of us who enjoy your terrific filming skills will be happy to chip in, even if if only a fiver. Dylan you are not a business man,you come under the heading of the eccentric englishman that we all love to see succeed. Fix the Slug by whatever means as soon as possible, Think Ranulph Fiennes or Eddie the Eagle Don’t waste all the summer.Your problem is all part off the adventure. Rather than a DIY fix involving your own time, can you earn more money working while someone else repair the Beast?
MEANWHILE HERE IS ANOTHER FIVER TO HELP YOU ON YOUR WAY. DON’T LET US DOWN NOW.YOU HAVE COME TOO FAR.
Regards Keith
Dylan
Your films have cheered me more than you might imagine. You must carry on and it must be in the slug. If it is to be in the slug, then it must also have the beast. The two are inseperable. I shall shortly send a contribution via Paypal towards the repair fund and would be happy to send more if that is needed. You are sailing my dream as well as your own.
With very best wishes and good luck, John
Hi,
I have not read all the responses, but here is my input…
I do not know how many of us subscribers are local enough for this to be feasable, but how about arranging a Fix-The-Slug day?
I am sure if enough grown men get together I am confident we can do it. I have a mig and arc welder available to use (i am not very good with them).
Doug.
Can’t provide any technical input but happy to donate to the repair fund via Paypal. The subscription is excellent value for such high-quality vids. They’re like an escape by proxy for me in my desk-bound job.
Just kicked in $50 and glad to do it. Heck, your videos are about the only sailing I am doing lately. Keep the beast. No outboards is my vote. It would just be wrong.
– Jesse
Added my £20 via paypal towards getting the beast tamed. It’s definately the best option of all the proposed actions. I hope to hear it’s gentle throb again soon – Simon
Looks like we’re going to make you repair!!!……… £10.00 on it’s way – quite a thrill throwing money into someone else’s black hole that smells of diesel rather than my black hole that smells of diesel!
Regards
Richard
I think we can assume you will not be giving up sailing, so you need a boat to sail.
You know the slugs little ways, when and where it will sail etc.
An outboard will be usless at sea in any sort ofchop.
So lets say its going to cost 1,000 or even 1200 quid to fix, what sort of boat can you get for that money, not 1 you will be able to trust like you do the slug, and for that money you will probably not get 1 with an engine any better than the Beast.
I was told years ago fix what you have and know you will not go far wrong.
I’ve gone down the road of getting an outboard and hanging it off the back of a boat with a dead inboard. I thought that I would probably end up spending a fair amount of money getting the old Petter sorted out and it would probably be better spent on a shiny new outboard. After a year of having the outboard on the back of the boat, I am not convinced that it was the right idea. Not convinced at all.
Now for the light amount of use my boat actually gets it’s probably OK, but it is a big lump of metal hanging off the back of the boat (https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ckXvS9F4c0Kc-jpjtJttgri_3OIwZS32cJyQfFhnkNU?feat=directlink) and it has caused me the odd problem (the previous bracket failed and the outboard ended up taking a bath and we ended up being towed in). So I’ll probably get the Petter re-commissioned anyway. So, for what it’s worth, if you’re going to stick with the slug, don’t go down the outboard route.
Have just sent you $50 (about 30 pounds) for the beast’s mount fund. You should put a ‘donate’ button on the site. You put a awful lot of effort into making these films, as well as taking time out of your career and travelling there. I want to see the project succeed.
I think AJ from Adelaide’s suggestion to make the access hole yourself and save 50% is wise. You have little to lose in an older vessel, and the hole can be repaired with plywood and epoxy. I had to rip out a side panel in front of my mechanic when we couldn’t get the head off my engine, but it was more-or-less easily repaired afterwards, and got the job completed that day.
You have a lot of supporters who are willing to donate. You only need 200 of the 1200 subscribers to give a fiver and you can get on your way with confidence that a job is repaired well and that hurdle is overcome. Same boat you know well, plus more reliability in the motor department.
Your films are high quality, professionally made and it takes you time to film/edit/compose/upload/etc. They are a view to a land I’ve never travelled to, and a down-to-earth perspective on sailing and the geography of England (so far) for normal people who can’t afford flashier, bigger boats and who raise their families and try to afford sailing on our budgets.
Please add a donate facility to the website, if only for this hurdle. We want to see you succeed. You’re project is break even as it is.
Sounds like we are pretty much in agreement. $50 is on the way.
Andy
KTL sailors,
I am at a bit of a loss for words – which is unusual for me. I hope I can find the right ones.
In the film at the top of the page I was blogging not begging.
My head was full of engine mounts and cash flow and thinking through the options – which ranged from pulling the boat from the water for a few months while I sorted the boat to bunging an outboard on the back. The cost of getting a professional to replace the engine mounts was a real shock and in the spirit of transparency I decided to blog about it while I was thinking about it. I always find that the thinking tree is a good place to decide what to do next.
The comments above and the more personal ones that have come to my inbox have come as a real surprise.
I did not think that people would care that much about the boat and the beast. Some people clearly like the sound of the engine. One Brit said that it reminded him of the sound of the donk on his dads boat and I now know that one KTL sailor has the sound of the beast starting as his ring tone and another as the start up sound on his windows system.
If anyone wants me to send an mp3 of the beast starting – email me
It is lifted from this film here
http://www.keepturningleft.co.uk/scuttlebutt/scuttlebutt-54-starting-the-beast/
I knew that there were lots of good reasons for trying to stick with the inboard – safety at sea, lower fuel costs, quieter, more electrical power for the cameras and laptop, dry heat for winter sailing.
I confess that sentimentality about a 130kg lump of Swedish engineering “with a flywheel big enough to do justice to a tractor” was not at the top of my list of reasons to keep the beast.
“it is clear that the Beast is not a beast after all, but a valued member of the crew.”
“Fix the beast, I find the plod, plod, plod of that diesel part of the charm.”
One person described the beast as the beating heart of the slug
The fact that £400 has come into the paypal account….. $315 US, $140 AUS and £130 is embarrasung and humbling.
Making the films about the UK has brought me so much pleasure and satisfaction and it is good to know that they are greatly appreciated – albeit by a select group of possibly slightly deranged small boat sailors.
I love the idea that they ware watched in such weird places – on ipods in traffic jams, on laptops on boats, late at night in front of the computer with headphones on and a glass of something to hand.
To those of you who have offered moral, phyiscal and financial assistance – thanks guys
I did tell Jill about the bill and she said blimey.
At the moment it looks as though I and at least one KTL sailor, who has done two engine transplants before and knows about fabricating engine mounts are going to try to get the mounts off, if that fails we will pull the engine – which he says should only take a day.
then get the mounts made and put it back
two weekends work.
My role will be extra grunt power, head of catering and I have also offered to pay for the petrol costs – which seems only fair.
So chaps, no more money – I have no idea how much the engine mounts will cost nor how much the petrol bill will be but I will certainly vlog it all
Thanks guys – although I am sailing solo I am not alone – even when sitting under my thinking teee it turns out that there were 650 people there with me
which is quite, quite weird
Dylan
I enjoy the videos too much not to chip in. Besides that I’m a sucker for Labs, mine is a yellow. Good luck.
Marty
Everybody that has been following along, knows you’re not the begging type Dylan ;-) Many of us obviously do get more from this than you have probably realized so if some want to help a bit when we know your up Shite creek without a paddle, don’t bother arguing about it ;-)
We are all waiting for a good Vlog of “fixing the beast day” so hurry up and get it organized :-)
Paul
There is nothing unusual about all your support, I think that me and 646 other blokes and 3 women enjoy your work enough to not see it put under threat by some engine mounts. We are glad that it looks like you are getting your head round the problem, and hope to see the next Vlog of it fixed,
and if you need that joinery work doing…..
Julian
It’s great when a plan starts to come together. Can’t wait to see the fixed beast vlog.
– Jesse
On the slug now – Monday evening. I drove down late last night. This morning I started grappling with the beast at about 8.30. Pretty continuous all day – one bike ride to get a 16mm spanner – som e pretty crazy sizes on the beast – part metric – part imperial.
Amazingly everything I wanted to move did move – no broken studs or bolts.
now got three mounts in a plastic bag – one front mount left to stop the beast from going for a swim in the bilges.
beast now supported on old mooring stake, a poker and an okak floor board
volvo no longer make the front mounts – so will have to get something made up
need to simplify their design somewhat
but thefunction is the same – basically three holes accuratly lined up with a bit of rubber in between them
so hopeful that by the time Mr Blewitt arrives will have new mounts ready to fit
Dylan
Dylan
Well done Dylan sounds like progress to me. Not the same as Film-making but learning something new all the time. Keep it up.
Regards
Brian
Alan has called and wants me to put the engine mounts in the post to him in the morning
he is going to make them up thursday
bring them to the slug to fit friday
he says beast running by saturday night
good stuff
D
When you have finished with Alan can you please send him down for me. I have been putting off doing my engine mounts for a while and he sounds like just the man for the job. How much beer did you say he charges?
dunno,
never met the man – he is bringing a friend as well – but the beast always has good supplies of bilge cooled beer aboard – as you know from your visit two years ago
Dylan
Who says the world has gone to hell in a handcart, it just takes someone in a tight spot to be rained on by good Samaritans from all direction. P.S. Hope its not another two years before I get to check that bilge again ;-)
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