Moody 54 Maintenance Issues

[Dockhead]

My vessel had very high quality American (Newmar) battery chargers installed as part of the original build; no inverter. I had two separate battery banks consisting of 4x 110AH 12v batteries each, one for domestic needs and the other for "service" -- winches, thruster, etc.


This whole configuration was intended for intense generator use -- basically power yacht style cruising where the generator is running all the time.


I didn't want to use the yacht this way, so I completely reconfigured it.


I installed a Victron 3000/24/50 charger-inverter in the place of the original battery charger in the engine space (fwd bulkhead of the engine space, apparently same as what you are showing). It was difficult to reach it but I preferred to do that rather than reconfigure all the wiring. It will be easier for you with the engine out.



To answer your one question -- the M54 engine space has a decent volume and has forced ventilation. It is cool enough for the charger/inverter. I monitor the temperature and rarely see more than 30C.


I combined the two battery banks into one and eventually replaced the 12v batteries with 8x 6v golf cart batteries, Trojan T105's, which required lengthening the battery boxes slightly.



Combing the battery banks required bypassing the splitter, and running heavy cables between the two battery boxes. They are about equidistant from the charger/inverter and I don't see balance problems.


Another reason to leave the charger/inverter where it is. I would NEVER give up an aft cabin wardrobe -- that space is needed! YMMV however.

[Leesimonsmith]

I am just going to do a straight forward swap out of the RM2010 and replace it with a Mastervolt Easycharge 10a, as that charger only supports the engine and generator 12v start batteries under the aft cabin bed. Anyway, those two batteries are also connectable, in parallel, via a switch so only really needs a single output charger.

I already have a Mastervolt 24/2500 inverter installed in the lazarette. Not an ideal location IMO but that is where it is. No plan to move that at the moment.

24v system battery bank wise, I have 4x 12v 110Ah lead acids under the aft bed, giving 24v 220Ah for auxillary. A further 4x 6v 80Ah lead acids (golf cart) under the floor at the nav station step, adding 24v 80Ah to the auxillary. Similar to you, the balance is okay so no need for a balancer. Then the 4x 12v 110Ah lead acids under the salon floor above the keel bolts, giving 24v 220Ah for services. Am thinking of if and when and how I might go to LiFePO4 in the future but many factors to consider, not in the least how many amps the bow thruster pulls at peak. Interesting side note, Sleipner do a drop on replacement brushless motor that fits on the existing SidePower 155TC leg. Gives 170kg force instead of the standard 155kg. Also only pulls 395amps compared to 540amps of the SP. Finally, continuous run time is up to around 25minutes compared to about 3 minutes of the SP. All for £4,700 --- choke!

I will not be sacrificing a wardrobe!

Still love to see pics of your bow cleat solution.

[Loredo]

Speaking about batteries... While I do not sail on a Moody but on a Jeanneau (long story...) the batteries "as a system" are still the same. Since you're going through a major refit, consider the LiFePo batteries. I made the switch last year and it has changed everything for the better. Fact is, the lithium cell pricing has come down a lot. Today buying LiFePo cells and then DIY the battery costs less than AGM. I had eight 12 V AGM batteries combined into a 24V house bank = 440 AH. In the exact same space today I have 1680 AH of lithium. That increased capacity combined with a high output alternator makes all the difference. Like DH, there's simply no way I will ever install an arch to host solar panels. Thus, having all that energy stored in the batteries... In the past year I have charged the batteries only once from shore power. That was only to bring them up to 100% full and check for cell balance (was wasted time). 90% of my energy needs come from the alternator, the rest from the generator while say making water. Just some food for thought.

[s/v Jedi]

On locations for installing inverter/chargers: I mounted two Multiplus 3000’s inside the foot of the navstation table. It required some tricks but the whole process was easier than expected.

[hpeer]

Going back to the maintenance pump issue. I am going to tell an embarrassing story on myself.

I installed a maintenance pump and needed a way to discharge the water. Not having any other convenient spot I tied it into the engine siphon drain. I had some concern the pump would back up to the engine siphon so I put in a one way valve. Everything drains, great!

No, not great!!!!!

The one way valve also kept air from going back into the anti-siphon (well duh!!) and caused a hydrolock!!!!!!

Lucky me (luck being relative here) I quickly caught the problem and the boat was sitting in FRESH water. I recovered with no damage and the engine has several hundred additional hours.

My failure here was not correctly analyzing the function of each component in the system and how changes would interact.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Going back to the maintenance pump issue. I am going to tell an embarrassing story on myself.

I installed a maintenance pump and needed a way to discharge the water. Not having any other convenient spot I tied it into the engine siphon drain. I had some concern the pump would back up to the engine siphon so I put in a one way valve. Everything drains, great!

No, not great!!!!!

The one way valve also kept air from going back into the anti-siphon (well duh!!) and caused a hydrolock!!!!!!

Lucky me (luck being relative here) I quickly caught the problem and the boat was sitting in FRESH water. I recovered with no damage and the engine has several hundred additional hours.

My failure here was not correctly analyzing the function of each component in the system and how changes would interact.

Yikes!!!

I'd say you got off easy there.

I bet you didn't actually have a full hydrolock, however. You'd have bent con rods.

Water backing up into a diesel engine is the stuff of nightmares. A good argument for a dry exhaust, if you ask me.

Now to make you feel better I'll tell a story on myself.

I always close all through hulls (except deck drains) whenever I'm off the boat even overnight. It's been my habit for ages. Probably doesn't reduce an already small risk of flooding by much, but it DOES keep the throughulls exercised.

I always close them all at the same time, and open them all at the same time.

Well, somehow I didn't open the large sea cock for the drain from my main engine water separator muffler, at the same time I opened others. Can't remember why, but I forgot about this. I was changing an impeller. Afterwards, I ran the engine up in gear. After some minutes of this I realized the muffler drain was closed.

I didn't dare shut the engine down for fear exhaust pressure was so far keeping the water out, and ran below to open the sea cock. I could hear the rushing water over the engine sound.

Yikes! Apparently no damage done; I've still got my fingers crossed.

[Leesimonsmith]

Hi DH,

I was looking at roller fairleads. Did you buy the Osculati units? 260mm? were they much of a problem to install? I was wondering about the clearance for the locking nuts relative to how close to the cleat they may be. Any advice would be appreciated

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Leesimonsmith

Hi DH,

I was looking at roller fairleads. Did you buy the Osculati units? 260mm? were they much of a problem to install? I was wondering about the clearance for the locking nuts relative to how close to the cleat they may be. Any advice would be appreciated

I'll post a photo of my setup when I'm back on the boat (this weekend).


I had a shipwright install them so I can't say how difficult it was.

[Mitch C]

HI all,
Boat is coming out of the water tomorrow for old antifoul removal & copper coat application.
Whilst she’s out, we are replacing the below water line skin fittings and sea cocks (except the fridge/freezer coolers)....I'll add some photos of the progress as it, er, progresses.

We've read in the owners manual there should be a water tell tale from the little skin fitting on the stbd side just in front of the aft cabin lower window - we don't have anything coming out of that telltale (despite having lots of water flow around the engine).
Whilst recently inspecting the engine for some upcoming maintenance, I traced the hose from the skin fitting into the engine room and - yes you guessed it - it is not connected to anything and in fact had a bolt and clamp in the end

Can anyone help me with a description of where it connects into the raw water/exhaust system - I'm think it must be post exhaust elbow possibly in the water separator that mounted high on the aft wall of the engine room?

I'm planning to add a flow meter to the raw water in line (logged/displayed by my signalK set-up) but that's not for a few months so would like to re-instate the tell tale until the flow meter is working.

Thanks in advance
Mitch