Flicka's began appearing with inboard diesel engines in the mid 1980's. The engine of choice at that time was the Yanmar 1gm10. The image below was taken by Robin Benjamin after he removed and re-painted Caraway's engine in 2006.
This is a 9hp single cylinder marine diesel engine which is noted for it's simplicity and reliability. The Yanmar 1gm has been around since the late 1970's and is still available almost unchanged in design. Only recently has this engine received any serious competition with the introduction of a smoother and quieter 2 cylinder model of very similar size from Nanni.
Note the built-in engine bay with drip-pan on the Flicka 20. This makes it very difficult to spill oil into the bilges and any other debris such as flakes of paint or diesel spills can simply be wiped away. The pipe to the lower right is the bilge pump. The drive shaft is not connected at this point.
The good points of this engine are.
1. Reliability. A very simple and reliable engine that when properly maintained and supplied with clean fuel and water will never let you down.
2. Simple and relatively cheap to maintain and run. She uses about 1litre per hour at normal revs.
3. Spares are easy to come by as the Yanmar network is worldwide.
4. If something does go wrong there is nearly always a Yanmar specialist around.
5. Raw water cooling can be an advantage because its simpler; there is only one water pump and the cooling system is very basic. Thermostat and cooling system are easy to check and replace.
The negative aspects of this engine are for me as follows.
1. Replacing the oil and filter every hundred hours can mean twice in one season in the med.
2. Replacing the engine oil and filter is a horrid job on a standard engine. The filter is horizontal and impossible to remove without spillage. Even if you fit a pump as I have done you still get in a mess with the filter.
3. Replacing the gearbox oil requires a pump as there is no sump nut. So, even though I have a fitted pump to remove the engine oil I need another pump to remove the gearbox oil! Why didn't the engineers consider this problem?
4. The seals on the raw water pump are forever failing and the pump requires overhaul at least every season in the med. (this may be due to higher salt/particle content in the water??) I don't know and nobody seems to be able to tell me why. I have two raw water pumps and one is only a year old. I have a serviced one ready to fit at all times. When the pump seals fail the water drips onto an oil pipe beneath and causes corrosion. (Stripped down 1gm raw water pump)
(nb: the Speadseal impellor cover from www.speadseal.com which enables quick cover removal by hand)
5. The engine anode is difficult to replace without removing the starter motor and alternator! Plus the anode cover always leaks because there is no gasket where the anode screws onto the plate. As the anode wears, water leaks down the side of the engine. See pic below:
(nb: I have lagged on some paint on the rusty areas to arrest corrosion)
6. The exhaust elbow needs regular inspection. Hot raw water is pumped into the elbow after it exits the engine and is mixed with the exhaust gases before being expelled. In the exhaust elbow there is a thin metal membrane. If this membrane corrodes through then the raw water can get into the cylinder head and damage the engine.
Engineers Cellar Marine in Cornwall advised me to take the elbow off every winter and store it in a bucket of fresh water to stop corrosion. Mine was already pitted so I just bought a new one. It was only £180! They are not cheap and it would be prudent to check every couple of seasons if not every season. Don't forget to buy a new gasket when you take it off. It might be worth having one made up in bronze as my friend did on his wooden yacht where there wasn't enough space for the standard elbow.
7. The engine mounts. These were about £70 each to buy from Yanmar (in 2006). At that price you might expect they are properly painted because they are made from steel. The paint comes off in a matter of weeks and they go very rusty. If your engine room is damp (whose isn't?) good luck! Before installing I'd give them several coats of good quality paint. I've had the argument with several 'engineers' about what I consider to be their excessive cost. Their argument is that they are difficult to make and are high quality and last for years.
I think Yanmar can do better. For example, a single shoddy Yanmar 1gm engine mount costs £70. A small Lie- Nielson bronze block plane; precision engineered, beautiful to behold and will last a lifetime also costs £70. Ask yourself which one is good value.
8. The fuel filter. In time the delicate threads on the fuel filter bleed screw will wear away and you will wonder why your engine keeps stalling when air starts to get into the system. This happened with mine during an ugly crossing to Corsica and I had to get an engineer to re-tap it. In addition, the tool-kit does not have a special spanner for the fuel filter. Instead one uses a screw driver and a hammer and this means that it's often over-tightened and damaged. Pathetic really when you think a special spanner could be included for next to nothing.
9. The cost of parts. Yanmar will tell you these parts are high quality and the best and not possible to make them cheaper. The reality is IMHO that they are cashing in on their loyal customer base. £180 for a raw water pump which is incredibly crude and apparently not even made by Yanmar but Johnston!. £70 each for engine mounts. £100 for a new ignition switch. £15 for two tiny pump seals. £7 for a filter. It goes on. Oh and yes, you have to pay £40 to buy the parts catalogue so you can order what you need!
From Benjy, regarding the 1gm10 he had in his old wooden yacht Blown Away
"My engine mounts on BA came unglued and I could lift the engine clean off the beds! But the way the mounts are painted is amazing. I believe, they are dropped into a bath of water with paint floating on the top. When the mount is pulled out, the paint sticks to the mount. This could explain why the paint is so poor. I liked your analogy of a Bronze plane. I agree, for that kind of money, and I thought it was 600€ for 4, I would expect them to be gold plated and come in a varnished mahogany presentation case!"
10. This is a very noisy engine which makes a lot of vibration. Single cylinder engines are like this. I ended up installing very thick sound proofing and a flexible coupling on Caraway. It makes a huge difference but I think if I ever replace this engine I'll go for the 2 cylinder Nanni.
Reasons why you might want to consider not buying from Yanmar.
1. Their web site and support is beyond impossible.
2. From Benjy regarding his new Yanmar diesel on Doolittle.
"The leaking heat exchanger problem that I have on Doolittle (Dana 342) was ignored. They changed it once but the second time just insulted me by sending the mechanic round with a rubber pipe when they had already agreed the problem was in the casting. I told them to forget it, said I'd never buy another yanmar and got Alain to weld up the leak. problem solved. No doubt as other owners of the YM series end up doing as many hours as me, they too will start to have problems and they won't be able to ignore it then! It took months and many many emails just to get the mechanics around. pathetic really."
Tips for 1gm owners:
Always use the little spanners that come with the engine. They are small with reason. It's all too easy to overtighten a nut and strip the threads. Don't overtighten anything. Using the small spanners makes it less likely.
Keep the engine as clean as possible and free of salt water. If the engine does get salty then remove the alternator and starter motor and sponge down with fresh soapy water. Dry off and paint any rusty areas. Use something like hammerite to seal the rust.
If the engine is very rusty then it's time to get it out and re-paint it.
Make sure the engine is properly aligned with the shaft every season.
Fit an aquadrive and sound-proofing, you'll be amazed at the difference.
Check the raw water strainer regularly and keep it clean.
Fit a fuel/water separator filter from a good brand such as Racor.
Fit a small inline fuel filter near the tank so you can see immediately any debris starts to appear in the fuel.
Clean the tank out every few seasons. Replace the tank if its aluminium or steel and showing signs of corrosion. I've read that most RNLI call-outs are engine related. A little extra time and expense ensuring you have clean fuel reaching your engine could save your life.
Fit an auxillary fuel pump which may not be necessary but will be useful when you want to drain the tank for inspection. If it's easy to drain and clean the tank you will be inclined to do it more often.
Make sure the temperature sensor and alarm system is working so that if the water pump fails you will not destroy the engine. If in doubt fit a sensor and alarm to the exhaust hose. Vetus and Halyard make them.
Do all your maintenance yourself because a) you will save money b) you will be sure it has been done properly c) you will learn all about your engine and be able to keep it running when you really need it: it may save your bacon!
I use the following book to supplement the Yanmar manual which can be confusing.
My Flicka Caraway was built in 1993 and an engine overhaul was long overdue. Note the corrosion around the anode entry point and beneath the raw water pump where water runs when the pump seals fail. This needed to be dealt with. A clean, well-painted engine will last longer than a dirty, rusty one.
But I also wanted improvements. I love my boat and love improving her. She could be quieter, smoother and quicker.
I know that doing these things involves much work so I'd need time, help and money. My friend Benjy, owner of Dana #342 suggested I haul Caraway out in St Tropez at the same time he was to re-paint an old classic called Coco. That way he'd be on hand to help and oversee my efforts.
I realised that if i did many of the jobs in one go I'd ultimately save time. However, time and money are finite resources for me so I'd have to split the work up into two batches.
First:-
1. New folding propellor 2. Replace cutlass bearing 3. Replace shaft packing 4. Replace shaft 5. Install Aquadrive flexible coupling 6. Replace rudder pintles 7. Replace engine mounts 8. Anti-foul 9. Re-paint cove line and scroll work and polish hull With hard work this could be achieved in one spring haulout. I'd have to live on board in a mess in the boatyard in St Tropez. But it would be worth it.
The second batch of work would be done the following winter. I got Benjy to do most of the following for me.
1. Remove engine, clean, tune and repaint 2. Replace twin leaver engine control with Spinlock single lever with removable (winch type) handle. 3. Install brass oil change pump 4. Enlarge the engine bay slightly in order to lower the engine by cutting some grooves in the base. For two reasons:
a) The raw water pipes would no longer chafe on top under the cockpit floor.
b) Lower the engine's centre of gravity a little bit more and improve shaft alignment. With the flexible coupling this was irrelevant but we decided it was still worth having the best alignment possible.
5. Gelcoat flexible coupling thrust plate and engine bay cut-outs. 6. Overhaul bilge pump and replace hose 7. Replace worn ShieldsFlex hoses and other Yanmar engine hoses. 8. Clean out tank and install fuel gauge plus device to prevent fuel spill from vent 9. Install sound proofing in engine bay.
As you can see. I ended up getting a little Caraway'd away!
The Moduline Aquadrive from www.halyard.co.uk. Fitted here on Caraway, my 1993 Pacific Seacraft Flicka.
Benjy and I had been discussing the idea of a flexible coupling for the engine for some time. We cannot understand why the standard installation is deemed acceptable.This is how it is. You have an engine bouncing around on flexible mounts. This engine is rigidly attached to a shaft which goes through a stern gland and cutlass bearing at the end of which is a propellor. As the engine dances about the shaft waggles, wearing out the cutlass bearing and stern gland. All this movement causes vibrations which reverberate all around the hull, making for a very noisy day's motoring. What's more, the thrust from the propellor is taken by the gearbox and engine mounts which is far from ideal.
Halyard UK offer the Swedish Aquadrive system, the smallest version of which just about fits a Flicka if you're prepared to work for it. The unit consists of a thrust bearing, flexible joint and interface to the Yanmar gearbox (or most other engines). All you need to do is glass in a thrust plate for the thrust bearing, attach the shaft to this and then connect the coupling to the engine and thrust bearing. Simple eh!. Well, not exactly but my friend Benjy and I managed it and the results are fantastic. We had to install the thrust bearing with the bolts near the vertical because the space was not quite wide enough for a horizontal install but this does not matter. Halyard assured me that 'they could see no reason why the thrust bearing had to be installed with the bolts horizonally aligned." Having the bolts slightly off the vertical also helped with the water lock because we were able to get this as low as before without the bolts interfering.
From Benjy:
"The Aquadrive is supposed to be horizontal but also on the other side of the thrust plate. We had to do it like that or the huge hole needed for the clampy bit would have meant no strength in the thrust plate for lack of material. And also we mounted it slightly off the vertical for better access to the bottom bolt."
It was very tricky. The important thing is to get the shaft as happy as possible in the cutlass bearing.
Before any of this began we removed the old shaft and cutlass bearing and installed the new cutlass bearing. The rudder had been removed and the fittings sent away for machining. i.e. Pintles removed and replaced with slightly larger ones; the gudgeon holes having been machined out a little.
The old SS shaft was well worn and badly pitted in places; i was glad i ordered a new one. We were not happy with the shaft log position at all. The shaft has always been at an angle in various desperate attempts to align the engine. Poor show from PSC, they should have done better. It still amazes me how crude this system is. My guess is other Flickas are degrees better or degrees worse. The aquadrive is a must. I would fit it as standard.
We had to cut out the old cutlass bearing with a hacksaw blade and force it into the boat from the outside. This took a little time but wasn't too much trouble. We discovered that the shaft log was very much longer inside the boat than it really needed to be. So we cut this down about and inch or so to make more room for re-packing the gland. Fiddly with the Aquadrive in place. I had bought 'Virtually Drip Free' packing to replace the old flax. We pushed in the new cutlass bearing. The old one was on its very last legs.
So, we spent a long time getting the new shaft as happy as possible in the new bearing so we could mark up the position for the thrust plate. The thrust bearing must be insalled onto the shaft at the position where the shaft is perfectly aligned in the cutlass bearing. With an Aquadrive, perfect engine alignment with the shaft is no longer as issue. It is designed to work happily at an angle. But you must get the thrust plate and shaft perfect so the shaft turns sweetly in the bearing. Once installed, prop thrust is taken by the bearing and plate and the engine is free to move about. Vibrations no longer reach the hull via the shaft log. The difference is remarkable.
I sanded the area for the thrust plate back to bare glass by hand with 8o grit paper and measured up for the plywood plate. Using cheap thin ply I gradually honed a template piece to fit. When Benjy was satisfied with the fit I traced it onto a piece of 20mm marine ply. I cut this out and we fine tuned it to fit. With a thick mixture of epoxy resin (i.e. lots of microfibres added) I glued it in place and left it over night. I attempted thick filets of epoxy all round but this was easier said than done on a warm afternoon in St Tropez. Much smoothing over would be needed before it could be gelcoated.
Before I glued up we had to be absolutely sure that the position was correct. Much tweaking and checking of shaft and plate were involved here. But finally it was done and the next day the plate could not be moved for love nor money.
(installed thrust bearing. Normally it goes in with the bolts horizontal but space was limited. Halyard ensured me that 'they could so no reason that this would be a problem').
I believe this is the only Flicka with such a coupling installed. It was very tight but it was worth it. Much less vibration and wear and engine free to jump about all it wants. The flexible bit bolts onto the bearing. The shaft is now fixed. Behind you can see the stuffing box and how little space there is for it.
The folding prop was something I had been looking into for some time. I wanted three blades for better thrust and more power in reverse and I wanted a folding prop for reduced drag. I came across the JF prop from Darglow Engineering in the UK. Again, its a Swedish design and fits the Flicka nicely. They supplied the prop and since I bought a new shaft too I was spared the problems of getting the old prop off and providing the taper dimensions. I left the taper dimensions up to them and eagerly awaited my new prop.
It's a fairly elegant design and described by a local French Yanmar mechanic as 'Tres Chic!'. It can be adjusted for pitch and requires filling with a special grease every season and has an anode on the end that is supplied by Darglow. The prop went on without much trouble once we'd cut down the shaft to size for the thrust bearing. In trials later i'm happy with its performance. I may experiment later with pitch but I'm delighted with the extra power and happy that I can stop Caraway next time a power boat pulls out in front of me. Performance in reverse is so much better and I believe I've gained a little in sailing performance when the prop is folded.
I replaced the engine mounts without trouble. The biggest shock was the price. About £70 each which is about $130!! And they are so badly finished I'm appalled. Yanmar should be ashamed. I've heard the arguments that they're very precisely engineered but I don't buy it personally. I think Yanmar are cashing in on the owners. A few pieces of bent metal, a bolt and a block of rubber. I can buy a beautiful precision cast bronze Lie Nielson plane for the same amount. This is wrong Yanmar!
The Virtually Drip Free packing was no trouble either. Cut to fit and installed its fine after over 200 hours of motoring. It definitely leaks less than the flax but time will tell if the shaft is less worn.
The gudgeons and pintles were ready so we put everything back together again and hung the rudder at last. This was a hell of a job as anyone who has crawled up inside the engine locker to get at the middle gudgeon bolts will testify! It was great to have the rudder back on without play.
With a new coat of ant-foul and fresh gold scrollwork and cove lines Caraway was looking very shipshape. The rest of the work would have to wait until the winter of 2005-6.
(polished up and gleaming with new gold scroll work, nb. how the Fortress anchor stows under the bow fitting; designed by Benjy and made by Classic Marine)
After a season of sailing around Corsica and Minorca, Caraway was back in Port Grimaud for the winter.
I was back in London doing some freelance IT work. I decided to ask Benjy to do the engine work since I hate living on board and working on the boat at the same time and it made more sense for me to be earning money. Benjy agreed and set to work. He disconnected and lifted out the engine using the boom and rested it on some plywood in the cockpit. Then he began cleaning up the epoxy around the thrust plate and enlarging the engine bay with hand tools and sandpaper. When he was satisfied with the finish he mixed up some gelcoat, matching the colour very closely by eye. He primed the bare wood and glass and then painted on the gelcoat.
Next he removed the starter motor and alternator. He cleaned the engine and components thoroughly with engine cleaner and removed the injector and took it to Eve the French Yanmar mechanic for tuning. He replaced the anode, checked the valve clearance and cleaned out the raw water passages. He then spray primed the engine and components and re-sprayed with Yanmar engine paint. He also painted the Aquadrive with the same paint.
Meanwhile I ordered a brass oil pump from Aquafax in the UK and some soundproofing from Halyard. Again I got a bit carried away and ordered high quality 30mm sound proofing and a roll of special tape. The material is fire and oil resistant and non absorbant and meets all the safety requirements. It has a silver foil like finish and is very durable and heavy. I wasn't too happy about adding the extra weight but I knew the results would justify it. It is self-adhesive and fairly easy to cut and apply.
While the engine was out Benjy set to work installing the sound insulation. He covered both sides of the bay, the cockpit lid, the access panel in the cabin and all the areas around the panel, including underneath the step. He had to remove most of the fittings including the fuel filter and pump and cut to fit around these. It was a lot of work indeed.
Now it was time for the engine to go back in. The injector was checked and found to be as good as new. The new Sheildsflex hose had been ordered from West Marine. Ironically, its made it Italy but its very difficult to buy in Europe! You can buy it in the UK but only in bulk. They've never heard of it in France and there is no equivalent.
So, Benjy put the engine back in and set to work installing the Spinlock engine lever. This is a nice little unit. It has a handle with a standard winch handle fitting at the end (no idea what it's called) so you can remove it when you're under sail. I always got the main sheet caught on the old one. Plus the Spinlock doesn't contravene the Yanmar engine warranty like the old one because you can't accidentally kick the engine into gear at high revs. Much more elegant indeed. Benjy had to make new teak blocks to sit the lever on and he had to move the pull stop handle over to the right. At some point I intend to get rid of the old stop lever. It's a real pain in the backside having to lift the cockpit locker lid and reach inside to stop the engine when there's someone sitting on the lid. Why on earth they don't have a stop button on the instrument panel? I will look into a way of changing this.
With the lever in Benjy connected up the engine again and waited for the hoses to arrive. When these arrived he replaced them one by one and then looked at the bilge pump. I had bought a spares kit which he used and then he removed the old hose which he found to be split. He bought a new piece of wire reinforced transparent water hose from the local chandler and with much cursing he fitted it in place. The hose was very stiff and didn't want to go where it needed to go.
Finally, he bled the engine and fired her up! The result was amazing. The engine is so much quieter and smoother its incredible. Now, the most prominent noise is the exhaust which I will deal with in March. The exhaust has always been very noisy and fairly smelly. I shall fit a silencer and perhaps a bigger outlet because the current one is a smaller diameter than the hose itself. The exhaust is far noisier than Blown Away's who also has a 1gm10. Blown Away just makes a gurgle.
I went down at the end of January 2006 to see the work and take Caraway for a sail. I was impressed. However, we had some trouble bleeding the engine properly and concluded there was a fuel blockage. I knew the dreaded time had arrived. The time to clean out the tank. I took off the fuel pipe and blew the blockage out the other end.
Very frustratingly I had just filled up and new we needed to empty out! So, using the Walbro fuel pump with the engine alarm disconnected and the ignition in neutral we pumped out all the fuel into various containers. To our horror there were lumps of blue sealant from the inspection cover in the fuel! Exactly what you need to block a pipe.
When all the fuel was out, I removed the inspection cover and discovered a mechanical fuel gauge already installed! But they had never bothered to put the sensor in! Its a clever device made by Tempo that uses magnets to show the position of a float gauge. Simple and reliable. We borrowed the sensor from Doolittle and it worked! So, I ordered up one from Go2marine.com.
Next, I cleaned out the tank and inspected it as best i could. There was a good deal of sludge in there but the tank seemed to be in good order. I flushed some clean fuel through, polished the inside and put it all back together with some special engine gasket sealant and the old gasket. We couldn't find suitable material for a new gasket.
Then I installed a simple transparent fuel filter in the pipe close to the tank. This would make it easy to see the quality of the fuel coming through and protect the pipe from blockage again.
Now it was time to re-fill the tank. Benjy decided it would be a good idea to measure the fuel we put in and make a note of the fuel gauge position so that it could be calibrated giving me an accurate measure of fuel in the tank. In the process of doing this we discovered that I had never been filling the fuel tank up fully. This is because fuel is often forced back out of the vent during filling, giving a false impression of the level. Often the tank appears to be full because the filler pipe is full. However, a few minutes later the level goes down and fuel gushes out of the vent. I've always hated this problem due to the pollution but never realised that in addition my tank had only ever been about half full! So, I've ordered a special unit made by Racor which when installed in the vent line prevents fuel getting out the vent but does allow air out. I'll comment on this at a later date.
So, Caraway has a great engine installation at last. She looks absolutely shipshape and runs like a dream. All I have to do next is replace the standing rigging and she'll be good for another 10 years i hope. But, hot water would be nice and new bedding is a must and oh no one of the ports has started leaking!
(the brass oil pump from Aquafax installed on the engine: more on this later)
Typically, it was after I had been diligent and cleaned out my fuel tank that I found the leak. I had scrubbed the tank thoroughly and removed what I though was scum from the bottom and re-filled the tank. I was satisfied that I could go cruising again all summer with peace of mind. I had done the dirty work in the winter so that I would have no worries the following spring
However, the best laid plans of mice and men..
When I arrived in May to get Caraway ready for the new season and pumped out the bilge I saw to my horror a film of diesel on the water. I got a telling off from the Capitaine who just happened to walk by at that time. I felt terrible. How had that diesel got into the bilge?
I traced the source to the base of the fuel tank. There could be no mistake. There was a hole somewhere. A small one thankfully. But enough to spill about half a litre into the bilge over the winter.
I considered the possibility of repair but then decided it was too much of a risk. If the repair failed during the summer it would be a nightmare. So it would have to be a new tank
The original is a glassed-in aluminium one made in the US. I decided not to bother trying to get another the same. Aluminium is light and strong but not ideal for this purpose because sea water from the anchor locker runs under the tank and causes corrosion at the base which is where the tank was leaking. Plastic or stainless were better
I looked at Tek-Tanks who make special plastic ones to order. They look ideal and never corrode. However, it would be six weeks before I got the tank and they were not cheap. Luckily I have a friend Alain who does stainless steel work and he agreed to make a new one over the weekend for a bargain price.
All I had to do was remove the old tank for him to copy, specify some modifications and find €300.
Removing The Old Tank
It's a pig to get out. Luckily Benjy has a Fein supercut tool which made the job bearable and not too messy. Using a grinder would create a lot of dust. I'd recommend getting most of your gear off the boat if you're using a grinder. The Fein tool uses a blade that moves only very slightly back and forth. It's great for these kind of jobs. We cut the old tank out in about and hour.
At least it came out of the hole. I've heard stories of boats having to be cut apart to get engines and fuel tanks out. It amazes me that builders will install something and then build the boat around it. Especially something that will certainly have to come out one day.
My original tank didn't have baffles inside. I asked Alain to install these in the new one to reduce the slopping around. Also, the old tank filler pipe didn't go down into the bottom of the tank which caused it to froth up when filling I made sure the new one went down to the bottom.
When the new tank arrived as promised just a few days later it was a simple matter on putting it in, connecting it up and installing the cover and gasket. On the old tank the cover was stuck down with some blue silicon sealant stuff which meant that every time you took the cover off you had to re-do the silicon. For the new one I used a sheet of special rubber which should stay in tact during removal.
Putting the new tank in was straightforward. I decided to glass it in as before because it will quick and easy. I bought a Tempo fuel gauge because there was a mechanical sender with the tank but it had never been fitted with a gauge. One day I'll hook it up to an electrical gauge on the control panel. It's a pain having to lift the cushions every time I need to check the level.
Finally, I painted the glassed areas with gel-coat as with the original.
The original Yanmar instrument panel after 14 years
One thing that has always annoyed me about my Flicka is that the engine stop pull control was in the cockpit locker. This meant that every time I wanted to stop the engine I'd have to open the locker and put my hand inside to get at the knob. This was always a real pain but it was even more inconvenient with three or four sailors in the cockpit. Everyone on the starboard side would have to stand up and hold the cockpit cushion out of the way while I grovelled for the handle.
Caraway is a special boat and has always deserved a better arrangement. I decided I had to move the engine stop pull onto the instrument panel as a priority for this summers' cruise.
Looking at the tired old plastic Yanmar control panel I decided to replace that as well. Then I remembered the prices of Yanmar spares and decided to discuss the idea with my sailing and woodworking mentor Benjy. He had suggested a teak replacement some time ago. We got talking again about the idea. Something much more in keeping wth the boat was needed. Something much more Caraway. We decided to make a new panel in varnished teak. I had the ideal piece lying around in the quarter berth. Benjy had given it to me just after he had finished the king planks on a teak deck. I had tucked it away and forgotten about it.
We started to look at ways of mounting the stop lever on the front of the instrument panel. There was not enough space behind the panel to bend the stiff steel cable, so a bracket would be needed. After enquiring at the local chandlers I decided not to buy the €65 bracket they had in stock and instead make a wooden one with a couple of blocks of spare teak.
I first took photographs of the old panel and all the wires going into all the instruments at the back (thank goodness for digital!). I took notes of where everything went then took it apart. Most of the fittings came off easily, except for the light switch which was stubborn with rust. Then we cut the new panel to size and planed and bevelled the edges. After that I could play around for some time to decide where I wanted the instruments to go. We agreed to leave the warning horn behind the panel and simply fix it to the transom. It was too loud as it was and I'd still hear it clearly from inside. I also decided to leave the light switch inside too and in the ON position. I would only need three lights; ignition, oil warning and water temp warning. The rest were blanks, so I needed only three holes for the lights. The rev counter looked good in the middle so we decided to go for the lights, ingition and starter button on the port side with the power connector for the autopilot and the stop lever on starboard. The instrument diameters were measured and holes drilled or cut with jig-saw in their respective positions by Benjy. I cut two small wedge-shaped pieces of teak upon which to mount the pull lever and glued them in place on the back and front of the panel. When the glue was dry I chiselled them carefully so the their backs were parallel for the nuts that hold the stop lever cable in place. I then drilled a 10mm hole for the cable.
A new gasket would be made from neoprene and longer screws would be needed to hold the thicker panel in place. I bought the screws and some poppers to be held in position by the screws (Benjy's clever idea) so that I could have a protective canvas cover to keep the varnish in good shape.
To save time I used Epifanes Rapid Clear varnish which can be re-coated every 5 hours without sanding to build up five coats. I then sanded carefully with 220 grit, cleaned with a tack cloth and applied a top coat of high gloss Epifanes with a new brush. Finally, with the varnish dry I could re-assemble.
What an improvement! So much better to have glossy teak instead of nasty black plastic. And what a joy it is to just pull that stop lever and hear the engine fade! The only thing I'm not too keen about is the red plastic handle with STOP written on it that came with the new cable. I'll replace this at a later date with a nice wooden one.
My friend Celia is very good at canvas work (amongst other things) and I managed to pursuade her to make me a simple cover to protect the varnish and instruments from the elements. I had some Black Cherry Sunbrella canvas that I bought for just these kinds of jobs and in no time Celia was measuring up and deciding how it should be done. We agreed on a simple rectangle with an overlap to protect the edges and a slot for the pull stop. Celia produced this quicker than it takes her to drink a cup of tea and we were ready for the fitting. I'd bought a simple kit from the chandlers for creating canvas fixings and a popper in each corner and the job was done.
