Month: June 2019

Servicing Your Yacht’s Cooling System

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Most used boats with inboard engines are provided with fresh water cooling systems. These fresh water systems in conjunction with the raw water system cool the engine during operation. The fresh water circulates within the engine and transfers the engine heat to the raw water system as it passes through heat exchangers. This article will explain the step by step approach to servicing your yacht’s raw water cooling system

But raw water cooling systems often become plugged with scale, calcium carbonate deposits, creating an unhealthy condition for the engine. Heat exchanger cooling tubes and piping will become totally blocked if left unchecked.

How does calcium carbonate form in the engine you ask? When hard water comes in contact with heated surfaces, the minerals in the water fall from suspension, Minerals, primarily calcium will then cling to any surfaces that might be there. The same occurs inside hot water heaters and in industrial power plants that use untreated water.

Become familiar with your engines

Prior to servicing the engines on your used trawler, motor yacht, sailboat or cruiser, it is important that you take some time to familiarize yourself with the raw water cooling system of the engines. Get drawings and parts diagrams if at all possible. Examine your engines and trace the raw water flow from the intakes to the exhaust. Make a mental note of each component.

There are two methods to service your used boats
engine.

Method 1 – Disassemble the Engine Cooling System

Using your parts manual as a guide, disassemble each component of the cooling system. You will need new seals and gaskets when you put it back together so keep a running inventory as you remove components. The principle sections of the raw water system are the raw water pump and impeller, the oil cooler, perhaps an aftercooler, a heat exchanger and transmission oil cooler.
Clean the cooling system

After the sections have been removed, each section must be examined. Oil coolers and heat exchangers will possibly have a calcium deposit inside them. A professional radiator shop can clean these for you but a cheaper way is to mix a 4-1 solution of Muriatic Acid and water. Immerse the components into the solution and allow it to “boil” until all activity is complete; your components will be clean. Use care to protect your eyes and skin as the acid is very hazardous.

Re-assemble the cooling system.

Once your system is clean replace all the sections back on the engine using new seals and gaskets where needed. Replace older rusted bolts too. Now is a good time to replace the impeller too

Test for leaks and proper operation

When you are refilling your engine with anti-freeze, be sure to bleed the system of trapped air. You should find that information in your operators manual. Following the re-assembly, the only remaining task is to start up the engine and check for water flow and stop any small leaks by tightening bolts

Method 2 – Clean in Place

Inspect your cooling system and locate your raw water pump on your used boat. Next, locate an intake in the raw water system downstream from the pump where you can connect a hose. On my Volvos, I have a hose that runs from the water pump to the oil cooler that I can temporarily remove. Then locate an outflow from the raw water cooling system where the water leaves the engine.

Assemble the following:

1.50 gph bilge pump
2.About 20 feet of wire to connect the pump to your batteries
3.A 5-gallon bucket
4.About 10-15 feet of hose sized to fit connections
5.1 gallon of Ph-Ospho-Ric (Home Depot paint department) phosphoric acid

Connect a portion of the hose to the bilge pump and the other end to the intake you have located. Place the bilge pump into the bucket and fill full with water and of the Ph-Ospho-Ric. Connect another portion of hose to the outflow of the engine and route back to the bucket. At this point remove the engine zincs and replace the holes with plugs.

What you now have created is a closed loop where the acid can be circulated through the engine. Start the bilge pump and begin circulating the water and acid. The water will turn a dark gray and bubble as it neutralizes the calcium deposits. You may have to add more Ph-Ospho-Ric as you continue the process.

Finally, after you are confidant the deposits are cleaned out, reassemble the engine, install new engine zincs and start the engine to flush the remaining acid.

Mike Dickens is a live aboard trawler owner. He also operates as Paradise Yachts Broker in Florida USA.

How To Find A Luxury Yacht Charter – Boating On Rent

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Chartering a yacht is one way to see parts of the world that may not always be accessible from land, as well as offering a holiday that everyone on board will remember for a long time to come. Yacht rental also allows plenty of freedom around time and schedule, as well as a choice of mooring.

Everyone sailing on a yacht soon becomes proficient at carrying out essential jobs and working together, whether as a family or as a team. Perhaps the main worry that a number of travellers have about a yacht is that it may be too small. As yachts and other sailing vessels are designed to maximise available space, this ensures plenty of living space for those on board.

Types of Yacht Charters Available.

There are a selection of charters available, depending on the experience of the ‘crew’ that will be on board. Crewed charters come with a full crew (and will vary in number, depending on the yacht size) and depending on the charter service on offer, may cook and clean on board. These are probably the best option for those who have no sailing experience.

Bareboating requires at least one experienced sailor (with a yacht licence if necessary) on board, who is also able to organise and manage the crew (who may be inexperienced at sailing). All those on board a bareboat charter take full responsibility for sailing as well as cooking and cleaning. As a rule, most yachts available for bareboat charter are less than 40 feet.

There is also the option to charter bareboat with a skipper, which for those sailors with families on board, allows them to concentrate on the family rather than just on the sailing. A number of charters operate through a broker or specialist company and these will guide potential sailors through the process of arranging a yacht rental, as well as helping to identify the best locations to visit.

Popular Yacht Charter Destinations.

The Mediterranean is always a popular destination, with destinations such as the French Riviera, Monaco and the Greek Islands. Around the Caribbean, the many islands make interesting sailing, with Puerto Rico, Grenada, Martinique and Antigua being some of the favourite charter destinations.

New England, New York, San Francisco and Santa Barbara are just some of the choices available on either side of the United States. Florida is an important destination in the US, offering many miles of marinas as well as more than 800 islands that make up the Florida Keys. Miami (Florida) is only around 45 miles away from The Bahamas, with its many tropical islands available to explore in often shallow and relaxed waters.

With almost any destination in the world to choose from, for those who are experienced sailors as well as those who have never stepped foot on a boat, a luxury yacht is a unique way of travelling.

Plan A Vacation On A Luxury Yacht

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We all live a really busy and a hectic life, we spend most of our time in the office and we barely spend time with our friends and family members. Well, such a routine can be broken and we all deserve some time to relax and have fun. A vacation is a perfect time to get away from our routine and get a break from our hectic schedules. So when you plan a vacation what are the things that you look for? Have you been out in a yacht recently – Doesn’t the idea of taking a luxury yacht out to Miami sound fantastic? Yachting is a great way of rejuvenating yourself with the family and the facilities that the luxury yachts provide these days will make your getaway perfect.

Over the years the luxury yacht industry has increased and if you look around I am sure that you will be able to find tons of options to choose from. There are various luxury yacht rentals available in the Mediterranean and Caribbean regions. A luxury yacht is not only great for vacationing with the family it is a great place for a corporate event as well. It is a great place to host a corporate event and mix a little business with pleasure. The demand of luxury boats for corporate events these days is outstanding, because of which most of the luxury yacht charters provide you with different options. You can choose a crewed yacht or a bare yacht, the best way to enjoy a luxury yacht is with a crew, they make sure that everything is in place and you do not have to worry about a thing.

Luxury yacht charters pretty much take care of everything so that you do not have to worry and you can actually enjoy your time off. Choose a yacht charter that allows you to customize the itinerary, so that you can have the kind of relaxation you want and enjoy. Make the vacation about you and if you plan on sailing with the crew, then I must tell you that you must use their knowledge about the local areas to your best use, they will be able to fill you in with the best places to dine and visit.

If you are planning a corporate vacation or an event there are certain elements that you should consider, before you finalize on a yacht. Factors like arrangement of the accommodations, private jets, rented resorts on Islands and luxurious travel are also been attended. At the end of the day it is all about having fun, choose a luxury yacht charter that is able to accommodate all of your needs.

Yacht Insurance Policy

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It’s always wise to hope for the best but plan for the worst. The idea of something as valuable as a yacht sustaining damage is nightmarish, which is why watertight yacht insurance is vital. But with so many quotes available online, it is understandable that many yacht owners feel completely at sea. Thankfully, insurance websites can point you in the right direction with the help of friendly teams and efficient quotation systems. Buyers can even purchase online by way of simple, easy to use web facilities.

Premier insurers can take you through the range of optional add ons available on a yacht insurance policy so that you can plan for every scenario. Additions are reasonable too, like 10 legal expense cover, meaning that money saved can be spent on your pride and joy itself.

The single biggest advantage of the best yacht insurance policies is the ability of each client to purchase varying degrees of cover to suit them. Insurers understand that there can be vast differences from one Yacht to another, so they have enabled their service to reflect this, and facilitate yachts of all sizes and value. There’s no reason for owners to pay for cover that they neither want or require – if your on board personal effects are of no value to you then you don’t have to spend money insuring them. Simple.

Similarly, the market leading companies have learned that yacht owners often use their boats for different things. You may enjoy fishing from your vessel, while others may prefer scuba diving instead. In response to this many offer specialist equipment cover on top of personal effect protection which means that expensive paraphernalia like air tanks and fishing rods can be insured if desired.

Every sailor knows that preparing and maintaining your vessel before a voyage is absolutely critical. Forward planning can make or break a trip and yacht insurance is no different whatsoever. Overall, the websites of premium providers can provide all the information required to prepare your policy so that you can sail in peace and safety.

Why Single Travel Is Fun On A Yacht Holiday In Sydney

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Travel to Sydney on a yacht all by yourself. Enjoy the complete freedom of being single and unrestricted. Pay no heed to any ones advice- do all that you desire and enjoy absolute independence. Single travel on a yacht has many advantages.

Advantages of single travel

One of the most important advantages of single travel would be that there would be no one to tell you anything behind your back all the time. You can enjoy at your own liberty- Eat your favourite food, spend your favourite times relaxing with a book, or swimming or just basking in the sun, spend some time out of all the chitter chatters, and plan what you would like to do in future. Travelling alone helps you to gain confidence, helps you to gain an exposure which you wouldn’t have otherwise got with a group of people, gives you an insight to the rest of the world and helps you to explore a new place by yourself.

Be at peace with yourself

Enjoy the peace and tranquillity that you are getting by travelling alone. Walk and sail at your own sweet pace, visit a location and spend hours in that location, Soak yourself in the pure and fresh air, do your own set of activities, explore all the new and virgin places confidently with no one to advice you anything behind you. Travelling alone definitely has its stores of fun.

No adjusting required

Travel in a group requires patience, adjustment and socializing as well. However, if you are travelling alone, ravel at your own pace. Strike up a conversation with any new person you meet on the way, dine at your favourite place and enhance your confidence. However while travelling alone; you need to be sure that you are not sharing your confidential information to anyone and everyone because that makes you invite danger.

Be adventurous

Travelling alone helps you to be adventurous and explore nature. It helps you to explore nature at its best. If you are alone, you can explore the place in your own way, climb where you want, visit the least visited places in the world, and experience a new and exciting journey alone.

Spend as much as you like

The main advantage of travelling alone is, you do not have to worry about budget. If you travelled with a family, that would require almost a huge amount of money. You need not worry if you are travelling all alone. Spend the budget assigned for a group and enjoy life at its best. Dine at the most expensive places, visit the best places in the world and have great fun.

Though being alone sometimes does make you feel bored. A charter yacht has so many activities as well as places that you can visit that it would hardly make you feel bored and sad. Visit some of the best places in a Sailcorp Yacht Charters Sydney alone, enjoy life as your have desired and freak out.