Feature follow-up: Pacific Console Change - Page 2

Pete7 · 27 April 2003, 21:59

CH, thank you for the compliments, to answer your questions the console cost £400 from Ocean Ribs, (I think that was cheap as they had just made another and the mould was ready). £500 for the vetus fuel tank, steering wheel and throttle controls. About £200 for the mat and resin, and close to £50 for stainless steel nuts, bolts, self tappers and washers, yes honestly there are hundreds of them. Paint runs to £100 (I am sure the B&Q stuff would do the same job, but just won't risk it as she will spend the summer months on a pontoon mooring).

Would I do it again ? well I know Stuart is looking at a Jet Pacific and would love a console like mine and since he has helped me do this one, I can see me doing the whole thing again next winter.

Will I loose money on doing it ? difficult one, afterall a boat is worth what someone is willing to pay for her. Since the hull, engine and tubes are all in very good condition I think the money was worth spending. There was a gorgious Halmatic 24 for sale last summer in blue for £15k and she looked it. Missed it my a couple of weeks unfortunately.

Just want to get her in the water now. Believe it or not I have owned her for six months and only driven her for an hour prior to purchase.

Apologies to the lads at the rib meet in Plymouth, I would have loved to have brought her down there but there is just to many bits left to do. Perhaps later in the year.

Pete (chasing my dreams)

crazyhorse · 27 April 2003, 22:10

Good luck Pete,If your happy thats all that counts,I like the consul and am interested to see what she looks like on the water.

The yr before last I went for an atlantic 21 and visited Vospers when it was called Hallmatic a few yrs before that now. It was when they had just been bought,I was offered a Arctic outboard jobee but it had no tubes and engines so I turned it down.

It looks great,better than I expected and the drive is my prefered over a jet drive unit,She is built like the proverbial and you will not get a stronger hull nowadays.

See you out there hopefully as soon as mine starts to be sorted

Rene · 28 April 2003, 12:51

Hi Pete

Your new boat looks really great. I can see how much work you put in her.

On a side note. You wrote that there is a 24 Volts and a 12 Volts system is this correct?

If this is correct you should not "just" run the 12 Volts from the one battery and 24 Volts from both of them.

If you do it this way (I have seen this a lot, so a lot of people do it this way), you will run down the battery powering your 12 Volt and 24 Volt first. When you recharge them only the battery running the 24 Volt alone will be charged full. In about 1 year you will have to replace both batteries.

The best way to do this is the get a small electronic device (Don't remember the English name for it) which transform 24 Volt to 12 Volts. Vetus makes a very good one.
I have always used Vetus when building electronics in boats. Even used it ones in a mobile home, a bit expensive but worth the money.

Hoping to see you again, and your new boat, sometime in the near future.

Regards
Rene

Pete7 · 28 April 2003, 22:35

Rene, nice to here from you again and thanks for this, because you describe exactly what I have done by wiring up the two batteries to give both 12 and 24 volts. So your top tip was very timely. Thank you, if you are in the UK again you are welcome to call in for a test drive.

Guess I need to look through the Vetus catalogue again for a transformer.

Your Pete

jwalker · 28 April 2003, 23:00

Not a transformer Pete7. They only work on AC (or pulsing DC, and you won't want that). It's more likely to be called a DC to DC converter.

JW.

Pete7 · 28 April 2003, 23:13

JW and Rene, thanks,

The power of Ribnet, top advice just in time, much appreciated,

Pete

DM · 29 April 2003, 20:42

My truck runs 24v but the trailer board plug has 12v after being connected to a voltage drop box sourced from an auto electrician. I could have used 24v bulbs in the light board but I do tow other boats and it p*sses their owners off having their lights blown out.

Pete7, what deck paint do you recommend? The stuff I've used gets scuffed very easily by the squids gas bottles. I've seen some decks with a thick gritty substance but never seen any for sale.

DM

Pete7 · 29 April 2003, 21:51

I like the deck paint stuff from International personally. I watched Osprey use a mix of resin and sand to create a really good none slip surface but, it isn't good to walk on with bare feet in the summer.

Deck paint is good stuff and if it does get scratched then it can be touched up and you can't see the difference (with the light grey anyway). I perfer to thin the first coat with tinners and then a couple of normal coats. The brush is normally a write off. Once dried hard (a couple of days) its there for good and doesn't hurt bare feet. The first time I used it I did a really good prep on the deck by scrubbing it with jiff and one of those green pan cleaning things. the paint really stuck. Second boat didn't get quite the same preparation and yes the paint scratched off. Lesson learnt. 3/4 L tin does 3 coats on a 5.2 rib.

I just need a couple of days of dry weather now to do it, oh and a volunteer

Pete

Rene · 30 April 2003, 12:51

Hi Pete

I was searching for some new gadgets to my boat, when I came across a company in London that sells 24 Volts to 12 Volts DC-DC converter

http://www.cactusnav.com/products_orion.htm

This might help you to find what you are looking fore. I don't know if this is a good one, but it's this kind you need.

Regards
Rene

jwalker · 30 April 2003, 20:41

Pete7, How much current are you likely to need from this dc-dc convertor?

JW.

Pete7 · 30 April 2003, 21:28

JW, very little actually, 2 x GPS, VHF and compass light. So the total load is tiny really. Nav lights, pumps and other widgets are all 24 volts, why have you a cunning plan ?

Afternote, I have just found this one at Maplins, is this the sort of thing I need ?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/products/mod...56&modulecode=

Pete

Daniel · 01 May 2003, 10:15

Pete i have one of these...

never had a use for it yet so if i can find it it's yours for a pint and the cost of postage (or next weekend @ Plymouth)

It won't, of course, be marine spec, but neither is the Maplin one and thats £50 more expensive.

Watch this space...

...i'm going into the loft!

Pete7 · 01 May 2003, 13:08

Daniel, thanks sounds like a bargin, if you can send me a pm with your address, cash is on its way.

Pete

jwalker · 01 May 2003, 17:47

Yeh, I was going to tell you how to make a wee voltage regulator for a few quid but Daniel seems to have sorted it for you. Good.

JW.

Daniel · 01 May 2003, 21:46

Havent found it yet BUT i know i still have it - saw it just before Christmas when i moved. No need for cash Pete... will PM / e-mail you when i get a chance to look again over the bank holiday weekend.

Daniel

Aging Youth · 14 May 2003, 08:20

Hi Pete,

She looks fabulous, I hope you get a lot of pleasure from her. I would like to see it the flesh so to speak. As you have got the code 4 I take it you will be using her for work aswell as pleasure?

Regards

Pete7 · 14 May 2003, 21:30

AY thanks for the compliments, been out in her all day. Changed the prop from 25" to 21" this morning and although she is down to 28 knots I now nearly reach WOT so fuel consumption should be better and she accelerates faster (ish), well she did until I picked up a plastic bag round the prop in Lymington.

Trying to work out her mpg but the slow speed stuff is upsetting the figures at the moment. Need to do a straight run at the weekend to work it out properly and play with the trim more which does make a difference.

Fitted a Garmin 188c as well, brilliant bit of kit

Let me know if you fancy a cabby.

Pete

Aging Youth · 16 May 2003, 07:56

Hi Pete7,

Thank's for the offer, how could I refuse. Send me a pm with a contact number & I will get in touch.

Looking forward to it.

Regards
Kevin AKA

Neville · 30 June 2003, 22:54

Pete, nice job on the console. Out of interest, did you think of trying a prop between 21" and 25" ?

Im getting a 23" pitch i think to try, as I was told that i might not get wot on the 25". Also, are you sure that your mermaid is kicking out 200 hp? the navy boats were mainly derated down to 145 hp and a change to the pump timing is needed to put a dover block back up to 180 hp. More changes are needed to get more than 180 hp if i am not mistaken. I am interested as I thought a 180 or 200 hp turbo 4 would spin a 25" ok. I didnt want to waste my money on a 25" prop if it wouldnt, but wouldnt mind that extra speed.

Another question. HGave you thought of shortening the engine cover at the stern.Approx 10" of extra deck length can be obtained. An easy job too! Good luck. Neville.

Neville · 30 June 2003, 23:37

Pete7,, ive just seen a message from you too me on this board posted a while ago. It mentions that you got 30 knots at 2500 rpm. Was that with the 25"?