Ribcraft 545 project

[spartacus]

Originally Posted by Stewy

Cheers guys, very helpful.

Next one. The control lines/wiring etc. Where should the other end be? As apart from the fuel tank. There isn't anything else in the console.

That’s a worry. That witches hat grommet would be exit point for engine for steering and throttle cables. It would normally start in console. If there’s nothing there have they run cables on top of the deck instead?

Get your endoscope down it. At this rate you’ll be doing more hours than a junior doctor!

[Stewy]

Got a couple of tank pics. Looks in decent condition. Just needs a suck out.

Haven't managed to looks under the floor yet for the cable route.

[Stewy]

Can anyone make head or Tails of this then. Pictures in order going through bulkhead.

Last picture is 1.8m from the access hole, also 1.8m on deck to console from access hole.

[spartacus]

If I'm reading this right, then the access hole in the console has been sealed up for some reason.

Fuel tank looks okay. Needs sediment sucked out. Can you shoot video instead and load to YouTube then link to RIBnet?

Is there a hull drain on the boat?

[Stewy]

Originally Posted by spartacus

If I'm reading this right, then the access hole in the console has been sealed up for some reason.

Fuel tank looks okay. Needs sediment sucked out. Can you shoot video instead and load to YouTube then link to RIBnet?

Is there a hull drain on the boat?

Can do, will be tomorrow now.

Yes this part of the hull drains into the deck bildge.

My theory is it was originally a single console boat, when the new double console has been fitted, it hasn't covered the hole. So they've blanked it off.

[Pikey Dave]

Looks like the under deck duct has been removed & the exit into the console sealed. It looks like a new console has been fitted. I’d be a tad concerned that the witches hat at the stern leads directly into the inside of the hull. If I’m reading this correctly, if you got swamped, you could end up with a flooded hull.

[Stewy]

Yeah it's a new console.

Any pictures how the factory duct comes into the console?

[Stewy]

Originally Posted by spartacus

Can you shoot video instead and load to YouTube then link to RIBnet?

https://youtu.be/ze_NUv8rYAA?feature=shared

[Stewy]

Originally Posted by spartacus

Can you shoot video instead and load to YouTube then link to RIBnet?

https://youtu.be/ze_NUv8rYAA?feature=shared

[beamishken]

This picture is the remains of the harness we dragged out of a 585 with a block & tackle complete with the under deck duct the moisture/spilled petrol had swollen & degraded the fuel hoses battery cables & engine harness turning them all to junk, that's possibly why this boat has no duct. Even when we got the duct out we had to cut the duct lengthways to get the cables out due to the swollen rubber jamming them solid ,it's a fairly common occurrence on ribcrafts. We just ran the new hoses & cables in the hull void without the duct. Yes any water that gets past the witches hats gets into the void but it has a drain plug & as long as the witches hat is reasonably tight it will enter relatively slowly if you were bothered about the potential of water below the deck then you could fit a bilge pump below the deck.you might be able to pull another duck in but having seen the state of this boat and others I wouldnt bother. The battery cables & fuel line were so degraded in this boat they were very close to shorting out & setting the boat on fire

[spartacus]

Cheers for the video Stewy.

Personally I'd be inclined to fit a new duct. The practicalities I'm sure will be difficult. I don't have a bilge pump on my 4.8m. Just back from a fortnight on the west coast (boat was moored), so if there's heavy rain over night, the water will pool at the witches hat.

I've had my own share of electrical issues with cables as outboard as manufacturers don't use tinned cable. Chasing continuity signals is a thankless task and in the end I stripped out part of the engine loom and used new wiring due to oxidisation.

Anyway - good luck for the project.

[Stewy]

Probably going to fit one. Once I've found a way into the console.

What's the going size? Thinking 70mm.

Had a standard 50mm rigging hose on last rib without hydraulic steering.

[willk]

Maybe run a small pipe as well, fix it at the low point, you can then wetvac any water out periodically.

[Stewy]

After some digging, the tank fills the full space under the console from bulkhead to bulkhead. No wonder they blanked the duct off!

How's this for a solution/bodge?

Core drill on a angle through the console down through the floor and glass a tube in. Missing the edge of the tank/bulkhead

[A1an]

Originally Posted by beamishken

This picture is the remains of the harness we dragged out of a 585 with a block & tackle complete with the under deck duct the moisture/spilled petrol had swollen & degraded the fuel hoses battery cables & engine harness turning them all to junk, that's possibly why this boat has no duct. Even when we got the duct out we had to cut the duct lengthways to get the cables out due to the swollen rubber jamming them solid ,it's a fairly common occurrence on ribcrafts. We just ran the new hoses & cables in the hull void without the duct. Yes any water that gets past the witches hats gets into the void but it has a drain plug & as long as the witches hat is reasonably tight it will enter relatively slowly if you were bothered about the potential of water below the deck then you could fit a bilge pump below the deck.you might be able to pull another duck in but having seen the state of this boat and others I wouldnt bother. The battery cables & fuel line were so degraded in this boat they were very close to shorting out & setting the boat on fire

This is the very reason I put a perforated duct in my ribcraft, an oil and fuel filled duct is a recipe for disaster imho.

[Stewy]

Originally Posted by A1an

This is the very reason I put a perforated duct in my ribcraft, an oil and fuel filled duct is a recipe for disaster imho.

Is it just field drain style you used? What diameter?

[A1an]

Originally Posted by Stewy

Is it just field drain style you used? What diameter?

Yep, 100mm wavin coil. you can never have enough room in a duct. 70mm will be tight

https://www.rib.net/forum/f8/project...a-87464-3.html

[Stewy]

Beautiful job on that Alan!

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by A1an

Yep, 100mm wavin coil. you can never have enough room in a duct. 70mm will be tight

https://www.rib.net/forum/f8/project...a-87464-3.html

Yeh the wavin coil at 100mm is a good call no idea why builders use sealed ducts, its inevitable theres water going to get in and its absolutely rank pulling new services through a stinky slimy duct that's too tight anyway

[nugent]

Love a build thread