The Marine Head version 1.0 on Talmid is about to receive a much needed upgrade. Since day one the water level in the bowl would gradually over time rise to 1/2″ shy of the rim.  To counteract this annoyance I was compelled to shut the seawater inlet at the thru-hull; a good practice for times left unattended but a royal pain for after each use as it involves latching the privacy door out of the way, lifting up a floor panel setting it aside and then swinging a stiff awkwardly located handle 90 degrees. A bucket up on deck would be easier. Keep in mind that the reverse procedure (opening) is also required before use every time and sometimes in the darkness.

Reason? The rim happens to be near sea level which is too close for comfort. When the boat heels or moves about its axis in a seaway the contents would slosh out. Talmid wasn’t going to sink but nevertheless; water in the bilge…

I mistakenly believed that the tight fitting clearances of the rubber seawater intake pump impeller would be enough to halt this perpetual “running toilet”. So, a restoration kit was ordered but this rejuvenation was not a cure.  An engineered fix is required.

Version 1.5 will be the addition of a vented loop for the inlet. As it stands, outside water pressure has a direct equalization path to the bowl interruptible only by the manual seacock method.  Adding a bend to the inlet line and mounting that bend ABOVE the outside water level is the proper solution. v1.5

But hold on; the new loop may not work because of the siphon principle. As a prevention I will have to include a siphon break. That is the purpose of the [diagramed] gizmo mounted at the apex of the loop. It is an electrically actuated solenoid which allows external air to enter the loop forming an air lock.  Water ingress is cleverly blocked by the laws of fluid dynamics. The work of gravity will allow the water to fall away — the suction broken by atmospheric pressure.

The electric push-to-flush button is parallel wired to energize the solenoid which simultaneously actuates the vent closed, and runs the seawater intake pump. The seawater pump is self-priming so the air pocket previously introduced via the vent loop openstate will not impede.

Can’t wait to see if the fix works version 1.5 working properly.

Phase 1 was a re-fit. The original [35 amp] Hitachi was removed and replaced with a new alternator of higher output. The Hitachi was intended to maintain an engine start battery. However, it was ill suited  to restore charge of a large capacity house battery bank and could barely cope. The new 100 amp unit will be a big improvement.

In order to do a proper job the original 3/8″ V belt was changed to a 10 rib Poly Micro V belt (aka serpentine) with pulleys. This was not easily accomplished. The Yanmar 3QM30 diesel is an ancient (but solid) lump of iron that was manufactured between 1976-1980. They aren’t that common these days and it’s a challenge to find parts. As such, it was hard to locate a belt drive conversion.  I searched and made inquiries and finally found encouragement from a lone blog post from a  trailblazer who appeared to have success.

the Before (note the belt dust!)

and the After…

With the higher output, new temperature sensors on both the alternator body and battery itself were added. These talk to an advanced charging controller (fka a generator regulator) to insure long life for all components. The Hitachi had an internal regulator that output 14v regardless. This was fine for old tech lead-acid batteries but state of the art batteries are AGM and they need special feeding utilizing a 3 step charge algorithm.

Smooth running and no more belt dust and shredding failures. Over-tensioning the old V-belt would have helped to cut the slippage but doing so would overstress the water pump bearing and did I mention that parts are hard to find? There is only one guy I know of that can/will rebuild a 3QM30 fresh water pump so handle with care.

Phase 2 – Solar Energy!

The electrical system onboard Talmid, while well executed and adequate by OEM standards, could benefit from a re-fit. Modern comfort necessities and new equipment rely on a robust electrical system not foreseen back in the day. Battery chemistry has improved but that comes with stricter charging care and feeding requirements.  There are improved energy source options in both solar and wind.

Follows is a schematic and narrative for what I have in mind for the boat. Central is the Battery system which is comprised of the House Bank (Battery #1) and an Engine Starting Battery (#2).

The original system is wholly dependent on the engine driven alternator to restore a discharged House Bank. Proper seamanship dictates that the Starting Battery always be reserved for engine starts for which this need should be obvious.  Switching allows the selection of Engine Battery or House Battery or Both (together in parallel) or OFF. This is good flexibility but when you crank the starter motor there is huge voltage sag. This results in lights dimming, the GPS signal being lost, and the Navigation Course Plotter resets. Sometimes it kicks off the Auto Steering too. Surges and spikes aren’t good for electronics. This happens because all consumers are tied to the same battery. The switching can only direct to the source.

This new design above allows for three battery switch choices: ON, OFF, and Manual Combine. Combine (aka Both) is for an unusual situation only (e.g. a battery bank has gone flat) and the normal operational selection is: ON. Each battery system is split. Thus, if the engine is started, the other consumers can continue to chug away without interference. Split batteries are good practice because if there is a heavy discharge, or a short circuit or failure loss on one battery side then the other battery side is not likely to be affected.

This new design will require battery charging leads to one battery system or the other in order to maintain the desired isolation. However, there is a way to maintain a proper charge state on both battery banks through the use of an Automatic Charging Relay (ACR). This hardware, through a one way only (diode protected) connection permits charge voltage to pass to both batteries. When the ACR senses discharge the connection between the two banks is opened. The schedule is programed to work with system voltage as follows when:

• Voltage > 13.6v combine after 30sec.
• Voltage > 13.0v combine after 90 sec.
• Voltage < 12.75v open after 30 sec.
• Voltage < 12.35v open after 10 sec.

There is some overhead for the ACR. It has a small energy draw.  Also, there is a fallibility with voltage sensing relays to do with  combining and isolation cycling. To mitigate the possibility, the charge energy sources are defaulted to the (house) battery bank that is likely to experience the most discharge. Further, when adding complexity to a system you have to assume it to be a point of failure.

In removing the original Hitachi I noted the mounting saddle  and associated bolts lacking the standard Yanmar grey but coated instead with rusty corrosion. Wanting to dress things a bit in anticipation of the new alternator upgrade,  the mount will be cleaned and Rust-Oleum applied. Further, after having read of other people’s woes specific to alternator bracket failure, I want to inspect for cracks or metal fatigue.  For sure the bolts will be exchanged as a precaution. Witness this sad bolt in particular which suffered thread galling. I suspect that It is an SAE thread that wasn’t meant for the Metric hole tap or vice versa. I shall visit the parts bin and compare to find out more; but in either case the receiving threads in the engine block will need re-doing.

Conserving energy is a way to help cut carbon emissions and save money but on a boat it takes on an overriding importance; and that is because energy is finite. You are either bringing it with you, stored in the form of Diesel Fuel to be converted, or harvesting energy from the Sun and Wind as you may.

Alternative Energy will be pursued but at this moment part of the big picture is to reduce reliance upon it by not wasting. Observe that the boat has a dozen or more light bulb consumers. These are 12v single filament bayonet mount style which are relatively cheap and serve well but at they are hungry. The old school bulb on the left squanders 15 watts. The new solution pictured right is an LED using only 1.5 watts for an equivalent light output.  There are even red LEDs (vision preserving for night ops) and .8 watts with reduced lumens.

More minutia: It only took the better part of a day to properly source this retro-fit. There are quite a few styles, sizes, and types from which to select. The Sea Dog dome lights utilize a double contact base for + and – not to be confused with the automotive setup which uses the base itself for a negative ground and the double contacts for dual filaments. The challenge was to procure a globe that fit the lense fixture and a socket that fit into the ba15d base as designed.

It all adds up, but this small effort will reduce the need for additional capacity. I suppose this brass wick oil lamp might be the outstanding supreme fix.

The simple engine driven charging system onboard Talmid was designed to serve a lead acid starting battery. With rated output of 12v and 30 AMPS, and as the sole source of energy, the Hitachi alternator is also called upon to recharge a 300 Ah capacity house battery bank. When the house bank is depleted, discharged after a day under sail for example, the little alternator is overtaxed which manifests in long charging times and a heavy strain load on its 3/8″ drive belt.  Spares are carried because at some point the belt will inevitably perish, possibly at a critical! moment. Monitoring its condition and becoming  mechanically adept at adjusting proper tension is crucial. Belt tensioning is achieved via adjustment bolts on the alternator mounting brackets. All other pulleys are fixed in their positions. Measuring belt slack while flexing the belt with a finger means the procedure is rather subjective. Too loose results in slippage which translates to premature wear. Adjusted too tightly and the added stresses will accelerate [water pump] bearing wear. The image shows the original belt drive system on the old Yanmar 3QM30. It is driven by a 6″ crankshaft pulley [lower]. The pulley for the water pump cooling system [upper] and the alternator completes the triangle.

There must be a better way. Indeed. On order is a higher output 100 AMP alternator, which is better sized to match existing battery capacity. Even more load for the feeble V belt you say? No. Central to this upgrade is a new serpentine  drive belt system. Serpentine is a descriptor derived from modern automotive application as the belt snakes to and from numerous driven accessories in one continuous loop. This is a simplification from early days when an engine had several belts. A serpentine belt has ribs and grooves that track precisely in machined pulleys and significantly increased width will enhance grip surface area.

Another modification, to complete this installation, will be the addition of an updated voltage regulator. The original Hitachi has an internal regulator which supplies a constant output of approximately 14volts. This is suitable for lead acid batteries but harmful to Absorbent Glass Mat batteries over the long term. AGM batteries require extra care and feeding in order to insure longevity. A 3 step charge algorithm calls for 14 v during the bulk charging phase but also includes an absorption and float stage. These included stages scale back the voltage and allow the AGM to be restored to full capacity. Long life preserved.

This is the first step toward a robust energy system because as the sole source, it is a single failure point. Alternative energy will provide redundancy. Available and useful are Wind and or Solar. In any event, I believe that outfitting with the new alternator scheme will go along way toward solving previous weakness while eliminating the belt dust nuisance and shredded rubber breakdown.

What can go wrong WILL go wrong. I only had the one key and it was really looking past it. Not visible by thumbnail image is a hairline crack across the blade; a victim of too many bendings from body bumps and slams (the engine control panel and ignition switch is located in the companionway and the key protrudes) It might eventually break off (in the switch!) or go missing. Either way, SOL.

I took the original to a locksmith or two to see about cutting a new one. Out of the zillion types onhand, none could procure a suitable blank. Yanmar no longer provides for replacement keys. Solution: Order the entire switch. Comes with an extra to boot.