We’re Getting the Beta
Recap After much deliberation and with the lingering effects of the pandemic causing delays in the delivery of our Beta Marine 43, we made the decision get the Perkins 4-108 running. Shortly after ordering a couple thousand dollars of Perkins parts we got the good news that the Beta Marine 43 had been delivered to […]
The Fire
In our last post we were in the process of diagnosing why our Perkins 4-108 was persistently overheating. We decided to rebuild the engine and were in the complete tear down process when disaster struck. On October 31, 2021 a fire engulfed our marina work shed, reducing it to ashes. Unfortunately, the work shed housed […]
Saga of an Old Perkins 4-108
For many boat owners, the engine is the heart of their vessel, providing reliable power for countless adventures. Not only does the engine allow you to anchor and enter marinas safely and quickly, it also charges the batteries for all the electrical needs of a cruiser. Such was the case with our trusty 1977 Perkins […]
Protecting Your Alternator: The Importance of Installing an Alternator Protection Device (APD)
With the growing popularity of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries equipped with internal battery management systems (BMS), it’s crucial to protect your alternator from voltage spikes that can lead to potential damage. We will explore the risks associated with load dumps, explain the role of the Alternator Protection Device (APD) in mitigating these risks, and […]
Why is Our Engine Overheating?
We’ve been really lucky with our engine. Sure, we haven’t used it that much, but it’s never failed us, and until recently, overheating wasn’t an issue. For something that’s 43 years old with an unknown number of hours or maintenance history, that’s pretty good. So when the high-temperature alarm for our trusty Perkins sounded, needless […]
Our Stuffing Box Leaks
Yep, our stuffing box leaks. But wait…it’s supposed to. We have a traditional stuffing box (also known as a stuffing gland, packing gland, and other variations). In general, it’s “an assembly which is used to house a gland seal. It is used to prevent leakage of fluid, such as water, between sliding or turning parts.” […]
We Almost Lost Our Prop!
Note to self: Don’t let the dinghy painter get tangled in the prop. It seems like a pretty basic premise, and yet, that’s exactly what we did. What started as a quick little sail out to Middle River for the weekend, turned into yet another project to fix. As we were trying to anchor in […]
Fuel Tank Cleaning & Upgrading the Fuel Filter System
Cleaning the Fuel Tank Our fuel tank is in a really inconvenient spot: under the V-berth. These old ’70s Taiwan boats are notorious for having a rusty, black iron fuel tank and we’ve never looked inside ours. And there’s no way to replace it without cutting it into pieces since it was installed before the […]
Engine Room Insulation
Our Perkins 4-108 is located under the companionway steps right next to the galley and quarter berth and is fairly noisy. There is existing insulation, but it’s now over 40 years old. When we did the sea trial, we used a free phone app decibel meter and clocked the noise at around 80 dB. And […]
Installing a Balmar External Voltage Regulator
While I don’t recommend intentionally frying your alternator, frying ours last summer pushed this project to the top of our to-do list and I’m glad it did. We spent a lot of money on our Battle Born LiFePO4 batteries and with a new alternator and external voltage regulator I feel more at ease that the […]