Bosun’s Bits: Technical tips for keeping our boats shipshape
Chris W & Steve B, on behalf of the Bosun team, write…
When I sat down to write this, I looked back at last year’s January update – and surprisingly, the same opening message still applies:
Technical knowledge matters
One of the great joys of Tops’l is the variety of yachts we have available to sail. There are subtle differences between the yachts. The following are the sorts of things that happen by either miscommunication or not understanding the technicalities.
Carina: important notes
Both circuit breakers pulled instead of just the air heater. This cuts power to the “maintained” circuit, preventing the auto bilge pump from running, and reverting the stereo to set up mode.
Carina has three underwater seacocks: Toilet in, Toilet out, and Engine Seawater (which stays open). Others should remain open. Closing the cocks under the heads basin prevents the auto bilge pump from discharging. Please pump out the bilge before returning to base. Keeping the boat as dry as possible is in all our interests.
When Dehumidifiers are in use, ensure the discharge pipe has a continuous downward path into the galley sink. If the pipe backs up, the dehumidifier will stop if the internal tank gets full.
Fridge issues & fixes
Reports of the fridge not working turned out to be a thermostat issue. The knob (which could be turned from -30ºC to +30ºC) was removed years ago to avoid accidental adjustments. However, in January, it was found set too high, preventing cooling. When reset to +4ºC, it worked fine.
A few key reminders:
- The fridge won’t run unless the lid is closed.
- In winter, when the boat’s interior temperature is below 4ºC, there may be no demand for cooling.
- Unlike household fridges, it takes time to reach the correct temperature.
Navtex: a useful but underutilised tool
Navtex provides valuable weather reports, but it’s often misconfigured due to ‘Willy Nilly Button Pushing’ (WNBP), making it difficult to find relevant information.
For Carina in the Solent, Navtex should be set to:
Information is available in the Weather section of the 2025 Almanac. Whatever the year the information is always around page 85 or 86 in the Almanac.
When Carina is in the Solent, it is set up to 490 Hz and Manual station selection: Niton only: this gives inshore waters reports for Gibraltar Point to St David’s Head & the Channel Islands and Actual weather reports from: Sandettie Light Vessel, Greenwich Lt V, Bournemouth Airport, Guernsey Airport, Jersey Airport, Channel Lt V, Mountbatten, Culdrose, Seven Stones Lt V, & Roches Point (Cork).
Broadcasts at 0120,0520,0920,1320,1720 & 2120 UTC.
Message Types are set to Manual E (Weather) and V (to get the actual weather reports indicated above). Forecasts are easy to get online but actuals are not.
Message IE indicates Niton Forecast Weather message.
Message IV indicates Niton Actual Weather message
(A decode of the format of the message is given in every header to the message).
We specified that on Carina, the Navtex would have its own power supply so it can remain on when the instruments are switched off.
It is useful to delete ‘All messages’ at times otherwise there will be a vast array of messages.
I find that All Stations and All Messages are often selected because the Station Selection mode has been set to AUTO: this means you may get messages from Rogaland (Norway) to Las Pamas (Canaries). Also, all 15 Message types – these include Piracy Attacks, Ice reports and Loran functions amongst others.
This leaves the display covered with meaningless messages. Please leave the set up unless you need to select other stations when Carina is away from base. Better still read all about it here (P85 etc.).
(This reminder amounts to a requirement for disciplined configuration control. In order to share a yacht in the way that Tops’l operates, it is necessary to ensure that an incoming skipper knows the condition of the yacht when he joins and that he then leaves it in the same condition when he departs – or notifies the next skipper with a comment in the Log or Tech Log.
Obvious items for the Log are: Fuel Quantity; Fresh Water; Sail Rig or Reefs. Tech Log for failures or breakages but make sure you read the manual or contact the bosun to confirm the fault.
It is often also useful to identify shortage of stock items to the next skipper: kitchen roll; bin bags; tea; Branston Pickle etc.
In summary, ‘If you change something, put it back the way you found it’ Ed).
Seawater pump maintenance
A new impeller has been fitted (a missing blade was found in the old one). The drive belt has also been tightened. If the pump fails to prime, please report it immediately.
Reporting issues: help us help you
If you notice a defect, please:
- Let the Bosun team know – whether you’ve fixed it or need help
- Log it in the Tech Log so others are informed
- Flag stock shortages to the next skipper.
Keeping our boats in top condition is a team effort, so let’s work together to ensure smooth sailing!
If you have any information that would be useful to other members, please let us know.