Sail Life - Garmin Reactor 40 autopilot & high output alternator
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- Опубліковано 28 сер 2021
- This week we finally got to install our new Garmin Reactor 40 autopilot complete with a Garmin class B compact drive unite. I also finish the wiring of our high output alternator and external controller.
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Getting close to the finish line! Highly recommend CorrosionX Corrosion 91002 (the red stuff). Safe on electronics/connectors/rubber/etc. Spritz a little on any connectors and it will help enormously with preventing corrosion and things like coolant shorting out connectors.
My mom has spent years following your journey. She has been so impressed by everything you’ve accomplished and couldn’t wait to see you set sail. She keep me up to date all the time. It saddens me greatly to say my mom passed away this weekend without getting to see you start the next part of your adventures in the water. I just wanted to let you know your videos brought her much joy and she wished you fun and safe journeys.
Sorry for your loss!
Real life before virtual life. Yall owe us nothing. People can wait for a video, shoot, maybe an hr long documentary style highting whatever is shot while in the process of finishing the boat and getting to the Uk would be cool. Best of luck. Here since 2014.
Hi Mads, voice of experience here, its a good idea to mount the new MDI on a bulkhead near the engine rather than current position on the block. They last a lot longer away from vibration and heat usually
Second that comment. Past experience with a certain brand of pickup truck in NA.👎
Solid advice :)
I just finished a 8 day marathon watching all your videos about Athena. It feels like you are my best friend, even tough you don't have any idea about who I am. Your videos are very entertaining, even for those complete newbies that won't have a boat in the next century (like me), but I like DIY stuff and think your solutions are clever. On a side note, if you think the prices over denmark are way too expensive, just try quoting some of these equipments here on Brazil. You wil be shocked.
Hiya folks... just do what you need to... dont worry about us internet types. I would rather have a wee gap in the stuff you put up to us rather than have you stressing about content... go on live a little! Miss a week or 2 and we might be grumpy but we will forgive ya... promise! Ive been following for years now so im happy to wait if you need time... (pretty sure im not alone here!)
If not posting videos for a couple of weeks was a way to reduce the stress imposed by the Schengen deadline, this would be absolutely fine by me. I thoroughly enjoy your videos, but you guys come first. All the best.
Thanks Pierre :) I hope it dosen't come to that :)
@@SailLife I agree. You are stressed working hard and coming down to the line. The electrical for offshore safety needs 100% focus. I am worried about further setbacks or failures of newly installed electronics causing additional problems. Ranging the gamut from simple delays, to the need for replacement, and purchasing duplicates or spares. Finally the most extreme being something catastrophic occurring offshore. I’m positive in the end you will do what is best for you and Ava. We all want to see you succeed. Untying the lines and living a life full of love, happiness, and adventure. Ready and prepared for the success of achieving your dreams together.
I think the need to leave so quickly. Complicated by Ava’s Schengen status. Is taking a toll on you two. Trying to film and set up cameras along with editing is really time consuming. That is time you really could use to accomplish this last push. I look forward to your videos every week and don’t want to miss them. However, I would gladly miss a couple or several videos. If it would help you to safely embark on the shared life you both have been planning and dreaming about.
One last thing. Considering the above maybe you should just do small raw video blog type videos. Just temporarily until you cast off and can resume your regular production quality videos. See what Sam Holmes switched to in order to get his boat in the water. Just a quick hello each day. Or whatever schedule works for you two. Say hello say what your working on currently. A Quick video unedited 5 minutes or more. Just a thought. We are all rooting for you two and wish you the best. Do what you need to do for you and Ava. Thank you for the videos.
Yeah ... it's crunch time.
Hello Mads, I just wanted to thank you for your positive attitude towards the problems you found on Athena and the extensive how to fix. I decided to remove the old dead vertical windlass on S/V Meandering Abode. Well, I expected to just cut a 6" squares and thicken epoxy in 6" square of marine plywood and glass over it using West Systems to repair the holes so I would have a clean deck to install the new vertical windlass I purchased. I cut out the 6" part of the deck to discover that the previous owner didn't seal the old windlass very well and the plywood coring was mush. 1.5' from the stem to 6" to the toe rail on both sides and 3 feet to the stern of the fore-deck later I finally found solid wood. I was calm and just did the work because after watching you I was so happy to find the solid plywood coring. Did I mention that I was doing this with a forecast of a tropical storm coming my way in 48 hours? I was hoping to get the Windlass installed to pull the anchors after the storm mooring in the Bayou, last time they forecasted a tropical storm it turned in to a hurricane so we weren't taking any chances this time. Didn't have time to install the windlass but I can say my deck is more waterproof than it's been in 40 years. Thank you for your cool calm composure and teaching me that there is nothing that can't be fixed on a fiberglass boat. Hope that once you are underway there is still more DIY fun aboard Athena. Hope to meet Y'all if you come threw Florida.
Mads you are both making great progress despite the humps in the road but I think the Schengen deadline may be clouding your judgement. This ‘somewhat extensive’ refit has taken you five years and you need to take a step back and evaluate. You should only only sail when you are satisfied that the mission critical equipment is installed correctly and subjected to at least a weekends worth of local sea trials to shake it down, fine tuning and evaluation. If that means Ava has to fly to the U.K. to comply with her visa conditions then that will have to do. If that means another 2 weeks then in the context of 5 years it represents only 0.7% Pretty sure if you call out for volunteers for a say 2- or 3 one way trip crew for the ‘maiden voyage’ you will be inundated. All the best - whatever you decide to do.😀⛵️👍 PS - Alternatively, check out of Schengen, sail and then return to harbour for ‘emergency sea going safety repairs’.😉⛵️
@Lancashirelad But of course. Even when U.K. was in the EU it was never part of Schengen.
Agree. And especially the flying part. I’d not exclude the option as it seems a deadline breaker and possible life safer. I agree with a lot of people that have been out there in less favourable weather: take your time to get confident with all you put so much blood sweat and tears in!
Absolutely. You must do all important sea trials prior. Sail, test, sail a bit more… Kill some gremlins and grow the necessary confidence in the boat.
Al-go-rythm! Happy Sunday everyone!
Well, you got the autopilot installed, and that is a big job done. I have installed our Furuno 711c TWICE in the last year and know how big of a job it is. It was done once before we got struck by lightning, and once again after that little love tap from Uncle Thor.
We had to go with all new parts and accessories, except the hydraulic pump which seems to have survived. Even the rudder feedback unit (which looks just like yours) died. Just about every complex electrical/electronic item on the boat fried as well as all of the outside LED lighting and some of the interior too.
I hope you never get to experience this fun little opportunity to do an extensive electronics refit AGAIN, after just having done a full refit only 4 years earlier before we started cruising.
You have 10x the electronic goodies we have and it has been a couple of months now for us in a marina including dropping the mast to do all that work on the ground and inspect the rigging for any structural damage.
Even though it has been a couple of months stuff that we thought was ok is still breaking randomly. Yesterday the cooling fans on the refrigerator unit stopped working. Powering them directly yields no fan spinny goodness so at least we know it is the fans that are bad. With the water-cooling the compressor is still able to run and keep the fridge cold even with ambient temps over 30C and no fans blowing air through the unit. I'm super-impressed that it can run at all without tripping out or throwing any error limp-mode codes.
Love your progress and Ava is such a fresh enjoyable addition to your channel ! One suggestion as an eyeglass wearer myself…I hope you both have neck straps and spare sets of glasses ….I cannot imagine losing mine and being near blinded on a voyage! A drop in the ocean…a slip beneath some panel to end up in an unreachable location is surely possible. I was glad to see you decide to get manual switches to bypass the network devices for engine control. I hated to see more electronic boxes mounting low in the boat…a few things will meet seawater over time…the networked boat is great but I am a fan of manual bypasses ….as the network will crash one day! Best wishes and excited to see more progress and DIY fun!
Love how bright inside it is. The wood wood color is minimal and serves more as accents. Much nicer than the boats with the endless gloomy wood look.
There are boats that look like inside a cigar box!
There are advantages to having a hard deadline.
It forces you to focus on what is absolutely necessary versus what is desired. I know Scotland is on the path to the U.S. but it doesn't seem like an ideal place to spend the winter. Perhaps they have facilities I'm not aware of that will enable you to continue working in the winter months.
Or perhaps it's just that I live near white sand, baby blue water, and warm seas. So what could seem like unthinkable circumstances for me just be just be another Tuesday in Denmark/Scottland.
Good luck on the sea trials.
By the way, since I rarely comment, congratulation on beating the algorithm. Instead of saying "Like, subscribe, share, hit the bell" and all that other nonsense most channels say that has zero impact on viewers, you know that simply asking people to "like" your video if they "liked" your content...works far better and is FAR less annoying to viewers. And you get 12%-15% likes on each video which is unheard of. Well done.
Really hope you're able to get everything done that you need to in order to sail. I also like that you're not afraid to share some of your mistakes with us. Shows that you're learning and this really is DIY fun
Have you considered adding dielectric grease to all those electrical connections? Keeps water out and angry pixies in.
Dziękujemy.
Good Luck with your plans guys. We are rooting for you.
I smile every time you say "somewhat extensive".
3:40, how much easier it is having Ava on board!
I remember you trying alone to tighten a nut on a through bolt and always comment on it how MUCH easier would it be if there was a second person on the other end! 😁
Great job you guys!
Can't believe that the time to ship out of Skive is already round the corner!!! 👍👍👍
Do not worry about us, please do what you need as you need , thank you for your vids.
Good luck getting everything done in time
For the aluminum tiller arm, do put some kind of grease or sealant to isolate the stainless so no corrosion happens. If you can get ahold of some alodine use that to prevent moisture corrosion as well, great progress!
Having a remote starter that you can hook up to the starter on the fly is in valuable. I rigged one up for our Pacific cup race and as it turned out we needed it .
Hey I just want say how happy I get when I get a notification that your weekly video is up.
i am sure all will go well and you get on the way to your journys ahead. see you next sunday and have a great week as well
Everything is going to be fine! 😀💪💪💪
We are ready Mads ; )
Ofcourse I’ll stay on! Don’t want to miss you sailing!
Get done what you guys need to get done and dont worry about the videos. They can always been posted when life needs calm down enough.
Thanks!
Go go go. Get what needs to happen to get sailing, we will be here.
Personally I wouldn't worry about the aluminium rudder arm. All you need is a quick machine job to allow you to fit a bronze bush. Problem solved.
I've everything crossed for you both. 🤞🤞
Great job guys .
Gad dang it!...that did it - I finally have been overcome with gadget envy. You have a Garmin trade show demo setup going. Totally awesome. ENVY !
This is the most amazing refit project I have never seen, just amazing!
Congratulations guys, enjoy this last moments at the maximum, this are going to be a never forget days...
I'm skiper on a 66ft Swan, and I have never seen no one working on his boat like you have done, Athena will take good care of you for shure!!
love swans..
Thanks for sharing
Tip: If you have your CAN-Bus network powered by an external 12V source, make sure to remove the fuse in the Victron VE.Can to NMEA2000 cable to prevent for ground loop, which can cause unwanted side effects. With fuse the network gets powered via the cable from the Cerbo GX.
My favourite part of Sunday
Excellent video as always!!
one of our favorite channels
I’ve watched every video you made, but watching on TV there is no way to comment. So- I think your videos are great along with your engineering skills and common sense. I wish you and Ava the best in your future undertakings and being a Michigan guy you got a great Fiancé too! I hope you keep posting on your travels too!
hay guy's, best of luck with getting out too sea. will be watching.
I think just a couple more electrical equipment and you will be on par with a cruse ship.
Great video.
3/16th stainless steel when you get here!
wow ! No words other than great video!
Another quality video Mads!
....that box on the engine looks familiar. I work at an electronics sales and repair shop and a few of the local mechanics bring in dash clusters, ecu's and various other car electronic components to see if we can fix them. We have a fairly high success rate.
That little box on your engine is worth taking off and opening.
In modules same as yours that came into our shop, we found a failed fuse in a couple, moisture damage in a couple, some blown capacitors BUT ALL of them had "cold solder" joints.
Hairline cracks in the solder connections probably from vibration and lots of large temperature swings.
Cleaned them up, re-solder everything replaced failed components (if any) and they worked good as new. I think we had 2 where the actual logic chip had failed.
Some of the boxes that mechanics have brought in are "potted" which means after assembly they pour in epoxy or resin. We don't excavate those. Even if they are willing to pay for HOURS of work digging out the potting compound. Hopefully the "marine" version is not potted.
I use duralac on contact between different metals. It reduces the reaction.
Hope to see you in the UK soon.
Another awesome video guys and you are even closer to leaving the dock now. Too bad for Mr. Perkins but heh, that awesome your parents are getting you a diesel genset for a wedding gift. The autopilot looks like it was a fairly straight forward install (don't worry about the aluminum tiller arm, it looks beefy enough to handle anything you throw at it). Good luck on this coming week's list and look forward to seeing your next video. Sea You!
Concerning the engine black box circuit, it should have a very tiny fuse that is accessible from the bottom of the box via a rubber cap. I have smaller version of the engine but similar problem in the past. Maybe it works.
Good luck to ya.
You have a lot on your plate so no problems, I will be here and eagerly waiting for any future film clips. Cheers and good luck with your preparations to sail away. Ian langley New Zealand
To install my Reactor 40 , i had to think of magnetic deviation, using a hand bearing compass can show you a magnetic neutral place. I of course latter on , i fitted a Radiator, which caused some 40 degrees of vartion😂. I replaced the radiator for a aluminium one. So all is perfect now.
To further expand, with the hand bearing compass, you found the least amount of compass deviation (not variation).
Magnetic Variation is the difference between True North and Magnetic North as depicted on charts.
Magnetic Deviation is the difference between indicated magnetic heading (on a compass or Reactor 40 display) and actual magnetic heading.
As always I enjoy your videos. This one interested me more than most because of the Garmin modules. Garmin is a company I have a great deal of respect for, but so do Raymarine and B&G (as least as far as I can tell). As a software engineer (I am not a sailor) I like B&G best because of regards
Pleas,please get a cover for the LiFePo for when you have that compartment open, maybe a container cover?
Keep going. You may finish the boat by the time hell freezes over.
Some what extensive refit. I would say yes.!
You forgot to go through your TO-DO items! ...Doh! Getting real close now. Thanks for the video Mads & Ava!
Have you thought about doing a complete instruction book and wiring diagram just in case you are incapacitated? This would be a boon to anyone trying to fix anything on the boat.
good luck
Finally Lets go
Mads, the duetsch connectors are water proof ish, and non pressurized liquids should not penetrate the connector. I think you have a different issue.
This to bump the suggestion! Used in aircraft in great numbers!
Except poorly installed, or very old components fail. Glycol gets into everything in hot liquid form, and neither Mads nor I believe in coincidences. Cause and effect is far more likely. However Electrical stuff that has sat for a long time is a serious candidate for failure regardless. So coincidence is a larger than usual possibility here. I wouldnt bet on either one with real money. But the solution - know what it does and make it better, is a good one.
Yeah, I think it might just a age, the thing looked original
Glycol, especially hot gycol is a beast on electrical connections. If the black box was on when the glycol got inro the connectors it would not take much to cross the streams. Those Volvo-Penta brain boxes will fail if you even look at them with just a stern look. Just wiggling the connectors can sometimes do it. They are frail.
@@svbarryduckworth628 I am not saying they do not fail, I am a diesel mechanic and been doing it for 37 years and what I am saying is duetsch connectors are very good for weather and liquids. They have seals right at the tips that as long as they start going together are sealed and unless pressurised liquid, penetration is almost non existent. Even if you pull out a wire or two and do not install the blanking pins the rubbers close up and seal surprising well.
my man always with that rap down good job broski
One final thought. I've had two boats, where completely unexpectedly I've had a foot of water in the cabin. One was a stern gland failure and the other was a year old through hull fitting. Both , very luckily , were fine but did a lot of damage to any wiring below the level of the bunks. I dread to think what would happen to Athena if that happened. And it can do easily. A knockdown with the hatch open etcetc.
it begs the question...has Mads made the boat overly vulnerable by making it overly technical? I havn't heard much about simple redundant systems that can get him home in case of a total system failure. He does have a windvane and pedestal compass. Maybe thats enough?
I totally agree. It’s over the top. Too much gadgetry. It’s fun, but not practical. I’d hate to see what would happen after a lightning strike as well.
Let's get them to 100k
heck yah!
As they say in the south in the USA "Giter done". it's time to just get everything done so u can leave an sail safely to UK or whatever you have to go!!! ✌🏻💗😊❣️
Fingers crossed. 🙏🏻
I can really hear captain joshua from paradise to laugh and say: my boy mad you just nead a compass and a watch!!!! Keep installing!!!
Nice video
Hi Mats, I have installed a Garmin reactor 40 about 2 months ago, the fluctuation on the autopilot display is normal, I had the same feeling as you deed. After sea trial al was solved, the seatrial gives you also a quality number from 1 to 100 about the magnetic position of the CCU, i had first only 52 as a value, to little in my opinion, then I replaced the CCU about 50 cm then I got 85 as a value and that seems to work perfect.
Best regards, Wim
Wow, I love gizmos but I reckon that you will be the only person on the planet that can fix those electronics. It was me, knowing how everything breaks on a boat, I'd be thinking KISS.
Welcome to MDI hell. Eric at Nordkyn recommends relocating the box away to alleviate potential vibration and heat issues down the road.
Locating the entire green mess Volvo-Penta motor as far away from the boat as possible is best.
Shoulda bought a Beta :D
Fingers crossed 🤞
Fingers crossed!
Hate to sea the little Perkins' demise. Mads put so much into it and I think was genuinely proud of the way he made it work and how it came together!!
Hi Mads,
Always use double hose clamps mate.
Great work. Can’t help thinking that a good gob of non-corrosive mastic and water proof grease around the plug connection. You don’t want to be all at sea when your at sea⛵️⛵️⛵️
Thanks Guys, Always enjoy yor vidclips. Have been 'Following/Subscribed' quite a while now .... You Guys come across just so 'Naturally', Wart and All .... :-) :-) :-) You 'break it' you show us .... Keep well, Cheers from New Zealand .... Originally from Cape Town ZA .... 1996 to NZ .... Keep well and Stay safe, Best to All ....
7:06 you drill new holes that were pretty much exactly in the same position as ones you filled that used to have speakers!
Gosh, lots to think about! I would not run the engine without the MDI.... and make the house alternator switchable with an iluminate toggle switch next to the starter panel - this will prove very useful down the line for trouble shooting etc. Make sure you can get at the brushes for the autopilot motor - long passages in big seas can test the motor to destruction... carry spare brushes for the stater. Whatever happened to the iddy biddy Perkins?! You made the right decision though - an off the shelf unit comes with a lot of fault tolerance and s/ware to manage and integrate into the rest of your system. Beware running the generator and house alternator together - this is where that nifty little switch comes in. Great video and very intense - love it. Just go for it - you're so close!
Come give us a visit on the Norfolk Broads if it fits or makes you plan easier!!
Mr Perkins not coming aboard!!! Polar Bears got him I expect
Good luck with the final steps needed to sail to the UK. Too bad that you have to hurry the installation of these complex systems, but that's the way it is. I suspect it is stressful for someone with your standards for quality. I think once you are safe with the permit/visa regulations you will go over everything, checking, improving, etc.
Oh no, itty bitty Perkins has morphed into Oh glorious budget line item. Something to be said for newer gear when you are embarking on a global tour. Should be awesome.
Wind vane would be a great back up
and option #1
He has one (see the first Athena videos) gonna bet that is priority to re-install while in Scotland (prior to an Atlantic crossing)
@@waterfaucet9926
Oh nice !! Awesome. I must of missed that video. I'll go back and check it out. Thanks!
Wonder what Chris Columbus would make of this episode?
Glycol unlike fresh water very easily damages electric components.
From watching all the stuff about the Orca incidents this summer anything involving the rudder needs to have quick disconnects imo lol. I know you guys are not heading in that direction but if that shows me anything, its that anything can happen when your by yourself out at sea, plan for the worst and bring backups whenever you can. Not sure how you backup your rudder but saving the autopilot with a quick pull pin cant be a bad idea. That's a big animal to decide it wants to have a chew on your hard work, and it would be pretty hard to talk it out of it :)
Hi Mads, thank you very much for your informative sailboat DIY videos. I'm curious to hear your thoughts about installing a windvane or another autosteering backup in case of issues with the autopilot?
I'm a complete sailing noob so have no experience to backup this comment... but, that is a lot of complicated electronics with many of the controlling units mounted very low in the hull. I feel anxious thinking what an unexpected incursion of sea water is going to do while you are underway. I'd be mounting all those units way higher to reduce that risk. From personal experience working around battery banks, I strongly recommend you install a cover over your batteries and their terminals. I'd hate to see all that get damaged due to a screwdriver or other conductor accidentally falling across terminals or bus bars. Also hoping you've got a week or two of sea trials in your schedule. You've got a boat full of unproven equipment, I'd be sweating bullets until I'd given it a good run in various conditions in safe circumstances.
Wishing you all the best.
When do you install the transwarp coil induction bypass circuits
Obviously this cannot be done until the pre warp load sequencer manifolds have been commissioned….duh!
@@larrimos And aren't they made of transparent aluminium?
Sometimes schedules can be hard.. particularly if they depend on outside forces. Perhaps you could make a few short videos, like 4-8 minutes.. just updates. Either way, I'll still be here. Cheers 🍻🍺
Admittedly I am a total techno junkie and would revel in all these toys on board. I have collected a bit of experience on the few bits of fun I installed during a refit and admit that with all the goodies you have on board now I would be worried about a much greater possibility of failures. These of course always happen when you least want them..
Awesome job.. I was wondering if you need to put a backer plate on the drive unit so the stress won’t rip those bolts through the wall?
Absolutely there ought to be a backing plate for it.
Don’t stress too much, one step at a time you will get done what you can. Sorry about the perkins issue, have you checked measurements for the new gen set to make sure it will also not be too large? Looking forward to next week…Sea-You.
I have double and tribble checked the measurements of the new genset ;)
@@SailLife Well, you know "The Trouble With Tribbles"?
@@gymcoachdon As long as he doesn't feed one...
I can't wait for the next episode, the suspense is getting really exciting for the viewer although Mads and Ava are probably pulling their hair out right now.
The new genset should prove to be really be fun, especially if it has a lot of high-tech goodness. NMEA-2K/Canbus connectivity is a given, but will there be a Bluetooth app for the phone? Maybe it can interconnect via Bluetooth with the head :D
The technology haters will have a field day on this one, not to mention all the dead polar bears from the dino squeezings.
@@svbarryduckworth628 I would be willing to bet the new genset is probably more fuel efficient than the perkins…but that won’t be enough to save the polar bears. Hope your repairs from the lightning strike are going well.
The purple wire in that plug connection for the engine looks like the insulation has opened up.
What’s your day job? Bank robbery? Love your video’s, so well done. I eagerly wait for them every week.
Hi! Reduce the stress and get on the way... There are a besillion videos on your chanel for the meantime! CU!