Victron Isolation Transformer - How to lower the output voltage

Re-configuring a Victron Energy isolation transformer

This is a companion article to a YouTube video covering the same topic.

What are they and why do I need one?

Victron Energy isolation transformers are often used on boats that connect to shore power in order to provide a means of providing isolation between the shore power and the AC power that exists on the boat.  The transformer sits in between those two worlds and isolates that two power supplies through magnetic flux and an air-gap.

The reason this is needed on a marine vessel is because without it, small leakage currents can flow between the earth ground for shore power and the "earth ground" connection on the boat, which is usually connected to water through a propeller shaft, out-drive, sail-drive or sacrificial zincs. That creates a loop and that small leakage current greatly accelerates any galvanic corrosion that naturally happens. Current flows through the water because of the salt content, or even in fresh-water by any dissolved particles which can aid in conductance. Because the shore power connection's ground and the boat's ground are not directly connected through a physical wire with the transformer in place, a ground current "loop" is not formed and that method of corrosion is stopped.

An isolation transformer is one means to prevent this connection. It should be noted there are others, such as galvanic isolators, however an isolation transformer is the ideal solution. (Galvanic isolators are typically low voltage Schottky diodes which just reduce the amount of voltage potential and therefore limit the amount of current that can flow).

Some of Victron Energy's isolation transformers also provide voltage doubling or voltage halving, so that if, for example, you have a 230V boat (like Mira) and you want to connect to 120V shore power, you still can! (The AC frequency can NOT be changed in this manner, which presents some other challenges, but we'll save that for another time.)

Why would I need to re-configure it?

By default, Victron Energy isolation transformers are designed to boost the input voltage by about 4%. It is believed that this is done because, often times, the marina's shore power cables that run from the utility company out to the docks can be very long. When that happens, the resistance in these wires causes a voltage drop, so what started out at 120V from the power company's connection to the marina, may drop to something like 115V by the time it gets to the power pedestals on the docks.

So, there's a transformer as part of our isolation solution, why not kill two birds with one stone and boost the voltage while we are at it?  A noble objective to be sure and one that basically costs nothing to implement in their product  However, that is all great until you don't need that boost, and that boost actually causes problems.

How could boosting be bad?

Some marinas (especially those in western Mexico) are known to have already high voltages at their power pedestals.  So instead of 120V, it is something like 130V, then it gets boosted by 4-5% and ends up at 136V after the transformer.  Now the voltage is too high and other Victron Energy products, like their inverter/chargers, which are usually right after the Victron Energy isolation transformers see this as an out of spec voltage and don't ever connect to shore power (as they shouldn't!).

Another possible problem, one which we experienced on Mira, is seen when connecting a small, portable, 2000W gasoline generator to our shore power inlet.  By the way, we do this when we have extended time without sun, yet don't want to run the (much more expensive to maintain) diesel engines which have high-output alternators to re-charge the batteries.

We have found that when they are being run without a load, our small generator puts out a voltage of about 127V, then when under any nominal load, drops down to 120V.

Since Mira is a 230V boat, our transformer also doubles the incoming voltage.  So 127V becomes 254V, and then we add about 4% to that and it's now at about 265V, when it should be 230V!  That is 15% too high and well outside of the acceptable voltage range.

Yup, that's bad, how do we fix it?

First, we have to understand how transformers work. Fortunately, transformers are very simple electrical devices. They consist of one or more primary windings, to which power is fed in, and one or more secondary windings, from which power is then extracted.  These windings are wrapped around what is fundamentally a shared iron core. Read more on Wikipedia if you want, but basically, the alternating current coming in induces a magnetic flux into the iron core (think of this as transferring potential energy), then when that alternating current switches polarity, that flux that is stored in the iron core with what we will call a "positive" flux needs to be forced out and replaced by an opposing flux, which we'll call negative.  They are really clockwise and counter-clockwise, but again, Wikipedia if you care.

When that energy gets forced out of the core, it gets pushed onto the secondary windings and a voltage is created on those wires. The neat thing about transformers and why they are ultimately simple, is because the input voltage is proportionate to the output voltage in the same ratio as the number of windings between the primary winding(s) and the secondary winding(s). All transformers are notated with their ratio in the form of x:y, where x and y indicate the ratio between primary and secondary.

You may have guessed that the ratio of the transformer used in Victron Energy's isolation transformers is 1:1.04. In other words, for every volt applied to the input side, 1.04V will appear on the output side.

Okay, now can you tell me how to fix it?

With that knowledge in hand, there are three possible solutions to remove this boost.

1. Replace the transformer in the isolation transformer unit with one having a turns ratio that matches our needs. Actually, replacing it with a transformer with multiple output taps that produce very similar ratios would be ideal, as you could fine tune the output voltage up or down, depending on the then-current needs.

2. Remove some windings from the transformer's secondary to lower the turns ratio.  (Don't even think about this!)

3. Swap the primary winding connections with the secondary winding connections so we end up with a buck transformer with the inverse turns ratio, namely 1:0.96!  It turns out this is very quick and easy to accomplish and will work for quite a few scenarios. It is also easy to switch back if needed.

For our scenario above it changes to the following: 127V comes in, which then gets doubled to 254V, but also reduced by 4%, which is 244V, which keeps the inverter/charger happy. Once an actual load is added and the generator output drops to 120V, the output is even better: 120V * 2 * 0.96 = 230.4V; just about perfect!

Now, this solution may cause problems for us if we connect to 230V pedestal, however we hardly ever do this and if we do, it is quick and easy to undo the changes.

That didn't tell me how to fix it. Now can you tell me?

Okay, so the only reasonable solution is to swap that primary winding connections with the secondary winding connections.  

Before I continue, and more importantly, before you continue, you should not do this if you are not qualified. There are Victron Energy technicians and electricians that can make this swap for you. Doing this wrong could result in an overload, a boat fire or electrocution.
The following instructions are meant for them to make these changes for you. The author assumes no responsibility for any issues encountered in performing these changes, proceed at your own risk!!

1. Make sure there is no AC connection to the boat. It's not a bad idea to de-power your inverter, but if it is wired correctly and working correctly, there should be no power coming "backwards" from the inverter.
2. Remove the cover from the Victron isolation transformer. there are 4 screws that attach the large upper panel.
3. Measure the incoming wires with a voltmeter set to AC Volts to make absolutely sure that no power is coming into the transformer.
4. Inside, you will see that there are 8 wires coming from the top of the unit, from the toroidal transformer. There are four connectors on the left side and four on the right side. Take a picture of this starting point, both so you know how to go back to normal, and so it can be used as a reference when double-checking your work.
5. These two sets of 4 wires need to be swapped, in order. Meaning, the first wire in the left set must become the first wire in the right set, and vice-versa. The second wire in the let set must become the second wire in the right set, and vice-versa. The same for wires 3 and 4.
   When doing this, don't "braid" the connections, as there is barely enough length to make these connections. It is better to remove all connections first, then re-connect them one by one, but notes should be used to make sure the order is maintained. The connectors should each fully seat.
6. Print out this file and tape it on the the inside of the cover plate as a reference.
7. Add a sticker to the outside of the cover plate indicating if the isolation transformer is wired for the (standard) boost configuration or the (modified) buck configuration.
8. Compare the before picture taken to what it looks like when complete and double-check the work.
9. Re-attach the cover plate to the unit with the 4 screws.
10. Reattach AC power to the shore power input of the boat and verify that the voltage seen by the inverter or on AC outlets is within the range expected.

For the 3600W Auto-adjusting Isolation Transformer, here is what the connections looked like before changes:

And after changes:

Just curious, how is the transformer able to handle 115V and 230V inputs and always output the voltage I need?

The ability of this isolating transformer to be able to automatically adapt to 115V and 230V inputs is because both the primary coil and secondary coils are broken in half.  Depending on how those primary halves are connected on the input side and how the secondary halves are connected to the output side allows that. If the primary coils are wired to be one long string, it is configured for 230V input.  If the primary coils are wired to be two shorter strings in parallel, it is configured for 115V. The same is true for the output and the secondary coil, however, since the voltage at which your boat operated doesn't change, that connection can be done one time with the provided jumpers, and does not have to adapt.

Here is a basic block diagram of how this isolation transformer is built:

The connections on the input (left) side are done by a voltage sensing circuit that is driving relays.  On the output (right) side, the connections are achieved by jumpers configured once during installation.

When the boat is connected to 230V, the configuration relays are set to achieve this:

Configured for 230V input: one long winding on the primary side.

When the boat is connected to 115V, the configuration relays are set to achieve this:

Configured for 115V input: two short windings in parallel on the primary side.

So what changes in the block diagram to make this to a buck transformer?

We swapped the primary wining connections with the secondary winding connections to change this transformer from a boost to a buck.  That changes the block diagram to this, with the changes in orange. You will see that the ratio is swapped and what was primary is now secondary and vice-versa:

Wow, that was a lot!

If you got here, thanks a lot for reading! Sorry I get so technical. Please leave any comments or questions below!

Vision 444 - How to (hopefully never have to) use a Storm Sail

 How to use the Storm Sail on a Vision 444

My fellow Visionary Pierre on Umbono reached out recently wanting to review the steps for deploying the Storm Sail, since he was forecasted to be in less-than ideal sailing conditions in the next day. What better opportunity to write a blog article!

This is going out quickly to support Pierre, but I will come back and add pictures and maybe link a video later.

Preparation

• Keep the Storm Sail and everything you need for it somewhere where it is easy to get.
  We keep ours in the large lazarette under the Cockpit table seating.
• If you think you might need the Storm Sail, you probably should have the jacklines put out too. 
  The system we use to deploy the Storm Sail reduces the time we need to be forward, but wearing a life vest with harness and being clipped into the lazy jacks is the way to go here.
• Our Storm sail is in it's own bag with the following:
• A port sheet attached to the clew with a bowline
• A starboard sheet attached to the clew with a bowline.
• A sail tie, so that we can secure the jib, since we will use the Jib Sheet as the Storm Sail Halyard, preferable tied onto the cinching line for the sail bag, so it is easy to find.
• Each of the above mentioned sheets also contains the following:
• A low friction ring threaded onto the sheet which is spliced onto a custom Soft Shackle for easy attachment to the padeye in the end of the jib track.  The Soft Shackle need to be long enough so that the sheet does not drag against fiberglass/EVA.
• Another low friction ring threaded onto the sheet, which is spliced onto a custom Soft Shackle for easy attachment to the mid-ship pad eye located near the toerail. (If you don't have this padeye, you can just as easily attach to the toe rail). Again, make sure the length is right to prevent chafe.
• A stopper knot (figure 8, etc) at the bitter end of the sheet.
• The Storm sail is stored in the bag, flaked and hanked onto the rigid stay so that it can be easily and quickly deployed.

Overview

Here is a brief description of how the sail is configured:

• The Storm Sail is already hanked onto a rigid stay that has a 3:1 purchase, lock-off block at the foot.
• The stay that is part of the Storm Sail is soft shackled onto the dyneema line attached to the mast, just above the Jib sheet mast entry, and normally attached to the bottom of the mast with a bungee and kept out of the way.
• These two are connected to form a solent stay, on which the Storm Sail is hoisted.
• The Jib Sheet becomes the Storm Sail Halyard.
• The sheets are dedicated for the Storm Sail and are already attached and stowed in the bag (preferably as a Line Sinnet / Daisy Chain as it will not tangle and is very easy to deploy)

Deploying the Storm Sail, Step-by-Step

Here are the steps we follow.  I strongly suggest practicing these and adjusting them as you see fit.  If you need to use your storm sail, you want to make sure it gets up quickly, easily and safely.

1. Be Safe. Employ all safety precautions prudent for the conditions (Life Vest, Harness, Lazy Jacks, etc).
2. Douse the Main and Jib and use the motors and autopilot to hold a heading.
3. Prepare the Storm Sail for Use
1. Slightly loosen the Jib Sheet (6 inches).
2. Turn on the deck lights if dark.
3. Bring the Storm Sail bag to the longeron and secure to the trampoline.
4. Find the Sail Tie in the bag and securely tie the Jib at the Clew so that it cannot unfurl.
   When you are done and sure it can't possibly untie, add another loop and knot.
5. Take the sheets out of the bag and undo the Line Sinnet by pulling from the bitter end.
4. Rig the Sheets:
1. Choose one to be port and attach the "first"(closest to sail) Low Friction Ring Soft Shackle to the Jib Track padeye on the port side.
2. Attach the "second" (closest to stopper knot) Low Friction Ring Soft Shackle to the port side, mid-sheet padeye.
3. Properly wind the sheet onto the port, aft winch, including going into the tailer.  You should have four full wraps, then the tailer and a short length of rope and stopper after.
4. Repeat these steps for the Starboard side.
5. Create the Solent Stay
1. Take the Storm Sail out of the bag and secure the bag. Place the sail with the tack near the Dog Bone loop and the clew on top of the longeron.
2. Make sure that the 3:1 purchase block at the foot of the sail's stay is fully loosened.
3. Free the mast-connected Dyneema stay and attach it to the snap shackle at the head of the Storm Sail's stay. You have created a Solent Stay that has yet to be tensioned or connected.
6. Connect the Storm Sail Halyard
1. Make sure your Jib is securely wrapped with a Sail Tie.
2. Dis-connect the Jib Sheet from the Jib Track Traveler by undoing the Soft Shackle.
   Reattach the Soft Shackle to the Traveler .
3. Remove the Jib Sheet from the block on the clew of the Jib.
   It should come directly from the mast to your hand.
4. Use this soft shackle from the Jib Track Traveler and attach the Jib Sheet to the Head of the Storm Sail.  This is now the Storm Sail Halyard.
5. Just behind the Jib furler is a Dyneema line with a dogbone on one end.  Feed this through the foot of the Storm Sail's stay and then insert the aluminum dogbone fitting into the mating Dyneema loop on the longeron.
7. Tension the Solent Stay
1. Pull on the tensioning line that goes to the 3:1 locking block to tension the Solent Stay. This should be very tight.  Make sure the line is locked off into the V-groove of the block. Coil the extra line and place out of the way.
8. Deploy the Sail.
1. This is best accomplished with two people.
2. One person will be raising the Storm Sail Halyard (labeled Jib Sheet) from the Helm.
3. The other person will make sure that the hanks can easily ride over the snap shackle and do not bind on the way up.
4. The person at the helm should be looking at the Halyard and making sure it is flowing smoothly and that the person forward is able to prevent it from binding on the way up.
5. The Halyard should be tightened enough to remove all creases from the luff of the sail.
   
6. When fully up, the sail and sheets may be flogging, so it is best and safest if the person at the helm uses the leeward aft winch to take in on the sheet enough so that it is not flogging and the person forward can safely walk aft.
7. Stow the Storm Sail bag where it will not flog or blow away.
9. Trimming, tacking and Gybing
1. Trimming, tacking and gybing the Storm Sail is very similar to how this is performed for the Jib, albeit with two sheets.
2. Remember, comfort is also a part of safety, so if you bear away from close-hauled, you will likely have a more comfortable (and therefore safer) sail.

Dousing and Stowing the Storm Sail

Follow these steps to stow the sail for quick use next time:

1. Be Safe. Employ all safety precautions prudent for the conditions (Life Vest, Harness, Lazy Jacks, etc).
2. Prepare for dousing
1. Turn on the deck lights if dark.
2. Fully loosen both sheets, however, keep them attached to the aft winches.
3. Bring the Storm Sail Bag forward and attach to the trampoline.
3. Lower the Storm Sail
1. This works best with two people.
2. One person will ease the halyard as the other will be forward, flaking the sail.
3. The halyard can be lowered quickly and will make the work of the person forward easier.
4. The sail should be flaked into widths that will fit easily into the bag.
5. The halyard will need to be very loose to reattach to the Jib.
4. Reattach the Jib Sheet
1. Push the Storm Sail fully down on the Solent Stay.
2. Disconnect the halyard from the Storm Sail, and pull plenty of slack to re-rig the Jib Sheet.
3. The Sheet runs from the Mast, down through the Jib Sheet Traveler Block, entering on the Aft side. It then runs in from the bottom side of the block on the clew of the Jib, then comes from the top of that block to the Jib Track Traveler and is soft-shackled.
   Important Note!: Before you feed the jib sheet through the Jib clew block, rotate the jib until tight against the furling line to make sure you are reattached the jib at the same position on the jib furling line. It is likely you lost 1 wrap when originally disconnecting the Jib Sheet.
4. Un-tie the sail tie from the Jib and then tie it to the Storm Sail Bag cinching line.
5. Tighten the Jib Sheet.
5. Disconnect the Solent Stay
1. Un-tension the solent stay by releasing the tension fully of the tack block on the stay.
2. Disconnect the Storm Sail stay from the Dyneema Mast stay using the snap shackle.
3. Re-stow the Dyneema mast stay, making sure it is not hung up on any other rigging.
   We find that a wrap or two around the lower diamond stay prevents it from noisily slapping against the mast in wind.
4. Disconnect the foot of the Storm Sail stay by undoing the dog-bone connector.
6. Stow the Storm Sail Sheets.
1. Disconnect the four soft-shackled Low Friction Rings and remove the sheets from the aft winches.
2. Slide the soft shackled Low Friction Rings forward to the clew of the Storm Sail.
3. Starting at the Storm Sail, use a Line Sinnet/Daisy Chain to tidy each sheet and place them on the flaked Storm Sail.
4. Place the storm sail back in the bag, make sure the Sail Tie is inside, then cinch the bag closed. Store the Sail Bag somewhere you can get to in the worst conceivable conditions.

Found any typos or errors?  Please let me know with a comment.

A better fresh water pump!

How to revive a failing water pump

(and make it better!)

This is a companion blog article to a YouTube video we did on the same topic.

Disclaimer: You must be electrically and mechanically competent to complete these repairs/upgrades.  If you are unsure of any step, stop and get professional assistance.  You can always reach out to me and I will try my best to help.

Our Vision 444 ES catamaran uses two freshwater pumps, one in each hull.  Each one is a 24V diaphragm pump made by Pentair.  Don't worry, the same steps apply to 12V pumps.

We have one in each hull, but we also have crossover valves, which when we open, allows one pump to pressurize the water on both sides.  We normally operate them this way so that we drain water from one tank, then we can switch which pump is powered up and pull from the other tank.

About a year after we launched, the port side pump started acting up.  It would sputter and get sporadic in running as it got close to the cut-off pressure.  It was very obviously sounding different and on it's way out.

I came up with a solution, applied it, and it has been successfully running for about 6 months now, so I wanted to share my solution!

The Problem

Too much is being asked of the little switch that sends current flowing through the pump motor. It's actually a high quality Omron switch, but DC motors suck a lot of current when first turning on, so the contacts in the switch end up arcing as the pump cycles on and off. That's okay, but it does degrade the life of the switch. The switch is rated for only so many electrical cycles (the number of mechanical cycles are rated too, but that takes a looooong time).  When the current is increased, the number of cycles the switch can sustain is reduced.

The Basic Solution

So, the switch fails, you repair it, right?  Yes and no. Okay, yes obviously, but the switch is not made to be or sold by Pentair as a replacement part. You have the replace the entire "Upper Assembly"(94-801-10, which sells for about $60, when the only problem is a $3.50 (or $17 for 4) switch!  

SHURflo AquaKing II - image copyright Pentair

Note, these steps and parts are for the Pentair SHURflo AquaKing II 24V, 5.0 GPM pump (4158-163-A75/E75).  These are likely the same exact steps for the 12V version of this pump and also others in the family that have a lower GPM rating.  Reach out if you are not sure!

Replacing Just The Switch

Parts

So, if you want to replace the switch by itself, you will need the following:

• New Switch - Omron - V15-2C26-K (Check yours first)
• Soldering Iron
• Solder
• Rosin soldering flux (highly recommended)
• Screwdriver (Phillips)
• Optional
• You may need some crimp connecters to re-install the pump to your boat.
• We try to keep a spare of just about everything.  Not a bad idea to have an upper housing spare on the boat anyways, and if this repair goes sideways, or you loose a part, you will still be able to repair the pump using that!

These are the three screws that hold on the switch housing

Steps

1. Remove the pump from the boat
1. Un-power the pump (switch, breaker or fuse, depending on your boat)
2. Drain water/pressure from your freshwater system by opening a low water outlet (sink, shower, etc).  Leave this open while you work.
3. Remove the water connection
4. Remove the electrical connection (this may require cutting wires)
5. Place the pump where you can work on it and don't mind some residual water draining.
6. Remove the three Phillips screws that are holding on a small cover on the Upper Assembly.
1. There are quite a few parts inside that will fall out. They are easy to re-install, just don't loose them!
2. One screw is longer and goes through a longer section of the cover you are removing.
7. Carefully work the switch out of the plastic housing.
8. When out, work the rubber insulation boot about 6 inches down the insulated wire.
9. Remove the slide-on connector from one of the switch contacts.
10. Unsolder the wire from the remaining switch connector.
11. While the wire is hot, re-solder this wire onto the equivalent contact on your replacement switch.
1. Flux and a high wattage iron will help a lot. Be careful not to touch anything with the tip of the hot iron and have a safe place to reset it when not using it!
2. Turn off your iron when done and place it somewhere safe to cool.
12. Slide the other connecter onto the new switch.
13. Slide the rubber boot down the wires and up against the switch.
14. Slide the switch and rubber boot back into the housing.
    (There are rails and grooves that mate with one-another).
15. Re-assemble the switch and cover to the pump upper housing.
1. Make sure the beige rubber plug is fitted flush into the pump upper housing.
2. Place the three screws through the switch housing.
   Make sure the long screw goes through the thickest portion of plastic.
3. Place the small, round plastic plug (shaped like a top-hat) into the switch housing hole, on to the top of the adjusting set screw.  The skinner button portion of the plug should face out.
4. Insert the pressure spring into the same housing hole.
5. Place the gasket onto the screws, aligning the shape of the gasket to match.
6. Place the black plastic lever into the intermediate plastic piece.
   It can only fit one way.  The bump on one end of the lever will align with the button on the switch.
7. Carefully slide the intermediate piece and lever onto the screws of the switch housing and gently squeeze together. You would be able to manually activate the switch using the part of the lever that will mate with the beige rubber plug.
8. Make sure that everything seems to fit together well.  
9. Place this against the pump housing and carefully screw in all three screws, while holding the pieces tightly together (so nothing can more out of place).
10. Snug the three screws with modest pressuse- they are just in plastic.
16. Reinstall the pump into the boat, connecting the water connections, electrical connection and tightening the mounting screws.  
17. Apply power to the pump.  It should start to operate, and since you have a tap open, you will be able to work the air out of the system.  Do not close the tap until you expel the air pocket that was introduced.
18. When you close the tap, the pump should run for no more than 10-20 seconds, build pressure and turn off.  If it does not, open again and make sure there is no more air in the system.
19. If it still does not turn off, you may need to adjust the pressure cut-off set screw with a 2mm allen wrench.
    If you need to loosen this screw by more than half a turn, something else is wrong, recheck everything and if no luck, reach out to me!
20. Double check that your water connections are not leaking and that there are no leaks around the switch housing.  If there are, snug those three screws a little more.
21. DONE!

Check out the YouTube video to see how bad our old switch looked internally!

The Advanced Solution

Why You Need It

The advanced solution is highly recommended if you are a live-aboard, or just want a more robust solution that will likely never require another switch replacement.

Unless you pump is lightly used, I would suggest starting by replacing the switch, as detailed above. 

The proper solution, is to allow that small micro-switch to operate within its designed parameters. In order to do that, we will have to insert another device which handles the high current, while the micro-switch simply tells this device when to turn on.

How To Accomplish This

Some of you are probably thinking relay! Yes, it is a relay, but a specialized type of relay.  Relays, at least electro-mechanical relays, ultimately have the same contact arrangement as the micro-switch, just larger and hopefully better able to handle the motor current.  It will take a lot longer, but they will succumb to the same contact erosion and eventual failure.

The solution I prefer is to use a Solid State Relay (SSR for short).  From the outside, these work just like the electro-mechanical versions, however internally, they are quite different.  The current switching is being done by a semiconductor called a MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor, Field Effect Transistor).  Apply a small charge to the "gate" of the MOSFET and the PN junction will then "open" and allow electrons to flow.  This is really the basis of how every semiconductor works.

E-T-A Solid State Relay - image copyright E-T-A

At any rate, when the electrons are allowed to flow, they are not having to jump across any tiny air-gap, so there is no arc, therefore there is no erosion taking place and the MOSFET will survive indefinitely, as long as the maximum amount of current does not exceed it's rating (which has to do with channel width in the silicon).

TLDR - A properly sized SSR can be switched by an incredible small current from the micro-switch and allow the large motor current to flow without sustaining damage!

Adding in an SSR

Parts

In order to perform this upgrade, you will need the following:

• SSR - This will vary based on the voltage and fuse fating (as shown on motor) of the pump you have.
• 24V, up to 10A Pump Fuse Rating - E-T-A ESR10-NC2A4HB-00-D2-10A - $19
• 12V, up to 10A Pump Fuse Rating - E-T-A ESR10-NC2A4HB-00-D1-10A - $26
• 12V, up to 17A Pump Fuse Rating - E-T-A ESR10-NC2A4HB-00-D1-17A - $36
• Wire cutters
• Wire stripper
• Wire connector crimper
• Female, 0.187" crimp quick-connect insulated connectors for small tabs on SSR.
• 14-16 gauge - one for wire from micro switch - TE Connectivity 3-350816-2 - $0.30
• 18-22 gauge - one for added wire from power - TE Connectivity 2-520181-2 - $0.30
• Female, 0.25" crimp quick-connect insulated connectors for large tabs on SSR.
• Sized for the wire on your pump, you will need two each
• 10-12 gauge - TE Connectivity 4-520448-2 - $0.35
• 14-16 gauge - TE Connectivity 3-520141-2 - $0.40
• 6" Length of marine wire, Red, 12 or 14 gauge (to match the red wire gauge on your pump)
• 6" Length of marine wire, Black, 18 - 22 gauge (carries almost no current)
• Soldering Iron
• Solder
• Soldering flux
• Two 1" long pieces of heat-shrink tubing, large enough to slide over two pieces of pump motor wires laid on top of each other.
• Lighter or heat gun to shrink heat-shrink tubing.
• 6-8" piece of electrical tape
• Optional
  I'm a big fan on using these same Quick Connectors when you re-install the pump into your boat.  It is so much easier to take the pump out to replace any items, and if you use Quick Connect connectors, this becomes so much easier.
• Female, 0.25" crimp insulated connectors for boat side of your pump connection.
  (same as above) - Choose the size that matches your boat wiring.
• 10-12 gauge - TE Connectivity 4-520448-2 - $0.35
• 14-16 gauge - TE Connectivity 3-520141-2 - $0.40
• Male, 0.25" crimp insulated connectors for pump side of pump connection.
  Choose the size that matches your pump wiring.
• 10-12 gauge - TE Connectivity 4-521098-2 - $0.70
• 14-16 gauge - TE Connectivity 3-520107-2 - $0.65
• You may also need some nylon ties (Zip-Ties) to tidy up your re-installation.

Diagrams

Okay, a couple pictures, will hopefully make this make better sense.

First, this is how the pump normally works in your system:

Standard Water Pump Configuration

Preparing Water Pump for SSR

SSR Water Pump Configuration

The quick description of the process is that we cut the wire coming from the switch to the motor and insert the SSR so that high current flows from the boat, through the switch portion of the SSR and into the motor.  The control side of the SSR is powered by the signal coming from the small switch inside the pump housing and we also provide a return path for that switch current back to the boat negative.

Steps

1. Remove the pump from wherever is is mounted, following steps 1 through 5, above.
2. Cut the red wire that goes from the switch to the pump motor, about in the middle.
1. Strip about 3/16"-1/4" of insulation from the end and crimp a 0.187" tab, female quick- connect connector to the wire coming from the switch.
2. Strip about 3/16"-1/4" of insulation from the end and crimp a 0.25" tab, female, quick- connect connector to the wire going to the motor
3. Create a gap in the insulation on the main red and black wires that used to be connected to your boat, as follows: *See below for a tip on how to do this
1. Red wire that is going to the switch, place the gap at about the same length from the switch as where the other red wire was cut.
2. Black wire that is going to the motor, place the gap so that it will be close to the opening in the red wire however the pump was mounted and wire strung in your boat.
4. Take the 6" length of red wire, strip one end about 1/2" and wrap around the exposed conductor in the gap of the red wire.  It should make at least one full revolution.
1. Solder this connection, making sure the added wire cannot "spin" around the original wire when complete.
2. Slide heat shrink over this connection and carefully apply heat to shrink onto wire.
5. Take the 6" length of black wire, strip on end about 1/2" and wrap around the exposed conductor in the gap of the black wire.  It should make at least one full revolution.
1. Solder this connection, making sure the added wire cannot "spin" around the original wire when complete.
2. Slide heat shrink over this connection and carefully apply heat to shrink onto wire.
6. Cut the 6" wires shorter, if desired.  This will allow the SSR to be connected in, without excess wire length.
1. Strip about 3/16"-1/4" of insulation from the end of the red wire and crimp a 0.25" tab -female quick-connect connector to this wire.
2. Strip about 3/16"-1/4" of insulation from the end of the black wire and crimp a 0.187" tab female quick-connect connector to this wire. 
7. Attach the four wires as follows:
1. Small (0.187") connector on the red wire to pin 1.
2. Small (0.187") connector on added black wire to pin 2.
3. Larger (0.25") connector on added red wire to pin 3.
4. Larger (0.25") connector on red wire going to motor to pin 5.
8. Wrap a few loops of electrical tape around the bottom of the relay and the connectors to secure and insulate everything.
9. Optional: As mentioned above, I'm a big fan of adding these same style connectors to the wiring connection between the boat and the pump.  If you want to do that:
1. Strip the end of the red and black wires on the pump and the boat by 3/16" - 1/4".
2. Crimp FEMALE quick-connect connectors to the red and black BOAT wires.
3. Crimp MALE quick-connect connector to the red and black PUMP wires.
10. Re-install the pump into the boat, following steps 16 to 20 above.
11. Once you are happy with everything, consider using a nylon tie to secure the relay and wires into a nice tidy bundle adjacent to the motor of the pump.

Pin Assignment for SSR

Pin assignment from E-T-A Datasheet - copyright E-T-A

That's a Wrap!

Whether you use your boat on the weekend or live-aboard full-time, you want to be on your boat enjoying yourself, not doing unexpected work.

To me this is a perfect example of investing a little time and expense on your terms so that your enjoyment is ruined (usually at the worst possible time - I think that should be called Neptune's Law) 

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and it all made sense and was easy to follow. If not, please take a moment to let me know via comment so I can fix it.

Also, please leave a comment if you put this into place and tell me how things went!

Raising the dinghy, easier!

The Davit System

The Vision 444 comes with a Carbon Fiber Davit system that is used to hoist a dinghy.  As time has gone on, some of the exact specifics of the davit system have evolved and changed slightly, but for our boat (Hull #11) and the ones near to it, this is how it operates. 

Two Main Steps

First, after attaching the dinghy to a forward and aft attachment line, the davit arms are raised; pivoting on axles which mount the davit to the transom of the boat.  This step is accomplished by attaching a line which runs through several blocks to the starboard, aft power winch.  Pressing "2" (low speed) on the winch power buttons and raising the davit into its full upright position, where it can be lashed to the boat with Dyneema loops.

Second, is to raise the dinghy to be close under the horizontal beams of the davit arms.  The dinghy attachment lines, that are attached to the dinghy's bridle, run up through a fixed block at the end of the davit arms and then to a "single block with becket" which can move along the length of the davit arm when pulled by the lifting line. 

The forward and aft dinghy lifting system is identical and operates as follows. A line begins at the becket of the "single block with becket".  It then travels to a fixed block mounted at the forward end of the davit arm, then travels back to the "single block with becket", going around the block and then back to the forward end of the davit arm, where it goes through a clutch.

The line is pulled through the clutch, which gives a 2:1 pulley system, reducing the amount of force needed by half, but requiring to pull twice as much line to raise the respective end of the dinghy.

It looks like this:

Photo of standard block setup - Photo Courtesy of Grant Mackenzie

Overall Thoughts

Even though there are some areas that I chose to improve, the system is very good.  Our friends that are on monohulls are left mouth agape when they see how easily and quickly we can raise our dinghy.  We are usually completely done lifting it, securing it for a passage and heading inside before they have gotten the dinghy even fully out of the water.

Some of the greatest attributes are:

• It uses an existing motor (a winch) instead of needing a separate specialty motor.
• It is a simple system that uses simple blocks.
• It lifts the dinghy exceptionally high out of the water, which is really important in bad weather, especially following seas where a low dinghy could get swamped.
• It is very easy to fully secure the dinghy for off-shore passages.
• It can be used to safely lift a dinghy by one person as long as it is not overly choppy or rolly.

We've found some aspects of it that have challenged us in its use.  After living on the boat for 21 months at this point, we have come up with quite a few solutions to those challenges.

Here are the parts we wanted to make better/easier:

• Lifting force required
  It is pretty difficult to lift the engine end of the dinghy (we have a 30HP Yamaha that weighs 53kg / 120 lbs) with a 2:1 pully system.  When hoisting the aft end, we are basically lifting the engine and half of the boat weight (about 30 kg), which is about 83kg / 182 lbs.  Even at half that with a 2:1 pully system, it's a lot of force required.
  The forward end is easier, but since the fuel tank (20kg when full) and the anchor and chain (5 kg) are at the bow, most of that weight is borne by the bow lifting line, so we estimate that at about 50kg / 110 lbs, which even with a 2:1 is not easy.
• Noise from the harken blocks when lifting
  The original blocks that allow for lifting of the davits are attached to pad eyes on the forward end of the davit arms using the standard stainless steel shackle that comes with the block.  As the davit is raised, the angle of the line changes slightly, which causes the shackle to change position on the pad eye. This movement causes a metal-on-metal noise that gets amplified through the tensioned lifting line. It's not anything that is causing any damage, but it's not a fun sound.
• Being able to quickly and easily hook and unhook the hoisting lines from the dinghy bridle
  This matters most in rough conditions, when you are trying to hook the dinghy in while also trying to balance and also trying to prevent the dinghy from bashing into the sugar scoops. But, it's also nice all the time for that process to be easy and safe.
• Stress on the Davits when lifting the dinghy in rolling conditions
  As delivered by the factory, the dinghy lifting lines that go from the moving "block with becket" on each davit arm to the dinghy attachment hook are a very high quality Dyneema line.  This is generally viewed as the best rope material to use on all parts of a cruising yacht. However, since Dyneema has exceptionally low stretch (~2% at 50% load rating), when we are hoisting the dinghy in rough conditions, the boat is bobbing up and down as the dinghy is fully raised from the water.  This results in the lines being slack and then fully tight as each waves passes by. This causes the davit arms to take a heck of a shock load and vibrate and also a torquing motion can be seen from one arm to the other.  These arms are made from carbon fiber, so addressing this is probably being overly cautious, but this was a point of stress for us when hoisting.
• Possibility of over tensioning when lifting the davit and absolutely destroying a block
  While lifting with the winch is great because it removes the need for one more (specialty) motor on the boat, it is not without it's minuses. When we hoist the davit arms, the goal is to pull the line just enough so that the davit is fully against the rubber stops at the top end, which allows us to easily attach the securing loops that take the tension off the hoisting line, blocks and clutch.  If we lift slightly too little, we can pull on the line that runs from one arm to the other to increase the tension the last little bit to be able to get the Dyneema loops attached.
  However, if we pull too much the Harken 46 electric winch can pull with 1300 kg / 2860 lbs /1.43 tons of force!! The 8mm double braid Dyneema line can handle that (2100kg breaking strength), but the poor little block that leads the davit hoisting line to the winch certainly cannot (1100kg breaking load). 
  Guess what happens if the winch is pressed for 1/2 second too long?  The Dyneema tensions and because the Dyneema stretches so little, the full force force of the winch is applied to and absolutely explodes the block, making it rain with the internal ball bearings landing in every direction.

How to improve on a great starting point

None of these solutions came about immediately, but since this is like taking our car our of the garage and we do it almost every day, we had plenty of time to think about solutions and try some things out.  Here is what we did to make the dinghy lifting process even better.

Lowering the Lifting Force Required

There are really only two options; reduce the weight (nope) or increase the mechanical advantage.

The goal with this was to increase the mechanical advantage without having to make the solution look ugly or have to drill extra holes in the davit arms.

To accomplish this, we needed the line to start at the fixed, forward end of the davit arm and add another pulley at the moving end. The "adding another pulley" part was easy, we simply replaced the "block with becket" (Harken 2601) with a "Fiddle Block" (Harken 2621).

A fiddle block is a double block that has two blocks inline (one smaller, one larger), instead of having two same-sized pulleys side-by-side.

The harder part was having the hoisting line start at the fixed end. We needed a fixed block (called a cheek block) with a becket, and we needed it to mount using the same hole pattern as the existing cheek block. That doesn't exist.  Actually, even a cheek block with a becket doesn't exist from Harken. We could always add another pad eye to the davit arm, but one of the goals was no more holes (not too mention, it would have been difficult, since adding a pad eye would require a backing plate to make sure the pad eye didn't just pull out of the carbon fiber).

The solution was to create a Dyneema loop of just the right length that is fed through the body of the existing cheek block and then is shackled to the end of the line. The only important point here is to make the loop just long enough so that the metal shackle is not applying force to the body of the cheek block.  I used a 4mm uncovered Dyneema line to do this and it is doubled up to get the required strength. This solved the problems and has made raising the dinghy so much easier!

Our solution after swapping out the aft block and making a new line connection

As an add-on note, we shared this solution with Kris and Pierre from Umbono (Hull #10) and Pierre implemented this part slightly differently.  Instead of the Dyneema loop and shackle, he made a soft shackle to a length that was just enough to thread through and attach to the eye in the end of the hoisting line.  I think this is a much better solution and is what I would recommend. It's on our list of enhancements! I would suggest a custom soft shackle (easy to make) that is made from 5 mm Dyneema.

Quiet down over there!

The metal-on-metal noise was basically fixed by replacing the two provided blocks (Harken 2600) that attach to pad eyes on the forward end of the davit arms with Harken 2151 blocks that attach with included loops of Dyneema.  Since there is some movement while under tension, I also added a Dyneema cover as a friction guard to the Dyneema line. Now, the connection is metal pad-eye to Dyneema cover which doesn't make a peep!

Harken 2151 block with Dyneema connection loop and protected by Dyneema cover

Hooking made easy

I don't remember what types of hooks came on the original hoisting lines because we changed this before leaving South Africa, but using a 3" / 75mm Safety Snap Hook has been wonderful.  We also spliced thimbles into the dinghy bridle, so clipping this safety snap hook on is utterly simple. Wichard (part 2481) makes a wonderful product for this, but it is pricey.  There are other brands out there and if they are rated for at least 400 kg working load, they should work fine.

Wichard Safety Snap Hook - Ⓒ Wichard Marine

Stop stressing me out!

The shock loading of the davit arms was very disconcerting, mainly because you could see the amount of force being applied to the arms as the dinghy got jerked up and down.  Our solution for this was to replace the double-braided Dyneema lines with three-strand nylon. Three strand nylon stretches a lot; approximately 12%!

This was simply a matter of replacing the provided lines with very inexpensive and easy to splice 3 strand nylon that is 3/8" in diameter (it's rated for 4,250 lbs of breaking strength, but working load is 5-20% of that depending on age and condition, so between 212 lbs and 850 lbs. Given that that can get close to the dinghy weight and because it is so cheap, I'll replace these lines after no more than 2 years to make sure they don't fail on us). 

The only thing that made it difficult was getting the length just right, given how much it stretches under load.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the final length of the loop I ended up at, but if your dinghy/motor have a different weight, it will likely vary by a little anyways.  

What I would suggest is to splice one end of each line directly to your davit bridle hook and then splice an eye onto the other end of the line for attachment to the shackle of the moving block.  The length should be such that you can't pull the hook up into contact with the block at the end of the arm, when the hoisting line is fully pulled in.  Err on the side of making the line too long as you can always undo your eye-splice and make the line shorter. If when you hoist your dinghy fully, there is still a lot of space between the fixed block and the bridle hook, re-splice the eye after taking a little less than distance of that gap.

Make sure the splices are tapered and clean, as the ends of the splices will have to go through the fixed block. Do not use knots, you will lose too much strength!

Shock-absorbing 3-strand rope spliced onto hook and with eye splice on forward end

Installing a safety valve to save blocks

Having a block that is being used to lift your dinghy suddenly explode into dozens of pieces is unsettling to say the least.  Fortunately, the block in question is located after the clutch, so, as long as the clutch is closed (which is should be) when the block does explode, the dinghy does not fall, it just stops lifting.  Still, far from ideal and blocks aren't terribly cheap.  Plus, without it, you can't lift the dinghy.

This solution is what I would call safe, but not ideal. It requires using a piece of 3 strand nylon rope beyond it's working load to take advantage of it's stretch. There is a backup piece of Dyneema for if/when the 3-strand rope breaks, but it's still not a perfect solution.  It does work really well though, as it provides for more margin of error when lifting the davit, and a safety valve in case it is still pulled too much (and it breaks).

I used 3/16" black 3-strand nylon rope.  It is rated at 1,300 lbs of breaking strength, so about 130 lbs of working load.  I made what's called a rope grommet, which is just a single loop that looks like regular three strand rope, but is made out of one strand that's a little over three times the length of the circumference of the loop.  Here is the video I used to figure out how to do this.

When I install this, I use it doubled over twice, so there are 4 segments of this rope, which effectively quadruples the strength of rope, so we are up to about 500 lbs of working load. This is honestly pushing it, however, the grommet is only under load when we are actively hoisting or lowering the dinghy.  

I could remake this from a larger diameter 3-strand rope to increase the strength, but it would also decrease the stretch.

Increasing this one size and making it from 1/4" would increase the working load to about 840 lbs, without having too profound an impact on stretch and is probably worth considering, however, it also increases the chances that the block would fail before the 3-strand grommet.  This would take some destructive testing that I'm not willing to do to find out for sure!

In addition to this three-strand quadrupled-up rope I mentioned, I have also tied a 5mm piece of Dyneema tied with a square knot to a length that is just a bit longer than what the 3-strand stretches to under load.  If (when?) the 3-strand breaks, the Dyneema will pick up the load immediately.

So far this has worked really well and reduced the mental stress of holding on to that winch button too long and destroying another block. 

3-strand grommet stretch point with Dyneema "safety"

Other Thoughts

• When we are doing a long passage, or anytime we expect especially rough conditions, it's a good idea to lash the hole in the Safety Snap Hook to the rod that goes from one davit arm to the other.
  
  The weakest link in the davit system when the davit is raised and the dinghy secured is the 3-strand rope that hoists up the bow and stern of the dinghy. The other points of failure are the carbon fiber arms themselves, the Safety Snap Hooks, the pivot point on the bottom of the davit, and the Dynemma safety loops that secures the davit arms in the fully up position (I guess also the dinghy attachment hooks and the bridle system). Those are all insanely strong. While the 3-strand is plenty strong for everyday conditions, if the boat is lunging up and down, the forces seen by everything is multiplied by a factor equal to the G-forces being seen at that point.  A 6mm or larger piece of Dyneema tying the hook to the davit rod is just another step for piece of mind while under way.
• Water is heavy!!  Make sure to pull out the drain plug on your dinghy when rain is expected.  It is easy to take on a hundred pounds of water or more overnight! (We use a loop of yellow Velcro looped around the hoisting line to remind us to put the drain plug back in.)
  
• Things moving around in the dinghy while it is hoisted and you are underway is not great.  We attached a carabiner to a piece of thick shock cord that is tied to a bridle anchor point in the dinghy.  Before we hoist the dinghy for the night, we clip the carabiner to the outboard handle so that the outboard can't pivot from side-to-side while we are underway.
• Oh yeah, hoist the dinghy for the night!  Unless you are in the safest of safe places, RAISE IT!  The most common entries on CSSN (Caribbean Safety and Security Net) start with the words, "An in the water and unlocked dinghy..." following by something bad.

What's Left?

Our Dinghy Davit system is near perfect.  There is really only one thing I can think of that would be better, and that is if we could prevent the side-to-side swing of the dinghy when we are raising it in rolly swell. 

The dinghy is hanging from about 30" lines before the fore and aft hoisting lines are pulled in, and that allows for a lot of sway.  When it is very rough at anchor, this requires both of us to be involved, one to hold the dinghy from swaying and the other to operate the winch.

I haven't come up with a good solution for this yet, but that would be about the last thing!

Do you have any thoughts?  Please post a comment below with any thoughts or questions!

Automagic Anchor Chain Washdown

A Clean Anchor Chain?

Okay, so why would you want a clean anchor chain?  Two reasons, really.  First, if it's muddy, we really don't want all that muck getting in the anchor locker, and second, it's no so much clean, the goal is really to have no salt residue left on the chain.

Chain is zinc galvanized, so it is corrosion resistant, but there is only so much zinc on the steel chain, so the less work that zinc galvanization has to do to protect the underlying steel, the longer it will last!

Manual Cleaning

Up until now, we have been able to use a fresh-water hose and multi-position sprayer set to mist, which I would lock into "On" and then position the sprayer so that it would spray down through our bridle access opening to rinse the chain on the way up.

When you are in sandy anchoring spots, that is pretty much all you need; just enough to get the saltwater off.

Now, there have been times where we anchored in thick mud (the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA and Cocorite, Port of Spain, Trinidad, I'm talking about you!), where the chain is not even visible through the tube of mud surrounding it! In these cases, the chain basically needs a full-force and continuous spray of high pressure water to really get it clean.  Fortunately, that is not our normal case.

A Better Way

Since the normal goal is just to rinse off the saltwater, I wanted to add a better way to do this.  For one, it's kind of cool to automate things, but also, there are times where it takes some time to position the boat so that the windlass can pull up the anchor chain, without trying to pull the boat forward.  When that happens, I usually don't bother to turn off the sprayer, but it is wasting what is basically fresh drinking water.

The Parts

The parts used to make this come together really centered around a few things. Tbe links are for what I used. Adjust quantities and dimensions are needed!

• 6mm black polyurethane drip irrigation tubing (I only needed about 12 feet)
  It is easy to work with, cheap, UV-resistant and flows plenty of water
• Some plastic hose clamps to hold the drip irrigation tubing in place
  There are a couple of ways to go with this, these are not what I used, but would be I were to do it again.
• Plastic drip irrigation quick-connect fittings
  These make the job go together easily and they are also cheap
• Misting Nozzles
  These plug into the 1/4" quick-connect fittings and create a fine mist.
• Some M3 stainless steel machine screws
  These go through the holes in the quick connect fittings to fasten everything securely.
• 15mm quick connect PEX fittings (Stem Tee) (Elbow) (NPT Male to Quick Connect)
  To tie into the boat's existing plumbing
• 15mm quick-connect Shut-off valve
  So that the system could be isolated in case a leak springs
• 15mm PEX tubing, blue (I ordered 2 ft, but 1 would have been plenty)
  A few small segments were also needed to tie into the boat's existing plumbing
• A 24V electric solenoid valve  (12V Version)
  This is powered when the windlass is powered to automatic the spraying.  Our boat house battery bank is 24V DC, but there are also 12V versions available.
• Brass Adapter - 1/4" NPT Male to 1/2" NPT Female
  To make the connection from the 15mm Push-to-Connect fitting to the solenoid
• Brass Adapter - 1/4" NPT Female to 6mm Push-to-Connect fitting
  To make the connection from the solenoid 
• Two M5 Stainless steel machine screws
  These mount the solenoid to the boat.
  
• Teflon Tape
  Used to both provide a leak free seal and also to insulate between dis-similar metals.
• Some anti-corrosion jointing compound (Duralac(probably hard to get in the US) and Tef-Gel are both good options)
  Use this to protect from bi-metallic corrosion.  If you don't already have this (which you should!)
• Marine Grade duplex 20-AWG wire (buy locally as you will not need a full spool, we needed 3')
  For connection from solenoid to anchor windlass control
• 1/4" Split wire loom (we needed 3 feet)
  Use this to route and protect the wiring going from the solenoid to the anchor windlass control box.
• Inline blade fuse holder (something like the one linked, smaller gauge is better to join to 20 AWG wire) - Adjust based on how exposed this will be for your installation
  To be installed just after the connection to power.
• 2A blade fuse (should be good for 12V or 24V solenoid valve)
  To protect the wiring from shorts
• Crimp connections and/or soldering implements
  Used to connect to the solenoid wires, fuse holder and connection points in windlass control box. We needed ring terminal connectors for that connection and solders and heat-shrinked everything else.

The Steps To Do This

This is obviously going to vary based on the boat, etc, and it also assumes that fresh water is already close to the anchor.  If you only have salt water washdown, don't bother with this solution.  The mist is not strong enough to remove mud, and the misting nozzles will quickly clog from the salt.

Water connection

We are lucky because on Mira, there is already fresh water in the storage locker directly starboard of the anchor windlass.  That is where the hose spigot is located.

On Mira, the valve to turn off/off water to the spigot is attached to the boat with 15mm quick connect PEX tubing.

Here were the basic steps:

1. Turn off the water pumps and de-pressurize the water system
2. Disassemble the existing pieces from between the bulkhead and the valve.
1. This usually involved pulling back on the release ring and pulling out the tubing.
3. Make use of the existing venting hole in the bulkhead to bring pressurized cold water into the windlass/chain locker.
4. Use the quick connect fittings and pieces of 15mm PEX to create a location for the on/off valve and solenoid valve in the anchor locker.
5. Make the connections to the solenoid with the adapters.  Make sure to observe the flow direction cast into the bottom of the solenoid valve and make sure to use Teflon Tape to coat the threads before assembly.

Added Stem Tee to pass PEX Tube into Anchor Locker

Solenoid Mounting

We used some long machine screws installed through the starboard bulkhead of the anchor locker to mount the solenoid after getting all of the PEX measured, cut and fitted together.

Getting the location just right is not easy.  We photo-copied the bottom of the solenoid valve to figure out the mounting hole spacing and then drilled the holes a little larger than needed to so they would be able to start without forcing or potentially cross-threading.

The valve is brass, so adding anti-corrosion jointing compound to the screw threads is very important!

Shut-off valve and Solenoid Valve in Anchor Locker

Mounting the misters

I attached the misters to the quick connect fittings (all tees except an elbow on the end).  I had the chain off the boat to make access easier, but I think it would have been better to have the chain in to make placement of the misters easier/more accurate.

I placed the plastic fittings where I wanted the misters located and then marked through the holes to know where to drill.  

I decided to drill and then tap the holes for the M3 screws so they would be threaded into the aluminum longeron on Mira.  This was an absolute pain and difficult to do without breaking taps because the sizes are so small.  If I were to do it again (and I might change it anyways), I would drill clearance holes, then use longer M3 (or 1/8" if you have to use imperial sizes) machine screws and just use a nylon insert lock nut on the back side.

With either approach, just make sure you don't have stainless against Aluminum without jointing compound or the aluminum will corrode in no time.  You may even want to use some nylon washers to insulate the heads and nuts from the aluminum, but at the least coat the threads with compound.

Misting sprayers at anchor resting position

Misting sprayer near anchor resting position

Misting sprayers near aft anchor chain roller

Plumbing in the Misters

The 6mm tubing is very flexible and it's possible to bend it in about a 30mm radius instead of using an elbow, but that kit linked above includes a good number of elbows and that makes the installation easier and also requires fewer hose mounting clips, so that's what I did.

Figure out how you want the tubing mounting (using the adhesive backed mounting clamps) and get the lengths exactly as you want them.  You will have plenty of extra tubing, so don't be afraid to re-cut if you are not happy with the length.  MAKE SURE they are fully seated in the quick-connect fittings, it is very easy for them to not be in all the way, which means they will let loose under pressure.

After you are happy with the layout, thoroughly clean the surface to which the hose clamps will mount and then clip the clamp onto the hose and press firmly in place for about 15 seconds.

Plumbing to the Solenoid

The 6mm tubing now exists under the longeron and must get to the quick connect fitting on the outlet of the solenoid valve. This means drilling a hole through the hull.  For now, we simply have a 6mm hole drilled through the hull to get the tube inside.  It is a very tight fit so water ingress is all but impossible.  We also have a foam-core boat, so it is also not as big a concern.  If you have a wood cored boat, it is imperative to drill the hole larger (6.5mm) and then coat the inside of the hole with an epoxy (such as a hull primer).  When dry, insert the tubing and then seal it with sealant for good measure.

We taper-cut a longer piece of 6mm and forced it into the opening and it is a very, very tight fit.  Eventually (and when I can find the hardware), we will replace this with two 6mm ID grommets, one mounted from the outside, one from the inside, both epoxied in and sealing the interior foam core.

We used an elbow on the outside and inside of the hull to keep the tubing tidy and less likely to get snagged by something.

Figure out your routing and install more adhesive hose clamps along the inside to route the line.

Cut a nice clean edge at the right length and then insert into the outlet of the solenoid.

Attachment of 6mm tubing and entry into hull

Internal routing of 6mm tubing to solenoid valve

Wiring from the Solenoid to the Windlass Controller

This is obviously going to vary by installation.

We have a Lofrans Tigress 1500W, 24V windlass.  It has a control box mounting in the area behind the anchor locker (where out glassed-in diesel tanks are located). 

I soldered in a length of duplex wire to the pair of wires coming from the solenoid (the connections on this solenoid are not polarized, as it just powers an electromagnetic coil and pulls up on a ferrous element).

This was then placed into split wire loom and routed into one of the wire glands going into the windlass control box. 

Once inside the box, the black wire was terminated to the ground connection in the control box. I cut and stripped the wire and then crimped on a heat-shrinkable ring-terminal. Our control box contains a large fusible link in the ground path.  I attached the ground lug to the windlass side of the fusible link.

The red lead was connected via butt splice crimp connector to the fuse holder (after trimming the lead length of the fuse holder down).

On the other side of the fuse holder, I crimped a ring terminal that would attach to the output of the windlass control solenoid.

Loomed cable routing from anchor locker to windlass control box

Making the Actual Connections 

Our windlass has three terminals; a ground, a upward rotation terminal and a downward rotation terminal.  The solenoid for the windlass takes switch input from the deck-mounted buttons and the helm mounted button/chain counter and then based on those inputs activates the solenoid (relay) to send 24V to either the up or down input on the windlass. The ground terminal is always connected to vessel ground.

I believe that there are two sets of windings in this type of windlass, one for clockwise rotation and another for anti-clockwise rotation. If you have a two-wire windlass, you have one winding in the motor and a more complicated solenoid is required to reverse the polarity between wanting to go up or down with the chain.

The Easier and Safer Connection

The easier and safer answer for both is to have the solenoid activate if the chain is going up or down.  Does this waste water: yes, but a very small amount, since misters really don't dispense that much volume of water.

The reason this is the safer connection, is because the solenoid valve is powered by the windlass solenoid.  There is an extra 1A (less, really) of power consumption for the solenoid valve on what is on the order of 100A going to the windlass.

The connection is easier, because you don't have to figure out how wires from deck mounted buttons are powered.  You just connect the solenoid valve to the wires going to the windlass and you are all set.

But on a Three Wire Windlass, There Is An Up Wire?!

You may be thinking, I already have a dedicated "Up" terminal to which I can connect, so I can just connect to that wire and it will only run when going up.

I thought that as first too, however, the two windings that exist within the windlass still exist next to each other.  An electric motor and an electric dynamo/(generator) are basically the same thing.  In the motor, an electric current is being applied to windings, and the magnetic flux is causing the rotor of that motor to spin.  In a dynamo, the rotor is being spun by and outside force and the magnetic flux generated by this is induced into the windings and generates power.  

So, when the down winding is being power to create motive force (as a motor, moving the chain down), the other up winding is acting as the winding of a dynamo and creating voltage!  Pretty neat and in this case, pretty annoying!

There Has to Be a Solution For This!

There is a solution for this, actually a couple, and they vary from terrible to possible.

Option 1: Use a diode

Insert a diode between the windlass solenoid UP output and the windlass Up input and then connect the solenoid valve power between the windlass solenoid and diode.

This prevents power from coming FROM the windlass up terminal when the down motor wincing is being powered.  The only way the solenoid valve can be powered is from power coming through the windlass solenoid, not from the motor acting as a dynamo.

This is a terrible solution because of the size that the diode would have to be.  (Read, huge) Also, it reduces the voltage getting to the windlass motors, which is harder on the motor and will reduce its life.  It also will cause the diode to create heat.  This can be ruled out as a stupid/terrible option.

Option 2: Power the valve from the Up Switch

Powering the solenoid valve directly from the "UP" switch(es) is an option; it is basically powering the solenoid from the input side of the windlass solenoid, but it carries some risks.  It will takes some research to make sure that the exact wiring is understood (what voltage, is it fused, can the switch(es) handle the added current?)  If it is already fused, it may be possible to remove the added fuse, but there is no harm in keeping it.  If the voltage is not the same, that would be weird, but possible and then the solenoid valve may need to be different.  The big one is "can the switch(es) handle the added current (about 1A from my measurements) of running the solenoid valve in addition to the windlass solenoid.

The biggest challenge is probably going to be finding out what the switches (deck mounted and control panel/chain counter) are rated for.  While a stand-alone, general purpose switch you buy will certainly have these ratings, the ratings for a switch part of a "windlass-system" likely will not.  

You may be able to make sure educated guesses, for example, I can look at the contact area for the deck mounted switches and see that they can handle a lot of current, probably 10A, but for the ones in the controller at the helm, that is a lot harder, especially without taking the controller apart.  What is switching the current? A relay? A output from a microcontroller (unlikely)? A FET (Field Effect Transistor)?

If you can find the switch ratings, you will then have to find out how much current the windlass solenoid inputs take and see if there is another 1A of headroom so that the solenoid valve can be powered.

Or you can just try it and risk damaging your boat, the controller or the switches.

So, this option is possible, but takes either a good amount of research or some risk.

Option 3: Power the valve from a small relay connected to the Up Switch.

This is like option 2, except we are reducing the added power going through the Up switch(es) by only having to power the coil of a relay.  

Technically, the same research as above should be done, however in practice, the amount of current required to power the relay coil will be around 0.05A. It is incredibly likely that at least this amount of headroom exists.

The connections are not complicated, but the physical space of the relay, while not large, must be accommodated.  In short, the coil is connected to the UP switch input of the windlass solenoid and to the ground.  The normally open switch connections on the relay are connected to 24V, after the 2A fuse and then to the solenoid valve power.

This is the best option, thought the most complicated.

Summary of Options

Option 1 is terrible and should not be considered.

Option 2 could be an easy and safe method, but will take some research of values that may not be findable.

Option 3 is the best option if the current ratings and usage values can't be found.  The risk of switching too much current through the switches is not zero, but wince the amount of power for a relay is so small, the risk is exceptionally low.

Summary of the Project

The project was not overly complicated, but that was only because we were on the hard to do it.  Trying to do this while standing in a dinghy, etc. would have been really terrible.  We have still yet to launch so we have only been able to test the system by lowering and raising the anchor in the yard. 

I'll try to post an update after we have actually used this for real and also report back how the system has held up.

Updates!

Research into ratings

I would really like to have the solenoid valve and therefore the sprayers only operate when the anchor is being raised.  In order to do that I need to implement Option 2 or 3 above.

Here is what I need and what I've found:

• Lofrans Footswitch current rating: 4A - Found under Section 2 of the Installation and User's Manaul
• Lofrans IRIS 2 helm controller and chain counter Up/Down output rating: Not specified
• Lofrans Control Box (1500W, 24V) current draw: Not specified

Given that two of the three values are not given, I've reached out to Lofrans Tech Support to see if I can get them.  I could measure the input current on the Control Box, but without knowing the actual output rating for the IRIS 2, it is of little value.