Looking to buy LM32

[johnwebb]

Thanks, fairly obvious if I had thought! Showing the inner forestay which seems a bit pointless and a couple of the bow thruster etc. I have made contact with the manufacturer of your level gauge and it is not available in the UK now which seems silly. The version with the outside metal strips in working very well on my holding tank. I have the details of a US company which will supply.

John

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[Brian & Glenda]

Hello John,
I believe that you also have to be log yourself into this site to be able to post photos, and to expand other folks photo's. I look forward to seeing the pictures, especially those of the inner forestay as I have been considering whether or not to add one to my LM32 for those stormy days. Trouble is... you need to buy and carry the storm sail too! I'd put one in with a well anchored (such as you describe) eye fitting on deck, and either a turnbuckle or perhaps a block and tackle at the foot of a shortened stay, such that I could simply keep the extra forestay alongside the shrouds when not in use such and avoid the need to tack the genoa between two permanently fixed forestays. That's probably what the former owner meant about detaching it to go sailing. Perhaps he never had the need to use a smaller sail on his inner stay.

[Brian & Glenda]

And I should have looked for page 2 before replying to only the posts on page 1! Thanks for the photos. How high up the mast, is the upper attachment point for the inner stay?

Brian

[Brian & Glenda]

You could try emailing: [e-mail] He may be able to sell you a SCAD tank monitor for a reasonable price. He once expressed shock and dismay at the price I had paid for my monitor, and offered to sell me one for much less if I ever needed another one. I believe he is the chap who either started SCAD, or invented their monitors, or ???

I'm surprised that outer strips are, or even can be fitted to your holding tank! (Or perhaps they are on your other boat.) I couldn't see how I'd fit them to my LM's tank, which is why I fitted their internal sensor.

[johnwebb]

The tank gauge outer strips are on my present boat and it works very well. I thought it would be difficult on the LM32 as you would need to be a contortionist to get there to even clean it enough! I have made an offer on the boat but someone else has popped up and I don't want to end up in an auction.

[johnwebb]

My offer has been accepted, it got difficult as there were two of us so I ended up paying the asking price of £33000. I guess at my age it will be my last boat! Get her re rigged quickly and the rest will be done as and when, easy when tied to your house.

[Brian & Glenda]

Congratulations on your purchase, and welcome to the LM World! I hope you get as much pleasure from yours, as we do from ours. I also expect we'll be seeing you on the forum even more now! With many thanks to the administrators and others who post on this site, it is a terrific resource.

[johnwebb]

I have been looking at the holding tank and associated piping. I wondered where you put the actuator for the gauge as I found a flat floor. Is that merely a cover or is it the actual tank? Not sure I can get it off if I remove all the screws, will I find the actual tank or is it a tank cover. One picture is the floor as you enter, the other is the floor inside the locker and the last one is the pump which is weeping from the top as it runs. Could smell a treat if I use the tank.

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[Brian & Glenda]

Yes, the tank lid is a flat fiberglass piece, held down by the screws around the perimeter. I never have taken the lid off, but anticipate doing so one day just to see what 37 years of use has left in it. I'm sure it needs a clean.

To put the sensor in the tank, I procured a standard PVC pipe fitting from the local hardware store, that had the appropriate threads for the sending unit. I then drilled a hole in through the tank lid (while it was still in place) to fit that PVC fitting. Just be sure the hole you remove, doesn't drop into the tank like mine did. This is another reason I should remove the lid one day, hopefully before it plugs the tank's outlet or hoses. I placed the hole in the tank lid about four inches from the aft edge of the tank, and just to the right of center so it wasn't in the way of folks entering the V Berth. Be sure to procure the PVC fitting with the widest possible flange, so it can be securely glued to the tank top. I used an epoxy, after sanding the fiberglass lid and the fitting well, to roughen the surfaces for better adhesion.

I mounted my tank monitor gauge on the bulkhead between the V Berth and the head, very near the sending unit; but it could be mounted anywhere the wires will go. A covered terminal block is mounted just above floor between the ladder and the mast post for the electrical connections, and the gauge is mounted just above the terminal block. I didn't want it in the head, as I may use the shower one day, and didn't want it to be in a moist environment.

Doing this leaves the height of the PVC flange fitting and the sending unit proud of the tank lid. To resolve that problem, I drilled a hole through the plywood flooring that would fit over the sending unit and flange. I found the top of the sending unit was still a little proud of the top of the flooring, so I used a hole saw to drill an ~3" diameter circle through some ~3/16" aluminum, and through a similar thickness of plastic. The plastic was of sufficient thickness to bring the top of the plastic higher than the wires coming out of the top of the sending unit. The aluminum plate fits over that as a cover. Thus the plastic encircles the sending unit, and the aluminum cover protects the wires etc. The hole left by the pilot bit in the aluminum, serves to allow one to see the green LED that shines to verify all is working as it should, when one pushes the button to monitor the tank levels. (Another reason to have the gauge near the sending unit.)

To get the wires from the sending unit to the bulkhead, I simply cut a slot out of the plastic ring for them to fit through, and I carved a ~1/4" deep by ~4" long recess into the base of the plywood floor for the wires to run from the sending unit to the terminal block.

That's how I installed my internal sending unit and monitor, but I'm sure there are other ways.

You have a Henderson Mk V pump there, and you can purchase a rebuild kit for them still. I bought one yesterday for my boat. Both my bilge pump, and my black water pump are Henderson Mk V diaphragm pumps. Whale took over the Henderson line, so they are now sold as Whale Mark V pump kits. Not cheap, but they come with a new inlet flapper, tricuspid valve, rubber diaphragm, O ring for the top cover, and all of the other required bits and pieces to make the pump 'like new'! (so long as the housing is ok!)

www.whalepumps.com/marine/siteFiles/resources/docs/product-accessories-spares/AK8050.pdf


I have to go to the boat soon, so will take some photos and post them. (Unlike yours, my V Berth is open under the lower starboard berth , so the entire lid is easily accessible, but this method should work for you without removing the lid.)

Hope that helps,
Cheers, Brian.

[johnwebb]

Many thanks for all that and my thoughts were along the line you describe. Not a lot of point in my putting it in the locker as I assume the tank is not level of course. The boat is on a friend's jetty at present so the job will have to wait until it is tied to my house, tools etc. all there so simpler. I do have to look at the wiring, it is a bad mess and too thin a wire to the VHF for example so getting 2v drop on transmit. The SWR is bad as well, it is also bad on my emergency aerial so puzzling as never had a radio cause bad SWR. The radar radome has also started banging and I guess the belt has failed from old age and sitting in one place for a long time. Wish I could sell my old boat and free up my berth!

[Brian & Glenda]

If this works correctly:  Here are three photos of a SCAD tank level monitoring unit with internal sending unit and wall mounted gauge, in my LM32.

One photo shows the installation with the floor boards removed.  Another photo shows the alterations done to the floorboard to accommodate the top of the sending unit being above the floor level, and the wires that run between the sending unit and the wiring terminal block. The last photo shows an end view of the floor board alterations, and the plastic and aluminum cover fabricated to cover and protect the top of the sending unit.  

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[Brian & Glenda]

A photo of the finished installation.

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[johnwebb]

Very nice indeed. When I get her on my berth I will go ahead and do it.

[johnwebb]

I have had the LM32 for a month now and all my plans have crashed when I ended up in hospital for a week! It was either a small stroke or labyrinthitis, scans ruled out the stroke. However, still quite bad and I get to her when I can. At least it is tied to my house. Trying to sort the wiring out. It is as bad as I thought before I bought her but normally that is not a problem to me. Just can't get my head into awkward places at present.

[Sula]

Sorry to hear of your illness, John, and the effect its having on sorting out your boat.

I've had similar recently, but hopefully can make some progress again now. I'm going to have to abandon plans for various further repairs/upgrades if I'm to get the boat in the water this year (after having missed out on most of last year).

Hope you make a good and quick recovery, and that sorting your wiring turns out easier than you suppose.

Regards,

John