Replacement Bow Roller Needed!

chas · Senior Member

Replacement Bow Roller Needed!

robbiediesel · Veteran Member

Hi Chas,

We have this Bow Roller from Vetus. It seems okay, a bit flimsy perhaps for the money you pay, but works fine. Its made entirely from 3 or 4mm sheet metal folded on various ways. I'd have prefered a nice chunky casting in stainless that was mirror polished but couldnt find one at the time. Let me know if you find a source!

chas · Senior Member

Thanks for this information Robbie.

Is it man enough for using a bouy and an Alderney ring for retrieving the anchor in deeper water?

Feeling a little suspicious of the "a bit flimsy perhaps" part!

Looks a lot better than my old one though.

Cheers

Chas

robbiediesel · Veteran Member

Hi Chas,

Its just very Tinny stainless to be honest. A lot thinner than i had thought/hoped when we ordered it. Ours was bent slightly during a storm, a boat berthed in front of us broke its bow rope in the harbour and was resting against the bow of our boat, thankfully the bow roller took all the damage and there wasnt a mark on the hull, but it was very easy to straighten which is leaving me with the "Flimsy" opinion. If I were you I'd be tempted to take the bow roller you have currently, off the boat and take it to a good Fabrication shop and get it re-made in 6mm mirror polished stainless plate, al tig welded, it would be far more substantial, and it would fit straight onto your existing bolt patern.

chas · Senior Member

Thanks for your answer Robbie, I will avoid the Vetus one!

I have considered your suggestion of getting my original copied in stainless, just thought that over the last thirty two years since mine was fitted there may have been something better readily available on the market. Perhaps not!

I did manage to obtain some very good fairleads by Schaeffer Marine (USA) and they are available from Internatioonal Marine Products in the UK. Unfortunately they are not cheap (over £120.00 per pair for the 51/4 inch ones). I saw these a couple of years ago at the Southampton Show and was impressed. No corners, everything is nicely radiussed, concealed fixings by 12mm studs (all supplied plus backing plates) they look "fit for purpose" and should be very kind to mooring lines. Schaeffer call them bow chocks by the way.

The only other ones I've seen that I thought were good were by Cooney Marine. The trouble was that they were quite stylised and unless you wer using the Cooney cleats they could have looked odd. They were similar sort of prices.

If Dave (fingerscrossed) or anybody else is looking for fairleads; they should at least look at these:

-- Edited by chas on Monday 5th of October 2009 01:48:00 PM

fingers crossed · Senior Member

Hi Chas, thanks for the info on the fairleads.....they look the dogs danglies!
I would agree with Robbie about getting a bow roller made in mirror stainless, and if i hadn't retired early it would have been just the thing i could have made for you. Make sure its 316...it will still corrode in warm seawater but you won't have too much of a problem here!! This usually shows as brown stains but the mirror finish will help stop this anyway.
I had modified the bow roller on my Seaward so the rope didn't come out when steaming ahead to retrieve the anchor using the Alderney ring method, but still allows the rope to be released easily.
Cheers, Dave.

chas · Senior Member

Hi Dave

I think you posted a photograph but I couldn't open it. I presume it was of the modified one on your Seaward. I'd be interested to see it if it was.

Cheers

Chas

fingers crossed · Senior Member

Hello Chas,
Yes it was of the bow roller.....don't know why you couldn't see it as it comes up when i am on here. Anybody else not seeing it? Could be down to my lack of knowledge with computers i guess!
It just had two round bars bent at 90 degrees welded on either side of the channel about 40 mm apart to enable rope to be removed when required but keeping it in the roller if its a bit rough when retreiving the anchor.
Hope this helps.
Regards all. Dave.

chas · Senior Member

Hi Dave

I can see it now OK! It seemed that for a while after you posted it, there was just a box with am X in it.

Web site malfunction I suspect!

Cheers

Chas

Blue Swell · Senior Member

Hi Chas
Just ventured down to the boat today and taken some pictures of my bow roller and fairleads, the bow roller i presume was custom made . Geoff

chas · Senior Member

Thanks Geoff

That looks good and is more food for thought.

I've definately come to the conclusion that I will have to go "custom built" as well.

How do you use the double roller arrangement?

By the way, is your hull azure blue or oxford blue? Mine is azure blue under the grotty paint.

Cheers and all the best

Chas

Blue Swell · Senior Member

Hi Chas,

My bow roller was designed to take to warps as have spare anchor ready to launch on bow although never used both together. My main anchor is stowed in the ****pit and the warp runs up through and back to c0ckpit.

As for hull gel colour ive been told it is Lochin Blue Nile, and have recently been supplied some but not used yet.

Regards Geoff

chas · Senior Member

Hi Geoff

I presume you normally use a bouy and an Alderney Ring to retrieve your anchor then lift it over the side.

"Lochin Blue Nile" is a new one on me, is it a Scott Bader gel coat?

I always thought that "Lochin Blue" was the Scott Bader "azure blue". At least, I always thought that was the gel coat on mine. A bit lighter than Oxford Blue and slightly more greenish.

It seems that most now are "Oxford Blue" but not sure if it is still by Scott Bader though. Maybe Simon could help us - Simon!!!

Cheers

Chas

Blue Swell · Senior Member

Hi Chas,

Gelcoat is possibly Scott Bader but sure Simon may answer that one.

As for Anchoring, i use a lazy line attached to an Alderney ring on main anchor warp just to bring anchor back to c0ckpit after halled on capstan . Then bring into c0ckpit for ease of handling and save going up front as im usually on my own.

Geoff

kees · Veteran Member

I am Kees, living on the Dutch / Belgium border, does 25 year boating and fishing for hobby together with my wife Chantal. We had some fancy boats in the past, but tired of there anchoring behaviour and cancelling fishing trips above wind force 3, we bought a Lochin 33 FM in Plymouth who looked worse then terrible. If it was not a Lochin I would not even think to buy it, but the hull looked ok, and the seller showed me some invoices that the Perkins 265 (who runs like a dream) was rebuild, so I took the risk and bought her. When the boat arrived in Holland everybody called her a corpse, a carrion, a morgue etc. and told me she would sink even on dry land. I stored her in a barn in January and start stripping her down completely. I have to admit that is was disappointing that most of the parts removed where ready for the junkyard, so I decided to keep the engine, gearbox and propeller and put all the rest new in it. As she was painted at least 5 times we sand her to the original gel coat, ending up with 120 ltr. paint dust and again a disappointment. It appeared that she once had legs on both sides who broke out, creating 2 10 holes. The holes where repaired with pur foam and filler. I had to remove all the foam and repair with glassfiber mat and epoxy resin. In June we launched her in the water for a 7 mile trip to the harbour. When arrived, there appeared to be 50 ltr. water in the bilge, so we had to lift her out again. There was a steel heel mounted with 10 bolds through and through to protect the prop. As the heel of the boat is hollow, you can never tighten the nuts and bolds in a proper way, so somebody used some silicone to seal things for a while. I removed the complete heel, drilled the 20 boltholes in the skin 120 degrees conical, filled them up with epoxy glue and covered the complete area with 3 layers glass mat and epoxy resin. After hardening, painting and re-antifouling we launched her back in the water for a second trip to the harbour and until today no drip of seawater is entering the boat. This dont mean the bilge is dry, after a few fishing trips we found some engine coolant in the bilge and a close inspection showed a hair crack in the engine block who start dripping coolant when hot. So this winter I am planning to put a rebuilt engine in with some more HP.

I know a rebuilt Iveco SRM 32 - 320 hp for sale, but remember reading in your owners forum that one of your members has such an engine and called a sh.. engine. Do you know why

Martin · Senior Member

Hi Kees

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you have had a tough time since you bought your Lochin. I am sure once you get these problems sorted you will be able to appreciate why these boats are still sought after many years after they were built (in some cases) Sounds like your biggets problem was the leak. You seem to have fixed that now, wonder if you have any pictures you can post showing the prop/skeg area of your boat and any pisc of the refurbishment.

Sorry to hear of your engine trouble. I have no knowledge of the Iveco unit, I have a Ford Sabre 280 in my Lochin. I think Perkins Sabre would long term be more reliable, it will be down to cost and availability as in most cases. Also if you use a completely different unit you will have to re-think exhaust, mountings, filters etc

Good luck with whatever you decide, keep posting and let us see some pictures.

Regards

Martin

Dmc · Member

Kees,

I do not own a Lochin but do own an Offshore 105. I am based in Southern Ireland and operate passenger trips out to Skellig Rocks (a monastic settlement dating back to the 7-8 century). There are about 15 boats that operate this service from April to October, after that the boats are pulled out of the water for the winter, we get some pretty bad weather and swell here in the winter. There is one Lochin 33 that also runs this service and has a Volvo 350hp in it. As said earlier I operate an Offshore 105 with an Iveco 400hp in it, there are about 5 other Offshore 105 in my area and all these have an Iveco 320 except for one which has a Ford Sabre 280hp. These engines seems to hold up very well to this kind of use, we put about 500hrs a year and many engines are now approaching 7000hrs without any issues. They do smoke abit on start up but once warm the smoke disappears. All I can say is that they are tough engines when looked after. I suppose it all depends on how good the rebuild was.
They are not as smooth as the volvo 74 series but do the job well. If you require any further info you can post here and I will reply with as much info as I can provide.
Sounds like you had a tough time restoring your Lochin but I sure it will have been worth the pain.
Regards
Dmc

chas · Senior Member

Hi Kees and welcome to the forum

You've really had your work cut out but it sounds like you've now over come at least some of your problems.

I have a thirty two year old lochin which I'm gradually restoring. Fortunately, I havent found any horrors like you did. (fingers crossed and touch wood).

Regarding the Iveco, I don't think there are any bad modern diesels, they'd never be able to sell them. It's like even all basic modern cars are still good, no one makes "Vauxhall Victors" any more.

It would be nice to see some pictures of your boat.

Hi Dmc

I've noticed you've been a member for a while so it's nice to hear from you.

Nice part of the world you live in. You must have some good fishing out your way.

I notice you have an Offshore 105, they seem very good boats.

Have you got any pictures of the monastic settlement or the Skellig Rock.

Cheers and all the best

Chas

Dmc · Member

Chas,

Some pictures of my boat and Skellig rock

chas · Senior Member

Hi DMC

Superb. The monastic setlement, Skellig Rock and your boat, very business like.

I worked out in Ireland for about a year in a place called Killorglin which I don't think is that far away. Had a bloody good time!

What are the stone built structures which look like bee hives?

Cheers and all the best

Chas

kees · Veteran Member

Martin,
here some pictures of the leaking skeg area with 10 holes each side + the remouved steel part.

br,
kees.

kees · Veteran Member

thanks DMC,
I ordered the IVECO 320 , hope they din't overhauld the engine with a paintspray gun only.

regards,
kees.

Martin · Senior Member

Hi Kees

Thanks for showing us the pics. Your skeg area is a different shape to mine, I wonder if mine is hollow as well, not a good idea if you can't tighten the bolts. It sounds like you made a good job of repairing yours, hope it stays dry.

Your hull shape looks very much like lady Jayne although the wheelhouse on your looks better, mine was lengthened and they made the windows in the new bit a funny shape. I think it would help the lines if the bottom of the windows were paralell to the water, hey if that was my only problem though. What year was your hull made?

Good luck with the engine fitting.

Martin

kees · Veteran Member

hi Martin,
I can not find a hull number, where I have to look ??
We bought her in Plymouth, named Sabre and stripping her, I found some old papers with her former name : Sarah Jane : Owner Starida Sea Services, Little bryn, rosemary lane Beaumaris, Anglesey. This paper say's : build 1979 and had a Sabre 212 engine that time. further she had a licence Cat 2 , 60 miles from a safe haven.

Maybe Simon has more info of this boat ???????
It would be nice to know her history.

regards,
Kees.

Martin · Senior Member

Hi Kees

Sorry I don't know where to find the hull identification number. I am not sure when mine was made, the previous owner said 1976 but another former owner has told me it was 1981!

The only numbers I have found are the fishing licence numbers from when she worked as a creel boat, then she had a International 6 cyl diesel.

If anyone has information on hulls made about that time I would be interested to know the history of mine too. I have traced it back about18 years through local ownership, before that it is a mystery.

Regards

Martin

Harold Timmer · Senior Member

Hi Kees and Martin,

I found some old literature so you can see the variance made on the same hull. The top diagram is the standard wheelhouse as the boat was originally designed. That's Tommie! Then the second diagram is the extended wheelhouse version, which we have. The third diagram was the ultra short wheelhouse with no side decks in the ****pit, (to create as much working space as possible), especially designed for the professional fisherman. That's your boat Martin. The wheelhouse came out of a different mould altogether.The diagram on the right is the "potter" and the bottom diagram was the "general duty service vessel".

I also found an old article from motor boat & yachting, must have been early 1978.

All the best

Harold

Harold Timmer · Senior Member

Beste Kees,

It's interesting that you foiund some old owners papers with the name Starida. That name goes back to the mid 70's. The people bought a few boats from Lochin and as far as I know they are still in service. If you make a photo of the bow (front on) I can tell whether it is before or after 1980. Around 1980 they changed the planing strakes to make the boat drier.

Shame about the scratches on "Tommie". It's very frustrating that you try to do the right thing and then others don't care. (Yachties don't like power boats, except for when they are stuck on a sandbank!) We have pulled a few off in our time.

All the best

Harold

Martin · Senior Member

Hi Kees

Yes that is how LJ would have looked before the extra bit was added to the wheelhouse.

Thanks for sharing that.

Regards

Martin

chas · Senior Member

Hi Gents

---"If you make a photo of the bow (front on) I can tell whether it is before or after 1980. Around 1980 they changed the planing strakes to make the boat drier."---

As far as I know, they omitted the small strakes on the underside of the hull and added spray deflector rails. The spray deflector rails were bolted and glassed on and could be retro fitted to older boats so they're not necessarilly conclusive.

I fitted a set fairly soon after I bought my boat at the same time as I installed a bow thruster. And yes they do make hell of a difference.

Cheers

Chas

chas · Senior Member

Replacement Bow Roller Fitted

fingers crossed · Senior Member

RE: Replacement Bow Roller Needed!

chas · Senior Member

Hi Dave

I'm hoping the new bow roller will at least see me out.

I've had a good look inside my boat and I can fix the replacement pulpit from inside quite easily.

The only thing I'll have to do is build up the glass inside at the edges as there is a balsa core under my deck (as is probably the norm) and there is a taper where the inside goes from cored to solid glass at the edges. I'll just cut some strips of CSM about 8" long and 1" wide, laminate it up then grind it all flat. That will give me a good sound base inside.

I'm planning on using base plates about 120mm x 60mm x 10mm thick drilled and tapped in the centre for M12 or M14 studs. This will spread the load and reduce stress on the GRP deck when the pulpit is being abused. I can then drill the deck in the centres of the gaps between the toe boards to suit.

I'll use 1 1/4" OD tubing (the same as is already there) and that will cover the centre fixing in all cases.

I agree choosing electronics must be a nightmare as it all moves so quickly. It was only about five years ago that Raymarine C Series was the best thing since sliced bread, now it's old hat!

The thing is that my old Reytheon and Furuno stuff is still cabable of far more than I am ever likely to be able to use...

Cheers

Chas