Hi all! Having sailed a Pearson 26 for 15 years (and having been bounced around once too often in seas a little too big for a Pearson 26) I'm now the new owner of a 1978 CD28 ("Wolf" out of Salem, MA, soon to be Newburyport MA). The Cape Dory is exactly what I've been searching for over the past few years: full-keel, diesel powered, and an Alberg design.
I'm looking for two pieces of advice.
First off, the vessel has an in-mast furling system for the main and I'm having a hard time identifying the make/model. The gooseneck is a Forespar and the furling system itself has been riveted onto the aft side of the mast and has a large helical screw at the base for the furling line. Does anyone have a similar system? I can't quite figure out how the %^*$# thing works. Would I be advised to pay a sailmaker for an hour of his/her time to help me understand how the system works?
Secondly the boat has a fresh-water cooled MD7A (which started right up during the survey). Is the maintenance of this sheer common sense i.e. check the impellers, coolant level, filters, belts, etc or are there any special actions I need to take due to the fresh-water cooling? As far as I can tell it's simply an additional pump/impeller to watch over in addition to maintaining the coolant level in the engine itself...but I'm a computer nerd and not a mechanical genius so I may be mistaken.
Anyway, I hate to pester anyone like a newbie so feel free to ignore this post if you wish.
Sincerely,
Steve_M.
New CD28 owner, advice sought.
Moderator: Jim Walsh
New CD28 owner, advice sought.
"Bad cooking is responsible for more trouble at sea than all other things put together" -Thomas Fleming Day
Re: New CD28 owner, advice sought.
Good morning, Steve, congratulations on your new boat!
A buddy of mine has a Pearson 26, so I know you will find the CD28 to be quite a different boat.
Is the mainsail furling system you describe one of those CDI behind-the-mast ones, like this (LINK)?
If so, you could be in luck, because they seem to still be selling and supporting them.
I have a raw water Yanmar, but there are plenty of Board members here with the same Volvo engine you have, so advice should be available on that score, too.
A buddy of mine has a Pearson 26, so I know you will find the CD28 to be quite a different boat.
Is the mainsail furling system you describe one of those CDI behind-the-mast ones, like this (LINK)?
If so, you could be in luck, because they seem to still be selling and supporting them.
I have a raw water Yanmar, but there are plenty of Board members here with the same Volvo engine you have, so advice should be available on that score, too.
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Steve Laume
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Re: New CD28 owner, advice sought.
Congratulations on your new boat and finding this message board. Both will serve you well.
I don't know much about in mast furling, except that they are an expensive modification and somewhat controversial. I am pretty certain you could figure it out if you play around with it on a calm day. If not on your own then maybe a buddy could help.
It sounds like the Pearson might have had a gas engine or outboard. If this is the case the diesel is a huge improvement.
I have always heard that clean air and fuel are the most important factors in keeping a diesel running well. So in addition to the raw water impeller it would be a good idea to change the fuel filters. You should have a primary and secondary filter. If the primary is the original Fram unit it might be a good time to change it out for a Racor filter. They are much easier to deal with and you can look at the fuel through the clear section on the bottom. The filters are also more widely available in most marine stores. A vacuum gauge can also be added to the filter to monitor it's health.
Another thing you will need to check is the zinc in the heat exchanger. It should be a small brass plug in the bottom. When you unscrew this you should find a small pencil zinc attached to it. It is simple to replace but usually a real pain to get at. I am not sure if the Yanmar also has an engine zinc so you should check the manual on that or wait to hear from someone more familiar with your engine.
Keep spare belts, fuel and oil filters, zincs and impellers on board. If the raw water impeller looks okay it could be saved as an additional spare.
You should also change the transmission fluid and then keep a check on it. The packing gland on the shaft and exhaust elbow are a couple of more items to be aware of. The more you look around the better you will know your boat and the more able you will be to head off any problems. As long as you stay on top of a few basic items it should run well for a very long time, Steve.
I don't know much about in mast furling, except that they are an expensive modification and somewhat controversial. I am pretty certain you could figure it out if you play around with it on a calm day. If not on your own then maybe a buddy could help.
It sounds like the Pearson might have had a gas engine or outboard. If this is the case the diesel is a huge improvement.
I have always heard that clean air and fuel are the most important factors in keeping a diesel running well. So in addition to the raw water impeller it would be a good idea to change the fuel filters. You should have a primary and secondary filter. If the primary is the original Fram unit it might be a good time to change it out for a Racor filter. They are much easier to deal with and you can look at the fuel through the clear section on the bottom. The filters are also more widely available in most marine stores. A vacuum gauge can also be added to the filter to monitor it's health.
Another thing you will need to check is the zinc in the heat exchanger. It should be a small brass plug in the bottom. When you unscrew this you should find a small pencil zinc attached to it. It is simple to replace but usually a real pain to get at. I am not sure if the Yanmar also has an engine zinc so you should check the manual on that or wait to hear from someone more familiar with your engine.
Keep spare belts, fuel and oil filters, zincs and impellers on board. If the raw water impeller looks okay it could be saved as an additional spare.
You should also change the transmission fluid and then keep a check on it. The packing gland on the shaft and exhaust elbow are a couple of more items to be aware of. The more you look around the better you will know your boat and the more able you will be to head off any problems. As long as you stay on top of a few basic items it should run well for a very long time, Steve.
Re: New CD28 owner, advice sought.
Duncan,
The in-mast system is definitely not a CDI. It looks like an older Forespar but I can't confirm that (and the stick is currently stepped and sitting on a shrink-wrapped rack). There's an external track for the main as well and I'm toying with just using that rather than mess with the in-mast system.
[As for asking the previous owner: given the circumstances of the sale (boat had been on the hard for at least a year, price had a substantial discount due to lousy cosmetics and out-dated systems, etc) I'm not sure that would be a good source of information.]
Oh yeah, the CD28 is definitely a different animal than the Pearson. Don't get me wrong, the Pearson 26 is a great boat...but I'm planning on cruising the Maine coast and the Pearson 26 most certainly would not be as comfortable as the CD28, from both the physical comfort and sea-kindliness perspectives.
Steve,
Thanks for the info, I had no idea about that zinc in the raw water loop! Yes, my last boat had an outboard, but I have worked on vessels with inboards (diesel and gas, mostly gas). When the weather gets warmer I'm going to spend a few days crawling around the engine compartment figuring things out.
The in-mast system is definitely not a CDI. It looks like an older Forespar but I can't confirm that (and the stick is currently stepped and sitting on a shrink-wrapped rack). There's an external track for the main as well and I'm toying with just using that rather than mess with the in-mast system.
[As for asking the previous owner: given the circumstances of the sale (boat had been on the hard for at least a year, price had a substantial discount due to lousy cosmetics and out-dated systems, etc) I'm not sure that would be a good source of information.]
Oh yeah, the CD28 is definitely a different animal than the Pearson. Don't get me wrong, the Pearson 26 is a great boat...but I'm planning on cruising the Maine coast and the Pearson 26 most certainly would not be as comfortable as the CD28, from both the physical comfort and sea-kindliness perspectives.
Steve,
Thanks for the info, I had no idea about that zinc in the raw water loop! Yes, my last boat had an outboard, but I have worked on vessels with inboards (diesel and gas, mostly gas). When the weather gets warmer I'm going to spend a few days crawling around the engine compartment figuring things out.
"Bad cooking is responsible for more trouble at sea than all other things put together" -Thomas Fleming Day
Re: New CD28 owner, advice sought.
Steve,
My 1983 CD-28 has a Volvo MD-7B. So far, the maintenance has been pretty basic: I change the engine oil and filter every 50 hours and the fuel filters as needed. I've also replaced the impeller a couple of times since we bought the boat in 2009. The biggest expense involved rebuilding the fuel injectors; at the same time, the mechanic also replaced the worn out motor mounts. The new motor mounts make a BIG difference in tamping down some of the vibration and noise associated with these Volvos, so you might check your mounts and replace if necessary. We also installed a raw-water filter. This was all pricey stuff, but the engine runs like a sewing machine now. Knock on wood - we shouldn't have to make any more big-ticket repairs! Just keep up with the maintenance and you should be fine.
Congratulations on your 28; I know you'll enjoy her!
Richard
My 1983 CD-28 has a Volvo MD-7B. So far, the maintenance has been pretty basic: I change the engine oil and filter every 50 hours and the fuel filters as needed. I've also replaced the impeller a couple of times since we bought the boat in 2009. The biggest expense involved rebuilding the fuel injectors; at the same time, the mechanic also replaced the worn out motor mounts. The new motor mounts make a BIG difference in tamping down some of the vibration and noise associated with these Volvos, so you might check your mounts and replace if necessary. We also installed a raw-water filter. This was all pricey stuff, but the engine runs like a sewing machine now. Knock on wood - we shouldn't have to make any more big-ticket repairs! Just keep up with the maintenance and you should be fine.
Congratulations on your 28; I know you'll enjoy her!
Richard
Re: New CD28 owner, advice sought.
Welcome! My CD30 Christine C is about 50 yards from you on the hard. I had wondered if I would meet the new owner of Wolf -- do look me up this spring.
Jeff
Jeff
Re: New CD28 owner, advice sought.
Richard, the motor mounts are in great shape. It looks like they've been replaced fairly recently.
Jeff, Wolf is laying at Overland Marine in Newburyport. Hurricane Irene quashed my plans to sail her to her new homeport/mooring in Newburyport so I had her transported to the yard I normally use (and which is 20 minutes from my home. Getting to the yard in Salem from my home quickly turns into an exercise in "Ya can't get there from here", especially on a nice weekend. That being said, Salem is on the list of destinations this summer...and if you find yourself in Newburyport feel free to swing by the yard.
Jeff, Wolf is laying at Overland Marine in Newburyport. Hurricane Irene quashed my plans to sail her to her new homeport/mooring in Newburyport so I had her transported to the yard I normally use (and which is 20 minutes from my home. Getting to the yard in Salem from my home quickly turns into an exercise in "Ya can't get there from here", especially on a nice weekend. That being said, Salem is on the list of destinations this summer...and if you find yourself in Newburyport feel free to swing by the yard.
"Bad cooking is responsible for more trouble at sea than all other things put together" -Thomas Fleming Day
Re: New CD28 owner, advice sought.
Sorry, I hadn't noticed Wolf had left. Was it around when boats started getting hauled? Will definitely look you up of in Newburyport.
Jeff
Jeff
Re: New CD28 owner, advice sought.
Jeff,
I had Wolf transported to Newburyport right after Labor Day when it became apparent that due to work and weather I wasn't going to be able to sail her up in any reasonable timeframe...
...which kind of stank as I'd sold my Pearson by that time, so my sailing season was cut short.
I had Wolf transported to Newburyport right after Labor Day when it became apparent that due to work and weather I wasn't going to be able to sail her up in any reasonable timeframe...
...which kind of stank as I'd sold my Pearson by that time, so my sailing season was cut short.
"Bad cooking is responsible for more trouble at sea than all other things put together" -Thomas Fleming Day
Re: New CD28 owner, advice sought.
Steve,
I suspect that we will be sharing the same sailing area so I will keep a look out for your 28. I keep my 30 ketch named Pilgrim in Essex Bay and most weekends I either head up towards Kittery or around Cape Ann towards Salem sound or Gloucester harbor. I sometimes see a 28 out in Ipswich Bay which comes out of the Annisquam River but I don't know who it is.
Have fun with your new boat.
Eric Klem
I suspect that we will be sharing the same sailing area so I will keep a look out for your 28. I keep my 30 ketch named Pilgrim in Essex Bay and most weekends I either head up towards Kittery or around Cape Ann towards Salem sound or Gloucester harbor. I sometimes see a 28 out in Ipswich Bay which comes out of the Annisquam River but I don't know who it is.
Have fun with your new boat.
Eric Klem