NW Explorations Aquila, Operating Manual

Page 1: ...6 2015 Copyrighted See notice next page Section Contents 1 Introduction General Description 2 Important Vessel Numbers 3 Operating Checklists Maneuvering Suggestions 4 Specific Discussion of Boat Systems 5 What to Do for Some Specific Concerns 6 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 7 Index ...

Page 2: ...anual has no responsibility for your actions whatsoever If you do not feel competent to undertake any or all operations detailed herein do not undertake it them get help from a competent person I thank you and my lawyer thanks you Copyright 2012 Joseph D Coons This manual was written for this boat s owner and its charter company by Joseph D Coons 1220 Birch Falls Drive Bellingham WA 98229 tel 360 ...

Page 3: ...tance foreseen or unforeseen If you have a question which limits your understanding or handling of this vessel ask your NWE checkout skipper or contact the office for details you might make a list of questions as you read the manual saving them all up to ask at one time 1A2 How the Manual is Organized The manual is divided into six sections numbered 1 to 6 plus an index Section 7 Within each secti...

Page 4: ... tank pump out deck fitting is to starboard The water tank fills are in the lazarette on each of the three tanks Fresh and salt water faucets are at the bow Forward on the bow deck is the anchor windlass with foot switches allowing chain movement both up and down electrically The anchor is retracted into the bow pulpit which hangs out over the bow to give better chain clearance from the hull than ...

Page 5: ...ge compartments beneath the seats you will find a complement of life jackets on the starboard side and the propane tanks for the ship s galley stove to port Note You will notice that the flybridge seats have cushions The seat cushions not the backs when not in use should be placed zipper side down in front of port seat and on top of a wooden drain board found inside the fly bridge console If this ...

Page 6: ...r is a professional quality helm station with electric switch panels adjacent and electronics panel above on the helm itself are the ship s Radar GPS Plotter etc Just aft of the starboard door is the custom helm seat with three drawers and a cushioned top the helm seat drawers have storage for manuals tide tables navigation tools flashlights etc There is a cabinet door adjacent to the cabin starbo...

Page 7: ...e convection oven a large sink a refrigerator and copious storage A freezer is in the aft end of the salon There is extensive storage under and over the counters more storage is in the top surface under the port windshield and in a cabinet at the top of the forward stateroom steps The stove burners have a push button igniter to light them The helm is impressive with convenient modern instrumentati...

Page 8: ...ts shower fixture and Vacu flush head and basin with vanity A shower curtain which surrounds the wetted area keeps the rest of the compartment including the toilet dry when showering Looking into the forward stateroom The insert that fits between the berths to make them a double is resting at the forward end the hanging locker is on the left Another look at the hanging locker galley use cabinet an...

Page 9: ...ent with toilet sink vanity and numerous cabinets and drawers to starboard opposite in the cabin is the stall shower Between these two compartments are a huge hanging locker for clothing and the salon passageway Looking down into the Master Stateroom from the salon It s attractive and bright The port side of the M S R has cabinet and a desk vanity to the right is the door to the toilet room with b...

Page 10: ...ide of the starboard fuel tank are the Racor fuel filters for the starboard engine and the generator The fuel tanks sight gauges are in addition to their electric gauges at the helm All the way aft at the rear bulkhead alongside the starboard fuel tank is the holding tank overboard pump Down the center of the engine room from the forward end are a removable teak floorboard grid over the seawater v...

Page 11: ...a rode Carbon Monoxide Monitor There is a CO monitor in the salon Not installed at the time of this manual Fire Extinguishers There are three handheld extinguishers in the forward and aft staterooms in the hanging lockers and the salon under the helm seat in the cabinet by the door A fire suppression system is in the engine room with automatic thermal release this automatic system has automatic en...

Page 12: ...ngth on deck 43 feet 3 inches Length Waterline 41 feet 1 inches Beam 14 Feet 1 inches Draft 4 Feet 2 inches Displacement 39 000 Pounds Fluids Motor Fuel 2 Diesel Motor Oil mains 15W 40 Chevron Delo Multigrade Transmission Oil 30 weight Chevron Delo Engine Coolant 50 50 mix ethylene glycol water corrosion inhibitor added Operating Parameters Estimated RPM Speed Fuel Consumption Naut Miles Gallon 12...

Page 13: ... engines do not turn over see What to Do If Leaving Dock Only 3 4 minute engine warmup required Shore power switch Off Shore power cord removed stowed on board Step stool aboard if used Lines removed as appropriate Fenders hauled aboard and stowed Lines and other deck gear secure stowed Doors and hatches closed and secured as appropriate Underway Helmsperson on watch at all times RPM under 1400 un...

Page 14: ... from anchor When desired chain length out 4 1 or 5 1 scope windlass is stopped Engines reversed for count of five until chain pulls up virtually straight Note The boat is not held in reverse against a taught anchor chain Generator Starting Stopping Be sure generator breaker is On Move the generator breaker in the AC Power Panel to On Then press the Preheat Stop button for 15 seconds Release the p...

Page 15: ...nd midships fenders 3B2 Maneuvering in a Harbor With its twin screws you ll do best if you center the rudder and steer with the engines only The props are so large that the boat will respond well except in high winds just with use of the propellers in forward and or reverse Take your time and keep the boat running dead slow so that you can plan each approach You shouldn t need to use the throttles...

Page 16: ...gh this is not very common Fourth courteous boaters will call vessels coming into busy bays and offer to let them raft to the same buoy if signs on the buoys do not limit usage to only one boat depending upon length Anchoring safely requires two persons one at the helm maneuvering the boat and one on the bow operating the anchor Putting the bow of the boat over the spot where the anchor is to be p...

Page 17: ... you by taking your line to shore for you with his dinghy a neat good deed that you might reciprocate We ve met some nice boaters this way The shore line is in the lazarette and is long enough to usually allow taking it to a tree around it and back to the boat so you don t have to go ashore to untie when leaving With a crew member keeping the boat in position take the dinghy to shore pulling the e...

Page 18: ...hem while watching the Speed indicator to get the highest speed at a given throttle setting by adjusting Bow Down If the tabs are Bow Down too much the steering will get mushy and speed may drop off a little and the tabs should be adjusted Bow Up a little Note that it will take time to make these adjustments when the buttons are depressed they need to be held 2 5 seconds each time for change to be...

Page 19: ...hor chain so the chain slacks and is supported by the bridle the chain forming a loop right in front of the boat s bow If you wish you can pay out additional chain to form a long hanging loop between the boat and bridle which weights the chain down in front of the boat well below its normal path thus the chain itself becomes a kellet or sentinel lowering the chain angle more than the bridle alone ...

Page 20: ...ide another loop of chain when the chain pile may have fallen over or shifted There is no way the chain can be tangled so that you will ever need to disconnect it One easy way to disentangle the chain is while wearing gloves grasp the chain on the forward side of the windlass and while lifting it above the wildcat manually rapidly yank it up and down This will usually free it If on the other hand ...

Page 21: ...back cover from the windlass and with a voltmeter check to see if while a switch is depressed there is DC voltage on its terminals if not check the actual wires themselves where they connect to the windlass The windlass uses so much current that sometime the connection though it appears tight may have failed If there is voltage on the wires tighten the nuts firmly on the terminals If all this fail...

Page 22: ...gines are or have been recently running 4D Bilge Pumps The boat has three bilge pumps one in each bilge area each controlled by a mode switch in the 12 Volt DC panel by the lower helm There are also circuit breakers here for each pump Each mode switch in the breaker panel is labeled Auto or Man ual and these switches should be left in the Auto position The breakers should always be left On When in...

Page 23: ...und if Aquila rolls Clip all three bridle straps together 8 Remove the remote control and stow out of the weather To re stow the dinghy Reverse above procedure being sure to prevent the dinghy from damaging expensive windows or decks be especially wary of the skeg protruding at the bottom end of the outboard 4E2 Dinghy The dinghy aboard this boat is an 10 3 Zodiac hard bottom inflatable boat For s...

Page 24: ...ch at the back of the motor The dipstick black and hard to see is on the starboard side while the fill is aft Use the oil stowed in the lazarette Be sure to replace and latch the cover after the checks The motor has a manual choke Outboard Operation 1 Be sure engine is lowered 2 Insert emergency kill switch red clip on throttle handle 3 Pump fuel line bulb until it resists your squeeze 4 With engi...

Page 25: ...If the generator does not start on the second try call NWE for assistance This is important lest repeated tries water lock the generator very bad 2 Check the generator exhaust or listen for it to confirm that cooling water is being pumped from it 3 After a brief warm up of a minute or so switch the shore power switch in the AC power panel to Gen You should see the AC meters indicate there is volta...

Page 26: ...lone That s too much use for the inverter and the propane stove or oven should be used For a short task the inverter is great no starting the generator no noise no fuss the power is there If the engine are running use it all you wish as long as you don t try to do two huge jobs at once The inverter produces a maximum of 2 500 watts of energy at a time So the inverter is only wired to the outlets a...

Page 27: ...ntrols the charger function of the inverter Should be left On ON OFF INVERTER Controls the inverter function Should be left On for the duration of your cruise The inverter must be on to supply power to some systems of the vessel such as the navigation laptop computer When you are operating without the engines running shore power or the generator you should monitor AC appliances to ensure that the ...

Page 28: ... low voltage cut out that will shut down the furnace to protect it if the supply voltage drops below 11 volts In general the batteries will provide greater than 11 5 volts until they are very discharged However a large number of large loads can cause a temporary dip in voltage being supplied If the batteries are excessively discharged and large loads like the refrigeration and or microwave oven ar...

Page 29: ... so be careful not to overload a shore power circuit Note Only the breakers below the Inverter label on the AC Panel 1 are powered by the inverter 4F3 AC Metering To the right of the lower helm are two meters showing the voltage available and the current in amperes amps being used by the boat When connected to shore power or with the generator running you should have between 110 and 130 volts 105 ...

Page 30: ...in the house for it stays connected to the utility company all the time But in a boat when in the harbor we do plug in using our Shore Power cords and sometimes using extension cords If the outlet to which we plug our cord or if the cord itself is mis wired then these connections can become mixed up and then there is a significant chance of getting a shock or just as bad a chance that running gear...

Page 31: ...hore power current Until this demand reduces see The Inverter System below you should turn OFF other high current AC appliances such as the water heater You can then turn on AC appliances as needed Watch the ammeter to be sure you don t exceed the dock s available supply typically 30 amps Here are some estimates of AC power consumption for typical appliances Water Heater 15 amps Inverter up to 22 ...

Page 32: ...ement in mind whenever they turn an electrical gadget on or off It is with this concern that we can cite a reality If we need more electricity than the batteries alone must provide and if the propulsion engine isn t running we will need to get our electrical power from an alternative source That s the most important reason why we plug the boat in to shore power or use the generator To keep from ru...

Page 33: ...ank is charged by the alternator on the starboard engine when there is shore power or the generator is running by the inverter if it is on when the port engine is running by the port engine s alternator through the battery combiner or if on the battery charger If necessary but only in emergencies you can switch the battery switch in the forward engine room panel to parallel so that both starting a...

Page 34: ...or battery on off Port Connects port engine to starting battery Starboard Connects starboard engine to starting battery Parallel Combines starting and house batteries for emergency engine start Service Controls supply to house circuit break er panel Above and below these switches are the fuses protecting the vessel s wiring 4G5 DC Overhead Electronics Power Breaker Panel There are two panels on th...

Page 35: ...ilge Pump Auto Manual Switches See 4 4 Wiper B To windshield wiper panel over helm Navigation Lights S Turns on navigation lights Instruments S Turns on helm instrument lights Stereo B To stereo system Courtesy Lights S Turns on courtesy lights Galley Head Vent B To galley head vent blowers Anchor Light S Turns on anchor light Saltwater Pump S To seawater pump press switch Spreader Light S Turns o...

Page 36: ... The switch positions are 1 Starting Battery 2 House Battery 3 Generator Starting Battery Battery voltage ranges and their significance 12 8 volts Fully charged battery no charger or load connected 13 1 13 4 volts Float charge charger on Keeping batteries topped off 14 0 14 3 volts Bulk charge charger on Batteries getting recharged 12 5 volts or less Battery getting low 11 0 volts or less Battery ...

Page 37: ...R Turns the system on or if held for 3 seconds turns it off When on the display will show the pilot s status and on the bottom the P S scale shows the current rudder position port or starboard S standby appears in the display AUTO Engages the autopilot to hold the heading that existed when pressed When engaged A Autopilot appears before the heading that was set NAV Connects the autopilot to the No...

Page 38: ...d its capacity Remember when backing up or crossing a tide line that turbulent water from the tides or boat s screws or those of another boat can interrupt the sounding information received by the unit Be careful Note that our Northwest waters are rocky and depths change rapidly You should be especially careful to study your charts and then check them often whenever running in depths of 50 feet or...

Page 39: ... details to show The Electronic charts are for convenience only The software has its primary control at the RC320 Chartplotter located on the electronics overhead panel at the lower helm 4H5 Electronics Radar The boat is equipped with Raytheon R180Ca radar set that displays at the lower helm This unit is used combined with the electronic chart unit for operation in restricted visibility with the r...

Page 40: ...lectronics VHF Radio Two Fixed There are two Standard Horizon VHF radios at the upper and lower helm stations The radios are designed for easy access to Channel 16 which is the hailing and emergency channel in the Northwest Each radio uses Digital Selective Calling for emergency communications 4H9 Electronics Wind Speed Direction Aquila is equipped with a B G wind speed and direction indicator bet...

Page 41: ...ines The engines require a regular daily check since once underway you will probably not check them while in use tucked away as they are in the engine room Please perform this check each morning when the engine room is cool Check the Oil The oil level should be between the two marks on the dipstick located on the inboard side of each engine the stick pulls out upward Use a paper towel from the rol...

Page 42: ...from the cap no more The coolant expands when the engine gets warm Check the Room Whenever you re in the engine room ask yourself Does everything look right Look at the pads under the engine and transmission while some drips are normal there shouldn t ever be substantial accumulations of any fluids Check the Sea Strainers Once a week or immediately if either main engine or the generator runs hot T...

Page 43: ...de of the transmission It is unlikely that any oil will need to be added Be sure to check under the transmission for leaks Low transmission oil is a serious matter With the engine idling remove the transmission dipstick Wipe it with a towel reinsert it and take a reading If the level is below the add mark stop the engine add a pint of the same oil used for the engine crankcases through the plug in...

Page 44: ... hot water overnight without power provided you haven t wasted a lot 4K3 Fresh Water Pump The water line from the tanks leads to the boat s fresh water pump located outboard of the port engine Provided the F W Pump circuit breaker is On the pump will run whenever its built in pressure switch detects low water pressure The accumulator tank by the pump provides a pressure head for the pump so the pu...

Page 45: ... the forward stateroom floor hatch at the center of the berth s wings It is a good idea to keep the seawater pump breaker in the DC panel off unless the pump is in use lest the hose connections break or leak filling the vessel s bow with water 4K6 Waste Water Waste water from the sinks and showers but not from the toilets is dumped overboard in accordance with U S and Canadian law From sink basins...

Page 46: ...Locations Taking the hose around the cockpit to reach the fill caps on the inside of the bulwarks adjacent to each side of the salon aft 4L4 Fuel Filters Diesel engines require absolutely clean fuel to operate continuously As a result there are two kinds of fuel filters on the boat The primary filters are mounted on the inner side of each fuel tank each pair of two filters is controlled by a valve...

Page 47: ...l supply and since extra fuel is pumped to the engine that is used to cool the engines injection pump there is a fuel return line as well At slow speeds these return lines are pumping a lot of fuel you must be careful not to set the valves so that a return line is switched to a tank for long that is not also supplying fuel lest it overflow and pollute the water through the tank vents overflowing 4...

Page 48: ...stem is all off System Heat The Diesel Furnace will supply heat if called for by the thermostat Engine Heat The port engine if running will supply heat if called for by any thermostat Engine Preheat Leave Off Not used during the charter season Select the desired master switch setting and then set the desired temperature on the thermostats When the thermostat calls for heat and the switch is in the...

Page 49: ...use of the furnace to times when passengers are awake unless the boat has shore power available CAUTION The furnace exhaust is on the port aft side of the boat just forward of the swim step and is very hot Do not put fenders in front of it and do not let the dinghy or any other boat be alongside where it might be burned by the hot gas 4M2 Furnace Problems You should not have problems with the furn...

Page 50: ... this reason the propane tanks are housed above the galley in the left seat on the flying bridge Obviously up there if there is a leak the gas will simply be vented overboard for there is no way from there for it to be redirected into the boat for all openings into the salon are sealed otherwise they d leak in a rainstorm One tank is used at a time There is of course a manual gas valve on the prop...

Page 51: ...ady on or b the cook is holding the valve in the light position So you can see the safety of this arrangement If the burner goes out for any reason the thermocouple will shut off the fuel automatically assuring you of a safe galley To Light a Burner Lighting a burner is easy and only takes five to ten seconds 1 Be sure the propane valve circuit breaker in the DC panel is on 2 Turn on the remote pr...

Page 52: ...ntrol to light and while holding the red oven light button on the right side of the range use a match or butane fire lighter to light the pilot light holding the red button in for another fifteen seconds after the pilot is lit for the thermocouple to heat up and allow the pilot to stay on If the pilot will not stay lit hold the button in longer 4 Adjust the thermostat to the desired temperature No...

Page 53: ...m the ship s supply with each flush Each head is operated by the Dometic panel located on the nearby vanity To operate be sure the power button is illuminated with a green light For the light to be illuminated the breaker for the head in the DC panel must be on There is also a switch by the sink in each head that must be on for the heads to receive power The button on the left is used for filling ...

Page 54: ... turning ON the macerator pump at the DC panel Leave it on until you hear the pump run free This pump is under the master stateroom berth s foot Do not leave the pump running dry for long as it will damage the pump It takes about ten minutes to empty a full holding tank The best way to monitor it is to run it until bubbles come out from under the starboard side of the hull If it is emptied while u...

Page 55: ... help the operator lower the bow for more efficient cruising The best way to adjust the tabs is to lower them while watching the Speed indicator to get the highest speed at a given throttle setting by adjusting Bow Down If the tabs are Bow Down too much the steering will get mushy and speed may drop off a little and the tabs should be adjusted Bow Up a little Note that it will take time to make th...

Page 56: ...on the helm below the wheel slightly and to starboard can then be operated to override the automatic shutdown feature When the green light on this control is lit the system is armed and ready for engine use The switch should be left in the Normal position 4R3 Safety Safety Panel This panel in the pilothouse will alert you for several anomalies in the boat s systems or if you have left some lights ...

Page 57: ...thru hull or hose parallel to the hull 3 Unscrew the top of the sea strainer you may need to use the fuel tank spanner from the starboard salon door entry step Then remove the strainer by pulling it out the top of the assembly Rinse the strainer thoroughly and if necessary remove any debris from the glass housing 4 Reinsert the strainer tighten the top cover and turn the valve back on in line with...

Page 58: ... Windshield Wiper Washer Controls The windshield wipers are controlled by the three knobs on the safety panel above the helm to starboard Turning the knob turns on the wiper the further you turn it clockwise the faster it runs Pressing a single knob will activate the windshield washers for all three windshields ...

Page 59: ...nning is the clutch tight Use the anchor windlass handle Windlasses are equipped with a shear pin to protect them if you sheared the pin you will have to haul the anchor by hand using the emergency handle 5D Batteries House Keep Running Down Have you run the engines or generator enough Is something left on like the engine room or mast lights too many electronics etc that is too great a load for th...

Page 60: ... PROCEDURES next chapter 5M Propeller Fouled Or Damaged Best thing have the prop checked by a diver or dive it yourself if able Check for vibration Try turning shaft by hand in engine room both should be turn able with engine in neutral Is shaft noisy or does it load engine Do not use that side or call Vessel Assist See emergency procedures next chapter 5N Water Fresh Won t Flow Is there water in ...

Page 61: ... touch Be sure that the status and safety of the boat and crew is someone s responsibility while you sort out the boat s problem For example delegate your mate to keep a watch for hazards or to operate the boat on course slowly while you deal with the difficulty Here is a checklist for solving the problem A Isolate it B Get the manuals C Get parts D If necessary call vendors for help Over the year...

Page 62: ...he lazarette area where the rudder posts are after putting the engine into idle and or neutral if necessary If you did hole the boat go immediately to the If an Emergency on the preceding pages If no hole and still idling is the boat vibrating If yes put the engine into neutral try accelerating it If there is vibration or any unusual noise grinding or squealing shut down that main engine and use t...

Page 63: ...NW Explorations AQUILA OPERATING MANUAL 61 ...

Page 64: ...yer 36 E Electronics 3 4 13 30 31 33 36 55 Emergencies 8 29 37 Emergency 7 9 30 31 36 55 58 Engine 8 14 20 22 24 26 28 31 37 40 42 44 50 52 53 55 58 Exhaust 12 23 38 45 F Fenders 9 11 13 45 Filters 8 42 Fire Extinguishers 9 Flares 9 Flybridge 2 3 9 21 34 46 FM 36 Freezer 47 Fresh Water 31 40 41 Fuel 10 13 39 42 43 Fuel Fill 2 42 Fuel Filters 8 42 Fuel Tank 8 9 11 13 21 42 50 53 Furnace 8 25 44 45 ...

Page 65: ... S Seacocks 53 Searchlight 31 Sea Strainer 23 38 41 53 55 Sea Water 24 27 29 41 Shaft 8 51 56 Shore Line 9 14 15 19 Shore Power 2 3 11 12 23 29 40 45 55 Shower 2 6 7 31 41 Spares 8 55 Starting 11 12 23 24 29 30 32 55 Steering 16 33 51 Stereo 5 29 31 36 Stern Line 13 15 Sundeck 3 20 46 T Table 4 7 Temperature 37 38 44 45 47 48 Throttles 11 13 38 Thruster 30 Tools 4 Transmission Oil 10 39 Trim Tabs ...