400: Love my Lagoon!

[timbenner]

Originally Posted by tuskie

No oil changes, seals or anodes? You're cruising for a bruising.

SD20s have a dog clutch design which doesn't require the lapping procedure to prevent slippage. They do still to be serviced! It was fitted to L400s with the smaller, standard 29 hp Yanmars. However, the cone clutch of the SD50s, as Arsenelupiga pointed out, has the advantage of being able to slip in order to avoid damage to the gearbox. It is also very smooth in engaging. Yes, it's a PITA to service but in the whole scheme of boat maintenance issues, not the massive problem that some people make out.

I replace the anode, lower seals and 90 weight oil in the saildrive, but never touched the clutch, nor had a problem with it.

One modification I've made regarding the lower seals that regularly leak and foul the oil, which demands a haul out - is:

1) Installed a plastic radiator overflow bottle higher than the saildrive.
2) Removed the oil filler cap, drilled out the center and installed a 1/2" male hose fitting.
3) Ran a hose from the cap up to the overflow plastic bottle.
4) Filled the plastic bottle with 90 weight saildrive oil.

Now I have positive pressure against the seal, so when it fails I'll leak 90 weight out, instead of seawater in. When I see the bottle loosing oil, I know the seal is bad, but no hurry to fix it, because sea water is NOT coming in.

[tuskie]

Ok, Tim. You do service your saildrives.
Your modification sounds easy and effective. It makes the job of saiłdrive oil checks much easier as well. Just look at the oil level in the header tank.

[arsenelupiga]

i have done some investigation on saildrive as have been so far advised 3x to haul out to fix water in saildrive.

Saildrive oil level in L400 is above sea water level. Oil is around 0.9 weight of water, so one expects if height from oil leak to level is more than 1.11 of distance from oil leak point to water line then pressure is positive and water will not come in except if sucked, say when cooling. I measured and oil level is at least 15 cm above water sea level. So pressure in saildrive around seals is already positive.

Also opened the saildrive oil immediately after driving hard. Oil came out like boiling milk, mixed with air, slow and easy. I could not sense any pressure. Maybe not driving hard enough. Air expands, so does probably oil, however saildrive as well so it is not clear that heating increases pressure.

So, have trouble understanding why water ingress would be an issue.

and I had no water in saildrives (so far) , at least no sign of water in gear oil I have changed.

If it happened, opening oil intake on top of saildrive immeditely after stopping engines will remove any pressure and keep positive pressure so no water intake. Also not driving max rev so saildrive does not get too hot should do the trick even with leaking seals.

also want to add that seacock is above sea level so one can remove pipes just like that.
And no need to mess with closing seacock when changing impeller.
very practical installation.

[roetter]

Originally Posted by Scottster

Still loving my 400S2
My Yanmar SD-50's not so much.
Both sail drives are dead.
You buy a great boat and have to back out of the marina because both sail drives are unable to go into forward.
Very disappointing.


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Kazaio used the instructions in the PDF to do the cones. It worked well.
Here is the link :www.whereispawpaw.com/.../Yanmar%20SD50%20cone%20replacemen...

[TOT]

Arsenelupiga I had my engines and saildrives serviced yesterday by Yanmar in Singapore and the mechanics advised me that when they see bubbling in the saildrive oil cylinder it USUALLY means a leak in the seals, l am not a mechanic but thought this may help.


SV TOT 😃
Wayne

[Emerald Sea]

Another link for the SD50 drive cone repair....
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wymv5khfjm...ive%20Cone.pdf
Or
See the sidebar at Lynne And Reini | LeuCat Adventures

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by TOT

Arsenelupiga I had my engines and saildrives serviced yesterday by Yanmar in Singapore and the mechanics advised me that when they see bubbling in the saildrive oil cylinder it USUALLY means a leak in the seals, l am not a mechanic but thought this may help.


SV TOT ��
Wayne

well, bubbling only when i check immediately after turning off engines oil still hot - for any pressure. If I wait a while no bubbles and oil nice and clean. I could not find evidence of any pressure, so far.

I can't see how bubbles would not form as parts floating in oil are moving inside and mixing oil with air above when driving hard. Probably disappear in 10 min or so.

I know that I have no water because i changed oil after running engines and could not find any trace of water oil in bottle, even after 1 week.

Water and oild should emulsify, at least for a while.

[Scottster]

Well summer is almost over, we have had a wonderful summer in the pacific north west.
Now it is time to get my Lagoon ready for some cruising.
I have a list of additions that will take place this fall and well into the winter.
My land home is on the market and everything I own is onboard the good ship Muskoka.
Muskoka feels like my home now, I long for nothing and I am content, perhaps even blessed.
I wonder if the crew that made my home back in Bordeaux France could imagine that she would be a home for some guy in Canada, I think not.
I would like to meet the people that made my dream come true but I also know that it probably won't happen.
I plan to video blog my trip around this wonderful planet and I can only hope one of them will see just how happy they have made me.
After a year and a half, knowing what I know now if I had the chance to buy any boat it would still be my Lagoon.
To the staff back in France at Lagoon thanks !!!



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[katsumi]

I will second that from the other side of the planet. We are coming into our summer so we are looking forward to getting out on our Lagoon 400 in the Pittwater NSW every weekend, our local cruising grounds for now.
merci pour la construction d' un excellent bateau

[Scottster]

You may or may not know that I am located in the Pacific Northwest.
My plans for the next 10 years include taking my L400S2 on a trip around the world.
I have installed some extra items to make the trip comfortable and safe.
Still left to do is as follows
1. Plumb my Esbar radiant boiler to make hot water as well as heat
2. Install solar panels
3. Update Raymarine chart plotter
4. Service SD50
5. Register boat federally
6. Install washing machine
7. Construct workshop in forward port stateroom
8. Buy Sat Nav phone
9. Install water maker
10. Install HOOKA
11. Purchase spare pumps
12. SSB
13. Code "0"
14. Build shelves in forward bow lockers
15. Bottom paint
16. Lithium batteries
17. Sewing machine
18. AIS
19. Scuba compressor
20. Life raft
21. Rig sheets for #3 reef
22. Purchase replacement sheets and lines
23. Spare props for mother ship and dingy
24. Design and build scuba tank rack
25. Down load or purchase electronic charts
26. Racor fuel polisher
27. Water filters
28. Fishing gear and cleaning station
29. Jack lines
30. WiFi antennae

Along with everything else that I already have onboard I am very glad to have a boat that can handle the extra weight. I have 4 full size bikes onboard and a great supply of tools.
My chubby little 40 ft Catamaran will take the load and not give up to much performance, something to consider if your plans include live aboard and long haul sailing.
This boat is my home and I want to be comfortable.
I only purchase items that are needed and try to make sure the item has more than one use.
If something goes unused for a length of time I remove it from the boat, I am ruthless about getting stuff that has no place on the boat.

When the boat was new and empty it sailed better than expected, now that is is getting loaded up for my trip it still performs just as well.
My ability to get a bit more from the rig and trim more than makes up for the performance loss due to weight.
Still Love My Lagoon
Scott



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[timbenner]

Scott, May I suggest adding one more thing to your list? A Jordan series drogue. This was invented by Jordan an engineer and the Coast Guard, after a number of boats were lost in heavy seas years ago in a north Atlantic Ocean race . It was designed to save you from broaching in large seas.

I added bollards on the aft corners of my Lagoon 380 to secure the drogue bridal. See details on lagoon inside Web Site for bollard mounting details. The bollards are tied into the gunnels, engine room bulkhead and transom steps, with 8 inch wide strips of heavy fiberglass cloth bedded in epoxy with a one quarter inch thick aluminum backing plate.

This could save your life if you ever get caught in large seas. A lot of work for something you will hopefully never use

[Whomda]

Both Hookah and a SCUBA compressor?

[Scottster]

Indeed, both.




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[Scottster]

I have a drogue already, I can utilize my winches located at the rear as solid attachment


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[rabbi]

Originally Posted by Scottster

I have a drogue already, I can utilize my winches located at the rear as solid attachment


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If you have a jordan series drogue the winches are not up to tbe task.
For other drogues maybe but then the question is: is a drogue that can't rip out a winch good enough?