Glad to be here.......

[maineman]

Hello, Fellow Albineers! I'm glad to have found this group and look forward to sharing information and having the resource of so much collective experience and wisdom! I have owned my 28TE for 6 years and I still love it - haven't found anything I'd trade it for. Peninsular diesel soldiers on without problem or complaint. Will post a photo soon. Recently upgraded to 10-inch chartplotter, digital sounder and radar on Garmin Network - easy install, intuitive and straight-forward interface - truly "plug and play". Short cruises and picnics are most of what we use the boat for - the coast of Maine is perfect for both.
My first question(s) will probably be about people's experience with the Vetus bow thruster. Mine is starting to sound a little funny and seems to be losing some of it's strength. New brushes? Bearings? Lubrication? Motor? I'll test it after launch this June and return to the forum for input.
tommccandless

[jcollins]

Welcome to AOG Tom. Your cruising habits are much like mine. We also share the same engine. Hopefully we also share little or no problems with "The Beast". There has been much discussion about Peninsular problems. Fortunatley I have had none.

Thanks for putting up your burgee right away and once again - Welcome!

John

[Veebyes2]

Yeah, I know something about the bow thruster.

Previous owner/boatyard stripped the threads of the zinc/oil plug. Result, water inside the gearcase. Also a case of worn brushes. Bought new lower unit & brushes. Might as well have bought whole new unit.

Don't try to service motor in the boat. Much easier to take it out as a unit & bench service it.

[joe.baar]

Hi Tom and welcome. Our 1995 28TE has a small Vetus, if I remember right it's a "23KG". This unit is underpowered as related to the size of the boat. Our local DC electrical shop has examined and tested both the motor and solenoid and finds them mechanically robust and well-designed electrically. After we replaced the 80-amp fuse, cleaned every component of the electrical terminals on both ends and snugged them down tight, cleaned the accumulation of rough antifouling paint off the plastic prop and shined it up, added a zinc and brushed the worst corrosion off the external gear housing before painting it with that black water-based antifouling they sell for transducers and other external metals, the thruster works fine. You can completely discharge a battery by pushing one of those arrows at the helm for a little longer than 30 seconds, so I recommend Ric Murray's definitive "How to Dock Your Albin" article which is a sticky at the top of the "Tournament Express 26-35" forum. Hope this helps, Tom, glad to have you aboard.

[maineman]

Hi, Joe~

Thanks for your helpful response to my question about the Vetus bow thruster. It's really great to have the combined wisdom and experience of so many as a resource! I'm encouraged to learn that the thruster is actually under-sized for the length/weight of the 28TE and that it's not just me being grumpy or impatient! It has trouble competing with strong current or a stiff breeze, and the promise of adventure is increased if the two are combined!! This Spring I will remove the motor unit and take it to a shop near me that has an excellent reputation for repair and restoration of electric motors. I'll have them go over it top to bottom and then I'll do the scraping, cleaning and lubing you recommended in your reply. On the whole, it's pretty clean. I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't even know it had a zinc! (Where is it?)
I have never had the experience of it draining down a battery, but as a rule I never "stand on" the button (and don't use it unless the engine is running!).
Again, thanks. I look forward to participating in these forums in the future!

[Pitou]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't even know it had a zinc! (Where is it?)

http://www.vetusweb.com/manuals/files/B ... 012-04.pdf

Though not in English, the link will take you to the manual for the Vetus 25. Page 7 of the manual will show the anode location behind the propeller. Remove the nut holding the prop on and the anode location will be exposed. If you have never checked before then it most likely is gon, but the 2 screws holding in place will still be there. Welcome aboard!

As an aside, in later years and on my '02 Albin did bump the size of the thruster to a 55 kgf.

[joe.baar]

Thanks for the link, Kevin. My Vetus differs from the one shown in that manual: my prop is 4-bladed, the shape of my motor is different, the solenoids are in a different location and the unit is positioned amidships, not to one side as shown. This leads me to believe I have an even earlier and smaller model, the 23kgf. I didn't bother looking for it on Vetus's site this time.

In fact I was never able to find the zinc or any evidence of where it might have been. I found no screws or screw-holes behind the prop, which is where I was also told it should be by local experts.

According to this same source, the electrical people at Fisheries Supply, Vetus says that zinc needs to be replaced every 6 months (!!!). Outrageous.

Tom, thanks for the good words and your comment about the promise of adventure is perfectly apt. I try to remember Ric Murray's wisdom every time I go out and really should post it at the helm. Take care.

[jcollins]

Hi Joe,
My boat is the same year as yours. I have never found a zinc on the Vetus 23 either. Perhaps they added the zinc in later years? I don't know. I've been wrong before.

John

[Carl]

If this makes you feel any better, I just tonight changed the zinc on my Vetus which sits behind the prop. The old one which I put on last spring was in almost new condition. There were only 3 small pits on the face which would have hardly kept a BB from rolling away if laid flat. Not a lot of exposed metal there.

[Russell]

The zinc anode for the 23kgf is attached to the bottom of the unit by a 10 mm bolt. If you see a bolt sticking out the bottom, that is where the zinc used to be. The zinc anode is BP-129 a lists for $38 at Go 2 marine. Boatzincs.com shows $11.11 if that is not a mistake. I purchased a pair of Bennett trim tab zincs which sell now for $16.59, cut them in half and have 4 zincs that attach with the same bolt and last longer than the BP-129.

[maineman]

Thanks, Russell! I'll be starting Spring re-commissioning in May and I'll definitely search for what's left of the zinc or the sticky-out bolt! Thanks for the website references too.

Tom McCandless
1996 28TE "KTQ"
Georgetown Island, ME

[DougSea]

The zinc anode for the 23kgf is attached to the bottom of the unit by a 10 mm bolt. If you see a bolt sticking out the bottom, that is where the zinc used to be. The zinc anode is BP-129 a lists for $38 at Go 2 marine. Boatzincs.com shows $11.11 if that is not a mistake. I purchased a pair of Bennett trim tab zincs which sell now for $16.59, cut them in half and have 4 zincs that attach with the same bolt and last longer than the BP-129.

I was certain mine didn't have a zinc (also have the 23kgf) but now I'm going to have to take a harder look. To the original point - it is absolutely undersized for the size and weight of a 28TE. Calm seas, no problem. Wind and current - Challenges!!

[DougSea]

The zinc anode for the 23kgf is attached to the bottom of the unit by a 10 mm bolt. If you see a bolt sticking out the bottom, that is where the zinc used to be. The zinc anode is BP-129 a lists for $38 at Go 2 marine. Boatzincs.com shows $11.11 if that is not a mistake. I purchased a pair of Bennett trim tab zincs which sell now for $16.59, cut them in half and have 4 zincs that attach with the same bolt and last longer than the BP-129.

I was certain mine didn't have a zinc (also have the 23kgf) but now I'm going to have to take a harder look. To the original point - it is absolutely undersized for the size and weight of a 28TE. Calm seas, no problem. Wind and current - Challenges!!

Well, I looked and looked and looked at my thruster. Then I looked again. Had a friend look.

There is no zinc on my thruster. No hole for a bolt, no corroded bolt that's sheared off, nothing. Now I'm thinking I may glass in a mount in the tunnel and attach an external zinc. A project for next season!

[Russell]

It might be easier to just hook it into the bonding system. Attach a wire to a bolt on the thruster and run it to the common plate in the bilge where all the through hulls etc are connected to the engine and shaft zinc.

[Ron222]

I wanted to weigh-in on the discussion of the Vetus 23KG Bow Thruster. I have a 1986 34 ft Albin w/ a Vetus KG. This winter all the old anti-fouling paint was cleaned off from the housing in search of the zinc anode. The mechanic helping me with many projects and I were skeptical at first that the unit would not have a zinc but became convinced when we inspected the entire housing. In fact, the installation manual for the KG showed the zinc to be mounted in the tunnel at the top near the unit. Yet, there were no old bolts or holes (looking from the inside) to indicate that one had ever been installed. Given that the bow thruster was installed in 1986 and there was no evidence of corrosion and works great we came up with the conclusion that because the housing is brass (at least for the old ones) there is no reason to try to put one on the unit at this late date. Brass from hundreds of years in the ocean seem to survive the test of time so why worry. The thruster may be undersized but there is no indication, yet, with our A34. As the new owners of our A34, I have had three occasions to use it and it worked extremely well with a cross current and wind. Hope this is helpful.
Ron
A34 Paumanok
Westbrook, Ct