A Few Newbie Questions

[Paddy]

Finally got a break from the rain / work and had a chance to snoop around on the boat last night. Couple of questions for the experts...

1) How do I get the access panel off behind the mirror in the head? I gave it a few good pulls, but it didn't budge, what am I missing here?

2) The side sliding windows, do they lift up and out for replacement / maintenance or do you have to remove the entire frame. If so, how the heck do you get to the corner fasteners?

3) The fridge appears to be original. The surveyor said it was DC only, but I kicked it on via shore power and it chilled right down. The DC panel was off and so was the inverter. Was he mistaken and they do come with AC/DC fridges?

4) I have a little bit of mold buildup in the wood flooring, appears to be under the laminate, any suggestions on how to safely remove the mold?

5) No dash gauge lights, are they suppose to illuminate? Strange that both gauges are dark.

That's it for now.

Thanks in advance

[DougSea]

As a former 28 owner I'll take a shot...

1) How do I get the access panel off behind the mirror in the head? I gave it a few good pulls, but it didn't budge, what am I missing here?

Mine had a small latch on top. You'd put your finger through the hole, palm up, and you'd feel the latch.

2) The side sliding windows, do they lift up and out for replacement / maintenance or do you have to remove the entire frame. If so, how the heck do you get to the corner fasteners?

There's a discussion somewhere here on the forum. I think the consensus was you'd have to remove the frame. So you'd need a really short screwdriver. Don't quote me on this one...

3) The fridge appears to be original. The surveyor said it was DC only, but I kicked it on via shore power and it chilled right down. The DC panel was off and so was the inverter. Was he mistaken and they do come with AC/DC fridges?

Many of the fridges supplied on Albins are AC/DC units. So you may have gotten lucky!

4) I have a little bit of mold buildup in the wood flooring, appears to be under the laminate, any suggestions on how to safely remove the mold?

I have a "non-bleach" mold remover down on the boat. I'll get the name later when I go down. I also use an "Australian Tea-tree oil" air freshener that supposedly kills mold naturally over time. It seems to work as long as you have decent airflow.

5) No dash gauge lights, are they suppose to illuminate? Strange that both gauges are dark.

Mine go on with my navigation lights. Bulbs may be burned out, wire loose, disconnected. Once you get that panel off you should be able to figure this one out fairly easily.

[Chris & Dale]

Regarding the illumination of the guages. If your dash is anything like mine, then you'll find 2 switches to the right of the tach...1 for the egine alarm buzzer and the right 1 for dash illumination. I've enclosed a picture of my dash. If this is the same, don't feel bad...I had to ask the same question the 1st evening of the voyage bringing her home.

The Dash - Close Up.JPG

It's been a year of ownership and many projects, but at this rate I figure I'll stop being a newbie about the time I decide to sell her, which is going to be many, many years from now! Even if your dash is different, I suspect there's a button on there somewhere to turn the lights on to the guages. Congradulations on being a "Newbie"!! Good Luck

[Paddy]

Got the inspection panel off, thanks Doug. I now have access to the gauges, but I do not see bulbs, I must be missing something. The Nav lights / anchor lights are working, just no gauge lights. I'll keep digging.

Fridge is cranking along on AC, that's a plus. Still haven't attacked the mold in the flooring.

Thanks again for your help.