Ok it deserves an explanation.
If you ever see a technician apply a crimp terminal and then pull on it to see if it will come off you know he doubts his own work. A technician gets this way by using the wrong handheld crimp tool and having the occasional failure show up in the ridiculous hand pull test. The actual pull test specification for a crimp terminal is too pull hard enough to elongate and then break the wire without the conductor coming out of the crimp. That test takes a pull test machine on the size wires used on a boat. If you see a technician doing crimp terminals correctly they first will be using a special stripper that will not nick the copper conductors when it strips and secondly they will be using a ratchet style crimp tool. The later is easy to spot from the ratchet sound it makes but you'll also note the tremendous amount of pressure it takes to crimp the terminal hard enough for the tool's ratchet to release. A properly applied crimp terminal forms a gas tight seal around the conductor protecting the connection from oxidation or even corrosion from salt air. The wire itself will fail before the connection. A non-ratchet stamped steel crimper will let you think you've achieved a good gas tight crimp when the crimping process has just begun. When your hand is at an odd angle or you just a bit tired or distracted you will produce a bad crimp and some of these will pull off the wire by hand but many other will pass the hand test but still allow air to enter the joint leading to an early failure. A ratchet crimper will force you to complete the crimp properly regardless of fatigue or odd working angle. It's even common to see a technician have to revert to using two hands to complete a crimp operation as the day wears on. Horse whipped is a little strong but Nigel's video on electrical showed how to do it wrong so you'd have to redo it in a year or two. Having gone all dark on Wing Tip in the middle of SF Bay during our first month of ownership I was a little annoyed to find all my dealer installed accessories were done using a bad crimp tool. The worst part was the technician had cut some of the Catalina factory wiring to splice into the wiring and it was one of those connections that failed. Phil Agur <http://www.catalina27.org/public_pages/profile270.htm> s/v Wing Tip Secretary, C270 LE #184 IC27/270A MMSI 366901790 www.catalina27.org <http://www.catalina27.org/> Vessel Doc# 1039809 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Phil Agur Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 4:13 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: catalina27-talk: Tool reccomendations He's a fine author but he's not a professional when it comes to electrical. Except Nigel should be horse whipped for his extremely poor electrical workmanship. I once saw a video he did and he was using a stamped steel crimper like you might get in the $1 bin at an auto parts store. Phil Agur <http://www.catalina27.org/public_pages/profile270.htm> s/v Wing Tip Secretary, C270 LE #184 IC27/270A MMSI 366901790 www.catalina27.org <http://www.catalina27.org/> Vessel Doc# 1039809 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of George R. Wiltsie Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 12:16 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: catalina27-talk: Tool reccomendations One of the most important tools that I have found to have on board is a copy of the latest edition of Nigel Calder's Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual. I think that is pretty close to the title. It should be available through Barnes & Noble or Amazon, and should set you back just under about $40.00. Try going here http://www.amazon.com/Boatowners-Mechanical-Electrical-Manual-Calder/dp/0071 432388/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8 <http://www.amazon.com/Boatowners-Mechanical-Electrical-Manual-Calder/dp/007 1432388/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1227557471&sr=1-1> &qid=1227557471&sr=1-1 It is the tool I use the most. George ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Agur" < <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: < <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]> Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 2:49 PM Subject: RE: catalina27-talk: Tool reccomendations > > My recommendation can through rather garbled in format. Hopefully this will > come through better. I only carry tools for specific tasks never a tool > chest unless I'm there specifically to work on the boat. > > I keep the specifics for a task otherwise I'll eventually carry off the boat > to save space or weight. I carry very little. > > 1. A Nicro press crimper for it's the compound leverage cable cutter. (You > need to be able to quickly cut away a fallen mast before it wholes the hull) > > 2. Wooden holes plugs and a mallet (a Plug for each through hull tied in > place) > > 3. The 2 wrenches for a belt change & spare belts > > 4. A screw driver & spare impeller > > 5. An injector seal kit for my motor > > 6. Emergency tiller (You may need to cut the quadrant cables see item 1) > > 7. A one hand operation cut away knife (I keep this on me at all times and > practice by using everyday.) A safety harness can drag you under if the boat > goes or flowing water will cause hypothermia very quickly if you are getting > drug through the water. > > 8. A Gerber multi-tool > > 9. A pair of 1,000,000 candle power spots. (one cordless, one 12V) This is > prevention for a sail boat getting run over at night. Running lights at > great unless a fast moving boat isn't watching. > > 10. A hand crank LED flash light (in the cockpit so we can use the light > when we board to work combo locks in the dark) > > 11. A wash down pump, hose, and nozzle (there's no water on our dock but we > are in fresh water) > > 12. Shore power cord. > > 13. Spare fuel filters (but it's a tools free operation) > > On bigger trips > > 14. A mast ladder > > 15. A 1000 watt generator (will jump start diesel) & 6ft. self coiling shore > power cord. The 12V output is a joke but the 120V output into my shore power > charger will crank the diesel. > > Phil Agur s/v Wing Tip > Secretary, C270 LE #184 > IC27/270A MMSI 366901790 > <http://www.catalina27.org> www.catalina27.org Vessel Doc# 1039809 > > -----Original Message----- > From: <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Derek Atkin > Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 7:16 AM > To: <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] > Subject: catalina27-talk: Tool reccomendations > > I have recently just purchased a 1979 Catalina 27. As I am putting together > my list of things to buy - was curious to hear any special tool > reccomendations. I assume just about everything on the boat is SAE. Aside > from sockets, wrenches, screwdrives etc. Anything that I should keep on > board ? > > Thanks > > Derek A. > > > > > > > >
