Problems With The Generator (Honda Eu20i) | Prepping To Leave | Ep 320

Two days to go before we leave Lembeh. But we have problems with the generator, and we wonder if we can get help from local friends or maybe somewhere in Manado?
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00:00 Prepping to leave
00:16 Problems With The Generator (Honda Eu20i)
02:46 Trip to Manado
04:37 Ronald, our helper and driver **
06:02 Help for the generator
06:38 Exploring and shopping in Manado
07:56 Generator fixed?
09:50 Eating (and more shopping) in Manado
12:20 At anchor, Lembeh Strait
12:46 Kayaking (and exploring) Lembeh Strait
15:28 Repairing hatches in a squall
18:59 Plastic pollution in the Lembeh Strait
**Ronald Panjaitan (Bitung/Manado - driver and helpful man)
[phone] (and WApp)
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Peace and fair winds!
Liz and Jamie
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[@TheBowen747]

when ever i meet someone who says america needs to be more green and environmentally friendly ... i always send them to fallow the boat .. if you want to clean up the world ...then you must start at the world ghettos first .. it only makes sense

[@followtheboat]

I'd like to think we're all responsible and that the west is just as bad, but at least our waters are not like this. I've never seen anything like it.

[@TheBowen747]

@@followtheboat ive not seen bad ocean water conditions like that in florida usa.. now our usa rivers and democrat run cities are filthy but our southern states with ocean coast lines seem nice here , i been fallowing not just your boat..lol but lots of them. on here... and your boat seems to find the wurst dirty waters.. and i know its not your fault, your just reporting conditions and we all love that your honest about it and bring problems for everyone to see.. im still another year from boating..lol im getting a nice rv just in case i sink the boat later on....lol a survivors plan be .. if you wi;ll...lol

[@followtheboat]

We've seen pollution in the seas since the Mediterranean and all the way east. Sometimes currents, wind and tides move it about and push it away, bit it's everywhere. Much of the water in SE Asia lies between land masses and Islands, unable to be carried away by the ocean and trapping the rubbish. But there is also a big problem with rubbish being poured into rivers and along coasts. Governments should be investing in refuse collection and education. There are steps being taken, but they're too slow, too small and mostly driven by NGOs and local initiatives. I think many cruising KZbin channels shy away from showing the reality, preferring to concentrate on the pretty, party, beachy side of life on the water. Liz

[@chrisyarnold6205]

I don't wish to talk politics on a sailing channel, but I believe that the pollution that most people have concerns with the USA is pollution that is invisible, namely CO2 and Methane. China and India guilty as well, but if you love the clear waters of Florida, you should remember that it will be the State most affected by sea level rises, and much of it could dissappear underwater completely. We all have to change our lifestyles, every country, no matter which political regime runs it.

[@TheBowen747]

@@chrisyarnold6205 co2 isnt that what our trees and plants use to make oxygen from .. now that dont make sense at all..

[@jimmyhvy2277]

Epoxy Putty is great , we used it in the Tasman sea when we Ripped a Hole in the Deck , 3 Days out of NZ . Saved us bucketing water out of the Galley .

[@followtheboat]

Good to hear you had some on board, Jimmy. That could have been a very wet ride!

[@darrencoile]

I am a manager of a store and shop in the U.S. that sell and service Honda, and for a quick test of a generator we use a heat gun because it is a high load. Of course we charge $95 or 85£ an hour to do this.

[@followtheboat]

Hi Darren. So they were doing two things right: using a heat gun to test and then charging us £8 for their services 😁

[@triciamcmillan9846]

Apologies in advance for adding my 2 cents worth to people as experienced as yourselves: a friend of mine had issues with a generator which seemed insoluble until someone suggested checking the exhaust. He found that it was almost completely blocked with carbon deposits. He applied hammer and chisel and Lo and behold! It worked again! This fix has helped others with puzzling issues with their boat engines too

[@followtheboat]

Hi Tricia. I came across this possible cause in my research but I'm pretty sure that isn't it. However, now that we know it worked for your friend it's something to keep an eye on. I followed a thread of a guy who had the same symptoms as is and he must have stripped his generator down five times, including the exhaust system 😮 Turns out it was electrical, not mechanical. Took him months to find his solution. Thanks for the helpful comment. Fair winds to you.

[@jonathanwetherell3609]

Fault finding is often a pain in the sit upon. You come up with a theory and test it out. Sometimes you find a problem that was not the real one = short lived elation!

[@followtheboat]

Oh my word, you hit the nail on the head! 90% of the time it's about finding the cause. The idea is that with experience it gets easier... 🙄😁 Liz

[@chrisyarnold6205]

Never tried it, but saw a YT video the other day that said that you can place an unopened silicone tube in hot water, to bring it back to usable state. May work with opened tube if you can remove plug that has air dryed. Worth a try.

[@followtheboat]

Wow, that's interesting. I'll make sure Jamie sees this. Cheers! Liz

[@CCB249]

The weird boat that you saw is called a "pump" boat. Those spider boats that you speak of are called Tuna Station boats. There is a fascinating show on the "Coral Triangle" on Curiosity Channel.

[@followtheboat]

Oooh, interesting, thanks for the heads up! Liz

[@peterrahill9263]

444th view, 81st like... here we go. Particularly enjoying the segment & view beginning at 12:21... and a freeze-frame at 12:43 would make a nice calendar shot.

[@followtheboat]

Glad you're enjoying it, thanks for letting us know. 🙏 Liz

[@johnperry7534]

Hey you both look well and terriffic We had this same generator and could not fault it , ran like a Trojan and still running.loved it.

[@followtheboat]

Turns out ours is running problem free too, John!

[@paulwithers2511]

With silicone tubes, i unscrew the nozzle , place bit of plastic bag over end of tube, screw nozzle back on. The silicone in nozzle usually goes hard and can be pushed out, when plastic removed rest of tube ok

[@jeromehebert3184]

Bummer about your generator; glad Liz was able to get her hair cut; the trash in the water is nasty.

[@followtheboat]

We continued to have problems with the generator but somewhere down the line there is an explanation, Jerome. Yes, that water was filthy 🤮

[@hendrasm9277]

Good people always meet good people. Have a great journey. Take care..

[@followtheboat]

It was a pleasure meeting you, Hendra! Hope we get back to Tolitoli... 👌🙏

[@HugoHugunin]

Do your kayaks have knee braces or straps? For longer distances they are like magic. You lift each knee on the side you are paddling [paddle right, lift right knee. paddle left, lift left knee] and it absolutely stops the "wander" that kayaks are notorious for. They also allow you to use your entire body for propulsion.

[@followtheboat]

That sounds interesting, but I don't think our journeys are long enough to warrant them. Liz

[@nautichunt84]

If you store your silicone/sikaflex with the nozzle on it you can squeeze out the air and bang a screew in the end, usually it will set in the nozzle but not in the tube itself. Not always but it usually helps

[@followtheboat]

Yep, good tip. However this had dried all the way through the tube. That's the tropics for you 🤔

[@brettharrison2237]

We have an EU22i…….3 months after we bought it the inverter and stator failed…..replaced under warranty and seems ok now. I start it once a week if we aren’t using it and load it up for 15 minutes or so.

[@followtheboat]

Hi Brett. I followed a very long thread on a problem EU that turned out to be an issue with the inverter. Identical symptoms to ours, which is why I thought our issue could be electrical, not mechanical. Anyway, we're now discovering that there never was a problem with the generator, it was something else entirely! We've had ours for ten years and it's been a life-saver on occasion, but as you say, use it or lose it.

[@danielwardin4688]

Sorry about the generator, guys; trust it will be fixed at your next port-of-call..... Although not a believer, I was happily amused by the mobile chapel ("JESUS INSIDE"); it speaks well for the tolerance in Sulawesi -- not the case, I hear, in Aceh.... Jamie: you are an adept! All your repairs seen to be performed single-handedly, i.e. one hand for the actual task, the other to hold the camera. (I'm fondly reminded of Kenneth Williams' definition of 'ambidextrous': "it means I sometimes take my tea with sugar and sometimes without sugar.") Great show! Regards

[@followtheboat]

TBH, Daniel, I'm not doing many repairs in this one. The hatch leak was pretty simple but when it comes to generators, I'm lost! Gotta love Kenneth Williams 😁👍

[@Mark_Lacey]

Have a look at the AVR (automatic voltage regulator) on the genny. A duff AVR will drop voltage and cause issues with engine speed.

[@followtheboat]

Oh the story of the generator is a long and frustrating one. Thanks for the words of advice. 🙏 Liz

[@450Chicago]

Glad to see someone is cruising! Good on ya's. On the generator, my own personal experience is that 9 of 10 times it's a fuel problem. The other 1 time it's the gas ;) We absolutely avoid "eco fuel" as it has even more water than the "premium* stuff and believe it or not I ALWAYS drain the carb following each use of the generator which admittedly we use only one every month and a half to keep our Rainman from getting foul (even though it's pickled). Much easier than tearing down the carb. Also religiously fill the tank to the top to avoid condensation inside as much as possible. I got schooled on all this by Peter on MV Tiger Balm who's a master mechanic. He's a bit of a master mechanic.

[@followtheboat]

All really good advice there, Tom. Cheers! Liz

[@450Chicago]

@@followtheboat if you drain the carb the water in the gas won't evaporate there and leave deposits. Peter says draining it is better than running it dry as small gas engines actually rely on the gas to cool the cylinder!? In any case, draining it ensures the bowl is empty. That said, those who advocate the former point out you can drain the upper chamber by running the motor at high throttle to drain the carb whereas emptying it merely empties the bowl. The top chamber, he says, contains the fuel used at high throttle or when it's choked. Aren't you glad you asked? :)

[@davidcaskie6680]

Being in Vietnam, the garbage issue is atrocious. We were in Mui Ne at a restaurant about to have dinner, when an older lady who I believe to be the owner walked across the restaurant with two garbage bags and threw them out the window right into the ocean. I yelled at her, she gave me the Vietnamese hand wave meaning I don’t know what you’re saying and I don’t care. So we walked out never to return. It’s the same all over the country. There are Vietnamese groups fighting for regulations but the government still doesn’t seem to understand the consequences to the tourist industry and they need to really start looking at the comments that tourists leave after visiting...

[@followtheboat]

I just don't get the disconnect, David. It's pretty simple but I guess building an refuse/recycling infrastructure and educating a generation on waste disposal is too costly for these governments to put in place. Maybe. Or maybe they just don't see it as a priority. Either way, it's heart-breaking to see that kind of behaviour.

[@davidcaskie6680]

@@followtheboat That the infuriating thing about it... the area I was talking about has garbage pick up and recycling but the people, for some reason won’t use it. They would rather throw it in the ocean or burn it, especially plastic, which drives me crazy! That being said, it is usually older people, the twenty-somethings are a lot more environmentally aware, so maybe there’s somehow in the distance!

[@stevebutterworth1937]

Looking good Liz 👀!

[@followtheboat]

Thank you, my dear! 😁 Liz

[@captainsalty56]

If it's any consolation, we just finished our sail through Indonesia and were plagued with problems with our Honda Eu20. It would start but then stop after a short while. After stripping the carburetor twice and doing a full service, the problem continued. Eventually determined that filling the sump up to the fill level wasn't enough to stop the low oil cut off from activating. It would start but after the oil level dropped as the pump lubricated the generator. After weeks of frustration tipped generator on it's side and added extra oil. Problem solved. Good luck with solving your problem.

[@followtheboat]

Eucchhh, sounds like a bloody nightmare. Glad you got it sorted! Liz

[@tomkiefer2386]

Love the new hairdo Liz!

[@followtheboat]

Haha, thanks! It's a bloody mess at the moment, need to have another trip. Cheers! Liz

[@peterrahill9263]

0:01 - I seriously hope those blokes don't have intentions of crossing any oceans like that!!

[@followtheboat]

Haha! They get around OK, don't you think? 🙂 Liz

[@roydaley3413]

👍

[@followtheboat]

🙏

[@trevhedges209]

Thanks guys

[@followtheboat]

You're welcome, fella. 🙏 Liz

[@trevhedges209]

@@followtheboat the Pollution at the end really got to me.. especially after seeing last week’s episode with all the sea life.. it seems the majority of people don’t/won’t do anything untill it directly effects them.. well we have reached that.. keep adding the pressure guy’s, maybe we can embarrass governments into change?

[@stevenplancich6449]

Dang…What a “Fruitful” Day👍 And ya also got “Out”…Continue to Stay Safe and Enjoy 😎

[@followtheboat]

Cheers, Steven. Fixing these kinds of problems is always an adventure!

[@christopherhutchings9621]

Sorry gen not fixed, Liz looks GREAT! Best sailing channel!!!!

[@followtheboat]

Thank you, Christopher, you're too kind!

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

It might be chilly around here, but at least we do not seem to get that level of pollution. Of course, Beaufort's Dyke is only 15 miles from here with 1 million tonnes of WW1 ammunition dumped in it. Maybe we would better off with the odd plastic bottle floating past 🤣

[@followtheboat]

How about neither?! 😁 The UK south coast had (has?) a problem with raw sewage being pumped out... The rubbish problem here is down to a lack of education and little initiative from government to do something about it. Liz

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

@@followtheboat - do not talk to me about governments!!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember who is running ours!

[@peterrahill9263]

18:15 - looks like a wad of chewing gum could serve the same purpose - but I wouldn't wanna chew on THAT, thank you very much. Some Juicy Fruit, perhaps?

[@followtheboat]

Maybe it would... Cheers! Liz

[@UUBrahman]

Good stuff complaining about the pollution, they do not know any better, keep it up. Thanks.

[@followtheboat]

Yes, we keep raising it when appropriate. There are lots of beautiful places without this kind of mess, but even the best anchorages are plagued by crap floating in on the currents. Liz

[@nautichunt84]

What charger are you using to put in 120 amps? These honda generator's actually have a "recall" type thing. A mates caught fire then he found out about the "recall" they are replacing some board inside for free on certain year eu2's

[@followtheboat]

It's a Victron MultiPlus 3000. It's been problem-free for years but as we discover in a later episode the generator wasn't at fault 🤦

[@nautichunt84]

@@followtheboat i was going to suggest borrowing a generator to see if it was the charger, didn't sound like a generator issue to me. That rubbish floating at the end was heartbreaking 😥

[@dellhumbert6490]

You guys are amazing! I absolutely love what you do, from how you deal with the locals, to how you handle your boat. Which makes this all the more frustrating. Until I can figure out how to disable shorts, I will have to unsubscribe from this channel.

[@BrianM0OAB]

I wonder if the capacitor is dying or an electrical connection breaking down as it warms up ?? keep shaming them for the rubbish problem, no one wants to dive or swim in that filth, although we have water company's doing sh1tty things here into the sea, not nice for the Oliday makers.

[@followtheboat]

We'll keep telling it like we see it. Education, investment and the political will for change is what we need here. 🙏 Liz