August 10th, 2022
Berthon Spain’s hydraulic engineering man Ezequiel (NOT pictured above) has been keeping busy on a variety of hydraulic projects these past few weeks. It was imperative that these projects were resolved quickly as hydraulic systems commonly support key functions on all types of yachts/vessels, for example – passarelles, bathing platforms or providing tension in the rig of a sailing yacht.
During the summer months, when yacht owners or charter guests are on board cruising the Balearics, captains and crew require small issues addressed as soon as possible to avoid larger problems down the line.
A small hydraulic oil leak will affect the entire hydraulic system as it relies on pressure to operate correctly.
Improvements to all of her hydraulic systems has been a priority throughout the refit. As you can see from the photos of her stabilizers, things had got into a pretty bad state. Our hydraulic and mechanical engineers had to completely over haul everything. The stabilizers were uninstalled to be able to give them a thorough acid clean before being disassembled. Once in pieces on the work bench he could assess for damage and itemise parts that needed to be replaced and where repairs could be made. A broken hydraulic collar found on one of the rods was replaced with a new one. All four hydraulic cylinders were given a service and a clean. The hydraulic rods were polished. The old hydraulic hoses were removed and replaced with new Parker hydraulic hoses manufactured from carbon. All parts were then carefully reassembled, re-installed and tested before launch.
The Reckmann hydraulic vang was newly installed by Berthon Spain last year but the captain had recently reported an hydraulic oil leak and a drop in the gas pressure. After disassembling it on the workbench and a thorough investigation, Ezequiel found that an incorrectly installed pressure collar from the factory was the culprit. A new hydraulic pressure collar kit was ordered and once installed, the vang is working correctly. Ezequiel took this opportunity to check all other components were in good shape; he replaced all of the O-rings and gave everything a good clean.
An on-site inspection concluded that the hydraulic oil was leaking from a valve block. The hoses were disconnected and capped to prevent further mess and the faulty parts uninstalled and transported to the workshop. After giving each valve a good clean, measurements were taken for spares to be purchased, all of the O-rings were replaced, and replacement parts fitted before being transported back to the boat. The valve block was reinstalled, the hydraulic hoses were reconnected and tested to make sure everything was working as it should, and finally a quick clean up before stepping off.
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