It’s imperative that you train those vanes

Q

My recently-purchased Etap 24i has a Yanmar 1GM10 engine fitted which I had serviced by an engineer, but which I intend tackling myself in future. He also removed the leaking water pump and fitted new seals, and I subsequently asked what the rotational direction of the driveshaft would be, and which way he had angled the vanes. He did not know the answer to either, but said it didn’t matter as the impeller would work equally well irrespective of the direction. Can you advise on this?

Additionally, this boat was built in 2001 and has a threepin 16A socket for a 240V connection near the stern, with another socket in the cabin alongside a built-in battery charger. The shape of these sockets is not like any my mechanic or myself have seen, being quite small (and neat), so I was wondering how I might obtain appropriate plugs? pAT MAnleY replieS:

The direction of the rotation of the pump is easily checked – it turns ‘the long way round’ from the water inlet to the water outlet – and it certainly does matter which way the impeller is inserted. The vanes should ‘trail’ in the direction of rotation, and this direction should be indicated on the outside of the pump faceplate by an arrow. If inserted the wrong way round, the blades may flip into the correct alignment, but equally they may not – in which case the pump will not work properly and impeller wear will be increased.

It sounds as if your Etap has standard European sockets. You should be able to buy matching plugs from a major chandler, or you can search online for some.