Cape Horn Owner's Heat Exchanger Question?

More than likely manufactured by Fernstrum.

I’ve never seen a keel cooler with a drain on the exterior cooler itself. Doesn’t mean there isn’t one, I’ve just never seen one. They are typically serviced all from the inside. Even if you had an exterior drain plug, how would a diver remove the plug and hook a hose to it without getting contamination into the cooler? And then how would you avoid contamination upon removing the hose and reinstalling the plug? Should be easy enough to pump the coolant out from your engine room.

Simply pump up the system to 12-15 psi and put a pressure gauge on it. If you have a leak you should know it, as you'll have sea water in your coolant. Cape Horn was made by several different yards as they were never a builder, figure out which yard built yours and call them. I've never seen a drain on a keel cooled system on the outside of the boat. PM Judy Waldman on here and she should be able to figure out which of the 3 or so yards, your boat was built at.

We have a Fernstrum Gridcooler. The last time I called, Fernstrum answered the phone and had quick/helpful/knowledgeable customer service. There are multiple drains on our unit, accessible outside the hull. Some owners remove the coolant from inside the boat via wet/dry vacuum. Best Wishes.

I don't know enough on Nordhavn to comment. But what I do know is it takes them 3-4 months to finish a lot of things on the boat here before it's delivered to the customer and another 8-9 months to get all of the issues worked out on them.

But you would have to BUILD something in order to be classified as a BUILDER. Supervising a shipyard, would not be considered a builder in anyone's eyes, that's a project manager.