Sea Ray SSS 1993 63 ft

Just so you guys can be as proud of me as i am with my new docking skills lol Here is where i am berthed pretty insane and i am getting her in and out without incident, can't believe i can do it!! Honestly can say now i am actually getting good at captaining this thing, that is so little room to manoeuvre a boat into!! Now if i would have had this spot back in the beginning no way in hell would i have ever been able to bring her in! I could barely go in a straight line back then hahhaha

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Thats good on the docking Rob. My boat is not finished yet, some minor glass repairs to do, then the polish, I also have new vents sitting with it to throw on whilst it is on the workbay, and if I get time, the new horns I have had sitting in there for a few months.
Then I will take a drive to Pittwater (car drive) and have a look at the fake teak, I want to put down in the back and through the cabin area. Taking a drive to decide wheter I will tackle it or get it done.
China, I have been averaging about 3 trips a year for the last few years. This year though I have just completed my 3rd trip since the 25 of Feb, and will head over again around the end of July, then I think one more after that, and we should be on track!

So arrived back from China on Saturday afternoon, just in time to spend this week moving the warehouse and interviewing for another salesperson.

I must have a rest due somewhere !
 
New vents?? You mean raw water intake vents??
Do you have a few minors hull blemishes?
Let me know how the teak goes. I have been thinking of putting something similar down for half of the salon around the galley area as people always spill stuff there and it looks great!
Sounds like your life has really been full on!! Sometimes you just have to force it and take that break before you burn yourself out!!

I am at the boat now working. Fixed a sealed hatch a leaking hatch and have been replacing torn screens with new fiberglass screens they are a bit stronger.
Going to a truck diesel supply place tomorrow. Hoping to get some new racor filters and maybe a few parts I have needed.
Friday is dive day going under the boat again. Not looking forward to diving in this cold weather!! Just getting final touches together for the business we are launching in Ausgust. Already have 8 customers :) as soon as we fill the boat to capacity going to florida for a second. Think we will get the newer 550 for #2. Or that 630sss I was 30 k short on getting last time as it is still available with a lower price now. That one was in immaculate condition!
Very spacious boat, love the crews quarters in the back great separation of cabins and they are pretty big twin bunks with their own ensuite not some tiny little one like on the 53 azimut.
 
Hi Rob,

Nice work on the docking! Looks like an interesting place to dock - do you bring it in by yourself or need someone with the ropes etc? I'm fine by myself providing the wind and currents aren't too bad. As soon as it gets windy by the time I've run back from the wheel to grab the ropes the bow starts swinging away and I've got to run back and hit the thruster! I'm going to order a remote for the thrusters so that I can take it out by myself even on windy days!

Glad to hear the business is starting to take shape! It may be worthwhile having a look at Australian boats before flying back to Florida - I'm sure alot of boats advertised here are selling well below asking price without all the hassles of importing! Any plans for the weekend?

Paul
 
barlowe: I hear you!! It is safe for now as i have an agreement they will tell me way before they move the warship that is in front of the bow...the houseboat and the barge never get moved they are permanently attached... the barge has a huge steel piling that is driven way down into the mud and the houseboat is very securely fastened to the shore. The only kinda bad side is they move in different ways during the tides, the house boat only goes so far up same with the barge and of course my boat goes as high and low as the tide so it was tricky getting the right system to tie her up .... i just watched the first few tides and adjusted the ropes accordingly! So for now it is ok, i plan on getting a proper berth in the next few months sometime!

Paul: it is pretty tricky! very little room to manoeuvre so i just kind of bump her in and out of gear and walk her sideways helping with the bow thruster..if i had a stern thruster it would be a lot easier! The very first time i brought her in i swung around from the back and managed to kick her sideways just right and i drifted right into berth...although there was no wind at the time...havent been able to do it since! I get moved around a lot at this place, as they get new boats or move other boats i get bounced to new locations.... can't complain i have a spot to keep my boat and free power in sydney harbour where i pay by doing work for the company...made them a 180 page website...have done quite a bit of diving work etc.... preferable to having to pay 5k a month in dockage!! i guess being bounced around and being in weird spots like this is the price i pay for having an agreement like that! Its good experience for me anyways.... learning to tie her up and get her into all kinds of tricky spots! I usually have no help with the ropes but that spot is sheltered once i get close to the barge etc the warship and houseboat block the wind so i have time to tie her off ....i hear you on docking in strong wind, have been there its almost impossible alone, by the time you run from the helm to the ropes the boat drifts away!!! great idea on the remote thruster control will help for sure, although unless you have stern thrusters aswell may still be tricky!
 
Rob,

Sounds like you've been on a pretty good deal with the dock. From what I've heard it's pretty expensive to berth a boat at a marina on Sydney Harbour. Not quite as bad where I am but that would be too far to drive for you. Considering how much you like to stay on and play around with your boat I wouldn't recommend a swing mooring. No where near as convenient especially when you have to do work to the boat. Having said that you do save quite a few dollars!

That was the first thing I noticed with your photos. The other boats would shelter you pretty well from the wind and I assume the currents wouldn't be too bad either. Still can be a bit nerve racking bringing a big boat in to dock by yourself! Having said that the majority of time I have friends on the boat they wouldn't know the first thing about the ropes etc.

Fortunately given that there is barely enough space for a fender between our boat and the next the Princess does have a sternthruster fitted. The remote control kit arrived today so going to have a crack at installing this weekend. Photo:

Central Coast-20120629-00085.jpg
 
I have been looking at a wireless remote for the stern thruster and engines so I can just stand on the swim platform and bring her in. I have a huge blind spot from the helm to the back of the boat. There is a camera mounted but difficult to get depth of field. Just need to find who may supply such a system here in Australia. I think they call it yacht wireless docking system.


Found it or something like this anyway

Www.yachtcontroller.com

Ozzie
 
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Paul: did you fit the remote??? How does it work? I am guessing you also have stern thrusters ozzie? I'm jealous i want one hahah one day :) Any luck finding an ozzie supplier Ozzie?

I got given a wireless endoscope by my partner yesterday, pretty handy tool ..has a long flexible wire with led lamps and a camera on the end, used it to look under the boat and check out the props and growth on the hull ...pretty neat, plus makes threading wires a hell of a a lot easier..you can get into and see all those areas on the boat you could not get to before... can record video or snap pictures ..its a great tool ...can attach it to the end of a wire snake and see what you are doing when running your wiring from one end of the boat to the other...just great stuff!! Also got two large 11 inch brand new sea ray emblems to replace the old 99 style..will freshen up the look of the boat big time!! new rpm sender is in and the other one blew lol ..new steering wheel is on the way.. so lots of stuff happening ..new screens for all the windows ..bimini freshened up and mold removed...new trim for all doors and hand rails boat wide .... just dong every single thing i can possibly think of!!


Changed out my racor elements what a messy job i still smell like diesel a day later ended up with a mouthful of diesel and my left eye drenched in it...dont ask!!! my starboard engine clear bowls on racors were full of dead algae so drained them all ..the filter elements were black and gummed up!! turns out i have been driving around with 30 micron elements instead of the recommended 10! that is a huge diff in porosity, no wonder i have had injector problems!! i have 2 racors for each engine and have been running on all 4 which i have found out from Alnav is a waste as the whole reason of the 4 is so one stays clean and you just flip a lever to use the other when one clogs ..so switched to just the one on each side now ...so finally have my fuel system in order well almost had to order in the secondary filters just waiting for them :) will get all of this right eventually!
 
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Ozzie,

I think the mechanics that service the Princess know about installing those yacht controller systems. However I think they add up to about 10x the cost of the Sidepower remote I just installed. If you want me to PM you contact details for the mechanics I can.

Rob,

The remote works unreal! For me I back into the marina berth and tie off to a finger - now if the boat starts to drift away from the finger before I've got enough ropes to hold it I just hit the thrusters to bring it back without having to run back to the helm.

As for the Racors you might want to have a read of this article: http://clubsearay.com/content.php/4-Diesel-Fuel-Management The only issue I see with you running 10 micron filters as opposed to the 30 micron that were there is you will have to swap them out more regularly.

P.S. Would love to hear the story of how you ended up with a mouthful of diesel! :/

Paul
 
Paul: that sounds really great with the thruster remote! I actually may get one now as hearing how you have done it i could do that with just a bow thruster...sure does sound like it makes docking in wind or whatever much much easier! Thanks for that post on fuel! it is a really really good one! Yes i have a feeling at least for awhile on the starboard my filters will be clogging for awhile, but i think it is definitely cheep insurance for your system to have very fine filters like 10 icon...much less of a chance of anything getting through ...if you compare the cost of a few racors @ 35 bucks a pop to that of even say just one injector getting clogged up i prefer the cost of the filters.

For some reason the fuel priming pump built into my racor system is not working so i had to take a gas container and go to the service station as i had to pour diesel in after the filter change to top her off... well when i got to the service station the pump with the smaller nozzle was broken so the only pump available was the one with that huge thick nozzle which did not fit in my fuel container...supposedly a high pressure pump. so i got a funnel put it in there and figured i will just pump very slowly... went well for a little then i guess i pulled the trigger too hard and the diesel back washed out of the nozzle back into my face which stupidly was right above the funnel..it went in my mouth in my hair in my eye just all over my head!! well now i know diesel does not burn when it gets in your eye hahah i also know it does not taste very good a little too oily of a texture for my liking :) I finished the job with my face well away from the nozzle and funnel!! have had like 4 showers since and i still stink of diesel it just won't go away lol
 
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Hi Rob,

are there any prices for reading the entire thread? :)

anyway - I would just like to point you to "waveblade" (www.waveblade.com)

that takes about 2/3's of the hard work of getting the growth of the boat. BUT only buy it if you have a very local seller. I had quite a few issues with mine (blade would not stay attached) - so I had mine exchanged. SO ONLY BUY if you can find it locally with warranty!

I am in no way related to Waveblade

And for GREEN(ER) cleaning and a/c + cooling systems flush: Triton Marine products - http://tritonmarineproducts.com/

They are the least harmful to the environment - and they work very well. So well that I'm working on getting them to the middle east. We have very salt water + very hot water - so the ideal playground for barnacles.

I have just signed for a to me new boat from Florida - and are waiting for survey etc. (2008 Sea Ray 310 Sundancer, 350 MAG Seacore DTS w/Axius Premium) - so reading your thread made me shake and sweat a bit.. :) but I'm over most of the shakes now from about page 130... Still sweating though...

And it will (knock on wood) be transported to where I am in Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates. So a bit of a trek - but should be slightly shorter than yours.

best regards

Kasper
 
Kaz: welcome to the worlds longest thread hahahha you didn't actually read it all did you? I reckon it would take a week lol Thank you so much for the info on wave blade and the other products! wave blade is awesome i could definitely use that thing!!
Kasper are you going to Florida to check out your boat or just entrusting others? I would definitely recommend going no matter what!! the 63 i first got into looked so amazing on pictures but was in nowhere near the state they made it out to be.... I would say that it is a must to actually see the boat yourself and not trust in others words unless you intimately know them with stuff like this from my experience anyways!

Any questions you have on the whole process please do not hesitate to ask me!! i will gladly help you any way i can! yacht path had the best shipping prices anywhere but i did have some problems with them, long delays and it also took them months to refund me 8k they owed me...oh and many things were stolen off of my boat! along with some damage to the interior from jarring! I hear that theft is a problem with any boat that is shipped though as many different people will board her at different intervals and it is easy for them to get away with and hard to pinpoint the culprit...but yeah don't leave any personal stuff onboard you want to keep!! When my boat arrived in newcastle which is where most boats end up when shipped to this side of oz the dock master told me he had seen boats arrive with every single instrument gone and other crazy stuff like that!

Be sure and have the bottom cleaned for your local customs...get all organic stuff offf the boat food etc...pump out the water and septic tanks...do some research back home what gasses are legal or illegal for your ac and fridge..buy a case of razor filters throw it on the boat, they may cost way more and be hard to get over there.. there is quite a bit to it all but if you do your homework should be a breeze.... keep us all updated and we will help you track her adventure across the ocean and be with you for the whole journey CSR is awesome that way :) I have heard many awesome things about Abu Dhabi, are you from there or just working / living over that way?? Be sure and do an engine survey, i would say it is even more important than the regular survey!! I have the contact info of an excellent engine surveyor over there ..he is straight up and will tell you exactly what you are getting ..in other words does not survey for the brokers and help make sales!! something you must watch for!

I also have an excellent very honest broker and regular all around surveyor, they really helped me with my journey so if you want any numbers let me know ...they are all in the south florida area, miami, west palm ,ft. lauderdale etc!! ANy way at all i can help or any advice you need just ask here on the thread and i will very gladly help you anyway i can :) Have contact info for a few reliable captains and an awesome very thorough documentation person ...so anything you need i got it!
Thanks for the product info and joining in on the convo and sharing your adventure with us! keep us posted on how it all goes!! very nice to meet you kasper!! post some pics of your new soon to be baby!!
 
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Hi Rob,

thanks - well the middle east is a bit more "relaxed" about US imports than most countries. But my "potential" new boat has been lift kept - so it has no bottom paint and no growth. And I have found a surveyor that speaks my language (according to other guys here) - and I'll have a thorough engine survey done as well by Mercruiser Tech - so hot/cold compression test, oil test etc.

And for shipping I'm leaning towards Peters & May - who does nothing else than boat shipping. They are slightly more expensive than the competition. But my dock-mates 340 Sundancer landed here intact with nothing missing.

And the boat has extended warranty - so any issues should be "relatively easy" to get fixed. (By relative I mean - as easy as it gets that kind of extended warranty)

And regarding waveblade - I just thought it might be a good idea so you don't surface again smurf coloured. :) (blue...)
I do have another "tool" that helps - a "double" suction cup in plastic/rubber - so I have grip while working under water - it was only about $15 on eBay but works really well. I'll see if I can get the name.

I actually had 0 (zero) bottom paint on my Sea Ray 210 Select for 1 1/2 years while leaving her in the water. I am testing alternative antifoul systems (copper ionisation) - but the "new" boat will get a coat of paint. But with my system it will last estimated 3-5 years here against normal max 9 months.

But I did enjoy your adventure :) and I did read the entire thread - took me about 5 days - (what else can you do when waiting for paperwork)... and I feel for your pain from your accident. I have a bad back from a plane crash - so reading your story - is well - nothing short of amazing.

I own a graphics outsourcing company - doing graphics for magazines and webshops all over the world. So that I can do from anywhere. And my staff is all in Asia. But my wife is quite senior in one of the government investment bodies - so that is why we are in Abu Dhabi. But we love it here. And we live a cosy but hectic life - and have been lucky enough to get an apartment right on the water - surrounded by boats not 10 meters away. And I am about 2 km away from the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 track and harbour.

And I was lucky enough to have 3 boat-builders in the family so I have been spoon fed sailing (and maintenance) from I was a baby. But I am mostly a "sail-boat" person. But that does not work well in Abu Dhabi. (And remember the first rule of the sea's - any motor driven vessel should give way for a non-powered vessel ....!!!) *G* - so on Motor boats I am still a toddler :)
 
Kasper: sounds like you have the whole process all figured out and your importation will be a breeze for you :) The boat is still under warranty and has been kept out of the water, all great things!
Your suction cup idea for when cleaning the bottom would indeed make it easier, last time i just inflated my bcd so i was floating up against the bottom of the boat although this did become tricky at times when i was near the sides as i nearly slid off and too the surface..i think i will search ebay and buy a pair as that would make it easier ..thanks so much for the advice :)

Wow 0 paint on the boat bottom and two years in the water... what did you go under and clean the bottom once a month or something like that? my bottom is anti fouled for tropical waters so stuff grows on it so quickly, it does not work at all!! being a 54 boat it is a whole lot of bottom to clean takes hours!

Geez a plane crash!!! you are just plain lucky you are alive my friend, to be in a plane crash and live just amazing!!! very sorry to hear about your back problems they can be such a nightmare to live with!!
My accident truly sucked as i had such a great life, loved it ...going all over the world performing and to have some careless idiots take that from me ... what can you do though!! i still struggle because of it at times... having 14 major spinal injuries comes back to haunt me quite often... some days i walk normally others i have a pretty bad limp all depends on how its all feeling ...sometimes i can't feel the whole middle of my back at all you could stick a knife in there and i wouldn't even know! Shoulders still hurt and my bicep that tore off goes with the weather...knees creek and crunch with every step..but i don't let it stop me i still do everything i did before most people would not even know my body is a wreck most of the time... i just do whatever i want and ignore it all!

What is the URL of your graphics company, i possibly may need some services like you provide in the future with a few projects i have going on....do you only do super large scale projects or smaller ones as well?
Sounds like an amazing place you live in!, 10m from the water you really can't beat that! Where are your from originally?
Hahah sailboats, sorry mate i have bashed sailboaters a little here in this thread as they have nearly killed me a few times lol Sydney harbour can get so insane sometimes there are literally hundreds of them where everywhere you look is just sailboats and it becomes so hard to navigate!! So hope you did not take offence to my sailboater bashings!! I know not all blow boaters are crazy lol
Seeing as you grew up with 3 boat builders in the family, boating is truly in your blood you will get the hang of motor boats in a flash I'm sure of it!! you must be very excited for the pending arrival of your new boat? Do you happen to have any pictures you could post here for us? We all love boat pictures here :)

Attached are pictures of my awesome new 11 inch sea ray emblems...i went to take off the old 99 style emblems and underneath the gelcoat is quite badly stained and also has some holes where the emblems are attached to the radar arch! So my question to you guys, how hard is gelcoat work? Is this something definitely best left to the pros, colour matching the works.... i will have to refinish the gelcoat in that area, just not sure if i should give it a go myself or just let some one that knows do it so i don't make a right mess of the side of my radar arch...whats you guys advice??? i have watched a few videos on gel coating on youtube ...does not look that hard but i am sure it is trickier than it looks..i remember i gave it a shot back in florida with a little chip i had on the steps ... i remember by the time i sanded it down all the gelcoat was gone hahha dunno just don't want to wreck my radar arch...to hire someone or not to hire someone that is the question !!



6c97cfc2.jpg
 
I do not want to jinx anything - so pictures post survey :) which is now scheduled for Money (4th July is apparently a holiday in the US :) )

and I'm not religious :) either for motor boats or sail boats... My dad is though... :) But I just think "give everyone a chance" - and respect that a sail boat takes a lot longer to control and move than anything running for big engine power. With my motor boat I can turn on a dime - and break to full stop very quickly. Try that in a sail boat..... They got maybe 3-24 hp to stop anywhere from 2-25 ton. It takes a bit longer..... and if they are for sail - they might need to tack to go against the wind - so they do not manoeuvre very well.

What I don't like about motor boaters (who have never gotten training) is how inconsiderate they are to other boaters. Especially regarding the wake they produce and what that can do in a "floating" harbour. And most motor boater forget that - IF they cause damage with their wake - they might end up paying for it - if someone catch them on camera.

URL - www.uclip.com - don't mind the cheap design. :) - it works better that way. That is also the "consumer" site so the PRO's use our FTP server (Pro = >100 files pr. month) - but every thing is "automated" so we have very little work apart from doing the images and trying to find new clients.

And back problems - yes - that is a PITB :) And the crash was only due to "Pilot Error" - and I was not the pilot that day. One $1.2ml plane for the scrap yard. (I am/was licensed Twin/IR) - and do share part of your SIM fascination - but do prefer the real thing. I trained a lot in Vero Beach with Piper - so had PA46 rating and Piper Malibu Meridian turbo prop rating). I flew the first Meridian going to Europe from FL to Denmark with the Danish dealer and the Piper test pilot. That was just an unreal experience :) Greenland especially was picture perfect.

So where am I from.. Well born in Denmark and lived there about 1/2 my life. Rest has been in Hamburg, London, Warsaw and now almost 7 years in the UAE. We are shooting for another 5-8 years and then we are ready to retire somewhere with warm weather most of the year.

Gelcoat... hmm colour matching is not easy. So I would get a pro in if you want it to look really nice. The problem is even if they get the colour right now - it might fade (forward) at slightly different speeds. So the repair might become more and more visible. If it is only on the radar arch - why not put a couple of "speed stripes" there? So get the repair done - and hide it with adhesive stripes on both sides. It will call less attention to the repairs and slow down the fading.

Suction thing is called HOL-TITE - here is an eBay link http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hol-Tite-Ha..._0&hash=item2ebb23bb8d&vxp=mtr#ht_1755wt_1140

/Kasper
 
ohh and antifouling... nope when the system works it keeps the boat almost clean. But the original design had a few issues so I made my own. But it IS made for boats with anti fouling paint on it and it "just" makes the anti fouling paint last a lot longer. It is based on sending current between to copper rods - that then creates Copper IONs in the water. The ions bind to single sell organisms and stop them from multiplying their cells. That means less "food" potential predators like Barnacles. But it does not leave any "metal" copper in the water. (a lot less than the allowed amount anyway) Just the ions and a little bit of gasses. I do a lot with World Wildlife Foundation here in the ME. So I want to be "as green as you can" with 2 x V8's in the belly... The Copper ION thing is not new - it is used to keep drinking water tanks free from algae growht and many other usages.

And I am exited about the boat. Just trying to keep a lid on it until surveys are done so I don't get disappointed from might having to reject it. But I do not think there will be lot of issues. I have spoken to the other owners and most "have to do" items have been done on it.
 
Kasper, one other inspection you might want to get based on the age of your new boat is on the hull fiberglass. I took my boat to a yard for a short haul just to get new bottom paint and noticed one spot where the gelcoat had sluffed off and mat was showing. I got the dealer fiberglass guy to take a look and he not only found that spot but a dozen or so others including problems with one of the stern tubes. He sent pictures to Sea Ray and they agreed to cover all of the repairs plus a take-down of the other stern tube which revealed similar problems to be fixed. There are lots of spots on the typical hull shape where it's diffiicult to get the hull out of the mold perfectly. Sea Ray's hull warranty is good for 5 years and I was just under that so my timing was perfect even though I had not planned it that way. There were also some spider cracks topside and Sea Ray agreed to cover 1/3 of those repairs even though there is technically no warranty for that. Anyway, seems like it would be easier to do that in the States. Best person to find who could do this would probably be the fiberglass specialist at a local Sea Ray dealer if you can arrange for that.
 
Hi Al,

thanks! The boat will be surveyed both in and out of water - and has no bottom paint. So should be easy to spot.

This is the surveyor I have chosen: http://www.pickersgillyachtsurvey.com/ - and he will be accompanied by a Merc Certified tech to do hot/cold compression test, read out engine data and check Axius and stern drives and alignment etc. and check engines during sea trial.

and to all the american CSR's - Happy Independence Day! :)

/Kasper
 
Guys I need some advice, nothing new about that right!!
Just when I thought I had been doing everything I should be I find something new!!
My throttles have always been kind of difficult to advance I figured this is just because they were mechanical and by nature not that easy to operate.
Well going through all my documentation I find out the big reservoir which I thought was for the steering is actually my hynautic throttle controls reservoir. Well it has way less fluid than it should and about 20 psi under the pressure it should have. Hopefully my throttles will move much easier after this.
The question is once you add the fluid you are supposed to bring it back up to between 90 and 120 psi. They did not say how you did that. Is there some sort of special small compressor or tool for this? Does anyone know has anyone ever done this before? How easily are these hynautic throttle controls supposed to move? I just thought they are naturally pretty tight and hard to advance!

Also found my trim tab reservoirs empty kind of weird as I filled them awhile back but have hardly used them at all so may have a leak in the system. How quickly do those things go empty in general?

While going through everything also noticed I have many many rusty hose clamps on hoses in important places like my exhaust ... Guessing it's a pretty bad situation if your exhaust tubing comes off lol so engine room wide will redo all the hose clamps with the expensive stainless ones!

Also while painting my starboard engine, im constantly painting them both! I found a thick hose which is definitely a high pressure hose for either coolant or oil dunno it was resting tightly against a steel bracket and actually chewed a one inch or so deep groove in the steel ! The hose is also a bit worn. Disaster waiting to happen. Changing this hose out will not be easy and putting rubber between it and the steel bracket! Man boats are a trip a never ending learning curve no wonder people just pay people to maintain these rather than try to keep up on it all themselves ! I am getting there but still finding new things to learn all the time!!

Any advice on that hynautic throttle system top off would be great!

Thanks all!
 
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