I'm a Cruiser / Racer as opposed to a Racer / Cruiser. Both have there place in sailing.
I was asked by a good friend and sailing buddy why I'm spending boat bucks on performance gear (sail tweakers like travelers and vangs and such) considering I don't race Patience Two .
I don't race her because I can't - a) she's a catamaran and there isn't a good catamaran racing venue close by. Mono hull owners don't like racing with multi hulls because we can and do exceed hull speed (as a reminder hull speed is the fastest sustained speed a displacement sailboat can go based on the formula
1.34 times the square root of the length of the hull at the water - for my boat that's about 7.55 - my LWL is 31.75 feet). If you don't believe that witness the last America's Cup - done in multi's pulling 20kts of boat speed in 6kts of wind.
I've topped 10.3 kts on my boat. In the right wind (over 16kts) a mono has no chance.
and b) I can't - she's not set up for it (missing sail tweakers like travelers and vangs and such - and carrying all the cruising gear Mary and I prefer not to unload and load all the dang time.
I race on friends boats - like my friend Mikes Hunter 216, a light weight sport boat that will kick ass on the water. The last season I raced we pulled a 1st for the series I participated in, beating bigger "faster" boats head to head and kicking them around on corrected time.
Okay, next post on cunninghams and outhauls and more heavy metal stuff.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Winter Upgrades - Heavy metal
With the boat all naked what with no sails and all I've had a chance to look her over and consider what I'm going to do with her this winter.
Right now I've got 2 deck organizers on the port side that allow me to run 6 lines back to the cockpit. Really they can handle 4 lines because the end two sheeves (turning blocks) lost their ball bearings when I installed them.
Currently I run the main halyard, boom vang and outhaul through them and to a clutch, the clutch is pictured in a previous post - it is the 3 line version of this.
Last week I ordered a new 3 line clutch, same as I have on my port side. I'm going to install it on the starboard side.
I also picked up a set of genoa track car's like the ones pictured to the right. Call me silly by I like Garhauer's stainless steel line, it's heavy, but it's tough. These cars allow you to pull the genoa car forward so you can adjust the sail's clew without leaving the cockpit. Without cars you have to pull a spring loaded pin to disengage the car, then shove it against the pressure of the wind.
Note the car has a fiddle (flat) double block and a double stacked block with a end termination separate. The double stack/end terminal unit goes all the way forward on the track and gets secured there (the screw on the end). The control line leads from the terminal end to the big block on the fiddle, back to the double on the bottom, then back to the small block on the fiddle, back to the terminal block on top, then back to one of these at the rear of the track, and within reach in the cockpit:
To move the car you simply pull the line which allows the car to slide forward (it's riding on ball bearings). The 5:1 blocks (the way the lines run fore and back around the blocks (land lubbers call them pulley's) mean that it takes 1/5 the effort minus friction loss to move the car. That's good because sometimes the wind puts so much pressure on the sails you can not do it without help.
The car will slide to the stern under wind power (the genoa is pulling it up and forward all the time, the control line is holding it still).
You adjust these cars to allow the clew (back, bottom) of the genoa (forward sail) to move forward / aft and in and out.
Let's see if I can describe it for both sailors and non-sailors. When sailing upwind (into the wind) you want the genoa to be back and tight to the center line of the boat, that allows it to point into the wind and causes the wind to channel better over the back of the main sail. That channeling creates what a sailor calls the "slot".
To effect that one would put the car further aft, and where it goes and works best depends on wind speed and whether or not you have the genoa reefed (made smaller because of high winds). My first 'reef point' is to furl my 150% genoa to 100%.
- a brief side note, 100% refers to the area of the fore triangle; a triagngle that is sided by the deck (foot of the sail), the mast and the luff (forward edge) of the sail. A 150% genoa, like mine infers that the clew of the sail goes back another 50% past the mast. My foot is 14 feet (tack of the jib to the mast) so a 150% would be 7 feet longer, I have a furling genoa, it rolls around the forward edge (on a aluminum foil) to store it, and to make it smaller in high wind...end note
What that means is that in order to have the clew (back, bottom) of the genoa held at the same angle relative to the wind when I furl the sail to the first reef I need to move the car 7 feet forward of where it was at 150%. That's a lot of push pin pulling and car sliding while standing bent over a track in 20 knots of wind. Hence I'm adding the cars. It's not just performance, it's safety.
Ah, but there is more.
When going downwind and even on a reach (side ways to the wind) you want the clew of the genoa to be able to curve out ward away from the center line of the boat. Consider that the main sail is going to also go away from center line when sailing at 90 degrees off the wind, would you want your genoa to curve inward and have the wind from it back winding the main sail? So you move the car forward to prevent that cupping force.
Downwind you want that big honking sail out so it can catch air like a kite, you move the car all the way forward so you aren't closing the sail up like a laundry bag.
Still more, because gosh if there wasn't anyone could do it (well actually anyone can do it)...
There are times when you want to pull the car more forward than normal. Pulling the car forward when going upwind puts more 'bag' in the sail, making it rounder and fuller. A rounder sail means you can't point into the wind as well, but gives more "power" i.e. pulling force, something you need in heavy chop/waves, or in truly light and fluky wind - it's better to move a 50 degrees than to not move at 40 degrees off the wind.
Next up, we'll talk Cunningham's, Out hauls and what all that other heavy metal is for.
Right now I've got 2 deck organizers on the port side that allow me to run 6 lines back to the cockpit. Really they can handle 4 lines because the end two sheeves (turning blocks) lost their ball bearings when I installed them.
Currently I run the main halyard, boom vang and outhaul through them and to a clutch, the clutch is pictured in a previous post - it is the 3 line version of this.
Last week I ordered a new 3 line clutch, same as I have on my port side. I'm going to install it on the starboard side.
Note the car has a fiddle (flat) double block and a double stacked block with a end termination separate. The double stack/end terminal unit goes all the way forward on the track and gets secured there (the screw on the end). The control line leads from the terminal end to the big block on the fiddle, back to the double on the bottom, then back to the small block on the fiddle, back to the terminal block on top, then back to one of these at the rear of the track, and within reach in the cockpit:
The car will slide to the stern under wind power (the genoa is pulling it up and forward all the time, the control line is holding it still).
You adjust these cars to allow the clew (back, bottom) of the genoa (forward sail) to move forward / aft and in and out.
Let's see if I can describe it for both sailors and non-sailors. When sailing upwind (into the wind) you want the genoa to be back and tight to the center line of the boat, that allows it to point into the wind and causes the wind to channel better over the back of the main sail. That channeling creates what a sailor calls the "slot".
To effect that one would put the car further aft, and where it goes and works best depends on wind speed and whether or not you have the genoa reefed (made smaller because of high winds). My first 'reef point' is to furl my 150% genoa to 100%.
- a brief side note, 100% refers to the area of the fore triangle; a triagngle that is sided by the deck (foot of the sail), the mast and the luff (forward edge) of the sail. A 150% genoa, like mine infers that the clew of the sail goes back another 50% past the mast. My foot is 14 feet (tack of the jib to the mast) so a 150% would be 7 feet longer, I have a furling genoa, it rolls around the forward edge (on a aluminum foil) to store it, and to make it smaller in high wind...end note
What that means is that in order to have the clew (back, bottom) of the genoa held at the same angle relative to the wind when I furl the sail to the first reef I need to move the car 7 feet forward of where it was at 150%. That's a lot of push pin pulling and car sliding while standing bent over a track in 20 knots of wind. Hence I'm adding the cars. It's not just performance, it's safety.
Ah, but there is more.
When going downwind and even on a reach (side ways to the wind) you want the clew of the genoa to be able to curve out ward away from the center line of the boat. Consider that the main sail is going to also go away from center line when sailing at 90 degrees off the wind, would you want your genoa to curve inward and have the wind from it back winding the main sail? So you move the car forward to prevent that cupping force.
Downwind you want that big honking sail out so it can catch air like a kite, you move the car all the way forward so you aren't closing the sail up like a laundry bag.
Still more, because gosh if there wasn't anyone could do it (well actually anyone can do it)...
There are times when you want to pull the car more forward than normal. Pulling the car forward when going upwind puts more 'bag' in the sail, making it rounder and fuller. A rounder sail means you can't point into the wind as well, but gives more "power" i.e. pulling force, something you need in heavy chop/waves, or in truly light and fluky wind - it's better to move a 50 degrees than to not move at 40 degrees off the wind.
Next up, we'll talk Cunningham's, Out hauls and what all that other heavy metal is for.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Empty inside
My boat is naked, inside and out.
Mary and I stripped the sails off and pulled all the stuff that makes it a home on the water off this weekend. Late fall is upon us and winter is approaching, a good time for sailing as the wind is generally a little bit better; a bad time for sailing as there is a reason they call the fall regatta's 'frostbite regatta's'.
My 1955 Lyman 15 foot runabout is hanging from straps in the garage (literally, 2 2inch wide straps with sawhorses to stabilize).
So what does a sailor do when he's reduced to be a motor boater? Apparently he gets out the leaf blower.
Some would think it's the lazy season - ha, ha, ha. Not. Now's when the work begins. Those sails that provide us effortless and fuel less power to sail around the world require routine maintenance unless you want to replace them to the tune of 2 grand or more (EACH) every couple of years.
That means either you fold them up (take out battens, batten cars, ropes and such) and ship them off to be cleaned and inspected - Now that's a 200 bucks or more to box and ship. We have b i g sails.
Or ROAD TRIP !
We are going to pack them up and take a road trip next weekend to deliver them to Sail Care, they rebox and ship back as part of the price.
Oh, and stay tuned to for the mad adventures in bottom stripping. It sounds sexier than than it really is.
In this case I get to lay on a cold concrete floor with 600 pounds of wooden boat over me while I sand, chip and scrape paint off the Lyman, meanwhile it rains lead based paint on my face. In a garage with no heat.
Better be some good times next year.
Mary and I stripped the sails off and pulled all the stuff that makes it a home on the water off this weekend. Late fall is upon us and winter is approaching, a good time for sailing as the wind is generally a little bit better; a bad time for sailing as there is a reason they call the fall regatta's 'frostbite regatta's'.
My 1955 Lyman 15 foot runabout is hanging from straps in the garage (literally, 2 2inch wide straps with sawhorses to stabilize).
So what does a sailor do when he's reduced to be a motor boater? Apparently he gets out the leaf blower.
Some would think it's the lazy season - ha, ha, ha. Not. Now's when the work begins. Those sails that provide us effortless and fuel less power to sail around the world require routine maintenance unless you want to replace them to the tune of 2 grand or more (EACH) every couple of years.
That means either you fold them up (take out battens, batten cars, ropes and such) and ship them off to be cleaned and inspected - Now that's a 200 bucks or more to box and ship. We have b i g sails.
Or ROAD TRIP !
We are going to pack them up and take a road trip next weekend to deliver them to Sail Care, they rebox and ship back as part of the price.
Oh, and stay tuned to for the mad adventures in bottom stripping. It sounds sexier than than it really is.
In this case I get to lay on a cold concrete floor with 600 pounds of wooden boat over me while I sand, chip and scrape paint off the Lyman, meanwhile it rains lead based paint on my face. In a garage with no heat.
Better be some good times next year.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Music
My iTouch died 2 months ago.
I don't have many songs on it, but they were important to me. I have a VERY eclectic taste for music - I like everything from Lady Gaga to Lady Antebellum and throw a little Beethoven's 9th in on the side.While I can indeed dance - my singing is akin to a bull frog on helium but I try it anyway. Funny story there... let me digress...
My friend and new dockmate (it's his Coronado 25 I talk about) - Marc was singing along to his newly installed radio a week or so ago while I was on my boat abusing my windex (calibrating it). Across the 30 - 40 feet separating us I asked him loudly:
"what did you do with the money?"
His instant response?
"drugs"
How many of you would have inferred the rest of the question with no reference - "that your mother gave you for singing lessons"...?
Music is important to some folks.
Some folks just get it.
Marc installed his stereo after ensuring his deck was not leaking anymore. I installed my speakers in the cockpit as the first hole I cut in the boat.
My wife fixed my iTouch tonight, she went to the Apple store and braved the lines, the arrogant customer service and rest. I have a new iTouch at 1/4 the price of the old one. ALL of my songs are back on it.
I have music again.
Enrique Iglesias "Hero".
enough said.
I don't have many songs on it, but they were important to me. I have a VERY eclectic taste for music - I like everything from Lady Gaga to Lady Antebellum and throw a little Beethoven's 9th in on the side.While I can indeed dance - my singing is akin to a bull frog on helium but I try it anyway. Funny story there... let me digress...
My friend and new dockmate (it's his Coronado 25 I talk about) - Marc was singing along to his newly installed radio a week or so ago while I was on my boat abusing my windex (calibrating it). Across the 30 - 40 feet separating us I asked him loudly:
"what did you do with the money?"
His instant response?
"drugs"
How many of you would have inferred the rest of the question with no reference - "that your mother gave you for singing lessons"...?
Music is important to some folks.
Some folks just get it.
Marc installed his stereo after ensuring his deck was not leaking anymore. I installed my speakers in the cockpit as the first hole I cut in the boat.
My wife fixed my iTouch tonight, she went to the Apple store and braved the lines, the arrogant customer service and rest. I have a new iTouch at 1/4 the price of the old one. ALL of my songs are back on it.
I have music again.
Enrique Iglesias "Hero".
enough said.
Christmas wish lists
I've been easy over the past eight or nine years - Santa can bring me boat stuff and it works.
Random time is over, I have needs :)
Here's the problem boys and girls, I like power, I use power, I have to replace power.
Gee, you ask - how much power do you need - you are already the skipper of your boat, the captain, master of your destiny.
Well - the answer gets complicated. Farting around on your boat can take many different forms and the consumption and manufacture of electricity can as well.
Woe to the dude who gets up in the morning and cranks a key to clicking sounds from the engine compartment.
My daily draw can exceed 70 amp hours (a amp hour is using 1 amp for 1 hour - a typical light on a boat draws 1 amp per hour).
Some boaters basically wing it. Some get all anal retentive about it. I'm somewhere in the middle, for instance I don't turn down the stereo speakers to save power (those are after all 100 watt speakers) but the meter does trickle away in my mind....
Here's my usage, broken down by category.
CPAP (apnea) - 1.2 amp - 7 hours = 9ah
Stereo (must have) 1.4amp - 10 hours = 14ah
Anchor light 1.1 amp - 9 hours = 10ah
Lights - 1amp each - 6 = 6ah
Fans (3) .5 - .7amp = 5ah
Standard - = 16ah
Additional/random = 10ah
Standard is a fill in for CO2 detector, propane shut off valve (fails shut on loss of juice), fridge fan, battery monitor etc.. all that stuff you can't shut off.
Additional is all those other things - water pump, phone charging, turning on my wind instuments just to check, GPS for anchor alarm or chartting my next day..just 'stuff'. It can go higher (laptop charge) but seldom goes lower.
My current 'system' - because it has to be viewed as a system not a list of components - is:
Cranky - what I call my Westerbeke 30B diesel. It has a standard 55 amp alternator.
80W Kyocera solar panel - makes 30-40 amp hours a day on a good day.
Xantrex C12 controller 3 stage charger - max amp out is 12, normal is 3 to 4.
Xantrex XBM monitor - to watch all this magic happening.
I have battery chargers and combiners and such; we'll skip them because this is about hook time, not pier side. The combiner is a safety feature - puts the banks together or detaches them on low voltage to prevent that nasty silence thing when I turn the key.
So that leads me to this - begging
A 240w solar panel.
A 20 amp controller for the above (ask me for the brand).
A pair of Trojan batteries to hold the output (ditto, ask me for size and type).
Get in line folks, I expect the offers to come pouring in any day.
Random time is over, I have needs :)
Here's the problem boys and girls, I like power, I use power, I have to replace power.
Gee, you ask - how much power do you need - you are already the skipper of your boat, the captain, master of your destiny.
Well - the answer gets complicated. Farting around on your boat can take many different forms and the consumption and manufacture of electricity can as well.
Woe to the dude who gets up in the morning and cranks a key to clicking sounds from the engine compartment.
My daily draw can exceed 70 amp hours (a amp hour is using 1 amp for 1 hour - a typical light on a boat draws 1 amp per hour).
Some boaters basically wing it. Some get all anal retentive about it. I'm somewhere in the middle, for instance I don't turn down the stereo speakers to save power (those are after all 100 watt speakers) but the meter does trickle away in my mind....
Here's my usage, broken down by category.
CPAP (apnea) - 1.2 amp - 7 hours = 9ah
Stereo (must have) 1.4amp - 10 hours = 14ah
Anchor light 1.1 amp - 9 hours = 10ah
Lights - 1amp each - 6 = 6ah
Fans (3) .5 - .7amp = 5ah
Standard - = 16ah
Additional/random = 10ah
Standard is a fill in for CO2 detector, propane shut off valve (fails shut on loss of juice), fridge fan, battery monitor etc.. all that stuff you can't shut off.
Additional is all those other things - water pump, phone charging, turning on my wind instuments just to check, GPS for anchor alarm or chartting my next day..just 'stuff'. It can go higher (laptop charge) but seldom goes lower.
My current 'system' - because it has to be viewed as a system not a list of components - is:
Cranky - what I call my Westerbeke 30B diesel. It has a standard 55 amp alternator.
80W Kyocera solar panel - makes 30-40 amp hours a day on a good day.
Xantrex C12 controller 3 stage charger - max amp out is 12, normal is 3 to 4.
Xantrex XBM monitor - to watch all this magic happening.
I have battery chargers and combiners and such; we'll skip them because this is about hook time, not pier side. The combiner is a safety feature - puts the banks together or detaches them on low voltage to prevent that nasty silence thing when I turn the key.
So that leads me to this - begging
A 240w solar panel.
A 20 amp controller for the above (ask me for the brand).
A pair of Trojan batteries to hold the output (ditto, ask me for size and type).
Get in line folks, I expect the offers to come pouring in any day.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Yak Yak Yak - less talk, more sailing
Someone mentioned they would like to see a conversation on sail trim etc. on the Gemini, here’s my effort to start it.
For reference I have eliminated the backstay and replaced it with a boomkicker and installed a 5:1 soft vang and the vast majority of my lines are led aft.
I'm going to front load the pictures..enjoy:
My traveler has the modification for control lines vs. pin stop
My traveler has the modification for control lines vs. pin stop
Block to lead sheet from mast and turning block to lead aft. Mounted, port side (still in progress when this taken)
Mounted
Blocks to take (in this case) the topping lift and the main halyard (blue checked) to the turning block - and from there to the clutch
Okay - that's your visual fix - now to the yak yak yak part...
Back stay use on the Gemini –
From the manual:
* The back stay should be tightened to the point
where all slack is eliminated but with no bow or
bend in the mast. The check stays are present only
to eliminate mast pumping and are tightened to the
point where there is just a small amount of slack.
The baby stay should be tight enough to put a small
pre-bend in the mast so that when the Genoa pulls
forward in heavy wind, the mast straightens up.
As a side note in 2009 we had a massive snow storm (Annapolis Md area) that contributed to sinking a Gemini at the pier because the backstay chain plates had ¼ cracks – my conjecture is that the tension was left on too much, too long.
The weight of the snow submerged the top step, once water got in it was just a matter of time. Like the manual says, release the tension on the backstay while not sailing (and for downwind work). It should have no slack, but not be tight while at the pier or motoring. I’ve spoken of this in other posts, it’s searchable.
If you follow boating news there was a Tartan 4000 that was essentially totaled by what Tartan ascertained was ‘excessive backstay tension’ – it cracked the stern and amidships. Your mileage may vary, but my opinion is to use it sparingly.
Selden and PCI designed the mast to be mostly straight and need minimal adjustment. That’s per a conversation I had with Tony in 2008.
Putting tension on the backstay pulls the mast top back which has the effect of pulling the genoa or screacher luff tighter. It works in combination with the baby stay forward to put a slight (very slight) curve/bend in the mast. That bend works just like a beer belly on a tee shirt – it pushes the belly of the main sail forward and tightens it up in the middle section while at the same time the top bending back (even an imperceptible amount from the deck) has done its work on the genoa or screacher. For me sparingly translates to pulling the slider down about 2 feet for maximum tension. I might not get as much as I could, but I’ve not broken anything.
For windward work this improves pointing and sail shape of the fore sail. The luff of the foresail is where the ‘speed’ comes from, so the better it’s shape the better the airflow through the mid section because the air doesn’t separate from the sail curve prematurely.
This is turn creates a better slot between the genoa and the main. The slot accelerates the air that flows over the leeward side of the main – increasing its efficiency.
For reaching – less tension is needed but truly the best gauge is the gauge (speed log or GPS) – play with the backstay tension and see where the best performance is. One of the best things I’ve done is go out single handed so I KNOW where everything is set or changed and I can see the changes good or bad on both balance and speed.
An often overlooked control device are the jib leads, the Cunningham and the outhaul. Dave Berig put a Cunningham in the main but most owners I’ve seen don’t have it rigged for use. The outhaul is left at the mast (the center ‘gold and white’ on my boat) and underused as well. Mine was so short I’d have had to lay on the deck under the mast to do anything with it. Instead I lengthened mine using a sheepsbend knot, put a block at the mast base and lead it back aft – right now on the port side but this off season I’m reorganizing the lines so that the port side will have the main halyard, first reef (clew) and first reef (tack) led to a 3 slot clutch (it’s main halyard, outhaul and vang now). I’m putting the outhaul, vang and Cunningham on the starboard side so all the main sail controls are at the helm.
All of these controls work the same on the Gemini as they do on Half-boats (mono hulls).
I just this season mounted the boomkicker and vang so I’ve got minimal use – but the vang is VERY handy for downwind sailing – it stops the boom from lifting and helps (with a preventer) to keep the boom from bouncing all over in the chop we get here on the Chesapeake. My vang is loosely mounted (1 screw to the boom) – with the intent I’d rather it pop off than my boom break. Obviously I’m still experimenting with it.
I run a preventer from the back of the boom (snap shackle) to the a block that is attached to my anchor cleat and then back aft to the winch. I get full adjustability out of it that way. If I’m wing on wing I move it to the jam cleat so I can use the winch for the genoa/screacher sheet.
Cunningham’s are the cringle on the luff of the main about 4 feet up from the boom. You can crank away at the main halyard and put it mostly right – but a simple line with a figure 8 stopper tied through the Cunningham lets a 120 pound weakling pull out more slack from the mid-bottom section with minimal effort. It’s useful to both create or eliminate more curve in the luff of the main (create for downwind, eliminate upwind.
Ditto on the outhaul – pull tight for upwind and or heavy air – slack off for more power in choppy water or ‘bag’ going downwind. I’ve not noticed a significant difference (yet) – but on my buddies 216 Hunter it makes a wow difference.
Leading both the reef clew (back of the main) and the tack (cringle on the sail with a stopper knot and rope led aft) in the cockpit makes it as close to a single line reefing system from the cockpit as we can get without replacing the boom. Putting in on the same clutch as the main halyard makes it a simple job, e.g. lower the main to a pre-marked spot on the halyard, pull the reef clew line (blue on mine) until the clew is all the way down, pull the in rope attached to the reef tack until tight, readjust halyard for final. Since I’m a weekender/daysailer at the moment I don’t envision a need to lead the second reef aft (that’s the polite way of saying I have a motor for when the wind gets that high).
Jib leads should be set based on the amount of genoa you are using – I’ve found that about I foot behind the window (almost all the way back) is good for upwind, full genoa. Downwind work seems to improve by sliding them forward about 6 feet – it helps the clew of the genoa get out there in good air. Somewhere about half way (mid boat) works good on reaches because there you need to open the slot a little and get the wind flowing on the back of the main. Real racers mark the deck or track with where they want the cars.
A simple relatively inexpensive upgrade is to put make your jib lead cars ‘towable’ – put a block and termination (shackle) at the bow end of the track and another block on the car – lead a control line from the shackle through the block on the car back to the block at the end and then back to a clutch/cam cleat at the helm. The pressure of the genoa will (on release) move the car back towards the stern – and you have a 3:1 purchase to pull the car forward. Kits sold in pairs to do this run about 250-300 bucks.
By the way, I’m using Garhauer 40mm swivel blocks for all this – 25 bucks at a boat show. I picked up 6, the shackle goes right through the pin at the base of the mast simply. My turning blocks are 40mm sheeves- stackable 3 space Garhauer’s – make sure you get the models with captive bearings or they will scatter everywhere J. You’ll need to bevel a plate / teak piece to level the turning block. Mine are mounted just off the hatch and angled to lead all lines ‘just’ inside the winches.
Garhauer is heavier generally, but stronger. I also use their stainless steel 3x clutches. Drilling and mounting is simple. Keep in mind that the forces are primarily sheer (side load) not lifting – except at the block.
I don’t generally put a lot of pictures here but do have them on Anything-Sailing.com and on my blog.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Rescue on the high seas it's not - but it is a common occurrence. Below is the view outside my home office window. The boat with no sail up has run aground in a marked channel that is often misread/misunderstood. The boat with the sail up has just thrown a line to him and is starting to tow it backward out of the channel. See bottom of post for the chart and how to read it. Click to enlarge.
A little bounce on the line
Underway
The big fellow to the right stopped to watch. Isn't the wave design on my stack pack lovely - makes my boat look like it's moving huh?
Here's the chart for the area (click to enlarge)
In the pictures above you can see the #2 (green) and #15 (red) daymarks (poles with signs for the non-boater). They are too the left of the boat with no sail up - he was attempting to go up the middle of them.
Normally, yes - that's what you do.
BUT, the mnemonic is "Red Right Return"
In english instead of sailor garble that means keep the red mark to your right when you are 'returning'. Returning means going to a smaller body of water.
This fellow that ran aground was coming down the Magothy and proceeding past the #15 mark - he's not returning - he's heading for the Chesapeake bay.
That big boat in the last picture has just passed the day mark shown on the chart as MR....
It's a green over red in the middle of the creek - that means "safe to go to either side of me" - when you take that in context with the #2 (red) it means literally keep me to the right and proceed up the creek to the left. if you are going up the right hand side - which is continuing up the Magothy River it means keep me to you left and proceed to the next mark - which is #15 (green) - and green should be kept on your left.
What it (day mark MR) does not mean is split the next to. Note the numbering. #15 belongs to the Magothy River - it's the 15th mark on the way UP the river. #2 is the second mark on the way DOWN the river.
There was never any danger, the tide was out and he'd have eventually floated off. Heck he was in 2 feet of water (at the bow) he could have jumped over and pushed himself off.
Power boats "anchor" here by putting the bow on the sand bar then swim for hours all summer long.
See, Charts are easy to read - and Oh, By the way - I live at scoop of land in the upper part of the chart - the little black line sticking out is my pier - it points directly at the #2 and #15.
The big fellow to the right stopped to watch. Isn't the wave design on my stack pack lovely - makes my boat look like it's moving huh?
Here's the chart for the area (click to enlarge)
Normally, yes - that's what you do.
BUT, the mnemonic is "Red Right Return"
In english instead of sailor garble that means keep the red mark to your right when you are 'returning'. Returning means going to a smaller body of water.
This fellow that ran aground was coming down the Magothy and proceeding past the #15 mark - he's not returning - he's heading for the Chesapeake bay.
That big boat in the last picture has just passed the day mark shown on the chart as MR....
It's a green over red in the middle of the creek - that means "safe to go to either side of me" - when you take that in context with the #2 (red) it means literally keep me to the right and proceed up the creek to the left. if you are going up the right hand side - which is continuing up the Magothy River it means keep me to you left and proceed to the next mark - which is #15 (green) - and green should be kept on your left.
What it (day mark MR) does not mean is split the next to. Note the numbering. #15 belongs to the Magothy River - it's the 15th mark on the way UP the river. #2 is the second mark on the way DOWN the river.
There was never any danger, the tide was out and he'd have eventually floated off. Heck he was in 2 feet of water (at the bow) he could have jumped over and pushed himself off.
Power boats "anchor" here by putting the bow on the sand bar then swim for hours all summer long.
See, Charts are easy to read - and Oh, By the way - I live at scoop of land in the upper part of the chart - the little black line sticking out is my pier - it points directly at the #2 and #15.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Monkey Snot
Sailors always have colorful names for things on boats, we all know that. I mean really.
We can pretty well figure what a Boom is - it's the horizontal tube under the main sail that hits your head and goes "boom" just before you see stars and fall over. Boom vang on the other hand is just enough to make you go "what". I mean, okay - it pulls the boom and therefore the main sail down - so what language root is it that vang comes from?
So what's this Monkey Snot stuff anyway? Back when I was wearing Uncle Sam's Canoe Club uniforms (US Navy) we had this gray putty goop that we used to seal stuffing tubes. See, you just can't write a sentence about boats without a glossary.
A stuffing tube is a hole in the bulkhead (wall) that has a wire or something else running through it where you don't want the wire to be permanent. You stuff the putty into the hole to stop air, smoke and water from coming through. In warm weather the putty tended to soften to the consistency of, you guessed it, monkey snot.
What's that got to do with a modern sailboat? Funny you should ask.
Deck hardware (cleats, tracks, shrouds, turningblocks, cams, etc..) all have holes from the bolts that hold them down, those holes go through the deck and are fastened. Holes equal leaks, leaks equal water inside the boat. The only water desired inside the boat is used for ice cubes to chill the Rum (or I guess the beer for those that do).
Even small amounts of wetness means mold, mildew and possibly rot. So we seal the holes around the bolts and under the hardware. It's called bedding the hardware because we are sailors. We can't just call it sealing the deck underneath the what-cha-ma-call-it. It's not allowed.
If just anyone could speak the lingo we would not be special, and I don't mean ride the short bus to school special. We really don't make it up, everything has names or terms.
So, for the past several lifetimes Marc and I have been re-bedding his hardware on his Coronado 25.
The process is pretty simple to describe, not so easy to do sometimes, especially on a older boat.
You take off (unbolt, screw and pry) the old stuff, clean thoroughly with various toxic and or flammable substances and then apply the goop of your choice to seal it and bolt it back on.
After long discussions and much research Marc decided to go with my old favorite for the goop of choice.
Monkey Snot. Known to others as butyl tape.
Here's some pictures. I'm going to make them small, you can click to enlarge.
A stanchion, 32 years old, slow leak into the cabin below.
One of the bolts had stripped and needed to be hack sawed off. We weren't smart enough to take pictures of one step by step, so this one is different, but you can see the dried up snot (caulk) from the original installation. Cleaned, counter drilled (you open the hole a little at the top to prevent gelcoat cracking, lay some tape around and then put little rings of snot around the bolt helds..
Then you bolt it back down again.
Note the razor blade. When you tighten the bolts it squeezes (oozes is a much better descriptor) the monkey snot back out all around. The snot also shoots out from under the bolt head itself. Nice large splooges of snot show you got a good seal.
Rinse, wash and repeat. On Marc's 25 footer that means a multi day process, I think we have been going at it for a weeks worth of days now.
A lot of that is because previous owners have done it 'their' way. The photo above shows where I have removed and (believe it or not cleaned under) one of the stanchions on the stern, these were simply screwed on with wood screws so they needed to be drilled out and then done right to the "Marc and Chuck" standard which in this case meant bolts, big fender washers, monkey snot etc.. Poor Marc had to spit out 40 bucks for bolts and such just for these four posts.
Now, we are two normal guys..I'm just saying, we didn't pose for these pictures, we just snatched a camera here and there and took a shot.
Here's what I'm saying - in case either of the Admirals ever reads my blogs -
not one can of beer or frosty cup of Rum is in any of these shots. We work long and hard hours under conditions of dehydration to get this done. If we hang out until it's too dark to see having a sip of frosty, we'll we've earned it. By the way, bring down a couple of drinks, ours have been stolen.
We can pretty well figure what a Boom is - it's the horizontal tube under the main sail that hits your head and goes "boom" just before you see stars and fall over. Boom vang on the other hand is just enough to make you go "what". I mean, okay - it pulls the boom and therefore the main sail down - so what language root is it that vang comes from?
So what's this Monkey Snot stuff anyway? Back when I was wearing Uncle Sam's Canoe Club uniforms (US Navy) we had this gray putty goop that we used to seal stuffing tubes. See, you just can't write a sentence about boats without a glossary.
A stuffing tube is a hole in the bulkhead (wall) that has a wire or something else running through it where you don't want the wire to be permanent. You stuff the putty into the hole to stop air, smoke and water from coming through. In warm weather the putty tended to soften to the consistency of, you guessed it, monkey snot.
What's that got to do with a modern sailboat? Funny you should ask.
Deck hardware (cleats, tracks, shrouds, turningblocks, cams, etc..) all have holes from the bolts that hold them down, those holes go through the deck and are fastened. Holes equal leaks, leaks equal water inside the boat. The only water desired inside the boat is used for ice cubes to chill the Rum (or I guess the beer for those that do).
Even small amounts of wetness means mold, mildew and possibly rot. So we seal the holes around the bolts and under the hardware. It's called bedding the hardware because we are sailors. We can't just call it sealing the deck underneath the what-cha-ma-call-it. It's not allowed.
If just anyone could speak the lingo we would not be special, and I don't mean ride the short bus to school special. We really don't make it up, everything has names or terms.
So, for the past several lifetimes Marc and I have been re-bedding his hardware on his Coronado 25.
The process is pretty simple to describe, not so easy to do sometimes, especially on a older boat.
You take off (unbolt, screw and pry) the old stuff, clean thoroughly with various toxic and or flammable substances and then apply the goop of your choice to seal it and bolt it back on.
After long discussions and much research Marc decided to go with my old favorite for the goop of choice.
Monkey Snot. Known to others as butyl tape.
Here's some pictures. I'm going to make them small, you can click to enlarge.
Note the razor blade. When you tighten the bolts it squeezes (oozes is a much better descriptor) the monkey snot back out all around. The snot also shoots out from under the bolt head itself. Nice large splooges of snot show you got a good seal.
Rinse, wash and repeat. On Marc's 25 footer that means a multi day process, I think we have been going at it for a weeks worth of days now.
Now, we are two normal guys..I'm just saying, we didn't pose for these pictures, we just snatched a camera here and there and took a shot.
Here's what I'm saying - in case either of the Admirals ever reads my blogs -
not one can of beer or frosty cup of Rum is in any of these shots. We work long and hard hours under conditions of dehydration to get this done. If we hang out until it's too dark to see having a sip of frosty, we'll we've earned it. By the way, bring down a couple of drinks, ours have been stolen.
Busy boat show weekend.
Generally, I don't intend this blog to be about my day to day stuff. No one wants to know how many cups of coffee I had, or their effect on my bowels. Every once is a while, stuff happens I want to write about.
Between out of town guest and the boat show it's been a busy couple of days, adding in the worlds largest in the water sail boat show on top of that and even a five day weekend can't fit it all.
We were graced with a visit from Cidnie of Ceol Mor fame coming up from Texas to visit friends and look at some boats. Once she gets home (she's driving) I'll steal some pictures and post them here - with her permission.
I'm not a good photographer in that usually I don't even think to take a picture. Consequently I don't have even a single picture of her :( from the visit.
While he wasn't staying with us our GOOD friend Alex was also visiting from Portugal. Alex is the owner and operator of Giuletta, a newly converted Del Conde 1200 - converted to out right racing.
He was wonderful enough to invite us to sail his boat with him from his hometown in Cascais Portugal around to the Algarve area in June 2009. It was some valuable blue water-ish 160 miles off shore sailing experience for both Mary and I. He then hosted us for an additional week while we did the tourist thing in southern Portugal and Lisbon.
What a world we live in. We had never met him until he picked us up at the airport.
Alex was nice enough to let us hoist him up my mast so he could check out my windex (the thingee that points out where the wind is coming from). He fixed a 3.5 year old problem with a simple poke at a gasket. I've really got to get a mast climber.
After doing that we got to see the results of his visit, he was dropping off a custom made assymetrical spinnaker for my friend Craig, here's Craigs boat spanking mine on the Magothy river in a 3 kts breeze. That one sail at 800 square feet is more than the total my boat can fly:
This is the only view I got of it, from behind.
Since I mentioned the boat show, let me leave you with this image. A 20 something foot pilot house sailboat from ComPac. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Between out of town guest and the boat show it's been a busy couple of days, adding in the worlds largest in the water sail boat show on top of that and even a five day weekend can't fit it all.
We were graced with a visit from Cidnie of Ceol Mor fame coming up from Texas to visit friends and look at some boats. Once she gets home (she's driving) I'll steal some pictures and post them here - with her permission.
I'm not a good photographer in that usually I don't even think to take a picture. Consequently I don't have even a single picture of her :( from the visit.
While he wasn't staying with us our GOOD friend Alex was also visiting from Portugal. Alex is the owner and operator of Giuletta, a newly converted Del Conde 1200 - converted to out right racing.
He was wonderful enough to invite us to sail his boat with him from his hometown in Cascais Portugal around to the Algarve area in June 2009. It was some valuable blue water-ish 160 miles off shore sailing experience for both Mary and I. He then hosted us for an additional week while we did the tourist thing in southern Portugal and Lisbon.
What a world we live in. We had never met him until he picked us up at the airport.
Alex was nice enough to let us hoist him up my mast so he could check out my windex (the thingee that points out where the wind is coming from). He fixed a 3.5 year old problem with a simple poke at a gasket. I've really got to get a mast climber.
After doing that we got to see the results of his visit, he was dropping off a custom made assymetrical spinnaker for my friend Craig, here's Craigs boat spanking mine on the Magothy river in a 3 kts breeze. That one sail at 800 square feet is more than the total my boat can fly:
Since I mentioned the boat show, let me leave you with this image. A 20 something foot pilot house sailboat from ComPac. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
How to Sail #2 - Caught in Irons
Caught in Irons
(a nautical term of vague origin, loosely translated as ‘screwed up again, haven’t you)
A common occurance on barges, rafts, square sails, and of course catacondo's.
You apparently tried to tack and did not get the bow to go over far enough or fast enough.
To confirm you are caught in irons check the following (in order):
1) You are not moving or are moving backwards.
2) You are not tied to the pier.
3) The sails are up, one is on the left, the other on the right, the forward one is back winded (see glossary) - and the motor is not running.
If all the above is true, yep, you've screwed up again.
You either just tried to tack or weren’t paying attention and sailed straight into the wind, again.
If no one else is onboard you are safe and might not have to admit your mistake .
If only the Admiral is onboard tell her you intended it for practice purposes and invite her to try to rectify the situation for ‘learning’ (well it worked last time).
If the Admiral was steering the boat and caused it then congratulate her for achieving a perfect ‘hove to’ condition and ask politely (without sarcasm) if you should bring lunch now.
Actions to take:
Do an immediate scan of your surroundings, i.e., look for other boats, hard pointy land based objects etc.
Reason: If you do not see any boats that you know, you do not have to admit your mistake.
If you are drifting in a manner that means you will collide with something or someone put your ego aside and start the motor, then drive the boat to safety.
It’s time to assess the situation. Make sure your drink is topped off, iced down etc. Smoke a cigarette and relax as this is going to take some effort to fix.
Okay, if you are rested up here’s the deal: you’re screwed.
You see..the sails are all out of whack, discombobulated and weird. Again. No, don't panic and go all funny again.
You’ve got to get the boat moving again so you can steer because sailboats don’t turn unless they are moving, but you can’t it get moving because you can’t steer…Chicken, egg, omelet.
Ponder this chicken and egg scenario while having another cigarette. Refill your drink since after all you aren't exactly moving now are you?
If it is a good spot for anchoring do so, then drop the sails acting just like you had planned on this to happen.
Not a good anchorage? Continue being screwed:
Reassess how far you have drifted, scan for boats etc..If you have run aground the situation is resolved – you can either get out and push the bow around or call for a taxi home.
Still on the water?
You could call TowboatUS again, but they were really pissed last time.
Let’s fix the problem instead, it’s the ‘sailor’ like thing to do.
Put down the drink, put out the cigarette and put a resolved look on your face. Thinking of how Popeye would fix this helps so does squinting and flexing your biceps.
Loosen the jib sheet and remove it from the winch. Let the jib sail flap in the wind – it’s too complicated to work both sails at once in a time like this.
We are going to fix this by turning the wheel to the center and pushing the mainsail out into the wind, that WILL get the boat moving backwards.
It’s also too complicated to try and make sure you end up going in the direction you wanted to tack to, if you could do that you would not have gotten caught in irons, admit it, and live with it.
Go up on the side of the boat and to the back, grasp the boom (see glossary if needed) and push it out (forward) until it fills with wind. Hold unto something with one hand – not your drink, you were supposed to put that down.
When the boat is moving backwards at 1 knot or better you can let go of the boom and go turn the wheel so the boat turns sideways to the wind.
If you pushed the boom to the left, turn the wheel to the RIGHT, if you pushed the boom to the right, turn the wheel to the LEFT. If that does not work, try it the other way. Scowling at the sails doesn’t work, but does help.
That should, eventually, get you going backwards, then stopped, then moving forward. It’s complicated but the good news is it works, sometimes. Well, at least once.
Once moving forward you can trim sails (see ‘trimming the sails’) and get moving like normal.
If that doesn’t work, pull the mainsheet tight, drop the drive leg, start the motor and fix it like last time – motorsail
(a nautical term of vague origin, loosely translated as ‘screwed up again, haven’t you)
A common occurance on barges, rafts, square sails, and of course catacondo's.
You apparently tried to tack and did not get the bow to go over far enough or fast enough.
To confirm you are caught in irons check the following (in order):
1) You are not moving or are moving backwards.
2) You are not tied to the pier.
3) The sails are up, one is on the left, the other on the right, the forward one is back winded (see glossary) - and the motor is not running.
If all the above is true, yep, you've screwed up again.
You either just tried to tack or weren’t paying attention and sailed straight into the wind, again.
If no one else is onboard you are safe and might not have to admit your mistake .
If only the Admiral is onboard tell her you intended it for practice purposes and invite her to try to rectify the situation for ‘learning’ (well it worked last time).
If the Admiral was steering the boat and caused it then congratulate her for achieving a perfect ‘hove to’ condition and ask politely (without sarcasm) if you should bring lunch now.
Actions to take:
Do an immediate scan of your surroundings, i.e., look for other boats, hard pointy land based objects etc.
Reason: If you do not see any boats that you know, you do not have to admit your mistake.
If you are drifting in a manner that means you will collide with something or someone put your ego aside and start the motor, then drive the boat to safety.
It’s time to assess the situation. Make sure your drink is topped off, iced down etc. Smoke a cigarette and relax as this is going to take some effort to fix.
Okay, if you are rested up here’s the deal: you’re screwed.
You see..the sails are all out of whack, discombobulated and weird. Again. No, don't panic and go all funny again.
You’ve got to get the boat moving again so you can steer because sailboats don’t turn unless they are moving, but you can’t it get moving because you can’t steer…Chicken, egg, omelet.
Ponder this chicken and egg scenario while having another cigarette. Refill your drink since after all you aren't exactly moving now are you?
If it is a good spot for anchoring do so, then drop the sails acting just like you had planned on this to happen.
Not a good anchorage? Continue being screwed:
Reassess how far you have drifted, scan for boats etc..If you have run aground the situation is resolved – you can either get out and push the bow around or call for a taxi home.
Still on the water?
You could call TowboatUS again, but they were really pissed last time.
Let’s fix the problem instead, it’s the ‘sailor’ like thing to do.
Put down the drink, put out the cigarette and put a resolved look on your face. Thinking of how Popeye would fix this helps so does squinting and flexing your biceps.
Loosen the jib sheet and remove it from the winch. Let the jib sail flap in the wind – it’s too complicated to work both sails at once in a time like this.
We are going to fix this by turning the wheel to the center and pushing the mainsail out into the wind, that WILL get the boat moving backwards.
It’s also too complicated to try and make sure you end up going in the direction you wanted to tack to, if you could do that you would not have gotten caught in irons, admit it, and live with it.
Go up on the side of the boat and to the back, grasp the boom (see glossary if needed) and push it out (forward) until it fills with wind. Hold unto something with one hand – not your drink, you were supposed to put that down.
When the boat is moving backwards at 1 knot or better you can let go of the boom and go turn the wheel so the boat turns sideways to the wind.
If you pushed the boom to the left, turn the wheel to the RIGHT, if you pushed the boom to the right, turn the wheel to the LEFT. If that does not work, try it the other way. Scowling at the sails doesn’t work, but does help.
That should, eventually, get you going backwards, then stopped, then moving forward. It’s complicated but the good news is it works, sometimes. Well, at least once.
Once moving forward you can trim sails (see ‘trimming the sails’) and get moving like normal.
If that doesn’t work, pull the mainsheet tight, drop the drive leg, start the motor and fix it like last time – motorsail
Monday, October 3, 2011
What makes my Dinghy go (part 3)
All this dinghy talk and you'd think I actually use it.
As promised, I hooked up the bits and threw them onto the dingy:
Then took it for a ride. I didn't have my handheld GPS with me (or a PFD for those observant safety minded folks) but I'd guess-timate that my full up speed was 3 knots. A fast walk.
For convenience, a win. For reliability, a win. For thrills and chills on the water, not so much a win.
Enjoy the views
Oh yeah, and just in case, a reminder on why I did this. Here's a few pictures of the carburetor of a 2006 Yamaha 2.5 HP four stroke after a season of almost no use:
As promised, I hooked up the bits and threw them onto the dingy:
For convenience, a win. For reliability, a win. For thrills and chills on the water, not so much a win.
Enjoy the views
Oh yeah, and just in case, a reminder on why I did this. Here's a few pictures of the carburetor of a 2006 Yamaha 2.5 HP four stroke after a season of almost no use:
Sunday follies
I"m a Patriots fan, and they don't get much coverage here in Redskin and Raven fan territory - so my Sunday afternoons in the fall are pretty much free.
Just to throw in the odd controversial statement (otherwise why blog right?) - there is only one watchable American sport, and it's played with a oblong ball in the winter. I don't do sports with round balls or pucks.
Back to the topic at hand, free Sundays. I could be out having fun like some of my friends:
But I wasn't invited.
It seems he likes his girlfriend better than me.
I could be out mowing grass and raking leaves, but I tend to do that on week days when there's nothing else to do. I don't like doing 'chores' on a day off and I get no enjoyment whatsoever from a well tended lawn. It's anti-American, I know, but there it is.
This is after the tree fell, not the way my yard looks normally, but you can get the 'picture'.
So instead what's a guy to do?
Stick his head into a 1969 Coronado 25's greasy encrusted motor well and pull out 'stuff', empty a few lockers, pull a few wires and hook up a few circuits?
Sure, I'm in.
One motor well, 3 gas tanks. One big explosion potential :)
C25's have a motor well, meaning an enclosed space to hang a outboard motor, the 'white' device you see in the picture to the left is a 'plug' that covers the opening that an outboard would normally hang through.
Tanks removed, you can see a wooden board to the right, that's a add on because the supports and structure that the well outboard hands on gave out many years ago and a previous owner, rather than repair it, decided to put a transom outboard mount on the boat. Note that the board isn't doing so well either (check the bolts).
Lets have a little fun while we are here. What's worse than house wiring and wire nuts on a boat?
<-----------
Two house wires with wire nuts on a boat -------->
Patience fans, these wires did not survive the day on board.
The motor well, as is empty. A major project is to re-build the supports and such so we can move the outboard down here where it belongs but well worth the effort. Moving it will make it quieter and give the boat a cleaner "look", put the weight where it was designed to be and will include remote throttle connections etc, all of which beats the heck out of hanging over the stern when motoring.
The hatch on the stern is where the motor well is. It's pretty obvious that my Suzuki 8hp is not where one is designed to be. 60 pounds hanging here (and thrusting against the transom here, which is not 'structural') is not a good thing.
Anyway, that's later, and for after Marc gets his SeaKing outboard running.
We got every one of his circuits run, traced the wires to the v-berth, navigation lights, water, etc.. and finished powering up everything except his bilge pump and water pump - jury is still out on where those will go. On the way his cockpit locker got emptied and scrubbed out (a lot of wires ran through it) and his as designed battery locker (not the one pictured previously, a PO moved it) was emptied, de-spaghettied and generally made reasonable. No pictures because the "as is" still needs a bit of tidying up and scrubbing. You'll have to trust me, it's not looking like a wild man played pull my finger in there anymore.
Just to throw in the odd controversial statement (otherwise why blog right?) - there is only one watchable American sport, and it's played with a oblong ball in the winter. I don't do sports with round balls or pucks.
Back to the topic at hand, free Sundays. I could be out having fun like some of my friends:
But I wasn't invited.
It seems he likes his girlfriend better than me.
I could be out mowing grass and raking leaves, but I tend to do that on week days when there's nothing else to do. I don't like doing 'chores' on a day off and I get no enjoyment whatsoever from a well tended lawn. It's anti-American, I know, but there it is.
This is after the tree fell, not the way my yard looks normally, but you can get the 'picture'.
So instead what's a guy to do?
Stick his head into a 1969 Coronado 25's greasy encrusted motor well and pull out 'stuff', empty a few lockers, pull a few wires and hook up a few circuits?
Sure, I'm in.
C25's have a motor well, meaning an enclosed space to hang a outboard motor, the 'white' device you see in the picture to the left is a 'plug' that covers the opening that an outboard would normally hang through.
<-----------
Patience fans, these wires did not survive the day on board.
The motor well, as is empty. A major project is to re-build the supports and such so we can move the outboard down here where it belongs but well worth the effort. Moving it will make it quieter and give the boat a cleaner "look", put the weight where it was designed to be and will include remote throttle connections etc, all of which beats the heck out of hanging over the stern when motoring.
Anyway, that's later, and for after Marc gets his SeaKing outboard running.
We got every one of his circuits run, traced the wires to the v-berth, navigation lights, water, etc.. and finished powering up everything except his bilge pump and water pump - jury is still out on where those will go. On the way his cockpit locker got emptied and scrubbed out (a lot of wires ran through it) and his as designed battery locker (not the one pictured previously, a PO moved it) was emptied, de-spaghettied and generally made reasonable. No pictures because the "as is" still needs a bit of tidying up and scrubbing. You'll have to trust me, it's not looking like a wild man played pull my finger in there anymore.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Electric Spaghetti
I got permission from Marc to talk about him, his boat, and the projects he's working. That's good since he's already starred in two blog posts :)
I'd talk about my boat - but my lastest project was to clean out and paint my aft lockers on my swim platforms because they were moldy and crud filled. Not exactly blog worthy
Battery 'box' and such..
The ground bus bar.
That's a couple of layers of Previous Owners there. Notice the wire nuts (orange). Even though these are the old style they are considered a no-no on boats as they aren't always a positive connection. Boats vibrate and move, houses do not.
Ah, that leads to the boat versus house discussion regarding wires. The standards organization for boats is ABYC (american boating and yacht council). This is a 1969 Coronado 25. It's 32 years old. It still works for the most part and it's been in service since before the ABYC was a twinkle in some OCD electricians eye. We'll be using the Chuck and Marc standard. Tinned wire in the bilge, butt connections and rings with positive (tested) crimps, tape or liquid tape seals. Proper gauges and black and red only. No purple for lights, yellow for signal or whatever the manual says.
By the way, Marc and I both have training by the military (him USAF, me USMC, USAF and USN), so we know enough to be dangerous.
You guessed it,we are making another previous owner layer - albeit with a change. Marc is ripping out the old stuff.
So off to Outdoor World (bass pro) to get some parts. Most boaters have two choices for big chain boat part stores, West Marine or Outdoor World. (WM or OW). OW is usually cheaper. Marc picked up a 6 circuit bus fused power panel and some other goodies and we were off ( I got my trolling motor on that trip). I prefer circuit breakers over fuses, it's not my boat, or my wallet.
Previously there were two 6 circuit power panels, to the left you can see one removed and hanging. Mark is playing the 'WTF' game as he unravels what was and figures out what will be.
Plan A was to rip out the old wires and re-run new wire to the limited number of circuits Marc envisioned needing on his day sailing, maybe an overnight here and there boat.
Plan A never survives the planning stage.
A small spool (25 feet) of wire goes for 30 bucks at OW. Heck, the old wires still work, why pull them and re-run. Off to Plan B use the old wires, pull out the un-used ones.
A funny thing about ABYC, which recommends tinned wires on boats because they don't corrode as fast. ABYC figuring doesn't accommodate facts such as the hordes of pre-ABYC decade(s) old boats that are still using non-tinned wires and working just fine.
Marc and Chuck standard = tinned in wet environments (bilge, outside). Whatever we got in the proper gauge inside.
In one short session (a three beer upgrade from 4:30 to 9pm) Mark wired in salon lights, powered up the Hummingbird and plotted out the course forward, to wit:
Navigation lights which currently work (no re-run of wire) both red/green and stern
Forward interior lighting (same switch as salon)
Stereo/Electronics (i.e. Hummingbird)
12v outlet near hatch
Water pump - a previous owner gift as pressurized water on a 25 foot is unusual. He did however disconnect and leave in place the manual pump and outlet.
Since his 6 circuit panel was (interestingly enough) nominally labeled as 7 amps per, and 35 amps max it's actually enough for just about everything. Note if you will the math there, 7 x 6 is not 35. Hint, it's 42. Who turns on everything at once anyway...
You are thinking that is the interesting part?
Nope. Pre-installed bus fuses in each were 10 amp. Go figure.
Those of you that have actually read all of this are saying to yourself - HAH - Chuck forgot the:
bilge pump
It's wired direct (minus a 5 amp inline fuse) to the battery.
Anchor light
It's a 12v plug in and hang from the shrouds type, only draws .1 amp as opposed to the 1.3 amp.
Something else - okay, you got me, maybe we did.
Anyway, Marc just pulled into the drive way, time for round two (and to finish the painting in my locker.) 9:20 am on Sunday.
Isn't boat ownership fun?
I'd talk about my boat - but my lastest project was to clean out and paint my aft lockers on my swim platforms because they were moldy and crud filled. Not exactly blog worthy
Battery 'box' and such..The ground bus bar.
That's a couple of layers of Previous Owners there. Notice the wire nuts (orange). Even though these are the old style they are considered a no-no on boats as they aren't always a positive connection. Boats vibrate and move, houses do not.
Ah, that leads to the boat versus house discussion regarding wires. The standards organization for boats is ABYC (american boating and yacht council). This is a 1969 Coronado 25. It's 32 years old. It still works for the most part and it's been in service since before the ABYC was a twinkle in some OCD electricians eye. We'll be using the Chuck and Marc standard. Tinned wire in the bilge, butt connections and rings with positive (tested) crimps, tape or liquid tape seals. Proper gauges and black and red only. No purple for lights, yellow for signal or whatever the manual says.
By the way, Marc and I both have training by the military (him USAF, me USMC, USAF and USN), so we know enough to be dangerous.
You guessed it,we are making another previous owner layer - albeit with a change. Marc is ripping out the old stuff.
So off to Outdoor World (bass pro) to get some parts. Most boaters have two choices for big chain boat part stores, West Marine or Outdoor World. (WM or OW). OW is usually cheaper. Marc picked up a 6 circuit bus fused power panel and some other goodies and we were off ( I got my trolling motor on that trip). I prefer circuit breakers over fuses, it's not my boat, or my wallet.
Previously there were two 6 circuit power panels, to the left you can see one removed and hanging. Mark is playing the 'WTF' game as he unravels what was and figures out what will be.Plan A was to rip out the old wires and re-run new wire to the limited number of circuits Marc envisioned needing on his day sailing, maybe an overnight here and there boat.
Plan A never survives the planning stage.
A small spool (25 feet) of wire goes for 30 bucks at OW. Heck, the old wires still work, why pull them and re-run. Off to Plan B use the old wires, pull out the un-used ones.
A funny thing about ABYC, which recommends tinned wires on boats because they don't corrode as fast. ABYC figuring doesn't accommodate facts such as the hordes of pre-ABYC decade(s) old boats that are still using non-tinned wires and working just fine.
Marc and Chuck standard = tinned in wet environments (bilge, outside). Whatever we got in the proper gauge inside.
In one short session (a three beer upgrade from 4:30 to 9pm) Mark wired in salon lights, powered up the Hummingbird and plotted out the course forward, to wit:
Navigation lights which currently work (no re-run of wire) both red/green and stern
Forward interior lighting (same switch as salon)
Stereo/Electronics (i.e. Hummingbird)
12v outlet near hatch
Water pump - a previous owner gift as pressurized water on a 25 foot is unusual. He did however disconnect and leave in place the manual pump and outlet.
Since his 6 circuit panel was (interestingly enough) nominally labeled as 7 amps per, and 35 amps max it's actually enough for just about everything. Note if you will the math there, 7 x 6 is not 35. Hint, it's 42. Who turns on everything at once anyway...
You are thinking that is the interesting part?
Nope. Pre-installed bus fuses in each were 10 amp. Go figure.
Those of you that have actually read all of this are saying to yourself - HAH - Chuck forgot the:
bilge pump
It's wired direct (minus a 5 amp inline fuse) to the battery.
Anchor light
It's a 12v plug in and hang from the shrouds type, only draws .1 amp as opposed to the 1.3 amp.
Something else - okay, you got me, maybe we did.
Anyway, Marc just pulled into the drive way, time for round two (and to finish the painting in my locker.) 9:20 am on Sunday.
Isn't boat ownership fun?
Friday, September 30, 2011
What makes my Dinghy go! (part 2)
I've long been an opponent of electric drive or hybrid drive on boats.
Let's face it, the technology just isn't there yet. All the hype in the world doesn't help the fact that gas and diesel has more stored energy per pound and per dollar than batteries and solar and wind can give you.
True, solar and wind give forever, but what boat can run on just 10 amps or so (good wind generator on a windy day) or even just 5 amps (solar, 100w panel on a GOOD day).
That wasn't a rhetorical question. The answer is none.
I don't mind reading about bleeding edge technology, I don't want to a) pay for it, or b) bleed for it.
A fellow Gemini owner out in the green state of Cauliflower brains ripped out his then 3 year diesel and installed 2 ePods, batteries etc. then put a 15hp on as a back up. Cost him more than a new diesel, weighed more, and gave him exactly 2.5 hours of run at 4kts (I get 7.2kts and can do it for 40 hours).
And folks let's face it (again with the reality check!). It's not green to put a battery on something. Batteries, every one of them, are made from toxic things like Lead, Acid, or other exotic or heavy metal. To prove my point, take one, any one, to the local land fill and see if they will take it.
Not to mention the boat itself is made from um, PLASTIC (ready petroleum by product), resins and such..not exactly "green". Green is an overused, and badly used term.
Okay, off my soapbox.
Electric has that one elusive thing that gas power doesn't have within my sorry experience (see part 1 of this). An "on" switch. That's right - I flip a switch or turn a handle and zoom, off we go.
I went out and got myself a trolling motor for my dinghy. Just a little wee one mind you, not a monster unit.
This is a Motorguide 40/36 Vari-Max trolling motor. I also got a Duralast dual purpose deep cycle 24MD DL battery for it, a 85 amp hour group 24 lead acid.
Total price, less than half the price of the Yamaha 2.5 I bought, About half what I paid for the Suzuki 8HP - and about twice the cost of a carb rebuild.
The 40/36 part is 40 pounds of thrust, 36 inch shaft. I could leap into a butt load of math and calculations with symbols and such that my keyboard doesn't have and explain what that means and then prove it, but instead here's the "I was raised in a trailer in West Virginia" version. I like it better.
40 pounds thrust - figure at full throttle it will consume 40 amps a hour (12v). Math warning !!!
Pounds of thrust has no 'easy' conversion to horse power, you can't do the "12v x 40amps = 480watts and as a standard HP = (about) 768 watts" comparison because it's still comparing pumpkins to beachballs. It's all about crap like static load and unit of work and acceleration vs torque and other words I wouldn't use in front of my mother.
If you want to go simple, in the 70's Mercury used to say it's 6hp had 150 pounds of thrust, so call my 40 pounds of thrust about the same as a 2.5 if you want. I'll call it a 40 pounds of thrust trolling motor.
I NEVER take a battery below 50% (it cycles it, causing wear and damage).
I have 40 amps to use, ergo:
1 hour of full throttle (round down).
2 hours at half throttle,
4 hours at 1/4 throttle etc.. I'll be testing that out this fall.
Let's be honest, a trained athlete can do about 1/3 HP when rowing and move my fat heavy dinghy at maybe 2 knots steady for 4 hours, burning off a lot of cheese while he/she is at it.
Sticking with the whole honesty and facing facts thing, I'm not a trained athlete. I want a motor so I can enjoy the cheese where it belongs, wrapped around my belly and clogging my arteries.
Now comes the fun part, launch and test. I'll get back to you on this.
Oh, if I ever launch on that long cruise south to bikini land; I'll be throwing a 15hp on the back - just for the halibut. No really, it will help catch halibut.
Let's face it, the technology just isn't there yet. All the hype in the world doesn't help the fact that gas and diesel has more stored energy per pound and per dollar than batteries and solar and wind can give you.
True, solar and wind give forever, but what boat can run on just 10 amps or so (good wind generator on a windy day) or even just 5 amps (solar, 100w panel on a GOOD day).
That wasn't a rhetorical question. The answer is none.
I don't mind reading about bleeding edge technology, I don't want to a) pay for it, or b) bleed for it.
A fellow Gemini owner out in the green state of Cauliflower brains ripped out his then 3 year diesel and installed 2 ePods, batteries etc. then put a 15hp on as a back up. Cost him more than a new diesel, weighed more, and gave him exactly 2.5 hours of run at 4kts (I get 7.2kts and can do it for 40 hours).
And folks let's face it (again with the reality check!). It's not green to put a battery on something. Batteries, every one of them, are made from toxic things like Lead, Acid, or other exotic or heavy metal. To prove my point, take one, any one, to the local land fill and see if they will take it.
Not to mention the boat itself is made from um, PLASTIC (ready petroleum by product), resins and such..not exactly "green". Green is an overused, and badly used term.
Okay, off my soapbox.
Electric has that one elusive thing that gas power doesn't have within my sorry experience (see part 1 of this). An "on" switch. That's right - I flip a switch or turn a handle and zoom, off we go.
This is a Motorguide 40/36 Vari-Max trolling motor. I also got a Duralast dual purpose deep cycle 24MD DL battery for it, a 85 amp hour group 24 lead acid.
Total price, less than half the price of the Yamaha 2.5 I bought, About half what I paid for the Suzuki 8HP - and about twice the cost of a carb rebuild.
The 40/36 part is 40 pounds of thrust, 36 inch shaft. I could leap into a butt load of math and calculations with symbols and such that my keyboard doesn't have and explain what that means and then prove it, but instead here's the "I was raised in a trailer in West Virginia" version. I like it better.
40 pounds thrust - figure at full throttle it will consume 40 amps a hour (12v). Math warning !!!
Pounds of thrust has no 'easy' conversion to horse power, you can't do the "12v x 40amps = 480watts and as a standard HP = (about) 768 watts" comparison because it's still comparing pumpkins to beachballs. It's all about crap like static load and unit of work and acceleration vs torque and other words I wouldn't use in front of my mother.
If you want to go simple, in the 70's Mercury used to say it's 6hp had 150 pounds of thrust, so call my 40 pounds of thrust about the same as a 2.5 if you want. I'll call it a 40 pounds of thrust trolling motor.
I NEVER take a battery below 50% (it cycles it, causing wear and damage).
I have 40 amps to use, ergo:
1 hour of full throttle (round down).
2 hours at half throttle,
4 hours at 1/4 throttle etc.. I'll be testing that out this fall.
Let's be honest, a trained athlete can do about 1/3 HP when rowing and move my fat heavy dinghy at maybe 2 knots steady for 4 hours, burning off a lot of cheese while he/she is at it.
Sticking with the whole honesty and facing facts thing, I'm not a trained athlete. I want a motor so I can enjoy the cheese where it belongs, wrapped around my belly and clogging my arteries.
Now comes the fun part, launch and test. I'll get back to you on this.
Oh, if I ever launch on that long cruise south to bikini land; I'll be throwing a 15hp on the back - just for the halibut. No really, it will help catch halibut.
What makes my Dinghy go! (part 1)
I've had a 5 year love / hate affair with outboard engines.
It began when I finished building my V-10, a 10 foot V bottom plywood and epoxy dinghy (pictured in earlier posts). After 7 months of building and sanding and painting and sanding and sanding and sanding and (you get the picture) it was ready for launch.
I went out and got a Yamaha 2.5 hp 4 stroke. about $800 bucks. Worked like a champ, pushed the boat so well that water pumped out of the centerboard slot !!!!
Note I say that likes it a good thing..it is if you like wet feet and hind ends. I guess I used it all of 5 times before my buddies old 1970's Johnson 6hp died on his Catalina 22. We were 'campaigning' his 22 in our yacht clubs Friday night beer can races so I ponied up and put the Yammy 2.5 on the back. Pushed it like a champ. The GPS showed 5.4kts which is just about hull speed on that boat.
He used the engine for 1.5 seasons, then moved up to a bigger boat.
By then we had also moved from our Hunter 31 - on which we never used the dinghy I'd built - to our Gemini 105Mc which we'd gotten a AB 10 foot RIB for. I hung the 2.5 on the back of the RIB and life was good - I again used it about 5-8 times. Once was to push our Gemini into the slip when it's diesel died.
Now that's a separate story in and of itself. It involves Mary steering the boat into the slip for the first time ever :) (later).
Then another friend asked to borrow the Yammy for his inflatable and off to his shed it went (never actually got used, sat in a shed for the winter).
Two things happened (one being the engine wasn't run, but the tank was full) and ethanol - ethanol being the worse of the two. The engine would NOT start the following spring. A couple hundred bucks and a carburetor rebuild later it started. Ran for the test, back into my garage.
You see, I'd decided to move up.
I'd bought a POS 1988 Suzuki DT8C 2 stroke (oil injected) outboard from a friend of a friend. I say POS (piece of s***) because when I hung it on my outboard carrier the transom mount cracked immediately on pulling the start cord.
I spent two weeks searching online for parts, then decided no way I was going to spend 300 bucks for a 500 buck Suz I didn't even know would run. I slapped JB Weld on it, put on some stainless straps and basically rednecked it up. That broke, but I got lucky, another neighboring friend want to practice some aluminum welding. He did the magic melting stick waving, put another JB weld overlay on it and then topped it off with bigger stainless straps. You can just see the hairline crank in the mount if of the picture.
I convinced myself it would work, mounted it on my RIB and pushed off on a 4 mile river and Bay trip to take the dinghy to where I slip Patience Two.
Ran like a champ.
The Yammy 2.5? Abandoned to loneliness in the garage.
I mean like I'm planning around with a grin on my face - why would I go back to a frumpy, slow 2.5hp ?
You'll never guess what happened then.
I seldom used the Suz 8hp (maybe twice that season). It began acting up. It ran on old gas and hope all season. It was neglected, it was abused. I used it to help a buddy move his Helms 25 5 miles, it barely reached the water from it's transom (it has a 21 inch shaft, it needed two middle aged guys sinking the stern down to get juice up it's intake). About half way there it went to half power...
Out comes the Yammy from it's place of shame. Onto the transom.
Okay, off the transom and onto a saw horse. No start.
Out comes the carb cleaner, brushes and picks. Buff, polish, spray and pray. Starts. I'm sorta liking this yammy by now...
Back on the transom. NO start. Four more trips back and forth, no go.
It's in the garage. Available for a good price :)
In a fit of despair, the Suzuki comes back out - and with a little ether and a lot of pulling zoom zoom. Lots of smoke, very little water (okay mostly steam) from the outlet.
30 minutes of settled, no smoke solid idle and instant acceleration on throttle up and I figure its time to carry the 63 pound beasty down to the dinghy and give it a whirl.
I'm now a fan of 2 strokes; it's still working. Sometimes only on one cylinder, sometimes on both but it runs.
Unfortunately 2 strokes aren't 'green' so it's hard to get them anymore. Just old ones...
Coming from plane to non-plane when one cylinder dies is not so much fun. That's where it sat this summer, local within sight (and paddle) of the house stuff only. A utility boat, not a fun "let's go explore this anchorage" boat.
The Suzuki 8 is currently hanging on the back of my friends Coronado 25 (mentioned previously), he needs a motor well rebuild and to get the SeaKing 7.5 hp it came with working. We used it on the "first sail" last week and true to form when we cranked the throttle up it decided to be lazy and went to 1 cylinder. Still plenty, but not confidence inspiring. It does however start and run (when properly choked etc..). Runs on river water mixed with beer is my opinion (okay, river water wasn't the first nasty fluid that came to mind).
Amazingly the 25 hp Honda 2 stroke on the back of the Lyman is a boaters dream. I'm going to get it professionally winterized and store it in the garage this winter. I might have learned my lesson.
Stay tuned for part two, let's see :)
It began when I finished building my V-10, a 10 foot V bottom plywood and epoxy dinghy (pictured in earlier posts). After 7 months of building and sanding and painting and sanding and sanding and sanding and (you get the picture) it was ready for launch.
I went out and got a Yamaha 2.5 hp 4 stroke. about $800 bucks. Worked like a champ, pushed the boat so well that water pumped out of the centerboard slot !!!!
Note I say that likes it a good thing..it is if you like wet feet and hind ends. I guess I used it all of 5 times before my buddies old 1970's Johnson 6hp died on his Catalina 22. We were 'campaigning' his 22 in our yacht clubs Friday night beer can races so I ponied up and put the Yammy 2.5 on the back. Pushed it like a champ. The GPS showed 5.4kts which is just about hull speed on that boat.He used the engine for 1.5 seasons, then moved up to a bigger boat.
By then we had also moved from our Hunter 31 - on which we never used the dinghy I'd built - to our Gemini 105Mc which we'd gotten a AB 10 foot RIB for. I hung the 2.5 on the back of the RIB and life was good - I again used it about 5-8 times. Once was to push our Gemini into the slip when it's diesel died.
Now that's a separate story in and of itself. It involves Mary steering the boat into the slip for the first time ever :) (later).
Then another friend asked to borrow the Yammy for his inflatable and off to his shed it went (never actually got used, sat in a shed for the winter).
Two things happened (one being the engine wasn't run, but the tank was full) and ethanol - ethanol being the worse of the two. The engine would NOT start the following spring. A couple hundred bucks and a carburetor rebuild later it started. Ran for the test, back into my garage.
You see, I'd decided to move up.
I'd bought a POS 1988 Suzuki DT8C 2 stroke (oil injected) outboard from a friend of a friend. I say POS (piece of s***) because when I hung it on my outboard carrier the transom mount cracked immediately on pulling the start cord.
I spent two weeks searching online for parts, then decided no way I was going to spend 300 bucks for a 500 buck Suz I didn't even know would run. I slapped JB Weld on it, put on some stainless straps and basically rednecked it up. That broke, but I got lucky, another neighboring friend want to practice some aluminum welding. He did the magic melting stick waving, put another JB weld overlay on it and then topped it off with bigger stainless straps. You can just see the hairline crank in the mount if of the picture.
I convinced myself it would work, mounted it on my RIB and pushed off on a 4 mile river and Bay trip to take the dinghy to where I slip Patience Two.
Ran like a champ.
The Yammy 2.5? Abandoned to loneliness in the garage.
I mean like I'm planning around with a grin on my face - why would I go back to a frumpy, slow 2.5hp ?
You'll never guess what happened then.
I seldom used the Suz 8hp (maybe twice that season). It began acting up. It ran on old gas and hope all season. It was neglected, it was abused. I used it to help a buddy move his Helms 25 5 miles, it barely reached the water from it's transom (it has a 21 inch shaft, it needed two middle aged guys sinking the stern down to get juice up it's intake). About half way there it went to half power...
Out comes the Yammy from it's place of shame. Onto the transom.
Okay, off the transom and onto a saw horse. No start.
Out comes the carb cleaner, brushes and picks. Buff, polish, spray and pray. Starts. I'm sorta liking this yammy by now...
Back on the transom. NO start. Four more trips back and forth, no go.
It's in the garage. Available for a good price :)
In a fit of despair, the Suzuki comes back out - and with a little ether and a lot of pulling zoom zoom. Lots of smoke, very little water (okay mostly steam) from the outlet.
30 minutes of settled, no smoke solid idle and instant acceleration on throttle up and I figure its time to carry the 63 pound beasty down to the dinghy and give it a whirl.
I'm now a fan of 2 strokes; it's still working. Sometimes only on one cylinder, sometimes on both but it runs.
Unfortunately 2 strokes aren't 'green' so it's hard to get them anymore. Just old ones...
Coming from plane to non-plane when one cylinder dies is not so much fun. That's where it sat this summer, local within sight (and paddle) of the house stuff only. A utility boat, not a fun "let's go explore this anchorage" boat.
The Suzuki 8 is currently hanging on the back of my friends Coronado 25 (mentioned previously), he needs a motor well rebuild and to get the SeaKing 7.5 hp it came with working. We used it on the "first sail" last week and true to form when we cranked the throttle up it decided to be lazy and went to 1 cylinder. Still plenty, but not confidence inspiring. It does however start and run (when properly choked etc..). Runs on river water mixed with beer is my opinion (okay, river water wasn't the first nasty fluid that came to mind).
Amazingly the 25 hp Honda 2 stroke on the back of the Lyman is a boaters dream. I'm going to get it professionally winterized and store it in the garage this winter. I might have learned my lesson.
Stay tuned for part two, let's see :)
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