My master piece

[ntica]

Sea Husky... thanks but no thanks...I have enough boats ;D. I will lay my strenght on Celeste.
Today I met a new friend in Malmoe, Limhamn. I had some boat gear he needed and viceversa. I got my self a nice pulpit, some wire, an oar from a windvane :) (the down piece)  And he hold 8 pieces of Rutgersson "vant-screws" brand new (don't know the english word!) for me. No money involved just tradeing :) :) :)
SO my good luck is on going....and I'm happy, and life's smiles at me :D
for now... (or when I'm winning the lottery ;D)

[ntica]

Some nice photo in the dark winter time. Love this photo from "Atom sailing"
(hope it's ok i use it?!)

[SeaHusky]

I just found this clip. They seem to have gone straight from dinghy racing to IF sailing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk6fl_s75d0

You need to add a trapeze to Celeste!  ;D

[ntica]

Thanks Sea Husky... nice action footage. But why not a couple of reefs  :P About the trapeze... ;D don't think so. But surely a nice feeling.

[SeaHusky]

Some more pictures of "Snowflake" here http://ellekari.blogg.se/category/pipaluk.html
I like the way (I think) he has solved the "outboard in the lazaret" problem. It looks like he has just mounted the outboard mount on the forward bulkhead of the lazaret instead of on the transom and made a modified opening that does not take in water when heeled over like the original does.

[ntica]

Thanks Sea Husky, do like the look of snowflake. Gonna make me a simular "spryhood" soon. where do you "see" this outboard well??? I've checked the blog. but nothing?

I'm also in the planning stage of building a battery-bank, and close to center off boat, and deep down. How many battery's would be enough (Voltage/amp)??? how many do "you" use. Thinking longer crossings. solpanels, generator, both?
It would be wise to be able to do some repairs on the sea if needed. electricity.
stove, cabin lamps = kerosene.

[SeaHusky]

I don't see as much as imagine!
On the pictures you can see the outboard sticking out above the waterline at an angle and a cut out that will allow it to pivot down to vertical and below the waterline. I can imagine that a standard "lift and tilt" mount is mounted inside the lazaret just the same as it is on the transom, only further forward.

[Captain Smollett]

How many battery's would be enough (Voltage/amp)??? how many do "you" use. Thinking longer crossings. solpanels, generator, both?
It would be wise to be able to do some repairs on the sea if needed. electricity.

We've had several discussions on this topic.  One of them is here and another here.

I think there might be additional threads.

For my part, I went into answering this question in the opposite direction that most seem to do.  Most start with everything they want to power, then build a battery bank and charging system around that.

I did it the other way.  I started with my charging options, then took a hard look at the energy budget I could even hope to realistically maintain with that charging.

I REALLY like the idea of towed generators, but they are not without their problems.  I may end up with one some day, but I've decided that the 'core' of my charging system, the most reliable it seems, is solar (with a big enough bank and low enough budget to flatten out the non-sunny days).

Good luck...electricity threads are almost as much fun as anchoring threads!   ;D

[CharlieJ]

Happens that I JUST day before yesterday lay to a dock where I could plug in a battery charger, fir the third time in 2 1/2 years aboard.

Single 32 watt solar panel and single grp 27, 100 amp battery.

Runs lights (interior and anchor all LED), radio, depth sounder when I need it, tiller pilot, etc. Recharges my phone too.

Of course I'm really frugal on usage too. I go to bed at dark and get up at day light.

Oh- and it took five days of zero sun to run the battery down that low.

[ntica]

check this one out. an IF sailing...
http://www.ifboat.com/_medlem/segling_061216_s2.wmv

[ntica]

Went to my local scrap-yard today, got my self some stainleess steel (RF) to make  new chain plates. like this...

[SeaHusky]

Like we used to say in the military "When in doubt, overload!"  ;)
Ntica, I know you are a metalworker. Are you also proficient in welding stainless and such?
There should be a market for custom made, oceanproof fittings and mounts.

[ntica]

seahusky... yes would like to say I can weld stainless and such..done some stainless welding on a couple of boats in Malmoe and Helsingborg. The "Malmoe" boat went of to the carribean. I weld only, with a "pin" mma?! the ol' scool welding. Not mig/mag with confidence.

and I also got a new dvd today called "vintersegling" /wintersailing, a Swedish couple sailed to Antarctica and overwintered there, real nice footage. recommended.
the boat is called "Northern light".

[SeaHusky]

Then why not try to make a windvane selfsteering out of plywood and when it works well just weld it from stainless. I'd buy one. ;)
I did some"stickwelding", or what you call it in english, during army diver training. It works perfectly well under water. Just don't get between the handle and whatever you are welding... ::)

http://www.northernlightsail.se/northern_light.html
I have that book and I am currently reading their latest book about their trip around the islands of the southern ocean. It was planned as a three year voyage but took ten! Wonderful stuff! I wonder if they will sell "Big Red" now that they have gone ashore?

[ntica]

windvane...it's in the "gearbox" where the difficulties have to be solved. No problem to get a vane to steer. But It have to steer with damping effects, and not to much and so. I have 2 prototypes laying around here. one in plastic tubing, one made out of a bicycle ;D I also hve the down piece and oar from a windpilot atalantik, the older one (the same as "Thoya" have mounted).
(sea husky... If you see the ad somewhere (sweden) there was the top piece for sale to an Atlantik windpilot... but can't seem to find it again?! let me know)

And A merry christmas to all of you sailfar'er!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ntica]

doghouse...projekt. On my back yard I had this "hood"... like the one on the pic' I will cut it to fit nad then plast it together. what do you think?

here's onther build...http://thallatha.blogspot.com/2011/01/doghouse.html

[SeaHusky]

I have no experience in using these materials but how much weight will it add to the top of the boat if you make it "knock down proof" (KDP) out of just GRP? Have you considered making it out of a sandwich laminate with a divinycell core?
It would be both stronger and lighter and also insulated against condensation if you make the doghouse  fully enclosed.

[ntica]

there is some divinycell kind of inlays in the hood Iam using (not the one in the picture, just a simular one) and the weight will not affect the boat, it's light weight grp! I will get back with some pictures. the hard part is to make it "slick", nice looking too. strong and keep me out of the water spray or most of it!

[ntica]

testing my new camera...

[SeaHusky]

I was walking through a marina today, checking on some boats after the "Christmas day storm". Suddenly there is an IF, so very small in comparison to the other "normal" boats but oh so graceful! Everything else just looks clumsy and ugly in comparison!

Merry Christmas my friend!