The main projects I need to accomplish before going back in the water are replacing throughulls, barrier coat, bottom paint, rebedding deck hardware, tracing the one pesky leak I know I have, and the standing rigging; which will include rewiring the mast and replacing lights and antennas aloft. I will prolly have the mast pulled as it will make wiring easier, I think, and also I have a Furuno radar dome up on the mast that I want to get working again. It is not currently hooked up the the original display/console. Also, the furler is not an offshore unit, darn near dangerous anyway in my opinion. I will remove that and sell the foils and sail to someone else. So, I'll have to make a yankee and a genoa or gennaker or both. I'm considering a composting head.
While I'm hiding out from the cold-ish weather, I'm working on a few boat projects here in Florida.
I have decided to replace my standing rigging with Dyneema. I'm making dyneema dead-eyes here at the campground; a la Rigging Doctor, Zingaro, Tula, & Kraken Structures. I believe I might save as much as $500 over wire and StaLok fittings on each end of 9 shrouds & stays. Really that will allow me replace a lot of chainplates, tangs, and toggles within my budget. Where with SS wire rigging I might have been tempted to cut some corners.
Rigging Doc
https://youtu.be/ZqPf-i1jy10 (https://youtu.be/ZqPf-i1jy10)
Tula
https://youtu.be/JfVbzKPlI7k (https://youtu.be/JfVbzKPlI7k)
Zingaro
https://youtu.be/tRe6q7jjbsY (https://youtu.be/tRe6q7jjbsY)
Also, I'm going in with both feet on Openplotter using a Raspberry Pi. I have a bunch of components on the way. Two RPi's actually; one will run Openplotter and the ship's data, the other will be a media center -- primarily music. I have about 400 CDs ripped to a hard drive and various downloads just waiting to be enjoyed.
http://sailoog.com/openplotter (http://sailoog.com/openplotter)
I plan to head back to Wilmington early in the last week of January.
I have lots of projects, mostly medium and small projects, many of which can be done at anchor. I will be doing a running evaluation of how much needs to be done on the hard vs. how soon can I get out of the boatyard and it's related expenses. These would include cabin wiring, upholstery, a more heavy replacement staysail, some canvas work, a bit of electronics like a new VHF, an Engel or similar, etc and making her my own.
I'm going to play around with sheet-to-tiller self steering at first. Hopefully I can find a used CPT or similar autopilot for motoring. Openplotter has some autopilot possibilities included but they are relatively new and I haven't read much about it; sounds like it is still basically a beta version. The ladder on the stern is dead center and in the way of a windvane, and the stern pulpit was designed with it in mind. But those are decisions down the road.
That is a reasonable list of projects, and getting the below water line duties done early makes sense.
Many wind vanes do not have to be on center, it just makes linkages harder to arrange.
If you use one that powers the tiller directly, there may be no problems, just adjust where the related blocks are mounted.
Was the Furuno radar recently working? That can be expensive to repair, and keep in working condition.
Rather than going full off shore to start, I would be inclined to keep the furling jib until I had a year of coastal cruising, then do the work of selling and replacing it. You may find that it is adequate, and convenient for single handing. Crossing to the Caribbean Islands should not be a "Blue Water" adventure, everyone just waits for a good weather window, and crosses, even with 23 foot boats.
I think Frank will agree, making any crossing at the wrong time is a mistake you do not want to make, cruising is supposed to be fun.
Things like a tiller pilot are essential, you have to be able to take a break from steering, no matter how good or bad the weather is. Sheet to tiller is comparable, once you have found the balance of your vessel, but that is not going to be in the first weeks or even months of sailing, if you are alone. Someone must be tending the vessel while you are dealing with a system that is not in tune with either the boat itself, sea conditions, or wind.
You need to have those issues sorted out before you commit to going on the fore deck to change out sails in rough weather. The furling sail will tide you over those introductory months.
I am sure that Charlie and Frank will chime in with some guidance on these items.
While I don't like furlers in general, I should add my concerns about this specific one.
The PO was not really a sailor's sailor, but enjoyed sailing. Also, I don't remember the brand. And perhaps, it's not even really a furler, but was being used as such.
It is a similar rig to what I've seen on sails like a Code Zero. There is not a furling drum that rolls up the line. It is a wheel, a bit like the top of a self-tailing winch. The upper and lower discs of the wheel are metal, they have some ribs or nubs like teeth on the inside to engage with the line. The line is a continuous loop that runs down the starboard deck, but is sorely lacking a snatch block or something on the aft end. While the aft end loop is simply loose, the line runs through two pair of fairleads on it's way aft from the bow.
I moved the boat about 60 miles in July to get to a DIY boatyard I had found. What I discovered while motorsailing the boat is that whoever stiched the two ends of the "furling" line together made a huge messy knot. There is one particular fairlead that the messy knot was too big to go thru. Furling stops and I even gave it a couple good yanks in a panic.
The other thing that I discovered was that when unfurling the sail, the line skips on the "furling" wheel. This caused the messy knot to not always be in the same place. A couple times in pinch, when I really wanted to furl the sail, I'd hit that knot and could not furl any further. At least twice, I pulled the sail all the way back out with a sheet and furled it inside-out, the opposite direction, so that I could avoid that stupid knot and douse the sail. It's a big genoa, though I don't know the exact size -- it must be at least a 135.
All the above could be fixed if I re-stitched the knot. However, I do not like that the rope can skip on the furling wheel. What that really means, in my humble opinion, is that in a squall or any good blow, the furled sail is not really secure. If the "furling" line is not going to hold the furling wheel tightly in position, it could unfurl at any moment when the right wind caught the rignt edge of sail.
Maybe there is a way to put enough tension on the loop, like with a snatch block on the aft end, thereby securing the line in the wheel. I don't know at this point. However, if I have the mast down and am re-rigging the boat, it seems as good a time as any to ditch that furler or whatever it is.
It's a REALLY nice sail, fairly new, with the foam inserts parallel to the luff to maintain sailshape when partially furled, but I just don't trust the system.
I've googled around and can't find anything that matches my memory. It is similar to this but is grey in color and appears to be cast metal. Makes me think of a 1940s car part.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t5Kf3tt0T3Q/XhAGZYfH0rI/AAAAAAAAYIw/Dbjj5dwkWz4IeVaPN8FFXHjB3eCsZHUGQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Single-1-RWO-Marine-Small-Boat-Roller-Furling.jpg)
Here is a picture of my ill-timed arrival last month. You can kind of see that it is not a drum at the bottom of the furled jib.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m9TrvKliKDk/XhAIVEpf0FI/AAAAAAAAYI8/5Var8fyCg8kZJulBtY8ojGJNczCtAqKEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/CPBW.arrival.jpg)
No knowledge of furlers. Never had one, actually never felt the need. The jib on Tehani has reef points, just like a main sail. Takes it down to a storm jib size. You can see the grommets in this pic
Oh since I have gotten older, i have purchased all the hardware for a down haul on the jib. So I won't have to leave to cockpit to drop it
Hay Bubba
Im attempting to build a raspberry pi chart-plotter and autopilot as well. Ive gotten most of the components lined out, all im waiting on now is a stable build of openplotter for pi4...whats your plan ?
I didn't want to wait.
I bought a RPi 3 for Openplotter and an RPi 4 to play with, to run my music collection, and to do basic spreadsheets or writing documents.
Eventually I'll spend the money to get a RPi 4 when all that catches up.
Hum...i guess i could get a RBi3 and do the same, i imagine there cheaper now that the 4s are out... also what type of case/container have you decided to go with? and also what type of monitor/screen?
I put together a RBi3 a couple years ago. I used the official 7" touchscreen display and case with it, so it is pretty self contained. I have a GPS puck for position.
For what it's worth, it generally seems to work fine. There is a strange issue in that the touch screen was built upside down, which is crazy; but the solution is pretty well documented. Also, I found that using it via touch screen was frustrating and hooked up a mini wireless keyboard/trackpad to operate it. I didn't sail last year and OpenCPN has been updated I believe since then, so perhaps the touch usability has been improved.
I really like OpenCPN and often run it on my laptop to plan routes and as a backup chartplotter (plus I can get the AIS signals from my radio into it so I can see traffic easier). Sadly, the laptop uses a lot of power; which is fine if I'm motoring a lot, but not so much if the weather is conducive to actual sailing. Using the Pi3 (which was adequately powerful...I don't think it is necessary to have the newer model, though I plan on trying it out anyway) I got most of the bang for a lot less of the electrical buck.
I'm using the official pi 7" touchscreen as well. I found a nice case for the screen and pi. Whenever the moitessier hat comes back in stock, there is an optional back for the case that will fit a hat. The case is the SmartPi Touch 2 which I bought from Adafruit.
Also, I'm using a wireless mini keyboard w/trackpad from Canakit.
I had music playing thru the RPi 4 this evening but I'm going to get a DAC card and some good speakers eventually.
I can't wait to try Openplotter. I am waiting on an sdcard to burn the image.
Godot - I will be in the Chesapeake this summer. As crew in May and hopefully on my Bayfield later. Not sure where.
We should try to get a Chesapeake Sail<far>in setup this year!
On the Thursday night chats, Jim_Me , Cyric, myself and a couple others have been trying to set something like this up.
Sounds great.
I'm hoping to be back in the water and headed that way approx July.
Quote from: Godot on January 13, 2020, 03:05:35 PM
We should try to get a Chesapeake Sail<far>in setup this year!
Im game, just let me know when and where...
I'd join too, boat or no boat!
Here's a bit of progress:
Raspberry Pi's:
From the Camper Van Computer Lab. On the right, an RPi3 as Ship's Computer; chartplotter, instrumentation, weather data, etc. On the left, an RPi4 as potential laptop killer; screen camera for vid calls and full fledged mini computer for browsing, writing, spreadsheets, etc. Both are works in progress, assembled by me from components.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lz6JninhDas/XiHeWo9MiSI/AAAAAAAAYcU/lIad6UnZ98gMINL72Dv826-NdRl7WO2bgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20200115_181324_948.jpg)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MZZXWMUXYx0/XiHeWsoODpI/AAAAAAAAYcQ/ja2WKHfzxnwlS4ZS223A-y8QDu-kIKr9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20200115_181324_964.jpg)
And the first bits of my new standing rigging:
Dyneema deadeyes and a couple soft shackles for fun
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i8_k_o06k6I/XiHepRQ0rlI/AAAAAAAAYcg/htq8HdqvOLkVGbIc5V1br1lbbGRuPMkkQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20200116_145824661.jpg)
I'm crewing on sv Aletheia again next week.
Made 8 soft shackles while staying in b/c it's $&#^¥€ cold here in Florida.
4 are for Aletheia, and 4 for my Ruth Ann.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cuq99wNZGfw/XieC7eI3w2I/AAAAAAAAYis/NpJOepjP0j0wibg34WW84rirZIjkub2dACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20200121_141923647.jpg)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CVLfSunT2vo/XieC6n89EVI/AAAAAAAAYio/PUoyrLiiisQMJcqrT4tCkXSv1cI6vTECgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20200121_141942132.jpg)
On the subject of furlers, I was ambivalent as well but have found that I really enjoy the ease of use and simplicity a good furler provides. After messing with an ancient Hood furler, that came with my new to me Cape Dory 28, for half the season I sprung for an Alado furler and I have been delighted with it. It has its own halyard so there's no risk of wrapping the halyard around the forestay which was a huge problem with the old unit. It has a sturdy aluminum foil and no bearings to wear out and fail. I plan to take it offshore and have no concerns about it.
How are you cooling the Rpi's?
The cases I'm using for the 7" touchscreen and each RPi came with a little fan which can run at 5v or 3.3. The R4 runs hotter than the 3, so I installed the fan with the 4. Tonight I was messing around with the R3 & an SDR dongle, trying to get set it up for weather fax. I felt a little warmth which is either the SDR or the 3 but I may need a fan there too. I have a Moitessier HAT coming and will have to figure out how to set up the HAT and a fan.
Hay again Bubba
Getting back to you finally.
Have you tested the RBi monitor in sunlight?
i had thought about mounting my monitor on a swing are so i could view it through the companionway, but ive had my worries about it being view able in sunlight.
i have a Moitessier hat ready to go. but sprung for the RBi4 right as they decided to do the openplotter upgrade, so im a bit frustrated there.
whats your thoughts on the pypilot?
I haven't tested the monitor in the sun. My plan is to use the 7" touchscreen at the nav station and broadcast the data/dashboard so that I can use a tablet or phone on deck.
I like the idea of pypilot and will play with it down the line.
I'll be back at the boat in a couple weeks. Thruhulls and the rig will be a priority. The RPi project will be rain day project for a while.
As of tonight, I'm back to the boat
and back to work.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ivQeB_p6GYU/Xjt1epTrrtI/AAAAAAAAY4c/bxDi1EZb0awLBzpszpS2ZYr5bIU8cB3DACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20200205_210343939.jpg)
I'm hard at work at the boat; when the weather allows.
I've cut five thruhulls off/out. Getting the areas/surfaces prepped for new seacocks.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yKRpHJlh-2A/XlBzzYSAl0I/AAAAAAAAZWQ/Z2b8sr7cfVUgUx2JLjZtRfcO6kAK-iZDwCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_20200212_121327550.jpg)
I have some blisters, so I've got some work below the water line. None of them are big but they are a pain in the @$$. FYI, the hole you see above and to the right of the propeller, is a hole awaiting a seacock; not a blister. :-)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bRbdDVH91ao/XlXWO73jbAI/AAAAAAAAZfo/dZw8VJNEaqM0lCNJ4AIBF8APbjT3xp5dgCKgBGAsYHg/s1600/IMG_20200224_115720302.jpg)
This time next week, my hull will be watertight again. Also, after rebedding a couple stanchion bases and the deck hatch, the deck should be watertight again too.
If the average daytime temps would nudge just a little higher, I could be more productive. :-)
Yep...
Looks like it's time to replace them for sure.
Nice to get all the "below waterline " items done at once.
Keep plugging away
Way to go, Todd! You're getting a lot more done than I am right now.
Thanks, I needed a boost this morning. Just about 10:00 on a gusty morning, the "feels like" temp has finally reached 40°. With no rain forecast for a couple days, I really want to rebed the deck hatch, but hadn't got the gumption up to do it yet. :-)
How is the ship's computer project going?
I just set up a pi4 with 64 bit ubuntu and am pretty impressed. Similar performance to my somewhat older laptop.
Sailoog is a desktop environment for pi, correct? Is that the direction to go to build a ships computer?
The ship's computer project is a fill-in, rainy day project while I'm here at the boatyard. So it is stalled a bit. I did just rec've my Moitessier hat and the weather is poop this weekend, so I may make some more headway.
Sailoog/Openplotter is the way I'm going. Seems like a good package.
In addition, I did some crewing on the FL ICW a couple weeks back. The Capn was using Aquamaps, which I stuck on my android phone to follow along. Impressive. I'll be sailing on the US East Coast this summer to get my sealegs and get used to this boat. Aquamaps could easily suffice while I build the RPi system. The RPi will be more robust as a ship's computer but for a chartplotter i may use Aquamaps and a tablet for a time.
Bubba,
whats your thought about the Pypilot addon to for the openplotter and RPi
I am aware of it, but I haven't thought much about it. This Bayfield has a wheel rather than a tiller, so I will probably use an auxiliary rudder windvane and attach a small tiller pilot to the wind vane itself. The cockpit, especially around the binnacle and the wheel is rather small. I don't really want to junk it up with autopilot on the wheel
I am in a privileged position here at the boat yard. I've been living out of the camper van right next to the boat since February. North Carolina has included boat repair facilities in their exemptions for the shutdown. This is a boat yard, definitely not a marina, and the shop is still working -- therefore those of us that are DIY-ing are just carrying on.
I am avoiding going to town and paying a little bit more for things as they are shipped here rather than going to get them. But for the most part my life is changed very little.
I do have a heavy dose of gratitude and I'm owning the privilege og being able to keep up the boat work. However, it will be interesting if there will be anywhere I can sell to once the boat is ready to go back in the water. I was just beginning to have big plans for the summer but who knows now.
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=17fPlqJrLsRMhGpB-4Dgf-6qcOOdYNjuW (https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=17fPlqJrLsRMhGpB-4Dgf-6qcOOdYNjuW)
Above is a link to a folder of pictures. This is basically the work that I did yesterday and today. I started sanding my blister patches, rebedded a couple blocks on the cabin roof, removed the head, removed a bunch of hoses, loosened the holding tank, cleaned the area up, set the compost toilet in place, tried on the dodger to measure for solar panels, removed the "full battens," rolled out the mainsail, and folded it for better storage.
The holding tank was placed while the boat was being built and it won't fit out of the space. I plan to cut a whole in a non-structural bulkhead to slide the tank out. I'll cover the hole with a finished piece of plywood. Should look like it was meant to be there.
I am going thru all that tank trouble to gain a good amount of storage space that would otherwise be wasted.
The head project jumped the line for a semi-practical reason. I have four gallons of stove fuel alcohol and now the composting head is usable. Therefore if I choose to -- I can cook on the boat and use the compost head in order to just stay put here for longer. If I'm cooking on the boat and using it for my daily ablutions, then I am less concerned about how much propane is in the camper van or how full it's holding tank is.
Re: the 'skipping' furler - go to a one-size smaller line, so it sits deeper in the teeth?
Thanks. I can experiment with that!
Thats a Interesting boat buddy you got there in the last picture, he sure got a pretty smile... :D
I tried posting and attaching a photo twice; but that doesn't seem to be working. And I can't get into my gallery. So, I'll try to explain how I got my holding tank out.
I went through the forward hanging locker. I used an oscillating tool to cut out the section above the tank, which allowed me to easily pull it out. Then I installed some wooden cleats to the remaining section of the locker, to which I could screw the removed part back on. The seams where I cut are not obvious inside a locker, and I have excellent access to the area by just taking out a few screws and removing the section again.
Eventually I think I'm going to completely remove the locker liner and build a new, deeper locker into the space where the holding tank used to be. Or I might put a water tank in that space. I'm not sure yet.
I hope that description made a little sense.
That sounds like a great idea! I kind of wish I'd thought of that. :-) However, I've already cut a hole in the small bulkhead under the padded seat in the head. The tank is out. I will install a nice piece of finished plywood, maybe even with a teak veneer over the hole that I cut. I think it will look pretty natural
Update:
The hull is smooth again below the waterline.
I have SeaHawk barrier coat and bottom paint on the way.
Also, I've ordered 300w of Renogy solar panels and 250Ah of lithium batteries with a Victron 100/30 charge controller and and AC charger as backup.
Still making progress in the backwaters of NC.
Where are you planning on mounting the solar panels?
And, how much did the lithium batteries cost?
I don't have a lot of real estate for solar but based on my plan I am going to be able to fit 6 50-watt Renogy panels. I'll have two rigid panels port and starboard on the outside of the stern pulpit, 2 flexible panels on top of the dodger, and two more rigid panels just in front of the dodger. I believe that I can do everything I need to do at the mast and not have those two panels get in the way but that is my only concern. The panels will be wired parallel to the charge controller. The cabling and charge controller can handle that juice.
I'm getting the batteries from Lithionics. 2 125-amp power compact batteries for about $1,200 each. This was actually a little bit better deal then Battle Born which were $1,000 for 100 amp hours. The spooky thing I can't quite get my mind around is that Lithionics tells me I will be able to start my Yanmar 16 horse 2GM20f with the house bank and not need a starting battery. I haven't decided if I'm fully on board but it actually sounds good and save some money, weight and wiring, etc. They are the actual experts. I also went with Lithionics in part because in all of my research I had a really good feeling about them as soon as I started asking questions etc. In fact they have some kind of new battery coming out and some muckety-muck with the company actually sent me an e-mail and had me fill out a form to see if my parameters fit their field trial. I have no idea what kind of deal was in the offing but the battery was too big for my space and my situation was not exactly what they needed for field testing.
I will have a Victron 100/30 charge controller between the panels and the bank. I will also have a 20 amp AC charger wired in as a backup. I believe I will have a Honda generator on board which I bought to use with my Sailrite sewing machine but I've just found out about a Honda recall so I'm investigating all that.
I went with the 10 AWG cabling even though 12 would have sufficed. In addition to the house, nav equipment & lights, radio etc this bank should allow me to run a small Engel fridge cooler and even possibly an hour or two a week with a DC watermaker, which I don't have yet but am investigating.
Since we have the same boat I am always looking for better ways to do things.
I couldn't quite figure out a way to do that much solar. It's a bunch. I currently have 60 watts (?? or maybe 45 watts...3 smallish panels tied together) of solar on a swing up bracket on the starboard lifelines. I was thinking of doing the same on the port side. I have dreams of making a hard dodger (my current dodger has seen better days) and was thinking of mounting some semi-flexible panels on top. I must be getting old because refrigeration is more and more appealing every year. My stern rail has too much poop on it now (propane, Lifesling, BBQ, dinghy outboard), so it's hard to imagine adding more solar there.
I need new batteries, and would really love to install LiFePO4. But, I have too many other major expenses going on now to swing $2400, plus a new a/c charger that knows how to handle the chemistry. Maybe in a few years the prices will be a little lower and my budget a little bigger. I think Lithium batteries are quite good at giving up the juice for the starter as well as taking pretty much as much charge as you can throw at them. I'm pretty sure you can get full power out of them until they are almost dead (which you amazingly can do without damage). But if you run without a starting bank, maybe it would be a good idea to carry one of those portable battery boosters, just in case. I assume it would be able to crank the engine.
I did spring for a 70amp Balmar alternator and regulator (the stock internally regulated 30amp car style alternator isn't that great at charging the house bank). It was on sale at Defender, so it seemed like a good time. I was thinking of adding another Group 31 to the boat (there are currently two group 29 house batteries that I'm going to replace with group 31, and a group 24 starter under the port quarterberth); but there really isn't much space for it. Perhaps with the better charging setup it won't be quite as important..
I have a Honda generator (Eu2000 I think) which I like. I can run power tools with it, as well as a little heater if necessary (not at the same time!). I've been thinking for years of a good place to store it that isn't in the cabin. The best I can come up with is in the cockpit right by the companionway. I could build a box around it that would sort of work like a bridge deck. It would make getting in and out of the companionway a little tougher. And it would shrink an already small cockpit. And whatever I came up with would have to be removable in order to open the cockpit hatch to the engine room. So maybe not the best idea. I will have to look into the recall.
Yes, I don't yet have an idea for stowing my Honda; or the Sailrite for that matter.
Someone on the FB Tiny Liveaboard group advised to make two piles; one of stuff you haven't used lately and another of stuff you think you can't live without. Then throw away both piles.
Everything is up for review whether I'm taking it or not; including the Sailrite anf thr Honda. :-)
Are sailrite sewing machines good?
It's built like a tank. Can sew thru lots of layers of tough material. I'm not a pro, nor have I used it regularly, but I have done some upholstery, some canvaswork and some sail repair. It has never let me down unless it was my fault.
I got a pretty good deal on a gently used one.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cKUvleFgcGg/Xq9hFfQacFI/AAAAAAAAbxk/68wSqqwESzwMSx4iJ0n3MU3rCqsyQx36QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/13620813_10209503044510349_4647344852178074890_n.jpg)