So the deal on the Sovereign 17 fell through and I began scouring Craigslist when I came across an ad that seemed too good to be true. An Island Packet at a price I could afford! So, it turns out that this is a kit-boat finished off by the owner. Just an Island Packet 26 / Bombay Express hull, while everything else is... "custom". A confusing mess of quality workmanship and seemingly poor (at the very least, ugly) design.
Still, it will suit my needs to get out sailing while working on the big boat. First thing tomorrow I am trying to get my 10HP outboard running again so I can move the IP26 from its dock in St. Petersburg, across Tampa Bay, and to a mooring I am building in my anchorage at Cortez. I'm planning to buy a Yamaha 9.9 4-stroke to power it later.
Here are pictures from the ad showing it's unfortunate abundance of right angles:
(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/422141_3042601154664_1552145320_32780747_1821239216_n.jpg) (http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/422980_3042601794680_1552145320_32780748_1308940643_n.jpg)
(http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/405186_3042602314693_1552145320_32780749_1678590081_n.jpg) (http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/418502_3042600514648_1552145320_32780746_279264128_n.jpg)
Congratulations!
This is a great boat for coastal cruising, IMHO. The hull design, with "barn door" rudder, broad beam and shallow draft (centerboard) is based, in part, on the Cape Cod catboat.
One of my neighbors, here in the heart of catboat country, has one of these boats, and it's great for shallow coastal waters. You can even bring it right up to the beach, if you're so inclined. Not an offshore boat, but definitely a comfortable boat for gunkholing and coastal romps.
Best of luck with her.
--Joe
looks really clean on the inside!
Murphy has been reminding me that I am not forgotten. The 14 gallon aluminum fuel tank needed all new hoses, which I knew beforehand. The vent and the outlet are standard sizes (5/8 & 3/8) but the fill is a super-rare 1&7/8 that I can only get in Tampa (1-2 hours away depending on traffic).
This is annoying and has taken up a lot of my time, but not exactly critical since I can put the fuel line directly into a 5-gallon jerry can for the move.
I bought a great-running and well-maintained Yamaha 9.9 4-stroke to push the boat. This is the best small boat auxiliary engine that I know of. Brought it out to the IP26 and tried to install it, but the cutout in the transom is too narrow to fit the cowling through.
I'm headed out today with a sawzall. One way or another that engine is going in! Tonight or tomorrow morning I have to move this boat from it's marina in Boca Ciega Bay down to the anchorage at Bradenton Beach. The weather keeps holding out, the forecast for rain being pushed back again and again. Either it's cooperating with my needs, or it's waiting for me to finally leave the dock before pouring down. I'll find out soon enough!
something to look at on that engine .My 8 hp Yamaha wouldn't fit either-til I undid the two screws and removed the cowling around the leg. Now it fits fine. the cowling was strictly cosmetic- made zero difference to the engine
The engine now fits, except that the cowling cannot be installed with the engine in the "up" position. It hits the cap rail. I'm going to have to cut the whole mounting setup a bit lower, most likely.
So... I decided that since I bought this boat so I could take off and go sailing whenever I want that I should be able to leave a slip and bring it from Maximo Marina in Boca Ciega Bay, across Tampa Bay an down to Bradenton Beach by myself. I've made this trip before and know where the maps are wrong.
I let the engine idle for 15 minutes to make sure it was pulling fuel through the spin-on filter and was nicely warmed up. I used the time to stow the food and drink I was bringing along.
Of course, this meant I had to leave a slip single-handed and without running into anything. Neither of which I've ever done before (I've managed to leave a slip with other people aboard and hit plenty of things every damned time). I won't go into all the details but I made it look easy ;D I motored out of the marina and down the canal to the bay.
Shortly out into the bay the engine ran out of fuel and died. I loosened the hose clamp to the filter and pulled the hose off- it was dry! The engine had ran for 30 minutes on just the fuel in the hose. I put the end of the hose directly into the tank and kept going. I can deal with the rest of the fuel system later. I was using NautiCharts Lite on my smart phone to navigate and it was mediocre. My previous knowledge came into play in slipping through uncharted cuts to get to the first bridge. I only had to wait about 10 minutes for the opening so I put the engine in neutral and drifted down to the bridge.
After passing through the bridge I skirted an unmarked sandbar and was talking to the next and last bridge that separated me from Tampa Bay. I heard the engine make "a strange sound" and noticed it had quit pumping water. White steam came out the exhaust water port and the engine died. I notified the bridge that I'd lost engine power and wouldn't be needing the opening, then unfurled the jib.
I had taken the jib sheets that belong to my Cal and put them on this boat. I ran them inside the shroud but this quickly proved to be wrong. A quick dash forwards and they were re-routed. I lowered the centerboard and attempted to go upwind to the anchorage on the other side of the small bay, and the other side of the big sandbar. The best I could manage was a close reach, and I was lose all the ground I'd gained and more when I gybed around as tacking was out of the question. I sailed North towards the bridge I'd just come through and gybed around and headed back towards the other bridge. At the angle I was holding I might have made the opening, but I would be trapped once outside as the channel turns directly upwind. My next gybe brought me dangerously close to the cement barrier wall of the Tierra Verde Marina. I was going to hit it if I didn't change course, so I headed downwind towards it to pick up speed and then squeezed past the corner of the wall close enough that I could have jumped to it easily. The dinghy on it's painter passed by with barely a foot to spare.
I was being driven towards the shoreline of seawall and docks and decided to quit trying to sail my way out of (into!) trouble. I furled the jib and dropped the anchor- a 33lb claw on 36' of 3/8 chain and lots of 3/4" line that I had just added. I've never used a claw before, and was happy with how fast and well it set in the sandy bottom. It looked as though my arc of swing would bring me into contact with a "No Wake Zone" piling, so I rigged the large Danforth that came with the boat onto 100' of 1/2" line and rowed it out to the end of its line. Then I rowed back and hand-set that anchor as well as I was able. I pulled the centerboard back up to minimize the currents effect on the shallow-draft design of the hull.
After some texting back-and-forth with the previous owner of the engine he assured me that the foot could be removed to access the impeller without going through any gaskets. After an hour the engine had cooled to the touch and I tried starting it to see if I'd blown the head gasket. It fired up and I shut it off immediately. Without the proper tools aboard to work on the engine, I put the boat to bed and rowed into the marina where they allowed me to leave it overnight and gave me a ride back to my car after they closed for the day.
Back at Maximo Marina I sat down with the old salts to tell them my tale and hear some of theirs. One of them has the exact same engine as mine, and said that the coolant exhaust gets clogged with salt crystals and needs to be periodically poked with a toothpick to restore water flow. I think I'll try that before pulling the foot, which requires wrestling that beastly motor back into the cockpit without dropping it overboard.
More to come, I assure you!
(I've managed to leave a slip with other people aboard and hit plenty of things every damned time)
;D
grog fer da honesty!
sounds like an exciting fun sail!
I wished I knew you were looking for a boat, my old Chrysler C-26 is for sale in Miami and is very sail ready and comes with 2 OB's a 9.9hp and 15hp nearly new sails and a ton of extras, and could be had for a little over a grand.
Yeah, I really wanted a Cal 25 as it has a simar underwater profile to my Cal Cruising 35. However, the only ones I could find were on the wrong coast. One of the selling points of this boat was its proximity to my anchorage. Without problems like I've had, it is just a day-trip from Boca Ciega to Bradenton Beach.
I checked the boat Wednesday and added some solar-powered walkway lights and chafe protection to the stern line. The currents run strong and cross-wise to the direction I'm anchored, so I've been worried about it ever since. The bow anchor is using my first-ever rope-to-chain splice and I'm not sure I got it tight enough. Definitely worried about the chain chafing through the rope down there!
Tomorrow (Saturday) I am heading back to the boat and will hopefully continue this 'adventure'. Winds are predicted to be 10-15mph all day from the NNW which would mean I could sail it the whole way if I had to.
I'm very nervous about bringing in into my anchorage. It has a tricky entrance and is rather crowded. I'm undecided between tieing it up to my bigger boat overnight and staying on the public dock. Technically the dock doesn't allow overnight stays....
Ya some times we don't get want we wont , I had my eyes on a cal 30 didn't happen, Wanted more of a trailerable boat.
So last December I bought a 1969 cal 25 It will be replacing my Catalina 22. I have some work to do on the cal 25 this spring through fall to get it ready to sail. Cant wait till April I took a week off of work to work on it. Will be welding a perminent cradel on the trailer and reseal windows this will take about 2 days then I will get my cat 22 ready .
I cannot catch a break. The predicted 10-15 knot winds for Saturday (10 Feb 2012) became 20 gusting to 30 from the North as a cold front moves through. This is basically the only unprotected direction where I am anchored, and gives me nothing but concrete and pilings for a lee shore.
Anchored bow-and-stern the IP was cross-wise to the wind. I wasn't even sure it would still be there, but headed to West Marine to earn some more points on my membership anyhow.
I took JWalker's advice and bought a port-a-potty with MSD fittings. Later, I'll add the 7-gallon holding tank from Starquest to give the system a 12-gallon capacity. Bought some toilet paper and a couple gallon jugs of cheap water to use in the head. Also picked up a 12v socket inverter with a 110v and USB outlet to charge my phone and laptop at the same time while aboard.
Half expecting the worst, I drove out to Tierra Verde and while I crossed the bridge was relieved to see the IP still hanging on her anchors. I walked into the back yard of a house (for sale and vacant) to get a better look at what I was dealing with- it wasn't good. Both anchor lines were very tight and the boat was visibly heeled over. On my walk back I met an older couple walking there dog and we got to talking. I knew when I'd first seen them that they were "boat people". It turns out they were done with their boating days and now living in a condo across the street. Anyhow, they gave me the idea to move the stern anchor's attachment point up to the bow to get a Bahamian Mooring setup
The wind and waves were so bad that I could not row against them after leaving the shelter of the marina. I flagged down some fishermen who were kind enough to give me a tow out to my boat. I tossed my gear aboard as the dinghy would be jumping violently on its painter. I was amazed that the oars and cushion were not thrown out, as it nearly flipped over side-ways a few times in addition to all the fore-and-aft gyrations it was performing.
The first order of business was rigging the Bahamian Moor. I tied a loop in the bitter end of the stern anchor and checked to see how close to the bow cleat I could get it- within 5'. I tied another rope to this one and cleated that one off, then went to the stern and uncleated the anchor. Holding onto the rope I controlled the swing so it was smooth and steady, then went back to the bow and began pulling in the slack so both anchors would be holding. The boat immediately began riding smoother and there was noticeably less strain on the anchor lines. Once both had about equal strain I took a couple towels and wrapped them around the chafe points. While I had a much broader angle than the ideal 45 degrees, this setup worked well for me. It held the bow very firmly in place, not allowing it to sail back-and-forth at all. In gusts, the boat would squat down a little lower in the water and the waves had less effect on it- a very comforting feeling. The wind continued to build and the waves got larger and more confused.
I brought my binoculars out and kneeled over the mooring cleat where the anchors are attached. Using the compass built into the binoculars I took bearings on 3 distant objects and three close ones, then went below and drew a diagram of this, adding date and time. This will give me one way to check if the anchors are dragging. A more immediate visual reference was acquired by lining up a dock light post with the corner of the house behind it while poking my head out of the companionway. If the boat moved back at all, more space would appear between these two. Even the stretching of the anchor lines in the gusts allowed enough movement for this, and I would be worried until the lines retracted and the boat moved forwards again. Having this visual reference gave me the immediate reassurance needed to continue with my other work aboard- with quick dashes out to check my position (which never wavered!).
Getting below and out of the wind into the calm and cozy relative warmth of the interior probably gave me a false sense of security. Certainly the boat had an easy motion to it, despite the conditions outside. A funny wobble at the bow on occasion as as the anchor lines kept it firmly in place. I was able to sit down at the dinette and have a drink of water, but my stomach was too tied in knots to allow me to eat. I allowed myself a brief calm period to rest before focusing on another project.
I was out there to work on the outboard, but didn't feel comfortable with the gymnastics involved in raising and lowering that beast in these conditions. Instead, I set about installing the head. I took the fenders and odd pieces of plywood and plexiglass out of the compartment and moved them to the peak of the V-berth. Then I arranged the tools I needed and did some measuring. I set the head on the shelf that I have to install it on and moved it around until I found a place for it that I like. The center of the head is 15" from one bulkhead and 18" from the other, giving me enough elbow room while being close enough to lean against one of the bulkheads for support if needed. This also gives me room to build storage or add a sink on the other side. I used the template and a tiny drill bit as a center punch to mark the holes, then drilled them and installed the brackets. After a quick test-fit and a little re-alignment, I tightened everything down and went about pouring water into its wash tank. Of course, this tank is on the side with less room, and I was spilling as much as I was getting into it what with the motion of the boat and all. I made a funnel out of a water-bottle by cutting the bottom off of it and that made the process much simpler. I do have one criticism about the head, and that is the tiny bowl size. The packaging claims "adult sized bowl" but I doubt I'll ever be able to pee sitting down on that thing. While doing this, the shape of the hull began showing itself as the flat aft sections began slamming on the waves that were bouncing off the seawalls surrounding the boat. It was a little unpleasant and loud, but tolerable.
That being done I packed the tools away and sat down to text my girlfriend about the progress made so far, and let her know that I would be trapped aboard until the wave action subsided or someone passing by gave me a tow into the marina. I was not at all confident that I could row past the break-wall of the marina and before being pushed into it in those conditions. That was when I felt the jittery motion that I associate with a dragging anchor. I could feel the blood drain out of my face and I rather slowly walked back to the companionway and stuck my head out. There was a space between the lightpost and the corner of the house, but not a big one. Even as I watched, the lines contracted and the space disappeared. I wasn't dragging anchor- so what was making that motion? I looked into the rigging at the furled jib. It was tied closed about 7' off the deck, but above that the wind had blown the sail open a little bit. Maybe that was vibrating the rig and sending those vibrations into the hull? I knew the sail could be lowered without unfurling it, so I set about doing that and soon had the sail on deck and laced into a bundle. Still, the jittery motion came back every so often- I would just have to live with it.
A home nearby must have had an unsecured wireless network, because I was able to pull my laptop out of its Pelican case and go online with nearly full signal strength. Having previous experience as a pilot, I know how to access and read METARs, which are weather readings put out by airports and weather stations at frequent intervals. I also looked at forecasts, radar imagery, satellite pictures, and grib sheets to determine what the weather was likely to do next. Pretty much everything agreed that it was to remain the same throughout the night and the next day before calming on Monday. No predictions of worsening weather, and my ground tackle taking everything thus far in stride, I decided that it should be alright to leave the boat unattended, provided I could get off of it and into the marina with a relative chance of success.
Tonight was the first night in months that my girlfriend and I were going to be able to go on a real dress-up date, out to eat someplace nice. We'd been planning on it for at least a week. I knew she was even less happy than I was about me being trapped aboard the boat. I packed everything that I wanted to bring with me into the box that the head came in, and set it on the cockpit seat. An hour or so later, the tide began going out, heading straight for (and through) the marina's breakwater barrier. With the fast current running the same direction as the wind, the wave action dropped dramatically. In a matter of minutes smooth rollers had replaced the washing machine surface of before. I managed to swing myself into the dinghy, toss the box aboard, and get the oars into their sockets without losing too much ground. Then I began rowing like mad. The same current that flatted the waves was sucking me towards the barrier, but the smooth surface allowed me to get considerable speed. I rounded the corner without about 20' to spare. Another 100' downstream was the entrance to the marina and shelter, but that entrance had three standing rollers gurgling away. I spun the dinghy around so I was facing against the current and as soon as I was into the first roller I crabbed it sideways and slipped through to safety. A gentleman inspecting his beautiful Bristol 30 in its slip had watched me come in, and cupped his hands to his mouth to shout "You've more balls than I have!"
I let my girlfriend know that I was on my way, and the for the rest of the night, everything finally went as planned.
Just as I finish writing this, the gentleman who suggested switching to the Bahamian Moor called to say the boat was still doing fine. About 100' off a houses dock, but the wind has settled to a constant 13-15 knots. I'll be out there again tomorrow to try to get the engine running and finally move it to a more sheltered location.
Of course, what I plan on shore is often much different than what happens once I set foot aboard!
Quote from: Seafarer on February 12, 2012, 12:24:37 PM
I cannot catch a break.
I respectfully disagree. You caught many breaks.
You got some advice from a new boating friend that enabled you to take action...action that resulted in the boat riding better and being more secure in her berth.
You devised on the fly a method to confirm that she was, indeed, doing better and holding firm. Getting peace of mind is a HUGE positive break!
This increased confidence in the boat's situation enabled you to get several projects done.
The weather / tide situation improved allowing you to dinghy ashore in relative safety.
You kept your date with your lady! That's a big break, too!
I'm sorry, but "good luck" vs "bad luck" is often only a matter of perspective. I see a whole bunch of positives in your post...both positive reactions and positive outcomes.
Fair Winds. The Journey has begun and is going as it should. ;)
(We need Zen to come back and post some of his brand of philosophical encouragement...)
Grog for Smollett, I have to agree! ;D
You still have the opportunity for action! It may be slow, and it may be painful....but its working!
See Eric Hiscock:
"That I bought my first boat on a Wednesday, sailed her away on a Thursday, and found her wrecked on a Friday is an unfortunate fact."
A break would be a gentle 5-10 knot North wind for the same two days that I have off work. Or an engine that runs like it is supposed to- like it did when I checked it out before buying it.
What I get is beautiful weather all week while I work and then an upcoming 4-day weekend that I might actually have off both jobs as yet another cold front moves through and puts my boat into yet another survival situation in my exposed location. It is an hour's drive away from me and with my busy schedule I don't get much time to work on it over there. If I can't get the time to figure out what is causing my engine problems I am going to have it towed to a marina and shell out more money to have a mechanic deal with it while I pay even more money to be tied in a slip instead of hanging comfortably and freely from the 110# anchor waiting for the boat to get to Bradenton Beach.
I don't see "my boat hasn't been destroyed (yet)" as catching a break.
Quote from: Seafarer on February 15, 2012, 06:53:26 PM
What I get is beautiful weather all week while I work and then an upcoming 4-day weekend that I might actually have off both jobs as yet another cold front moves through and puts my boat into yet another survival situation in my exposed location.
What a perfect description of the life of a sailboat owner who also has to live and worke ashore.
You've got a great boat, and you're already learning new boating skills and making new boating friends. Not a "break" perhaps, but it's all part of the sailing life.
Enjoy it as much as you can, and keep posting your adventures. (At least your boat is in the water.)
--Joe
Nothing exciting happened yesterday, thank goodness! The waters were as smooth as a mill pond as I launched the dinghy at first light. I packed a few things aboard and went straight to work on the engine.
I poked the "pisser" hole with a toothpick and cleared all the salt buildup out of it, but it still wouldn't pump. I pulled a corroded thermostat out of it, but it still wouldn't pump. I began pulling the foot off of it and oil ran out, so I gave up and called Eckard College's free Rescue and Towing service. I convinced them to take me to O'Neil's Marina by the Skyway Bridge instead of Tierra Verde from which I was anchored only a stones throw away. I had to call ahead to O'Neils and arrange a slip for the weekend and repairs to the engine which would start on Monday. They are charging me only $40 for the slip for the weekend and then a reduced per-day slip rate while the engine is being repaired.
While they were waiting for an available crew to send my way I began preparing for the tow. I put out my big fenders (off a 60' motor yacht!) and arranged all the dock lines by their respective cleats. I've never been the person in charge of tieing a boat into a slip before, but I've seen (and untied) so many that I think I know how it should go.
When the tow boat arrived I directed the retrieval of the anchors, which went very smoothly as they had not twisted the rodes together. Then we were underway for the short pull to O'Neils. I've never been here before, but always wanted to visit. I heard there is a Bombay Express staying here and I would love to check that out and see the differences in the boats.
When we got to O'Neils I could see the Bombay before we even entered the marina. We warped my boat into the berth right beside it, though stern-first as I thought it would be easier to get on and off the seawall that way. Too late I realized that it is very shallow by the seawall and my rudder would likely hit at low tide if I were all the way back in my slip. I rigged spring lines (?) to pull the boat forward at low tide, a pair of crossed stern lines, and a pair of direct bow lines. The slip is rather narrow so I moved the fenders to keep me off the pilings, but for two days and a night I've barely used them (for which I am grateful).
The owner of the Bombay lives aboard and is a very nice guy. He seems very much the Sailfar type. I got a ride back to my car and stopped by WalMart, then headed up to the climbing gym to celebrate with my first climbing session since before I bought the boat. When I returned I made up the V-berth and spent my first night aboard. This morning I awoke to the sound of classical music playing from somewhere in the marina. It feels great to finally get to enjoy this boat, even if it is still broke down!
Next update should be on Monday as I help the marina crew wrestle the outboard off the boat. It shouldn't take them more than a day to fix it, by which time I'll be back to work, of course....
If I'm lucky (and how long has it been since I've had anything but bad luck?) the yard will finish all the repairs required to get the outboard operational again by Friday. It'll only cost me $1,000 plus two weeks dock rent (and I don't even know the rate for that yet).
Turns out that when I tried to remove the foot myself I broke a shift linkage and carrier bearing in the foot. They had to send it out to a machine shop to get everything freed up. The parts alone aren't that expensive but all the labor for tearing into the foot and then rebuilding it adds up fast. Looking up the proper method online before just going at it would have save me so much time and money.
So... $800 for a motor and it will probably end up costing me $1500 in repairs plus slip fees. That seems to be about normal for me with outboard motors. If it breaks down again it is swimming with the fishes and I'm building a yuloh.
Also, it is the last time I buy a used outboard. I want something with a warranty from here on out. I've never gotten more than an hour out of the 4 or 5 that I've owned, and I've always run them easy because I was worried about breaking them!
My strategy on outboards is buy new, use them (and maintain them) until they are no longer reliable, then sell and buy another new one.
Every time I have bought a used outboard, I have regretted it, even though I used to work as a small engine repair tech and think that I should be able to repair just about any outboard.
In order to feel better about buying a new outboard, check out the prices on a new inboard, then the outboard will seem cheap in comparison.
Apparently I broke some parts that never break and therefore nobody carries them. Was informed to expect a month to get the parts in. Later, they told me that they might be able to weld the shift linkage back together and that the carrier bearing would only take a week to get. Either way, I paid about $300 for the slip for the month, so if it gets fixed early I'll just sail around up there until the month is up.
Making good use of the boat this week by allowing some friends to stay aboard for 3-4 days while they visit St. Pete. A cold front came through last night, which was their first night aboard. That made it much more comfortable for them and they reported as having a wonderful time.
Another friend stayed aboard Tuesday through Friday and I spent a few nights aboard with them as well. The previous "tenant" left food in the trash can, plus I had left some hard candies in wrappers that are apparently not ant proof, so there was a sugar ant invasion.
Still, we both enjoyed the time aboard, even just tied up at dock. After I've moved the boat to its mooring I will bug-bomb it. Until then I'm making sure nothing is left out.
Paid the $1,000 repair bill for the outboard on Saturday >:( Then had my wisdom teeth pulled today (Monday). It might take until the end of the week before I am ready to try to move the boat again. Plenty of time to clean things up and get it all organized. Planning on making a two-day trip of it, over-nighting at Egmont Key.
I don't really like marinas. Not for what are probably the most common reasons, like expense and noise, but because of the bugs. The friends who stayed aboard left some food out, and I came back to an ant invasion. I sprayed pesticide around quite a lot, and every time I return to the boat there is a variety of dead insects aboard- mostly large cockroaches and spiders, though I recently found an ant nest in the folded-up bimini. They climb aboard on the dock lines so the most obvious way to avoid them is not to be tied to land.
The IP is still in O'Neils Marina. That was probably for the best when T.S. Debby came through. All it lost was the jib and the solar-powered interior lighting (salt spray ruined the little panels that power them). The MSD Porta-Potty also broke about a month after I bought it, which prevented me from being able to tilt it without the contents spilling out. I just set it in the cockpit and let the contents evaporate... What a waste of money, I'll never buy a plastic POS head like that again.
My live-aboard Cal Cruising 35 didn't make it though. The 3/8 anchor chain snapped and the boat hit the Cortez Bridge. The mast and rig were simply too strong to break, so the boat heeled over until the waves swamped the cockpit and then sank the boat. I had to take out a loan to have it raised and hauled out at a nearby boatyard. I paid for a months dry storage while I pump out the collective mess of diesel, oil, seawater and mud. The boat is a total loss, so I'm stripping it of everything I think has value.
A lot of those parts might end up in the IP. The LAVAC head, for one, maybe the stove/oven if I can replace the non-stainless bits. I am also seriously considering replacing the cockpit in the IP with the cockpit from the Cal. My IPs cockpit is about the most retarded, uncomfortable, unattractive, and dangerous "design" I've ever seen. Bare in mind, this is a custom "design". A forward sloping sole to a pair of too-small drains that lead to through-hulls below the waterline, which are of course too clogged to drain. Side-mounted access panels under the seats that don't have any method of being secured in place. No bridge deck, of course. I love the design of the Cal's cockpit, though. Of course, it's considerably longer, but I don't think it is any wider, so I should be able to cut it down to size.
I am thinking about naming the boat "UNLUCKY" or maybe "STRANGE LUCK". It is hull #13, after all, and with me being the owner and the way things have been going, there is almost certainly an unfortunate end in its future :P I am planning to sail it to the Bradenton Beach anchorage during Labor Day weekend. No telling what sort of things might happen!
Sorry to hear about your 35! :(
That sucks!
Hopefully you'll get everything worked out on the IP soon. Maybe you'll catch a break...you're overdue for one!
I didn't get the cockpit out of my big boat before it was crushed, but I did get a lot of other parts. I've determined that my IP doesn't sit on its lines, but instead floats bow-down. This is likely due to the lack of a diesel inboard. I may rectify that by installing a diesel or putting waste, water, and fuel tanks under the cockpit.
I'm split between tearing out and building a new cockpit or just selling this boat and finding something else....
Quote from: Seafarer on November 11, 2012, 01:34:19 PM
I've determined that my IP doesn't sit on its lines, but instead floats bow-down.
You're right about the IP being designed to sit on its lines. The hull of these early IPs is based on the Cape Cod catboat. They're lovely boats for coastal and shallow-water cruising. Good luck with the boat--or its successor, if that's the way you choose to go.
--Joe
There is a complicated back-story that I will not get into the details of, but the resulting situation is this:
At this time it appears that an acquaintance of mine is going to live on the IP for a while. He has been living aboard and fixing up sailboats for longer than I've been alive, and is a very generous, honest, and resourceful person who has fallen on hard times due to no fault of his own. I told him that the boat was his to use as long as he kept it cleaned and maintained, and he was thrilled to have a private place of his own again. He is one of those people who loves to fix things up, and has all the knowledge and skill to do so. Suffice to say, the IP will be in good hands while he gets back on his feet and then either buys the boat from me or finds something more suitable to his long-term goals.
Between his random collection of boat parts and my room full of salvaged items, the IP should end up very well outfitted for coastal cruising.
Pressure-washed months of bird poop off the boat today and blasted the cock-pit drains free.
Pulled the remaining head-sail out of its bag and found that it is more of a stay-sail or storm-jib size. Other-wise in good condition! There is already a tang about 2/3 up the mast, and a pad-eye on the bowsprit in the proper location for it. I'll make a piece of rigging to fit, add a halyard block, and arrange everything so it can be easily removed or added. Everything, including the sail, will fit into its bag and be stored below when not in use.
I'll also measure the forestay and see about finding a sail to replace the one destroyed in T.S. Debby.
(http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/282361_3650349412258_2136185373_n.jpg)
I might use the salvaged roller-furler from Starquest and put a genoa on it, but my friend who is preparing to stay aboard wants to put a high-cut yankee on the forestay and fly all three sails at once!
I'm rummaging through the salvaged deck hardware for blocks, tracks, and winches to handle the head sails, but trying to keep it as simple and uncluttered as possible. There are no side-decks to walk forward on. You must go up and over the cabin-top, which is currently very bare-foot friendly and I would like it to remain that way.
Scored a pair of Kyocera 85 watt solar panels (kc85t) for $340. Just need to get a cheap charge controller and build a transom mount for them like dinghy davits. If I had to do it again, I would probably have bought the 140 watt single panel from WindSun for $300. Slightly more dollar/watt but only one panel to deal with and a little cheaper.
We got a shore power cord long enough to reach the boat from about 3 slips down where the nearest free outlet was. This got the 110v outlets working so we added a lamp and a 1.7 cubic foot fridge/freezer. The existing cut-out for a small fridge was slightly too small, but it can be changed into a cabinet easily enough. Instead, the fridge was put into the stove cutout where it fit perfectly (but required cutting a few holes for the cord to pass through to an AC outlet). The counter insert that fits above the stove just cleared the fridge, and a counter-top propane stove that uses 1lb bottles will be set up there for now.
We also added some lighting. One always-on "nightlight" in the galley, a rechargeable flashlight that can also be set to turn on and off with a photo diode, and a lamp that we put a nice LED bulb into that sits on the dinette table. I'd never seen LED replacement bulbs before, but it seems really nice, especially considering everything came from Wal-Mart.
The V-Berth cushion covers were removed, laundered, and replaced. Now they are "only" a little scratchy instead of itchy from fiberglass like before. A fleece blanket covers them to keep the scratchiness away and a nice comforter and pillows complete the bed, which is huge. 3 people could sleep up there with the insert in place. Right now it's arranged for 1 or 2 to sleep crosswise (athwart ships?).
Pictures to come.
Current picture of the galley:
(http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/386607_10200159962832435_1896687580_n.jpg)
The blue bag on the left is being used as a hamper. I found it in the headsail bag (or at least the odd-shaped bag that had the staysail in it). If you look under the drawers you'll see an opening, which must have originally been intended for a dorm fridge slightly smaller than the ones they make these days. That will make a nice cabinet, but for now the trash can hides there.
I bought a pair of reconditioned 6v Golf Cart batteries to use as house batteries, which will fit in the battery box along-side the starting battery. A 30am charge controller is in the mail to handle the solar panels. I installed an (automotive) volt meter to replace the failed original and the shorted-out test-switch.
The motor for the pressure water pump is froze up and I'm going to pull it and have it rebuilt at an alternator shop.
The old, large, defunct depth sounder display that is bulkhead-mounted in the cockpit was removed, and found to be full of water. That portion of the bulkhead was found to be full of rot. The outer fiberglass layer is solid but I could have ripped a few square feet of soggy sponge-like plywood out with my bare hands. Instead, I installed a new Ritchey compass (with a gasket) in the hole and will deal with the bulkhead later.
I also used my rock climbing harness to go up the mast. I tied into the main halyard and climbed the side-stay "ladder" while a friend took up the slack on the halyard winch. Once I got to the end of the side stays I attached a new halyard pulley to the tang for the staysail. I then climbed the fore-sail halyard to the top of the mast and inspected the mast-head, before being slowly lowered down while spraying the sail track with white-lithium grease.
Now for the latest batch of drama... the centerboard is lying in the mud under the boat. The slip is very shallow- the boat only draws 2'4" and it sits in the mud during neap low tides. The bottom cleaner found it there- the pendant still attached made it pretty easy to find. The board being out of the boat made cleaning the slot easy and he said he was able to wrap his hand around the pin and it was still solidly fixed in place. I must have left it "down" while in the slip, setting the end of it in the mud. The falling tide must have lifted the slot in the board (I'm assuming that it is a slotted board) right off the pin. Hopefully this has something to do with the bow-down trim of the boat.
Finally some good news!
Thursday, I used the boat hook to snag the centerboard pennant, pull it out of the boat, and tie it off to the dock. We hung the engine and hooked up the fuel hoses. Things went quickly and smoothly, and the boat was almost ready to leave O'Neils on it's own power a year after being towed in.
Today (Friday) I brought about 8 gallons of fuel to put in the tank, which unfortunately I did before hooking the vent hose up. I climbed under the cockpit and hooked up the hose while choking on gas fumes. We left the access hatch open to vent the compartment and dropped a vehicle off at the destination marina, and picked some gas-station food and coffee up on the way back. The fuel-pump primed itself and the motor fired up without too much hesitation for having sat around the past year. It pumped water great and we were letting it warm up while packing and untying some lines when I noticed steam coming from the "pisser". I quickly shut the engine off while thinking "Damnit, not again!" We gave it 5 minutes and started it again, this time the water flow wasn't all that strong and eventually it stopped and began steaming. I titled the engine up and pulled the thermostat housing off. The new thermostat was a little dirty, but wide open. Underneath it, in the coolant passage, was a different story. The passage was blocked with a glob of grease mixed with sand and shell kicked up from when we tested the shifting of the engine earlier. A small flathead screw-driver removed the blockage and the thermostat was left out when the housing cover was bolted back on. Water flow was restored, though the engine would require clearing the "pisser" where it passes through the housing a few times on our trip as more shell was brought up.
We used the spring lines to pull the boat out of the slip and push the stern around, kicked the engine into gear and headed into the inter-coastal. We took it easy on the engine for the first hour, and it easily pushed the ~8,000lb boat with barely any throttle. As the water-flowed improved and I gained confidence in the engine we gave it full throttle. I really expected a big increase in speed, but the boat only got up to 5 knots at most. I guess that is why the factory powered them with 18HP diesels! My 9.9 Yamaha has roughly half the power, but it gets the job done and is (more than) paid for.
The trip to Holiday Isles Marina in Madeira Beach was entirely un-eventful, which doesn't make for an interesting story but does make for a really good day on the water.
The boat still needs work, like navigation lights (I have a whole set of brand-new LED lights... that I can't find!), and lots of sanding, varnishing, painting, fiberglass, and let's not forget re-hanging the centerboard. However, it's somewhat functional again. After we got to the new marina we unbolted the top/rear part of the engine cover which serves as an air intake housing to keep rain/water out. With this removed the engine will tilt up with the cover on, so a new low-profile way of letting air in while keeping water out will have to be devised.
Stay tuned! Eventually I'll take a trip that involves some intentional sailing!
Congrats!
Grog to celebrate!
Went to get the centerboard out of my slip today and somebody else's boat was already there! No big deal, Nikko pulled on the pennant that I'd tied to the dock, when suddenly it moved. "Uh oh" he said as we figured the pennant had just separated from the board. He kept pulling and up came the top of the 'board! The two of us hauled it up over the seawall, scraped the growth off it, and slid it into my van.
NO idea how the board fell off, as it is a through-pin design. The dimensions are not inspiring, either. The board is long and narrow in profile but rather fat and blunt in section. It looks like it would slow the boat down more than help it go to windward! Alas, it is also "bent" near the attachment point and we are not planning to re-use it. Instead, we will be building a new board which will hopefully have some more surface area and a more hydro-dynamic shape. Eventually I'll pull the boat out for new bottom paint and we'll install the new board then.
The area where the outboard motor was mounted completely rotted out. The wood around the transom opening, the little "well" area of the cockpit sole, etc. It's all been cut back to good wood and will be simplified to a solid transom (with through-transom scuppers) with the outboard on an adjustable bracket. I scored the bracket off Craigslist already.
The pressure-water pumps motor was seized up, and has since been replaced. One more system functional! If it didn't come with this system I'd have foot-pumps in it, but alas, everything was in place and the fix was simple. I'd like to install a deck-fill for the tank, but am not sure there is clearance for it. The tank is mounted in the center of the V-berth and the fill is right under a removable piece of plywood. It's pretty easy to just run the hose to the tank from the open hatch above....
The head has an over-head hatch that only had one functional hinge. The roll-pin had fallen out of the other hinge at some point. I pulled the hatch (not the frame) off and drifted out the remaining roll-pin. Some small SS nuts and bolts and washers replaced the original hardware and now it doesn't flop around anymore.
The head also has an opening port on the side, which is usually left un-dogged and often propped open. The sole is simply the raw fiberglass of the bottom of the hull, sloping towards the door. A special "through hull" type fitting, intended for shower drains, was installed and epoxy poured so that rain water (or, later, shower water) can drain out of the head and into the bilge. A short length of hose runs from this fitting, across the sole (in an out-of-the-way location) and into a bilge access plate. I'm debating installing a shower sump. The bilge pump already has a section of nylons wrapped around it as a strainer, and I was thinking that installing a strainer/trap on the end of the hose leading from the shower might together be sufficient to keep debris from clogging the pump. I wouldn't really mind soapy water sloshing around the bilge just a bit, keeping it clean. We'll see how I feel about this later....
The VHF and stereo have been tossed as neither of them worked. Might be getting a used VHF off Craigslist for $50 tomorrow. Needs some cleaning to be presentable but so long as it works.... I'm hoping to find a stereo that takes flash drives (USB input) and is Bluetooth compatible, but I'll probably just go for whatever is cheap.
I should probably name it "CraigsBoat" since that is where it, and nearly all of the components for it, have come from!