Messages

Funny. I found this exact piece on my deck and also puzzled me for a few days. It belongs to the vhf whip antenna. A bird bent and broke mine, I assume, on a rusty point. Let us know if that's it.

Chris W. I literally had these symptoms when one of my negative battery connections was loose. The alternator current had to find its way through the instrument panel. Voltage was reading 15+v. It destroyed my depth sounder display, thankfully that and the chart table lamp were the only casualties. While your alternator may have been damaged, maybe there was a culprit?

Update: I motor-sailed from San Diego up the coast to Dana point.  From there on to Catalina Island and circumnavigated the island, before returning back to SD. 150+nm. I had no complaints about this new rudder. I was pleasantly surprised at its ease of handling or extra drag. It was very light wind so I can't comment beyond 15knots . But at this point, I'm happy. 

Glenn that's good news that your performance did improve. Thank you. I went to the shipyard to retrieve my old  rudder but it was cut up and tossed last week. No matter though, as my old rudder post was bent and as a result, the top of it had to be cut away to make it home. My plan at this point is to tune the rigging, get the new sails on this weekend and give it a whirl. Not sure how much I'll be able to determine in 7knots or wind. Thanks for everyone's input!

Ok update. I spoke with Kent at Catalina Direct and he assured me that even though I ordered the HDPE rudder due to oem rudder taking 10-12 weeks,  that it's redesigned to be rectangular shape. It is still is an improved design and should increase maneuverability and performance. I asked why it's blade doesn't match the hull fin.  He said it shouldn't matter. I get new sails installed Friday and will report back here. Thanks for everyone's feedback.

Ps. Good info kwkloeber!

I ordered elliptical! I will ask for the old rudder when I pick up tomorrow. It's not glass, but some other material. I did order from Catalina direct. Ugh. I'm worried now.

Anyone have the new rudder from CD? Mine was installed but is wider and longer than the original. CD says the rudder was built to spec but does this look right? It's about 3" below the wing keel and about 6" wider than the old rudder as can be seen by the hull fin that used to match the blade of the rudder. Does anyone have  any input on this?  Thanks, Dan.

Dukes On Sunday
Hull 503
87 Tall rig
Wing Keel
San Diego.

Those are all great tips, particularly the hatch idea! I'm not sure how much is rotted underneath, but the heat gun and alcohol-wash are in my plans. Good to hear the success of someone else doing this method! I'll post results on this thread! Thank you all for your responses!

Yesterday, i went to patch a getlcoat crack, or so i thought. Once we dremeled through, we discovered wet wood between the top and bottom fiberglass deck and overhead liner.  We stuck a cable tie in the holes to get a rough idea of how big the void is. We drilled a drain hole and vacuumed out as much water as we could. No rain in the forecast for a week so i will allow it to dry out and maybe use a heat gun to help dry.   Once dry , i have two part epoxy , slow curing to allow for better viscosity longer working time.

i realize the real fix is to tear up the deck and replace as necessary. probably not gonna do that....yet. 
Anyone had to deal with this?

thanks, Dan

gwp,  i bet if you open up the pump, you'll find the problem and be able to fix it. Since its running, theres a chance its an easy fix. i just installed a whale gusher foot pump in line before the electric pump. both work great with each other and it provides a little water conservation as well as a redundancy aspect.  good luck!

Captran, thanks for your post. your bilge blower should be located and accessible from under the aft berth bed access boards. follow the exhaust hoses that hang, particularly the one on the cockpit instrument panel side, its placed inline with the hose. Additionally, the blower should be fused. The fuse should be accessible from the instrument panel. Maybe its just a bad fuse.

Personal experience recently with my bilge blower fan:
      On a recent 135nm sail, i developed an exhaust leak in the riser manifold area. lot of red eyed crew. It was first only affecting the head, as the riser is located under the head sink. but it grew, and was exhausting into the head excessively.
i had some pvc material that i cut, wrapped with foil and zip tied around the leak, it helped but the real saving grace was that blower fan that acted as my exhaust until i returned home.

good luck,

Dan
Dukes On Sunday

Hello. I am at the same point as you. My wedges fell out into the salon one day.  The mast is a little off center. I had a rigger informally look at it and tell me to put a few turns on the back stay.  But I know the right thing to do is use a line to measure the side stays and ensure they are equal. I have some standing water that collects in the forward part of the cockpit sole. So the backstay tension is most likely off. But you are correct in tuning the rig first before wedging in the deck. The same rigger told me that a lot people don't even wedge it! The creaking bothers me. This weekend I plan to tighten it up. I'll post pics here.

Update. The crack was repaired today. Reglassed. I had a rigging inspection and the bottom inspected. Dukes is nearly ready for our trip in 9 days. While they were in the bilge, I had them install a high water shelf to install a second pump as you guys suggested. Thanks everyone. I was trying to post pics but my phone pics are too big to upload here. I'll try to find a way to resize them.

wow, im not totally surprised you didn't get an answer for the settings. i just hooked mine up to Axiom 7 and integrated ST40 depth/speed through a "tunnels worth" of seatalk cables. 

I've been trying to find these same answers. thanks for the "racing" setting tip.

how did you power the system?  after much contemplation, i ended up running "instrument" power back to the cockpit and mounted everything under the cockpit locker, with separate controller power coming from the engine panel (battery selector switch).

the chart plotter would cost an additional $50 to route to the chart table, so for now, i may mount on the wheel pulpit. 

i'm heading to mission bay in a week and catalina island in 3 weeks , i plan to use the auto pilot and refine its settings.  i will post my dialed in settings when i return in May.

Dan
Dukes on Sunday
Hull #503
Tall Rig
Fin Keel

Hello All, update on my mast step crack.  The rain finally stopped in Southern California for me to dry out the bilge and get it over to the shipyard.

It appears it's the same problem all us early hulls have. Water rotted from the natural drainage of the mast.
I read KH3412's great write up on what he found and his beautiful repair.

With the metal plate support, i'm thinking glassing the cracks for this season won't be too big of a deal, as when i drilled through the box, dry dust came out.

thanks for everyone's help. i appreciate this forum.