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Messages - Dave Spencer

#391
Main Message Board / Re: Mast movement
September 10, 2013, 04:43:25 PM
Greg,
From the sounds of things, you have a mast boot.  It is common for them to be split so you don't have to pull the mast and shimmy the boot up from the bottom as you suggested.  A mast boot looks like the first picture.

Spartite is likely to be approximately flush with the deck collar.  It is a very think liquid that is poured between the mast and the deck collar that solidifies and serves to prevent mast movement at the deck.  It is semi permanent and is more commonly used by those who rarely step their masts although, as claygr said, many have great success by coating the deck collar with vaseline to allow the mast to slip out to be stepped.  The second picture shows Spartite.

#392
Main Message Board / Re: Mast movement
September 10, 2013, 02:27:36 PM
Greg,
The collar that you see is the Mast Boot.  It keeps the rain out (most of it anyway) but has no structural function.  There shouldn't be noticeable movement at the deck collar.  (aka "the partners")  Unless you are talking about a rubber like substance that is solid in between the collar on the boat and the mast.  If so you have Spartite - but I doubt it.  You'll need to make up some hardwood wedges to place fore and aft and side to side to hold the mast in place as it transitions through the deck.  It' not to hard but I'm still struggling to get the right wedge combination for our boat after a couple of years!
Good luck.

DDS
#393
mregan,
Each spring and maybe once during the year, I soak a portion of a paper towel with silicon spray and rub it along the open zipper teeth.  The improvement in zipper operation is amazing.  I never spray directly onto the zipper for fear that the nasty silicon will end up where it doesn't belong possibly causing future grief.
#394
Main Message Board / Re: New Owner - Greetings!
September 04, 2013, 03:35:40 PM
Welcome to the great world of C34 sailing vessels Kevin. 
If I am correct, Kevin is modest in his introduction.  He is the former owner of an Irwin 28 "Island Bound" and has been published in Good Old Boat and I think Sail magazine.  He has a website that is linked by his signature line that I have been lurking for a few years.  I recall seeing the yellow trimmed "Island Bound" tied to shore at Heywood Island / Browning Cove in the North Channel of Georgian Bay as we were leaving the anchorage early one morning.  I would have enjoyed stopping to chat but I suspect we would have been unwelcome at 0615 when we left. 
There's tons of knowledge on this site Kevin and I'm sure with your combination of boat smarts, writing and website management capability, you'll bring a lot to this group too. 
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plpp&v=JAO_jeGHtNY
#396
Main Message Board / Re: Repowering Simply Blue
August 26, 2013, 05:39:17 PM
Congratulations Andrew.  We need pictures!  :clap




#397
That looks great Serge!   :clap
In the fullness of time, I hope to add solar and Solbian appears to be efficient, light and flexible (albeit expensive!).  What controller did you go with? --- oops, i now see you've posted info on the controller in a separate post.  Thanks.
#398
Main Message Board / Re: Banging in mast
July 07, 2013, 04:54:30 PM
Mregan,
It's almost certainly the wiring conduit.  I had the same problem and repaired it when my mast was down this spring.  I'll be posting pictures and a description of how to fix it shortly.  My mast comes down every fall at haulout so it wasn't too bad to fix.  I doubt if this can be done easily with the mast up.
#399
Main Message Board / Re: Amps to head
May 29, 2013, 03:28:48 PM
Cliff,
You should have no trouble wiring to your main battery bank with 2 12v batteries (presumably wired in parallel so you get 12V nominal output but more amp hrs capacity).  Thetford handles Wilcox  Crittenden now and although many (all?) Wilcox Crittenden heads are now obsolete, they still have manuals on the website and parts available.  If your head is an electric "Comfortmate", the recommendation is for a 10A fuse or breaker.  Here is a link to the Thetford site with lots of old manuals for your perusal. http://www.thetford.com/HOME/PARTS/PermanentToilets/ComfortMateElectric/tabid/840/Default.aspx

Good luck with your modification!

#400
I had success by loosening the retaining foot moving the guard partially out of the way and drilling from above.  That way, there is no chance of putting a hole in the wrong place. 

#401
mreagan,
Here is a picture of what you are likely to see looking at the underside of the pedestal from the aft cabin.  You can see the large backing plate secures the pedestal in place.  The red cables are the shifter (port side) and throttle (stbd).  You will likely see a compass light cable running up through the pedestal but other cables are shown running up the port side of the pedestal guard (on my boat) feeding the navpod.  Last week, I drilled a hole in the stbd side to accommodate my new X-5 autopilot.  I was surprised to see the pedestal guard retaining feet are not through bolted on my boat but are just screwed in place.  I bedded the feet with butyl tape and I'll fix the through bolting situation shortly.  Good luck with your installation
#402
Here's my contribution to the discussion:  Starts at reply #17.
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6861.15.html
#403
Main Message Board / Re: Thru hulls
May 05, 2013, 04:51:19 PM
Greg,
I don't see anything wrong with increasing the size of the through hulls and adapting down as Jim suggested; especially if you already have some good flanged bronze 3/4" seacocks which are expensive.  I followed Mainesail's directions when I replaced all of the through hulls on my previous boat - a 1978 CS27 that was fitted with (gulp) gate valves.  It was lots of work but things went well. 
Be careful with the through hull fittings though.  I was considering replacing the OEM Marelon through hulls on my C34 with new ones; preferably bronze.  But the flush flange on the through hull has a huge outside diameter and I couldn't find any new through hull fittings that would match so I left them alone.  The pictures below show the through hulls under the head sink.  I had scraped away a little of the fairing material around the fitting when I took these pictures.

Good luck with your refit.  Keep us up to date with pictures!
#404
Steve,
Dacron is a trademark.  My chemistry isn't great but I think all Dacron line can be classed as Polyester, but not all Polyester is Dacron.

7/8" sheets are, um, robust.
I have 7/16" for my Genoa sheets. And the main.  The PO had 1/2" but I found it hockled in the turning blocks too often.  the 7/16 sheets do too sometimes.  Possibly higher quality line would be beneficial.  But, I'm not yet keen on paying a premium for high tech line, although I've heard it can pay off for halyards.  I don't see the benefit on sheets since they are adjusted all the time anyway.

My halyards are 3/8 polyester.  I notice some stretch sometimes in the main halyard in a spirited breeze.  It's no real problem to snug it up.  (oh drat... something else to fiddle with while sailing... gosh, darn!   :party)
#405
Main Message Board / Re: Mast Conduit Rivets
April 12, 2013, 08:16:05 PM
Good thought Stu.  I checked out my copy of Casey and you're right about his good approach to this problem.  Ill give it a try.  I can "reinvent the wheel" as my fallback plan.

Thanks for the idea Ron.  I was thinking of making a small "car" with pool noodles for lateral stability and a couple of wedges operated by a few ropes to centre the conduit and hold it in place while I drill and rivet.  The Casey method looks easier although it will involve lots of time lying on my back in mud.

I'll let you know how it goes.