Messages

Stu,
After 12 wonderful years sailing our 1990 C-34 Pleiades throughout New England waters - from Maine to NY - I am now 84 and Nancy is 73.  After much back-and-forth discussion we finally decided rather than sell our beloved C-34 we will give her to our son and daughter-in-law and their three boys ages 10, 7 and 5.  They live in Petosky, MI.   Since he is a master shipwright at Irish Boat Shop in Harbor Springs, MI, Andrew certainly should be more than capable of maintaining her in excellent condition.  Hopefully, she will provide them with many years of wonderful sailing, a wide range of adventures, and memories to last five lifetimes.

I have a current subscription to Mainsheet that I believe extends through 2025.  Please contact me at pfjacobs@verizon.net so I can forward Andrew's name, and mailing address, so you can transfer my Mainsheet subscription to him.  As new owners of a lovely C-34 I am sure they will very much enjoy reading the magazine.

Nancy and I decided that while we love sailing too much to quit altogether, at our ages it was important to "downsize".  Thus, a good friend and former partner in our C-30 "Clair de Lune" and Nancy and I collectively purchased a  classic 1964 Graves Constellation (29 ft. 5 in LOA, 8 ft. beam, 4.5 ft. draft, 6000 lb. displacement) that was in fundamentally sound condition but needed considerable cosmetic attention.  We are about 1.5 years into her restoration and hope to be sailing her on Narragansett Bay this coming summer. 

Yes and often.  Nancy and I have heaved-to on Pleiades many times.  Sometimes, just to take a break if one of us is physically tired (I am now 84 and Nancy is 73 so we do not have the agility or stamina we did 20 years ago), but more often to be able to eat lunch without being bounced around.  We have heaved-to in Narragansett Bay with as little as 6" waves, and also in the open Atlantic on a particularly nasty passage to Maine in 5-6 ft seas.

It is always a bit surprising how effective heaving-to is.  The C-34 is well balanced so the process is pretty straightforward.  Basically, tack the boat but do NOT release the sheet.  Depending if the mainsail is full, or reefed, and the size of your headsail the final location of the wheel  or tiller may vary, but usually you will find the "sweet spot" within a minute.  Then, secure the wheel / tiller and have a civilized lunch even in 6 foot seas.

We have never heaved-to in 10-15 ft seas, and I would be concerned about heaving-to in breaking seas.  Otherwise, try it, I think you too will be amazed at how smoothly the C-34 rides even in pretty nasty conditions.

Dr. Paul Jacobs
Pleiades, TR-FK
1990 C-34 Mk 1.5
Wickford, RI

Calculating the C-34 total wetted surface is not trivial!  I did this about 10 years ago using the Newton-Raphson method, and determined that the total wetted hull surface area was approximately 230 sq. ft.  (+/- about 2 sq. ft.) Both sides of the keel add another 36 sq. ft., and both sides of the rudder yet another roughly 14 sq. ft. for a grand total of very nearly 280 sq. ft.

"In principle" a gallon of bottom paint should cover about 400 sq. ft.  However, some paint inevitably adheres to the inside of the can, some stays adhered to brushes and rollers, and unless replenished some of the volatile components evaporate while one is painting.  Thus, actual bottom paint coverage is probably somewhere between 330 and 350 sq. ft. per gallon.

In painting Pleiades bottom myself for the past ten years I find that if I add about 10% thinner, I can cover everything with one coat, and still just barely have just enough to apply a second coat to the rudder, and from the waterline down about one foot, which is the area that tends to accumulate the most slime during the season.  I typically swim / scrub just below the waterline about 10 times during the sailing season.  Using Interlux ACT ablative bottom paint I have found from experience sailing in NE waters it can "just barely" withstand that much scrubbing before I start to see a bit of the signal coat (e.g. blue just visible through green)showing through.

I hope this was helpful.

Dr. Paul F. Jacobs
Pleiades, TR-FK
1990 C-34 MK1.5
Wickford, RI 

DONE!  I switched the sink drain thru-hull with the engine raw water inlet thru-hull, by simply taking the hose from the bottom of the head sink and moving it to the connection at the raw water strainer, and conversely replacing the hose from the 90 degree nylon coupling on the engine raw water inlet, (the old hose was not quite long enough), up to the bottom of the head sink.

With all thru-hulls shut not a drop of water entered the boat!  By far the hardest part was removing hoses from barbed connectors.  Once everything was re-connected I double 316 SS hose clamped all connections, opened all thru-hull valves, crossed my fingers, started the engine, and it ran beautifully.  Nancy and I then went on a little overnight "mini-cruise" from Wickford to the bight near Potter's Cove on Prudence Island.  Yesterday, on returning to Wickford the winds were extremely light (< 3 knots) until almost 5 pm, so we wound up powering for over two hours.  The engine ran beautifully with no tendency to overheat, and I could see abundant cooling water exiting the exhaust - after kneeling down on the transom, holding onto a pushpit stanchion and bending far over!  That is one of the very few things I do NOT love about the C-34; it is NOT easy to see exhaust water exiting from the hull.

Finally, with a straight entry on the former head sink drain thru-hull - now the engine raw water inlet thru-hull - I can now use a dowel to clear any future blockages! .

Paul Jacobs
Pleiades
1990 C34 #1068

Nothing is ever as simple as one might hope!  I got to Pleiades yesterday intending to use a dowel to clear the raw water inlet thru-hull blockage only to find that the present installation includes a 90 degree nylon elbow coming directly out of the thru-hull.  This precludes using a dowel to clear the blockage.  This winter, when on the hard I will look into removing the 90 degree elbow and connecting the hose from that thru-hull to the raw water strainer.

In the meantime I came up with an alternative plan.  I will remove the upper end of the head sink drain and connect it to the strainer.  This fitting is a straight one, so I could use a 3/8" diameter dowel to clear blockage - WHEN, not if - it eventually gets clogged.  We hardly ever use the head sink, and I believe its thru-hull is identical to the one currently being used for the engine raw water inlet, so this should work well.

Paul

Pleiades
C-34, MK 1.5 # 1068
Wickford, RI

Hi Patches,

Thank you for your very excellent response.  Three questions:

1.  What diameter dowel do you use?

2.  During the brief interval AFTER you have cleared the blockage how high is the resulting "water fountain"?

3.  It surely takes some amount of time to re-close the inlet thru-hull while the water is coming in.  Very roughly, how much sea water do you think comes in?  Hopefully only a few gallons - which the bilge pump can easily handle.

Thanks again for your wonderful response.

Dr. Paul F. Jacobs
Pleiades
1990 MK 1.5 #1068
Wickford, RI.

For the third time in the past four years our engine is overheating.  I will check the water pump impeller, but I suspect it is fine.  The past two events were the result of sea grass clogging the sea water engine inlet.  On Pleiades there are three through hulls almost in an athwartships line: (1) The engine inlet, (2) the head sink outlet, and (3) the head inlet. All three thru hull inlets are relatively small (1/2" diameter ???) and are even somewhat smaller due to the build-up of bottom paint on the insides of the thru hull. Thus, they can readily become clogged with sea grass.  I removed the in-line water filter and found a wad of sea grass, which I cleared out, but the engine still overheated afterward.

Pleiades is still in the water.  I am thinking that I might: (a) close the raw water inlet sea cock, (b) remove the hose from  the (upper) water filter end, (c) hold the upper end of the hose ABOVE the water line, (d) open the sea cock, (e) push a thin rod down the inside of the hose to push accumulated sea grass out, (f) check that the opening is clear by gradually lowering the upper end of the hose until it is just below the waterline and assuring that water indeed streams in, (g) once clear, re-connect the upper end of the hose to the water filter.

Has anyone else ever done this?  Did it work?  The previous two times a dear friend - who is much younger than I - kindly held his breath, swam under the hull, and poked a screwdriver into the raw water thru-hull and voila, a wad of sea grass came out, and the engine ran fine.  Unfortunately, he is no longer available, and at 83 I cannot swim under the hull and hold my breath long enough to clear any blockage.

Finally, about 4 years ago I read an article that indicated that when microscopic organisms in saltwater die, they emit nasty odors.  Previously, we used saltwater to flush Pleiades head.  Since then, we use fresh water, and the head has worked perfectly and smells better.  The sea cock for the head inlet has been closed for four years!  I am thinking that over the winter I will re-plumb this hose to a "Y" diverter valve in the head locker. When - not if - the raw water engine inlet eventually gets clogged again, I would then be able to simply switch the diverter valve to provide raw water for the engine.  I could then disconnect one hose and repeat the process noted above to clear the clog.  Any thoughts or suggestions?

Dr. Paul F. Jacobs
Pleiades
1990 C-34 MK1.5 #1068
Wickford, RI

I would be happy to send a photo, but I do not know how to do that on this site.
Paul

Ironically, although the original post on this subject involved where to run the wire from a solar panel, I didn't mention that in my earlier response.

  The wire from the solar panel that is mounted on the split backstay initially runs down the starboard backstay.  It is held in place with nylon wire-ties, at roughly one every foot.  The wire then enters through a small hole - with a rubber compression seal - in the forward-face of the starboard aft coaming, around the starboard lazarette (taking care to secure it to the inner hull with Velcro sticky back tabs, to avoid snagging the wire when pulling out fenders), then forward under the quarterberth to the small solar panel controller, which is mounted near the refrigeration compressor, under the galley stove, under the ice chest / refrigerator and finally into the battery compartment under the aft portion of the starboard settee.

Yes, it is a somewhat tortured path that was a bit of a pain in the derriere to do initially, but the wire has been in place for 10 years with no problems whatsoever.

Paul Jacobs
Pleiades
1990 MK 1.5

For whatever it is worth, about 10 years ago I devised a different approach to installing a solar panel on a C-34.  I wanted it to: (1) be well out of the way, (2) not involve brackets, (3) utilize a rigid solar panel, which is less expensive and more efficient than flexible panels, and (4) be rather unobtrusive and aesthetically acceptable.

After much thought I finally decided to take advantage of the C-34's split backstay. I drilled four 1/4" diameter holes in the solar panel's aluminum frame - one each near the S&P corners of the forward edge, and two about 2 ft apart centered on the aft edge.  I then used SS cable clamps to clamp & bolt the aft edge of the frame to the S&P split backstays, secured two SS eye bolts with SS lock nuts to the S&P holes on the side corners of the front of the aluminum frame, attached two more SS cable clamps about two feet above the first pair, and finally two more three feet below the first pair.  I then used 3/16" diameter white Dacron line (to minimize long term UV degradation), to tie a tight bowline with 2 half hitches just above the upper starboard cable clamp, down to the starboard eye, through the eye three times (to intentionally increase friction) and then just below the lower cable clamp on the starboard split backstay.  I then repeated the process on the port split backstay.
 
The final result is a 100 W rigid solar panel about 10 ft above the cockpit sole!  It is utterly out of the way.  The total cost for 2 SS eye bolts, 14 lock nuts and 6 cable clamps cost about $30.  By adjusting the position of the lower cable clamps, you can wind up with the solar panel perpendicular to the plane of the split backstays.  This provides four additional benefits: (a) birds do not like to stand (or poop!) on it because of the slope, (b) rain washes the panel clear, and (c) it is very stable (we have sailed in 40+ knot winds and have experienced 70 knot winds on our mooring with exactly ZERO damage, and (d) while not optimal for all latitudes the resulting angle is favorable for solar exposure.

Over the past 10 years, with a $50 charge controller connected to the solar panel, our 3 group 31 "house" batteries, and one group 31 "engine" battery are regularly at 13.4 volts on our mooring.  When we go cruising - for as long as two weeks - with the refrigeration on 24/7 the batteries never go below 12 volts unless it is very heavily overcast for two days running, at which point we use the engine to top them off.  The installation is best done using a 10 ft tall "A" shape ladder with the legs placed on the S&P cockpit benches while on the hard.  A helper is also very useful.

Aesthetically, it is almost impossible to even see the solar panel unless one intentionally looks up.  It is well above the boom so solar panel output is not affected by shadowing and does not interfere with the leach of the mainsail when tacking or gybing.  Best of all Nancy says "that was without a doubt THE BEST improvement we have ever made to Pleiades.

Dr. Paul Jacobs
Pleiades
1990 C34 Mk 1.5

I learned a long time ago that when you truly love something it is pretty much impossible to put a price on it.  How much is the memory of your first kiss worth?  Is it $1.27, or $54.95, or $727.15, or perhaps it is priceless!  How much do you LOVE sailing?  I am now 83 and have been sailing for 68 years.  How much is it worth to be out on a sunny day, with 12 knots of wind, some whitecaps, the sails beautifully trimmed, and that magical sizzle of the water past the hull?  Is it $42.19, or $87.94, or $242.71?

I cannot predict the future.  How many more magical such days do I have left?  How much money is each of those days worth?

The Earth is about 4.5 BILLION years old.  If we are really lucky, MAYBE we live for 100 years.  Whatever it is, it is a blink in the eye of the universe.  We are so incredibly fortunate to be alive, to breathe in and out, and to be able to SAIL.  Yes, it is expensive, but simply living in 2022 is expensive.  After we are gone, if any of us could come back from the grave - just for a single day - I think we would hug and kiss our wives and children, go for one last sail, and we would pay every penny we had for the opportunity. 

Every once in a while, I run into someone who calculates the cost of absolutely every expense related to their boat for a given year, then they divide this total by the number of days they actually went sailing and are truly horrified at the resulting number.  I know, because I used to be one of them!  Finally, about 20 years ago I stopped doing what I now call "the terrible arithmetic" and consider a new engine, new standing rigging, a new furling jib, and new interior cushions to be simply the price of a love affair. 

Dr. Paul F. Jacobs
Pleiades
1990 MK 1.5 #1068
Wickford, RI

Our current plan is as follows: on day 1 (sometime during a fair weather window in late April) we will sail from Stony Point, NY (about 10 NM north of the Tappan Zee bridge, on the west side of the Hudson River, where the classic 1964 Graves Constellation is currently located), down the Hudson River, under the Tappan Zee bridge, under the George Washington Bridge (near where I was born 83 years ago!), to Liberty Landing, in Jersey City, NJ, directly across from the World Trade Center (34 NM).  After staying in their marina overnight, on the morning of day 2 we will motor-sail, across the Hudson, around the Battery, timing our arrival about 1.5 to 2 hr. (per your input) after the start of north-flowing flood tide, then proceed up the East River, under the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and Queensboro bridges, staying between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island, through and past Hell's Gate, under the RFK and Triborough bridges, then between the Brother Islands, under the Whitestone & Throgs Neck bridges, into Long Island Sound, to a 2nd marina in Stamford, CT (33 NM).  The 3rd day, we will be sailing from Stamford, CT to a 3rd marina in Branford, CT. (35 NM).  The 4th day sailing from Branford, CT to a 4th marina in Stonington, CT, (37 NM), and finally on the 5th day sailing from Stonington, around Point Judith and up Narragansett Bay, to a slip in Warwick, RI. (41 NM). 

Dr. Paul F. Jacobs
Pleiades
1990 MK 1.5 # 1068
Wickford, RI

Hi Old Cat,
Thank you very much for your input.  There is nothing quite like direct experience.
 
I do have a few questions.  First, why do you begin from the battery two hours after the start of flood tide there?

It would seem that strategy might reduce the interval of favorable tide after passing the Whitestone & Throgs Neck bridges on the way into Long Island Sound.  On the other hand, one would definitely be getting a nice northward push while in the East River. 

I understand about a sailboat leaving Roosevelt Island to starboard, (i.e., passing to the West of the island), as there is a low bridge to the East of Roosevelt Island. 

You note your preference for motor-sailing on this trip.  I fully agree, but the Graves Constellation does not have an inboard engine.  Rather it has a 9.9 HP Mercury outboard with a 20" shaft positioned in a well just aft of the cockpit.   I suspect that she will therefore be somewhat underpowered, so we definitely want to proceed WITH the current as much as possible, and especially up the East River and past Hell's Gate.

Finally, did you have much of an issue with river traffic?  Obviously, the big ships and barges cannot maneuver easily in a narrow river, so they clearly are the "stand on" vessels.  Did you leave them to port or starboard when proceeding northward in the relatively narrow East River between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island?

Dr. Paul F. Jacobs
Pleiades
1990 MK1.5 # 1068
Wickford, RI

Hi Dieter,
Thanks for your comments.  I am trying to determine how to best take advantage of the tidal currents without incurring dangerous rips in a relatively small, somewhat underpowered sailboat.  When sailing northward from the Battery, how did you time things?  Did you start sailing up the East River exactly at, a 1/2 hour after, or an hour after the start of the flood tide at the Battery? Also, because of all the skyscrapers in Manhattan, was the wind utterly confused, or were you actually able to sail much of the time?
Thanks for any and all inputs.  I do NOT want this to end badly.

By the way, my step-son lives in Petoskey, MI, and is a ship-right for Irish Boatworks, in Harbor Springs, MI not far from Traverse City.

Paul Jacobs
Pleiades
1990 MK1.5, # 1068
Wickford, RI

I have a slightly different five-step approach that has worked extremely well on Pleiades for the past ten years.

One cannot simply paint one's prop & shaft with bottom paint as the copper in bottom paint will enable electrolysis of the prop & shaft metal, which will damage them.  HOWEVER, if you: (1) first sand the prop & shaft with 220 grit paper to get all surfaces smooth and free of any prior debris, then (2) mask the shaft locations where you will attach your zincs (I always use two - zincs are inexpensive, props and shafts are not), (3) spray the prop & shaft with two coats of Pettit transducer paint (worthless as a bottom paint, but terrific as an electrical insulator!), waiting at least 15 minutes between coats for the first coat to dry, then (4) paint your prop & shaft with whatever bottom paint you use, (I use Interlux ACT), and finally (5) remove the masking tape from the shaft and secure two zincs ... voila, no barnacles, and no electrolysis, at least in Narragansett Bay.

Paul Jacobs
Pleiades
1990 MK 1.5 #1068
Wickford, RI