Messages

Scott,

I have the Markalon lenses in my dodger.  They really are fantastic.  They hold the shape of the dodger and don't wrinkle like other options.  It is fantastic, but now that I have it, I won't go any other way.

I've used these on a friend of mine's 42' trawler.  They really are helpful.  I would make sure you find ones that are "full duplex".  The money is worth it as it allows you to speak at a relaxed volume which keeps the conversation calm.

This may seem obvious, but on my boat, the hinges are thru-bolted.  Thus with all the screws out of the flange on deck, it is still mechanically attached via the thru-bolts at the hinges. 

That is going to be tricky to rebuild in place due to the minimum clearance on the underside.  I would seek some expert opinions from some well accomplished fiberglass repair vendors and see what they come up with.

For others who are wondering...

Thanks for the find Paulus

https://knobdeco.com/sugatsune-ds-50-s-45mm-cc-handle-cabinet-pull-satin-stainless-steel/

I've used a winch many times to get a flat foil by tightening the foot of the sail by the leech.  It CAN be done by hand, but a turn or so of a winch handle is appreciated.

I will admit to reading quite quickly so it is quite possible I missed something, but the winch on the stbd side of the boom would likely be for the reefing lines for the klew.  The tack hook doesn't need a winch.

Also, the outhaul (when not reefed) has a purchase block system inside the boom and should not require a winch (nor is it really conveniently placed to use one).

To answer the original question, this was not fitted as standard equipment from Catalina and was likely added at commissioning or by a previous owner.  It is indeed helpful and worth making use of.

Eric...

It does make sense.  I have seem some lazy jacks (though not usually with stack packs) where they do as you say only at a much lower spot for the micro block and then the lines go to the boom and adjust on the boom instead of the mast.  Perhaps your suggestion could work with the stack pack. Hmm....

My 30 year built in Microwave finally bit the dust.

You do need to be very careful, electricity may be stored up in the unit (forget what it's called, maybe magnetron?).

There is a large capacitor in a microwave which stores the power needed to start the magnetron.  The capacitor is the part to watch out for.  The magnetron is what makes the microwaves.

I used a fake a lake to run mine on the stands.  It is a sort of plunger with a hose attachment similar to what one would use to flush an outboard (ear muffs).  Worked great for me.

The lazy jack lines are rarely loaded with much tension and thus despite rubbing the spreaders, they don't end up with much chafe.  I agree that it is less than ideal, but I have found the routing to be less of a concern.

Now if someone could figure out an internally routed set of lazy jacks to stop the mast slap in a breeze, I'm all ears!

A unser on here that goes by Patches just did a beta repower in his boat last season.  If you do a search I believe he posted something after completion that outlines some of the challenges to look out for.

I ask, as the local chandlery has the Shakespeare products, but not the Vesper specific.  I'm sure it could be ordere, but does it matter?

It likely does not.  I happen to like the vesper products, but any antenna that is made to handle both vhf and ais bands will likely perform fine.  The Shakespeare should do well.

I have been rather fond of the vesper AIS/VHF tuned antenna.  I chose that because it is tuned to work as best as possible for the two frequency ranges you'll be sharing it with.  A dedicated AIS only antenna can be tuned for maximum performance on the AIS range, however it would not do well for VHF (and vice versa).

I would not use any sealant in that application, nor have I encountered any.