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#1
Main Message Board / Youtube Video of C34 Survey
November 30, 2017, 12:11:03 PM
The new owners of Blackdragon released a video on their Youtube channel of the survey process.    You can see it here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebOnRxSY8tI
#2
Main Message Board / Sophie Rose Overdue
January 05, 2017, 11:21:02 PM
Sophie The SSCA's High Frequency Radio Station "KPK" is assisting the United States Coast Guard, Rescue Coordination Center - Miami in locating the S/V SOPHIE ROSE.

The US Coast Guard District 7 is attempting to locate the S/V SOPHIE ROSE (see attached picture), a 34' Catalina Sloop styled Sailing Vessel with registration number: FL8019JR.

The vessel departed from Port Everglades, FL on the evening of 03 January (Tuesday night) and was transiting to Freeport, Bahamas and expected to report in late in the day on 04 January (Wednesday). The vessel may have diverted from its intended course and instead checked in to Berry Island, Nassau or Bimini. There are 04 persons onboard (all adults). Master is Mr. Randall Lay.

Respectfully request your assistance with attempting to locate the SOPHIE ROSE. If you receive any information that could assist this search please contact the US Coast Guard District 7 Command Center at rccmiami@uscg.mil or 305-415-6800.

Regards,
US Coast Guard District Seven Command Center
RCC Miami
305-415-6800
rccmiami@uscg.mil
#3
I was thinking my Craigslist ad for the boat didn't seem to be working and that I would need to list it with a broker and get it on Yachtworld.    Then I discovered that if you remove the word "cockpit" from your listing, it doesn't get flagged for removal.   

Yesterday we signed a contract and took a deposit for Blackdragon.   

A very cool young couple with adventurous plans are doing sea trials and survey on Saturday.     I am sure they'll have many questions here.   They plan to video the process and share their experience others as they go.   

It will great to see the boat go on to its next adventures.   I would say that it is a sad nostalgic moment for us, but honestly the new cat is so awesome, I am not sure anybody is looking back.    It's like when I sold Snapdragon I thought the family might react badly, but I never heard anyone complain about not folding the table down to go to sleep at night. 

Just need to have a name for NextDragon...  Perhaps we'll see some of you over on the Manta forum one day. 
#4
1988 Catalina 34

Nicely cared for and extensively upgraded Catalina 34.     Spacious cockpit with all sail controls lead aft.  Lazy bag for main with controls for 2 reefs to cockpit.   Roller furling jib and custom made asymmetrical spinnaker.  Large aft cabin.  Secure u-shaped galley with spacious top load fridge.   Wine storage and microwave oven over navigation table.  Large main salon with custom mahogany maple table.  Large v-berth forward. 

Improvements   

New Beta 25 diesel (2013 500 hrs)
New stainless shaft (2015)
Raymarine autopilot integrated with plotter
All rigging replaced 2009
Elliptical rudder upgrade 2009
Garmin Radar
2 Garmin chart plotters
VHF with DSC GPS integration
390W Kyocera / Bluesky solar system
450Ah house bank (new 2014)
40A Xantrex charger
2000W inverter
Xantrex battery monitor
Bluetooth Alpine stereo with interior and cockpit speakers
Microwave
Webasto diesel  heating system
LG flatscreen TV
Dodger with handrails
Bimini with solar mounts & connecting panel
Cruising spinnaker with sock
Cockpit shower
Amsteel lifelines
Garhauer outboard engine hoist
Lewmar windlass

$45,000 US

swdollingatgmaildotcom

For pics:

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/57212
#5
My guess is Blackdragon is one of the better equipped Catalina 34s for cruising.    As I think about getting it ready to go to market, I am not sure what will give it the most market appeal.    The right buyer might want it exactly as I have it.   To many though it might seem cluttered and overloaded.    I am not sure if the following items add value for the new buyer:

400 Watts of solar?
Weather cloths?
Lee cloths?
Outboard hoist?
Oversize 20kg Rocna?
Flatscreen TV?
Spare anchors?
Rod holders?
Lifesling?
Dingy and 10hp outboard?
Microwave over nav?
Netting over shelves?
Overhead wine glass holders?

A clean boat with a fresh Beta engine, newish rig, bimini, dodger, radar, plotter, autopilot, swim platform, newer rudder, new shaft should have appeal.    My inclination is to take pictures of everything and strip away most of the stuff to present a less cluttered boat.   

Is that direction to go or do people like their C34s "loaded" as it were?

 


#6
First haul out since repower.   I had been having some vibration at higher revs.   Decided to bite the bullet and replace cutlass bearing.  There is some play.   I thought it was time.    Boat yard suggested they would likely cut the shaft out to do cutlass bearing rather than messing around with coupling etc.   I wasn't sure I wanted these guys touching my shaft so to speak. 

The old bronze one was scored near the packing gland, so I decided it was time to do the whole thing.  The yard recommended a machine shop for the shaft.   Having read Mainesail's notes on shafts and couplings, I was a little particular about whether the machine shop knew what they were doing.

Was I ever surprised.   The owner's grandfather, a boatbuilder, died in 1930.  Grandma ran the shop through the depression until the oldest boy finished school and started full time.   Somewhere in the 40 or 50's they decided to drop the line of Palmer engines and focus exclusively on shafts.   That's all they have done for 70 years or so.   They're on their 4th generation.   It was huge shop.  One lathe bed had to be 24 feet long. 

He patiently listened as I made my requests for the interference fit, dressing the end of the coupling, etc.   As though there was some other way to do a shaft.  We had a long chat about alloys.   A day later I have thing of great beauty at a reasonable price.  The place was so old school they ran my credit card through an imprint machine and dialled in the number on a touch tone phone to get an approval code. 





 

#7
Main Message Board / Transition Time
March 16, 2015, 10:43:05 PM
We are giving up our slip at our favourite marina, Thunderbird.    I think we have had a boat there since the early 80's.   Really nice marina.  Great harbour.  Close to the islands of Howe Sound.   Really expensive.   $7800 per year for a 35 foot slip. 

I turned 50 this weekend.   We want to pull the plug and go sailing and live on a small fraction of the cash we currently burn long before we reach our 60s.  Can't flip the switch and do it all at once.   We gave up cable TV, home phone, alarm monitoring six months ago.   So now we are giving up the fancy slip.   35 foot slip in the new marina is almost half the price.   Over 5 years, the differential could pay for a year of groceries, diesel, and rum.  Maybe 2 years of rum.     

Small wrinkle.   The new marina doesn't actually have a 35 foot slip.   The 51 foot slip I have taken is till $700 cheaper.   So I am on the waiting list as the smaller slips come available. 

You don't think the 51 foot slip would cause any kind of temptation do you?    Seems a waste to have all that extra length...   
#8
Main Message Board / First Overnight of The Season
February 28, 2015, 07:33:34 PM
The frozen wasteland called Canada isn't all bad.   Second sailing weekend in a row with beautiful sunshine. A lovely run into Snug Cove under genoa alone drifting along at 4 knots.  Tied up next to us is a nice Island Packet.   Tracey is developing a keen eye for the offshore worthy.  "is that a Hewlett Packard?"

Yes dear.  That's a Hewlett Packard. 

As long as she wants to drive them, she can call them whatever she wants. 
#9
Main Message Board / Just Finished a Project
February 13, 2015, 11:25:04 AM

This one isn't really boat related.   

But then the C34 purchase was actually part of this larger project.   Some of you know the story.   Now it is in print:

http://www.friesenpress.com/bookstore/title/119734000017868865/Steve-Dolling-I%27ll-Shave-My-Head-Too

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=steve+dolling
#10
Main Message Board / Uh oh. It's happening again.
January 28, 2015, 11:08:45 PM
Felt this feeling once before.    The transition from dreaming to actually doing something.

Today I told the real estate agent to write up an offer.   Going to buy a little townhouse not far from Whistler.    Easy to rent out for the ski season.   Which means we can occupy it during the northern hemisphere hurricane season.   

Then a small matter of launching the boy, selling the bigger house and going sailing.  It will take a few years because Foster still has a year of high school to go.   But it takes a while to fit out a boat and go.

Sailing the C34 in Mexico taught us that we can live like kings on a sailboat for a quarter of the price of what we can live here in the city, with two cars, cell phones, insurance for everything, etc.   So why not check out early and live frugally in the lifestyle we enjoy?

Of course in the southern hemisphere cyclone season, we will have to return home to go skiing, but that's OK.  The turquoise beaches, palm trees and white sand will be appreciated more with a little break now and then.

It's all a race against the ologists.  Need to live life as fully as possible before some ologist, (cardiologist, oncologist, etc.) develops an intimate relationship with us.

(A little freaky how spell check corrects ologist to eulogist)

Dreaming is done.  Now it's on to planning and executing.
#11
I have had some galley issues. 

No decent place to put drain rack - precarious perch on fold out table with poor drainage.
Fold out counter extension too wide to pass by.
No place for trash.

Solved.
#12
Main Message Board / Water Viscosity Problem
February 09, 2014, 04:53:50 PM
It's a long weekend here.   We have a new holiday called "Family Day"   We had planned a weekend cruise, but we ended up with a little water viscosity issue.    The top inch and a half seems to be in a non liquid form.     There is no getting the boat out of the slip...   
#13
Main Message Board / Coscto Batteries?
July 22, 2013, 11:51:56 PM
While I had Foster heavily engaged in boat maintenance, we pulled 4 T105s and dropped in 4 new Costco batteries golf cart batteries.   No strain on my back.  Much cheaper than new T105s and Interstates etc.   In fact they look like they came from the same factory as Interstates. I knew it was time when fully charged, filled, and equalized, my full house bank couldn't crank the engine for an extended run, but my long ignored Optima had no problem.  I will let you know how they perform.   Anybody had experience with them?

   
#14
Main Message Board / Blackdragon Repower
July 19, 2013, 06:22:24 PM
Thought I would start a new thread.   I am taking delivery of my new Beta 25 tomorrow.  I am sure the repower will keep me busy for a few days, hopefully not weeks or months.  

Now just need to work on my listing for the classified section, "For sale M25XP, 2900 hours, recent valve job, fresh paint on the bits you can see, new injectors, glow plugs, really clean oil, new belt, new K&N filter, recent water pumps fresh and raw, good for another 2900 hours.  May need rebore, new pistons, rings, bearings, seals, oil pan, and other minor maintenance for optimal power & emissions performance."
#15
Main Message Board / Blackdragon Top End Work
July 15, 2013, 11:03:55 PM
So with low and imbalanced compression and a bunch of white smoke, off comes the head.    Some quick work on the valves and a new head gasket and it should all go back together, right?    But wait.   It's all out now.   Throw in those new glow plugs that are hanging out with the spares inventory, they'll go nice with the new injectors.   And doesn't it make sense to pop open the thermostat and make sure it is working.   How about that new K&N filter?   I will not put crumbling stainless back in the vintage air filter.    And wait, look at that!  Will I ever have easier access to the heat exchanger?   Off it comes, back to home where the big boy tools are.    And the coolant tank, since we bought a can of paint today, it should come home too.   And Foster who has just finished fixing a stud on the alternator and has the exhaust elbow unwrapped in the cockpit leans over into the companionway and says, "There is not much left, should we just pull out the rest of the engine and bring it home too?"   I shudder.

Though I know in my mind I need to drop the oil pan.   I thought I drained all the coolant before I pulled the head, but as it came off, I heard the sound of a lot of coolant rush out of the head.   A lot of it will be in with the oil.   So how many changes does that take before the oil is no longer contaminated with the 3/4 drain system we have?   2? 3? 4 oil changes?   Might as well drop the pan, give it a coat of paint because I can feel a little rust under there.  How much more work would it be to pull the pistons?  Six little cap screws and up they come.  No. No. No.   Must stop now.

I wish I was Mainesail and had the patience and skill to properly document this.  But I'm in a hurry.  

These little engines are amazing.   I would have thought after 25 years it would be all seized bolts and broken studs, cursing, drilling and retapping.   But there has been none of that.   The engines hold up remarkably.  They are easy to disassemble, and when in doubt it is amazing what you can find on Youtube.  

I didn't mean to do this.    Friday night I decided to get a new engine, but since the distributor wasn't open until Monday, I thought I might as well pull the head and have a look.   And one thing led to another.  I still have four evenings left to put it all back together before we leave for a two week sail...
#16
M25xp 2800 hours on engine.  

Yesterday, went for a 3 hour run. Tracey smelled smoke.   Engine was absolutely soaked in oil on starboard side.    Pools of it.   I thought the block had cracked or something.   Hours of clean up - the only obvious problem was the dipstick tube was unseated.   3 litres of oil to fill.  I thought I must have been an idiot and not pushed the dipstick.   Had no idea it could make that much mess.  

Today engine was running fine. No evidence of leaks.  Came up to temperature checked oil everything ok.   1 hour running heard excessive valve noise.  Shut down engine.   Tried to check oil.  Dipstick pretty much blew out of my hand and entire contents of the oil pan barfed out the dipstick tube.  2 foot high fountain of oil.

Ideas?
#17
Main Message Board / Ocean Cruising Adventure Series
January 22, 2013, 10:55:42 PM
I hear that the Vancouver Maritime Museum has a speaker in their lecture series who is going to talk about fitting out a c34 and sailing it down the West Coast to Mexico.  Crazy stuff.  Friday at 20:00 for locals.

http://vancouvermaritimemuseum.com/page254.htm#jan25


#18
Main Message Board / Cruising Tonga
October 24, 2012, 07:35:32 PM
Just got back from 2 weeks in the Vava'u group cruising on a friends' 44 foot cat.    Outstanding.  Unbelievable blue.   Amazing beaches, corals, anchorages.    Really great people.     Now Tracey wants to cross an ocean.   Might have to think about an upgrade...

Here is a little shot of Foster swimming with a month old baby humpback.
#19
Main Message Board / Propane Solenoids and Safety
August 13, 2012, 10:32:48 PM
We are quite rigorous about turning off the propane solenoid every time we are finished using the stove.   Perhaps too rigorous.   

The other day Tracey was cooking some lunch with a burner going on the stovetop.    She opened the oven.   There was a loud "whoosh" but with a bit more of a shockwave that somehow doesn't translate to text.   

Her bangs are shorter.   There is less hair on her arms.   

Seems the propane solenoid was turned off after breakfast, but the oven valve was not.   Too much enthusiasm to get the solenoid turned off.  Not enough attention to the oven valve.   

Sequence is everything. 

It happened once before and I smelled gas and shut everything down and warned of the danger, but there is nothing like a "big bang" to drive the point home.   

I now have more confidence that it won't happen again.   

Worth a chat with your crew to review the potential hazard.

#20
Main Message Board / New Speakers for the Salon
February 26, 2012, 10:30:02 PM
Just finished a new set of speakers for the salon.   The West Marine speakers I had leaved a lot be desired in terms of sound quality.

These use a an Alpair M6 full range metal driver.    They are currently burning in in my living room.  After about 100 hours they'll end up on the bulkhead in the salon under a bookshelf and entertainment unit I have mounted there now.   

Their constructed out of some salvaged tight grain douglas fir.   It's all planed down to 1" thickness and designed to allow them to expand and contract with varying humidity without cracking or falling apart.    I did buy some nice black grill cloth to cover them up, but the drivers looked so nice I decided to add a little walnut accent and leave them naked.   

These are ported and stuffed.   I am listening to them now and can't believe that these little speakers produce the range of sound that they do.   Wonderful.   

Cost was ~$100.
#21
Main Message Board / Fuel Cells for Onboard Power
February 15, 2012, 02:34:50 PM
Saw a really interesting item at the boat show last week.    It is a direct methanol fuel cell that was running on one of the display boats.  Vendor claims that it will put out about 180 Ah a day.  Weighs nothing.  Very quiet operating.  No moving parts.  No maintenance.   Not that expensive - in relative terms about $4 or 5K to buy and a couple of dollars a day to operate.   One little jug of methanol will run it for two weeks.   Keeps the batteries topped up automatically and has a monitor interface display device.   

Of course that's sales pitch, but as indication of where technology is going, it may be interesting to watch. 

Power is one of the biggest challenges in cruising.   Big improvement over an internal combustion engine driven generator.   But then again last time I checked I could actually get fuel for those in remote cruising areas...

http://www.efoy-comfort.com/benefits#c_238
#22
Main Message Board / Rumours Untrue
July 27, 2011, 10:34:51 PM
I have had spotty coverage up here in Desolation Sound so I am not sure what has been posted on this board, but I can assure you the crew of the other C34 anchored in Grace Harbour who went hiking in the woods did not see what they think they saw.  No crew from Blackdragon was showering naked under the waterfall.

I am glad I have had the opportunity to clear this up.

Thanks

Steve
#23
Main Message Board / Heavy Weather
March 02, 2011, 10:12:12 AM
Here's today's forecast off the West Coast of Vancouver Island:

Winds
Issued 04:00 AM PST 02 March 2011
Today Tonight and Thursday
Hurricane force wind warning in effect.
Wind southeast 50 to 65 knots becoming west 50 to 65 this morning then diminishing to southwest 35 to 45 early this evening. Wind diminishing to southwest 25 to 35 Thursday morning and to 15 to 25 Thursday afternoon.


Waves
Issued 04:00 AM PST 02 March 2011
Today Tonight and Thursday
Seas 4 to 6 metres building to 7 to 10 late this morning then subsiding to 5 to 7 early this evening. Seas subsiding to 3 to 5 Thursday morning and to 2 to 3 Thursday evening.

Yikes the wave heights are in meters.   I can't really think of a boat that I would like to be in in 33 foot seas.   I guess the upside is the wind would be calm in the troughs...
#24
Main Message Board / Boat Trucking Scam Horror Story
October 26, 2010, 10:22:32 AM
I haven't shared a story here which I probably should have.   My trucking experience from Guaymas to Bellingham was horrific.   I dealt with a company that did not honor their contract, advertised falsely and used outrageous business practices to increase their price.  I have a long detailed rant on the subject on my blog which ends with some cautions for those thinking about trucking a boat.   I would urge you to read it if you are thinking about trucking or you like to read long detailed rants...

http://sailblogs.com/member/blackdragon/?xjMsgID=148288


 
#25
Main Message Board / Mendocino Round Up Experience
October 23, 2010, 12:53:55 AM
This comes from my blog.  There was some interest and trouble navigating the links, so I'll post it here.   Don't worry, I'm not going to put all my stories here...

Sheet Happens

Cape Mendocino is the bumpy bit that sticks out on the California coast. From here the coastline falls away to the south and east and the harsh weather and seas of the north Pacific moderate a bit. Mendocino is the classic turning point for southbound sailors.

The turning point isn't without it's drawbacks. Lots of sailors give it a wide passing. Tales of 30 foot seas being thrown up a hundred miles off are common.

We decided given the nice weather window we would shave it close, a few miles out, and duck into Shelter Cove on the other side before sunset.

We headed out in fog in the company of a few other boats. Most of the day we motor sailed to keep our speed up so we could make Shelter by dark. The seas were mixed: a ten foot swell from the north and a 3 foot swell from the west. It was sloppy and hard to keep the sails filled.

In the late afternoon the fog cleared and the wind picked up. As the swell from the North built we were soon doing our first California surfing. The boat was happily doing 7.5 knots and surfing 10 knots on the large following sea. No question we were going to make Shelter Cove by dark.

In skiing, they call it a "garage sale". That's what happens when you wipe out and leave a trail of gloves, hats and poles spread down the mountain. The sailing equivalent is called a round up. It can happen in big winds with too much sail up.

When you are surfing at ten knots and you feel a 15 knot breeze behind you, it's easy to forget that you are really sailing in 25 knots of wind. As you surf, you push the wheel down hard to keep the boat pointing in the right direction or it wants to round up into the wind.

If you are careless, you have too much sail up, and the rudder gets overpowered. You can't stop the boat from rounding up. If you are really careless, you still have your motor running.

As the boat rounds up, it gets knocked pretty flat. That makes your decks more or less vertical. Anything that isn't tied down goes into the sea. We are good about having things tied down. Including ourselves.

One big puff is all it takes as Tracey said, "Hang on! I can't hold it!"

So what swept over the side on our boat was sheet for the foresail. It's stopper knot conveniently came untied and as we were knocked flat and swung around into the big seas it conveniently wound around the propellor shaft and stopped the engine.

As you pound into the big seas going forward, it becomes very clear how large they are and that the wind really is blowing 25 knots.

After a little work on the foredeck with a knife, we managed to get the genoa furled. We put two reefs in the main. Soon we were underway again doing 6.5 knots with a double reefed main. No foresail and no engine.

Still it looked like we would make Shelter Cove. Maybe in darkness.

And then the wind died. It didn't drop. It died.

A dark fog settled in. The good people of sailing vessel Grace stood by us. We had enjoyed Foster's homemade cookies with them the night before. The boat speed indicator would sometimes show 1 to 2 knots. The GPS showed zero as the big seas pushed us south relative to the water and the north tidal flow kept us stationary relative to land.

The temperature dropped to the 40s. Occasionally a great growly wave would slop its top off into the cockpit. The mist was so thick it was indistinguishable from rain. It was cold. Really cold. We each took two hour shifts contemplating our options.

The plan was to sail into Shelter Cove and dive the prop shaft with a knife. I kept waiting for Tracey to volunteer.

By daybreak, the seas had laid down and there was a gentle 3 foot swell. Still not much wind. It looked like we still wouldn't make Shelter Cove by darkness.

I decided to dive the prop in the open ocean. After all, 54 degree water is 54 degree water. It doesn't matter if you are eight miles off or 80 yards off the coast. Sharks like warmer water don't they?

I chatted with Grace on the radio. I explained the three scenarios, two of which we might require their help with. In the first scenario, I jump in the water with a knife, cut all the lines off the prop and shaft, and emerge triumphant 48 seconds later. In the second scenario, I'm hypothermic without the strength to climb aboard and they pull me on their swim grid. In the third scenario, I've suffered cardiac arrest and they pull the body out.

"For the record, I'm a 44 year old male with no known medical conditions, if the Coast Guard asks." I radio to Grace.

"Be careful of the white thingies, Blackdragon" they remind me.

"Thanks for that, Grace". On the radio, you are not Paul and Judy, you are your boat.

It took three dives. Probably, a lot longer than 48 seconds. It was nearly impossible to breath. I thought I could get away with two dives having cleared the shaft and leaving only a big knot on the prop itself.

Tracey started the engine. The vibration in gear was terrible. I had to dive again. It's a bit unnerving having the hull pound down on you as it comes off a wave. One steep one at it could have smashed me unconscious. That's why I wore a tether.

But we had success. We said goodbye to Grace. It was warm showers and hot coffee in brilliant sunshine as we motored to Shelter Cove.

I sat in the cockpit enjoying a beer as Tracey and Foster went ashore with Scupper. I noticed the water temperature in the cove was 62 degrees. As Tracey and Foster chatted with the host lady at the abandoned light house, she had to tell them about the 27 foot great white shark that was spotted by a fisherman.

But not to worry. "Oh not here in the bay. It was out there..."
#26
Main Message Board / Back in Canada, Eh
July 14, 2010, 06:20:13 PM
We're shifting cruising grounds.   The boat entered the United States today from Mexico.  It will be in Bellingham in a few days time.   We are going to rerig and sail the San Juans and Gulf Islands, maybe throw in Desolation Sound, as we reaclimatize to life in the "civilized" world. 

We are selling off some cruising gear which I've posted in the classified forum.  Not likely needed by most 34 owners, but we were glad we had it - liferaft, SSB, drogue, watermaker.  Have a look and drop me a note if you are interested. 

#27
Main Message Board / 5000 Miles of Broken Bits
June 09, 2010, 02:29:09 PM
We recently turned over 5000 miles on the trip odometer.   I thought it might be useful to share our experiences on all the stuff that we managed to break in the last year.  It may interesting or helpful for anyone putting together a spares list or planning an extended trip.   Our boat is 1988 with an M25XP with about 2500 hours.  We left port with all new running rigging, standing rigging, rudder, main, spinnaker, radar, plotter, watermaker, SSB, solar panels, and assorted canvas bits.  


Rigging:

The bolt that attaches the Garhauer rigid vang to the boom fitting worked its way loose.  I noticed this on an inspection.  No harm done, but could have been a bigger problem.  My rigger actually warned me that this could happen.   If you have one check it, or better still use an overlength bolt and a lock nut.  

One of the bolts that attach the bail to the traveller car sheared.   Fatigue.  

The new main has a couple of chafe areas near the ends of the upper batten pockets.    Otherwise it has held up well and been hoisted for nearly the entire 5000 miles.  

My sail cover tore near the reef line entry points.   Tired fabric.   I made a new and improved version.  

Engine:

New alternator failed.  Twice.   First one was a heat issue that actually melted the insulation on the main output terminal with resulting sparks.    The second failure, I'm not sure I understand yet.   The alternator imposed a sudden load on the engine, enough to stall it at idle speed.   If I disconnect the field wire it runs free.   So it's not worn bearings or something like that.   It could even be a regulator issue.   In any case, I pulled it from service and put the old Motorola back in.

Fresh water coolant pump.   Failed.   Shaft sheared.   Looked like a long term crevice corrosion problem. .  A good idea to have a spare aboard.

Seals on raw water pump failed.   Gracefully over time.  

One belt failed.   My fault.  It had been in service at least as long as I've owned the boat.    I believed it was a miracle belt before it announced it's mortality like some tuna flopping on the cockpit floor, at three o'clock in the morning, while on passage, a hundred miles from anywhere.  

All engine repairs, with the exception of the raw water pump, were performed at sea under sail.  Stuff doesn't break at the dock.  The only other things I've done to the engine are regular inspections, lots of oil changes, and an adjustment of the valves.  

Gauge failure.   I can't remember which one, I think it was the temperature gauge.   I replaced all the gauges with new ones (they were only $30 each I think) and renewed all of the terminal connections at the same time..   It's like a new engine control panel for $100.   When I get back, I will do the tach just so it is pretty and matching.  

Electrical:

We had a bulb failure on the steaming light.  

Electronics:

Cockpit speakers (West Marine cheapies) lost their bass.  Replaced with new West Marine cheapies.

One set of interior speakers.  Again, some cheap ones.  

VHF handheld.  West Marine VHF 150 failed twice.  First time it lost reception and was replaced in San Diego no questions asked.  Now it has no display.  

Autopilot.   Raymarine X5 failed once in shakedown.  The gear in the drive motor.

Laptops.   One Apple.  One Acer.   Do not get your laptops wet.  These were hit by a chubasco in Zihua where water went in sideways through an open port and splashed them.  They revived but failed a few months later.  

One Ipod touch.   Also a moisture issue.  I subsequently used the shiny back as a mirror to check a connection on an alternator.   Accidentally touched hot and ground when pulling it out.  Impressive light show.   Now there is a hole in casing where I tried to weld the Ipod to the alternator.  

One camera.   Dropped with the data slot open breaking the door off.   No longer suitable for underwater use.  

One bilge pump.  

One windlass.  Lewmar V700 main shaft failure.  

Miscellaneous Failures:

The rotating platter in the bottom of the microwave committed suicide on the port tack.  

Fishing lures.   Several were eaten by large things that I would probably be frightened to have in the cockpit.  

The dog.   Cancerous tumours in the right forepaw.    These were corrected with a two hour cockpit surgery in Monterey.  

Cockpit cushion.  Stitching ripped on one of them.  

Hatch in main salon cracked near one of the handles.    Suspect it was stepped on by kids on the coach roof while it was open.  

Barbecue.  Catastrophic terminal rusty crud.

Head.   One nasty plug.  One rebuild.   Acido muriatico is your friend.  

Outboard.    Broken connecting rod.   Still looking for a fuel additive that can fix a broken connecting rod.  I think it was a long term problem resulting from salt water and sand immersion when Foster was turned upside down end over end in surf off Punta Ipala.  .  

One guitar string.   Result of operator error.   Always make sure the knob you are tightening is the string you are trying to tune.    

Bottom paint failure.   This fell off the new rudder in flakes from the point of first launch.   I must have missed a step in the process. General failure of the bottom paint occurred in less than a year.   It was still attached to the hull - it just failed to discourage all manner of worms, barnacles, and green hairy stuff from taking up residence on the hull.   The new super toxic Mexican bottom paint seems to be able to kill a whale shark at 40 yards.  

On top of the above, the boat receives near constant maintenance.   I can maybe recall one electrical failure, but I seem to remember near constant stripping, crimping, and soldering as various bits of lighting, fans, electronics, etc were installed or upgraded.   The multimeter does not lead an idle life.   My hand rails perpetually need another coat.    What's with rust on stainless?   We don't get that back home.   The list never ever gets completed.  

I have been really impressed with the operation, performance, and reliability of many of boats systems.   However, after bragging about my head at the cruiser's cocktail hour only to become the victim of a pressurized poo storm the very next day, I now do not comment on what is going well.   Perhaps another day from the comfort of a sofa in the middle of winter.
#28
Main Message Board / How Tall for Trucking?
May 22, 2010, 05:31:06 PM
Anyone have any idea on the height from bottom of a standard keel to the top of the coachroof / stanchions?   The truckers are competing for my business...

Thanks!
#29
Main Message Board / Water pump failure
March 10, 2010, 08:01:16 PM
Somewhere on the way to Barra de Navidad my high output alternator packed it in.   The heat at the output was so high it melted down the insulation and started arcing and sparking.   Of course I had wired it directly to the battery bank to avoid the "brother in law fries the alternator diodes by turning off the switch" problem.   The only downside of direct to bank wiring is that if you have a failure at the alternator you can't turn off the switch and stop the arcing.   So there I was with a wrench undoing the connection at the fuse.    Nothing ever goes wrong with the engine in port. I always end up doing repairs at sea.  

Such was case coming from Barra to Yelapa.   I heard a slight tick.   To me it sounded like a problem with a water pump.   So I tore apart the raw water pump.  Couldn't find any problem.   Started up the engine and we decided to run at 2000 rpm until we got into Yelapa.   After a while there was a crunch and a screech and a lot of shouting to turn the engine off.   The fresh water pump had packed it in.  The shaft completely failed.  

Fortunately, back in the planning stages, somebody on this board convinced me to bring a spare.  Installation did not go that smoothly.   The hose fitting on the top of the pump did not come with the new one.   Just a threaded hole in the pump.  The old pump had a pressed in fitting.  I ended up removing the old fitting with vice grips clamped onto the fitting with a screwdriver in the middle so the tube wouldn't get crushed.  Then I had to drill out the nice threads on the new pump and tap the old fitting in.  

Thankfully the wind had picked up so we were still making five knots while repairs were underway.  Unfortunately it meant doing the work while we were heeled over.   But at least it was done before nightfall and we arrived in Yelapa at dawn after motoring all night.  

Moral of the story:   if you buy the water pump from the tractor store, make sure you order the little fitting that the hose goes onto so you don't have to drill your new water pump out to make it work.
#30
Main Message Board / Help - OEM Alternator Connections
February 16, 2010, 08:52:50 AM
My new high output alternator is fried.   

I'm currently under sail between Manzanillo and Tenacatita attempting to rewire my old alternator.   Memory has failed and my pictures of the connections are on a dead computer.   So...

Does anybody know offhand what the connections are for the old motorola alternator?   

I have the positive output connected.
I have the tack wire connected.

Is there a ground wire? where does it connect?
Is there a field wire?  (a postitive connection) where does it connect? 

There seem to be a lot more terminals on the back than I thought.  I don't remember how many were connected and to what.   Thanks for any speedy answers / suggestions.

#31
Main Message Board / Chubasco
January 17, 2010, 08:53:00 AM
We were ashore for tamales the other night.    A little rain and wind storm blew through as we were at dinner.   Soon there was no power and 4 inches of water in the street.   We had another margeurita in candlelight and took some solace that it wasn't a named storm, so at least the insurance deductible wouldn't be outrageous.   There was absolutely nothing we could do for the boat at that moment. 

In twenty minutes it was all over.   We returned to the main pier as our friends launched their dingy to give us a ride to the boat.   The canvas shelters at the cruise ship dock were blown down into the water, with twisted metal frames.  There were plastic restaurant chairs floating half a mile off shore.   Zihuatanejo Bay was full of debris.  The good news was that we saw an anchor light where our boat should have been.   Many of the other boats were nowhere near the positions they were in when we went ashore.

We arrived to find the dingy upside down.   It still had the oars tied in.   The spinnaker unpacked itself from the bag and lay in its sock on the foredeck, the bag hanging over the side with the clips on the lifeline.   The inflatable kayaks which were on deck, not tied down, were still there wedged between shrouds and lifelines.  An empty styrofoam cooler that was on our foredeck somehow ended up in the cockpit with the lid still on. 

The open starboard ports will be a subject of family discussion for some years to come.   Inside the settee cushions were soaked.   Two laptops on the main salon table were dripping wet and non functional.   Foster was a both terrified and delighted that all his electronic text books were wiped out - no more school!   After a day of drying in the sun, it appears the only casualty was a single little boat cushion that got sucked out of the cockpit.   The solar panels didn't budge.   GPS showed we hadn't dragged.

Winds were reported at 50 kts plus.    A friend on a 48 footer broached twice, once to starboard and once to port at anchor.   The harbour was nothing but blowing white foam.

Elsewhere in the anchorage, there is a 75 pound CQR and its broken chain lying on the bottom with a couple of outboards from dingies that flipped over and dropped their loads off the transom.  There is enough awning repair work to keep a canvas maker busy for a long time.   A few boats got very wet.   

It was our first Chubasco.   Judging by the somewhat shell shocked reactions of the other cruisers, I think I'll be quite content to experience our next Chubasco safely in a restaurant.  Next time maybe one that isn't open to the wind with a leaky roof...

I love my Rocna.  I love my Rocna.
#32
1500 mile interim report.

Total distance 1503 miles
Average speed 4.6 kts
Maximum speed 11.6 kts (that was fun!)



We've now travelled 1500 miles, mostly on open ocean.  It's probably worth reporting on how things are working out from the perspective of upgrades and improvements which are always of interest on the forum.   

Things that we love and are very happy that we did:

- tool storage in the companionway - perhaps the singular best improvement on the boat

- the bimini, solar panels, and batteries - great protection from the sun.  We could go forever without pluggin in.   Never depleted the battery bank below 75%.  I still haven't installed the new high output alternator or separate start battery.   Seems like we may have more capacity than we need, but that is exactly where we want to be as we head south and refrigeration loads increase and the watermaker runs a few hours a day.

- new interior upholstery - it's our home and its very comfortable

- new chartplotter with radar and AIS - large 8 inch screen on a bracket at the companionway.  This is the perfect position for the instrument.   Weekend sailing, you stand behind the wheel.   Doing serious miles, you relax more comfortably in the cockpit and you can't see instruments behind the wheel.  AIS is amazing.  I thought it was poor mans radar, but it is much better than radar if you are trying to figure out what a vessel is up to (speed, direction, position, closest approach, vessel name and MMSI number right there for you).   And best of all, the whole thing folds into the companionway so we don't worry about expensive electronics being left outside.   

- diesel heater - never would have believed how cold it is.  You expect it offshore in Washington and Oregon, but California has been very cold.

- collapsible salad spinner and collapsible strainer - Tracey likes having these items on board - new silicon versions knock flat and take up no space (what the hell, this isn't a boat improvement??  Actually, yes it is.  You just have to stop thinking that the boat is about the bits you bolt in and wire up and think of it as place for total family comfort and daily living and you will have a happier crew than if put the money into a new traveller.)

- the propane refit - I think I would be going nuts by now if I had to drag little metal bottles around to have them refilled. 

- a good chefs knife

- the table shrink in the main salon - way better access

- overhead lee cloths on the shelves - fantastic.   Never had anything fall out and the shelves are stuffed to twice the old capacity with everything visible for easy access

- new mainsail, lazy jacks - awesome.  Big difference.   

- reefing in the cockpit - this is where reefing belongs - and separate lines for tack and clew are the way to go

- sewing machine - like it so much I brought it with us

- ventilating the refridgeration space with 4 inch holes intake and exhaust holes and a muffin fan.   Draws a little more power, but doesn't run as long using way less energy.

- weather cloths in the cockpit

Things we should have spent more time / money on:

- foam in the bed mattresses - I went cheap and didn't replace the foam.   We still sleep in comfort, but I've added a mattress topper and wooden slats in the aft and a 3" memory foam topper in the v-berth.   We are now extremly comfy, but access underneath positively sucks. 

- genoa sheets - the only bit of running rigging on the boat I didn't replace.   I was punished for it.

- the main sail cover - I recut the old one and put a zipper in the top.  It turns out even sunbrella eventually dies.   Concept is great, but I should have bought new fabric as the old is worn out.   I'm going to have to redo this as I have some tearing around the reef lines. 

- scupper hoses - I replaced these "above waterline" hoses with whatever cheap crap the guy at West Marine said would be good.   When you have a big following sea off the Oregon coast at 2 o'clock in the morning, your scupper hoses are not above the water and there is no comfort in cheap hoses that could get ripped if something shifted down there - I replaced these in Coos Bay with exhaust style hose.

- bilge pump set up - I have four bilge pumps:  2 high capacity electric with hoses to the transom, 1 tiny electric, 1 manual in the cockpit.   

The tiny one (300 or 500 gph) drains to a T in the sink drain and has the lowest switch.  This is the maintenance pump that keeps the bilge water level low. It also has power through the main switch on the panel because closing the sink drain through hull on an active bilge pump could cause quite a mess.   

The big ones (2000 gph each) have separate circuits with fuses to the battery.   The switches on these pumps are mounted higher and one of the switches also runs the bilge alarm since I want to know about it if these pumps ever operate.   

Disturbingly, I have heard the bilge alarms go off.   In bigger seas, particularly under power, water slops in to the factory bilge through hull.   For the second high capacity pump, I put the discharge through hull in the place of the old propane locker vent.    So now I have a check valve on the factory bilge pump.  Not ideal.   I may consider moving the discharge higher.

Things we've done, that haven't yet proved their worth:

- wireless remote for the autopilot - never bother to turn it on.   We just reach back to the control head on the pedestal and push the buttons by feel

- lifelines - Amsteel may be extremely strong, but it elongates.   We have to retension often.   More chafe than I would like.   I think bare stainless might be a better choice.

- series drogue - this is really storm force stuff.  Easy enough to transit the coast and avoid storm force conditions.   A little gale now and then and the boat can stand up to it.   But when it starts blowing, you never know how bad it will get...

- camp stove toaster - this is the jobby was supposed to be the corrosion free version that goes on the stove burner.  They lied.

- liferaft - but I wouldn't leave home without it.   Truthfully, I don't know how people actually deploy these things if it is a storm that is sinking the boat.   

- the spinnaker - positively beautiful, but very underutilized, only popped it twice on the cruise so far.  Hoping this changes in the future.

- watermaker - only just commissioned it.   It is a pain in the butt to clean filters etc.   I would never bother if cruising Canada / US.  We will probably grow to love it in Mexico   

- cabin fans - we have four.   On maybe 2 days we have felt that they are useful.  Again, once the butter melts... 

- print as you go charts.   I have two chartplotters, but cannot sail without hard copy.  My concept was to print out the NOAA chart books as we go.  Bad idea.  Hate the little charts.  Hate printing them, collating them and putting them into sleeves.  I've bought chart books.    I couldn't store or afford full size charts for the whole coast.  Chart books are a good comprimise. 

- autopilot - it's performed better than I thought it would.  I wouldn't cross an ocean with it alone.

Stuff still on my "to do" list:

- shade awning
- cockpit side shade curtains (block 75% light, still allow breeze - phiffertex)
- window covers (same fabric will run full length outside and snap on providing shade and bug protection)


Overall it has been a fantastic trip.   I find it really interesting on the whole debate of what makes an offshore sail boat.   It is unbelievable how much BS floats around and how many people have opinions but no experience based on the particular boat they happen to have an opinion on.  I now believe it matters far more how the boat is prepared than what boat it is.  Obviously you need a minimum standard in terms of hull integrity and rig strength and I think the Catalina 34 has that easilly.   The question is can the boat and crew be prepared for offshore?   I believe the answer question lies only with the skipper who does the preparation.  In our case, we have had a fairly good shakedown cruise and I rate the boat highly.   I've had "experienced" sailors who were aghast that I would take my family with no offshore experience in a Catalina 34 from Vancouver to San Francisco - a nasty bit of coast.   And it takes some serious thought to call bull#### and say you're up to the challenge having never sailed in an ocean swell.  I've also had experienced sailors who say go to the Marquesas and you'll find a lot of less capable boats than yours crewed by Europeans having the time of their lives.   And you'll also find North Americans with real fancy boats with a lot of broken bits waiting for parts. 

So that's the next question.   Are we offshore sailors?   Tracey doesn't fancy bashing up the coast.   She thinks it's much easier to turn right.   But 3000 miles is a big commitment.   We'll have an answer by February or so... 
#33
Main Message Board / Installing a Water Maker
October 01, 2009, 01:36:35 PM
Installation is complete.  

I chose a 150 gallon per day "water maker" from Spectra.    (Foster keeps pointing out to me that it doesn't make water, it just takes the salt out of it. )

The math is interesting.  Oriinally, I thought I would go with a Katadyn unit that does 40 gallons per day.   It consumes 4A compared to the Spectra unit's 9A and would have more than met our 15 gallon per day consumption requirement.  

The dealer actually gave me a good education.   We only need to run the Spectra unit for a couple of hours a day instead of 9 or 10 hours a day on the lower output unit.   More importantly, The Spectra unit is about 1.5 Ah per gallon compared to 2.6 Ah/g for the Katadyn.  

The main components are in shown in Photo 1.   From the right side clockwise in order of flow we have: 1) dedicated through hull 2) raw water strainer 3) feed pump 4) accumulator 5) 20 micron prefilter 6) 5 micron prefilter.    These components are all located in the locker under the seat forward of the main salon table.   I still have room for a lot of storage in this locker.   Also visible in the photo are a transducer (under the strainer) and the AB refridgeration in the upper left corner.   Photo 2 shows the pump unit.   Flow from these component goes forward to the Clark pump in photo 3. 

The fridge unit used to run in this compartment with no ventillation.   I added insulation on the ice box and put two 4 inch vents, one with a muffin fan wired in parallel with the fridge.   This fan and vents provide excellent air exchange and reduced the cycle time on the fridge by half.  I would still vent this cabinet for the watermaker pump motor alone if I did not have refridgeration here.   

The clark pump and membrane unit is located under the drawer in the v-berth.   5/8 inch hose brings filtered water from for input.  Another 5/8 hose goes to an above water thru hull located at the top of the hanging locker for brine discharge.   1/4 inch tubing takes the product water output to valves and guages under the sink.  

The water tastes great.   It's easy to operate.   I just open a couple of valves and turn a switch on the panel.   Water begins to flow out the sample tube.   I sample it with a salinity meter and then divert it to the tank.  

We decided that a convenient supply of fresh safe water was an important consideration for our Mexican trip.   I do not think I would want to be bothered with a water maker for ordinary cruising.   We go a week without having to fill and would generally find ourselves at a marina or fuel dock during that time frame with ready access to water.    


#34
Main Message Board / Propane Refit
September 25, 2009, 09:50:23 AM
I see some talk of propane on another thread and realized I never did post pictures of my refit.   It's completely untested at this point - there are only 1250 sea miles on it and it hasn't been in any seas much over 15 feet.    Given this very limited shakedown, I have to say I'm delighted with the conversion.   

The new style bottles give me huge capacity.   They are light weight for the cantilevered platform.  Easy to check the levels.  Most importantly they aren't in the aft locker.   

Construction is 3/4 plywood, epoxy laminated to 1.5 inches, with wooden locator blocks.   Shelf is cantilevered off the stern with support line of amsteel to the rail.  I reused the through fitting from the old box to bring the line through the deck.   Old scraps of sunbrella were stitched together for a cover with an opening flap on top to access the valves.   

I've refilled once in two months of cruising. 

The only upgrade I want to make is a T fitting to run the grill and stove off the same bottle.  Right now I have a dedicated bottle for each application.  Running them off one bottle will allow me to completely drain one so I'm not dragging half full bottles off for filling and messing with bottle swaps and green cannisters.   
#35
Main Message Board / Loose Stairs / Engine Cover
September 10, 2009, 04:23:29 PM
I had a problem with the lower stairs and the horizontal engine cover being a bit loose and not having a tight fit.   I was going to laminate shims to the side but decided to go after the root of the problem.   The bulkeads to the head and/or aft cabin seem to have spread apart over the years.   To pull them back together I thought of some vertical boards alongside the door openings, but instead opted for a threaded stainless steel rod that goes right across the top forward part of engine compartment.   Worked like a charm.   Anybody else have the same issue?   What did you do or think of doing?




#36
Main Message Board / Early Stage Homelessness
July 30, 2009, 07:52:29 PM
We are now homeless.   Early stage homelessness.   That is to say we still have cars and we haven't yet exhausted the goodwill of friends and family who have been housing us.  Tomorrow we lose the cars and start bumming rides.

But it's all for a good cause. 

The boat is not ready.   The boat will never be ready.   But it's looking pretty good.   Today I had an emergency tiller fabricated - the last "must have" item.    The rest of the bits we'll finish as we go.   

Saturday we drop the homeless status and move aboard and sail away.   It should be fun.  Ready or not, here we come.   

#37
Main Message Board / Comms Panel
July 19, 2009, 09:34:54 PM
If you are ever wondering where do you put a VHF, SSB, Stereo deck, Pactor Modem and a new subpanel to switch your toys on...
#38
Main Message Board / What to Do With the Old Table
July 19, 2009, 09:29:04 PM
The top of my hanging locker was dominated by an oversized microwave.    I downsized the microwave somewhat and cut up the remains of the salon table, my old cockpit table, and a coffee table that Scupper ate to rework the area.

Now the microwave faces the galley.  It's bumped up higher to allow storage of a couple of laptops, modems etc underneath.   I have a dedicated drawer for my pencil and dividers.   There's room above for our finest acrylic stemware and spots for storing cylinders.   One of them a champagne bottle that I found in my halyard bag from Ocean Spirit - a MKII that's a few slips down. 

I still have to plug, sand, and varnish the fiddles, but I think packing the house is starting to be a higher priority.  Oh, yeah and putting new formica on the kitchen counter top.   And one day with Bob's help, I promise I'll put all this in the wiki.

#39
Main Message Board / Ikea Dioder Lights
July 19, 2009, 09:03:02 PM
Someone here suggested Ikea Dioder lights.   I don't have the equipment or skills to photograph lighting, but they are awesome.  I put 4 of the little round pucks underneath shelves on each side and 4 of the multicolored strips in the drip gutters above.   The multicolors allow red lighting for maintaining night vision.   Foster likes them because he can cycle through all the colors and have the coolest party boat in the anchorage.   

All up they provide great light in the cabin.   1.4 Amps total draw with 16 fixtures lighted up.   


#40
Main Message Board / Entertainment Unit
July 19, 2009, 08:52:08 PM
I never thought I would have a TV on a boat, let alone a video game system.   But I had to make a few concessions to drag the family away for a year.   

The entertainment unit below houses a Wii console and 1.5TB of data storage.   The data storage has hundreds of movies loaded and ready to go.   The RCA connectors on top will be connected to the ship's stereo.  A laptop contols the movies so the fold down leather padded shelf gives us a place to put the laptop instead of piling it up on books at the nav station like we did last year to reach the foot long connector for the ipod.   

#41
Main Message Board / Lee Cloths
July 19, 2009, 08:38:32 PM
Needed to make a couple of good sea berths.   I added in lee cloths.

For attachments I replaced the acorn nuts at the chainplates with eye nuts.   

I liked the lee cloths and got to thinking about extending the concept to the upper shelves.   They have huge benefits up there.   No more stuff leaping off the shelf.   Plus you can overstuff them with blankets, bread, veggies or tool bags and they are like little hammocks.  Still easy to put stuff up there but nothing comes out unless you grab the edge of the cloth and pull it down.   My first inclination was woodwork and cabinetry, but  this is lighter, less visually imposing, and lets you see what you have stored away. 
#42
Main Message Board / Sink Splash
July 19, 2009, 08:22:01 PM
The new upholstery was getting splashed from the sink.   I had a piece of acrylic left over from forward hatch replacement so I added in a splash guard to match the paper towel holder and storage do-dad.   

Don't mean to clog the message board with this stuff, but thought I'd better capture it before I pack away the home computer.   It might be a while before we have wifi again.   

#43
I have a new salon table.    Actually it's a cockpit table that I made for my old boat re-purposed.   Requirements were as follows:

- much smaller than the old table to allow easy movement around
- still useable as a bed
- no complicated folding mechanisms to whack knees

Bonus features include the following:

- drawers underneath for cutlery and school supplies
- extension to the port side for cocktail placement from the port settee

I took the the old table and added about 3 inches on each side and trimmed it around with black walnut.   So it's made of mahogany, maple, birch, walnut, and teak.   I recycled the fiddles from the old salon table.   The side fiddles (fore and aft actually) are on removable pins.   The pins will allow me to make a couple of simple inserts that have a matching alignment of pins so they will drop in easily.   Photo 3 shows the fiddles removed as I am measuring up for the inserts.   

This table already makes a huge improvement in our enjoyment of the salon. 



#44
Main Message Board / New Mainsail Management
July 11, 2009, 09:08:54 PM
With the new sail came new sail handling.    We were without lazyjacks so we decided to add some.   Makes handling the main much easier.   

I cut open the top of our sail cover and added in a zipper and created a batten pocket with 2" webbing that runs full length.   I went with really expensive battens - 1/2 inch pvc tubing from Home Depot - $4 a side!   Some grommets on the top to attach the lazy jacks and I stitched the bottom of the cover to the sail.   Seems to work well, though I think I made it a bit tight.   Now we just drop it and zip it.  No more fights with flogging sail on the cabin top.     



#45
Main Message Board / Aftlocker Refit
July 05, 2009, 09:03:42 PM
I'm not sure Catalina had their best guy on the job when they designed the aft locker on the MKI.     There was an oversized shelf hammered together with common nails and a propane locker designed to block access to all space.   I decided it was time to refit the space.

I used an old sail to create a number of bags to organize the space.   Catalina left through bolts at the hull deck joint.   I simply joined the bags along the transom and sides with wing nuts through gromets on the bags.   Snaps join the front edge of the bag to a reduced sized shelf over the quadrant. 

Underneath the bags there is still plenty of room for storage.   Those old halyards are there.   Along with a couple of prawn traps and several hundred feet of anchor rode and chain along with a 33lb claw anchor.   The bitter end goes around the rudder shaft.   In the bags there is plenty of room to store fenders along with a 100 cone series drogue and danforth anchor.   Plenty of stopping power.   I have a full sized ditch bag with EPIRB, water etc.   

There is still a ton of room to store the life raft along with a half dozen bags of garbage.   Now everything can go in and smoothly without any snags.


#46
My cast aluminum fitting for the emergency tiller pretty much welded itself to the stock of the rudder.   I cracked it dropping the rudder today.  (Please don't ask how or I will have to admit to what I did.)    It's still serviceable as a retaining collar for a day or two, but will need replacement.  I would like to stick my schedule and splash on Tuesday.  Not sure how quickly I can get a new one delivered to Vancouver. 

So here's the question.  Can the cap be removed and replaced with the rudder in the water or is this a major pain in the ass?   

It seems to be the bearing surface for the rudder and I fear the rudder will drop to the quadrant level and I'll have a major challenge getting the bolt in on the new one.  Or maybe the new rudder just floats and it's no problem.   Let me know what you know. 

I had no problem loosening the bolts for the rudder yesterday - thru bolt in the quadrant and the thru bolt on the cap.   The quadrant was amazingly clean and corrosion free underneath.   And then I came home yesterday and read the instructions which said I had to loosen the four bolts that hold the quadrant together.   Major pain in the butt!   Stainless tapped into aluminum.   Got one out.  Sheared one off.   Couldn't budge two of them.   Managed to drop the rudder anyway.   

Somewhere somebody made reference to pulling the panel in the aft cabin to gain access.  Don't bother doing this (at least for old MKIs).    Pull the propane locker.  Remove the plywood shelf.   Pull all the crap out of your aft locker and go spelunking.   There is plenty of room in there if you get the crap out. 

#47
Main Message Board / Mainsail luff dimension
June 26, 2009, 01:50:59 PM
Has anyone actually measured their main?   I just laid my new one on top of my old and was horrified to discover that the new one was more than a foot longer.  I pulled out the trusty tape measure and the new one is 38'4" with no luff tension (hard to achieve luff tension on the front lawn).   

The specification is 38'6" which is about what the new main will be under tension. 

Am I in trouble at this length?   The old one didn't appear to go all the way up the mast, but I never had a close look at how far short it was. 

The leech on the new one is shorter which is great because it hangs a little low with the old sail and I could bump my head on the boom.   New one has an extra batten and more roach.   

If I'm too long, I would rather know before I pound rivets on the headboard.   On the other hand, I won't really know if I'm too long until I put a headboard on and hoist it.   Any help is appreciated. 

#48
Main Message Board / Land Transport
June 23, 2009, 09:47:27 PM
Foster decided he wanted to take a bike to Mexico.   It's hard enough to figure out where to put propane tanks let alone bikes.   So a little work on ebay and the bike problem is solved.   Weighs about 12 lbs.   Easy to fit a dozen of them under the v-berth.   Probably useless on a dirt road in Baja, but around the docks or shopping in town,  he'll be sure to meet lots of new friends...   
#49
Main Message Board / Tack Cutback?
June 23, 2009, 02:09:03 PM
For anyone who happens to be at their boat and has a standard mainsail on slides...

Is the tack cut back from the mast?   That is to say is there a wedge missing out of the sail to accomodate the goosneck fitting?   If so, how far back from the mast is the big grommet for the tack (distance from forward edge of the hole to the mast)?

Thanks.  I want to start attaching my boltrope and need to trim some sailcloth first...
#50
Main Message Board / My New "Business" Card
June 02, 2009, 09:20:37 PM
I created a draft of my new "business" card today.

It has no title.

There is no mailing address.

There are no telephone or fax numbers. 

I'm listed with my fellow crew members, and the dog Scupper is in the same font as me.

A gmail address is now my main point of contact.   

The enterprise is called S/V Blackdragon.

My MMSI number is listed.  It's good for VHF and SSB, and 95% of people will have absolutely no idea what that means, but everyone I give a card to will understand.

2 months and counting.