Messages

I bumped into Dawn Treader (a MK1) recently in Mexico.   Peter has using lithium which would be the ultimate battery set up for distance cruising, but I think it is still in the enthusiast category.    Knowledgeable user required. 

Golf carts are your best choice. 

For the alternator, if you are going big, a few things.   You need temp compensation, a belt system upgrade, and external regulation.    You will fry alternators and wear out water pump bearings if your system is not well designed.   Consider one of the moderately sized Leece Neville units with internal regulation.  Can't beat it for simplicity.    Assume you will need to replace an alternator offshore in the middle of the night.   How complex do you want the job to be? 

Solar.   You cannot have enough.   When you think you have enough.  Find a way to put on more.    I have an 1100 Watt system and I am thinking of putting another 600W on my arch as we cruise full time on our cat.

Went to an electrical seminar from Nigel Calder this weekend.    He bought his own book online for $20 because it is way cheaper than he can get it from the publisher.   He tried to buy 20, but they wouldn't let him.   This is a phenomenal deal.    If you don't have a copy, get it now before they fix this glitch in the online shopping world.

I watched it last night. You put some very nice features into that boat, the new owners are very lucky. What is sitting above the hanging locker near to the navigation station. Couldn't quite see it in the video.

Above the nav is a mount for the microwave.   Underneath is a slot for laptop storage accessible from forward.   Far on the port side - divided storage for a half a dozen bottles of wine.    Above wine glass storage.   Nothing but the finest acrylic for Blackdragon.

How often does a NiCad or Li Ion angle grinder battery need to be topped off?

Dang -- Out of sight, out of mind?

ken

With NiCad you can watch your grinder literally grind to a slow halt as you're halfway through the job.    With Li you'll speed to the halfway point and abruptly stop!   Does anybody make NiCad anymore?   It's not good for an application like this.   Li will hold a charge in storage much longer.   I actually rotate batteries regularly through charge cycles and use them for drill, grinder, vacuum, light, jigsaw, and OK I'll confess I've been doing some projects and also have a circular saw and reciprocating saw on board using the same batteries...  And I use the cheap Ryobi ones because they hurt less when you drop them overboard.

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

Not sure I agree with most here.   Just did a safety at sea course this weekend.    One of the segments was focussed entirely on cutting away rigging after a dismasting.

1.) find jobs for the crew not involved and get them off the deck (it's not going to be stable or safe up there)
2.) hammer and punch - pull the cotter pins and drive out the clevis pins on the slack shrouds and stays
3.) stop and think - the loaded wires are going somewhere.   Where?   be safe.  If you are an easy motor to the club, cut it loose.   If your in the middle of an ocean develop a plan to save what you can.
4.) cordless grinder with a stainless zip disc is your quickest, cleanest solution - I keep one in my "Oh ####" bag
5.) also good cable cutter for stranded rig / bolt cutters for rod rigging.   If you have in your mind that you are going to cut stranded shrouds with a cheap bolt cutter, try it first!
6) have a hacksaw and a half dozen bimetal blades - your most reliable backup. 

We spent an hour and tried all the methods on all types of rigging.   There is no place on my boat for bolt cutters now (I have a weight sensitive cat nowadays).  A large set of geared cable cutters would be good (but too heavy and expensive for my liking).  Small cable cutters or bolt cutters are not useful (for me).   The zip disc I used on at half dozen other metal cutting jobs on our cruise to Alaska this summer.  Very useful beyond cutting rig away.   Get the same brand as your cordless drill so you have two or more batteries. 

My head is in a couple of Volvos and a small Kubota on my genset so the mindspace reserved for the Beta has been purged!   In any case I did the repower with the same fixed 3 blade prop I always had.   I don't recall prop size / pitch but it was standard issued Catalina 34.     Likewise I don't recall RPMs achieved but my recollection was it was a perfect replacement for the M25XP it replaced.   There was no need to do anything with the prop.   I was quite happy with the 25 at the time and distinctly recall being glad I didn't go to the 30.   Though I imagine if I had squeezed the 30 in, it likely would not have been too much power. 

Sofie Rose is safe in Freeport. 

The USCG Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) Miami advised the boat watch is cancelled for the S/V SOPHIE ROSE.  The S/V SOPHIE ROSE is safe in Freeport, Bahamas.

Glenn Tuttle - Net Manager
SSCA Radio "KPK"
0715 hrs EST on SSB frequency 8.104
KPK@ssca.org

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

i installed one.    Port side lazarette.   Direct tap down to fuel tank.   Exhaust out transom.   Hinged protective barrier to prevent contact with loose objects in the lazarette.    4 inch duct runs behind bathroom cabinets over the toilet roll holder, through the hanging locker aft of the nav, underneath the nav desk outboard, in the space behind the seats up high and ultimately into the forward cabin behind the drawers.    Used a holesaw to cut the ducts.    Shortened one drawer in the forward cabin.    2 inch feed to the the aft cabin.   4 inch port in main cabin at base of the hanging locker.    Another drop forward cabin.    It is actually not that difficult of install.    Ducts don't take up any useable space

I mounted eye nuts on the back of the bolts for the companionway stairs and ran web straps back to separate eye nuts mounted under the engine panel and similar location on stbd side.   Essentially cockpit jack lines.  Clip on before entering cockpit and you have a free run around the wheel.  Anybody alone at night was clipped in.  Forward work required waking up the off watch. 

Congratulations Stu and welcome to Canada!   If you bump into Salish Dragon, come alongside.  I'll have five cleats for you to tie off on with no bull rails.  25ig Rocna and 200 feet of 3/8 chain should keep us on the bottom. 

Epic trip well done. 

Tom,

Very interesting.   John Neal of Mahina featured the Manta 40 as one of his ten bluewater choices during the boat selection portion of a seminar we went to.   At dinner I explained to him that we had planned to look at a Manta 40 the next day, but his pictures of upside down cats did nothing to convince Tracey that buying a boat that is equally stable upright or inverted was a good idea.   She was diehard mono.    John just looked at Tracey and said, "You'll never flip a Manta".    Once we saw the boat the choice was obvious.   

Steve

Hi Tom,

You'll find Blackdragon over at Burrard Civic.    We did get a new cat.   1999 Manta 40.   We keep it at Reed Point.   I think we'll be over at Keats on the weekend.

This boat is wildly different than a Catalina 34.    It's just built for a whole different purpose.   It's not a performance cat.   It's not a charter cat with sliding patio doors and flybridge.   It's decently performing cruising cat designed for a couple to sail around the world with absolute ease and comfort.   Acres of solar, water maker, SSB, air conditioning, genset, Leisurefurl, etc. etc.    The systems are amazing.   It is such a pleasure to sail.   You can fart and it will do 4 knots.   Sneeze and it will do 10.   

We can't wait to finish the lease on our townhouse and move aboard.  Foster starts engineering school in a few weeks.   We'll give him a year or so to settle in.  Probably shake down in Alaska next summer and turn left the summer after.    We'll come back when it's not fun any more.   Maybe when we are 60.   Maybe when we are 80.   

Hi Joel,

Yes I was happy with the Beta right up to the end.   I would definitely go down the same path again.   Having said that, the oil pan gasket began to leak just after I sold the boat.     Tightening the bolts didn't fix the problem.   The new owner went to Beta (I left him the receipt for the engine buy).   The dealer pulled the pan and replaced the gasket for him at no charge under warranty.   

I think they are good engines and the service here locally is great.   But then maybe it's not fair to compare a new Beta with a 25 year old Universal.   Maybe the new Universals are just as good.   I don't know.    I have a pair of Volvos now with saildrives.   Just spent 20K on a new leg and prop that suffered impact damage.   It sort of sucks to buy a new Volvo and not get any leather seats or power windows!  I would kill for a pair of Betas with conventional shafts and stuffing boxes.    Though I have to say, I do like folding props...