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A full month!!!

Jealousy is starting to creep in.   How do I go about getting your job??????

How much high speed planing are you planning on doing?

I don't have any first hand experience with DriveSaver but I couldn't pass that up.

Some of their claims seem slightly dubious.   You'll still have electrolysis issues via the raw water cooling system.   The flexible, non-metallic barrier between your transmission and shaft seems as if it would reduce fuel efficiency.

The one claim that makes sense to me is "THE DRIVESAVER absorbs the extreme shock and torque of collision, breaks apart, and leaves your transmission and engine intact."    If it can truly do that it may be worth it regardless of how dubious their other claims may be.

It can't impede the flow more then a big clump of kelp does.    I'm unclear on whether or not I have a strainer on  mine.  I've only had the boat two months and the only time I've seen it out of the water was pre-purchase (when I wasn't away of our sea monster issues).   I'll certainly be putting one on at the next haul out.


So here is another wild and crazy idea.    With so many thru-hulls in the same spot could you hook the raw water up to more then one?   I would expect that you then couldn't ever create enough suction to pull an obstruction in as once one thru-hull was clogged you would just start pulling from the other.   

Am I over engineering this and should I just stick with the stainer?

The sea monsters are at it again.   On the way out from Gig Harbor on our way back to our home port in Tacoma sea monsters attacked Ballou.   (Why do that have it in for C34s?).     We were 3/4 the way across the upper part of Tacoma Narrows when the engine stopped pumping water and the temperature shot up.   We immediately turned tail and headed back towards Gig Harbor.   By the time we were 1/4 mile out of the entrance the temperature gauge had pegged itself right along with my blood pressure.   Being that we were in 250 feet of water and that peak flood was scheduled for 45 minutes later stopping was not an option.    We made a beeline for shore and I told my crew (my father) to let go the anchor when we hit 75 feet.   Now I know that anchoring in 75 feet isn't that unusual for everyone else who sails in the Northwest.   For me, ( I grew up on the Chesapeake where I don't think I ever anchored in more then 10 feet of water) believing that an anchor can hold in 75 feet with four knots of currents is the equivalent of thinking that a deathbed conversion could save my soul after a life time of sin (its possible just not very likely).   

By some miracle the anchor held.   Now with our pulse slowing we set about solving the issue at hand.   The impeller proved OK but the raw water strainer produced a golf ball size clump of seaweed.   We thought we had solved the issue but after cleaning the filter and reassembling everything we still pumped no water.   

Opening the seacock without anything attached proved that no water was getting through.   Some poking with odd bits of wire produced only a trickle.    I was fishing through my clothes for my bathing suit when my father pointed out that it was I who had had the foresight to look at the current tables before leaving and that 4 knots of current who simply sweep me away and leave him newly promoted to captain but with a still clogged water intake.

Ultimately the solution was relatively simple.   With a reassembled strainer and the intake hose detached from the impeller housing I blew with all my might on the end of the hose.   This failed miserably.   Then my father (with a slight chuckle) pointed out that he still had the seacock closed).   He opened the seacock, I once again blew with all my might and we we rewarded with the sound of a rush of bubbles outside the hull. 

With everything reassembled we fired up the engine and were rewarded with the happy gurgle of water being ejected from the stern.

The hardest part of the whole experience was getting the anchor back up.   Even with the Ballou powering against the current hauling up 300 feet of anchor rode was a workout that I will not soon forget. 

I'm not sure how many Karma points we used up getting the anchor to set on the first try, but its good to know that you can successfully anchor those conditions.

However, I think we need a bounty on these sea monsters.   They obviously have it in for C34s for some reason that is not under stood by us mere mortals.

I have a tall rig with a dodger and a bimini.   The dodger and bimini have a piece of sunbrella with a plastic window insert that connect the two.   I'll try and take some measurements and pics this weekend to share.   The system works well but you have to make sure you duck when going under the dodger.

That's my fear with Tacoma.   I was hoping that someone would assure me that Tacoma would defy expectations.

I think you might have a slightly calmer environment.   I expect that in Tacoma you jostle with innumerable runabouts.   I've heard good things about the Fort Warden display.  I hope it lives up to its reputation for you.

Has anyone experienced the 4th of July festivities in Tacoma from their boat?    I was wondering if its worth going out and jostling with the other boats off of Old Town?

Is this the right part? 

http://shop.torresen.com/ships_store/index.php?p=details&ident=143856&mfc=Universal&sku=301068&prod_name=Universal+Zinc+Anode+3%2F8+NPT+X+1-1%2F2&sectionid=Zincs

  I'm new to my boat and I have no idea of my status on this issue.   If I go to the trouble of yanking the HX apart I'd like to have a zinc standing by if I need it :)

At this point I've bought the West Marine dehumidifier and am leaving the head hatch slightly cracked to supplement the two dorades.  In addition McAfee's "The Warm Dry Boat" is on hold for me at the local library and I plan to give it a thorough reading.

I've pretty much decided against a peltier unit.   I don't want to be the first fool to put one on a boat only to see its delicate electronics corrode in the salt air.

My tentative plan was to get one of the west marine units as well as one of the Peltier dehumidifiers.   The point behind the Peltier unit is to help remove moisture when we're on board and sleeping with the cabin closed up (no matter how hard I try I can't keep my family and guests from exhaling water vapor).

Do the damp rid buckets and/or the west marine unit keep up with the moisture when the boat is filled with sleeping people?

Does anyone have any experience with Peltier based dehumdifiers (such as http://www.todaysconcept.com/windchaser-mdh-p-personal-dehumidifier.html)?   They seem appealing due to their low power draw but there seem to be frequent complaints of durability issues.

Any idea if they are safe to leave unattended on a boat?