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There should be something unless the halyard was tied to the pin that pulled out.

Well in that case the knot may likely still be intact (maybe with pin thru it.)  Still, it makes it a whole lot easier to snatch than just a hump made by the buried tail of an eye splice.

KK

QUESTION -  if she parted at the shackle, what's left that's keeping the halyard from slipping down into the mast?  Just the remains of the buried eye splice?

I'm not sure what's up there.  Will have to look with binoculars today.  The shackle on the head had a screw-in pin.  The pin pulled out of the threads and is gone. It may have been attached to part of the furling setup.

If you drop the jib, what's your forestay set up --  could you fashion a PVC tube w/an an attached extended hook/barb and tag line to ride up on it?

KK

Good idea!  That sounds like a possibility if I can see the end of the halyard.  A drone would come in handy in this situation.

So there's no part of the halyard left on the shackle?  Only a spot for missing clevis pin? 
Unless I am picturing this wrong, in that case you should have the eye splice,, or eye splice/thimble left on the halyard.   

Could make it a lot easier for any DOMASS to grab it  (Drone Operable Maritime Articulated Shackle Snatcher.) 
Let's get DARPA right on it!   

kk

Here are a couple of photos of the inlet. 

Difficult to see inside the back-wired plug .... but from limited info, it looks more like a failure at the cord/wire/spade connection --- loose or corroded screw terminal?
Did the wire end end up getting welded to the buried end of the neutral terminal? That might indicate high resistance/arcing/heat there due to a broker wire or poor connection to the back of the spade. 

I was told that the #1 cause of a house fire is electrical -- and the #1 cause of that is arcing at a terminal/connection.  Makes sense.  That's why new construction needs an Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter; like the GFCI we have all grown to know and love.

KK

Okay, let's get serious here.....

See...

http://shop.beneteauowners.com/prod.php?52000

http://www.wavetrain.net/techniques-a-tactics/599-retrieving-lost-halyards-cheap-trick-that-works

http://theboatgalley.com/potato-masher-bosuns-chair/n   
(I am thinking ....... "bend/adjust the tangs on a hand-variety garden cultivator.)  http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_21988.jpg
Or maybe there would be better control having the tag line on the end of a long-handle cultivator or "potato hook"?

Raise a pooper scooper with a tag line to control position and and a trip line for the jaws?
http://www.mypoochiesparadise.com/web_images/grip___grab_pooper_scoopers.jpg


KK

QUESTION -  if she parted at the shackle, what's left that's keeping the halyard from slipping down into the mast?  Just the remains of the buried eye splice?

If you drop the jib, what's your forestay set up --  could you fashion a PVC tube w/an an attached extended hook/barb and tag line to ride up on it?

KK

Mark : Ken's got the right idea, unless you can "leap buildings in a single bound"!!

Water-side restaurant with a very low wall and very high overhanging outside deck?

Safe, calm anchorage with a low-hanging bridge? 
Be sure to capture that one on video.     ....Disaster strikes on the water; Film at 11.

Believe it or not, I've actually heard of someone with a 30, whipping a huge treble hook and attaching a tag line to his 2nd jib halyard, and snatching and hauling the errant line back down. 

No verification/video on that one!  Probably an "Oh yeah?  Well, you should see the time that I......" 
Point the barbs facing downward! 

I suppose anything's possible.... I once retrieved a 3/4" dia plastic tube, I dropped 20 feet down in a well, by snatching it with the hook on a 25-foot metal tape measure.  You go, Lufkin!

Ken K

We woke up one morning last fall to find that our shore power cord, a Marinco EEL cord, had melted to our inlet.  It took some work to get the plug disengaged.  We had been running a heater overnight so we obviously were drawing some load and the heater was cycling on and off as it would reach the appropriate temperature.  I cut the end off off the plug and found that only the white wire and the connection to the plug were badly melted.  The green and the black wires looked fine.  Having read Maine Sail's posts about the problems with the standard shore power cords, I replaced the inlet and the cord with the Smart Plug system. 

My question is what would have caused the issue with just the white, neutral wire?  Could it have been something other than a bad connection and arcing at that one prong of the plug?  The EEL does not have a traditional locking ring but instead is a clamp with a locking tab, which I am pretty sure I engaged.  I always leave plenty of slack in the cord so it does not get pulled with any boat movement.  It may be a coincidence, but another slip tenant a dock over also said he had some charring/melting of his plug on the same night. 

Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated.  It is more a curiosity than anything at this point but something that has bothered me. 

My understanding is that the EEL is the same basic connection (see RFC's article and forensics of the actual contact area of the locking blades.)  If there's corrosion or otherwise a bad connection there's virtually no safety margin on the twist lock plugs, EEL or traditional style.

I hope all members know that there's a significant Smart Plug group purchase discount available for C34 owners.


Cheers,
Ken K

While out single handed yesterday in 15 knot winds, the shackle on the jib halyard broke when the jib was fully raised.  It started to fall so I could not use the roller furling to bring in.  Went forward and pulled it all the way down.  Is there a way of getting the halyard down without climbing the mast?  Thanks

Bosuns chair, shinny, crane, bucket truck!  No free rides with that one.

kk

The PO upsized all the running rigging and I'm in the process of getting everything replaced with correct sizes to run better through all the blocks. I was planning on replacing the pair of genoa sheets with a single line. For people that have done this, what knot have they used to attach the clew in the middle of this long sheet? I have a couple ideas, but would prefer leveraging the expertise of more skilled sailors.

Craig

many 'acceptable' methods/knots ... see:

http://www.cruisingonstrider.us/images/jibsheetknot.jpg
http://www.wayfarer-international.org/WIT/race.related/RiggingTips/TonJaspers/TJjibsheet.gif

butterfly hitch.  The cow hitch is probably the most widely used and easiest to untie, besides:
https://anthonywillmott.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/image004.jpg

Ken K

I'm in the process of replacing my fuel tank with a shiny clean new one, although work has been on hold with the snowmagedon and arctic temperatures in Boston over the last couple of weeks. The new tank came with 2 large clean-out ports that will be a huge improvement over the old one. I'm also thinking of updating the primary fuel filter with a modern racor (the original Dahl 60 works but is 29 years old). The facet fuel lift pump I think is original too. It has a paper filter cartridge that is a bear to change. You have to wiggle it for a long time to get it out - same going in -skinned knuckles and swears. So my questions are what is the best racor model fuel filter and facet lift pump to go with my old 25M engine. thanks for help and comments. This coming season I'm going to have the cleanest fuel in Boston Harbor. Shanagolden

I replaced the Dahl w/ a Racor 220.  Works fine for me for past 20 years - I like the spin-on cartridges.

BTW, don't let the misleading, 2-micron sales info from Racor on the cartridges fool you.  They are not 2-micron filters.  I did an extensive investigation on filter efficiency ratings from several mfgrs, and although Racor finally admitted to me that they are not really 2u by current test standards I still use them (despite the mis-truth in advertising.)

Ken K

One terminal strip will be behind my elec dist panel. The other will be inside the aft cabin on the ceiling where the wires from the chartplotter come down. I plan to buy the pedestal guard mounting plate from compass marine and then run the wires inside the port side of the pedestal guard and then into the aft cabin by drilling a hole inside the foot. I am not sure how far the wires will reach, but i will leave a little slack and mount the terminal block. But I am open to better ideas. I am new to this!

If they were anywhere exposed, I'd say butt splice them leaving plenty of spare wire for future changes.   But if they are protected, then terminal strip and ring, not fork terminals.  Heat shrunk all around.

I am not in favor of adding terminals unless they are absolutely protected, accessible, can be easily inspected -- otherwise butts.  No reason to add one more potential failure point unless it's "near foolproof."


Ken K

I am going to be installing a chartplotter this spring and want some advice on the best terminals to use for the NMEA0183 wire.  It has 2 16AWG power wires and 6 22AWG wires.  I have been looking at Euroterminals, regular marine screw terminals using crimp-on spade or round terminals or regular marine screw terminals and just wrap the wire around the terminal screw.  Which is best? I have looked on this site, but haven't found a related discussion.

The connections will be located where?

Speaking of holding tanks - this may or may not be feasible on the 34, but it's something I added to my 30.  The tank sits high, under the port settee in the saloon.  As we all know, naturally as soon as the black water level drops to the top of the outlet, the discharge hose sucks air and looses its vacuum.

I installed a wet "P trap" after the tank outlet, fabricated from 1-1/2" PVC, with the trap piped toward the bilge -- it lays flat against the hull, so the low end is lower than the tank outlet because it sits closer to the bilge/center line.

So, with the P trap lower than the tank, the suck hose never looses vacuum until the the tank is completely empty.  This  may sound confusing, so I'll try to find a pic of the install and post it.

kk

I am in the process of installing a Espar heater in my boat.  I do not have a spare port on the top of my tank.  This is their recommendation.  Would appreciate feedback and also how do you punch a 1'' hole in the top of the tank.  I do not wish to remove the tank. Thanks, Paul

OR
- drill or punch a 25 mm (1 in.) hole in a clear area on top of the fuel tank or fuel sender plate.
(Before drilling hole, apply grease to drill bit to catch metal chips)
- assemble tank-boss and fuel standpipe to form single unit.
- install standpipe by angling unit in so that one ear of the bushing hooks under the edge of the hole.
- repeat with the other ear in the same fashion.
4. Center in hole and clamp in place by tightening nut down until gasket begins to squeeze out slightly

To make a 1" hole in sheet metal, you could of use a bi-metal hole saw and arbor.
http://www.zoro.com/i/G4058031/
http://www.zoro.com/g/Threaded%20Hole%20Saw%20Arbors/00106662/None

Or a 1" knockout punch, like electricians use to punch a hole through a service cabinet for a conduit fitting.
http://www.zoro.com/i/G1950873/

Catching the metal filings will somewhat of an issue with either method., but not a show stopper.

Ken K

Seemed strange to me that Mr Cool claimed they carry SeaKamp and the unnamed brand that he would not disclose. I explained that I wanted to know the mfg of anything that I purchased but he would not tell me the price of the lower priced heat exchanges. All seemed very odd to me

It's simply survival.  Someone sells the lower priced brand one the 'net for less, and he doesn't want you searching for it.
I wouldn't go with anything except SeaKamp - that's the only brand I'll sell because Kathy stands behind everything that goes out their door.

Ken