Messages

A battery charger is a simple, albeit now more complicated, transformer.

Transformers make heat.

Heat needs to be dissipated.

Hiding it doesn't help.  Why put it sideways and hidden?  The wiring runs to and from that location are longer.

Under the nav station makes the most sense.

Mike, swap it out straight, as long as the wiring sizes are right.

Howard

Brad

So how do we get a video copy of the show?

Here's some correspondence from Al Landry #13 over the course of the last week:

Stu,
I am having the same problem with water dripping down from the traveler hold-down nuts' access hole in the roof over the galley. I have removed the traveler & resealed; I have removed wood along hatch & resealed; it still leaks although no cracks are visible. It only leaks after it rains.  I am now thinking that I need to replace the Dorade assembly; I covered it with plastic for several weeks and it is beginning to dry out.
Al Landry, Lucky 13, #13

Al,
Have you tried a hose when it's not raining, any way to trace it? I haven't removed the wood. In my case it's the dorade area that's weeping, and everything else, from that point, is uphill except for the added traveler bolts. I still have to do that, which will require lifting the whole track, as you well know. I'm still working on it and if I find a culprit, Ill let everyone know on the board. If you do, please let us know. Heck, what else is UP there?????
We got our new dorades from Plastimo through Mari Safe. Best prices we've seen, almost 2/3 of WMP or BoatUS. I think it's www.marisafe.com. Give it a try. These models fit our holes, but require the removal of the OEM metal Vetus contraptions under the dorades, and the screen. If where you sail is buggy, you'll have to work out a new screen arrangement. I saw one recently where the skipper took a big screen and inserted into the mouth of the dorade itself, rather than in the hole.
Stu

Stu
My leak is a hair-line stress crack at the base of the traveler mount. I didn't realize a small crack would let water in that much; may have been too many gybes. Hopes this helps you find yours.
Thanks
Al Lucky
#13

We're still back in the olden days of autopliots, without interfaced anything, and even use charts to navigate!!!  But I agree wholeheartedly with Mike L about working in front of the wheel - I single hand a lot also.

Our original A3000 autopilot had been installed on the starboard side on the vertical face of the angled area at the aft end of the cockpit.  Why? Don't know.

When I installed cockpit speakers, the compass, which is inside the old A3000 control head, went a bit zany from the proximity of the magnets in the starboard speaker.  I installed the speakers in the vertical under the helm seat.

We moved the control head up to the cockpit coaming, pretty much in line with the wheel.  Now I can easily operate the autopilot controls from both forward and aft of the wheel.  Most of the time I'm in front of the wheel.  I'd still have to get wet if it's raining if I was hunkered under the dodger, and it's not as good as a remote, but having the only autopilot control only aft of the wheel seems restricting at best.

Ron

Just about any chandlery and West Marine and BoatUS, who can be found on the web.  I would suggest you also try Defender.  The usually have the least cost for the same item.  You should start amassing catalogs, they're very handy and also good learning tools.  Try www.defender.com.  You can buy online, too.

Ron

You pretty much only have two choices, Aqua Signal and Forespar.  Catalina switched over the years.  Find out what you have and replace in kind to simplify the mounting.  I'll bet the ends of the old wiring may be pretty corroded by now, too.  I just replaced our bow light and had to cut (as little as I could) maybe 1/2 inch off the ends to find "clean" wire.  Use Boeshield or another equivalent product to reduce future corrosion on the wires and the screws of the housing of the new light.

Andrew

Thanks for the idea.  I've had an offline chat with Al Landry #13, and he has some, too.  The idea of heaving up the traveler track is not something I look forward to, but it seems one of the only explanations.  Thanks, I know I don't think I have any old holes, since the track is original and I upgraded with both the "enhanced" traveler bolt from the factory, and new cars without removing the track.  Maybe the old sealant's just getting too old.

Randy

I had our rigger install a rope to chain splice.  Now our Bruce comes up over the anchor roller, albeit by hand since we don't have a windlass, much more smoothly.  Lots has been written about rope to chain splices, but it sure beats the old shackle that used to get hung up, and with 1/2 line and either 1/4 or 3/8 or in between sized chain (I forget the size of chain), it's always a clean hoist.  The argument about the splice has always been about its strength.  We've had no problems and we check it, along with the chain to anchor connector, on a regular basis.  Getting rid of shackles is half the battle.

Roland,  our local distributor here in San Francisco is Cal Steam, noted by Grohe when I called them.  A friend in the plumbing business has an account with them and got it for me.  This won't help you on the east coast.  Follow Ron's advice.  You CAN obtain one if you work at it, and with your boat on the hard, you do have a wee bit'o'time.

I have NO idea why the picture didn't display.  Please get in touch with Phil Imhof, our webmaster.

Roland

Depending on your boat, the maker of the shower head could be different from year to year.  I recommend that you obtain a catalog from West Marine and or BoatUS, plus Defender, they're in your neighborhood and have the best prices, and compare what you see in the catalogs to what you have on the boat.  Then find the matching model number and go from there.  Shower head handles are usually interchangeable because the threads could be the same from hose to hose.

Mike

Try:

http://www.marinedieseldirect.com/universal/200157/

Also www.torrensonmarine.com

Roland

Here's the reference to the earlier post:

http://www.c34.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1527&highlight=grohe

Grohe may not sell it to you directly.  Ask them where your local dealer is.  It may be wholesale only, so you may need to have an "in" at the company.

Here's the picture:

Tom, you mentioned: "a brownish tinted trail of moisture from the underside of the passive vent in the head roof..."

I've got that from the port dorade.  We are in the process of replacing the dorades with new Plastimo units.  I removed the port dorade, and the metal Vetus cap, screen and frozen adjusting screw are still in place.  When I removed the interior trim ring, I noticed two things:  first, weeping through the screw holes of the brownish water (yuck!);, second, some "delamination" of the smooth liner fiberglass going up the "tube" to the dorade.

I "chiseled" into the core of the deck up the tube, and will most likely have to grind it out, find out how deep the rot is and after drying it out, refill it with epoxy.

Since I haven't removed the old Vetus "metal-works" yet, I do not know where the water could be coming from, since the deck above is essentially the entire dorade box and traveler assembly.

It is only leaking on the port side.  There is the "delamination," more like a pulling apart, on the starboard side above the galley, but no water leaks.  

I have thought about this at some length.  The only thing I can attribute it to would be lots of very violent tacks and gybes that actually started pulling up the traveler/dorade assembly.

I'll let you know.

FYI, this thread started some time earlier and can be found at:

      http://www.c34.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1896