Home Projects

How do you wash and dry a sail in the woods.......any way you can.  In the slim, sliver of open area at the house I was able to hang up the #2 between the flag pole and a tree to dry after a thorough wash.  I had only used the sail once in sunny conditions and put it away dry.  We came back to the boat 4 weeks later and it had mildewed throughout.  The other sail used in the same conditions and put away the same way, in the same bag, was fine.  I still can not explain it.  The locker it was in did leak while we were gone but the sail was not wet.  Why one sail and not the other?  I hand washed the sail with a very mild bleach solution.  I know they say that the bleach will eat away at the threads but realistically, it is a 25+ year sail.  I was only hoping to get a couple of years out of them any way.  I rinsed a lot, soaking the sail, and got most of the staining out.

The other project was bed extension pieces for the v-berth and and extension piece in the main salon.  I am making the boards and supports and the Admiral is sewing the covers.  This week I will also make the bimini extensions and support brackets.

Raise it Up

Last weekend we discovered we could raise the sampan bimini about 8 inches and still clear the boom allowing the bimini to remain up while sailing.  It's intended purpose in life.  The easiest way to do that is to make extensions that will couple with the existing uprights.  My first thought was to make the pieces fit in between the upright and the radius.  The tube would be 1" OD and the insert would be about .875" dia.  The insert would need to be recessed into the tube about 2" and then rosett welds to hold in place.  A time  consuming process, so I am told.

My next plan was to put the extensions on the bottom of the uprights and that allows me to also switch tracks on how to make them.  I will take 1" SS round stock and just turn down the 1-1/4" insert piece.  It will be much heavier than the tube but it will now be the base of the structure so the strength of being solid here can help.  This is also something within my skill level.  I have a friend who is supplying the SS stock and we have plenty of Mills and Lathes at work.  This should only take me a couple of hours to complete.  It still won't give us standing head room but every little bit helps.

What is it Worth?

The one thing we did not get accomplished last weekend on the boat was......go sailing!  With all we had going on and the strength of the wind it just didn't seem prudent.  I also met with a canvas guy.  I sent him the above concept and asked him to price it out for my boat.  The thought being this investment would keep her looking better, longer.  Both for my own enjoyment but also for future resale. Keeping in mind our goal is to get to the boat once a month (3-4 days).  The rest of the month (27 days) she will not be used.  The quote came in today and I was shocked.  When will I learn.

The pro's and con's.

Pro - Will prevent the quick degradation of all the bright-work, we have a lot.
Pro - Will limit the amount of rain finding it's way into the boat.
Pro - Will radically limit the amount of clean up, touch-up and maintenance.
Pro - On my limited trips to the boat we can focus on fun and sailing.
Pro - Might reduce spiders and cobwebs, but might not.
Pro - Would be warmer in the winter.

Con - Very, expensive.
Con - Possibly trapping moisture under and in boat.
Con - Very, very expensive.
Con - Time needed to open and close the boat will increase dramatically.
Con - Very, very, very expensive.
Con - Greater wind resistance in a sudden storm.

Help me decide.  When I heard the cost I passed out.  When I came too, I began doing the mental checklist  listed above.  I am squarely stuck on the fence.

Boat Ratios

This past weekend we enjoyed 8 hours of driving for 40 hours on the boat. A 1:5 ratio.  Yet still very worth it and very productive.  I may start tracking this ratio if only to satisfy my anal tendencies.  Our next trip to the boat should render a 1:10.5 ratio.  Lets see how that plan works out.

On the list of what we did get accomplished:
1.)  Installed the new fuses for the battery banks and the charger.  The battery banks now have 225 Amp fuses on each.  It is not really required on the house bank for normal use but if I need to combine the banks for starting if the starter bank is low it needs to be protected.  The charger just required a 10 Amp fuse that I had neglected to put in.

2.) With a functioning engine we were able to move the boat to a new slip.  The 5 nights we spent in the old slip was pretty rocky with the prevailing winds.  That was never going to improve.  We were fortunate to be moved relatively quickly after requesting a new slip and were reassigned to the other side of the docks.  Luck was not on our side as the wind was coming in from a rare NE direction and blowing 15-20.  It made entering this new slip challenging as the correct lines were not in place yet and I still can't get this boat to go backwards.  The transmission goes into reverse but the boat just spins in a circle.  I had help on the boat and on the dock but it still took 4 attempts.  Not pretty.

3.) Installed and adjusted dock lines in new slip.

4.) I installed the new piece of seal-tite for the mast wires where they exit the mast and enter the cabin top.  This stuff will not kink and will not leak.

5.) Adjusted dock lines in new slip.

6.) I crimped on new wire ends for the mast head light and anchor light and made all the final connections on the split block.  I ran the VHF antennae cable all the way to the radio and installed the final connecting piece.  I was not able to solder the shield wires to the housing and I am not getting a strong signal.  I will solder properly next time with better equipment.  At dusk I checked the mast head light which worked fine but the anchor light appeared to not be working.  After a little discussion it was agreed that it is really hard to see the anchor light when standing below it.  I went back to the boat to try again with someone on shore with a better angle to see the light.  Turns out it was working and working very well.  Very Bright.  I left it on for a couple of hours to revel in my success until two other people told me I left my anchor light on.

7.) Adjusted dock lines in new slip.

8.) We installed the sampan bimini mounts and poles and strung the old cover across so we could take some measurements.  I jacked up the boom as high as it would go and propped it up with a screw driver.  I raised the topping lift and figured we had about 8 inches to gain in the height.  With the top on we could extend the leading edge, if we installed another support, about 9 inches.  I will fabricate the 4 extension pieces and the Admiral can sew a new top.  That should get us by for a year or two.

9.) Adjusted dock lines in new slip.

10. I installed the drip tray/support I had fabricated to hold the AC unit in place.  The unit fit in perfectly and even though it was cool and windy I ran it for an hour.  It took a while for the compressor to come on but did cool down to 66.  It was relatively quite and I think will work very well.  I just need to add a strap over the top to make sure it stays in place.

11.) Adjusted dock lines in new slip.

12.) We temporarily installed the new bed piece that converts the two settee bunks (parallel)  into a twin bed for two (perpendicular).  After a nights sleep, some minor refinements were suggested, so the pieces were brought back home to be added too and the foam cover to be made.  It will add 6 inches to one side and all will be right with the world....on one side.

13.) Adjusted dock lines in new slip.

14.) Buoyed by the success of this bed piece a template was made for a insert into the v-berth to fill in the void.  Construction will be the same and a cushion added to the top.  Lots of work to do at home before we head back to the boat in just over two weeks.

15.) And just before we left to come home.....Adjusted dock lines in new slip.

Long Distance Romance

I never thought it would be this hard to be so far away from the boat.  The time between visits is getting painfully long.  I have gotten over the fear that she is still afloat.  I am assuming someone would call if she had sunk to the gunnels. Now the frustration is having a list of things to do in abstentia that I know could be better if she was 100' away. We are supposed to go down to the boat in a couple of weeks and I know the girls would be disappointed to drive all that way and not sail, but i could spend 2 days just tweaking all the things on my list.

At the top of the list is re-plumbing all of the mast wires through the deck.  The temp hose is all kinked.  I now have a piece of seal-tite that will work and not kink.  Then I need to make all the final electrical connections for the mast lights.  I also need to make the antennae wire connection which involves soldering the final pin connector.

I am having a drip pan fabricated (above my skill level) to hold and drain the window AC unit that we will use for cooling at the dock.  I made some brackets for a new bed piece that we came up with last time we were there.  This piece will bridge over the aisle between the two side berths and allow us to sleep across the aisle together instead of separate on each side.  Two aluminum supports that will hang over the trim and support a piece of plywood that will hold a 4" foam cushion that ends up creating a bed that is 36"w and 7' long; about the size of a twin bed. Cozy.

The other project I have been working on is a sun shade for the cockpit.  I have an old canvas sunshade that was designed to be used when anchored.  It is a large piece of fabric with internal support from PVC pipe strung across the boom and is tied off along the life lines.  In a calm anchorage or at the dock this would work well.  What we really need is a Bimini.  A more structural sun shade that can be used while sailing.  The boat came with an original Sampan Taxi type cover.  It is very sturdy, small, low and dated.  However, it will do for this first season.  The issue is the low boom height and the end sheeting on this low boom.  It doesn't lend it's self to a nice large open bimini and has to be short off the back end and low enough to clear the boom.

I began by re-polishing all the SS supports and brackets (before and after).  Next, we will install as is and take some measurements.  I think it can be improved in two main areas.  First in the height, I think we can raise the structure 8" by permanently raising the end of the boom attached to the mast.  The goose neck is in a slotted track that allows the boom to raise up when the mainsail is set to it's full height.  The end off the boom is controlled by the topping lift.  I would like to fill the track and keep the boom at it's full height.  If this works I can have extension pieces made to raise the top of the bimini cover.  Second, is the size.  The width is set and the length on the back is dictated by the end sheeting.  However, I think there is room to extend forward on the cover.  With the additional height, it may be possible to extend the cover 12 inches further forward   Since a new piece would need to be sewn to replace the old one extending it would not represent a problem.

  See how much easier all this would be if we ere closer together

What's in a Name?

People always ask me what is the name of our vessel.  To make a long story short, we restored her original name from 1969; AQUARIUS.  However, we spelled it phonetically, əkwâr`ēəs,  which is now confusing everyone.  We did that not to be difficult, just to be different   Here is the long form of the de-naming and re-naming ceremony we used to make everything good with Neptune.  Feel free to plagiarize as much as you like.  We did.


DENAMING

"In the name of all who have sailed aboard this ship in the past, and in the name of all who may sail aboard her in the future, we invoke the ancient gods of the wind and the sea to favor us with their blessing today.”

Oh mighty Neptune, great ruler of the seas and oceans, to whom all ships and we who venture upon your vast domain are required to pay homage, implore you in your graciousness to expunge for all time from your records and recollection the name (Oriental Butler) which has ceased to be an entity in your kingdom. As proof thereof, we submit this ingot bearing her name to be corrupted through your powers and forever be purged from the sea. (At this point, the metal tag with the old name is dropped from the bow of the boat into the sea.)

In grateful acknowledgment of your munificence and dispensation, we offer these libations to your majesty and your court. (Pour at least half of the bottle of Champagne into the sea from East to West.)

RENAMING

Oh mighty Neptune, great ruler of the seas and oceans, to whom all ships and we who venture upon your vast domain are required to pay homage, we implore you in your graciousness to take unto your records and recollection this worthy vessel hereafter and for all time known as  əkwâr`ēəs, guarding her with your mighty arm and trident and ensuring her of safe and rapid passage throughout her journeys within your realm.

In appreciation of your munificence, dispensation and in honor of your greatness, we offer these libations to your majesty and your court. (At this point, one bottle of Champagne, less one glass for the master and one glass for the mate are poured into the sea from West to East.)

The next step in the renaming ceremony is to appease the gods of the winds. This will assure you of fair winds and smooth seas. Because the four winds are brothers, it is permissible to invoke them all at the same time, however, during the ceremony; you should address each by name.

Oh mighty rulers of the winds, through whose power our frail vessels traverse the wild and faceless deep, we implore you to grant this worthy vessel əkwâr`ēəs, the benefits and pleasures of your bounty, ensuring us of your gentle ministration according to our needs.

(Facing north, pour a generous libation of Champagne into a Champagne flute and fling to the North as you intone:) Great Boreas, exalted ruler of the North Wind, grant us permission to use your mighty powers in the pursuit of our lawful endeavors, ever sparing us the overwhelming scourge of your frigid breath.

(Facing west, pour the same amount of Champagne and fling to the West while intoning:) Great Zephyrus, exalted ruler of the West Wind, grant us permission to use your mighty powers in the pursuit of our lawful endeavors, ever sparing us the overwhelming scourge of your wild breath.

(Facing east, repeat and fling to the East.) Great Eurus, exalted ruler of the East Wind, grant us permission to use your mighty powers in the pursuit of our lawful endeavors, ever sparing us the overwhelming scourge of your mighty breath.

(Facing south, repeat, flinging to the South.) Great Notus, exalted ruler of the South Wind, grant us permission to use your mighty powers in the pursuit of our lawful endeavors, ever sparing us the overwhelming scourge of your scalding breath.

Two in a Row

Tuesday dawned beautifully.  The best nights sleep we had all week.  The wind was from the North at night and remained that way all day so we slept a lot better. The hobby horses took the night off.  Time to sail again.  This time with the dog.  All were on board, and everything ready, including new shorter spring lines on either side rail.  Go to start the trusty Yanmar, once, twice, tried but no luck.  Third try ........nothing.  Hmmm.  Switch the battery combiner to both banks.  Try again and turning over but not starting.  Then a bulb in my head goes off.  I check the Engine Stop cable.  Yep, still pulled out an inch; pushed it all the way down.  Starts up this time but why no starter battery??  Should we go or stay in and figure this out. I couldn't remember if I can leave on combine or should I switch back to charge the starter battery?  It could be an all day project.  Lets go sail instead!  If she doesn't start on the way in we will sail back into the slip.  Everyone should do this at least once to refine the skill.  Just hadn't planned on it being my second day out.

Had a wonderful sail in 10 - 15 Kts and headed down the river this time.  The First Mate took the helm again for the downwind portion and exhibited much better control asking questions all the way.  The dog slept peacefully on the cockpit floor wearing a white T-shirt to keep the sun off.  The wind died again after 10 minutes but then built up nicely to stay above 10 all the way.  On the upwind beat back to the creek we saw 6.3 knots on the speed log.  There must have been some current in there as our hull speed is only 6.1.

We made it up to the harbor entrance and had the same issue with the main sticking at the top.  Got everything down and the motor started.  We arrived back in the slip with less effort than the day before, made easier by the shorter spring lines.  With everyone off the boat I began researching my battery/starter issues.  I put a meter on the starter battery and had 12.77v.  More than enough to start the motor.  I put the switch back to Combine and tried to start the motor.  Two clicks and then dead.  I go down below and the entire panel is dead.  Oh no, what did I do.

I empty out all the lockers and start checking wires, connectors and fuses.  The two fuses protecting both battery banks (starter and house) are blown.  They are 125 Amp fuses.  Is there some kind of short blowing these fuses or are they just not big enough to start with.  Come to think of it, how did I determine 125 Amp was enough in the first place?  A little google later I determined the loads on the cranking of the diesel are indeed greater. I am able to only locate one 250 Amp fuse in town and decide to go and get it to verify this is indeed the problem.  Wondering for the next 3 weeks before I get a chance to come back down to the boat was not going to work for me.  The new fuse does work of course and no apparent damage is done.