Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: Repository of all things CSY - Dropbox

« on: August 29, 2020, 11:31:45 am »

Can I get added to the dropbox?
Thanks

2

Hull and Rig / Re: Staysail boom

« on: November 28, 2019, 08:47:49 am »

Peter, I would like to hear how you make out with the traveler controls. I have been kicking around doing that for a while but it hasn't made it to the top of the list yet.

3

General Discussion / Re: cleaning the bilge

« on: July 07, 2019, 07:58:35 am »

I bought a small diaphragm pump on e-bay for $5 and pump any residual into the shower box. It doesn't pump very fast but it is self priming so I can get out the inch of water that the regular pumps don't.  Keeping the bilge essentially dry has made a huge difference in the amount of sludge.

4

Systems / Re: Lightening grounding strip mounting flush or with a gap?

« on: October 01, 2017, 07:45:14 am »

Chip's lightning ground is bolted from the inside so that there is a nut between the hull and the plate. This provides about 1/2" gap and allows the plate to be removed in the water to clean out the oysters.

5

Systems / Re: Autopilot

« on: July 14, 2017, 09:25:51 pm »

I have my GHP 12 hooked to an autohelm type 1 electric drive which has worked well. Like you I fit the GHP 12 to an existing drive so I have not tried the Garmin drives.

6

Hull and Rig / Re: Staysail boom

« on: June 22, 2017, 07:45:11 pm »

I have kept the boom and added a roller furler above it. Before the furler I almost never used the staysail as I am usually single handed. It does not make a noticeable difference in sailing performance in most conditions but makes a huge difference tacking. I am considering putting traveler adjustment lines on the rail to make the stops adjustable from the cockpit.

7

Systems / Re: Autopilot

« on: April 20, 2017, 09:21:29 am »

My 44wo came with a pre-raymarine autohelm which worked well but had a tendency to unsoulder the transistors when the batteries got low. I replaced the control with a raymarine x30. I was not impressed with its performance so when a lightning strike burned it out, I put in a garmin controller. All still with the original autohelm type 1 linear drive attached to the quadrant. The garmin moves a bit more but steers a straighter course than the previous units. My biggest complaint with it is that accessing the setup requires a rather convoluted process of disconnecting the power and repowering while holding 3 buttons. I recently replaced the linear drive just to have a spare. The new version has a different bolt pattern for the mounting bracket and required retuning the control but otherwise works well.

8

Hull and Rig / Re: New Roller Furling

« on: January 08, 2017, 12:45:17 pm »

Chip has older Harken furlers on both jibs. The furling units themselves have held up well with only the occasional replacement of the Torlon balls. The foils are a different issue. One of my foils has roll pins to hold it together. The pins are prone to backing out. The other foil had screws which worked well until the fore stay chainplate failed. Unfortunately replacement foil parts are no longer available. I replaced the foil with the new style however this required some machining of the torque tube and the halyard swivel.

9

Systems / Re: Head sinks and shower drains

« on: September 29, 2016, 05:02:08 pm »

I have a similar arrangement. I used a small trash can for the sump and have a diaphragm pump mounted on the bulkhead above the can. Where the sink/shower hose feeds in I hung a net bag to minimize debris in the sump. The part I found most difficult was getting a switch to work. I eventually installed a double float switch with a relay so that the pump turns on when the upper switch is hit and off at the lower one. The float is fed down from the top so there are no holes in the sump. I just placed a plastic sheet over the top rather than a lid. So far it has worked well.

10

Systems / Re: Isotherm Refrigerator Cycles On/Off and Won't Cool

« on: July 09, 2016, 09:31:03 am »

The Danfoss controllers have a connection for an LED that blinks with an error code. The problem you are having sounds like a "motor stalled" alarm. This is a misnomer because the actual problem is a failure of the control board. I found that the hard start board was better than the regular board but subsequently switched that out for the newest generation because it is supposed to draw less power. There are online suppliers like rparts that can supply the board. Some also have the instruction sheet as a pdf which shows how to hook up an LED if your system doesn't have one.

11

General Discussion / Re: fluxgate location

« on: March 31, 2016, 08:58:10 pm »

I am working on my third autopilot a Garmin, the prior ones were an Autohelm and a Raymarine. The compass for all is between the drawer and the bulkhead under the aft bunk. This has worked well in all three cases.

12

Systems / Re: Steering sheaves

« on: November 07, 2015, 10:47:06 pm »

My sheaves had bronze bushings that were in good shape so I left them alone. There are needle bearings sized to match many common sizes of bushings so it is possible to swap the two. With a little care, the bushings can usually be replaced with nothing more than a hammer, drift pin and block of wood. Any shop with a press can make short work of it. Bearings need a little more delicate touch but are replaced the same way. If they are really stuck, heat the sheave. Industrial suppliers like McMaster-Carr should have the parts.

13

Hull and Rig / Re: Radar Arch Fail - Cautionary Tale

« on: August 23, 2015, 07:58:02 am »

Having the bolts shear under relatively low load is probably the result of fatigue. Several cycles at an extreme but not catastrophic load will greatly reduce the number of cycles to failure. Only a handful of materials like carbon steel have an infinite fatigue life and even these loose that ability after an extreme load cycle. B8M bolts may be a better option for heavily loaded applications. This is a high grade 316 stainless which is used on pressurized tanks and piping. Industrial suppliers like McMaster-Carr stock them.

14

Hull and Rig / Re: Tides Marine "Strong Track"

« on: August 03, 2015, 01:14:42 pm »

I installed the Tides track system in 2007. It has made handling the main much easier. The track does however deteriorate over time. I have recently had a couple slides start popping out. There is a wear mark at the height of my top batten and the smaller non-batten slide pops out if there is any load while raising or lowering the sail. After going aloft to inspect it, I am ordering a new track. The plastic is cracking with age and sun exposure. I suspect this is just about as long as the track can stand in Florida sun.

15

Hull and Rig / Flat spot under stove

« on: August 22, 2014, 09:14:00 am »

Chip is from 1977. I have the shelf, the pad for the pump is under it.