Cold Winter Sailing

I'm trying to get out on Prestissimo once a month in  the winter.  The trips have all been 3 days & 2 nights out on the water.  I've managed to pick warmish clear days for both trips, one in November with almost no wind, and another in January with fantastic winds the whole time.

Here Darius Orocz, the electrical contractor for our house "Gray Owl" in Asheboro, is sitting with me, and I'm wearing the Captain's hat Carlie gave me.

Dave Nemetz (below) is a great crew and he took these pictures.  It is always a pleasure to see him making small adjustments to the sails.  It is so easy to "set it and forget it" when the wind is steady and the autopilot is doing the steering.

We weren't the only boats out enjoying the 10-15 kt winds and clear sunny day with temperatures going up to the 50's F.  We practiced setting an intercepting course and sailed together for a while.

With the keel up to 6' and hard on the 15 kt wind we had an invigorating sail.  The wind died down each night and the central heat on the boat kept the cabin warm.  It was a real pleasure to have all the systems working properly...  except for the perennial disconnect between the SOG and speed through the water continues.  But on this trip we found that one tack was accurate and the other tack the boat speed showed 2 - 3 knots faster than SOG.

The battery bank is wearing out after 7 years.  When new, I had 40 amp hours (at 144 vdc) when fully charged, and now it is down to 5.  As a result I turned off the heat when everyone got to bed.

Even though we weren't in the Caribbean I still sounded the conch at sundown.

Winter check out - ready for spring sailing

I went to Prestissimo to replace the wind instrument (that was disabled by lightning last summer) and I used this trip to check out the rest of the systems.  I'm always surprised when something that was working when I left the boat isn't working when I get back.  This time I was surprised when I discovered that everything was working.

• I installed all the TackTick instruments that were removed and they all worked and connected to each other.
• The Genset, Electric Motor, and associated ventilation fans worked.
• The VHF and entertainment Radios all worked
• The Heat worked
• The Windlass and Washdown pump worked
• The Batteries all had full charge and the chargers all worked
• The water system worked

I'm looking forward to sailing around the sounds this summer on 3 day trips.  I'll have to clean the bottom in preparation for our first trip.

House battery dies

July 11, 2012 -- Ruthie alerted me to an unfamiliar smell, that since it was in the forward cabin I assumed it was from another boat.  Then when I grabbed my pants of the cabinet that is the battery box I noticed it was hot.  I figured it must be in the direct sun -- that was impossible.  I opened the battery box and the smell was very strong and the battery was too hot to touch.  I cut the power, it was not cooling off!  I removed it and put it in a pan of water.  I measured it at 207 F at one location, and that spot stayed hot.  After it cooled I measured the voltage at 8.5 volts.  Andy helped me get a new battery at West Marine in Newport RI.

Prestissimo in the Water

April 10, 2012
Got here before noon.  At 12:30 the crew showed up and we got it in the travel lift and then tilted the boat back to rock the keel to the aft part of the keel well so we could get the plastic "bumper" for the front of the keel in.  Got it most of the way in with some 5200 hold it.  Then she went into the water.

Genset:  I checked the oil and added coolant to half way between Max and Min. Got the software connected. Added soapy water into the water pump and re-routed the hose to reduce wear.  She didn't start the first time, so I primed the fuel and she started up.

None of the fans worked.  I traced wires to figure out what was what.  There was still this wire with a ring connector connected to nothing.  It turns out that it connects to the only place in reach to connect it to - then the fans worked.

Instruments:  Everything worked.  The thru hull flap is working nicely.  I started Coastal Explorer and got the instruments talking to it.

Refer: Turned it on, and in a few minutes the plate was covered with frost.

Plumbing:  I filled the stbd tank and got the water pumping from the head sink and hose.  Turned the heat on, and had hot water.  When I turned on the recycling shower all the flakes of brown stuff came out.  I suspect it was bacteria that had dried out inside the heat exchanger.  In any case I cleaned it all out.  Got the water flowing into the sink as well and cleaned out the sprayer heads.

April 11, 2012
Got the dingy inflated and on the bow, freshened the numbers with marker and fixed a broken clip on the strap that holds the life jackets in place.

Went on a delightful check out sail with Bill.  The battens didn't catch the lazy jacks.  I had to re-tie the reef line.  I changed out the running back control lines.  The wind transducer on the front of the mast worked beautifully to adjust the boat on a beat -- that is why I put a mount there.  It is below the top of the mast so I don't have to worry as much about bridges.  When I get into an area with no bridges I'll move it to the top.

We ran on the motor to draw the batteries down and then run the genset at full power.  No problem.  Came back to Bock Marine.  It went quite well.

Putting it all together

April 3, 2012
I didn't get in until 11:30am, and I wasn't feeling well.  The first thing I did was try and fill the grooves in the keel from the missing coat of paint.  I put the paint in the grooves with a spreader, and it did a pretty good job, but of course when it dried it was still a little shallower than the groove, but better than it would have been.  If I had more time I would have given it a few more layers of paint.

Then I got busy on the mast.  I scrubbed it clean and put in the new main halyard.  When the mast track was dry I lubricated it.  Then I cleaned the bearing surfaces at the deck and at the foot, and coated them with Vaseline.  Kenny and his team came over with the crane and we set the mast in place.

Now for the keel.  I installed the keel blocks while Kenny got the giant shackle to hook up the keel and used the crane to move the keel behind the boat.  Then we picked the boat up with the travel lift and set it over the keel.  We threaded the line through the blocks and I started to lift the keel with the winch to get it started.  It jammed.  Apparently the epoxy I coated the rust spots with made it a little bigger, and there was no extra room.  I had to tighten a nut and then we ground off the bolt that was exposed so it could fit in the trunk.  We finally got the keel in, but by then I was completely wiped out.  It was a lot harder to lift the keel in the trunk than when it was out.  I don't like that, but it sure won't wiggle.  I think some of the extra width is from the paint, and when that is rubbed off in the contact areas it should move more easily.

I collapsed in the cabin, and an hour later I realized I hadn't scrubbed the spots that I needed to paint where the stands had been.  I forced myself up and scrubbed them -- then I showered and went to bed.

April 4, 2012
First I got the boom installed and untangled all the lines on the mast, and unfortunately I realized there was a cross over of the main sheet on the running back, and I was going to have to go up the mast to correct it.

Now the morning had dried out so I was able to get the first coat on the spots and the third coat on the keel bulb, rudders and along the waterline.

Then I hoisted the sail up onto the boom from the top of the van, got the lazy jacks in place to hold it and attached it to the mast track cars.  Bill came over and hoisted me up the mast where I discovered there were a bunch of crossed lines and twisted blocks.  I got everything straightened out -- it is a good thing I went up or the new lines would have been frayed in short order.

I was resting after that and got a call from the Prop Shop that my prop was in and ready for me to pick up.  I drove to the shop and talked with the owner about an anti-singing edge that was for both powering as well as charging, so he modified the trailing edge and then re-balanced the prop.  It is a rather primitive system.  They center and level it and then put it in a very free rotating stand and find the heavy blade and grind some material off of it and check it again.  The kid who was doing the work was grinding and grinding and never seemed to get it just right.  Then the owner came in and finished it in two passes.  I stopped for lunch on the way back and then got out the prop tools and unbelievably I got the old prop off and the new on one in about 10 minutes.

I spliced the new line on the MOB pole, and then I went into the engine room and wired up the fans for the new ventilation system.  I took out the speed control and secured everything.

I looked at my watch and it was already 8:30pm

April 5, 2012

It was dry first thing so I painted the final coat of paint on the spots and keel and then took off the tape.  The blue removable tape left some adhesive on the hull, but I'm not going to try and remove it.  I'm hoping it will wear off.  The paint is pretty faded.  It needs to be painted again...

I hooked up the mast wiring and safety lines on both the mast and keel.  While coiling the lines I realized the jib halyard needed replacement, and replaced it too.  I cleaned up a bunch of stuff and made room for the outboard in its locker and put on Prestissimo's registration sticker.  Then I coated the windlass gearbox with oil, put more stuff away and then it started to rain.

As it got dark I tested the navigation lights, and everything is working correctly!

Dingy Lift, Winches, Ventilation

We finally finished the Birkhead Wilderness Classic Orienteering Championship.  I was the event director and I've been working full time on it until last week.  My goal is to get Prestissimo into the water by mid April and start sailing north in early May.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

I'm always amazed at how a simple job can turn into a major hassle so easily.  So I'm back working on the dingy lift ring.  I had some stainless straps at home and I bent them to the right diameter and drilled some holes to pop rivet them to the radar mast.  I got the right size rivets and my rivet gun.  I put the ring up and it fit perfectly.  I got the first hole drilled and right away the rivet gun broke.  Damn are those stainless rivets strong.  So now the rivet gun was stuck to the rivet in the mast.  I had to cut it off.  I borrowed a rivet gun from Kenny and it was brutally difficult to squeeze the rivet gun to get the rivet to "pop", but I finally got them all in, and the lifting ring looks really good and strong.  All the loading is in sheer instead of tension the way the previous fitting was.

Here is a job that went smoothly.  Replacing all the winches.  I took them home last trip and cleaned and greased them.  I also shortened the screws that were projecting into the plastic bearing race on the main sheet winch.  I just finished putting them all back together on the boat.  The only problem was I didn't remember what angle the self tailer was supposed to be at.  I went through a bunch of  old pictures and found enough to get the angles worked out.  When I was going through the pictures I thought one was of  Steve at Schooner Creek, but it couldn't have been him and then I realized it was actually me.

Thursday, March 22, 2012
An absolutely killer day.  I wet sanded the keel, took a break and then did the bottom of the hull.  I kept thinking I would stop and finish on Friday, but figured I wouldn't be able to move on Friday, and it would set painting back a day, so I took breaks and continued on.  I got it all done.

Friday, March 23, 2012
Painting day.  I did some touch-up sanding while waiting for everything to dry out, and then got the tape on the waterline.  One gallon did the keel, the touch-up of the hull where the paint was off to the epoxy.  There were a few spots where the fairing material chipped off as well as some paint.  I scraped out the loose stuff and then faired it out.  Then on the first gallon I got a little more than half the hull done.

Saturday, March 24, 2012
Minor disaster.  Somehow diesel fuel leaked out of the top of the keel and dripped down the side of the keel completely removing the first coat of paint.  I scrubbed it all down with Simple Green, wiped it down with acetone, and pumped out a gallon of fuel out of the keel.  My guess is that the keel got hotter with the dark red color instead of the white color it was before I painted it.  The heat caused the fuel to expand enough to leak out the vent.

I tried to wipe up the water drips on the hull, but it was a long process.  Randy a really nice guy who works at the boatyard reminded me of the tape "dam" so I ran tape around the boat above the red stripe with the bottom held out away from the boat so all the drips fall off before getting past the dam. I put the blocks on top of the keel while stuff was drying out.   It just about got dry, then there were a few sprinkles.  Finally it cleared up and I painted the bottom.  By then the keel was fully dry so I painted it too.  All the stripes from the diesel on the starboard side of the keel are gone, hiding under the paint -- I'll see if they come back to haunt me.  An hour later it rained!  The tape dam worked perfectly, not a drop made it to the bottom.

After the rain I began replacing the running backs. I'm using a locked brummel splice.  It is easy to tie if you have both ends, but quite complex to do it using only one end.  I've done it a few times and it is still a surprise when it works.  In this case I have both ends.  I do the block end first and when it is done I can pass the whole splice through the rope making the splice a piece of cake.  I tapered it and stitched it in as well.  The old one still looked pretty good.  There was some wear about 5% of the fibers were broken.

As I was almost finished with the first splice it began to pour.  I finished it and the next splice inside and it had stopped when I was done and stayed clear until I got the splices attached to the mast.  I moved the blocks over to the new lines.

From 7pm - 12pm was very productive...
I finished the vent system except for wiring in the fans.  I had a somewhat complex idea, and then kept simplifying it until I didn't have to sew anything, just make a few cuts.  I have to buy the connectors to finish.
I replaced the engine room storage box and supported it with peanuts so it won't crack like the old one.
I filled the diesel tank and emptied the fuel container that doesn't belong on the boat.
The engine room is all buttoned up except for wiring the fans.
Except for one thing... when I was tracing the wiring to figure out what I needed to do one of the leads from the genset fan relay wasn't attached to anything.  It just had an exposed ring connector.

Finish the Keel & Winterize

December 2, 2011

Arrived Wednesday, Nov. 30 in the morning and got the compressor to blow water & diesel out the keel.  Got out about a cup.  Then I put in half a gallon of alcohol and blew it out, then did the same with a quart, and then again.  It was coming out a light yellow at the end.  Then I put the vacuum cleaner blowing into the keel for the rest of the day.   Meanwhile I scrubbed the paint off the bottom of the keel only to discover another tiny rust spot.  So I ground it away and got it ready to prime.

Thursday,  Dec 1 This morning I primed and glassed the rust spot using the heat gun to get it to kick.  I also filled some gouges in the keel with epoxy, but though I cleaned it thoroughly and sanded with 60 grit, I forgot to wet it out with thin epoxy and used the thickened epoxy directly on the keel, so I will see how that holds up.  It is no big deal if it pops off because I have to fix gouges every time I haul it out.  In the cockpit, I moved the aft hole for the cord that holds the backrests further aft so the backrest can slide aft of the awning pole.  With some of the remaining epoxy I filled the holes that were no longer being used.

In the afternoon I borrowed some jerry cans and got 35 gallons of fuel.  I set up the fuel transfer pump and pumped 32 gallons into the keel.  Then I put all the fuel hoses in place and bolted the front plastic rail onto the keel.  The rear rail didn't fit since I had to add epoxy to it's flange, and it was tight before.  I also changed the contactor for the windlass and tested it.  I put silicone sealant all around the gasket and dielectric grease on all the contacts.

Friday, Dec 2, I installed the speed seal impeller cover, and it went super easy, not a typical marine project. I also noticed wear on the original cover where the impeller rubbed against the cover.

The new easy to install SpeedSeal cover

Then I got some antifreeze, borrowed a hose to keep the strainer filled as the engine pumped the water for cooling, and started the engine.  After a few minutes I poured the antifreeze into the strainer and shut the engine off when it pumped out a gallon.  While I was sponging out the spilled water I noticed a rusted broken hose clamp.  It popped off the thru hull hose to the galley sink drain.  This could have been a big problem except 1) I have two clamps on all the thru hull hoses 2) The hoses are really stuck on the fittings such that I have to cut them off, and 3) These hoses are all in a "sea chest" such that the water tight box they are in extends above the water line.

The broken rusted hose clamp resting on its replacement

Next I drained out all the water from the tanks and removed the hoses from the pumps and used the compressor to blow out the water lines.  Never remove the fittings on the pumps!  It was a cinch blowing out the water.  Where I had to remove the hose from a barb, I heated it with the heat gun and it was easy taking it off.  When I tried to get the pump fitting back on it always cross threaded.  The "way back" fitting would not go on correctly.  I got frustrated and cut, so I decided to replace the dingy lift fitting.  I got the ladder in position and then discovered that the same part number has a different diameter tube it attaches to, so it didn't fit.  I attempted to bend it (pretty much knowing it wouldn't work) and I got it so I thought I could attach it.  When I went to remove the old fitting I discovered it was through bolted, and with the mast up and all the stuff in it there was no way i could get to those nuts.  I tied a safety line so if the fitting fails the line will catch it.  Thoroughly annoyed at no getting the ring on, and it being near the time I should leave I went back to the hose to see if I could get it now.  No luck, it only got worse.  Finally I decided that I had to remove the pump so I could see what I was doing. I should have done that an hour ago.  In a minute I got it on, and 15 minutes to get the pumps installed again.  It would have been so easy if I had just taken the hose off the fitting before the pump instead of removing the pump fitting.  When I finished that my neighbor, in a cat that he has been working on and living at Bock for over a year came over.  We brainstormed the dingy lift ring and came up with the idea of wrapping a strap around the radar mast.  I called the stainless fabricator he recommended, and the stainless guy brainstormed we me some more and we got it so simple I didn't need him any more, so I am going to wrap two straps that overlap at their ends around the mast, and fasten it with rivets so I don't have sharp screw ends projecting into the mast with the vent hose and radar cable.  I was feeling pretty successful and saw that I really didn't have to be home until 7, rather than 5, so that gave me two more hours.  I decided to tackle the front keel rail.  I decided to see if the grinder would work to remove some material.  That lousy cheep Chicago Tools grinder wouldn't start.  I pulled off the end and discovered it was the linkage between the exterior switch and the real internal switch, so I use the grinder with the cover off so I could access the internal switch.  That worked, and the grinder was just the right size.  Pretty soon I had the slot wide enough to fit on the keel.  The bolts gave me some trouble, but I sharpened one so it could align the parts and scrape the excess epoxy out of the holes, and I got all the bolts in and coated the ends with anti-seize before putting on the nuts.  That was it, I was done.  I loaded the dingy, the Honda generator, and all the regular stuff into the van, washed off the boat and got home right at 7, going directly to the party.
   

Exercise the Genset & Fair the Keel

Wednesday, September 28, 2011
I've been worried about leaving the genset with the old oil and not running it, so today I started it up and changed the oil.  Because the impeller can wear very quickly if it is started dry, I poured soapy water into the water pump outlet hose to lubricate it before starting the genset.  Then I put a hose in the raw water strainer to fill it up, started the genset and adjusted the hose to supply just the right amount of water.  After the genset warmed up I stopped it, changed the oil and filter, and then started it up to circulate the new oil.

Graphite for smooth halyard exit

In the late afternoon the keel is finally in the shade of the large boat just west of it.  That's when I started the keel fairing.  I double wiped the area and coated it with epoxy and let it kick off.  Then I mixed up some epoxy with silica and wiped it over all the irregularities.  I did the same for the chips on the very front of the bow where it gets hit by the anchor.  My last batch of epoxy I split in half and mixed graphite powder in it to coat the rough areas where the main halyard exits the mast head. That left a very smooth rounded surface.  I'll keep watch on the halyard to see if it is wearing.
After another long break, just before dark I went out and sanded the keel.  At first it looked like I hadn't filled the low spots, but it was an illusion because of the different color of the filler.

Thursday, September 29, 2011
I sanded the repairs on the bow.

Then I tested and installed the tri-color.  I had to move the bracket for the wind transducer so that when it is in it's lower mast head setting it is about a foot below the head of the mast.  The upper setting puts it above the tri-color.  The only interference is the rod for the lightning brush.



Last time I left I forgot to disconnect the battery, and when I got here it only had a couple of volts left.  It seems to have taken a charge, but I won't know till I get back.

I'm going to pick up the sail from Inner Banks Sail Loft in Oriental.  He wasn't able to fix the main thing I was interested in i.e. the batten pockets catching in the lazy jacks.  I might have bought a new sail if he had told me, but he did a lot of repair for lots less than a new sail.  I'm going to shorten the battens and put some protective stitch in.

After Hurricane Irene

Bock Marine came through without any damage to any of their boats.  Prestissimo had a few leaves and pine needles but no damage.  The guys at Bock wrapped my canvas dodger as I asked them too, and cleaned most of the debris off the boat  before I got here.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011 - I ran into a lot of roadblocks today...

• The new winch drums that are supposed to reduce wear on the keel lift line were the wrong size.  In fact all along I thought I had 1:52 winches, but they are 1:46 size.  So they have to be returned.  
• All the "Signal Light" lights that I have installed either quit working or have condensation in them.  They were quick to replace the failed light, but sent the wrong replacement for the fogged ones.  So they have to be sent back.
• The ring on the rear utility mast that supports the dingy lift line is cracking, so I wanted to replace it with a much stronger design.  I got the new part, but discovered that there is no way to install it because I can't put the backing plate and nuts on because they need to be installed inside the mast.  So I'm going to get the same one I have and replace it.  I think I install a safety line to it in case it fails.

I  did make some progress...

• I installed the new thru-hull for the transducer that has a working flapper valve.  I had to cut the old one out, but it went pretty smoothly since I had done it once before.  The new one went in without difficulty.
• I installed the replacement stern light, and it worked the first time, and I even found the diagonal cutters that I lost (and already replaced).

Thursday, September 1, 2011 - 

• I got the wire out of the top of the mast for the tricolor replacement and spoke the the Signal Light guy who wants me to send the light and the bracket I made to him so he can be sure that the replacement fits.  After pulling the wire out I discovered that the mounting screws for the wind transducer bracket extend into the mast and have been abrading on the wire support line and the wire.  It isn't to bad yet, so I shortened the screws and protected the line with electric tape.
• I replaced the steaming light which also had condensation in it, but the new steaming light is larger and the bracket holes are in a different location, so I had to drill new holes in the bracket, and thankfully the shield I made to protect the light from the jib fits the larger light (just barely)
• I got the fiberglass epoxied to the sides of the keel.

Friday, September 2, 2011

• I sanded down the lumps on the protective layer I added to the keel and discovered that folding peal-ply is a bad idea in that it holds the folds and imparts them to the epoxy, so I have a good bit of fairing to do on my next trip.
• I removed the wind transducer so I will be ready to check it out on the mast head when I get the support brackets and the new tri-color.  Which brings up a new problem.  RayMarine just purchased TackTick and they shut down TackTick's website before moving it over to their own, and they can't find documentation to determine the part number of the bracket I need.  This is depressing because I was switching over to TackTick to get away from RayMarine.
• I took apart the winches and they all looked in good condition, still well covered with grease.  That is except the main sheet winch.   My main sheet winch is mounted horizontally, and the screws that hold the self tailer in place protrude into the main body of the winch just above the large bearing races.  I suspect that because the winch isn't vertical the upper plastic race is rubbing against those screws and there was a pile of plastic shavings.

I have three ideas as to how to solve the problem:

1. add another white plastic spacer like the one between the races on top if there is room. (easiest)
2. add washers to the screws so they sit up a bit higher and don't protrude into the body of the winch.  Washers small enough to fit in the slots below the screws may be hard to find - possibly lock washers will work.
3. grind down the screws to make them shorter, or find shorter screws.  They look to be about 3 threads too long.

 This picture shows the way the winch is mounted and the pile of shavings just as I found them when I dissembled the winch.

 

This image shows the four screws that are causing the problem.

Here is a close-up of the shavings.  I can feel the scaring on the race, but it doesn't show up in a picture.  In spite of the appearance of the large pile of shavings, the race is intact with a relatively small amount of scaring on the top.  The texture in the background is my non-skid surface.

It is astounding how boats always have another trick up their sheaves to hand you an unexpected problem.

Fast Epoxy - 100 degrees F in the Sun - Really Fast

July 11 - 13 2011
I got to the boat at 10pm on Monday and went right to sleep under the fan.  I got up early and started grinding away the rust spots on the keel.  I made some progress, but the grinder from Harbor Freight (used once before for the previous keel work two years ago) started overheating and spitting out red plastic pieces. I got most of it cleaned up except for some stubborn and complex areas around the top.   Kenny came over and looked at the rust and said I needed to use a hammer.  He loaned me a Chipping Hammer, and wow it really knocked the chunks of rust off.  When I got all that done he brought the welder over and filled in the holes and ground them smooth.  I was pretty much covered with grinding dust and fiberglass so I took a shower, drank water, and rested in the air conditioned lounge.

Later that afternoon Randy set up the air hose so I could sand blast the areas to get them ready for priming.  Just as I was getting started the air hose popped off the fitting and started jumping around like a crazy snake.  Randy came rushing back when he heard the blast from the hose.  He trimmed the ragged end and reattached the hose with two opposing clamps and that held for the rest of the job.

The sandblasting was fun.  It really textured the metal and cleaned it 100%.  Since the heat index was well over 100, I was pretty well covered with sweat and grit and rust by the end.  But it was necessary to prime the bare metal immediately.  Randy mixed the primer up before he left.  I needed a 1.5" brush, but all I had was the little .5" acid brushes.  I taped 3 of them together and it worked very well.  I got the whole thing primed as it was getting late (and cooler).  Unfortunately there was so much sweat and grit on my glasses, and the sun was glaring on them that I missed a little spot of primer right near the forward port lifting ring and I ground with the grinder and primed but did not sandblast 4 sq. in. on the forward port side right near the top of the keel.  I'll see if it rusts in either of those spots in a year or two.

Susan and Bill from Osprey, who we met in Coconut Grove, Miami, and then a couple of times in the Bahamas, showed up at the Boat Yard and invited me to dinner at their Condo.  When the priming was done I showered and drove to Atlantic Beach to visit and have dinner with them.

Wednesday morning it was hot before the sun got up, and I had trouble getting started.  But I had to get the next coat of primer-2 on before I could start the epoxy, and the timing was important.  All the solvent needed to evaporate, but the epoxy needed to still be a little tacky so the final layers would adhere to the primer layers.  I got the second primer layer on by 10:00am and expected to wait till 3:00pm to start the final epoxy and glass layers.

With the sun killer-hot I made a little "A" frame to support a line from the radar mast to the bow and was able to mount my shade tarp over the cockpit.  The silver fabric reflected most of the heat, but was so hot that I got burned when I accidentally touched it.

With shade now up, I switched projects and began to work on the toe rail for the bridge deck that will keep the cushion away from the traveler car.  First I had to grind a curve into the bottom of the tow rail so it would fit the curve of the bridge deck.  That went very smoothly with a 60 grit belt on a belt sander.  Then I marked the location for the toe rail on the  bridge deck and drilled 6 holes for the bolts down from the top, but not through bottom layer of the bridge deck.  Then I fitted a little "L" shaped knife into the drill and used it to cut up the foam between the top and bottom layers of the bridge deck at each hole.  Then I filled the voids around the holes with epoxy resin.  The purpose for this is if water gets into the holes it can't migrate through the foam between the top and bottom layers of the bridge deck.  Also it prevents the foam from getting crushed when the bolts are tightened.

Now it was 1:00pm, and the primer was ready for the final coats of epoxy.  It is now about 100F and the epoxy is setting up in about 3 minutes.  Talk about working fast.  I cut out about 3 pieces of fiber glass, about 15 sq inches or so, and that was about as much as I could do with one pump measure of epoxy.  By the time I got the next section done the first was cured and ready for another layer.  The result was that I three layers of epoxy done and sanded by 3:00pm.  Under cooler conditions I would have had to wait for 2 six hour curing periods between layers of epoxy.  So now the keel is protected and sealed and ready for me to put on another final smooth protective layer in the high load contact area and re-attach the glide rails at the top of the keel.

3:00pm, time to finish off the toe rail.  Now that the epoxy in the holes was hard I could drill the holes all the way through.  Then I placed the toe rail in position and drilled one hole up from underneath.  Then I tapped the hole to accept a bolt and bolted it in place so I could drill the next hole.  Then removed the toe rail and tapped the second hole and bolted it back in place with two bolts.  With it held securely by the two bolts I drilled the rest of the holes, removed it again and tapped those holes.  Finally I coated the bottom with Life Caulk and bolted it for the final time.  Unfortunately, two of the holes didn't align up exactly right and the bolt wouldn't go in.  In desperation I took the tap and ran it up through the bottom and it re-cut the threads so the bolts went in securely.

My two main projects were done and I wanted to get home.  I rushed to get everything put away.  I had to leave by 4pm so I could get to the sail maker to leave the sail for repairs.  I did get everything put away, but there was no time for a shower if I was going to get there on time.  I called ahead, and even though I was 20 minutes late (Garmin GPS didn't count on the ferry trip being so slow), they waited for me and I dropped off the sail and drove home stopping only at King's Barbecue for dinner. ($6.99 buffet)  I got home just before 10pm.

I wish I had taken some pictures -- but it was way to hot to think about anything but getting done.

Get the Keel Ready for Welding

To ready the keel for welding I needed to clean off the bottom paint so I could identify and remove the epoxy that was covering any rusted areas as well as get rid of any diesel that was in the tank.

I used the mesh sanding screens that are used for drywall sanding to remove the bottom paint.  I clean the screen in water and wet sand the keel.  This keeps all the toxic paint in the water which can be discarded with other toxic chemicals.  I got the main rusted areas uncovered.  When I tried to remove the diesel I discovered that the diesel level was already below the pickup tube.  I inserted a .25" copper tube down the pickup tube to get the remainder of the fuel, but it clogged up the copper tube, so I was unable to remove the additional contaminated fuel in the bottom of the keel.  I'll see what Kenny wants to do about that next time.

The other project is to attach the TackTick wind indicator to the top of the mast in two positions: first at the very top so it will give accurate information on any point of sail, and second in front of the mast about a foot below the top so it will give good information only when pointing to windward, but won't be in danger of being damaged by a low bridge (unless it is really low).  The RayMarine wind instrument attaches to the rear radar mast and is inaccurate when close hauled, so having the TackTick in front of the mast and the RayMarine at the stern of the boat will give me accurate data on all points of sail.

I previously had made a bracket that extended above the top of the mast, but while it worked, it blocked the tricolor mast top light.  I was able to take the original bracket and using a small piece of it off the top make a very simple bracket that attaches to the top of the mast under the tri-color light using the same machine screws, and taking the old bracket's bottom section, the piece that attached to the mast, make a second bracket that attaches below the top using the same attachment holes.  I'll post pictures next time I visit the boat.

On the Hard at Bock Marine near Beaufort NC

We got to Bock Marine on Monday morning. We expected to get ready to haul Prestissimo for a couple of hours and then to ask Dirk at Bath Harbor Marina to pick us up in the van I left there in January so we could drop him off back in Bath on our way home.  It didn't work out quite that way since the travel lift and crane operator was off for the day.





  The delay turned out to be just what we needed since it took us all day to get everything ready to leave the boat at the yard.

First they lifted Prestissimo with the Travel Lift and power washed the bottom (which was still pretty clean from the scrubbing in the Bahamas just before we left).

 Then they drove the boat over to the place where they wanted to leave the keel.

 The travel lift had no trouble lifting the boat high enough (after they shortened the straps) to remove it from the keel.

Then they took Prestissimo to her home in the yard and used the crane to remove her mast and lay it along side.

Prestissimo is in a good spot for the summer.  She has shade till nearly 11:00 am.

Problems with the Genset

Well the genset worked for a couple of days, then it overheated and shut off on its own without doing any damage to itself or anything else.

After it cooled off it would start up and run from anywhere from all day to just a few minutes.  Calls to Volvo service centers and Polar Power didn't provide any helpful information so I just continued to document the conditions around the overheating to find out what the problem might be.

The most interesting measurement was the exhaust water temperature.  Under normal operating conditions it was about 10 degrees F warmer than the sea water, but just prior to overheat shutdown the raw water exhaust was the same temperature of the sea water.  This indicated that the problem was with the heat exchanger i.e. the sea water was passing through the engine without picking up any heat in the heat exchanger.  This could be caused by two situations: either the thermostat was causing the coolant to bypass the heat exchanger or the coolant was being blocked from going through the heat exchanger.

When we got to Jacksonville FL we had a Volvo service mechanic check out the genset, and he found no problems, but when researching the problem decided that the problem was the high temperature cut-out was set too low.  We changed the cut-out temperature and that seemed to solve the problem.  That is until we got to Miami.

In Miami I flushed out the engine and got out about half a teaspoon of metal shavings (which the folks at Polar Power said was normal for a new engine) and replaced the thermostat.  Again that seemed to solve the problem, but two weeks later, in the Bahamas, on the way to Nassau, it overheated again, and would not restart for more than a minute.

In Nassau I flushed out the coolant and raw water lines very thoroughly and got out some more metal shavings.  Again this seemed to solve the problem for a month.  But as we were leaving Georgetown, Exhauma it overheated again.  This was the second time it overheated just as I was thinking that since the wind had piped up it was time to shut the genset off and I suspected that healing might be the problem.

It wasn't until a week later when we were sailing from Eleuthera to the Abacos across the NE Providence Chanel that I really narrowed the problem down so it could be solved.  We were motor sailing into the wind.  Ruthie was down below watching the temperature.  We were on starboard tack which is where the reservoir for the coolant is below the heat exchanger.  After a few minutes the temperature began to rise and just before the overheat temperature Ruthie told me to tack.  As soon as I tacked the temperature went down within less than a minute.  We repeated this many times.  We also tried keeping the boat on starboard tack and let it cool off then, when we restarted the engine it overheated immediately.

Here is an email I sent to Polar Power after these tests:

I have now identified a very specific and repeatable way to initiate
and correct the overheating of the Genset.
When the boat heals 10 degrees to port (toward the oil dipstick) the
temp goes from a stable 180 degrees F to about 220 F.  Further healing
to about 15-20 degrees will cause the temp to fluctuate into the 230 F
range until one of the spikes goes to 239 F and it shuts off.
At any time when the temperature is high, leveling the boat or healing
to starboard will bring the temperature into the 180 F range.  The
temperature drop is immediate and dependable.
The raw water exhaust volume remains constant at about 6 gal. per
minute.  The coolant level in the expansion tank is at the minimum
line when the engine is cool and at the max line when the engine is
hot.  The oil level is nearly full.
The specifications allow for a 30 degree angle of operation (operation
manual p. 68).  The overheating usually occurs within 15 minutes of
healing at 15 degrees and within 5 minutes at 20 degrees.  The cooling
starts immediately upon tacking and is back to the 180 degree level
within 2 minutes.

My working hypothesis is that an air bubble is being sucked in from the reservoir when the boat is healing and as the air fills the tubes in the heat exchanger the cooling is reduced until it finally overheats.  The solution then would be to move the reservoir above the engine so that it is always above the heat exchanger at any angle of heal.

It wasn't until we got to Charleston SC that I was able to find the small diameter heater hose necessary to move the reservoir.  When I finally relocated it to the bulkhead above the engine again the problem seemed to be solved.  This is the email I wrote after testing the new location:

I believe the genset overheating problem is solved!
I moved the reservoir to a location two feet directly above the genset.  The temperature was  rock steady at 187 F while we were in gusty conditions on starboard tack with a minimum 10 degree heel and up to 20 degrees during gusts for about 20 minutes.  
I hope my celebration isn't premature, I won't really know for sure until I have until I have a sustained rough heal to port, but I don't believe I will have these testing conditions before I put the boat on the hard for the summer, and I wanted to share this good news.
Two other changes that I've noticed:
     The temperature does not fluctuate it stays at 187-190 F (it used to range from 170 to 220).
     The cooling fan shuts off shortly after the engine stops and does not come back on. (Previously it would come back on within a minute and stay on for nearly an hour.  The "Auto Vent Temp" is set to 195 F.)

As of this writing Prestissimo is in a boatyard until October, and further testing won't happen until this fall, but I believe the problem is finally solved.

The Genset Works

1/4/2011

A happy day! I got the rest of the electrical stuff hooked up to the genset. I connected it to the computer and they communicated correctly. I ran the wire from the control panel into the engine room and wired its plug and the panel come on properly. That was my goal for today!

1/5/11

I got the fuel lines hooked up, and then Bill arrived. I didn't have the parts I needed to hook up the heat loop for the domestic hot water, and then discovered that the port I was supposed to use had the engine heat sensor in it. The final straw was that I didn't have enough hose, so getting the parts for the heat loop and installing it will be another project.

Bill and I got the holes marked on the plywood base for the mounting bolts. Then we lifted the engine to pull its plywood base out so we could drill the holes and coat it with epoxy. We put one of the heaters in the van with the epoxied base so it would cure more quickly. Then we got all the rest of the plumbing done for the genset; bled the fuel line, flushed out the coolant chanels, and rigged the anti siphon hoses. So we are ready for the mechanic to come tomorrow and get it started and tested. We will try and get the base under the genset before he arrives.

1/6/11

We got up bright and early and got the genset bolted down to its base and the base to the boat before Larry, the mechanic arrived for the “start up”. Then we started working on fastening down the other stuff until he arrived. He brought the antifreeze and oil and installed it. Then he bled the raw water into the pump and added soap to lubricate the impeller, and checked out all the basics of the installation. Then we were ready to start it up. It didn't run... and realized that one of the fuel valves was closed. Then it ran but seemed like it was starved for fuel, so Larry bypassed my fuel pump polishing system. (I suspected this might be the case when I simplified it.) Then it ran, but wouldn't produce any power. We called Richard at Polar Power. I attached the genset to the computer, and we discovered that the voltage was set too low. We changed the settings and it ran and produced power. Then we changed the units from metric to english, however the program didn't adjust the limits, so we had to go to all the settings and change the values – then it wouldn't start. We found more values that had to be changed and then it ran again. It produces way more power than the glacier bay genset. It can produce 40 amps and still maintain 170 volts. But it can't idle without a load. It keeps reving up and slowing down. Richard suggested some changes of the way it responds to its control feed back loops. That didn't help much. So we put the setting back and decided that the reving and slowing when there is no load is a reminder that you are wasting fuel and should turn it off.

Now it was time to take some sound readings. It didn't make much difference with the sound shield on or off. It is much louder than the glacier bay. I guess it is about as loud as a regular boat motor. This is very disappointing because running quiet with the genset on was a big benefit of this boat. Bill said it was just a tradeoff of having more power. I suspected this would be the case, and I was planning on lining the open spaces in the engine room with sound deadening coverings. I guess I will try that after the Bahamas trip if I still think it is too loud.

After the mechanic left we busied ourselves getting everything fastened down, and by 10:30 we had everything secured except for the plastic storage box. I modified and simplified the water maker plumbing. We had some trouble with the raw water, but that turned out to be a problem with the raw water hose in the sink and the pump not being primed – even though it is below water level. After we got the fuel set I primed the diesel heater, and it started right up. It heated the boat, and the newTomorrow we secure the last few things in the engine room and start getting the boat cleaned up and ready to sail.

10/7/11

The genset worked again today; so did the heat.  There was a minor wiring problem with some of the stuff that goes on with the genset, and I got that straightened out only to discover it still isn't quite right,  but may be OK.  We got the rigging ready to go; the crew overboard stuff mounted; and the "traveling" sail cover on after raising and lowering the sail to knock off the mud wasp nests.  We topped up the dingy with air and got it mounted at the stern.  I put on my wet suit and shoved a warm water hose in it and went under to clean the prop and shaft.  I had gloves and hood, but no booties.  My feet really froze.  They were painful and then numb.  I finally finished cleaning the prop and shaft which had about 4 inches of growth all around it.  When I got out I could barely walk, and got in the recirculating shower, and it all worked.  Bill measured the water temperature at 35 degrees F.

Then I started sorting out all the stuff that I don't want on the boat and Bill loaded it all in the van to take home.  Oops, forgot to bring the Glacier Bay genset home...

I think this ends the "Renovation"

The Polar Power Generator is Here

12/28/2010

Snow on the boat and dock

It was exciting watching the genset travel to Wilson NC with the huge snow storm not causing a delay.  I picked it up from the R+L Carrier depot and brought it to the boat.  The roads were clear, but the boat and dock were still covered with about 4" of snow, and the boat was down about an inch in the water.


 Paul and I opened the crate, and the genset looks beautiful... then I opened the box with the controllers in it -- It looks like Medusa's head.  Most of the cables were plugged in at both ends.  The few loose ends I guessed what they were for and when I spoke to Richard at Polar Power I had guesses correctly.

The back side of the rack that holds the 3 main panels

Three of the five housings are mounted on a rack that will  not fit anywhere.  The rack is designed so all the connections are behind the housing.  The housings are designed to be mounted in a rack.  I'll have to use rails or posts or something.  This is going to be as difficult as I had feared.  I'm no longer optimistic about getting this done quickly.  This is more the way I expected it but didn't want to dwell on.  I need to come up with some good ideas for tomorrow.

12/29/2010
I came up with the ideas.  I mounted plywood sides and fiberglass angles to secure them to the bulkheads.

The housings with the brackets attached and tape
protecting the sockets from shavings.

I was able to mount the control panel in the old hole from the previous panel.  Since the Polar Power panel was smaller I had to make a frame to cover the edges of the existing hole.

 Bill Richards, one of my dedicated crew showed up to help get the genset installed.  The work went much faster.  I designed and he fabricated.  We got all the brackets and the genset base done by 4pm, and then the snow had melted as much as it was going to for the day, so we slid the genset onto a dolly and hosted it onto the boat, down the companionway, through the quarterberth and into position.

Bill is steadying the genset as it it being lowered into the companionway.

This is a hard picture to figure out.  It is the genset half in the quarter berth and half in the engine room.  The black thing in the upper left is the fuel tank.  It is still fully attached to all the fuel hoses and is suspended by the main halyard so we have room to work under it.

 This is the inside of the sound shield, and unfortunately it has a long razor cut.  It was inside a plastic bag in the crate with the engine, and the plastic bag didn't have any cuts in it.

12/30/2010
This day went quite well.  I got all the housings mounted and the wires between the housing all attached.  The main thing left is to attach the genset, fuel tank, battery and muffler to the boat.  They are just sitting there now.

Here is the original rats nest of wires now mounted and attached

The genset with its sound shield on and the mounted housings tucked in the corner behind it.

More Electrical & Clean Up

12/13/2010
I got the last of the electrical wiring (until the genset arrives) done, but while the connections are secure the wires are all over the place and need to be "wire tied" into need bundles.  I finished sewing the "windshield" for the dodger and got the "lift the dot" snaps installed.

Wow is it cold!  It is in the low 20's and the little electric heaters are doing their best to keep the interior temperature about 60 F.  Oh, yes, I got my stitches out they were really starting to itch.
I got one of those "air pots" the coffee dispensers where you push the lever to dispense the coffee.  I got the stainless interior rather than the glass vacuum because of concerns about breakage on the sailboat.  I mounted it next to the refrigerator in a location that is well protected, but really convenient and in a storage area that isn't good for much else because of the condensation on the side of the freezer.  It changes the way I drink tea in that I can get a small amount of hot tea rather than making a cup which soon cools off.
12/14/2010
I spent the morning tidying up all the electrical wires but it doesn't look like much in the picture.  Then I started cleaning up the boat.

12/15/2010

Believe it or not, I got the quarterberth cleaned up and ready to slide the genset through.  Not much else to do here until the genset arrives.  It is supposed to ship today, however yesterday they said they wouldn't ship it until it was paid in full... but the contract says I pay 10 days after delivery.  We'll see.

The quarterberth ready to slide the genset through it into the engine room.

Electrical & Fuel

12/7/2010
I did pretty well for a half day... I got all the fusees off the wall and wired the engine room & salon ceiling lights as well as the watermaker and primary DC-DC converter/battery charger.  I still have to wire the relays for the shaft seal pump and the stuff that starts with the genset.
     I also checked out the wind shield for the dodger, and it pretty much fit, so I can take it back and finish it.  Next time I'll put in the fasteners
12/8/2010
I got the relay and raw water pump wired so it can go on automatically with the autopilot or it can be turned on at the galley since it is the same pump as the raw water in the sink.  The raw water sink sprayer will have to be left off when not being used.

Then I started working on the fuel, and that was as much of a mess as I expected.  I think I got it figured out.  It turns out I bought almost nothing of what I needed.  So I need to find some different brass fittings.

Here is what the place looks like...

The starboard settee area.

The port settee.

Best of all, the quarterberth.

12/9/2010

A successful day!  I added a couple of feet to the Wabasto heater wires and got them hooked up to the fuse panel, so all the electrical is done except the stuff that goes on with the genset.

I also got all the fuel system parts and got it completely plumbed in.  I still have to hook up the electrical for it which is a bit complex because it can go on automatically with the genset or manually or be off.  

The fuel pump in in the foreground with the heater fuel filter strapped behind it.  The fuel can  be polished  through the filter with the electric pump or pumped out of the tank.

This shows the heater fuel pump located low to keep it primed.

The whole fuel system is going to be mounted on a strap that holds the tank in position.  If I have to move the tank to service the genset I can do it without disconnecting any fuel lines.

Exhaust & Fuel

12/1/2010
Well the sound shield from SoundWaves is finally finished and it is going over to PolarPower for testing.  Much of the work I wanted to save until the genset was here I'm going to do in advance based on my calculations and the pictures.  (I hope I don't have to take any of it out and re-do it.)  They should finish testing this week and should ship it next week.  We'll see...

I got another supprise from PolarPower.  Instead of the two small panels I was told to prepare for, they have combined them into one large panel that really doesn't fit anywhere!!  I spoke to Richard, the engineer, and he said he would separate the stuff  into three pieces which I hope I can shoe horn in around the wires.

Between stints on the phone with SoundWaves and PolarPower I got the old exhaust hose out and tested the fit of the new one.  Then I prepared the attachment for the raw water for the genset and then drilled the hole for the hose.  Then I mixed some epoxy and: coated the inside of the fresh hole; fixed some trim that had come loose; glued a reinforcing patch back in place (some reinforcing... it came loose when I removed the screws for one of the exhaust hose clamps); made some experimental epoxy "buttons" to hold the new engine room floor mat in place; and last but not least, epoxied a sleeve over the transom exhaust fitting so the larger hose would fit on it.  I'm hoping the restriction at the end of the run won't cause excessive back pressure.  If it does, I'll have to cut the fitting out and install a larger one.

12/2/2010
Well the epoxy buttons work!  The bimini is also done.  I got the exhaust hose installed, and wiggled the wires around so that the three panels needed for the genset will fit.

There won't be space left for much more equipment in the engine room.

I took the pattern for the dodger window that I made last time home and smoothed the curves and made it symmetrical.  There was too much change to sew up, so I brought the patterns back and set them up today.  Good thing I didn't sew it.  The curve of one of the pieces was significantly off.  I modified the patterns and made them symmetrical.  Getting the sizes exactly right around inside and outside curves is nearly impossible.  If I'm careful I can adjust it by changing the seam allowance around the curves... but it will take planning ahead.
12/3/10
Well I decided to replace an ugly hose for the shower and as I was cutting off the hose I thought for a second that I was cutting toward my hand and sure enough the knife slipped and I slit my wrist.  Everett was on the dock and he took me to the Inner Banks Urgent Care -- they were great!  I was in and out in half an hour and back to work in 90 minutes.  I got about 8 stitches.

Then I got the new fuse holder mounted along with the battery combiner switch and got the big connections for the power feed from the panel, grounds attached and the connection to the starter battery.