Brrrr

Baby, it's c-c-c-c-cold outside. Last night Brunswick, GA. was under both a hard freeze and high wind warning. Depending on which weather site you believe it was either 24 or 25 degrees farenheit as the low. And I'm pretty sure the winds were in the 15 gusting to 30 knot range. Not a good combination as that puts the wind chill somewhere in the teens for the evening. When I got up this morning, the temperature was reported as 26 with the Weather Underground "feels like" temperature of 18.  It sounds like the next couple days are going to be a bit chilly before things improve.

Weather Underground graph showing
the dip into the 20's this morning.

I know I shouldn't be complaining given that back in Colorado they had sub zero temperatures from this same cold front a few days ago, but homes there are built to handle it. Boats, at least catamarans designed for cruising in the Caribbean, are not. And my wardrobe, that consists of more swim trunks than long sleeve shirts, isn't helping either. Fortunately I am at a dock and plugged into shore power, so I left the reverse cycle AC running in heat mode overnight. Originally I didn't think I wanted air conditioning on a boat, but right now I'm glad they can provide some heat.

Maybe it was a bit overkill, but I also put a small 130 watt radiant heater in the unheated locker on the bridge deck where my water tanks and related plumbing are located. I also ran the engines for a bit to help add a bit of heat to the engine room (where some additional plumbing is located). I figure a little extra precaution is better than climbing into the recesses of the boat to replace plastic fittings that could break if they froze. Not sure I want to see this month's electric bill though.

This puts a hold on some of my boat fixing projects as well.  Neither fiberglass nor sealants like to cure in temperatures this cold (and I can't blame them).  Continuing the work waxing the boat is definitely not in the cards for today.  And in the case of the salon window re-bed, I don't think I really want a big hole in the side of the boat when it is this cold.

So, while I wait for better weather, guess I'll write a blog post, clean up the boat since stuff is scattered everywhere from the projects I have been working on, do a little more project related research, some reading, and some cooking.  Making a big pot of chili sounds good on a cold day and the cooking will add heat to the boat...a a nice bonus.

Now, where'd I put that fireplace....

Lots of Learnin'

Since the beginning of the year most of the "work" I've been doing on the boat falls under the category of learning.  I've got a number of projects that I would like to accomplish and all of it is stuff I really know nothing about, so I've been spending a lot of time Googling these various projects.

The first project is one I started in December.  I would really like to replace the fabric bimini top on the boat with a hard top.  There are a number of advantages to having a hard top.  First, I won't need to deal with replacing the fabric on a semi-regular basis as the sun takes its toll on fabric and sewing of the top. More importantly, it provides a wide and stable platform for working with the main sail boom, something I consider to be a safety enhancement.  It will also be a nice platform for mounting solar panels.  And there is no point in creating a new set of dodgers for my current top if I intend to replace it.  So, I've been talking with a guy in town about options for creating a simple hard top and looking at other designs for ideas on getting one made for a reasonable cost.

Speaking of solar, that is also on the list of upgrades I would like to make soon.  Currently, the only ways I have to keep the batteries charged on the boat are to run the engines, run the diesel generator, or plug it into shore power.  Since I would like to spend more time out of marinas and on anchor (and not have to burn lots of diesel), I need a greener way to keep the batteries topped off and solar power seems like the best option.  Having a catamaran, and particularly one with a hard top bimini, provides a lot of space to install solar.  Recently Kyocera came out with some solar panels that produce up to 325 watts of power at 40 volts DC and they are reasonably priced.  With the right maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller, two of these panels could produce somewhere in the neighborhood of 240 Amp Hours of juice a day.  So, I've been looking at solar packages similar to this one to add to the boat.  I also performed a power inventory to see how much power I think I will need in a day.  Of course, a lot of this is still guess work as I don't have really good numbers for how we will be using power.  Things like the refrigerator (one of the big power hogs) is easy, but other lifestyle uses are still somewhat unknown.

I also need rebed both of the large salon side windows on the boat.  It seems that Leopard didn't have a good process or didn't use the best materials when they were originally installed. The result is a failure rate on the seals on the windows on most of their older boats is near 100%.  The windows have no mechanical fasteners and are only held in by sealant.  So, I've spent a lot of time looking through all the questions and pictures on the Leopard owners group on Yahoo.  It sounds like a bit of a tedious and messy process, but I think I have a handle on it.  Guess I'll find out soon as the sealant needed should arrive later today.  Then I just need a couple warm dry days to do the work.

One other task has popped up that I wasn't planning on.  When I was showing a fellow Leopard 3800 owner at the marina my new Mantus anchor, we noticed that the fiberglass structure that the anchor roller is mounted to has started to crack.  The roller and bail now move some when they shouldn't move at all.  Since this area takes a lot of load while anchoring, it will need to be repaired.  So, with my very limited knowledge about fiberglass repair, I've been researching that as well.  Looking at the other Leopard, his boat has a significantly thicker fiberglass structure than mine, so I guess someone might have figured out an issue with the boat in between when mine was built and when his was.  In any case, looks like I'll be doing some pretty serious fiberglass layup work in the near future.

So, filling my head with boat fixing knowledge, hopefully I can execute some of it well.

It Has Been an Interesting Year

A couple days ago it was a year since I first left Colorado to start living aboard and fixing up the boat. It started with a three day marathon drive from Denver Colorado to Hammock Beach Florida. Since that time I have done a lot to get the boat's systems working and get it up to shape for both living aboard and traveling.

Spending time in Hammock Beach getting basic systems like the port electrical, refrigeration, water, and propane systems working while still working at my day job as a software engineer. Fixing lights and updating to LED as I go, patching up some issues in the gel coat and rebedding hardware. Fixing and servicing engines, learning how to maneuver the boat in tight spaces, and generally learning a lot about my new home. It was, and still is, a steep learning curve.

Then moving the boat up to Georgia to continue work while avoiding the tourist un-friendly tax policies of Florida.  Arriving at Brunswick Landing Marina strapped to a SeaTow boat after an engine overheat mishap.  Resealing boat hatches well into the dark one evening. Disassembling, servicing, and reassembling the neglected line winches. Dissassembling the outboard motor to replace the impeller destroyed by my surveyor. More engine issues and various other odds-and-ends kept me quite busy.

Then taking the boat to Virginia to get some work done while going back to Colorado to "retire", help out with the estate sale, and wrapping up my land-based life.  Getting the sails reconditioned and a new stack pack and UV strip installed. Replacing the black water lines that had started to smell. Eventually going back to Virginia to get at least some of the work done that the yard failed to complete.  Removing a through hull, painting the bottom, and hunting down replacement parts for my running rigging and anchor roller, and installing a better anchor.  Attempting to patch a slow leak in my dinghy and slowly making progress.

Finally moving the boat back to Georgia to escape the cold weather in the Chesapeake. More battles with lights on the mast, water pumps, and the outboard motor. Trying to figure out the best way to care for, protect, and fix 15 years worth of charter-abused and neglected gel coat.  Fixing the fiberglass arch.  And finally getting all the lights on the mast to work for the first time.

Throughout all of this, I've spent a lot of time on Google.  Researching the best ways to bed hardware and hatches and the salon windows on the boat.  Looking into water makers, sanitizing fresh water tanks and keeping the water fresh, adding a hard-top bimini, adding solar and wind power to the boat, reducing power consumption, learning new skills like creating eye splices in lines, and many other subjects.  And, of course, I've even managed to squeeze in a little time writing blog posts.

Even though the focus has been on working on the boat, it hasn't all been work.  I've met a lot of nice people and made new friends along the way (despite my rather embarrassing inability to remember names).  Spent last new years with Pete watching the fireworks in St. Augustine.  Had a great time at both the cancelled renaming ceremony turned impromptu gathering and the official renaming ceremony for Rover.  Got to see a space launch from a distance. Experienced one of the best sunsets I had ever seen.  Laid out on the trampoline and looked up at a star filled night on passage. Played tourist a few times, checking out what various locations up the coast had to offer. Spent time at anchor and others at parties at the marinas I've visited.  And I've met a number of people through my blog and I appreciate all those that reach out, provide encouragement, give me helpful tips on tasks I'm trying to complete, or even just say hi.

It hasn't always been easy, but I wouldn't have traded the past year for my old life living behind a computer 50 weeks a year.  My only wish is that my wife and dogs could have spent more time with me during all of this.  Knowing that this should change, I am looking forward to the upcoming year.

Here's to a fantastic 2015.  Happy New Year!

Now I'd better go figure out what appetizer to take to the marina New Year's party..

Who Needs a Gym Membership

Pretty much since I arrived in Brunswick, it has been cold and rainy...or at least that is how it has felt. Finally after Christmas, the weather improved so I've been busily working on the boat.  And just too tired at the end of the day to write, so sorry about that.

You know about the deck light.  It ended up taking three trips up the mast to fix, and then improve, the light.  Each time I used the block and tackle system to hoist myself up there and that can be a bit of work even with a 4:1 purchase.  After that I tried going up to the top of the mast to check on the anchor light, but found that the block and tackle system prevented me from reaching the top.

Since that time, I found someone interesting in helping with the anchor light.  Since Jim was the lighter weight of the two of us, had a bit longer reach, and he wanted to go, I had him go up the mast to check out the light. This time I rigged the bosuns chair without the block and tackle (so instead of a 4:1 advantage, it was reduced to 2:1) so hopefully he would reach the top. Bill volunteered to help man the safety line (we used the topping lift line for a safety line), so we both cranked Jim up to the top of the mast using the winches normally used for raising the main.

Jim took a picture of us cranking him up the mast.

When he got to the top he could reach the anchor light.  But he couldn't see it all that well.  After a bit of time trying to open the fixture, he decided he needed a bit more height.  The only other option we had was to switch from the Bosun's chair to the climbing harness I had originally purchased for going up the mast.  The climbing harness attaches a bit lower than the chair, so the theory was that would gain him a few more inches.  We lower him down, swap out the gear, and then crank him back up the mast...again.  The third time up the mast was the charm with the anchor light and he was able to get the fixture open.

I took a wild guess that maybe the bulb in the anchor light was the same as the other nav lights, so I sent Jim up with one of the LED lights I had installed in the rear nav light.  Fortunately it did fit.  In a rare bit of luck for me with the lights on this boat, that was the only problem and the light came on when I flipped the switch.  Jim cleaned the contacts, applied a little dielectric grease to the LED bulb, installed it, and put the fixture back together.  And finally, for the first time since I bought the boat, the anchor light works.  This is the first time that all the lights on the mast have worked at the same time.  But to keep me humble and in true boat fashion, I just discovered that the power to the lights in the port hull is acting up again.

As I also previously mentioned, I washed the boat the other day.  While it looked a lot better, there still seemed to be a brownish hue to the gel coat.  There were also some stains that didn't come off.  So, I decided to try a few different cleaners and waxes to see what works.

I got a recommendation from a local marina employee for a product called Presto.  This stuff is supposed to be a mold and mildew product, but the marina scuttlebutt is that the pro detailers often use it to clean hulls. So, I went and bought a gallon (the smallest size it comes in, and at $10 a pretty decent price).  I think you can use it full strength, but I diluted it 50%.  Apply the stuff, let it sit for 5~10 minutes, and wash off.  I tried it on the rear swim platform and it worked pretty well.  The brown hue was gone and most of the stains were at least lighter, even a rust stain.  I then tried the stuff full strength on the stains that didn't come up.  It lightened them further and removed some of them.  So, for the price it is a good second level cleaner (above basic soap and water), but not good for the stubborn stuff.

The next thing I tried is some stuff called On and Off that the previous owner left with the boat.  I applied it to the stubborn stains.  Again, this stuff you are supposed to let sit just a bit to let it work and then wash it off.  It did a good job getting rid of all the remaining stains on the boat, except for a couple spots where the gel coat is damaged (it appears like it is crazed, not sure how it happened or what can be done about it beyond new gel coat).  This stuff was pretty effortless and did a great job removing the stains.

The reason for re-cleaning the back of the boat was to test out some polishing compounds and waxes. I have some Meguiars polishing compound, 3M marine polising compound, Mothers synthetic wax, and 3M cleaner wax.  So far the 3M products seem to be worth the extra price, but I need to do a bit more testing to be sure.

And about the title of this post.  You really don't need a gym membership with a boat.  Just climb the mast 3 times a week, wash and wax the hull, and perform all the other maintenance and repairs and you'll get quite a workout.  If the weather is nice, you may get a tan too.

Deck Light Improvement

Just in case you aren't yet sick of hearing stories about my deck light, I have one more for you.  This time it is an improvement to the existing system.

After finally getting the deck light working, I just couldn't leave well enough alone.  The deck light is a pretty standard 12 volt, 30 watt, PAR 36 incandescent bulb.  What that means is that it takes approximately 2.5 amps of current to run the light when it is on.  While that is fine if you have an infinite supply of energy, on a sailboat under sail that is a lot of power being drained from the house battery bank.  And being an incandescent bulb, most of that energy goes to producing heat and not light.

Since I have been replacing the most used incandescent lights on the boat with LED bulbs, I decided to look around and see if I could find a reasonable cost replacement for this relatively power hungry bulb.  Consulting the oracle, I found a number of LED 12 volt PAR36 bulbs.  Unfortunately a lot of the bulbs I found were for indoor use only.  Since my deck light is held up by a simple, and not weather tight, plastic frame, I definitely need an outdoor bulb.  I found a few relatively expensive bulbs (in the $60 U.S. price range) and then came across a more reasonable option on Amazon.

The bulb I found consisted of the standard PAR 36 glass bulb housing.  Inside, instead of an incandescent filament, is a circuit board with a bunch of LED's mounted on it (and I assume some other circuitry that you can't see).  The result is an LED bulb with the same physical characteristics and weather protection as the bulb I am trying to replace.  And at $26, it is only twice the price of a replacement incandescent bulb.  So, I ordered one.

I ordered it through Amazon and the order was fulfilled via EverSale.  To my amazement, having ordered it just before Christmas, it arrived the day after Christmas...probably the fastest "standard" shipping I have ever had.

So, today I went up the mast to the deck light again.  I swapped out the incandescent bulb for this new LED one, making sure I applied some dielectric grease to the connectors when I installed the new one (I hold out hope that this one will last a while and I won't have to go back up there again anytime soon).  I test the light and it lights up and seems brighter than the original bulb, but during the daytime it is hard to tell.

Another issue I had with the original bulb is that, while it is technically a flood light, it acted more like a spot light. The light produced by the bulb created a well lit 4 foot diameter circle on the forward bridge deck and then quickly faded the further out you went from that circle.  Given that my catamaran is just over 21 foot wide, a better light spread would be nice.

Finally, after it got dark, I went out to see how well this new LED replacement works...

To say that I'm happy with the result is an understatement. The light is certainly brighter than the original bulb.  At 9 watts (.75 amps), it consumes less than a third of the power of the original.  And a nice side effect is that the light produced by the bulb is much more even across the entire deck of the boat (as you can see in the picture above). I'm sure that this will make working on the deck at night a much safer experience.

So far I have to give this bulb a thumbs up.

Finally a Nice Day

Since arriving in Brunswick Georgia, the weather hasn't been all that cooperative. Lots of colder days and rain and wind...great for finding leaks on your boat, but not so good for getting any work done outside. Today it finally dried out and warmed up, so no more excuses, time to get some work done that has been on my list for a while.

First task was to wash the boat. There is still dirt, pine needles, and a few other things left over from Deltaville that really needed to go. So, around 10am it was warm enough to start playing with water outside. In addition to my biodegradable wash soap, I added a little bleach in hopes it would help cut through the "Deltaville stains" and started washing.

This is one time I definitely don't like owning a catamaran. All that interior space equates to a lot of exterior surface to wash...and wash...and wash. I scrubbed every nook and cranny on the deck of the boat and didn't finish until around 2:30pm.  4.5 hours to wash the deck...and while it looks better, it still needs more work to get rid of some of the stains that seem to have soaked deep into the gel coat. Once I get that resolved, then I need to wax. Guess it takes 2 to 3 days to thoroughly clean and wax our new home.

Since there was a little more daylight left, and I wasn't completely exhausted yet (ok, I was pretty tired after all that scrubbing), and since I had a couple people available to help, I decided to go up the mast and see what I could figure out about the nonfunctional anchor light. I gather up the supplies (screwdriver, pliers, multi-tester, wire brush, Scotchbrite pad, best guess at the bulbs that might be used, etc.) and get the chair and rig setup to go up the mast. And, naturally, while I was doing this, some bird decided my boat looked too clean and left his mark on my clean hull. I remember when I used to like birds.

I again used the block and tackle system that I borrowed from my boat neighbor Bill (more on this setup in this post). Unfortunately, this proved to be a mistake. The added blocks in the setup cost an additional foot or so of lifting ability. The result is that I was about a foot short of being able to reach the anchor light that sits at the very top of the mast. It wasn't a complete loss though, I did manage to get a picture of my first trip up to (almost) the top of the mast.

It was too late in the day to remove the block and tackle system and try again, so I guess I'll be heading back up there tomorrow...if the weather cooperates.

Merry Christmas

May you have a Merry Christmas and find joy this holiday season.