Bedding Hardware

As anyone that has owned a boat probably knows, mounting (or re-mounting) hardware on the exterior of a boat isn't as simple as just screwing it into the hull.  In many cases there will be some stress placed on whatever you intend to mount, so drilling all the way through the hull and putting a backing plate on the hardware is required to distribute the load across the fiberglass.  And, of course, holes invite water leaks. Even in simple or more cosmetic hardware, simply screwing into the hull results in a hole that can cause problems if water enters...and you are on a boat so chances are water will enter.  For a boat like mine that is "cored" (the fiberglass structure is strengthened while keeping weight down by placing a lightweight substance like cork or foam between two layers of fiberglass), water getting into the fiberglass laminate can result in expensive repairs.

To prevent water from entering the hull, you "bed" the hardware.  All this really means is that you put some form of sealant on the hardware around the hole so water hopefully won't get in.  This sealant can take many forms and different options may be used depending on what you are attaching to the hull (one obvious difference would be items above or below the waterline).

During our survey, there were a few items noted that needed to be re-bed.  A couple handrails were found to be loose and the moisture meter detected some slight moisture around one of the stantion bases.  All of this is above the waterline so I did a bit of research on what would be good to use and figure I could do this without an experts oversight.  People mention 4000 and 5200 (a couple adhesive sealants from 3M designed specifically for marine use), as well as various forms of silicone or silicone-like substances.  The important things seem to be that the material be resistant to UV (imagine that...boats sit out in the sun), be flexible, and able to tolerate the marine environment (water, salt, etc.).

After doing some reading, I decided to give butyl tape a try.  It sounded fairly easy to work with, adheres well, can be removed without damage, and lasts a long time.  The down side appears to be that you are supposed to compress it fairly slowly, so it takes some time and patience to mount each piece. Since this will be my first attempt at rebedding hardware, easy to work with had me sold. And, of course, there are good butyl tapes and bad ones.  I found someone that sells what is supposed to be good butyl tape and his web site has great instructions on how to use it so I decided to order some.  You can check out the web site below:

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/rebedding_hardware
(if you want the Bed-it butyl tape, you can order it at the end of page 3)

A lifetime supply of butyl tape?

For my first re-bedding attempt I decided to fix a pair of...hmm...can't really call them pushpit rails can I?...handrails on the back sugar scoop stairs and swim platform.  These were noted as loose on the survey, are obviously loose, and may be the source of some water I'm finding in the engine room bilges. No huge structure or disassembly of the interior to contend with so they seem like a good first place to try.

I remove and clean the starboard side rail and around the mounting holes.  I take about an inch worth of the tape and roll it into a relatively thin rope shape and put it around the bolts on the rail like it shows to do in the above web site.  Reinsert the bolts into the mounting holes, apply the backing washers and snug up the nuts.  As advertised, the butyl tape slowly squishes.  I spend the next several hours, while working on other projects, periodically (every half hour or so) going down into the transom to tighten the nuts just a little bit more.  The web site said this could take days and not to rush it and I didn't think I did, but the rail seemed to be tightened down as far as I think they should be after just 4 or 5 tightening attempts.  Even though I didn't put a particularly big band of the stuff on (somewhere between 1/4 and 1/8 inch diameter was used) a large percentage of it did ooze out from under the rail's mounting flange. Using my fingernail to sever the connection between the oozed butyl and what was still under the flange, I carefully removed the excess.  And as advertised, this stuff is sticky...at least sticks to my hands, itself, the railing, and the gel coat of the boat.

After the first tightening, it is just starting to squish out.

Fully bedded, still need to clean up a bit.

I would like to tell you that the port side railing went just as easily, but when I went to remove the nuts, I found one of the bolts had been snapped off and there was no bolt or washer.  So, in true boat project fashion, I find another issue while fixing one (actually...guess I should be happy I only found one more project...seems I usually find two or three).  Guess I'll see if I can find a welder or machine shop that can put a new bolt on the railing for me.  I put some tape over the holes where the broken railing was, put the broken railing in the trunk of my car so I can take it to a welder and it won't get scratched up in the meantime.

As for the bedding, it was pretty easy and if this stuff really doesn't harden or loose it's stickiness, I have high hopes that it will be a good solution for a long time.

Television

Living on land there are tons of options for television in your home.  Most of them you have to pay for (Cable, Satellite).  Moving aboard a boat changes those options a bit...at least if you don't have infinite funds and/or don't plan on staying put.  Sure, there are tracking satellite dishes or you can get satellite or cable at a marina (one guy at the marina has one of these), but if you are like me and don't want to spend a lot of any money on television, then you will be looking for other options.

Many networks and popular shows can be found on the internet. I'm a fan of the Daily Show and you can see the show (admittedly a day after it airs) on their web site. Of course there are a few that either don't stream all their shows or want you to pay to see them. And, of course, there can be problems with unreliable or slow internet assuming you can find it at all (this could be the subject of a post itself...and for me recently was). So, if you can't live without your favorite television shows, you might have a problem cruising unless you can find an alternate way to get your fix.

Fortunately in most metropolitan areas, there are a number of "over the air" broadcasts of the major networks available and with the digital sub-channel system, there are a number of sub-channels available on each channel. Unfortunately, I seem to be in a fringe area of the Jacksonville broadcast area and getting reception is a bit of a challenge.

Now I didn't think I would miss Television all that much, and the truth is that for the most part I don't.  But I used to turn on the news in the morning as background noise when I was getting ready and this is actually the part I miss.  Even as slanted and poorly investigated most "news" stories are these days, it still did apparently give me a bit of an idea of what is going on.  Ok, maybe it is just to get the day's weather that I find useful.  In any case, I do find access to local news is occasionally worthwhile.

Knowing that the antenna (a small amplified set of "rabbit ears") that the prior owner had wouldn't pick up a channel and knowing I wasn't going to go to the trouble of putting one up on the mast, I picked up an interesting option when we were shopping at Costco just before I left.  I figured for the small cost, it was worth giving a try.  The antenna I am using is not a regular type of antenna but is an amplified thin flat panel called the FlatWave.

The results have been pretty good.  Where the original antenna would maybe pick up one channel on a good day if you oriented it perfectly, the Flat Wave mounted in the salon back window usually picks up at least three of the six primary channels and their associated sub-channels when using the amplifier (and the amplifier uses USB power so can be run from an AC or DC transformer or even a TV with a USB jack).  Good enough to find some news in the morning or to have it playing in the background while I write this.

So, if you are looking for a simple amplified antenna that doesn't require much space (or running cables and a climb up the mast) you might want to give this one a try.

Improving Internet Connectivity

Before moving aboard I knew we were going to need at least some internet access (I have a blog after all).  And with all the free WiFi access points around and the fact that I know several cruisers that regularly get internet access through WiFi, it seemed like a no-brainer to get a device to pick up distant WiFi signals.  After a little research, I decided on The Wirie AP.

Image from TheWirie.com

Working in the computer industry I could have easily built something similar to this device, but since it was developed by a fellow cruiser and I believe it has one component that is superior to the other retail options on the market (the antenna), I decided it was worth a bit of a premium price.

The marina I am staying at has WiFi so this wasn't a high priority project.  But the access seemed a bit unstable so I decided to temporarily setup the Wirie to see if it would improve signal reliability.  I had it sitting on the settee and plugged in using a transformer and it helped quite a bit so I decided this weekend that I should go ahead and get it installed.

I wanted to tie it into the 12v "spare" circuit that otherwise only seems to run the cigarette lighter power socket on the panel.  Of course, where that circuit actually goes is a bit of a mystery.  The copy of the boat manual has basic wiring layouts and a schematic of the power distribution panel.  Unfortunately, the manual was printed from a digital copy and the image of the panel is rather pixelated and you can't actually read most of the labels.  So I had to turn off all the 12v circuits on the boat except the spare and take my multi-tester down into the engine room to see where, or if, it runs down there.  After several trips climbing down into the engine room, I was able to find the circuit.  Now I know where to run the power wire that is the only connection that the Wirie AP needs to operate.

Power panel with wiring complete

I decided that while not optimal for reception, that I would mount the box on the vertical pole that is part of the davit system and supports the arch.  This would keep it a bit out of the weather, make it easy to access if needed, and the wiring run shouldn't be very difficult.  I started opening up access panels to run the wire.  That lead to the discovery of several wasp nests inside the arch.  They looked empty so I knocked them down with a screwdriver.  Well, guess what, they weren't empty.  Six to eight wasps started crawling around on the deck of the boat around where the nest had landed.  Fortunately I had some wasp spray from when I dispatched another wasp trying to build a nest on the arch, and soon the deck of the boat looked like a wasp massacre.  Not sure why wasps seem to like that arch so much, but I've removed at least 4 nests and can only imagine there might be one or two more hiding in there somewhere.  Sorry, no pictures...I was more concerned with getting rid of these uninvited guests at the time.

I drilled a 3/8 inch hole in the bottom of the arch so I could feed the wire into the boat.  Since the hole is on the underside of the arch, I decided not to seal it (just like the rear nav light wiring that is next to it).  I ran the wiring along the same path as the nav light over to the distribution panel.  I added a 2 amp inline fuse, that I picked up from Sailors Exchange the day before, to the positive lead.  I then crimped on the appropriate connectors and attached the two wires to their respective locations on the panel.  I powered up the unit and it was alive.

Installed and operational

As I'm writing this, the Wirie is picking up 24 different wifi signals in the area.  Most are secured, but there are 9 that are not. And I know that at least one of them is a couple miles away and not in direct line of sight. In comparison, the WiFi adapter in my laptop, that I had always thought had pretty good reception (better than my tablet or phone anyway), only picks up 7 of which 4 are unsecured and my phone only picks up 4.  I'd say that should increase the ability to find internet on the boat and keep me connected.

Creaking Dock Lines

While I've spent some time on boats, I've never lived on one parked at a marina for a couple months straight (our boat has been tied up in this marina since December) so I was not aware of how much dock lines can creak and groan.  But the other night the winds were up a bit and our boat was regularly tugging at her dock lines.  And each time a line pulled taut, it would creak or groan.  This is not something that is conducive to sleep, especially when one of the cleats  is attached to your bedroom.  The sound travels through the line and straight into the boat.

So, after a rather sleepless night, I decided to do a little investigating since I'm sure I'm not the first person to experience this.  Sure enough I found a number of discussions on the subject and various remedies.  The cause is apparently friction and can normally occur in a few key ways.  Rubbing against the boat seems the most obvious, especially if you have lines running through hawse pipes (holes in a boat designed for anchor and dock lines to pass through the hull to a cleat or storage).  They can also rub a bit against the cleat itself and lines can also creak due to internal friction.  None of these are good as the friction causes wear.

The quick fix seems to be to wet the lines and that helps lubricate the fibers and help prevent the friction and the noise. I went out with a jug of water and soaked each of the lines and they immediately quieted down.  Of course this is not a permanent solution unless it rains a lot...in which case you likely won't be getting the noise anyway.  There are various chafe guard options from ones you can buy to making your own out of old rubber hose and similar materials.  This should work if your lines are rubbing on the boat, but I don't know how it would work for noise at the cleat and I'm pretty sure it won't work for the internal noise.

Many of the dock lines I have came with the boat and are rather old and I have no idea the last time they were washed (BTW...you need to wash dock lines regularly to remove dried salt that causes excess wear).  Because of this they are also fairly stiff to handle and use.  I had heard one recommendation to soften lines by soaking them in a bucket of water with some fabric softener.  Since the water worked for quieting down the lines, I decided it was time to give the fabric softener idea a try.

I grabbed some cheap fabric softener at the store and started soaking some spare lines I had in a mixture that was fairly heavy on the fabric softener.  I let them soak for a couple hours and then pulled them out to dry a little.  I then swapped out the lines with ones in use and gave them a soak as well.  The last couple days I haven't had any more creaking, so hopefully that will help for a little while.  In the end I probably need to get some new dock lines as most of the ones I have are rather old and some are not in the best of shape...maybe I can find ones that are better about creaking...who knows (if you do...please share).  And for those following along that are still in the earlier stages, hopefully this info will help spare you a sleepless night at a dock.

Of course, the ideal solution is to not be tied to a dock so long...but while all the work is being done, I will unfortunately be tied up a bit longer.

Fire in the Sky

While I have been spending a lot of time working on the boat, I do occasionally get off the boat and go do something fun.  When I found out that there was a rocket launch at the Kennedy Space Center last night, I decided to try and see if I could see it.  A couple of my neighbors in the marina got tickets and went down to see the launch, but unfortunately I didn't have enough time to make that trip down to the center.  So, instead I tried to find a place where I could at least see the launch from a distance.

I ended up driving down the coast on A1A a bit and found a place to pull off at the beach and watch for the launch.  It has been cold in Florida and this evening was no exception.  It's not Colorado cold, but the wind and humidity can certainly chill you quickly...so I actually think I'm glad I didn't go down to the center and sit on the bleachers. Guess I should have brought some of the winter clothes from home after all...but this is Florida and how many long sleeve shirts and jackets could I possibly need.

The launch window was 40 minutes long starting at 9:05pm.  As I stood there in the cold wind waiting for the launch, a couple other cars pulled into the pullout and waited for a bit for the launch.  After 20 minutes or so, both had given up and left.  I was debating the same while trying to get some information on my cell phone to see if the launch had been scrubbed.  Just as I was about to leave, one of the people that was there came back and said the launch was on and should happen any minute (I guess he lives a couple minutes away and went home and checked the desktop site to see what was up...thanks to whoever you are for letting me know).

So, sure enough, suddenly an orange glow appeared to the south heading for the sky.  From our location you couldn't hear the engines or anything, but other than a few wisps of clouds, it was clear and made for a nice show.  You can see the orange streak head up, make it's turn and finally disappear out of sight.  And one more man-made satellite is now orbiting the earth.

Now, I know better than to think that I could get a decent picture of the launch.  Even with a good camera set to the highest ISO setting I had no tripod, I needed to zoom in, the target was moving, and it was cold enough my hands were getting a bit numb so shaking was pretty much guaranteed...but I had to try, right?  So, here is one of the better shots.

Yes, it is a bit shaky...the rocket wasn't flying erratically.  Still, not too bad given it was about a 4 second exposure.

Definitely going to have to go to a launch up close at some point.  I've heard that there are places where you can get a great view from a boat...wouldn't that be cool.

Dow Corning 4

When I was packing up tools and supplies at home, one of the things I thought might be useful was a tube of DC-4.  I originally bought it when was doing maintenance on my airplane as it was an FAA and manufacturer approved grease used for a variety of things...including, of all things, lubricating oil filter gaskets.  It is sold in a rather large tube...and usually one is a lifetime supply for most people so after 7 years of airplane ownership the tube I had was still 99% full. Its primary purpose is actually a dielectric grease (not electrically conductive and helps impede corrosion in electrical connections)...which I thought might come in handy on a boat.

So, today as I started chasing down a couple intermittent power issues, I go a chance to use a little more of it.  I have never seen the exterior cockpit lights (the arch and step lights) work.  I checked the light sockets and no power was there.  I checked at the switch in the cockpit and no power there either.  I went into the engine room since I know there is a large power distribution panel there.  Of course, the manual I had that numbered the circuits for the arch and cockpit didn't match the panel so it became a bit of a guessing game. I removed, checked the fuses, and reinserted the fuse holders and went back to check the lights.  Suddenly they worked.  So, it appears connection corrosion was the issue.  I've also had intermittent power in the port forward berth and port head, so I figured it was time for some general maintenance of the panel.

I removed each fuse holder, removed the fuse from it, checked the fuse, lightly coated the fuse ends in DC-4, and reinserted the fuse.  I then used a Scotch Bright pad to clean up  the terminals on the fuse holder, gave them a coat of DC-4, and reinserted them in the panel.  After doing this to the 20 or so fuse holders, I climbed out of the engine room and went and checked all the DC circuits on the boat.  Everything worked spare a couple bulbs that might be burned out.  I'll go and check them...and likely install them using DC-4 as well.

Hopefully the protection added by using DC-4 will put an end to these intermittent power issues...at least for a good long while.

Friends I Haven't Met Yet

This is a term I've seen a couple other cruising blogs use and I think it is very appropriate. Via this blog I've met a number of people online that either are out cruising or share the dream to go cruising. We've traded emails or had discussions via the blog and have been a source of inspiration for chasing this dream. In a few cases I've even been able to meet them "in real life".

This weekend I was able to meet a couple that are working toward the goal of going cruising. They reached out to me after recognizing the location of the holiday picture posting (It was St. Augustine, Florida). As it turns out, they live only a few minutes away from the Hammock Beach marina where I am currently located.  After a few emails we were able to setup a chance to check out each others boats.

The couple, Dieter and Britton, are in the process of restoring a 1968 Newporter 40 Ketch.  And when I say restoring...well...maybe a more appropriate term would be rebuilding.  They are taking on a project that simply has me in awe.  I can tell they truly love the boat and have no doubt it will be gorgeous when finished.  Take a wander over to their blog and have a look:

http://www.divingintocruising.com/

After the boat tours, we went into St. Augustine and had dinner at the Conch House.  Dinner and conversation were great and it was a well needed break from "the list" of repairs.  Definitely improving the fun to work ratio of the recent week.  Like so many I've met so far in this adventure, they are great people. The cruising community definitely seems to attract my kind of people.

And to Dieter and Britton, we will have to do that again...and next time dinner is my treat.

If you have ever wanted to learn to scuba dive and run into them during your travels, they are certified scuba instructors and I'm sure you would have a blast learning from them.

I should have some pictures to go with this post. You would think by now I would remember to take them, but alas my mind seems to fail me.  So, sorry, no pictures again.  I promise I'll try to do better...if I can remember.  Of all the things I've lost, I do miss my mind the most. ;-)

P.S. If you have ever thought of saying hi, I'd love to hear from you.  In addition to posting comments to the blog (which are always appreciated), you can send me e-mail by using "ThisRatSailed" followed by the at symbol, and the server "gmail.com".