Messages

316

Interior Structures / Re: V-Berth Bedding

« on: September 11, 2013, 10:48:08 AM »

I have two friends who love this plastic spring system. I haven't tried it but here's the website.

http://www.NickleAtlantic.com/

317

Standing & Running Rigging and Fitting/Tuning / Re: Another new owner and a question.

« on: August 20, 2013, 09:00:47 AM »

Good for you your bolts hit lead so soon. I needed to borrow a longer "gun tap" to reach the lead. A standard 1/4-20 wasn't long enough to reach through the bilge fiberglass to lead. I sure don't mind having the extra fiberglass over 4000 lbs of lead.

318

Standing & Running Rigging and Fitting/Tuning / Re: Another new owner and a question.

« on: August 19, 2013, 12:12:46 PM »

Mast grounding is made complicated with our internal lead ballast. All the heavy green wires throughout the boat are bonding wires. They should be clean and tight. The bonding wires need to have electrical continuity with the mast itself and the step plate. This is to prevent corrosion and also to try and protect sailors from lightning strikes and shore power electrocution from open grounds on AC appliances. Some folks isolate their mast but that is difficult if you have masthead instruments and VHF radio antennas which bring their small conductors to ground also. NEVER use the mast as the ground for lights or instruments like automobiles do- corrosion will result. The shrouds and stays chainplates are bonded together with the maststep with the bonding wiring at the factory.

The lag bolts securing the maststep do not reach the lead ballast in most 323s. Even if they did, the lead is inclosed in dielectric fiberglass so the grounding to the sea is compromised. Lag bolts float into the non-conductive fiberglass and at this age have little ability to pull a bonding wire terminal tightly against the steel maststep.

I used stainless allthread and tapped through the fiberglass two inches into the lead for mechanical strength. I believe I have electrical continuity with the bonding wires AND the lead. The four allthread studs wouldn't be strong enough to withstand a direct lightning strike. The idea with bonding to the sea is creating an "ionic umbrella" that protects the boat like an invisible Faraday Cage. The ubiquitous stainless bottle brushes at the tops of masts are part of this school of thought. This ionic umbrella is a very low voltage so all connections must be very clean. If you believe this will work buy your bottle brush from a dairy supply at 10% of the cost of the marine items...

I found electrical continuity in my mast to ground with the bonding wires disconnected from the step. This continuity is from the grounded METZ antenna at the masthead and the rig's bonding. Since the mast is grounded by the stays, shrouds and my VHF antenna's ground I chose to run the green bonding wires in the bilge directly to the mast.  I have a substitute steel bolt holding them until I locate a suitable aluminum bolt to fasten them to the mast. I also made an aluminum washer that goes against the mast to prevent dissimilar metal corrosion from the copper wiring terminals attacking the mast. This is not shown in this photo

Sintered bronze Dynaplate radio grounds are not adequate for lightning protection. A copper sheet a few feet long and a half foot wide at the turn of the bilge directly beside the mast on the hull exterior immersed on all points of sail would be the recommended lightning ground for the 323. It would be quite an engineering and installation feat to do this correctly. Copper at least as thick as a penny formed to the contour of the hull and inlayed so it doesn't peel away... A lot of work! Then there is the connection from the exterior plate through the hull to the mast. It must have a fine radius to prevent side flashes and be of significant size to carry huge current- Difficult at best.

Could lightning strike the mast then enter the inclosed ballast and strip the fiberglass keel from it? That would depend on the unpredictable path of current from the mast to the inclosed lead. The energy just might go through the bonded thruhulls or simply vaporize the voids on the hull and result in hundreds of tiny holes. The boat would sink like a kitchen colander...

The best we can do without splitting the atom is to attach the mast directly to the bonding system and jumper that connection to the maststep lagbolts to reduce galvanic corrosion. My boat came with the green wires attached to the tension rod. Go figure!

319

Interior Structures / Re: Mysterious design feature

« on: August 19, 2013, 09:48:45 AM »

Are you referring to the spot where rolled charts are stored?

320

Plumbing and Galley Systems / Re: IceBox Drainage

« on: July 23, 2013, 06:08:41 PM »

Here is my new shower/ice melt sump. I plumbed a piece of SCH 20 PVC to the original PAR pump and then with a pair of ball valves so I can choose to pump the sump or the bilge. For years I had a y-valve and garden hose adapters to do the same job but it no one could figure it out. This is pretty simple- S for sump and B for bilge.

The vertical PVC in the bilge is a brace to stabilize the cabin sole. It is made from light PVC and the second piece is slit to telescope over the first. That way the whole thing can be extended and holes drilled for fasteners to hold it tight against the bilge sump and underside of the sole. The top has a cut to accept the joint of the sole. It's impervious to bilge water.

321

General Discussion / Pearson 365 adrift 54 days lands on shore of MArtha's Vineyard!

« on: July 12, 2013, 10:01:35 AM »

I remember those Pacific Seacraft ads with the 37 up on it's side on a Pacific Ocean reef. It was dragged off and completed it's voyage. I'm pretty familiar with the 37 as my good friend (who made my new 316 mast step) owns one of the last made.

The 37 is STOUT! I thought my 323 was strong and it is, but a knock on the hull or deck of the 37 is like a knock on a granite boulder.
Similar to banging one's shin on a pickup trucks protruding trailer ball!!!

This is a good story about a retired engineer who bit off more than he could handle in the Atlantic.

I sure wish I'd have come across this pretty 365 and salvaged it. Another tribute to Bill shaw's genius at the drawing board (no cad design then) and on the factory floor.

[/img]

http://www.mvtimes.com/2013/07/10/adrift-54-days-boat-comes-ashore-marthas-vineyard-16369/

322

Mast and Spar Issues / Re: New mast step

« on: June 22, 2013, 04:39:03 PM »

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll take it to a machinist.

323

Boat Handling / Re: New to 323, quick question.

« on: June 17, 2013, 09:10:04 PM »

She looks GREAT!

324

Exterior Finish and Fiberglass / Re: Teak

« on: June 17, 2013, 09:00:42 PM »

My Teak is so wasted with open grain from previous owner scrubbing with the grain it's hopeless. I did refinish a rubrail on a Pacific Seacraft 37 this spring. I used Smith's epoxy to penetrate the teak then I used 2 part Bristol Finish for the finish. The advantage of Bristol Finish is it's quick skin-over so many coats can be applied in one day.

I sure wish we had aluminum toerails with the holes to attach various Barber Haulers and other useful items.

My wood is so lousy the plugs are paper thin and they pop out. Did you ever notice the fine tooled non-skid under the toerail...

What a shame to perforate it with a million sheet metal screws.

The original Pearson parts manual lists both toerails for something like $300!

Try and replace them for $3000.00 today!

One day I'll scrounge an aluminum toerail from a wrecked Hunter 37 MK I and be done with it.

What a job removing the sail track to get 'er done. I've thought of epoxying a lid veneer because I'd never need to get at those mounting screws... I'd rather sail.

Two days after a perfect installation and finish I'd get T-Boned by a power boat!

325

Plumbing and Galley Systems / Re: IceBox Drainage

« on: June 17, 2013, 08:42:54 PM »

My icebox drains into the shower grey water box under the center floorboard. It was always a mess with it's 30 or so screws holding the lid on. One of my first projects 13 years ago was to make a new grey water box from Tupperware. Make the icebox drain inlet high so shower water doesn't reach it. Make the shower drain and pump inlet low to keep grey water away from the icebox exhaust. One of the things my original owner left was a rubber drain plunger without a handle in the locker under the stove. It is to plunge the icebox drain. We sure have a huge icebox and it was one of the things that got my attention years ago.

Just how many cases of cans will fit in there???!!!

326

Mast and Spar Issues / Re: New mast step

« on: June 17, 2013, 08:16:15 PM »

The loads aren't that great. My mast base was pretty wasted and didn't crush. Remember the original maststeps were simply lag bolted with fender washers to the bilge deck. My lag bolts were so rusted they were wasted to nothing and the step didn't move. I actually used a gun-tap and tapped all the way into lead for all-thread studs to locate my adapter plate and the step for my second step. Now that I've faired the bilge I might simply go the lag-bolt route again. If that mast wanted to wander, the rusty old lag bolts and fender washers wouldn't have stopped it. It seemed a worry but in practice I haven't seen evidence of movement. There's actually less room in this new step than the original Pearson maststep. There is also a fillet of roving around the inside bottom not visible in the photo. The fillet locates the mast and centralizes it. If I see evidence of the mast moving within the step I can always shim it with aluminum bent to match the contour of the mast ends. I'd rather keep a little clearance to be able to insure the mast isn't corroding from wet junk between the step ears and the base of the mast. I really don't want to ever have to remove more material from the mast bottom. I'll already have to shorten the tension rod and I'll need to re-tap it. That might be a job I farm out.  I was pleased I was able to extract the tension rod from the aluminum casting at the coachroof partners without problems... Another difference in the photos is how the epoxy cup is now resting against the tension rod mounting bracket. I decided it makes sense to bear against that strongpoint. That 3/8 316 bracket ain't going nowhere! I have an extra 1/4 20 fastener on the front side.

327

Mast and Spar Issues / New mast step

« on: June 04, 2013, 09:06:16 AM »

I'm almost ready to install my third new mast step. I need to fair the bilge first since I get a puddle of bilge water forward of the mast occasionally. My original step had shims under it the bilge was so uneven. When I had a new steel step made (#2) I fabricated a wedge shaped piece of fiberglass to make up for the little corrosion I needed to cut off the mast and match the uneven bilge. I had that step powder coated and it started rusting minutes after installation. If ALMA didn't have a tension rod I'd have used aluminum.  I'm lucky to have a friend with a manufacturing company and he made me a new step from 3/8" 316 stainless steel. Since the stainless would ruin the aluminum mast I made a fiberglass cup to insulate and locate the mast on the step. Inside the cup rests a thin aluminum plate to prevent the mast from abrading the epoxy cup. The cup is bi-axial glass oriented diagonally to take the sheer load and I wound roving strands around the outside to tie it together. I'll need to drill weep holes in the cup and silver-dollar sized half-holes at the mast bottom so I can flush it out once in a while with the hot water shower. The 'glass cup is far stronger than the mast section.  I'll need to make a lug on the mast to tie in the bonding wiring since the mast is now electrically insulated from the mast step. I'll also need to make a 1.5" fiberglass block to fit under the step to make up the corroded material I've cut off the bottom of the mast. I have a perfect piece of Starboard but it would cold-flow and shrink over time...

At least this should last a while and the mast's bottom will be high and dry above the bilge.

328

For Sale and Wanted / Wanted: Sea Hood

« on: March 18, 2013, 01:54:59 PM »

My ALMA has no sea hood. If anyone comes across a wrecked 323 please let me know. I want the sea hood (if equipped).

329

General Discussion / Re: Winch handle? Newbie question

« on: March 18, 2013, 01:51:45 PM »

Go to the DEFENDER MARINE website. There you will find many winch handles. An inexpensive "floating" handle will be greatly appreciated and won't break the bank.

The most expensive winch handle can go overboard. A nice floating one can be recovered.

I've got three beauties crew have "slipped" over the side. One keeps coming BACK!

330

Ports & Hatches / Re: Fixed ports won't come out ???

« on: March 18, 2013, 01:44:13 PM »

Yes- It seems they can't fit through the cabinsides. When the boat was built the installers would let the channel in the port extrusions ride down into the cabin's port aperture and then slip the top in too. You'll need to get all the adhesion of previous calk taken care of and then make sure all the calk is removed so the cabin side will fit down into the ports channel in the extrusion.

For a better-than-new job, shim the gaps between the cabin side and hull liner to match the biggest existing width dimension. This insures an even fit for the ports inner clamps to operate correctly. Add thickened epoxy to the gaps and bond the cabin to the liner. I used matchsticks for the spots where the distance was too small. After the epoxy cures pull the sticks and fill again the remaining holes with more thickened epoxy.  This gives a nice solid, even and crush-proof aperture to mount your ports into. After I did this I ground the apertures to fit the ports extrusions without tucking them down into the frame extrusion. This made a perfect mate between the boat and the port. I used simple Home Depot 20 year silicone calk and that was 12 years ago. Today hatchmakers sell a Butyl Bedding that I haven't used but many pros use. http://www.newfoundmetals.com/catalog/pg09.html Dry fit the ports and mask around them. If you are thinking of painting your "Bandit Stripe" now is the time to do it. Remember the boat cabin has a camber and the glass frames do NOT! You'll want to allow for this with your calk of choice. Let the middle of the port be close and use enough calk to fill the distance between the flange and boat at the ends where the brittle glass cannot follow the contour of the cabin roof. Not a leak since.

Be sure to check the port's plastic gasket that seals the glass to the frame. It or a suitable substitute is available from a local storm-door fab and install company. The frames are held together by small aluminum brackets and self tapping screws. Be careful not to bend the frames while dissembling them. Replace the gaskets and you should have a decade of no leaks from these frames. Many leaks are from the gaskets and NOT the caulk. Don't go through all the work and get a leak from a 30 year old gasket. Remember to install gasket so the joint of the gasket is in the TOP of the finished frame. Laying out the gaskets and letting them settle overnight or more from being wound-up on a roll helps them take the shape you need.

Good luck and Good night's sleep without drips from these gaskets (and frames)!