Messages

1

Boat Handling / Jib only handling

« on: March 13, 2019, 11:25:10 PM »

I have a new-to-me 303 (aka porker, nearly 11' beam and only 4'4" draft) and just got the jib-furler halyard replaced, took her out today in ~15kn of "fresh breeze," sailing jib only.  Seems that, even with the sail tracks 1' inboard, best I can make with jib only is a beam reach - pointed as high into the wind as we could on the way out, tacked and did the same on the way back and our return track was stubbornly parallel to the outbound track.  I'm assuming that a little participation from the main could help us point higher, but just didn't need it today - was making 5+kn on jib only, even when furled to about 70% - fully unfurled is around 110% and that was uncomfortable in 15kn of puffy breeze (complaints from the galley crew), and barely any faster.

Does this track with other Pearsons' handling experience?

2

General Discussion / Re: Garmin now the new Microsoft of Marine products!

« on: March 10, 2019, 01:38:44 PM »

If you want to start over... my 303 came with a Lowrance chartplotter / sonar (which, by the way, has terrible reviews on Amazon...)  So far, it has been very serviceable, for my needs.  And, I think it's much less expensive than the Garmin equivalents, like: less than $500 for the color plotter and transducers, if I read correctly.

So far, with about 40 hours of use, it has unexpectedly shut down 3 times - not sure if that's something in the plotter, or the 35 year old power system feeding it - when I restart it it's fine, so I can't really say whether this is a Lowrance issue or a boat power issue.  Otherwise, it is a very nice depth finder, decent chart plotter (I only have the base maps), and promises all sorts of optional features like sonar mapping, etc. that I really don't need and haven't taken the time to mess with.

I don't know how well it would grow into an autopilot system.  I'm thinking that some day (after I get the rainwater leaks through the deck fully controlled) I might add AIS and/or one of the VHF location reporting systems - and rather than try to integrate that into the chartplotter, the idea of an independent/redundant GPS system has a lot of attractions...

3

P303 / Re: Navigation Lights

« on: March 04, 2019, 08:06:49 AM »

I wonder if the two dock line guides I have up very near the bow replaced the original lights...  I haven't used them yet, they are so far forward the way we tie off our lines go straight to the cleats that are much easier to reach.

For now, it's much easier, and even cheaper, to stock spare AAAs than to run wires and new lights.

My 303 did come with a big anchor light at the mast top, it even works too.

4

Sails and Canvas / Re: Cockpit cushions for 1986 Pearson 28-2

« on: February 27, 2019, 05:37:05 PM »

Sorry not a helpful reply, but I'm curious what the new cushions end up costing?

We had the quarterberth cushions on our 303 recovered and just for a (nice quality, not outstanding) recovering was $321.... seemed on the high side to me, but was the same shop that had already done the settee and V berth cushions so at least they matched, and I didn't have to go out and find a shop that I trusted from scratch.

5

Plumbing and Galley Systems / Re: sump pump switch

« on: February 24, 2019, 09:52:41 AM »

I have a huge electric 'crash pump' that is available for serious flooding. It is mounted high and dry

How often do you test your 'crash pump'?  My boat came with a 3 pump setup in the bilge, 1 110, 1 big 12 and 1 small 12.  Upon closer inspection, the 110 pump was completely non-functional (hoses both went nowhere), and the two 12V pumps are wired to the same float switch.  Closer inspection still revealed that the "big" 12V pump wasn't moving any water due to a kink near its thru-hull.  I finally learned the last bit by bringing a dock-hose into the bilge and letting it run free, to see where the water went - and didn't go.

6

Plumbing and Galley Systems / Re: sump pump switch

« on: February 21, 2019, 10:36:46 PM »

For whatever reason, both the sinks in my 1984 303 go to below the waterline thru-hulls.  Both of which happen to have seized (open) seacocks at the moment - currently applying PB blaster and patience to them.

7

Plumbing and Galley Systems / Re: sump pump switch

« on: February 20, 2019, 12:19:13 PM »

I'm sure it's no longer original, but my 303's head-sink drains to an underwater thru-hull under the sink, while the shower drains open to the bilge, though it looks like at one time there might have been a shower sump pump that ran to a thru-hull above the waterline on the stern (that thru-hull is connected to a hose that ends unterminated in the bilge, not far from the unterminated hose leaving the shower drain...)  There's a red-lighted pump switch above the sink - the switch lights up when it's turned on, but nothing appears to happen in response (still tracing all the head plumbing and wiring, there's quite a bit....)

I suppose if we started using the shower on a regular basis, I'd want to send the drain water directly overboard, instead of letting it loose in the bilge to go out with the normal bilge water... what type of pump would be appropriate for a shower drain?  It will "run dry" as a regular course of operation, so I don't think that normal bilge pumps would like that duty, unless the showering passenger could be trusted to manually operate the electrical switch (while they are wet) to just pump the floor dry, before it overflows but not after it's fully drained...?

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Plumbing and Galley Systems / Re: Bilge pump hose route

« on: February 20, 2019, 12:09:32 PM »

My "high output" bilge pump wasn't getting any water out, I traced that problem to a kinked hose... not sure how likely you are to have a kink you don't know about.

9

Plumbing and Galley Systems / Weeping bladder

« on: February 18, 2019, 10:36:03 PM »

My 303 has 2 100 liter bladders under the aft portion of both settees... to starboard is a blue cloth covered bag with a duct-taped jerry rigged outlet hose - it seems to be holding water just fine.  To port, there is a black vinyl NAUTA bladder with stitched seams, and the bottom seam is weeping, ever so slowly.

The bladders were full when I purchased the boat last December, they didn't run low until 60 days later (and then only because I've been using galley and head sink water for LOTS of stuff, not conserving it at all..), so it's obviously not a fast leak, but it is just enough to see a tiny trickle entering the bilge.

So many other things to address first, I'll definitely not be sweating this one any time soon, but... any ideas for what I might do to make it better 60+ days from now when it's empty again?

10

Boat Handling / Re: The iron sail on a 303

« on: February 18, 2019, 02:42:28 PM »

I think the 303 is just as much of a fatso: 10,000 lbs for 30'3" LOA, and nearly 11' of beam.

When I took possession of the 303 there was a small puddle of oil under the engine, enough to saturate a new oil absorbing pad and still need some wipedown/cleanout.  Since then, only a drop or two has showed up on the new pad, so I'm hopeful that the oil was more spilled during service than leaking underway.

Going back now to check on how things look after yesterday's 4 hour motor-cruise, when we get back to the dock with the kids it's more an exercise of batten the hatches and check the dock lines than a full-on engine and systems inspection every time.

11

Boat Handling / The iron sail on a 303

« on: February 18, 2019, 09:21:24 AM »

I'm new to my 303, and up until yesterday had only motored around under 2100RPM (separate story, to confirm the accuracy of my console tach I used an optical tach on the flywheel, 2100RPM as read by a cheapo optical tach on the flywheel corresponds to 1900RPM on the console needle, I trust the new cheapo optical over the 35 year old console...)  The GPS will generally read around 5 knots at 2100RPM on a calm day - we motor in a river so that's usually 4.5 against the current, 5.5 with it.

Yesterday I finally throttled up to ~2600RPM and yes indeed it does move faster, but the motion of the hull is much less settled.  We were running downstream, 5.5 GPS knots at 2100, and by 2600 the GPS was reading ~6.7, which should be about hull speed for a 25' waterline, though maybe still 1/2 knot short accounting for the current.

The main "unsettling" behaviors were a tendency for the heading to wander, at 5 knots through the water it stays on course very solidly, at 6+ it required constant input at the wheel to hold a course - maybe my nice comfy 11' beam is coming into play here?  Also, the back of the boat squatted down about 4", where the exhaust is just above water at 5 knots, it's fully below at 6.  There was also a notable increase in exhaust odor, not foul, but notable.

I'm happy to cruise at 2100RPM / 5 knots, but have read here and there about Yanmar (and other diesels) "liking to run" at 75-80% of rated RPM (3400 for my 2GMF) to prevent carbon buildup.

Any thoughts / experience from other Pearsons?  Particularly wide-body models like the 303?

12

Engine and Drive Train / Re: Prop Zinc

« on: February 18, 2019, 09:04:22 AM »

Not a direct answer, but got me thinking about my own haul-out later this year:

https://www.sailnet.com/forums/pearson/203602-pearson-303-zinc.html

13

Deck Mounted Hardware / Re: Mid-Ship Cleats

« on: February 16, 2019, 12:30:29 PM »

My 303 came to me with track mounted midship cleats, I honestly haven't used them yet, but incase of desire they are not only there, but also can have their position adjusted.

Of course they can also be easily removed and stowed - but so far they haven't been enough of a nuisance to consider that.

14

P303 / Navigation Lights

« on: February 13, 2019, 04:27:41 PM »

Did the 303 come with standard (or factory optional) navigation lights?

My 1984 303 came to me with a 3-AAA battery powered LED puck that locks into the bow pulpit - while I admire the simplicity and efficiency of the solution, it feels ... cheesy ... to me.

15

Deck Mounted Hardware / Re: Pulpit rebedding

« on: February 12, 2019, 01:00:15 PM »

Thanks, I'm kind of afraid of all the applications I will find for epoxy once I start mixing it on-board.

First things first, I've barely got the major leak in the opening port gasket under control - but I believe the bow pulpit connections are the next source of annoying rain intrusion that needs addressing...

On the topic of exposed deck core: previous owner cut a 4" hole for a vent in the bathroom ceiling and then caulked a trim piece in a way that was holding water against the exposed core... at the moment I just have the trim piece removed so water that comes in the air-scoop just drips onto the head/shower pan.  The exposed core seems very solid, but it is nagging at me to give it a proper sealing job before putting back any cosmetic trim.  Did Pearson somehow infuse their end-grain balsa layer when they did the deck layups?