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Note: Sam has no stock or financial interests in any product on this page! Also, products I endorse are selected mainly on the basis of personal  preference and experience. Click Thumbnails to enlarge!

 

Hombre Solo:  When Docking, Easy Does It  Animated Knots
   
   More photos of Hood MPS Sock.   Flying the Doyle APC
 

I replaced my Main with a used sail from Masthead Sail Loft. Instead of h40, the sail has an NA-40 sewn in plus a number that makes people think I'm a big-time racer. So now when somebody asks the make of boat I have the option of answering either North American-40 or Naval Academy-40, whichever seems more impressive at the time. If whoever asks went to the 4-week Course at Annapolis Sailing School, the latter seems to impress them, although I must admit that the course took me 4 years. Would you believe that I installed the sail solo? It was much easier than I thought it would be. The newer mainsail seems to overpower the boat.  
I do a lot of single-handed sailing. Much of the time, charter crews have no sailing experience. Therefore, I normally handle lines by myself, most of the time with a current and wind to contend with.

 Docking:
         

The preferred mooring is port side to with the bow pointing to the Southwest, just an easy from the dock into the cockpit where the shore power connects. The photo at left shows the empty slip.  The photo above shows Lady Kristin in her mooring.

Mooring Lines and Arresting Lines are all regular laid nylon. Nylon stretches to absorb forces encountered in mooring and also wind and current. There are two Arresting Lines from the dock to the Southwest Piling. The forward mooring lines from the SW piling are attached to the arresting lines with hook/loop (Velcro�) straps. The three after mooring lines are fastened  to the dock and serve as arresting lines when coming alongside starboard side to with the bow Northeast..    

The preferred state of tide is either slack or a flood in which the vessel is pointed into the current. With a strong ebb, I have to work fast to get the boat into the arresting lines, grab the arresting line and walk aft hopefully before the ebb forces the stern out into the channel at which time I have to try again. Usually, if I am unable to get the stern in and hold it there on the second pass, I just turn into the current and moor with the bow to the North. Then, I simply wait until slack water to shift the mooring to where the stern is North and .

    Click to see a animated version of this procedure!

Going Aloft
Yo soy un hombre solo!  Being a man of modest means, I must also do maintenance myself, including aloft and underwater work. In the above photo, I am preparing to go aloft using a rig of my own design. It consists of a 6-1 purchase attached to a boatswain's chair. Instead of having somebody winch me aloft, I ascend by my own power. After I get to the first set of spreaders, I attach the tether line twofold around the mast as a safety line attached to my safety harness. For work at the masthead, I have two aluminum fold-out steps installed four feet from the top of the mast. If you have ever actually worked at the masthead, you would appreciate having a firm platform while working on antennas or other electronics/electrical gear located on the masthead. I need another two steps to get to the 4 foot steps. One is mounted on the port side of the mast, three feet below the four foot step on that side. The other is mounted on the starboard side of the mast, 1.5 feet below the starboard 4 foot step. After I have mounted these steps, I have another strap with a metal-to-metal buckle that I use to keep me secure to the mast and enable use of two hands. My rig has a special cam-cleat arrangement to secure me at any position of the mast or stay. However, this apparatus prevents me from ascending all the way to the masthead. Thus, the need for the steps. Also shown above is my underwater rig. By popular demand, more details on the aloft and underwater rigs are provided below.

   Note: I designed and built this system in 1994. If I had it to do over, I would evaluate the ATN TopClimber first. It should be about 2/3 the cost of my rig and would not require steps. Here's another Link from BoatUS:  Up The Mast!

 Details on Solo Aloft Rig:  (Material Costs in 1994 U.S. $) 
       `
         
      

   You'll need a Safety Harness and separate Safety Belt. The harness is used for safety in ascending/descending the mast or stay. The Safety Belt fits around the waist and keeps you snug against the Mast while working at the Masthead.   It gives one a sense of security while working aloft. I bought my harness with tether line at West Marine. The buckles for the Safety Belt are from my prior career in submarines.

    This solo rig is far more preferable to me than being winched up the mast by another person. I always have a second person standing by (usually my wife who checks on me about every ten minutes) in case the hauling line gets fouled. However, this has never happened in the eight years that I've been using this rig. In any event, I would never use a power winch for going aloft as it is too easy to jam a shackle into a sheave. Sometimes I have another party standing by to pass me a separate tool bucket for bigger jobs. I ALWAYS wear shorts to increase the friction when I wrap my legs around the mast in ascending or descending.   

            Photos: Mouseover for details:
           
                 Thumbnails Below!!
        

Care and Cleaning of Sails Made With DuPont Fibers   Dacron, Kevlar   
Rigging Terms: J, I, P, E, etc.  BaconSails.Com Carl's Sail Calculator v2.72.

SailCare.Com: Answers questions about sails!
Cruising Spinnaker Primer  
 

DOWNWIND SAILING TACTICS

 Don and Arlene Guillette, the owners of  SailTrimProducts of Long Beach, California.
 Their two main products are the SAIL TRIM USERS GUIDE and SAIL TRIM CHART.

Don conducts sail trim seminars throughout Southern California and also hosts a sail trim forum on www.sailboatowners.com.
 National Geographic Sail Trim Simulator

North Sails Fast Course
|
Heaving To!

 

Birds
Public Enemy #1 at MastHead!!!This Crap From The Birds!! Try 4-The-Birds! polybutene
Prior to 2005, my main problem with birds was not shore birds, but those pesky starlings, sparrows, grackles, etc., that migrate to Florida in the Fall. I was desperate!
I tried every conceivable device, including plastic owls and snakes, all to no avail. I also tried an invention shown at left that seemed to attract them more. Finally, I resorted to bird repellent at the masthead and on the spreaders. 4-The-Birds was the first product that I tried and it worked very well. The secret is to apply it sparingly. You don't want this stuff on your sails or rigging. There are other similar products including Tanglefoot. Most bird repellents contain Polybutene, a non-drying, sticky polymer that birds find offensive. Thank God for that! However, the pests will find a way to outwit you, by roosting on halyards, stays, and the boom topping lift. Just recently, I discovered something that has improved my bird problem substantially. I kept noticing bits of twigs and weeds on the deck. Then one day I happened to notice a starling enter the end of the boom. Upon investigating, I found that the pests were nesting inside the boom. Lesson learned: Keep the birds from nesting aboard. A simple piece of duct tape over the open boom end did the trick. I was in a state of euphoria until the summer of 2005 when I encountered a problem with the ospreys. The bird repellent had dried and was no longer useful in keeping ospreys off the masthead and spreaders. At left is an osprey at the masthead.  This same bird had been roosting on the masthead and the spreaders to look for fish swimming below. When he spied a fish that made him hungry, he would fly down and grab the fish with his strong talons, then bring his catch to the spreader and proceed to devour him, leaving blood and fish bones to fall and mess the deck below. One had even stuck a fish carcass between two shrouds while he picked at it. Not too nice on the smell!  Well, I went aloft and applied a more liberal dose of polybutene at the masthead and on the spreaders. The first day, the osprey kept coming back. However, I haven't seen him for about three days now. Keep tuned for further developments. In any event, I much prefer the osprey and his fish to the starlings and all their excrement!

  Repair of AutoHelm STS-50 Anemometer:
I made a jury-rig repair to the vane that had broken off  leaving only a small tip of the vane by using an aluminum alloy house number that is available at any hardware store. I took two of them, cut them with a pair of scissors to the right shape and laminated them together over the small tip using 3M super adhesive. So far it's held up in winds up to 50 knots.  The photo at left shows the STS-50 forward of the Windex prior to the fix. The photo at right is after the fix. At far right is an ST50 Wind Indicator that I bought on eBay. That's about the only source for the indicator. It's made in England and the eBay seller was in UK. It had never been installed aboard a boat and works quite well! eBay is a good source for all such items that are no longer made. I just bought 2 S200DL Datamarine Depth Sounder instruments. One is installed and the other is OBRP (On-board Repair Part)!

       Sail Accessories:
Lazy Jacks: I recommend the patented, retractable E-Z-JAX Systems. For about $250, depending on boat size, you get a system tailored for your own boat. Includes splices in braided line and all hardware plus detailed instructions for installation and use. The magic moment of truth occurs when you're headed into the wind and drop the Main for the first time. Watch the sail fall and flake neatly on top of the boom. I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have.

Two El Tranquilo neighbors have the Doyle StackPack Mainsail Furling System.
Pete Barton's Hunter 42.5 OohLaLa is shown at left with the system that includes a mainsail cover. At right, another neighbor Lin Robson is guiding the installation of StackPack aboard Captain Fred Prettenhofer's Antigua 54 Holo Mala.  Lynn Robson was Sail Consultant for Doyle Ploch Sailmakers in St. Petersburg. He is now associated with North Sails Gulf Coast. The StackPack is one of the best solutions to the mainsail flaking and stowage problems with its integral lazy jacks and a cover that opens automatically to accept the sail as it is lowered. No Sail Ties to worry about!
Galley:
The best and safest fuel is Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). CNG differs from the two other main gases used in that CNG is derived from Natural Gas. Propane and Butane are both Liquified Petroleum (LP) Gas, derived from petroleum. LP gas vendors are everywhere as they are used in RV's. To find a vendor for CNG, visit the Corp Brothers Marine Web Page. In the Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, visit the MotorFuelers.Com Web Site for CNG as well as bottle testing and inspection.

Marine Sanitation:  This is a subject close to my heart, as I regularly swim off my boat and around the Island of Vina Del Mar (Mud Key), a distance of three miles. Federal Law prohibits dumping of raw sewage in coastal waters. U.S. Codes define the coastal waters as up to three (3) miles offshore. State of Florida Gulf Offshore extends coastal waters to nine (9) miles. "Boating is good clean fun. Let's keep it that way".   (Motto of National Clean boating Organization).
    
USCG:  Excerpt from Marine Safety Manual, Volume II, Chapter 18.
WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR RECREATIONAL VESSELS. (PDF) USCG.
Florida Coastal Limits: 9 Miles!!!       Clean Boating Tip Sheet
Florida Clean Vessel Act of 1994: Read This!! It defines the various types of efluents such as boat sewage, gray water, cleaning products, spilled fuel, trash and the introduction of exotic organisms. All of the above degrade the quality of Florida’s surface waters.
Reef Relief in Key West:   Key West was officially declared a No Discharge Zone on November 17, 1999. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, upon the recommendation of the Governor of Florida, approved an application by the City of Key West to make all city waters out to 600' a No Discharge Zone (NDZ) for boat sewage. That means no effluent, treated or untreated, may be dumped. Key West joins Destin, Fla. as the two Florida NDZ's. EPA NDZ's by state.
                           

 Peggie Hall: She is to Heads, MSD's, and Shipboard Freshwater Systems as Grace Hopper is to the Navy and Computers. Below are some salient links:
Marine Sanitation: Fact vs Folklore: By Peggie Hall, recognized in the boating industry as one of the few experts in  marine sanitation.  This White Paper is a MUST for all boatowners!
The 8 Ounce Solution for recommissioning a vessel's Potable Water System!
The Head Mistress:  Peggie Hall is the Expert for this Forum that is shared by several Boat Owner Groups, including Hunter, Catalina, Beneteau, C&C, MacGregor, and O'Day.
Peggie Hall's Biography:  As it appears in the SeaRoom Cruising Forum Panel.
Vessel Cleaning: Alternatives to Toxic Products!  Peggie Hall's Library of Classics on BoaterEd.
No Discharge Questions. The Denizens' Page!  Get Rid of Boat Odors by Peggie Hall
At the Leading Edge of MSD Technology.
Sam's Heads of Choice: Last year, I replaced my after head, Brand-X, with the
 Wilcox-Crittendon Head Mate. I already had one HeadMate installed forward and wanted to have both of the same make. The HeadMate is simple and completely adequate for sailboats up to and above 40 feet in length. The working sailor's head!!! However, I have tested a similar head: the Raritan Cricket and like its telescoping handle.   
Special Tip: If your holding tank does not hold its rated capacity, check the tank vent. This line must be completely clear of dirt, gunk, and other obstructions.

 

The Raritan Cricket: A well-engineered head.
 
Winches:
  All winches aboard Lady Kristin are Maxwell. I had three winch handles until one was dropped overboard. It was the only one that would lock in place in a Maxwell Winch. The two others are standard 10" handles that lock-in, but on most other brand winches other than Maxwell. So what did I do? You guessed it! Duct tape and styrofoam make it a floating winch handle! I keep only one topside. The only use I have for winches is for tensioning the Main Halyard, once the Main is set by hand, or the reefing downhauls, or the jib or spinnaker sheets. I never, ever use a winch on the Jib Furler.  This tip could fall in the category of bizarre things that one can do with duct tape!!  I would patent this idea except one of the things that make an idea patentable is that it must be nonobvious. This idea is certainly obvious!!    MaxwellWinches.Com

 UnderWater Work:

 Having your sailboat at your own dock is the best way to have it. After each of my 2-mile swims around the Island, I check and clean Lady Kristin's waterline, if necessary. Monthly I use diving gear as shown at left to clean the underwater hull, keel, and appurtenances. The tank and 50 foot hose are a special rig made up for me by The Tackle Shack.   Don't ever use one of these devices unless you're qualified. A person can die of air embolism even at shallow depths of four feet. Incidentally, if you ever swim around your own island, I advise wearing fins and training paddles to protect your hands and feet from oyster beds and barnacles on pilings and while navigating through culverts.  The Tackle Shop is also the best place to get your wet suit. The ScubaPro at left has been in use for about 12 years.

The ATLAN at right was just purchased in November 2010. It is thicker and keeps me warmer. Just finished a two-mile swim around the island and felt warm all the time in 66-68 degree water! The guys at  The Tackle Shop in Pinellas Park give great advice and won't make fun just because you're an old guy!!


 Haulouts:

 Lady Kristin has a steel keel. For this reason, I have it hauled each year to ensure that it remains in good shape.   Maximo Marine Service  was been the hauling yard for the past 15 years, and I was pleased with the service until the present management took over. Here's Tom Johns, President and GM, shown with Fred and Sam. The first thing I did when I bought this boat was to convert each of the eleven sea valves from globe to ball valves (Apollo).
     Note: I no longer recommend Maximo!!!
 

 Maintenance:
Nigel Calder's Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual. This book has been of immense help!
 Among Mr. Calder's most salient tips:
    1. Gate valves have no place in boats. 2. Wire nuts should not be used. 3. Solid core wire is not suitable for marine use. 4. Insulating tape does not work well in a marine environment. 5. Aluminum wire has no place aboard boats. 6. Use resin-cored electrical solder only. 7. Staples...are not suitable for securing cables. Read Calder's section on shaft seals. It is probably the first thing a boatowner should learn.     
 Nigel Calder Biography in Cruising World.  Other Books by Nigel Calder.

  S/V Glissando: Maintenance Projects on a reuilt Pearson Triton 381

 Simple Green: Sam's All-Purpose, environment-friendly cleaner of choice!
      EGBAR Foundation: Everything's gonna be all right!!

 I learned about EasyDab from Jack Tyler in a forum on the SailBoatOwners Web Site.
 It's great for cleaning stanchions and other bright work!
 I bought 3 bottles for $3.80 each at American Chemical at 1755 5th Avenue N. in St. Petersburg. Call them at 727-822-8181.

 A rust-inhibiting coating; NOT A PAINT! OSPHO causes iron oxide (rust) to chemically change to iron phosphate.
 Resists/retards rust and provides a sound base for paint. Many boatyards use OSPHO for preserving components in a marine environment such as engine mounts. Engine Mounts should probably be replaced every 10-15 years.

Online Conversion: Convert just about anything to anything else.
 

It helps to have a neighbor like Captain Fred Prettenhofer to get help from when you have problems.  Fred started out as an Engineer for GM but later went into business on his own. He is currently President and CEO of SailAway, Inc, specializing in outfitting sailing yachts for extended cruising. Fred goes aloft to his 65 foot masthead like a monkey. He is, indeed, a gentleman of liberal education, refined manners, punctilious courtesy, and the nicest sense of personal honor! We are planning some extended cruises to the Caribbean for the Spring of 2003.  Fred beruht auf SAM f�r mechanische Sachkenntnis SAM. Er tut nicht eine Sache, ohne SAM zu beraten!

 
 Great Sailing Forums.  You can tailor your individual forums to include topics of your choice!   Combines Forums from about ten other makes of sailboats. Chandlery.
Fiberglass Coatings. Inc: 
John's Boat Stuff: Customized Boat Designs.
Bo'sn Supplies Co.:
Sailing Instructions:
Sail and Power by Richard Henderson. The official textbook at the U.S. Naval Academy. You'll never realize how little you know about sailing until you read, then re-read this book. It has everything in it including the best instructions I've seen on how to make an eye splice! The subjects of Aerodynamics and Hydrodynamics of Sailing are well covered. Read and re-read the articles on Sail Trim to master the subject!


Old Submarine Gear:  
Stainless Steel Rag Can from Submarine Engine Room comes in handy for freshwater flushing of dinghy outboard engines. Too bad I've used all the rags that came with it! I have grooves sawed into these two old dock boards used for mounting the outboard on the rag can. At left is a manila torpedo snubber that I used for my spinnaker sheet for many years on the five sailboats that I have owned since retiring. After 25 years, I can finally afford some dacron sheets. Thank God for Social Security! At right is a manila block & tackle designed for recovering torpedoes that I used for a combination Boom Vang and Preventer until I just recently could afford to get a new solid boom vang and preventer. The white line next to the outboard is part of the new preventer rig.      
 

Subjects in the Work:

Rigging:  
 Brian Toss Yacht Riggers:  Brian and Ian come across like a couple of real pro's. There are two pages on this site that are full of information: SparTalk (Board) and FairLeads (Archives).
Avoiding and Surviving Rig Failures: by John Kretschmer.          Standing Rigging Basics
Understanding the B&R Rig: Use of the Bergstrom & Ridder Two-Spreader Rig obviates the need for the inner forestay and running backstay. 
Getting Started with Rig Tuning: by Dobbs Davis.
Products include TopClimber, Tacker, and Spinnaker Sleeve.
Hunter Owner's Manual: Including Rigging Tuning Instructions
Rigging Only:  A division of the Rigging Loft Inc., a full service rigging shop owned and operated by riggers.
Garhauer: Solid boom vang improves sailing performance.  You will still need a topping lift for Dutchman or E-ZJAX Sail Flaking Systems.
Skipper's Home Made Turn Buckle Covers
Index of Sailing/Hunter: Good rigging tips!
Edson Marine:
 Rig-Rite: Sailing Hardware: Home of EasyLock Rope Clutches        CamCleat.Com:
 

Replacing Halyard. The thumbnail at left shows the new halyard at left with the shackle in the eye splice above the Flemish Eye end lined up with the shackle of the old main halyard prior to cutting the old halyard to make a temporary splice of the old to the new. The lower left thumbnail shows the old and new halyards lined up after cutting the old halyard to remove the shackle. The old and new halyards are joined with a temporary splice made by butting the cut end to the new Flemish Eye and sewing the two together with waxed whipping twine (#4). The stitches are made up to a length of 3 inches from the end. The stitches are anchored to the new halyard core prior to the Flemish Eye. At right, chafe tape has been applied the length of the complete joint of the temporary splice. The object is to make a temporary splice joint strong enough to pass through the sheaves at the top and bottom of the mast but smooth enough not to jam. I have heard of sailors using a paper clip to join the two halyards, but I feel more comfortable with whipping twine. In getting the joint to the masthead, I pull on the old halyard directly from the sheave at the base of the mast with the right hand. As the joint nears the top sheave, pull and feel carefully as the joint contacts the sheave. I hold the new halyard with the other left hand and I can sense when the joint enters the sheave and am alert to reverse the pull in case the joint jams in the sheave. I have been fortunate through 30 years and 5 boats never to have that happen. The joint should also be able to pass through any sheaves to get back to the cockpit. I never try to get the joint through the rope clutch at the cockpit but undo the temporary splice and pull the Flemish Eye through with a small piece of light line attached to the eye.

PineApple Sails:   "Articles". The one on reefing/unreefing is the best I've seen.
CLEWLESS IN SAN FRANCISCO  How to secure jib furling systems!

Pineapple Sails recommends that Jib Furling Lines be secured to a winch and then to a cleat. The photo at right shows a fuling line secured to two winches then a cleat!

Knots: Boating Knots from NetKnots.com  Animated Knots Scout Group, East Sussex, UK

 Canvas:
How to use the C.A. Myers Awl-For-All  Good animated GIF!

Engines:

HUNTER REFERENCE LIBRARY  Diesel Fuel Essentials Changing Engine Oil Sailnet Articles by Tom Wood

Check of Yanmar 4JHE Sea Water Cooling System. If the Cooling System is working properly, the SW lines into and out of this strainer will be as cool as the SW. If the lines are too hot to touch, something is wrong. You changed the impeller but the old broken off blades may yet be clogging somewhere in the SW system. Clean strainers weekly.  
Excellent Sites For Engine Help:  Yanmarhelp.com!   MarineDieselDirect.Com
 www.biodiesel.org:     Use Biodiesel to reduce Engine Diesel Smell. Torreson Diesel Clinic
 Trimming The Iron Genoa: Diesel Engine Tips for the Hunter 376/380! Good reference for all Yanmar Engines! Includes Pre-Lube Technique! Author: Curt Morris!


After end of the Yanmar 4JHE Diesel Engine. The Wet Mixing Elbow is shown to port and the Air Silencer is shown to starboard. Hot exhaust gases enter one end of the elbow and leave through the other end. SW discharge from the SW side of the heat exchanger enters the elbow through the SW Nipple. Because of the 90 degree bend in the nipple, it is the most likely place in the SW system for a broken off impeller blade to clog the SW System.

 The yellow handle of the Engine SW Intake Valve is in the SHUT (closed)  position, the proper position if you're not aboard. The Engine Start Key is taped to the valve operating lever. If you keep your boat in a marina, I  recommend you keep all Sea Valves, AKA thru-hulls, in the closed position  and open them when stationing the special sea and anchor detail. The most likely source of flooding is the Engine SW valve followed by the Head or Holding Tank Discharge Valves which should always be shut.      
 
  
 The thumbnail at left above shows the starboard of the engine. Center is the engine from forward looking aft. The gallon container contains my Marine-Grade, all-purpose lubricant of choice.  The black line in the same thumbnail shows the lube oil drain line used in changing oil. The other end of this neoprene line is connected to a fitting that replaces the bolt used to attach the dipstick assembly to the engine sump. To drain engine oil, simply uncap the line and let place it in a plastic gallon milk container that is specially cutout for this application. It beats using a drill pump. It takes two full gallon milk containers to drain the lube oil. The entire drain kit was purchased in 1994 from Mastry Marine Engine Center for about $40.  

Engine Sound Isolation
    The Photo at left shows the rear of the engine access panel with the stick clips mounted using IBM 5200. To the right is the Hushcloth attached to the panel with stick clips. Sound isolation items may be obtained at Glenn Mar Marine Supply.
 

Shaft Packing
   Teflon�. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin is in a class of paraffinic polymers that have some or all of the hydrogen replaced by fluoride. The original PTFE resin was invented by DuPont in 1938 and called Teflon�.
The photo at left shows material used to replace the shaft packing. At left are the four rings removed in October of 2003. The shaft packing locking nut has been loosened and the packing nut has been removed from the threads, I use four rings. Each ring was placed on the shaft and tapped into the packing nut with the instrument shown. After the first ring was inserted into the packing nut, the second ring and each succeeding ring were tapped into the packing nut after the packing nut had been rotated 120 degrees. When all four rings were in the packing nut, the nut was rotated by hand until tight. Then, a wrench was used to tighten the packing nut until the same number of threads (6) were observed on the packing gland. Then the locking nut was tightened. The shaft seemed to rotate as easily as with the old packing.    Cruising World Article    
Servicing Your Stuffing Box by Don Casey   LasDrop Shaft Seal  Stuffing Box Maintenance
Shaft Packing:  Stuffing Box Maintenance     Do It Yourself SailRite
Online Conversion: Convert just about anything to anything else. DIY Shaft Packing
 
PTFE-impregnated flax packing has vast improvements over regular flax packing. Prior to 1996, when I first used it, I had been replacing the packing every two years. In 1996, I made my first use of PTFE packing. In 1999, I replaced that packing and observed that the 1996 packing was in almost perfect condition. The photo above shows the four rings after removal four years later in 2003. There were black areas on each of the rings indicating that it had been subjected to heat. Upon return from the hauling yard, the packing nut was loosened to where 3 drops of water were seen with the shaft turning and none when the shaft was not turning.
I have not made the move to a Packless Sealing System (PSS) simply because the PTFE packing is good enough for my purposes. If I had a boat in which the mechanical dripless stuffing box (PSS) had been installed, I would certainly use it. May 2004: Installed DriveSaver Model 524Y flexible connection between transmission output flange and shaft flange. Shown at right below in red!
   October 2004:  After agonizing over the appearance of the hose on my shaft stuffing box, I had it replaced during the annual haul-out bottom job. Kent Vierra of Maximo Marine advised me that the old hose was not robust enough for this application. The old was only 2-ply, actually only regular exhaust hose. He installed new 5-ply hose made by a company that specializes in stuffing boxes. Visit the web site of Buck Algonquin to find the distributor closest to you. When considering a boat's watertight integrity, this hose is the Achille's Heel as there is no valve backup. Click the photo at left to enlarge. 

                                                           
 Electrical:
 Battery Banks:
  Lady Kristin has two battery banks: #1. 1 Commercial Rebuilt Size 8 D Gel Cell  #2. 2 size 27 RV/Marine Batteries in parallel.
The banks are wired through an isolator to the Battery Selector Switch. The batteries were purchased in 1997. The rebuilt Size 8D Gel Cell cost $80.00. Each of the Interstate Marine/RV Size 27 Batteries cost $115.00 for a total of $230.00 for Bank #2. The Shore Power Battery Charger is a 20 Amp Professional Mariner. The batteries are now over nine years old with no sign of decreased performance. There has been no maintenance involved other than to check the wiring connections to the batteries, isolator, and selector switch. The automatic bilge pump is hard-wired to one of the Interstate Size 27 batteries.
        Bank #1 in Lazarette.  Bank #2 under Bunk in Aft Stateroom.
  

The 12 volt Doctor's Practical Handbook

Batteries: Ample Power    Electrolysis:

 Deep Cycle Battery Frequently Asked Questions:  Bill Darden.
 Battery References and Information Links:  Bill Darden.
 
 

   Wood  Don't You Just Love Wood?
 WoodZone.com: Just about everything on woodworking.
 Boatlife GitRot: pours into the finest openings, penetrates deep and completely saturates rotten wood. Cures into a tough, resilient adhesive which arrests the progress of dry rot by bonding wood membranes together with a mass stronger than the original wood. 2 Part Kits. See Rot Repair:
Sandpaper 101: Everything you�ve ever wanted to know about sandpaper but were afraid to ask.

Teak and Holly (And Oak) Sole Replacement  Like A Hemorrhoid Transplant!
            Note: All photos are thumbnails/ click to enlarge!
  Recently, I completed an interim replacement of the sole aboard my Hunter 40 that I have owned since 1991. When I bought the boat, there were already several soft spots in the sole, the boat having lain ownerless in  a marina for over a year. In the first year, I made a patch replacement of the panel near the galley and that was my initiation into the wonderful world of working with Teak & Holly (T&H) soles. However, I knew I had major problems one day when going to the forward head and my foot fell through the weakened forward sole. At that time, I was disenchanted with T&H and made a rather exigent repair using 3/4" oak plywood that looked like the best alternative at the time. Of course, there was no template or pattern for making the repair. I had to rely on carpeting to hide this nonconformity in Lady Kristin's T&H Sole. In December 2003, I started planning to replace the entire sole and end up with a classic T&H System similar to what my friend Captain Fred had  in his Antigua-54 shown at the lower right. As I am rather amateur in the art of woodworking and also knew that I'd have problems getting a good pattern from the existing T&H that I would remove, I decided to make the repair in two steps: 1. Use Oak plywood to learn about the process and get good templates; then, 2. Replace the Oak with T&H. The cost of the plywood was a factor: $41 for Oak 3/4" vs. $156 for 3/4" T&H plywood.   
I bought the 7  4'x8'  sheets of Oak plywood necessary to replace 123 square feet. along with the epoxy, stain, and polyurethane and other materials need for the process, then started the replacement. Many of the details that I am providing in this article are my own derived the hard way. Some of you woodworking experts will doubtless have a better way. If so, please use the Guestbook and critique me. In replacing the sole, the basics are:  1. Use epoxy to seal the edges of the plywood as they are very porous and wick moisture very readily. 2. Preserve the bottom with about 8 coats of clear polyurethane paint. I applied the epoxy and polyurethane to the cut out sections of sole in my back yard. I might add that living on the water with my own dock made the process much easier than if I had to do the work in a marina. 3. Do not do anything to the tops of the sole sections until they have been installed and fitted aboard with any contiguous sole section. Fitting the sections together is one of the more difficult chores. I recommend that any access hatches be cut out of one section first. Then after the two sections have been fitted together, make the cut-out of the other section. 4. Having the old plywood removed is a good time to clean the voids in the fiberglass liner and make any repairs necessary.  I found one of the grounding wires to the keel had an open in the insulation and fixed it. 5. After adjacent sections have been fitted together, then the top of the sole section is ready to be sanded. I used a hi-speed random orbital sander using 3 phases of sanding: 100, 150,  and 200 for the Oak. For the T&H, I plan to go with 4 phases: 120, 220, 320, and 400.  6. For the Oak sections, I used the same Crystal Clear polyurethane paint that I used on the bottom of the panels. I applied 6 coats to each section being careful to follow the instructions on the container. For the tops of T&H sole sections, I plan to use Schooner or Epiphanes varnish.

       The Saga continues. I was able to replace the After Room, Forward Room,  and two forward sections of the Main Salon Sole without removing any of the cabinetry, I remembered a question pondered by another Hunter Owner, Rick Sylvester. He asked " Do you really have to replace all of the sole?"  I then analyzed the steps to replace the two big sections of sole in the Main Salon. I would have to remove the galley and sink cabinetry along with the counter top. This would be a destructive process and require rebuilding the counter tops. Then a massive brainstorm hit me: Why not make the Oak sections appear to be T&H? I implemented this brilliant idea by the use of 1/4" masking tape obtained from NAPA used for fine detailing of autos. I applied the masking tape over the existing holly strips extending over the new sections fore and aft. Then, I color matched by applying a coat of red oak stain over the old and new sections and let it dry.  Then, I applied another coat to the new sections and found that the color of the teak matched rather close. I then removed the tape from the new wood and applied a the first coat of clear polyurethane to the new and old sections. When dry, the tape over the old sole was removed. The "holly strips" on the new section were much lighter, but this effect was mitigated with the application of 4 more coats of poly on the new wood. I don't have much native ability in woodwork but have always been considered very innovative. In fact, if I had gone into medicine, I probably would have pioneered some new surgical procedure such as The Hemorrhoid Transplant!      Photos below show some of the steps and material used in the process. The end product is shown in the photo at the upper left. The "holly" lines appear wavy but they are not. Fred's holly also appears wavy. I bought some runners with latex pads on the bottom at Wal-Mart shown at upper right.  They help to camouflage the boundary between T&H and simulated T&H. The plastic bottle on the salon table contains lemon oil used to condition teak bulkheads and cabinetry.

Overall, I'm pleased with the results of the above hybrid sole. It's at least functional and none of the six people to whom I have shown the end-product have even blinked an eye when I said that it was all Teak & Holly. I still plan to convert to a completely new T&H Sole within this year. By then, I will probably have perfected my new Hemorrhoid Transplant Procedure!   
   

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