Recent content by Tom Smith

Rob - Assuming you have the cable type system, it sounds like your cables have stretched. If so, get down underneath the steering pedastal and see if the cables have a lot of play. If they do, you have to follow them to the quadrant that is bolted to your rudder shaft somewhere under...

Chuck - Sorry to cut off the last reply. I hit the wrong key! Cable tension is critical. New cables stretch, and you can lose steering. I know from experience! Hint: keep you old tiller, and the mounting bolt on board at all times, and readily available. 4. Don't know if I would...

Chuck - I had Brewer's in Greenport replace the tiller with an Edson wheel when I purchased my '75 E-27 back in 1999. Besides the cost ( mega bucks ), here a couple of things to consider. 1. You can contact Edson to get the installation instructions ahead of time. 2. I placed my wheel...

Chuck - I had Brewer's in Greenport replace the tiller with an Edson wheel when I purchased my '75 E-27 back in 1999. Besides the cost ( mega bucks ), here a couple of things to consider. 1. You can contact Edson to get the installation instructions ahead of time. 2. I placed my wheel...

I probably should let you know I store my boat on club property, not in a "for profit" boatyard. We're tight for room as well, (waiting list for winter storage), but don't charge for the extra mast footage. The flip side of this is that the club will not take down masts (safety issue), so we...

I took my mast down this year for the first time since I bought the bought the boat in 1999. Glad I did it. I removed the shrouds this weekend and put them in a 3' square box for protection. They will get a good washdown before I store them for the winter The Mast is on A frames so it...

A section of my fore deck has gotten very soft, and I know I'll have to replace the balse core. I want to work from underneath so that I can keep a structurally sound and water proof deck (and not have a bunch of cut lines or filled-in holes). This means on my back in the v-berth, reaching...

Bill - When I bought my E-27 in 99, it came with a porta potty. The thru hulls from the original head were still there, and I had the yard glass them over. I sail on the Hudson River, and up here its a pretty strict "No Discharge" area, so porta potties are the way to go (versus lock the...

Mario - Thanks for the advice. I don't see any wires coming out of the mast, so I assume they exit the bottom plate and go directly into the cabin. I still have to find where the plugs are located, and how much play there is in the wires. As for not transporting the mast on the boat, I...

I'll be unstepping the mast on my 1975 E-27 for the first time, and need some advice on what needs to be done beforehand. Specifically, what trim piece do I take off to get to the antenna and electrical wires. Once I get to the wires, is there anything I should do with them (besides unplug...

Sean - I was lucky enough to have my boat still on shore, so the ladder was the best option for me. I'll be unstepping the mast this fall, so I'll wait until then to redo everything. Good luck in the bosun chair. I have one but have never put it to use. You might want to play around...

Sean - Thanks for the kind words. I replaced the lights Saturday. Since my E-27 was still on shore, I tied my access ladder to a halyard and brought her up against the mast. Just to be safe, I tied off the bottom of the ladder to the shrouds and slung a loop over the spreaders so I had...

Checked my running lights last night and found I need to replace the masthead and starboard lights. To save time, I'd like to have the replacement bulbs handy before I tear everything apart. Can someone tell me what the correct bulb numbers are please? Also, is there anything else I should...

Re: New Halyard Sean - I've also been thinking about replacing the halyard on my '75 E-27. Assuming that what ever attachment method you use will probable mess up the bitter end, I was planning to cut off the last foot or so after the new halyard was installed. Based on that, I would think...

Bob & Glyn - Thanks for the advice about windward sheeting, but I've already got the standard setup. If I'm not happy, Christmas is only 9 months away! Any thoughts about where to place the risers if I stay with the cabin top mount, or using a longer traveller ? Thanks, Tom Smith