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The Never-Ending Spring Update List

aquavit

Member II
I have not posted here for a while so I thought I better add some of my new "lessons learned" to the knowledge pool here before I forget them.

As per some of my previous ramblings here, I purchased my 1990 E28 "Aquavit" last spring. My first season with it highlighted a few areas that need to be updated before this season starts. It sounded simple enough...

Our wish list for this spring originally consisted of the following;
-GPS Chartplotter
-Depth and Speed gauges that actually worked all of the time
-A tank monitor for the head holding tank (what do you mean the toilet's hissing?)
-Re-bed the 3 fixed portlights that were not done last summer
-find out why the main is difficult to raise and fix it
-Move the cabin-top winches and rope clutches so that they could be used without interference with the dodger
-slap some new bottom paint on her before launch!

It sounded simple enough when I started but the projects began to blossom.

GPS Chartplotter and Instrument update. I purchased a Standard Horizon CP 180i and C-map max charts. So far so good. I also purchased an Airmar depth and temp transducer that I thought would interface with the chartplotter. Then I found out that a "Black Box Fishfinder" must be purchased from Standard Horizon to make the transducer work. This part cost as much as the chartplotter. My solution is an Actisense DST unit which digitizes the signals from the Depth, Speed and Temp (DST, get it?) sensors and combines them into one NMEA 183 feed to the chartplotter. I now have my instrument data displayed on the chartplotter screen using only one NMEA port. Actisense just released calibration software for the DST unit that will provide depth offset as well as temp and speed calibration through a PC. I installed a DB9 port on the boat to connect my PC to the system for calibration. In the end, this is a good solution but it was time consuming to research, install and wire. The CP 180i owners manual is also full of technical errors regarding the NMEA interface capabilities although their technical support people had the correct information when I called them.

Holding Tank Monitor. Why would any manufacturer install a holding tank for noxious goo and not provide a way to monitor the level in the tank? I installed a simple external monitor system but this involved removing the holding tank. While I was at it, I removed the overboard discharge pump and hoses to simplify the system and increase the amount of storage space available under the sink. And of course, I had to install all new hoses, and spin weld a new fitting into the tank to replace the cracked vent fitting, and re-bed the deck pump out fitting while I had the hose removed from it, and put a rebuild kit into the toilet since it was half apart anyways, and what about the two unused through hulls? Lets purchase caps to block them off and eliminate the large shut-off valves. It turns out that caps are not available since the through hull is a straight pipe thread and commercially available caps are tapered pipe thread. My solution was to make my own straight thread caps from aluminum and have them red anodized for corrosion protection and visibility. I engraved them with a warning not to remove them while at sea. Life is easier when you own your own machine shop :). But I don't want all of the AYBC folk to worry, I kept the shut-off valves so that I can replace them if I want to race the boat.

Re-bed the portlights. I had done both opening lights and one fixed one last summer. They had leaks and needed to be done. The others did not leak but I did them as a preventative measure. It rained this weekend after I took the winter shrink wrap off the boat. One of my previously leak-free lights now leaks :mad:. And, let's re-bed the mast step since I removed the mast at haul-out in the fall (remember the main that is difficult to raise?) and we already have the caulking gun in hand. And while we are at it, why dont we replace the VHF antenna cable that has gone hard and is cracking, pulling a cable through the boat is easy isn't it? Since the cable is new, why don't we install a new DSC VHF and interface it with the nice new GPS Chartplotter? And since the mast wire connector is crude, we can add a nice military connector for simple and waterproof electrical connections inside the mast where it is protected.

Main Sail difficult to raise. I sure hope that cleaning the mast track solves this issue because I won't know until the boat is launched. Should I let my wife lift me in the bosuns chair after I have spent this much money and time on the boat?

Cabin top winches and rope clutches. Who puts rope clutches and cleats on for the same lines? The cleats must go. The rope clutches cannot be operated without opening the front of the dodger so the clutches have to be moved back about 6 inches to make them function properly. There is also 3 winches on the cabin top. 2 can be used with the clutches but the winch handle hits the dodger. The 3rd does not line up with the clutches and also interferes with the dodger. The solution was to get rid of the third winch and move the others back so that the winch handle rotates without dodger interference. Then we find the large rip at the front of the 20 year old dodger. Let's get Genco Marine to make us a new dodger!!! Then I remember that the cabin-top mounted traveller cannot be adjusted without opening the front window of the dodger so we also add fairleads and cam-cleats for easier trimming without opening the dodger.

Today is Monday May the 16th. The boat is being launched on Wednesday the 18th. Rain is forecast for this week and after I went to bed last night I remembered that I haven't done the bottom paint yet!

Here is a short list of suppliers of hard to find parts in Canada (Toronto Area)

J.J. Downs Industrial Plastics Inc. (416 236-1884) Plastic pipe and hose fittings including glass filled polyethylene. Sanitation hose. They also make custom plastic tanks. They are helpful and have inventory.

Northport Systems Inc. (416 920-9300) They sell and support Actisense equipment and they were very helpful to deal with.

Custom Plastics Incorporated (California) (909 984-0200) Spin-Weld fittings are difficult to find in Canada. Custom Plastics makes them and will ship direct. They were very helpful and sent technical information about the process as well as the parts I wanted. I found that all other sites on the internet selling these types of fittings were using the pictures and info from Custom Plastics catalogue so I assume that they are all coming from Custom Plastics. If you need the parts, you might as well skip the middle men.

If you want any more information or details of any of this, let me know and I will gladly pass it along, I certainly have learned a lot from the others on this site.

Glenn (Aquavit)
 
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