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umop_apisdn

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About umop_apisdn

  • Birthday 01/01/1

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    Bothell, WA

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  1. A 50lb motor will draw about 40 amps at full throttle. With 30 plus feet of cable, you are looking at probably 2 gauge wire. http://www.skingco.com/portable_power/wiring_size_chart.htm You might get by with 4 gauge, but the wire will get warm under full load. Water + heat = corrosion in your wire. For connectors, these look heavy duty and pretty reasonable: http://www.grizzly.com/products/G9124 It sounds like you haven't bought the motor yet? if that is the case, you should seriously consider a 24 volt motor. Or move the battery to the transom. Finally, I second Barry's suggestion of using marine rated wire. Once corrosion gets up inside the wire, you can't get it out and you have to re-wire. Marine wire is fully tinned from one end to the other. Solder connections when at all possible, use a dielectric grease on all non-soldered connections. Oh, and of course put a fuse or breaker very close to the battery. Noel.
  2. It looks like it would suffer some pretty serious chafing, running up through the gaff jaws like that. Noel
  3. I don't quite follow how this sail is rigged. Could someone please explain what is up with the small line leading up through the grommets on the sail luff and out the throat? Thanks, Noel.
  4. My rudder-box has had it for the season. It should have been replaced when I bought the boat. I sort of patched it up last summer and managed to get a year-plus out of it. But it has all kinds of play it, and I am glad it didn't fall apart on me yesterday. The currents beat it up pretty bad. So I think I am done for the season. I'm going to make a new rudder box, a boom crutch, cover the deck in non-skid, and a few other things over the winter, and try for an early start next spring. Maybe I will have it ready in time for Barry's launch. Noel
  5. Sounds like your day of sailing went about like mine! I guess any trip where the boat and crew return intact, is a good trip, eh? Noel
  6. Well, for Labor Day I decided to leave the Hope Island trip for another day, and go to James Island. I launched from Washington Park in Anacortes, with the intent of sailing to James Island. It was a largely disappointing excursion. It appears I was completely unprepared for the currents in Rosario Strait. The wind was from the South, and the current was headed north as well, so both were going in the same direction. Once I got out into the Strait, it was pretty much game over. I was swept up towards Reef Point on Cypress Island, but fortunately missed it by a good half mile. But I was still far north of where I wanted to be. Next the current drove me towards Black Rock next to Blakely island. Black Rock is not a fun place to be, and it was getting really close, really fast. When it looked to be 300-400 yards away, I decided to raise the iron mainsail. At this point the current was swift enough to even overcome the motor, but at least I was not getting any CLOSER to it. So I turned and motored cross-current across Thatcher Pass and over to James Island. While near Black Rock, I saw three other sailboats get into exactly the same predicament, and all three did the same thing I did - fired up their motors and got the heck out of there. After we made it to the Island, I decided to motor most of the way back. Once out of the worst of the current, I sailed the rest of the way back, and managed to sail right up to the dock, which was cool. So the post-mortem: What went right: No disasters, no damage to boat or crew. Made it to James Island, albeit under motor. Successfully docked using nothing but sail and a boat hook. What went wrong: Did not sail where I wanted to go. Ended up way off course. Freaked out my crew (although GPS said we were ever closer than a third of a mile to Black Rock) Had to motor to my destination and most of the way home. Stuff I did right: Went out over equipped. Had GPS pre-programmed with the ramp. destination, and major navigation landmarks and hazards in the area. Installed new compass, brought an extra gas can for the motor, printed out paper charts in three different resolutions. Brought binoculars. Used ALL of this on the trip out. Stuff I did wrong: Not sure here. I was unprepared for the current, that much is sure. The current table said 1.6 knots. But it was much faster than that in places. Some places it was fast enough my motor couldn't keep up with it. (GPS says my motor can push thee boat 5.5 MPH on lake Washington.) I should have noticed before the trip that the wind and current were going the same direction. That must have been a major factor on me being so far off course. What else? Go ahead, I can take it. :-) Noel
  7. Thanks Barry. I didn't know there were two Hope Islands. I guess island names are in short supply here. (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle!) I meant the state park in the south. Do you have any specific ramps you can recommend for launching? Noel
  8. Where is the best launching point for a trip to Hope Island? What do I expect when I get there? is there a dock? Mooring bouys? Can I beach a Weekender there, or will it get thrashed by the waves? Should I anchor and bring a dingy? Thanks, Noel
  9. Why do you prefer 3-strand? Three-strand nylon always goes all soft on me and the strands lose their lay, and separate and get kinks in them. I used it for crab line for a while, and finally got frustrated and tossed the whole mess out and got braided. If quarter inch braid is sufficient, that appeals to me because I have 200 feet of it, brand new, that I am not using. I don't mind the hard-on-the-hands bit, since I don't see myself anchoring out more than three or four times a year. EDIT: You have 75 feet of chain? Will 20 be enough then for a weekender? Should I add more? Noel
  10. I finally purchased a "real" anchor for my Weekender - a 7.5KG plow, with 20 feet of 5/16 chain. Now, what diameter of line to I use for the rode? I understand I need something that is big enough to not break, but small enough to stretch a bit and absorb shock. It should be braided nylon, right? Oh, and should I put the swivel between the nylon and chain rodes, or between the chain and anchor? Thanks, Noel
  11. Pergo. And old sleeping bags. Noel
  12. Fiberglass can be very flexible, if you use the proper resin/epoxy. They make sports car springs out of fiberglass. Corvettes have them. Noel
  13. ok, let me see if I can explain this without paper and pencil.... Curves are measured by their radius, just like a circle. the radius of a curve is the radius of what the circle would be if you continued the curve all the way around until it intersected itself. For example, think if a slice of pie. If you have a pie that is 12 inches across, then the pie has a 6 inch radius. Now cut a slice out of the pie, and then eat the pointy tip portion, so now you have the "back half" of the slice (with the crust). You can put that piece of pie on a four inch plate, right? Because it is just a small chunk of a slice. But the curved edge (the crust) of that little bitty chunck still has a 6 inch radius. Did I confuse you more? Noel
  14. I am wondering how that happened too. Unless all those cars aren't tied down? if they are just parked without being secured, then once they all fall to once side of the ship, re-righting it would be pretty much impossible. Nice to see they got the crew off it. It will be interesting to see what they find after the investigation. EDIT: To the architect's credit, the ship is still floating, while practically on its side. Noel
  15. You own a Portabote and a Weekender, and live in the PNW? That is just eerie.... You don't own a Suzuki Samurai, too, by any chance? :-D I had one of those Gamefishers, and yeah it was loud. Can't say I was too sorry to see it just stop with a bang in the middle of Lake Washington one day - aside from the long row home... I just picked up an old Foremost 3.5, which is also air cooled. A little quieter than the Gamefisher was, but not much. Not having a water jacket around the cylinder makes a lot of difference I guess. Maybe the fins on it help to radiate sound away from the engine too. But they sure are nice for salt water use. When is the Port Townsend wooden boat festival? Noel
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