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Core Sound 20 Mark III #3 "Skeena"


Steve W

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Hi Steve,  like the cabin top framing.  I did knees,  and lateral beams, initially.  I have since added fore aft stringers to support my heft as I go fore/aft.  The front hatch idea has worked good in snotty weather but in fine weather it is a pain to crawl through the cabin.  That and the mizzen tabernacle is about the only change we have done, boat sails simply awesome.  

 

Your build is looking great, looking forward to seen it ( and you)!

 

Jay

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  • 2 weeks later...

Jay, I was very disappointing that you weren't at the messabout. But I understand. I can't wait to meet you in person and see Southern Express. Maybe 2018 is our year! I did meet Amos and his young family and Chick and many others and we had a great time.

 

Paul, the cutie is my sisters granddaughter. I love my three kids but I don't know if I have the energy to raise another one!

 

Great work this weekend putting in my mizzen tabernacle. I just need to glass the pivot faces and she's done. Pics soon. 

 

After looking over the boats at the messabout, I've decided to elevate my electrical game and actually install a battery and a fuse panel and wire it like a proper boat. I bought the same solar panel Graham has as I'm going with the same setup he has hatch wise. I like Chick's sliding forward hatch but since I'm going with non-opening port lights I want to have a hatch I can catch wind to ventilate the cabin.

 

So onto today's question. I didn't pay attention to what you all are doing for navigation lights so please tell! I can't think of good places to mount the stern light and have it be seen and the bow area doesn't have much good real estate either.

 

 

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Steve,

 

You forgot about the real estate on top of the main mast. We have been using a LED tricolor. 

 

The brands and pricing have probably changed since. I have been using one from Germany, I think that Jay's is from England and Chicks is from Argentina.

 

The captain of a Port Townsend ferry said that mine looked highly visible.

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I used a masthead tri-color light that can be either a nav light or anchor light. There is a switch to choose which one. I got the idea from Jay. I'm sure he'll add his thoughts and where he got his. Mine was bought thru E-bay and I was not happy with the service.

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Hi all, Carol myself and both our pups were really disappointed that we didn’t make the Messabout!  But the good news, the Dr got his new Audi!  

We have been very happy with the NASA Supernova Combi masthead (not that NASA! ) light.  2 # 18 gauge wires ( switched ground, not grounded to the mast) eliminate additional weight high and the unit is the anchor and nav in one unit.  It has a 3 position switch to select off, nav or anchor. We bought ours from Amazon.  It was about $250 but the price is supported by the convenience of installation and use.  We have 2 flexible solar panels which aren’t that effective and a AGM series 24 battery, with lots of lights and we have never had any 

problems showing our anchor light after 12-14 hours of use.

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Steve,... B & B installed the LED tricolor on the top of my mast.  The electronics is such that it only needs two wires to light up all three colors.  I suppose it has some circuitry and polarity arrangement within the light's framing.  I've installed a "deck" socket on the starboard side (forward face) of Blk 1 into which is plugged the line that goes up the mast.

 

If you use motor-power at night you also need a "masthead" white light.  It should be about 2 meters above the deck facing forward.  I'm going to use a "portable" light and flexable cord (like what powers a household vacuum cleaner) that will plug into another "deck" socket on the port side (forward face) of Blk 1.  On the rare occasion that I need it, I'll deploy it onto the mast from a position standing in the forward hatch.  I'll have a small bracket permanently installed on the forward side of the mast upon which I'll hang the light -- at the maximum height that I can reach.

 

Here are the elements of my electric system yet to be installed:

 

Not shown here is the LED tricolor, battery, battery-charging socket, and the solar panel itself.

image.thumb.jpeg.f8a052ae7d3398d43e840d6cc0bc325d.jpeg

 

Here is the masthead light and flexable cord.

image.thumb.jpeg.fcec1d72cc891537bf934d1bbe9c94c0.jpeg

 

Breaker and Distribution Panel.

.image.thumb.jpeg.9bc4eda4a84f06013a08a7fb2590b72f.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.f41e26a5f2a3993acef82a34ae4f53d7.jpeg

 

Solar charger control -- notice the USB outlet

image.thumb.jpeg.e15ccfee20c4b5f478733c1bc38b7fe0.jpeg

image.thumb.jpeg.c263a09aaf4a14d146bc83321f78cedd.jpeg

 

Power outlets include two USB ports and 12v "cigar lighter" outlet.  It is not rated for above deck use.

image.thumb.jpeg.f7d73938ae6163dd3f10dbe6419941a8.jpeg

 

Bunk reading light.

image.thumb.jpeg.f096aa4c45678f394c5157b87d70cb6d.jpeg

 

The first photo also shows two overhead cabin lights and a two-socket 12v outlet rated for above deck.  The two-socket outlet will be installed in the cockpit (probably) under the mizzen partner on the starboard side.  The overhead lights will be installed over the forward locker and  just forward of Blk 3 (port-side).  The electric panel will be on the port forward side of Blk 3.  It will be on a hinge so that it can be rotated down to a horizontal position for easy access to the wiring.  Not shown is a "deck" socket on the aft side of Blk 3 inside the cockpit coaming that has its own in-line fuze going directly to the battery for on-shore charging.

 

The fan is a "low-drain" two-speed -- and very quiet.  I've used that model on two other boats and like it very much.  I'll probably install it on the ceiling near Blk 2.

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This morning I'm going to see if I can measure the amps drawn by the switch lights.  Hopefully, I'll have the newer version.  On one boat I had a panel that had a switch that would kill all the lights.  Nice feature.  And on another one if the master switch was on and no lights showing, there was a small current drain.  Dead battery in the spring.

 

BTW, the edit button in at the bottom of the post on the line with the "Quote" button.

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Pete, Chick and Graham, could you tell me what brand of masthead light you used please? I like the components Pete is using but I want to try and find a source that sells everything. Graham, the only German made light I can find is a Hella, the same brand used on my old BMW motorcycle. And it's priced like a BMW at close to $400 dollars. Maybe you aren't as Frugal as I thought or maybe there is one I haven't seen.

 

And Pete......why do you have two voltmeters?

 

Thanks!

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Steve,...

I bought the stand-alone volt meter before the other one was on the market.  It's good for two batteries if I ever need that.  And the other one may (???) also measure the voltage OUT of the USB outlets.  This is not clear from the meger instructions.  And it's separately fuzzed.  Don't know Why!

 

Graham installed Chrssie's tri-light.  I don't know the source.  BTW, Graham made a slight modification so that it would better fit the top of the mast.  I don't know the details of his mod.

 

I managed to measure the current draw for the switch lighting on my SeaDog distribution panel.  Here are pixs of the lit switches:

 

image.thumb.jpeg.7f0215e11517d67d6e3aaa1e3e857ff8.jpeg

All switches on.

 

image.thumb.jpeg.2ac3aea4bdbde480d553a1e4ddb9366c.jpeg

One switch off.

 

My multi-meter wouldn't close the circuit in its amp meter mode.  Probably a blown fuze.  Henry's 40 year old Radio Shack meter made the following measurements:

 

6 lights: 210 ma; 5: 180; 4: 140; 3: 110; 2: 70; 1: 30; 0: no load.  All were made on the 250 ma scale.

 

So, that's about 0.035 amps / light.  Or, 0.21 amps with all six lit.  Wouldn't that mean a 90 ampHr battery would power all six for ~ 428 hrs (18 days)?  My guess is that these lamps are LEDs.  Anyone know the typical current draw of a small 12 v. LED lamp?  I have the feeling that these lamps may not be too bright for comfort at night.  Typically only two will be on at night.  If too bright, a small curtain should solve the problem.

 

Good luck on finding one source for all electric needs.  Prices and details are all-over-the-place.

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The Tricolor LED light that Graham and Peter both have is this one...

 

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|65136|2312550|2312561&id=2113738

 

B&B sells them for an earth shattering $145.00!  WAIT that can't be right. Oh yeah we aren't greedy!

 

The unit seems very well made and all the wire terminals into the LEDs are completely potted in soft black silicone type epoxy and they look very impervious to water. 

 

The modification we did was basically to remove the bottom two "disk" puck things which are just hollow plastic and replace them with a custom made starboard mast cap that plugs into the top of the mast and has a shoulder for the tricolor to mount on. This both eliminated some material and lowered the unit a couple of inches (every inch counts). Maybe Graham will post some pictures of his. 

 

LED tricolors for all!

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Alan's link takes you to a slightly different light than the one Graham and I have.  Ours is a tri-light: red, green, and white (white facing aft) and requires just 2 wires (+ & -- 12 VDC).  The link model boasts also an "anchor" light (which would be 360 degrees and never be on when navigating) and it would require a separate +12v circuit.  The specs state that it has 3 wires -- which would provide the separate anchor light circuit.  A really nice improvement.!!!  A bulkhead mounted 3-wire plug/socket pair may be hard to find.  I haven't seen one, but a trailer 4-wire connector would do fine.  The power line would exit Blk 1 thru a grommet to a loose trailer connector on a short pigtail -- then thru a grommet and up the mast.

 

The new one would eliminate [my] need for a deployable anchor light which I plan to hoist on a halyard or topping lift.

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My mistake yes that is right I had the wrong link. This is the one I meant and I was surprised to see it at Walmart online!  We couldn't beat that price. Geez. Also, Graham said today that he wished he'd sprung for the masthead white option for the convenience now. at the time i remember we were very "weight aloft" concious. It's a pain to set up a seprate white every time though. 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Signal-34606-Series-34-LED-12V-24V-Navigation-Light-Slim-Design-Tricolor-Mast-Mount-Black/49111966?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222228036878617&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=101095592088&wl4=pla-142180095408&wl5=9010169&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=49111966&wl13=&veh=sem

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The only requirements for an anchor light are that it be:

1. 360º white light

2. visible for 2 miles

 

A lantern hung in the cockpit, from the boom or sprit qualifies.  I find in most harbors that is better than mast head as it is easier to see when close. During my cruising days I used to keep a paraffin miner's lantern for use in the evenings in harbor when traffic was a concern.

 

Anyway, my point is, that for those without the masthead anchor light, there are other options short of re-rigging a new light.

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Steve, here is the Nasa light I have on my boat.  It only has 2 wires (reverses polarity to select anchor or nav) so the installation and deck plug is simple.  Very economical on power consumption with a nice bright light.  You can see the glow of the lights on deck!  We have trailered the boat 4-5000 miles in 3 years, if that doesn’t break it, it is pretty robust.  

 

Jay

 

 

C75C3813-A18C-4005-8972-5532E20A3A57.jpeg

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