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Post by MalcolmP on Oct 14, 2010 18:36:39 GMT
Items for the future: - Radar? Still not sure we need it
- AIS transponder - as soon as I can bring myself to spend more money
- Install a Weaver Snap David system for the dinghy
We fitted both AIS transponder and Radar, the AIS has been brilliant, very reassuring, we have the transponder switchable to be able to go into stealth mode or at least stop annoying people in Marinas who get there AIS alarms ringing Radar is good in thick fog, but at least with AIS you can spot most of the bigger guys - warships excepted and takes less time The Weaver davits worked well on our previous boat, one thing to suggest is to get a Sunbrella bonnet made for the top side of the Dinghy as being stored vertically the sun soon made a goo out of the neoprene/PVC etc Malcolm
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Post by rhb on Oct 14, 2010 20:30:32 GMT
Thanks for the info Malcolm. So many things to think about, learn, decide!
It's fairly unusual for recreational boats to have AIS transponders here in Tasmania at this point, I don't know if the fishing boats are carrying them and we don't have a lot of big ship traffic but I think all that will change pretty quickly now that prices have fallen so much.
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Post by rhb on Oct 14, 2010 21:03:51 GMT
The things you find.....
I've been very happy to find all manner of extra little gadgets tucked away in corners of the boat as we have unpacked and fitted things. Some (many) are unlabeled and it can be a bit of a game to figure out what they are.
A recent surprise was to discover a collar with internal and external threads and a bolt that fits the internal threads. We've been scratching our heads for 2 weeks over this, worrying that it was a part that the rigger had left off which would cause the mast to self destruct
It suddenly dawned on me this morning what it is.....
It's a puller for the engine cooling impeller. Nice to have on those dark rough nights when an impeller self destructs. Much better than cursing at a pair of needle nose pliers.
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Post by rhb on Oct 30, 2010 4:58:07 GMT
Lessons learned, #1:
When working behind the electrical panel be careful not to drop anything. Once dropped, the mischevious bits fall into an area under the cabin floor that is not accessible via any easily removable hatch.
So far, 3 screws, 1 small screwdriver and one C-Map dongle $$$.
My mate the shipright will be called out on an emergency mission to help me remove the semi-permanent floor section that runs under the port side settee :-(
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Post by rhb on Feb 5, 2011 19:58:02 GMT
Commissioning and post-commissioning now complete. We've used the boat quite a bit for local cruising. Some changes since the last update. - The new winches - Harken Radial 50.2's are in and working very well.
- We added a Garmin 18HD radar that displays on the Garmin 750S screen as a map overlay (or just a full screen radar image). Works quite well.
- Our local marine electrician provided a 105 amp Delco alternator modified for external regulation. I had a Balmar 612 regulator from a previous boat so installed it too. Regretably the charge splitter provided by Jeanneau blew up the first time it saw the new alternator (it's rated at 120 amps continuous but evidently didn't like the 80 amps that the new alt put through it). No worries, I just installed a Balmar digital duo charge instead - already had one.
- Added Xantrex Link-Pro battery monitor
- Added old Garmin GPSMap 276C as backup GPS "plotter" at nav station.
- Removable Inner forestay (6mm Dyneema with 6:1 tensioning blocks) added to new fiiting on anchor assembly at front of boat. Will be used for a quite small 'storm' jib.
- Rope cutter added to prop shaft
- HF radio installed and, after much pain, commissioned, tested and working
- Small home made lifting crane added to pushpit to help lift small outboard onto rail mount.
- Installed very good German 2kw sine wave inverter that I stumbled over at a very good price.
Everything is now working well including all added electronic gear.
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Post by rhb on Feb 5, 2011 20:18:57 GMT
Heavy weather handling:
A couple of weeks ago we were out in our first bit of heavy weather.
It was a memorial race for a good friend who was killed last year along with his young son in a tragic accident. Tim had been our mainsheet expert on the previous boat (a racer) for years before his demise.
Weather bureau forecast max 3-35 knots but we gave it a go.
First of all, I'm happy to report that we got a good start in the 20+ boat fleet and led the entire mob for miles down the channel. Some of the boats behind us were pretty quick including a 39 footer that had won his division at Hamilton Island Race week so we felt quite good about it.
We had one reef in and the jib was rolled up to postage stamp size for balance (storm jib was not yet available). Should have had 2 reefs but.... it was a race :-)
The wind built quite a bit beyond 35 knots. The peak gust that we saw was 47.6 and other boats reported 55+ knots.
We did experience a few minor broaches that we easily recovered from. The mainsheet and traveler system on the stock 42I just isn't made for the kind of constant and sometimes radical adjustment like the one on our old Sydney 38 was - at least that's our excuse. If we were going to do more racing I'd consider converting to a German mainsheet system.
Anyway - the boat handled the 35 knot wind 47 knot gust conditions quite well. We had lots of spray and the odd wave over the top of the dodger and our friend Mark who was managing the jib from the low side of the boat got a thorough bath. It stayed dry as a bone below decks.
We retired from the race because once we saw the 47+ knot gust it became survival sailing and so as not to damage the boat through our own clumsiness but she was handling it very well.The club called it off eventually as the conditions weren't going to get any better and they were a bit worried about the fleet. The race would have taken the fleet into areas where the weather was reported as even worse.
A couple of weeks later we participated in another race in 2-4 knots of wind.
All I can say is that if the wind is under 5 knots and you're in a 42I performance.... don't bother. The boat is just to heavy for extreme light air sailing. It is ok from 5 knots up but ours at least just sits there saying "where's the wind?" at 3 knots. I don't know what our boat weights at this point but we had full fuel and water tanks, 5 people, an outboard and dinghy aboard and construction tools rather than a lightweight racing set so we were quite heavy.
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Post by Tafika II on Feb 6, 2011 1:28:21 GMT
May I make a suggestion that you separate the auto pilot, radar and SSB circuit (if you are going to add one) away from the factory relay and add a direct house battery to three switched standalone circuit as the replay tie in from the factory will yield less than the necessary voltage & may cause some instruments to shutdown. Have fun and enjoy the commissioning
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Post by rhb on Feb 6, 2011 4:40:04 GMT
Thanks for the suggestion. The GPS and Radar are each on their own fuse protected circuit, not powered through the relay that powers the standard instruments / autopilot. The SSB is powered by a separate line that goes direct to the batteries through a big fuse.
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Post by flightdeck on Feb 7, 2011 22:53:43 GMT
Keep sailing in 40+knots and your sailmaker may not have to wait 8 years ;D
Good to know she handle it OK, for the day we will "grow" 10 feet more waterline. Cheers
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Post by Tafika II on Feb 27, 2011 16:34:55 GMT
You mentioned "The floor panels have no mechanism to hold them down. As we live in an area with frequent rough weather we'll probably do something about that." What did you do to lock the floor panels down?
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Post by rhb on Feb 27, 2011 19:25:37 GMT
We haven't done anything yet to hold the floor panels down and so far there hasn't been a problem. It still bothers me though - and I think that eventually we'll do something about it.
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Post by Zanshin on Feb 28, 2011 15:59:19 GMT
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Post by jeffrey20 on Feb 28, 2011 19:32:50 GMT
I just cannot believe the lack of response from Jeanneau or their agents for queries relating to spares. I asked for the RAL number of the gelcoat used on the hull of my 2004 Jeanneau SOm 37 (I think it's 9016. 'Come into the office and we will decant some into a small container' came the reply. Isn't there some form of block exemption or openness that prevents manufacturers momopolising their spares?
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