Friday 30 December 2016

Winter Cover Frame

I posted the photos below after a discussion on snow-crushed cover frames.    Turns out that not all frames were created equal.

Windstar's frame came with the boat, not sure of its origins but it works pretty well.   Remarkably, Dennis from Quinte canvas was able to make a cover that fit very well from my emailed dimensions.

Key to the frame's strength vs the more typical backbone-and-ribs are:

  •  the vertical posts supporting the backbone via a T fitting.  (same fitting as each rib half) which I tie in place at the foot so they can't move. 
  • the longitudinal tubing along each side, running through a crossover fitting.  The frame is bungeed or tied to the toe rail at every crossover.   
  • One of the ribs is (now) inserted into the stanchion socket.   (I figured this out this season, photos are a few years old.  You can see the 4th rib from the bow is beside a stanchion base.)

If I were to build from scratch I would size the ribs so that as many as possible could be inserted into the stanchion sockets, adding any other ribs between as necessary.

The frame pieces are stored clamped onto a length of tubing, the ribs in pairs.

I have yet to devise an part-identification system that I am happy with.

The component parts can be sourced industrially and are known as structural pipe fittings (or similar).   some links and images at the bottom of the page.







Crossover Structural Pipe Fitting, 30LX29


Links to the bits and pieces below are examples only:


Here is the crossover fitting


Saturday 19 November 2016

Working with shock cord

 The spinnaker pole rebuild triggered an investigation into shock cord.

Buy it.

It's not easy for the novice like me to tell good from bad.  What I managed to learn was that a dacron cover has superior life to nylon and is one of the indicators of a superior product, as is the amount of elongation that the product will permit.  Try it.  Cheap stuff does not stretch as far as the better stuff, and feels quite different.  OK, not exactly the definitive guide to things Bungee, but it's a start.


Cut it, terminate it.

To cut it, tape first with masking tape then use a hot knife.  I bought a soldering gun with a cutting tip on kijiji, and it works well enough. 

To terminate, use stainless hog rings and the appropriate crimp pliers.  Was not able to find these easily in Toronto, but in fishing communities where lobster traps are used and maintained they are commonplace, as are the better grades of shock cord.

Easy.   All the right stuff is in the photo below, followed by a shot of crimped hog rings on the original shock cord.



Old vs new.

When I dismantled the spinnaker pole and looked closely at the original cord, I could see a construction quite different than I was used to seeing.  See below.   The old stuff, (white) with two layers of braid looks as though it would have greater ultimate strength   and perhaps a more specific extended length than the new stuff.  the rubber cores are different as well.  Though obviously expired, it had not failed in use.  I expect the newer stuff would have snapped.  Perhaps this older style material still exists?




Monday 14 November 2016

Spinnaker pole repair

This winter is focused on sails and running rigging:  new lines, two sails, a few other items.   One of which is the spinnaker pole, which I believe was original.  Its issues are plain to see:  It was damaged by being pressed against the baby stay at some point in its life, and the topping lift bridle is well past its retirement date.

How can I straighten the bend in the tube, and possibly (somewhat) press out the dent?

Tubing is anodized AL, 3" o.d., .080" wall, 2.83"I.d..   

This pole had no lower bridle.  Some do.  Should this one have one?

Thanks!






Was quoted around C$250 for a replacement anodized tube from a local chandler, but in a rare flash of inspiration I remembered an automotive tool called a pipe expander - meant for dealing with steel exhaust tubing.   C$35 later I was able to do a passable job removing the dent using an el cheapo  tubing expander from Princess Auto.  Misted it with silver paint as well, just 'cuz.

So far, have replaced the shock cord as can be seen above.  See tools and some detail below.



Tuesday 25 October 2016

Mainsail decision made!


So, Evolution sails it is.  They (John Dakin)  and North (Hugh Beaton) were by far the most engaged and responsive of those I contacted, both sent detailed proposals offering alternatives.  Each explained their rationale and the features and benefits of each option.  Both were intimately familiar with the C&C 33ii, not surprising here in Toronto.  North was actually referred by a lister through the US and chased the enquiry on their own.  (cool) There was little to choose between the two, other than my modest preference for one of three options proposed by Evolution, and the fact that the entire sail is made locally.  Both were highly recommended by a local marine industry exec and ex-sailmaker friend of mine.    
  • Each loft recommended cross-cut dacron, some with two price points, one a more "commodity" sail, one more tailored, with higher grade cloth.
  • UK sails (who has my sails in their Toronto loft today for fall repairs and assessment) never bothered to quote, despite 3 reminder emails.
  • Lee sails quoted a commodity sail only, after having asked a few basic questions, and advised that I could earn a discount by placing an order that accommodated their spring shipping container, but that I'd better hurry because the local agent would be away for several month on holiday over the winter.  Price was not appreciably less than others locally loft for a similar commodity sail.  
  • After a poke or two Doyle responded with a friendly email only, short on detail and with pricing that was not terribly competitive.  Also, they are far enough away as to require shipping.
  • Rolly Tasker in Thailand (David) was the value king - great and thorough response (again) and C$700 or so cheaper than others for what is probably a quality commodity-type sail, with partial battens.   No middlemen.    If I were on a budget I would order from Tasker (again - I bought a cruising spinnaker from them a few months back) without hesitation.
  • Both Tasker and Lee were not prepared to quote full battens, only prep for same, so the buyer would need to spend more locally and sort out the details.  I think the long battens make offshore shipping an issue, but I did not really investigate that.  
  • Interestingly the sail area (roach) really varied between quote (Lee and Doyle did not specify SA), I suspect as a result of familiarity of North and Evolution with PHRF ratings and the boat itself.   Highest was  292 sq ft, lowest 263sq ft from Tasker.   It is possible that at order time they would request more info and tweak that.  Lee covered roach dimensions in their very detailed order form.   
  • Lee's order form is pretty complete and is a useful way to document your rig for getting quotes from sailmakers.   Tasker's is less detailed.  I used Tasker's and posted photos here.
  • I think that Evolution sails may be a good option for US C&C owners looking to benefit from the current weak Canadian dollar with a loft that has plenty of C&C experience.
  • Prices ranged from approximately C$1800 to C$2500 for the more basic sails, to around $3200 for a higher-end but still cross-cut sail from a responsive local loft.
Am pretty happy to be dealing with a local loft on this one, I think availability for future service plays more of a role with a main than a spinnaker, and tribal knowledge of the various C&C models that is natural to the Toronto area is worth something to me.  Not having to ship the sail matters too - one fitting tweak could eat up some freight cost, especially cross-border.


Monday 24 October 2016

Gori 2-blade prop

My Martec was tired and I knew I wanted a folding prop to replace it.   Pretty happy with the Gori.  Do beware that the normal shaft section where the castle nut is installed may be different in length than a typical North American prop.  (the gears foul the end of the shaft on the gori, there is more space on the martec.   A long story but it took some doing to install this, and some mods to a brand new shaft.
In any case it works great, no issues so far.   Shipped air from Denmark amazingly quickly, great service from the agent in New England somewhere.







Sunday 23 October 2016

Mainsail specification, rig photos, dimensions, details

Mainsail Deliberations

After much thought, research, and sound advice, I would modify my intended use to read:

I value the 33-2's performance, and enjoy getting the most I can out of the boat.  In the past I had not paid much attention to the finer points of sail trim, however in researching this mainsail purchase, I have realized that I would very much enjoy a well designed, "tunable" mainsail, and would like to learn how to optimize sail shape.  
That said, most of my sailing here on Lake Ontario will be for pleasure, daysailing or short cruises,  either single-handed or effectively so.  I will likely look for some recreational racing opportunities and at some point would like to try distance racing, but not at an ultra-competitive level.   I don't want to buy another main for this boat in the next decade.

The parameters for my new main are also becoming more clear. I believe the mainsail features most appropriate for my use are:

  • Cross-cut construction (radial optional, not really necessary)
  • top quality, low stretch dacron
  • Loose footed
  • luff slides 
  • 4 partial battens or 2+4 full/partial.  
  • two sets reef points. 
  • Cunningham
  • telltales
  • 2-3 draft stripes
  • Sail no 34760 - blue
  • C&C logo?
I welcome any suggestions.

Factory sailplan can be found here:   

Preferred Details (alternative suggestions welcome)


How the reefing lines will be rigged.   Do I really need a block at the clew?

Reefing tack - The previous sail was a Type A.  Worked great I thought.

Not sure what to do with the Cunningham, but the gooseneck fitting has two fairleads that look like candidates for this use.   


Windstar's measured dimensions

Luff - masthead sheave to top of boom:  39' 7"
Luff - top of black tape on mast to top of boom: 39' 1"
Foot - end of boom extrusion to back of mast: 138" 
Foot - end of black tape boom to back of mast:  135"  
Tack back - top of boom to centre of current tack shackle: 1 1/4"
Tack up - aft edge of mast to centre of current tack shackle:  7/8"
Reefing hook - aft edge of mast to underside of reefing hook:  approx 2"
Reefing hook - height from top of boom: approx 2"
Sail slide gate - bottom of gate to top of boom:  10 3/4"


















What are these used for?

Documenting my rig for winter work and a new mainsail, and it's like a box of chocolates...

Here is the gooseneck fitting from below - what are the two fairleads for? (Cunningham maybe?)

Another mystery item, this shot from the bottom of the boom.   The swivel padeye is the vang attachment.  What was the the cleat mounted forward of that used for?
Does anyone know who manufactured the padeye itself?

The next two show why it is a good idea to inspect the rig!  End of boom casting fracture, and mainsheet attachment rivet failure.






Saturday 8 October 2016

N2K screenshots from Actisense Viewer


The NMEA reader lets you identify the devices on the network, in this case the VHF.
See the AIS PGNs in one window, and detail (a local fishing boat) in the adjacent.
So, not quite plug and play but almost.   The many and varied chartplotter and instrument apps I've played with have all been able to read incoming NMEA data, both from the vYacht gateway (wifi and ethernet) which I believe has been translated into NMEA 0183 sentences and from the Actisense NGT-1, which |I believe are NMEA  2000 PGNs.  This is certainly how it appears in the apps' respective NMEA viewers.   You can see screenshots the cool Actisense
See the AIS PGNs in one window, and detail (a local fishing boat) in the adjacent.
NMEA reader at the right.
What I have not been able to do is get AIS data displayed on the various instruments and chartplotters.
The AIS PGNs are being transmitted from the ICOM M506 vhf, but they do not seem to be recognized by tools other than the NMEA reader itself.  AIS targets ARE displayed on the Raymarine i70 and on the small screen on the ICOM vhf itself.   So, AIS  is working.
  You can see in the screenshots that the PGNs are being transmitted, albeit very few.
See the AIS PGNs in one window, and detail (a local fishing boat) in the adjacent.
One of the issues may be, that we are in a target-poor area, especially since with Windstar on the hard, I am using an emergency VHF antenna.  I have also read that the ICOM VHF has had some n2k issues, with some devices not recognizing its AIS data.     That said, (and I hate to admit it) my Raymarine i70 display is showing the few
nearby AIS targets.   So, they do exist, and it does work, pointing back to my poor understanding of networking,or some other lapse in configuration.
Could it simply be impatience -hopping from app to app?  AIS target updates can take some time, no? |
On a windows PC, and connected by USB with the NGT-1 and by LAN and Wifi with he vYacht router, I have tried Polarview and OPENCPN chartplotters, plus NavMon instruments.
On my Ipad,connected only by vYacht wifi, I have tried iSailor, iNavx, NavionicsHD chartplotters, plus EDO instruments,  NMEAconnect.  All of which receive GPS data, but not AIS data.
I welcome any thoughts!

Here is a screenshot from EDO instruments app, this shows the available NMEA 0183 data, can log it, and it pings and  the little pretend-led lights when a sentence is received.   This is running on an ipad and connects via wifi, I was using it (and others)  to determine exactly what data was available.      Does not support AIS but it allows you to create polars etc.  
Search for yourself to see the its very cool instrument displays. (locked in this free version)    You could see how this sort of thing will replace conventional instruments and even laptops for those more involved.