LED interior lighting

Original fixture

Have been grappling with the replacement of the OEM square fixtures in Windstar, and was having trouble finding LED replacements that are:

• similar in footprint
• have a switch on board
• have a night lighting option
• are affordable.
• not more cheap/cheesy than the originals.
• Have space in the housing for the bulky butt splices used to connect OEM fixture to the boat's wiring.

 The fixture below was suggested by a fellow C&C mailing list member, he installed these as direct replacements.  His wife was made happy.  Meets all my criteria except for red night lighting.  So, I decided to purchase a bulk bag of red LEDs and see if I couldn't modify the fixture.

https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/7-1-2-in-x-5-in-led-interior-vehicle-light/A-p8488686e

Princess Auto, C$14.99

 The LEDs were mounted in snug fitting holes arranged around the perimeter of the light source, and the micro switch was installed at the same and as the supplied switch.  The leads were taped over when done.  It is not necessary to glue in the LEDs.

It works fine.  The SPDT switch supplied with the fixture permits wiring the LED toggle switch so that it is powered only when the fixture is off.   In other words you can't use both at the same time.   The orange/white wire is +12vdc, the black is to ground.

Modified fixture with LEDs, micro toggle switch, and resistors.

Mediocre Photos requiring no explanation, other than the hazy lens which was wet sanded to reduce glare.

 

The following website wizard simplifies the LED circuit design.  You input your parameters, it outputs a schematic.   http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz

All done for around C$20 per fixture!

Who made these cleats?

Looking to have one of my wing halyards terminate or at least be cleat-able at the mast, and would like to match the existing hardware.
Does anyone know who made these and whether they are still available?   I admit that I'm undecided about this style of cleat for a halyard.

How to drain the ice box?

Here is a photo of Windstar's ice box drain pump.  It is a Beckson SiphonMate hand pump, mounted in a bracket below  counter.   The inlet is connected to the ice box drain, the outlet to a length of hose which is not connected to anything, but  is long enough to reach the sink.

When Windstar showed up, the self priming SiphonMate was not.  Replacing it with a new one solved the problem.   It is a simple, effective approach, however I would prefer a drain that was direct plumbed into an overboard drain rather than relying on a coiled length of hose.   Pretty low on the list of issues, and mainly,  I post this for those who would like to see the stock installation of the SiphonMate.

A recent discussion on the C&C mailing list was started by an owner with a blocked ice box drain hose, which left me puzzled.  Drain where?  The bilge?  Nasty.  Turns out there were others with the same plumbing, (a prior owners' fix?) and others who had addressed this in different ways.

Below is Lee's solution, repurposing a seawater pump and faucet.   I expect the seawater pump was a dealer option.   (Windstar has only one footpump, from the freshwater tank.)

 "I have no need to have lake water at the sink so we repurposed the pump to drain the ice box. The hose goes from bottom of ice box to foot pump at foot of sink. This pump used to pull lake water in an dispense in the sink."

 

Cockpit VHF speaker without butchery

One item on my long list of things to improve was to ensure I could hear the VHF from the helm.  I have an aversion to cutting or drilling holes in a boat, and will do whatever I can to solve a problem without doing so. (drilling holes I mean!)   In this case, the solution was fairly easy - mount the speaker in the lid of an existing access cover.
The hole was cut using a flywheel-type adjustable circle cutter on a drill press.   I clamped two pieces of MDF in the drillpress (stacked) and cut a hole  equal to the cover plate's diameter through the first piece.  Removing the cut out created a fixture in which the cover could be placed, already centred under the drill press chuck.  I then re-adjusted the cutter to the correct diameter for the speaker hole, firmly clamped the cover in its fixture, then slowly bored the second, smaller hole through the cover.    Not for the faint-hearted, but it worked fine, and any lack of concentricty is not noticeable..
 The sound  is very loud and clear, the ICOM M506 VHF has plenty of power to drive this inexpensive Polyplanar speaker.

Port side settee stowage access

A 9600 lb racer-cruiser has limited stowage for even short cruises with more than 2 people.
One of the things I dislike about the 33-2 is the way the port side fold-out double berth impedes access to the only large stowage area in the boat.  In the pretty drawings, they don't show that the under the starboard settee resides only the fresh water tank, under the V-berth resides only the holding tank, and under half of the quarter berth resides one small locker and two batteries in a difficult to access locker.     The port settee is available for stowage, BUT the drop leaf table must be dropped, the seat cushions removed, and the berth extension folded out before you can lift the covers to access the stowage.  A nuisance!   Also, it's all one big compartment so the reserve beer and wine can crush the reserve potato chips.     (Apparently the water tank was moved to this side on later production years.)  

I wanted more convenient access to this settee locker, so I decided to add some hatches as you see in the photo.  I chose Tempress 1115 (11" X 15") slam hatches.  There are others, but these are:   "as functional as they are stylish"

https://tempress.com/store/#!/Slam-Hatches/c/610306/offset=0&sort=normal

Stylish!

See below for photos, fairly self explanatory.  I used a bimetal holesaw, and my fein multimaster with a circular bimetal blade.   Next step will be a simple barrier between the two compartments.

In future the chips will meet the beer only at the time and place of my choosing!

C&C 33-2 deck organizer

The photo below is of the stock deck organizer for the C&C 33 mkii.   Any idea who manufactured it and if parts are available?  I am looking to add another sheave to this if possible, convert to 3 on 3 from 2 on 3.   

Update:
Was emailed by Tom S with the following information.  Thanks!

Tom's install and comparison.

Navigation light - cable deterioration

The SJ 16/2 cable used to connect the bow and stern running lights in Windstar has not stood the test of time.  This cable is intended as portable cordage, and has rubber-insulated conductors inside a neoprene jacket.  The conductors'  insulation is crumbling and just waiting to create a short and tripped breaker. The prince of darkness lurks...  Will post pics, it's toast, and it's now gone.  

The PVC insulation used throughout the rest of the boat is fine, it's just the length from the light, through the pulpit/pushpit to the bullet connectors below deck, where the lights connect to the harness.  (the cables in the mast were fine also, except for some wear and tear at the base of the mast.   I rewired the mast in '17 anyway.)

The neoprene cable jacket is likely in much better condition than the conductors' insulation, therefore the condition of the conductors is not evident when simply inspecting the cable from the outside.  Check the conductors themselves where they are exposed.

Summary of Available LED Navigation Lights

I have already replaced the mast-mounted lighting with MarineBeam units - these are Hella-esque designs, made in China.  Am also considering replacing the tired OE Aqua Signal 25 port starboard and stern running lights with LED.   This would reduce power consumption from 30w to as low as 4.5 watts.

Unfortunately Aqua Signal does not make a direct LED replacement for the 25 series.  They have two series' (33 and 34 IIRC)  with very different proportions that have earned a few poor user ratings for quality so I ruled those out.   They do have a replacement for their series 40 which has the best specs of the lot but is, IMO, too large for Windstar.  At $200US each, they are expensive as well.

Hella makes (in New Zealand!) what appears to be very nice product, with excellent specs.  A bit larger than the AS 25, they are at least close in size, though still expensive at US$159.

Marinebeam offer what appear to be Hella tributes, made in China, at lower prices.   The two units I ordered for the mast were of decent quality (one had a significant cosmetic defect and I installed it anyway, after having been credited the purchase price.   Marinebeam was easy to deal with.)    They also offer an economy series, which is basically a series 25 clone with their replacement 3.2 watt bulb.  Those replacement bulbs are the cheapest option, and if ordered in the appropriate colour, (red and green) will significantly improve visible range to 2nm.

Nearly as cheap as LED bulbs alone are the Victory fixtures.  Victory is the house brand of a Canadian distributor in Vancouver.  I had a quick look at these a few weeks back, and noticed that the light sources were simple, indicator light style LEDs.   Victory publishes no specs at all online so I am not sure what the range or power consumption would be, but they are very inexpensive, made in China, probably by convicts.

I found it interesting that the Aqua Signal 25 is rated for 2nm visbility in white, and the red and green lights are rated  only 1nm, due to the white lamp being filtered by the coloured lens.   Appropriately-coloured LED sources do not suffer from this output reduction and there is no difference in claimed visibility between the different colours.   This is good to know if buying LED replacement bulbs -  buy the correct colour, not white!

Here is a summary of the options available, sorry the links won't work.   Just google.  I included the AS 25 as a benchmark and colour-coded the specs in comparison.  Too bad there isn't a direct LED retrofit with sealed optics and COB, but at least there are a range of options.

C&C 33ii Emergency Tiller Refinements

C&C 33ii Emergency Tiller Refinements

Update

Stowage for the emergency tiller is documented here.

Dealing with the tiller

Ok, "refinement" might be a stretch.

C&C supplied a very nicely made alloy emergency tiller with the 33ii, and designed the boat so the top of the rudder post is easily accessed.   So, dealing with steering failure should be relatively simple - just slip the tiller over the post and till away.  Right?

Well, not exactly.    The cast aluminum tiller head's bore is a very snug fit on the stainless rudder post, and in my case, due to some very minor dings on the sharp edge of the bore, it was not possible to slip it over the post at all.   Even without those dings, once started, it was not possible to fully seat the tiller by hand pressure alone.   The tiller is secured by a stainless bolt that requires two 3/4" wrenches to tighten.  These were simply taped to the tiller.  (nothing to go wrong there!)    All things considered, not what one would want to be dealing with in an emergency.

So, I filed a chamfer on the edge of the bore itself, then sanded the bore smooth(er), and waxed it.  Hopefully it will slip more readily over the post.

I had intended to replace the machine bolt on the tiller hinge with some kind of shaft and hand knob arrangement to make it tool-less, but I got to thinking about it while some varnish was drying, and and I came up with a less elegant but workable approach.  Thinking about it, I'm not sure the hand knobs would have allowed enough force to secure the tiller, and while some kind of cam screw arrangement would probably be ideal, that was too far down this rabbit hole, even for me.  Besides, the varnish was nearly dry.  

An eye strap was riveted to the tiller head and a length of shock cord installed.  (using hog rings to make secure loops)  To this, a pair of tethered wrenches was ring-hitched.   The geometry involved and the tension from the shock cord combine to secure the wrenches, while permitting them to be withdrawn from the tiller if needed.  Ugly but functional.

Next iteration is to cut the open end off the wrenches, and bore holes for the tether.   This way the wrenches can be fully inserted in the tube.  

This provided a minor lesson in metallurgy.   I cut the wrenches down with an abrasive-wheel chop saw, but drilling proved to be a challenge until I annealed the ends with a propane torch.  Easy then.  The holes were drilled, gently countersunk, and any burrs addressed with a conical bit in a Dremel.   The handles were dipped in primer, then paint.   

Canvas work, improving cockpit comfort.

Cockpit canvas upgrades

Update 

A panorama of the new-in-2019 cockpit shelter.

A dodger and bimini were must-haves on my boat acquisition checklist, and Windstar came with both.   Also included was a joiner piece to connect the two (usable only when at anchor as the mainsheet traveller is mounted on the bridge deck) and two zip-on side curtains that helped provide some shade and privacy.  Two stainless steel grab handles are mounted on the dodger frame.   Very useful.

The old canvas worked well enough underway,  however at anchor, when the connector was attached, the natural path for for rain water run off was onto the coaming and then into the cockpit.  This made the cockpit unusable in even a light drizzle, though  at least the companionway could be left open.  The side curtains were very basic and of limited benefit.  

When the dodger windows became opaque and the stitching began to fail in places, I consulted with Paul Macdonald of Bluewater Marine, and a dodger repair and a new bimini, connector, and side curtains were commissioned.

We collaborated on a new design for side curtains, much larger than before, with screening and roll-up Sunbrella rain panels.   Best of all, despite an awkward 3 way corner, where side curtain, dodger and connector meet, the rain no longer enters the cockpit at all, making for a remarkable improvement in livability.

I had also asked Paul to provide a means of securing the dodger window in the open position - flipped up and lying on the dodger roof.   

Paul is a pro who consulted thoroughly did nice work, and delivered on time. 

Bluewater Marine 

Custom Made Marine Tops/Covers

Paul MacDonald

Member I.M.F.A.

905-213-4498

bluewatermarine3@gmail.com