Sailing Little Grace in Finland 2013 part 2

Here is part 2 of sailing Little Grace in Finland 2013

New cleat

Another minor change this year is the addition of a new cleat. When I discovered a simple headsail downhaul could be rigged (click to read in a new window) I borrowed the cleat and bullseye I had fitted for the spinnaker pole downhaul. I noted at the time the headsail downhaul needed its own fittings and here they are.
 

The addition of the cleat guards to prevent accidental cleating is a real bonus. Before they were fitted hoisting the headsail was constantly interrupted by the downhaul falling into the jaws of the cleat.

Video: Sailing Little Grace in 2013 Part one

Here is a video of Little Grace sailing in Finland during the first part of the season 2013.

Navigation light inversion

This change may not seem to be a big deal but in terms of boat handling and sail care it provides reassurance and improved efficiency.

The way the bow navigation light used to sit on the pulpit gave the maximum height of light possible and added to Little Grace’s character. But when sailing downwind the foresail would sometimes snag on it and could be difficult to free from the cockpit.

 

A simple inversion solved the problem.

Preventing the cockpit lockers draining into the bilge

During the main refurbishment I turned the port cockpit locker into what I intended to be a gas bottle locker. You can read about that in Work starts on aft and cockpit lockers and Completion of the aft and cockpit lockers
 
For the reasons stated in It’s a gas, or not as it happens; it is the spirit of the thing that counts I gave up on the idea of using gas at all. So now I had a self draining locker with the obvious advantage that any water ingress through the hatch would not find its way into the bilge, making Little Grace that little bit more seaworthy.
 

The rust is from where the gas bottle used to stand, where it kept the drain clear. The fact that this locker only drains through the transom makes it the obvious place to keep the folding bucket (a small ridged one lives in the aft locker) and the Whale stirrup pump.

 

Otherwise the locker is used for stowing the dock lines, the main four of which were deplyed at the time this picture was taken.



Drain from the port cockpit locker.

 
 
I was keen to do the same to the starboard locker as the erstwhile gas locker. But if I totally enclosed it would have to extend to the transom so that the boat hooks (we have two types as one is for the Handyduck) and emergency paddles could still fit in. This would mean that if the starboard locker filled with water there would be a large volume. If the boat heeled because of the weight the skin fitting in the transom would be higher than the outlet from the box and the water would not drain anyway. Adding another outlet further outboard was not an option as it would be in danger of going bellow the waterline on a port tack. I could add a flapper valve but I don't fancy putting more holes in the boat.
 
During the refurbishment I had installed a plastic box as a liner in which the fuel tank was stowed. This was connected to one of the skin fittings in the transom so that spilt fuel and vapours could drain out of the boat (the vapours being heavier than air). The latter would only work if the pipe was clear of any water, of course, but I could keep it clear as discussed in It’s a gas, or not as it happens; it is the spirit of the thing that counts.
 


After the original plastic box for the fuel tank was removed. You can see one of the boat hooks at the top of the picture.



Pipes connected to the skin fittings in the transom. The clear pipe is connected to the boxes in the starboard locker; there is a crossover just out of shot.

Clearly I had to find a compromise and after much processing of a range of ideas I settled on two plastic boxes bolted together, it not being possible to insert one larger box via the aft locker because of the dimensions of the boat don't allow the necessary turn. OK it's not a watertight compartment that drains overboard but there would have to be considerable flooding before much water finds its way to the bilge. However, if there is that much water it is better that the amount that can't drain from the boxes goes into the bilge than list the boat to starboard because the manual Whale Pump pumps from bilge and there is an electric pump there too. When I have time to write about the pump setup it will be listed in A - Z of Refurbishment and Ongoing Improvements. 
 

The two boxes in position. In these two photos you can see the drain from the grey to the black and the outlet from the black to the transom.

The boxes are bolted together and fastened to the wood below. For extra security they are braced against the hull by a small fender bought for the purpose.

The paddles are between the far side of the boxes and the hull. You can see the boat hooks on top. The box further aft houses the stern/kedge anchor (important here as Scandinavian mooring with stern anchor is sometimes required). There is a plastic grill under the warp so that water and fumes can pass from the box with the fuel tank to the skin fitting.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Completion of the aft and cockpit lockers

This post, about work completed in the spring/early summer of 2012, follows on from the post Work starts on aft and cockpit lockers


The pictures tell most of the story. After sheathing in epoxy the wooden supports were primed. The lockers, with some veriation for the gas locker (see below), were sanded and undercoated with a coat of 10% thinned Hemple Multicoat. Finally 2 coats of unthinned Multicoat were added and touched up with a third where necessary. This was mainly where parts that were difficult to see or access had been missed for fear of leaning on wet paint. Multicoat is particually suited to the lockers and is easier to obtain locally than International's Danboline.

The aft locker. In the previous post on this subject I said that I intended to replace the hatch to this locker the other way up so it opened with a downward movement, to make access easier. It did not work because it jammed against the cockpit seats so it was reinserted with the original orientation.

The starboard cockpit locker. Note the sanded and shaped filler (International's Watertight) on the edge of the locker, showing that the painting of the inside of the lockers was completed before the cockpit and deck.

 

As stated in the previous post on this subject I intended the port cockpit locker to be a gas locker, or a least a safer locker for transporting the gas bottle, even if not permanently connected, than the original arrangement. After painting the inside of the hull epoxied plywood was used as a former for the glass fiber construction.

 

The layers of glass fiber were then built up gradually.

 

As you can see from this photo these steps were all carried out before the process of filling and sanding, filling and sanding and yet more filling and sanding of the cockpit and deck started.



Painting was with Multicoat. The hole is for an inspection hatch, just in case I need to get to the hull.

 

 

 

Ultimatly this locker only had half a season as a container for the gas bottle, which was never conected to the pipe you can see here. The story continues here.

 

It’s a gas, or not as it happens; it is the spirit of the thing that counts

When I obtained Little Grace she came with an old double ring and grill gas stove. She also had the piping in place to connect it to a gas bottle in the port cockpit locker.

Because of these facts I did not hesitate to replace the cooker. These days I would be more pragmatic and process the options carefully but hay ho.

 

During the half season of sailing we had in 2010 and 1212 I kept the gas bottle in the locker but connected it to the stove with a 1m flexible hose. To achieve this the gas bottle was removed from the locker and placed in the cockpit. During refurbishment I enclosed the port cockpit locker and added a drain. This was with the intention of converting it into a gas locker and reattaching the connection to the stove so the inconvenience of moving the bottle and it being in the way when in the cockpit could be avoided.

However, all this time I had a nagging thought based on the comparative danger of gas compared to an alcohol fuelled stove, which I won’t rehearse but click here for a good article.

Nonetheless I was going to stick with the original plan but various things came together to make me change my mind.

In 2010 I found that the angel of the drain from the intended gas bottle locker to the skin fitting in the transom was so slight that it could fill with water at a U bend. The lack of fall was always going to be an issue and not in keeping with current regulations but my logic was that it was better than the setup the boat came with, which was basically nothing other than scarily draining into the bilge. Undaunted I reasoned (to myself, no one was listening) that I could clear the unintended U bend by blowing down the drain via the pipe normally attached to the Whale stirrup pump, which proved to be very effective in 2012. I could then attach the bottle to the system when it was need with the knowledge that any gas leakage would be likely to go through the drain and out the transom as it is heavier than air. As we don’t envisage cooking or making coffee underway this would have been inconvenient but adequate for our needs.

Due to their age I arranged to have the existing gas fittings checked this spring. While arranging this it became apparent that the existing piping is of a smaller gage than the fitters use here. So, I was looking at a check of an old system for 40-60 € and if any faults found a replacement of the whole thing for an additional sum. The cost for the combination of the two would approach the price of a new alcohol stove and so...........

 

The single burner is adequate for our needs and fits the existing cooker box/chart table with room to spare for storage. I have put some Treadmaster on the storage box so that it can double as a place with a nonslip surface to put hot pan, saucepan or kettle or anything else that may fit there. The storage box itself is simply a book case from the range of crafted teak items available in many chandlers turned on its side.

In the in use position the pot holders are too high for the closed position of the chart table but if they are reclined everything fits in nicely.

 

The decision was also influenced by a video on Keep Turning Left, a post on the blog Yacht Zephyr and a conversation on the Yahoo group - see Yahoo Group on the panel on the right.

The water for the first cup of coffee prior to the delivery trip last weekend was boiling before I anticipated it would be ready, so no problems with speed.

 

Permanent handheld GPS holder - variation on an old theme

It had to be done, a more standard small boat setup for the GPS that is. This is as opposed to the improvised version we used last year (click to read) that was efficient but an obstacle to negotiate when using the companionway.

 

 

Connection to the main battery means a significant saving on AA’s.

The sprung catch underneath keeps the unit in place when folded back into the cabin.

The interface between the GPS and VHF is also set up, which means our position is automatically communicated should we ever have to push the panic button. Sorry about the action shot but you can just make out a position if you click the photo to enlarge.

 

 

 

Stopping the masthead wind indicator from getting stuck

By the end of each sailing season the masthead wind indicator has become less free and eventually almost stuck. The following photos show how I hope to have resolved the problem.

 

GPS backup and waypoints

My first GPS for was the very basic Geko 101 below. Since getting Little Grace I obtained the Garmin Map 76cx and the Geko was demoted to backup.

Garmin Geko 101

Garmin Map 76cx

 



However, I did not get round to entering the waypoints we amassed during one (2010) and a half (2012) seasons of sailing. This has left the daunting task of manually entering 92 waypoints into the Geko. Apart from being time consuming there is the concern that one wrong digit could get us up close and personal with the hard stuff. As we will now have an infant on board for one of the two of us to look after a backup GPS to verify where we are in relation to the same waypoints marked on the paper charts and pilotage in the real world is a welcome tick in the box of measures taken for getting us all home safely.

 

Enter the Etrex 10, it is relatively cheap but basic unit. Maps can't be loaded but that is where I started with the Geko and many boats have basic units to use alongside paper charts as their only GPS, so no problem there. The Etrex 10 does have the advantage that way points, routes and tracks can be uploaded from the computer.

 

I contacted Garmin help to check the Etrex 10's compatibility with Mapsource, the computer program I use to plot waypoints and plan routes to upload to the Garmin 76. I was told that the Etrex 10 was not compatible with Mapsource but I could upload routes and waypoints from Mapsource to the 76, download them into Garmin's free basic map program, Basecamp, then upload them to the Etrex 10. Apparently this process could be reversed but that is of no interest to me.

 

 

I tried it and it worked but if a waypoint occurred in more than one route it was listed the corresponding number of times in the waypoints list. I contacted Garmin again and was told I could get round the problem with another Garmin program, Homeport. For €29 this would interface with both the 76 and the Etrex. I was about to pay the €s when it occurred to me to check that the Etrex 10 is not compatible with Mapsource myself. It turns out that waypoints and routes can be upload to it from Mapsource without any problems. I will have to check a few waypoints to ensure they are where they should be but the coordinates are correct.  

 

Some readers used to sailing in more open waters may be thinking that 92 waypoints is excessive but with so many islands and rocks there's is always plenty of navigation to do.

 

The appropriate paper chart is always open on the chart table or in its plastic cover in the cockpit, along with the pilotage plans for the tricky bits.

The GPS is used to verify our position and course to the next waypoint by checking it against the chart and the real world. The waypoints are placed where boat routes change course or significant navigation points. In addition to being numbered I have added the description of what buoyage to look for in the real world. For example, 061 PB = WP 61 Port Buoy.  

 

  

A  typical part of one of the electronic charts. Click and then zoom to see the detail.

Shorter forestay

When we removed the mast at the end of the season in 2010 I stupidly released the forestay under tension and it finished up in a tangled mess but a least no one was injured.

I replaced the forestay last year but noticed that the mast rake was too great when compared to boats Little Grace moored along side. There was also more weather helm than I remembered from the 2010 season.

I contacted the supplier of the forestay (North Sails Turku - very helpful) and we agreed that they would reduce the forestay by the minimum possible, which was 5cm. Last year the bottle screw was closed right down (see photo below) and it has a combined thread of 8 cm, so if the replacement forestay proved to be too small I would be able to compensate by extending the bottle screw and I won’t be caught out with an unusable forestay at the beginning of the year.

Of course, I should put the mast up and do some proper measurements but that is simply not possible at the moment and I don’t want to waste time I haven’t got at the beginning of the season sorting it out.

I asked those smarter than me on the Alacrity/Vivacity forum; how much will a reduction of 5 cm of forestay change the angle of the mast (which is 7m from deck to masthead)?

This was the helpful reply I received from one of the forum members after I gave the additional measurement of 1.9 m from the bottom of the forestay to the bottom of the mast (the J measurement).

 "By a crude process of working the angles backwards I estimate a change in length of 0.0546 m would result in an angle change of 0.7º."

That got me thinking. After using grid lines in Photoshop to check the horizontal on the coach roof in the photograph below I used a Breton Plotter (I couldn’t find the protractor) to calculate that the mast rake is between 2 and 2.5 degrees.

The circumference of a 7 meter (the height of the mast) radius is 43.982297150257104 divided by 360 = .122 (12.2 cm). x 2 degrees (to be conservative) = .244 (24.4 cm - 9 ¾ inches) rake at the masthead. The ideal is on an Alacrity is about 15cm (6 inches), apparently.

Using the calculation of – 0.7 º should mean (if I have got this right) .122 ÷ 10 x 7 = 0.085 (8.5 cm - 3 1/4 inches) leaving a mast rake of just under 7 inches?

A 8 cm reduction in forestay length would be 1 º and 12 cm (4 ¾ inches) at the masthead leaving a rake of 12.4 cm (5.5 inches). I can safely reduce the diffrence down to 4 cm by extending the bottle screw, i.e. .5º = 6 cm (2 ¼ ish inches) at the masthead. So if the current rake is 2.5 º I am covered, I hope. So I sent of the old forestay as the measure for a new one of 8 cm shorter. They have both arrived back, leaving me with the option of going back to the one we used last year if my calculations are all wrong.

 

On inspecting the turnbuckle for the forestay that came with the boat I found that the threads had seen better days. In addition it had been wearing the bow fitting as the clevis pin is 6mm and I measured the hole in the bow fitting to be 8.5 - 9 mm. Concerns about the threads on the original turnbuckle now that I may have to extend it to accommodate the new forestay and an article that discussed the issue of the wrong sized clevis pins damaging bow fittings in Practical Boat Owner prompted me to buy a Selden 5/16 turnbuckle. The clevis pins are 8 mm and the overall quality is better.

New crew member and the to-do list

I have not added anything to this blog for a long time but not because of lack of interest or things to write about. In fact for the last six months, nearly, I have been preoccupied with raising the new crew member, Marc, and keeping up with my work, mostly from home, while Tuulia has been working hard at our clinic.

Despite this preoccupation I have had time to turn ideas over in my head and occasionally remind myself of the to-do list, which I hope to complete before Little Grace goes in the water, and the need to complete the blog items related to Little Grace's refurbishment.

The to-do list

• Shorten forestay
• Improve the Windex so it does not get stuck
• Connect the GPS to the VHF/DSC (Radio)
• Mount the GPS on a board that folds back so it can run off the battery, be permanently connected to the VHF/DSC and allow fee access through the companionway without having to duck under it.
• Connect the existing metal gas pipe to the gas bottle in the new gas bottle locker and the cooker. This is so the gas bottle does not have to stand in the cockpit to be connected to the cooker by a standard 1m flexible hose - not done - here's why
• Separate the starboard cockpit locker from the bilge with independent drainage through skin fitting. I have contemplated this one a lot and I keep coming back to the fact that I can't achieve it and maintain convenient stowage for the boat hooks and paddles. It looks like I am going to have to find a compromise I am prepared to live with.
• Replace the plastic cap at the end of one of the spreaders (it pinged off when the mast was removed) - done.
• Add a new cleat for jib downhaul and cleat guards to prevent unwanted cleating for it and the pole downhaul.
• Create food storage area under companionway - not done because the water bottles were not relocated.
• Relocate water storage to above keels - not done, there is no better position than the one they have.
• Invert bow light so it is suspended under the pulpit.
• Strengthen aft locker catches - Proved to be unnecessary.
• Replace washers for mast bolts - done.
• Either manually input 92 waypoints into the backup GPS or replace it with one that can be uploaded from the computer.

There is plenty of time!