Plastic Classic Forum

Eric

mitiempo wrote:And Eric, if you are heating the cabin with a flower pot over a burner I hope you have both good ventilation and a co detector.

Both, and thanks for pointing out the threat.

-- E

Eric

+ Some people complain about the smell, but this is only an issue if you do not preheat properly. I will attest that the smell issue is more than a result of improper preheating. Even with a stove in top condition and properly installed, with a day tank large enough that you do not have to handle t...

Eric

Probably another thing to consider is resale value--we don't tend to think beyond our own use of a boat, but, if I were engaged in wholesale refit, I would definitely have a plan for accommodating a conventional propane two-burner range in the galley even if I wasn't going to install one myself.

-- E

Eric

Ditto to what Chris wrote. I use an old Sea Swing / Primus stove on Sophia and have learned to love it, but, I grew up with kerosene mantle lamps and am not particularly bothered by the smell. I rebuilt the stove and keep a spare burner and other extras on hand and, after 6 years we have a achieved ...

Eric

That squared rudder seen in that so-called "Mark II" drawing was never used in production. I've wondered about this, having seen both sets of drawings. #635 was owned by a fellow on Long Island who reportedly sailed it to Bermuda (according to the brokerage listing that came with the prov...

Eric

Great looking rudder, too, Eric. What's its history? It came with the boat and I assume it is original. Here it is when I first bought it... http://lh6.ggpht.com/_-Hkry8GusTQ/S4ho935aIhI/AAAAAAAAAK4/lOBi3WXa8pg/s400/hullP5310004.JPG I dropped it to replace the rudder shaft bushing and tighten up th...

Eric

I used the Schaefer stainless pintles after drilling out the original bronze gudgeons to take the Schaefer plastic bushings. This was a quick and relatively inexpensive fix. No metal to metal contact and no sign of a problem after 4 seasons. http://lh4.ggpht.com/_-Hkry8GusTQ/S4CoytFFnXI/AAAAAAAAAKw/...

Eric

Can you give more details how you secured this to the existing engine mounts? I reused the adaptation provided by the installer after cleaning it up and painting it. I would have preferred to build a new mount following Tim's technique (for example see Circe ), but, my time was limited and I could ...

Eric

Looks like something like this could work: http://www.staffordmfg.com/ProdSpec.aspx?catId=9 I don't think there is room for this on a Triton without enlarging the bottom end of the tube and then you would still have to drop the rudder far enough to bolt/unbolt the coupling. Given that the hole need...

Eric

I wonder if there should be discussion about maintaining the location of the bussbars? Seems to me that ABYC frowns upon that location near an engine. Needless to say, I have an agenda: my LeComte's bussbars are in the same place and probably a huge job to move since all the plastic conduits this b...

Eric

I'm wondering if people are missing the link to the album, just below the picture above. I thought you gals liked pictures--why so quiet? Here it is again. To view my Picasa Web Album for this project, click here. Take a look and then bring on the questions and comments--I welcome a friendly debate.

Eric

Did you run into any snags removing the engine? Nope--this went quite well. I used a single floor jack and a pair of jack stands during removal and I had to move the jack back and forth several times. I had acquired a second floor jack by the time I reinstalled, and this made it much easier. There ...

Eric

Your very welcome, David. I spent a good part of my weekend shoveling the walk to my shop. Let me know if you have any questions about my choices.

-- Eric

Eric

In the interest of giving something back to the folks here who have provided so much good info, I offer a photo summary of the shoestring rehab of the engine installation on my east coast boat Sophia. I put this together last year for family and friends, so it wasn't intended for the mechanic, but, ...

Eric

It is amazing how much lift is generated on any structure sitting on the ground as air flows over it. Everything wants to be an airplane! The experience of building a working model plane of balsa wood, tissue paper and glue can be useful when designing structures. The only differences between that a...

Eric

That is a Michigan Wheel Corp (They merged with Federal, thus the MI / FED id), Machine Pitch (MP) 3 Blade (3B?) propeller probably manufactured in February 1996.

Eric

Nice location, but last year's model. Seal Cove now has an improved ramp and the town is working on additional floats that should get us to the littoral at all tides--woot!

-- Eric

Eric

Duncan, are these commercially available? Can you point me to such a system? Hi John - there are a few of them here: Mini-box.com More here . I think the harder challenge with this approach is in the display. Here are a couple of links. Xenarc Technologies has some interesting products including th...

Eric

The Ubuntu distro is arguably the best beginner's Linux, IMHO.

-- Eric

Eric

Rachel wrote:As a somewhat shy person, I almost never get up the nerve to visit other boats.

Sounds like a case for Powdermilk Biscuits ;-) I bet they'll cook fine in a dutch oven...

Eric

I'm mostly just a lurker here, but, I have to agree that the give and take of the forum is what keeps me checking in.

Now the MIR site on the other hand...

-- Eric

Eric

A30_John wrote:Sadly, as I was writing the post above yesterday, an Endeavor 30 broke her moorings and was destroyed on the rocks in Belfast harbor. Pieces of the boat are washing up all around the harbor. Apparently the mooring pendant chafed through. :-(

Every owner's nightmare. Very sad.

-- E

Eric

Sedgwick, ME, located on Eggemoggin Reach between Penobscot and Jericho Bays, recorded 79 MPH. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw that in Blue Hill Bay also. Sophia has taken a solid thrashing on her mooring in Seal Cove over the past 24 hours or so. I was over checking on conditions yesterday am an...

Eric

I'm pretty happy most of the time with my roller furled 110%. I find that it performs pretty well when reefed (to maybe 75%), balances the second reef in the main nicely and the Triton seems to handle the 20-30k conditions well under this combination (at least 3-4 knots to windward). Of course in li...

Eric

I'm currently working on building a mini-itx type computer for the boat that uses flash memory and mini-HD with a 10" touch screen. So far, I've got the amps down to about 2 - 2.5 amps-- at least on paper. Cost is about $1000. I've been noodling this option also. With the Triton, space is limi...

Eric

Don't be tempted... Voice of experience speaking? :-) -Britton Sadly, yes. One of the responsibilities of my day job is to preach safe computing to about 1300 users that have better things to do. Computers and the Internet may be useful, but that utility is attenuated by the challenges created by p...

Eric

Oh the joys of public web site ownership.

Don't be tempted to follow the WWW links for these "members", unless you like restoring computers as much as Classic Plastic.

-- E

Eric

bcooke wrote:A big part of the curriculum is dealing with other people in tight quarters in a high stress situation.

Tim wrote:Focus, man, focus!

Maybe this should be renamed the Outward Plastic Classic Bound Forum ;-)

-- E

Eric

By the way, Eric, I'm sorry we didn't get to catch up while we were on MDI. The two days slipped by awfully quickly! Maybe next summer! No worries. I got back from a quick trip down to Roque I. last night and counted up my nights off the mooring for the two weeks of my vacation. I was shocked that ...

Eric

Was anyone able to link up with Nathan? I kinda planned to swing by, but, decided to go to Rockland for the boat show instead. I did spot him heading down Blue Hill Bay on Wednesday (the 16th) as I crossed the Trumpet Island bar, and spoke with him briefly via VHF. He said he was heading for Northe...

Eric

I measure 13" on center +/- 1/8" for my ladder.

-- E

Eric

Yup. I guess you missed the link I hid in my earlier post... Sophia came with a pair of these installed, but the spacing doesn't accomodate my new ladder so I will have to move one of them. I'd be happy to measure the spacing required by the West ladder next time I'm aboard if that would help... -- E

Eric

Your brackets could be used by inserting one leg at a time and then centering , but there would always be the threat of sliding one way or the other when using. If this were prevented somehow (i.e., with lashings) then it might be more secure than the conventional approach which depends on gravity. ...

Eric

They look mis-installed to me. West sells at least one ladder (I just received one as a gift) that uses these brackets, however they are installed oriented such that the large end of the slot is at the top. It looks like the screw pattern is square--if so, it would be an easy matter to rotate them. ...

Eric

Figment wrote:...cute little bowls to catch the drips from the portlights

Oh! All this time I have been thinking they were the missing speaker grills ;-)

-- E

Eric

I carry a piece of 5/8" or 3/4" nylon with a spliced thimble and chafe gear and a collection of various shackles in case I need to leave the boat on someone's mooring to deal with some emergency elsewhere. (With permission, of course.) Downeast, I think there is a fair chance that an other...

Eric

I can highly recommend Boater's Bowditch, The Small-Craft American Practical Navigator, by Richard K. Hubbard, published by International Marine. [See on Amazon]

IMHO, it get the job done like no other single volume and is clear and very accessible.

-- Eric

Eric

There needs to be a valve (or other opening) on the ends of the hose to allow the water level to equalize inside, and even a small air bubble can drastically affect the results. Getting all the air out is one of the more challenging parts of creating this device, and I think a full length of clear ...

Eric

It's hard to beat the simplicity and accuracy of the good ole water level.... But the thing is extremely accurate and easy to use. I feel the need to stir this colorful soup a bit--just 'cause I'm sitting at work and this is much more appealing at the moment... My attempts to use this method have n...

Eric

While it might work with care, the reality is that using a sail from the masthead with the jumpers in place is something that wouldn't be very practical. Those silly things take up a lot of room, and you'd always be snagging the sail on them. No thanks. Especially consider that you will be likely f...

Eric

FWIW... FWIW, I've never heard great things about dual headstays running to the same logitudinal position, or closely behind one another. They end up so close to one another that it is very limiting to both sails. Plus, there's the interference from the leading furled sail, which I gather can be sig...

Eric

Eric, I am not familiar with the Code 0 or Doyle UPS but I gather they are light wind sails. I think you sail in a windier area than I do. I found my genny just right up in Maine last year for about 60% of the time. About 30% of the time I would have liked to have had a big light air sail and for t...

Eric

Britton, I've been working the same question since I bought Sophia three years ago and have evolved to the following solution. Sophia came with a smallish genoa (about 150%) on a Harkin rollpin and a traditional main with 2 reefs. I quickly found that I was unhappy with the performance of the genny ...

Eric

Color chart for the BPS Spray Paint from Tractor Supply is here.

Eric

MikeD wrote:You can invite Britton along, feed him plenty of your cheese, and save him the trouble of redoing his head this year...

If you follow this plan, please warn me if and when you enter Blue Hill Bay so I'll know to keep the kids out of the water...

Eric

Sophia's traveler is just a piece of track with a genoa car. Moving it requires that I unload the sheet enough to release the pin and control the car by hand. As annoying as this sounds, I find that it is worth it when I transit certain breezy corners where it is easier to flatten out the main for a...

Eric

...an inexpensive loupe... Could you expound upon what that is, exactly? Here is a picture of one like mine... http://www.adorama.com/images/Product/PK1962.jpg More pictures here . Please don't send me to Boat Nerdery, Tim. I'm really not qualified. Plain Nerdery on the other hand... -- E

Eric

One local rigger (experienced and successful) told me that the dye just makes a mess and that you can get the same results with patience and a careful eye aided with an inexpensive loupe (I found one at the local darkroom supplier--I think it cost $8). Beyond this, I think I'd do the strength calcul...

Eric

I think I think too much... Overthinking parts of the project can be a killer. It's better to just dive in and get things done; even the toughest challenge seems less so once you're actually involved in the process, while it may have seemed insurmountable during those long, dark, cold winter days o...

Eric

Have you thought through what instrumentation for a small modern diesel should include?. Engine hours. Yup. Sophia's meter is currently installed next to the Yanmar panel in the cockpit. On my list is a move of this essential meter to a more convenient location to my log book--probably the side of ...

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Re: Why use propane when you can use kerosene?

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Re: Triton Pintles and Gudgeons

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Re: Triton #635 Engine Room Rehab

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A-sail solution?

Boater's Bowditch

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