Bruce Hubble
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Port Huron to Mackinac 2015!
I have a diesel inboard..just for a reference in the future.
I would get all of the wiring OUT of the mast base. Mine runs from the nav station, across the roof to the mast. If you have a mast with side holes in it..have your wires exit there. Water and wiring don’t mix in the bilge!
If you have a mast with a hole in the front…consider getting that hole welded shut. I’ve seen several masts that crack horizontally from that hole. Probably due to babystay/mast pumping action. Side holes don’t ‘work’ and appear to be solid.
Fix those chain plates! I lost a mast on a 33′ boat once. I didn’t know mine were elongating. Wood doublers and large washers? Metal backers…not so good if the bulkhead has dry rot problems. It won’t hold.
You should make sure the bottom bearing is seated before you start trimming. This does keep the rudder from hitting the bottom of the boat. I would leave it untrimmed. My opinion.
If you have up and down motion, add shims on the top of top bearing. This serves to get rid of the up and down and give a bearing surface for the tiller cap.
The rudder post rotates inside the bearing. You are making too much of this. :)
Unless you have slop…no reason to replace the bearings.
Slide the new bearing down on the shaft. You should be able to turn it by hand, but not easily. The tube ‘grips’ the outside of the bearing to hold it. You will need a tool to remove the bearings…something that can hook the upper edge and pull down. Something like a dent puller with a hook on the end. I had a friend weld a washer on the end of a pipe. Added a larger tube over that pipe. End had a pipe cap. Used the sliding pipe as a slide hammer. Delrin is fine material.
Where are these ‘grooves’? If at the bearing, then yes it needs to baby butt smooth and a relatively tight fit. If they are on the shaft between the bearing surfaces…nothing needs to be done!!!
Have you removed the rudder yet? You will know if you need to work on the bearing surfaces when you test fit the new bearings. If you have to tap them on to get them in place, you are done. No work needed. If they new ones go on easily, you have wear and need to slightly increase the diameter. A coat of epoxy after light sanding and you are good. Check the shaft for gaps between the new bearing and shaft. You may only need to add epoxy to make the shaft round again.
60 foot sheet/guys. Mauri Pro says 66 ft.
hardware store has graphite. Look in the lock section. Just don’t get the oil version..you want powder only. It will only work on new bearings, yours are too loose.
Hum on my boat is usually the tight dyneema backstay. Sounds like it is coming from below, but most likely the backstay. Grab it next time you hear a hum.
The rudder won’t break, but the shaft might eventually rub the tube????? More a nuisance than necessity, but you are putting off the inevitable.
Ray..that is the stock height. By now you know that and probably added an inch of height some how.
Since it has already been sleeved, welding may be your only option. Fill in the front hole everyone! That is the source of the cracks. My “newer” mast only had holes in the sides of the mast. Every mast I’ve seen with a front hole eventually gets cracks if the mast has been pumping.
Zero Play. Buy new upper and lower bearings. If still squeaking…graphite powder, no oil.
I meant shorten it so you can just reach the block. Your tackle will attach easily, you just have to thread it over that block before fixing the rest.
Jonathan and all:
I’ve had more racing experience with my backstay mod since I last wrote. Jon, strength is not needed at the deck joint. Unless it has come apart (you would see that inside via cracked at the joint), your hull is intact.
I too have a strengthened mast base. I have a turnbuckle from the underside of the deck just forward of the mast opening and it attaches to the front of my mast. This ‘fixes’ the deck height and does not allow the chain plates or hull sides to flex inward. It also offsets halyard tensions at the deck. I eliminated the toe rails from the chain plates aft.
Want a tight forestay? One solution: You need more travel in your purchases. It takes a huge amount of backstay to tighten the forestay. My old setup was two blocked way too early compared to what I have now. Want to point…straighten your forestay!!! Right Jim Saylor? I would suggest shortening the backstay to raise the block as high as you can reach from the cabin top. Then get a diagram/setup to give you 48 to 1 purchase, remembering the triples will travel a huge distance for very little pull.
My forestay is sloppy eased and straight when on hard. You can’t pull enough on. Pointing relies on this. Also, it flattens the main when it pipes up.
Bowlines work. Currently using shackles because of Mackinac race. Long distance races it is easier to do a drop and launch instead of a peel with shackles.
Endurabraid 8mm. Strip the cover off of 16 feet of it. Uncovered, it is very light and doesn’t absorb water. It serves both light and heavy conditions very well.
I use twings. No need for dip pole jibes.
NEVER< NEVER< NEVER store fuel below decks! Gas is heavier than air, it will NOT vent out an open hatch, it will settle to the bilge and then up to your nose. One spark and boom! The only way would be a fixed tank below that has an on deck fill and a vent line overboard. You would need a pump to pump from the tank into your outboard regular tank that also has to be above decks at all times. Gasoline is very dangerous. No gas storage below! The fumes in the cockpit could even “flow” into the cabin during filling, so no fires anywhere during or after filling until sure all fumes are gone.
It is not metric. 1980’s and California and US built means US standard.
If you have the rod, you have the measurements.
From my lifting rod, the bolt is 7/8. The nut is 1.5″ Thread appears course, but threads on slow, so I don’t know.
For all: if you ever want to remove or tighten the aft large nut, you need a VERY deep socket to clear the bolt height. You can spend over $100 for one OR do what I did: Go to the hardware store and buy a hot water heater rod nut remover. $8 at ACE Hardware. It is thin wall stamped metal and does the trick. Regular socket walls at 1 1/2″ are too thick. Looks like a BIG spark plug wrench.
I’m doing a bit of retraction here on my previous comments on shortening the forestay.
1. Neutral helm is bad for speed. You need some helm in 10 degrees of heel. Not much; some.
2. Shortening the forestay might have helped sag, but it induced neutral/lee helm and possibly too straight a mast for the main to work.I have since lengthened the forestay back to original position and reworked the backstay to get enough travel to pull the backstay and get a firm forestay. I now have the rake needed to fit the main luff.
Could I get a favor from someone that is FAST and happy with their tune? Please get a 100′ tape and measure the forestay with the jib halyard at the forestay attachment. I know this is a bit crude, but it is a starting point for all. Better yet, next time someone is up the mast, measure the forestay itself. Having this measurement gives a starting point for pre bend. If someone has this measurement in an archive, point the way!
Thanks!
I bungee from the opening in the turnbuckle down to the ring, single loop that goes over both horns. Gives you double tension in two directions.
PS to all:
Building up the deck flange has a second benefit. You can use wood screws to mount the hatch instead of through bolting. No spinnaker worries!
Lifecaulk. The West Marine version. NEVER use silicone on your boat. You will have leaks AND have to remove the residue some day..which is near impossible.
I used butyl tape for my cabin windows. Do it on a cool day. The stuff is wicked when warm..spider webs of goo when you try to trim it.
Are you sure you have the correct mast? That could explain things too!
Survey: Does everyone have a black mast and the top is painted white for the “band”?
Top of the mast is painted white. You cannot hoist into the white area. I have a slug screwed into the luff groove to prevent hoisting too high.
If your luff is smooth and the boom is much lower than horizontal..talk to your sail maker. If you are expecting to stand under the boom. Wrong boat for that.
The hp of a single diesel is not relative to ‘power’. The torque and the small prop are not better than an outboard. Convenience is the issue. Love my little diesel. Outboards suck and on an Olson mount: double suck.
You might start looking for an inboard Olson. It would be cheaper to sell yours and buy one already set up.
Otherwise..a J Boat boneyard. J/30’s J/29’s were inboards. If you want some power, go 2GM. Weighs a bit more, but a cruiser!
I got a set of North 3DL’s with my boat when I bought it in 2007. They were beautiful and not a mark on them. They were 2001-2 vintage. I was so happy. UNTIL
First race…#1 up. Started shooting ‘dandruff’ all over..pretty soon the foot was nothing but strings. #3 Kevlar…same thing..strings after one regatta.
So, yes..technology has improved, but not until the 2008 and up era. Early 2000 was junk. The glue looked like the stuff you used in kindergarten.
Hate to throw water on your sails, but buyer beware. You should just use them. I will qualify my problem: They were STRING sails, not the gator type. I have a couple of those and they are pretty good material, but not race worthy. Abuse them while you can. :)
My boom is near horizontal fully sheeted. I have a boomkicker that at rest is just above horizontal.
You need a sailmaker visit. Check your spinnaker and the main. Maybe your hoist isn’t up all the way? Do you have a stopper slug at the white band? Maybe it slipped down? A clue to this would be a lot of wrinkles in the luff down low.
Find a Yanmar GM10 instead. People pull BMW’s to put in Yanmars. If you have a Pearson Flyer around..so see how miserable an engine it is. BMW in need of a rebuild is a mooring anchor. I have the GM10 and it is great. J/29’s have these. On another side note: they are NOT powerful. A folding prop/8 hp and 25 on the nose and you will be very slow. They will push the boat 6.5 knots on flat water; charge your battery; and sip fuel. Near 20 miles per gallon at 6 knots.
Where will you get the strut/shaft/misc?
A saildrive might be easier and less expensive in the long run. Labor is expensive, saildrive would be less labor; my guess.
Clarifying: yeah..carry a 1.5 oz. It typically has narrowed shoulders and is for higher wind ranges and reduces rolling. All others: full measurements.
Main only? Never! :)
Reality…25 true you start weighing several things: crew ability, waves, etc. Single handed in swells is one thing. Crashing over mountains is another; you have to reduce speed. A chicken chute (1.5) is pretty much bullet proof. You stay until you are not comfortable. Reef and a #3 can be fast after that. Main only…have to be pretty bad.
The ‘safer’ aspect is for avoiding green water over the front deck lifting a aft opening hatch and depositing a ton of water below. Opening it forward, it can’t open.
The alternative is a hatch that can be closed/latched shut from topside. The Lewmar 60 has that capability with sheets still attached.
Opening forward or aft is equal otherwise, unless you forget to latch in big seas. Opening forward will require a buildup with the stock hatch. A replacement hatch will require an even bigger buildup as the hatch flanges are typically low profile. The “Ocean” profile hatches might fit better, but are pricey; not sure. Building up the opening is not a huge job. Side benefit is a stronger deck.
Again, my original hatch is available.
http://www.hodgesmarine.com/Lewmar-Size-60-Low-Profile-Hatch-Flange-Base-p/lew39960030.htm
I used this Lewmar. The build up was cedar, glassed and sealed. Smoothed inside for no snagging spin launches. Awlgrip makes it look factory and molded.
This was an awesome price as well. $359
