Too many projects.....

[Shawn]

Zimco,

Thanks, your gallery mod was a great idea.

What year is your 23? Your measurements for the top panel were different then mine. I think my panel was 18" wide while yours was 21" or 22" wide.

I was all over the place trying to figure out where to mount the heater. I considered on the front side of the bulkhead (or built in below the V berth.. more below) but that would have put the Charlie Noble ahead of the mast which would be sure to grab sheets.

I also thought about to either side of the companionway. I couldn't do to port as my halyards are led to the cockpit on that side. I was concerned doing that to starboard as my compass is mounted there and I was afraid the heat wouldn't be good for it. On either of those sides it would have taken a lot more insulation to make it work too as the ceiling and sides would need to be insulated with the heater that close to them. The flue would have been too short and the lower in a boat a heater is mounted to better to try and heat the boat more evenly.

The last place I was thinking about would be been to recess it into the cabinet on the starboard side. I was thinking either in the middle of the two hatches or at the aft end which would have given more room to run the flue up and out next to the companionway. This would have taken a new cabinet built with multi-layered insulation to be able to recess it like this safely with the heat of the stove. It would also take insulation above the cabinet and up some of where the flue would be run. I saw a few pictures of build in installs like this on other boats and done well they look great and you loose very little room. Of course these were all done with PE Luke soapstone stoves with all brass insulation and such to really be beautiful and $$$$$. I didn't go this route as I wasn't comfortable tearing out the existing cabinet and wasn't convinced I could build a new one to fit properly and look good. This would have also delayed things much longer.

Shawn

[Shawn]

Feature creep......

Loving the pressurized water system. I have a coiled hose attached to the tap in the starboard locker with a multiple pattern nozzle on it. One of the patterns is mist. The Shurflo pump is able to drive that nozzle pretty well to create a cooling mist. That might be just the thing when baking in the sun when the wind dies or when running and it feels like there is no wind. Will probably add an Orbit Cobra Mist stand to hook up so it can stay running in the cockpit handsfree. Someone on amazon measured that as using about 2.8 gallons of water an hour. That running under the bimini should be very refreshing on a scorching day. A small inspection port would be a good way to run the hose into the cockpit without having to have the locker cracked open.

For this sort of application I think adding an accumulator to the water system will dramatically reduce pump cycling to save amps.

On another note hoping to launch tomorrow or the next day after work. My schedule got pushed back as the rear brakes went on my truck and I had to swap out rotors and pads before towing.

Shawn

[zimco]

HI SHAWN,

THANKS. 
PRUDENCE IS HULL #333 1985. 
NOT SURE ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN DIMENSIONS.  I ADDED UHMW  Strips UNDER THE COUNTER
AND INSIDE THE SLIDE.  THIS TEFLON LIKE MATERIAL ALLOWS THE COUNTER TO SLIDE OUT EASILY.

I POSTED THE DIAGRAMS AND PHOTOS OF THE COUNTER TO THE OTHER COMPAC SITE (YAHOO) BECAUSE
I CAN NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE PHOTOBUCKET TECHNIQUE YOU USE FOR THIS SITE. 

YOUR COMPAC WEBSITE IS A WONDERFUL SOURCE OF INFORMATION.  I OFTEN CHECK IN FOR GUIDANCE.

LON

  CP23 -- PRUDENCE

[USMCR O-5]

Wow, that is a great job on that heater.  Down here in Florida, I probably will never need it but your installation looks great and the photos look great as well.  I'm now restoring my 1993 23/3 and you've given me a couple of ideas.  Keep the pictures coming.

[Shawn]

Lon,

So yours in a 23/2, mine is a 23/3. I didn't realize the interior dimensions had changed between those generations.

Shawn

[Shawn]

USMCR O-5,

Good luck on your restore, you certainly have your work cut out for you. Great boat when you are done though!

Our 23s are close in production, mine is a '92.

Shawn

[Shawn]

Serenity was launched yesterday! Finally back in the water and safe in her slip can't wait to take her out for a sail on Saturday.

I tried to finish up the rotating mount for the GPS and windmeter but I have to take that back to the drawing board. The original spring loaded hinge I was planning to use wasn't going to clear the companionway quite right and the replacement hinge I bought ended up not being as strong as I would like.

Shawn

[Shawn]

Had a very nice solo sail yesterday though it was only for a couple of hours. Wind was very constant around 15 knots. As I was heading out of the harbor I saw a catboat that had cleared the getty raising sail. Turned out it was a very pretty Suncat and after I got my sails up I followed him across the bay.

Because of the wind and being solo I put up my 110 jib and reefed main. I was one of the only boats reefed, and I think all the sailboats were out today, but was still doing between 5-6 knots the entire time so it felt like the right combination for the day. As a counterpoint as I got closer to Jamestown I saw a fleet of boats gybing downwind under Spinnaker coming under the Jamestown bridge. These were the 12m yachts out of Newport which are always beautiful to see, I think there were 6 of them out.

Tacked back and this time I think the Suncat realized I was another Compac and he followed me back to the harbor.

Some other notes for the day:

Having the autopilot work with the outboard again made raising and dropping sails dramatically easier solo. I let the autopilot steer most of the day while I worked the sheets and just enjoyed being on the water having lunch.

I added a shackle free quick release to the jib sheet last year to make sail changes faster. I ended up rigging the jib sheets completely to the outside of all the shrouds contrary to Compacs suggestion to run the 110 jib between the upper and lower shrouds. I rigged that way in previous years but the sail tends to get hung on the shrouds when pulling it in tight close hauled. When I wanted to put up the 130 I had to re-run the sheets outside of the shrouds. Just leaving the sheet outside the shrouds will make changing to the 130 easier so I'll likely do it more often. Will see how much pointing ability I loose with the 110, didn't seem to be an issue yesterday though.

Still need to work out a mount for the GPS and wind instrument.

As I sail loose footed the 6:1 outhaul I installed this year fits fine and having the cleat much further forward on the boom is going to make it easier to use. As I was reefed I didn't use it today though. Only thing I want to add is a way to deal with the excess line on the boom when I have the outhaul in tight.

After I got in I worked on some more rigging and installed the boom vang. Because of my solar panel on the sliding hatch I decided to have the cleat end of the vang on the boom as it gave a better angle to cleat/uncleat the line. That this setup pivots at almost the exact same place as the boom pivots is going to be nicer then the vang setup on my old Flying Scot. On the Scots the bottom attachment point on the vang is further aft then the booms pivot and it is anchor by line to the tabernacle. The length/angle from the vang to the boom changes over the swing of the boom. What this means is on the Scots if you vang in hard when close hauled then go out on a run if you don't release tension on the vang you can break/bend the boom. This doesn't look like it will be an issue on the setup on the Compac.

A month or two back Hamilton Marine had a sale on a 150w rope cutting gun for $25 (normally $40) and I picked one up. I used it quite a bit yesterday at the dock and it is a very handy tool. I ended up trimming the excess off my three halyards, the topping lift, outhaul line and to cut down the 100' of line I had on the vang (for mast raising/lowering) down to the right length line to sail with the vang.

Now that I'm in the water I *really* need to start pressuring Kelly Hanson to get me my new sails. They re-engineered their designs and also changed lofts and that caused big delays on all their orders.

Shawn

[brackish]

Glad you're on the water. 

I normally always reef at 15 knots steady.  imperceptible loss of speed on a reach, for a much more comfortable heel angle and less feathering in the gusts.

I'm using a RAM single arm swing arm for my GPS.  It really works well and was not that expensive, about $48 bucks delivered for the pivot base and the arm.  I had to make a base for my GPS, ram didn't have a base plate that fit mine and the universals didn't look too good.  Cut it to the base pattern out of a piece of 1/4" aluminum plate I had laying around the shop.  The place where I bought the mount gave me some extra hardware gratis to make my base pivot on the RAM swing arm.

[Shawn]

Brackish,

I have one of those Ram mounts but ended up changing plans as I am also mounting a wind meter gauge along with the GPS. How did you mount to the boat, did you through bolt the fiberglass? The interior trim wood seems fairly thin to just count on it holding the weight.

My current plan is glue screw an oak mount to the interior wood which will be the anchor point for the mount.

Thanks,

Shawn

[brackish]

Brackish,

I have one of those Ram mounts but ended up changing plans as I am also mounting a wind meter gauge along with the GPS. How did you mount to the boat, did you through bolt the fiberglass? The interior trim wood seems fairly thin to just count on it holding the weight.

My current plan is glue screw an oak mount to the interior wood which will be the anchor point for the mount.

Thanks,

Shawn

Mine is pretty thick, 3/8" as I recall and there are a couple of thin furring strips to keep it off of the fiberglass, I'm assuming to allow a gap for wiring.  I used four #12 SS all purpose screws, two of them through both the trim panel and the furring strip, but not into the glass.  Very strong, so far no loosening or wear on the wood after many miles of sailing and towing.  I'll take a picture of the mount next time I'm at the boat.

[brackish]

Brackish,

I have one of those Ram mounts but ended up changing plans as I am also mounting a wind meter gauge along with the GPS. How did you mount to the boat, did you through bolt the fiberglass? The interior trim wood seems fairly thin to just count on it holding the weight.

My current plan is glue screw an oak mount to the interior wood which will be the anchor point for the mount.

Thanks,

Shawn

Mine is pretty thick, 3/8" as I recall and there are a couple of thin furring strips to keep it off of the fiberglass, I'm assuming to allow a gap for wiring.  I used four #12 SS all purpose screws, two of them through both the trim panel and the furring strip, but not into the glass.  Very strong, so far no loosening or wear on the wood after many miles of sailing and towing.  I'll take a picture of the mount next time I'm at the boat.

here is a pic of the mount.  As mentioned I believe two of the screws pick up the furring strip behind the ply panel.  It is very solid.