April 2013 Blog Posts (11)

Thought I would share this listing: Ebay - it matches the wire halyard winches on the Newporters I've seen.

This listing is for UNUSED ones that were never installed. I can't vouch for the seller or anything, just ran across the listing and thought someone else might like them.

Well, gents, here it is.  The long promised drawings of the shaft driven alternator setup well illustrated with Ack's own drawings that he sent to the shop for construction, and then some.  It is hoped that this will help those of you looking for free(?) electricity when away from land based power plants.

Click here to get the picture.  When the article appears and all you want to do is look at the…

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Thanks to Clyde  for a post that really got my wheels to spin....  on a search for prop shaft generator I think I hit pay dirt on 

" cruisers forum"   see this link …

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Got the rest of my supplies for the color-changing LED strips. I built a few 12v regulators for them last weekend - while the LEDs themselves can handle some variation in voltage, but I'm concerned that spikes could damage the electronic controller/IR receiver. I repackaged the controllers inside of larger project boxes and added a 12v regulator chip (L78S12CV) which does a nice job of stabilizing the voltage.

Hoping to do the interior before the weekend so I can focus on the cockpit.…

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There’s no law saying “stow the stays’l to use the genoa,” but the larger genoas will give more trouble if used with the stays’l, therefore I recommend moving the stays’l to the side deck.  Seems to me that the genny has sufficient area to make the stays’l useless if not totally in the way.  An old saying (at least among the two of us at the yard that sailed the Newporters) that may have been brought to our area by Ack is that you can cover a blanket with a handkerchief.  Put the wind over…

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Anyone have the track pull loose from the boom?

I had this happen off morro bay when coming down to LA.

Pink has aluminum spars (so i guess its not at all an original rigging configuration). Anyway there is a lenght of track at the outboard end of our alum boom. With a block that is adjustable on the track that hold my loose foot main . Allows for some out haul adjustment ( not that i think the heavy girl needs much adjustment like that). Well the track was screwed to the boom . Maybe… Continue

Anyone know of a tow behind or tip down generator for sale in LA- SanDiego area?
After much thought we have decided to go this route in combo with solar for off shore. ( instead of a 60" spinning prop blade that would live in an area i like to walk )
My autopilot requires battery as does nav equipment, not to mention the freezer and vacuflush , not to mention beer cooler.
Thanks for any leads.

Just a note about sliding the genoa side to side between the head stay and the forestay.  Click here to go to a new (temporary) page on my site about how it was handled on the boats we built.  Enjoy.

Borrowed Muff's mule (fisherman) sail. The lady and I have been fiddling with it today - which made me suddenly realize (after seeing Muff's rigging on MISTRI) what this doohickey in my rigging locker is for. Gerald was also able to confirm for me that the odd forward-facing bracket on the mizzen was for: it's where you attach the fisherman to!

One thing is for certain: the mule PULLS - with what seemed like light wind on deck (she was barely moving in the air close to the deck), she…

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Aloha .  

under%20the%20thatch%20hut.JPGQuestion to all that are now insured, (Newporter 40 that is).   We have a Lilability and Removal policy as required by California marinas from Boat US.  But it will not cover Mexico or my trip to Hawaii in July.

So does anyone have any ideas?  Id like to stay with liability only as no way I can afford a replacement type policy.  Just…

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We've continued to be super busy getting ready for summer and planning for the Big Sail which, while still two years out, feels like it's approaching rapidly.

There's been a lot of refinishing on the exterior wood - deeper than usual. Took the starboard side down to bare wood and it looks gorgeous. We'll do the other side eventually but for now are focusing on maintaining it - this was motivated by a mishap with fog rolling in unexpectedly and severely mangling an in-progress epoxy…

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