Editing Posts

I wish I could sit down and whip off pages of graceful prose or riveting stories. I can't. Writing is hard for me and I struggle with it. I maintain this blog for practice, as much as anything.

Because most of my posts are factual and engineering-oriented, I like them to be correct. Because most of my traffic is via forums and search engines, most of my traffic is reading and re-reading older posts. In a typical month only 20% of the traffic is directed at posts from that month, and generally 30-50% is directed at a short list of 10 posts that were written months to years before. For example, this week 10% of the traffic was to a single 2-year old post on sea anchors. Thus, I often go back and add new material to old posts, rather than start something new. While there are certainly errors and poorly written bits here and there, I try to correct anything that is pointed out to me as unclear or just wrong. Sometimes I correct the revision date, but sometimes I don't. I almost always revise posts a few times in the first few weeks, if its a post of any substance.

I hope you use the "search" function occasionally, anytime you wonder about some dumb thing I said in the past. I may have smartened up and fixed it. If it was a rant, well, I may have piled on more!

Enjoy.

Hinges

I don't know why PDQ left hinges off most of the locker covers. They didn't cheap-out much. But they missed this one. Every time you need just one little think, off comes the cushion, the lid must be leaned somewhere... a big pain. With a hinge, lifting the lid just a bit to snag just one thing is reasonable.

I added hinges to my under-berth lockers some time ago, and it was a big improvement. They get used a lot more.

I added these drop-in trays to the salon lockers. A big help--commonly used and small items don't disappear into dark corners.

And now I've added hinges to the salon lockers. A big help.

Notes:

• I didn't bother with the corner lockers (they won't open properly because of the backrests) or the cover over the charger.
• I didn't bother with stainless hinges. I did oil them lightly (Corr-Block) and I haven't seen any signs of rust. It's a dry cabin.

Gasoline Filtration... and Vent Filtration Too?

My last boat had terrible problems with phase separation. Every time I went out I had to remember to drain water. After years of frustration over hard starting I figured it out and installed a Raycor filter and oil/water separator. I became diligent about draining the water before every trip, and the problems became few.  And then e10 appeared in the market, and problems returned, but different problems. Instead of a few milliliters now and then, the gas would stay dry, until i would suddenly separate en mas. When e10 absorbs more than 0.5% water, the ethanol and  water become insoluble and settle to the bottom. Additionally, in the fall when the temperature drops the ethanol/water fraction becomes less soluble; as much as 1 gallon would drop out. The source of the water was simple enough; the boat had terrible fill and vent locations and small amounts of rain water were entering the tank. Humid air certainly contributed, as it was, for the most part, a summer and fall problem.  On two occasions I motored out to the inlet, only to have the engine die between the jetties.  Over a gallon of water had separated each time. Fortunately, we're good at quick anchoring, and we learned to motor back to the dock using fuel bailed from the top of the tank into a small tank (Gatorade bottle) mounted to the transom (duct tape).


When I got the PDQ, I assumed I was in for the same joy, so I installed an overkill filtration system. The original fuel filter was a tiny in-line fritted element in a seized aluminum casing (junk--had one on my last boat and it was junk too) located in an awkward place near the fuel tank. The engines themselves have little lawn mower filters located under the cowling (keep some extras--they change in moments and are cheap from Advance Auto parts or the hardware store). The engines were stubborn and I thought this might be a part of the trouble. e10 was new then, I hadn't yet done my studies for Practical Sailor, and I didn't understand the nuances. It just seemed that some boats were troubled and some weren't. Fortunately, the PDQ 32 has much better vent (out the bottom of the bridge deck) and fill (tight o-ring and out of run-off course) locations and I've never had so much as one drop of water find its way to the separator these past few years.  It's overkill.  I also know that if I should get a batch of wet fuel or leave the filler cap loose, I can deal with that with the equipment I have installed. I like that.

But I did drain water just after installing the system. The boat had seen little used for a few years and these filters did remove a few ounces of water those first few days. Unlike diesel, subsequent e10 fill-ups most likely absorbed what was left, and it has passed. This initial dose of water almost certainly contributed to the carb problems I had the first 6 months.


I also replaced the West Marine plug-style fuel cut-off valves that were not very "marine." Don't buy these; I've had 3 out of 3 seize within a few years in gasoline service; I suspect they do better with diesel. Common Teflon seat ball valves are a much better choice. There should also be a cut-off mounted on the tank.

The filters rust quickly, but they last a few years, at which time they should be changed. The air vent hose I added is not needed or used. 

 Why the posts at this time?  As you can see, I did not simply mount the filter to the bulkhead with through bolts; I mounted the filter to an aluminum base plate, which was then attached by screws to the bulkhead. Through bolts would have been inaccessible on the port side due to cabinetry, and I wanted to be able to unbolt the filter assembly myself, without major surgery. The 5/16-inch bolts that secure the filter assembly are actually carriage bolts that are captive to the base plate, allowing me to unbolt the filter assembly very easily without rear access.  These filter cartridges can get quite tight after a few years, so I like to have a strong mount and the possibility of removing the whole business for leverage and abuse on the dock.

The port side has done fine, the screws remaining solid, but the starboard side was knocked loose a year ago by by an extremely vigorous motor kick-up, pulling some screws loose and twisting the base plate. It looked like hell, and someday it might fall off. Yesterday I replaced all 8 screws on both backing plates with #10 through bolts; now she's permanent. I'm hoping to keep this boat for a very long time, so no half measures, not any more.

While I'm on my rant, I'll mention that the 3.5 hp Mercury on my tender has no fuel filter at all, which is a mistake. There is a course strainer inside the tank--hard to reach and not very effective. I added a small lawn mower element under the cowling. This seems to be a common cruiser addition. If it clogs, its a 5-minute fix.
 
 Would I advise other to invest in such overkill? It is nice knowing you'll never have water or filter problems that can't be solved on the water. Very nice.

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A few notes on phase separation of e10 (gasoline with 10% ethanol). I can't give away everything--you're supposed to subscribe to Practical Sailor--but I can share a few observations you could easily find on the web.

• Phase separation by absorption of water from the air is a myth. It's impossible. Assuming the e10 was dry when received, by the time the gasoline absorbs enough water to become unstable, enough of the light fraction gasoline has evaporated--perhaps 20%--that it won't run properly anyway. At that point water drop-out is noticed, but it isn't true phase separation; so much of the ethanol is gone that the water simply goes to the bottom for lack of a co-solvent. There is no ethanol to keep it in solution. This effect can be seen in small ( typically 0.75 to 1.5 quarts) outboard tanks and is frequently seen in carburetors. In the former case, the engine won't run for beans; new gas is needed and keeping the tank full and the vent closed is the solution. In the later case, the engine is normally fine after a few pulls; there will be only a few drops of water. Running it dry is one solution, sailing often is the other. I'm not guessing. I've spent the past few years doing many experiments, trying to induce separation. Unless there is minor leakage or gross evaporation, it doesn't happen. Mercury Marine has posted the same findings; I find this presentation agrees with everything I've seen.

• The smallest vent or filler leaks do cause separation. Only about 0.5% water is need to make the fuel unstable. Of course, some of this may have been provided by absorption from the air, so humidity is still a factor.
• Keep your tank FULL.  A full tank doesn't breath. No breathing = no fuel evaporation, less oxidation, and less moisture absorption. Also less fuel train corrosion and less gum formation.
• Additives don't prevent phase separation. Nothing but snake oil, those that make this claim, full write-up in Practical Sailor. While there are a few that can suck-up water, they do so by adding large amounts of either soap or strong solvents (MTBE, celusolve) to the gasoline. Very bad for a 2-stroke and not for regular use in any engine. Are some of the additives useful in terms of reducing oxidation and corrosion? Probably. Some have the correct ingredients for that, and I will best testing that soon....

I'm starting some more tests on e10. These will run through the summer and be reported in Practical Sailor.

• Corrosion vs. additives. Copper, brass, cast aluminum, steel, cast iron, and solder.
• Corrosion vs. water content (both separated and absorbed).
• Gasoline tank desiccant vent filters. H2OUT is marketing to the marine industry.
• Gasoline tank carbon vent filters. New boats with installed tanks will be phasing-in carbon canisters, similar to those in cars, between July 2011 and July 2013. But would a retrofit actually benefit an older boat? If you would like drier fuel and to save a few gallons from evaporation each year, the answer is probably yes.

I suspect we are going to find that some of the additives do help with corrosion, and that drier fuel is always better. For the desiccant and carbon filters, Shoal Survivor will be our loyal test bed.

After surviving a year as a holding tank filter (Practical Sailor tests), reloaded with silica gel desiccant, this housing will be serving for at least a few more years, filled with various absorbent resins.  It is mounted to a FRP mounting plate, which will screw and epoxy to a cored bulkhead. It will be placed in the vent, between the Raycor Lifeguard air/fuel separator and the through-hull. This is a modified Vetus No-Smell housing. Holding 500 ml of absorbent, it is the correct EPA-rated size for a 27 gallon tank,  is fuel rated, easy to switch absorbents, and I had it.

Installed. Up from the fuel tank, through the Raycor Life Guard, through the Vetus No-Smell (with mixed bed carbon/Silica gel fill) and down to the existing through-hull. I had to manufacture a new perforated metal retaining plates for the Vetus unit; this will allow me to test a variety of resins.

Like my holding tank system, perhaps my fuel system seems a bit over engineered. I don't think so, not if maintenance becomes less, all fuel problems go away, and enough fuel is conserved (reduced evaporative losses) to pay for the project. Green, cheap, and lazy, over the longer term. That's just smart.

Cape Charles Harbor Renovations

Once a has-been town with a tired and small mixed use harbor, a major renovation is changing the face of Cape Charles. Additional slips built in the late summer / fall nearly doubled the recreational harbor capacity, and new bath house and harbormaster facilities are going up even as we speak. Vendor facilities are planned.

The Master Plan. The slips are compete and the building in progress.

 An improvement? I'll miss the shallows where we used to collect monstrous hermit crabs....

Some of these are 5 inches, tip-to-tip

... but this town deserves a revival. Once vital place with both rail and passenger ferry service to Norfolk, it strugled through many decades of business failures. While that sort of commercial and industrial activity is past--the bridge killed it for good--there is historical value in this town, the access to the southern Bay and Ocean is excellent, and small businesses are fighting to bring the main street back.

Passenger Ferry Docks

Nicer facilities for the trailer sailor, fisherman, renter, and transient for certain. I suppose I'll miss some of the commercial flavor. I worry that recreational use often moves working boats out, but I believe Cape Charles remains committed to mixed use. They are committed to maintaining a balance.

Delmarva Now Article

Master Plan Slide Show

Cape Charles is a key stop for many boats circumnavigating the Delmarva. These improvements will certainly be welcome.

Sloppy Sailing

It doesn't come easily to me. Sloppy dress--easy. Sloppy appearance--haven't shaved in a week. Sloppy topsides--easy. I've learned to like substantial rub rails and dock rash, and can ignore seagull poop, at least in moderation. Sloppy marinas-- my favorite ones, since properness for appearance sake rubs me all wrong. But sloppiness in functional things also rubs at me, even on my laziest day. Perhaps even in this, I need to learn to change gears.

Being an engineer works against me. I like things to work correctly and efficiently. There's also my active nature; my wife thinks I just can't sit still.  She says I should relax more when cruising, not understanding that tinkering and adjusting and generally fooling with things is at the heart of messing about in boats. Just sitting--if for too long--is torture. Give something to fix--not something unpleasant, preferably something rewarding--and I'm much happier.

Sloppy sail trim. I just can't do it.  I've owned too many performance boats, where speed was everything.  Why would I buy a high performance boat, suffer all of the compromises that accompany that choice, only to sail slowly and poorly. As a cruiser I see poorly trimmed sales as just plain ugly. I don't grind and trim all day long, but I spend a few minutes getting very close to right and then leave the autopilot to stay close. But I hate the look of a wrinkled sail, a traveler far to high, and uncontrolled twist that would better suit an Annette Funicello movie.

Sloppy anchoring. I loath doing something twice that I could have done once, had I paid more attention. I enjoy doing something efficiently, easily, and with the minimum number of steps. I can't just drop a pile of chain on top of the anchor and hope for the best. I can't just drop a second anchor, some place or other, because I'm too lazy to set the first one properly and I worry. If a second is needed, it will be placed rationally. I'll spend a few moments gauging what the tide will do and how I will swing. I'll pay attention to the feel of the ground when the anchor takes hold, estimating what the bottom must be like and how the anchor will like it. I like to spend the afternoon securely parked and the night sleeping peacefully.

Sloppy anchoring would give me more exercise. Mid-night excitement too.

Sloppy navigation. Well, perhaps I am guilty of this.  I've spent too much time with shallow draft boats. I tend to glance at the chart in the morning, memorize what I think I need to (where I'm going and places the bottom might be shallow and rocky), and then just sail.  I watch the GPS in a general way, but not the details.  I've sniffed the bottom a few more times than was strictly necessary, entering an unmarked creek while distracted by daydreams of what the afternoon at anchor might bring.  But I don't think I'm sloppy when it counts.  Grounding on a coastal sandbar to be deadly. If the Chesapeake had rocks I'd be more attentive. I've piloted many miles of hazardous coastline; I'm only sloppy when it's safe to be.

Sloppy docking. Nope, just too embarrassing. If getting sloppy means putting other boats at risk, it's not acceptable. Now, when it comes time to flemish the dock lines, scrub the deck, and hide all of my "cruisers stuff", I'm not sloppy and loving it . I don't have a problem with leaving a beer bottle by the helm. I've sailed off with fenders hanging more than once; I swear some of those were intentional-- a short move-- and the rest.... well, at least I'm not sloppy when it comes to trying  fenders in place. Of course, I did leave a rather nice spring line in Cape Charles, nicely coiled on the dock.  It occurred to me when I reached Cape May.

I'm too cheap to be sloppy with sail covers or window covers. But I don't mind a kayak lashed to the side decks and a jerry can lashed to the stern quarter rail, if they serve a good purpose. I don't mind fishing from the dock or leaving some cut bait on a board, so long as we are still fishing.

Sloppy planning. I'm making progress, just maybe. When I first started distance planning, I made a list. Now I leave more on the boat and sometimes untie the lines without any firm notion of where I'm going. A float plan? Pretty funny.

Unfortunately, the reality is the opposite. Somewhere in my subconscious, as I motor out the channel, I'm considering the forecast I read, considering the waves I see on the horizon, factoring my mood, and making a very informed decision. Sloppy and rash planning is just plain difficult for us old farts; we've made or seen most of the mistakes and just can't aim ourselves  toward a good epic without real effort. Descending from a grand snow and ice climb in the Tetons with a long-time partner, we questioned why, in all the years of climbing together we had never experienced a real epic, not in thousands of climbs. Although we had cut it a bit thin a number of times, the line between epic and dead is thin in deed. We had stayed just within our abilities.

Sloppy maintenance. I'm not sloppy when it comes to quality of work. I keep my boats a long time, really try to make every fix or modification and honest improvement, and then sell them for more than I paid. I keep my work area neat when on the hard; basic courtesy to the yard and my neighbors. But if we're talking winterizing and spring clean-up... well, I've covered that before. 

____________

Maybe there is hope for me. I have a few sloppy traits--the megayacht group  in Cape May noticed them--a foundation I can build upon. I could learn to like the curve of a stalled sail. Maybe tangled anchor rodes would give me something to do in the morning, and dragging would certainly provide excitement during the night; sleep is overrated. It's been too long since I've sucked a rope into the prop or jammed something in the rudder. I can try catching fish with the spinnaker. I suppose, so long as I am becoming old and physically decrepit, I need to encourage decay of my mental faculties without further delay.

A project for the coming season. Sloppy sailing has its place and I need to learn it--but not too well--for that must be sloppy too.

Fall Maintance and OCD