Tuesday, July 2, 2019

A Few Boat Specific Notes for My Sailing Partners

I installed the new motor mount plate. The replacement is about twice as strong as the original, factory version. Also, I think the PO measured wrong, which is why he needed a spacer under the motor mount. The mount now rests on the transom and is very secure.


The mounting plate is the aluminum strip at the bottom. It is attached to the two big clamps. The two angled slots are to clear the reverse lock.

I also replaced the fuel line assembly with the bulb. It has been getting stiff and not pumping up well.

The motor did die on me once, when I dialed up full throttle for a few minutes to check the mount. I noticed the bulb was sucked flat, suggesting the anti-siphon valve on the tank probably has some dirt in it. When I pumped it up the engine start with an easy pull and ran fine at moderate throttle. I'll take it apart soon.

I then upgraded the shroud tensioner to 8:1 from the previous 4:1. It should now be easy to tension the shrouds in strong winds without leaving the cockpit. They are also easier to release. It was line I had, perfect fit, no leftovers.

It is possible to over tension the rig now, if you get ham-handed. According to the manual, the max tension is about 1600 pounds, which means about 300 pounds on the tensioner. That means do NOT pull more than 300/8 = 37.5 pounds on the rope. A good one arm pull, but no more. It is very smooth.

In the photo you can see a black whipping ~ 5 inches from the cam cleat. This is the light wind setting. At a minimum, pull both adjusters to this position before sailing. This should cover you up to about 6-8 knots. As the wind increases, you need enough tension to keep the lee shroud from going slack and snatching tight; that is very bad for it. I will put two seizings close together at the maximum setting, but it was not windy enough to establish that value today. It's probably about another 9-12 inches up, but we'll see. For now, just enough to take the slack out.


And then I went kayaking. This is just south of the beach near Deale.