Tender Floor Replacement

Though I've repainted and even replaced parts of the wooden floor in my inflatable tender, after 10 years of staying mostly wet on the down hill side, it rotted away. The Hypalon tubes are still very good, perhaps aided by a coat of paint a few years back, but the floor is toast. But sometimes, not often, luck is all good...

... and just 6 months earlier, care of "dumpster diving"  (actually left next to the dumpster) I came across a new floor that just needed a bit of trimming. New, you say? I understand it was from a display model, discarded do to sun rotted tubes, but with no miles at all. Mahogany plywood, aluminum extrusions for the tunge-and-groove between sections, edge pieces and edge coupling moldings. Much higher quality than the original, from a better brand than Boat US. The hole for keel inflation was in the right place and the width was dead on, but the cut of the bow piece and the length were not perfect. However, a brief 20 minutes of effort with a jig saw, disk sander, circular saw, and palm sander made them perfect. Well, after I gave the fresh cut edges a few coats of paint.

I took her out for a test drive, of course. Much stiffer to walk on. Faster to jump on plane. I must have stored up some good karma.

But then I looked at the pictures, realized that my high-tech camera is no better than my inability to see the controls without glasses, and realized my visual story board was a complete bust. I'd been taking interior shots for an up-coming article and left the camera on manual, wide open and slow. What a bummer. I accept it as a minor scolding for pride over unearned results and for gloating that I didn't drop any tools or parts in the Bay and made no trips to West Marine.

This is the best I could salvage...

At least you can pick out a few things:

• Unloading the tender onto the dock was a simple matter of backing up and lowering it off. Couldn't have been easier.
• Every job requires 6 times its weight in tools and spreads over 8 times the area of the actual project.
• The old floor is pretty busted up.

Engines Down

One of the key items on my leave-the-boat check list has always been "engines up?" A few times I've forgotten, and within 2 weeks in the warm season enough growth appeared on the props to cause...

• Considerable vibration
• Considerable loss in speed--at least a knot and perhaps more
• A swim and some vigorous scrubbing to remove barnacles

Sure, I could apply an alluminum-safe antifouling to the prop, but even so, if I were to leave the engines down for weeks or months as some do, I would face...

• Clogged water passages due to critters, and subsequent risk of over heating
• Electrolysis and other corrosion
• Increased risk of gearbox water contamination

So why do they leave them in the water? It seems like 20% do, and I've never understood that. Lifting is so easy.

Cat Maintanance

Not that kind of cat, not that kind of maintanance.

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Step One. Throw water-phobic maine coon cat into shower stall.

Step Two. Add teenage cat lover with full safety dress. The cat doesn't like baths.

Step Three. Scrub. Note the color of the water. Observe the resignation in Kitty's eyes.

Step Four. Drying. Gradually, his dignity returns. No images, since he slinks off and hides.

She's Mine!

When I decided to buy my PDQ 32 a bit over 3 years ago, the markets--boats, securities, and real estate-- were in the toilet. Boat shopping was good, but investments were down; it was a time to buy or hold securities, not sell (that should have been done earlier). So I borrowed the money for very little.

The deal was that I would pay the loan primarily with bonuses, writing income, proceeds from the sale of my Stiletto, and rent from a small commercial property I bought before I got married. I've been spreading maintenance dollars thin, mostly because I like to tinker and because of habit; it offends my pride if I can't fix something and perhaps design something better. I've got a cheap slip; $100/month.

And so in 39 months I'm all done. Feels nice being debt free, with only pluses on the balance sheet. Oh, she's going to need some money in a few years. The engines are long in the tooth and loud, but they'll hang a few more seasons. The main has a stretched leach, but it only shows in strong wind and I'm no racer. The tramp has only a few more seasons in her. But really, PDQs are pretty low-maintenance solid boats, so I'm looking forward to some pretty low cost relaxation for a while.

Ahhh.......

Google

 

I browse many forums and comment more than I need to. I tell myself that, indirectly, it sells my book. There's some truth in that. Mostly, I'm bored. And I do learn a lot; there are a lot of smart folks out there.

Yet I never fail to be amazed by the number of folks that ask dumb and overly broad questions  rather than make some effort minimal search the question first. I don't think I'm being to harsh. There are good questions: those on new topics, fine points, brand-specific problems or ideas, and those written just for the joust. But honestly....Search engines are the best free tool of our time. I feel bad, asking folks to type about something I could have found quickly, and I feel bad about wasting forum's space. And yet, dumb questions get the most answers, since the multitudes--including those that don't actually know--will post an answer. I find "ASK" to be hysterical; the clueless voting for right answers on topics they don't understand.

Pass the popcorn. My rant for the day. I've been waiting for a year for a reason to post this cool graphic.

Bolt Hangers--A Strong Point For Small Dollars

Cheap hardware via cross pollination from the rock climbing world. In the mountains these are used in combination with wedge bolts to create strong anchor points. On a boat...

• 5,000-pound strength anywhere a single 3/8-inch bolt is handy. Of course, a good backing is required.
• 316 stainless steel.
• Cheap. About $3.95. (others brands may be 304 or other grades, some of which have been known to fail in marine environments.)
• Designed for clipping carabiners, they easily accommodate 2 carabiners.  
• Obvious purpose avoids confusion over acceptable strong points. Strength rating and certifications are stamped on hanger.

Countless potential uses. A few of mine....

• Add an extra block to a sail track.
• Add an anchor point at the stern for diverting mooring lines or attaching a dingy.
• Tether and jackline anchors. Don't tie rope or webbing directly; the radius is too short for acceptable strength.
• Anchors to secure bicycles.

Handles

rev. 4-22-2012

Every boat has one line that requires a hard pull over a short distance. On the PDQ 32, it is the engine lift ropes, port and starboard. Every time you are finished with the engines they must be lifted: under sail the lower unit drag costs 0.4 knots and a gurgling noise, at the dock or at anchor, corrosion and fouling.

A tubing or pipe handle helps. Aluminum or stainless are best. Round the inside and outside of the cut.

 

Revision: the above photo shows and attempt with a bit of thin wall PVC tubing. It failed after a few weeks of use. Perhaps SCH 40 PVC would work--I think so--but I replaced them using some stainless tubing of the same diameter I had lying about; they will now last the life of the boat. On previous boats I had used aluminum tubing, which worked fine too.

The Case for Softer Tethers

Rev.1-2-2014
(Since the original post we have moved to dynamic rope tethers (softer catch), but I have left this as there is still good information and it is still valid. However, in reviewing a number of accidents, where multiple impacts would have been poorly served by a single use energy absorber, I now recommend dynamic materials [elastic, like climbing rope].)

As an experiment, hang in your safety harness for 1 minute. Go on. We'll wait for you.

_______________

Hurt pretty good after a few minutes, didn't it? Imagine falling a few feet on a 6-foot tether with no real shock absorption. The impact would over 10 Gs, or over 10 times what you  experienced just hanging there. The maximum, in lab testing, is over 20 Gs. Can you feel you ribs cracking and spine shattering? Of course, this is an exaggeration of anything likely to happen on a boat. How far can you fall?

Over the railing, of course. But there will also be some attenuation as the lifeline stretches and stanchions bend. The length of the fall will be lengthened about 2 feet (1 foot of give). YOu probably didn't really fall 6 feet; the jackline is inboard and if you fall more than 5 feet you'll hit water, depending on whether you went head or feet first. It.s going to hurt, but the actuall fall distance is only 4 feet and the was ~ 2 feet of breaking. The harness impact should be perhaps 3 Gs. Survivable with bruising, and probably no the worst case scenario.

Thrown from the cockpit. There have been a few cases where a sailor was washed out of the cockpit, the tether broke, and the sailor lost. How could the impact force have reached 4000-5000 pounds? Lets assume the sailor was thrown at 19 feet per second-- 11 knots, a good wave strike, only a fast jogging pace. He is clipped to a hard point--no give-- so the only attenuation will be the tether stretch, plus the wave is still pushing. In the case of the above 6-foot fall the time is about 0.61 seconds and the final velocity is 19 ft/second. Ouch.

It will save me a lot of typing if you visit this post about fall energy first. The long and the short of it is that falls on jacklines are less severe because the jackline stretches and the sailor also slides along during the line. Falls against a fixed anchor point are brutal. This is where we take up the thread.

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I've made some effort to research sailing chest harnesses and injuries, with very little luck. Clearly, if a sailor takes a 4,000 to 5,000-pound hit in the ribs there will be serious injuries; OSHA and military studies support this. Yet, because of the circumstances of these accidents, the actual injuries are usually unknown. The sailor is lost. Other times there are injuries, but the assumption--right or wrong--is that the sailor hit something, other than the end of his leash.

The harness or tether is typically blamed, though there are 2 falsies in this logic: the harness should never have seen a 5,000-pound load because there should have been shock absorption in the system; the sailor would have very likely died from his injuries anyway.

• "A lesson in harness and tether construction can be learned from Tami Ashcraft, who along with a sailor friend was making a sailboat delivery to Hawaii when they ran into a powerful storm. Ashcraft was knocked unconscious. When she came to more than 24 hours later, she climbed to the cockpit where a single tether dangled over the side. The D-ring had snapped where it was connected to her friend's PFD. He was gone. Ashcraft was convinced a round ring might have held, like those on Mustang vests." Ashcroft, in my opinion, was wrong in her conclusions.
• 1998 Sydney-Hobart Race Accident. Glyn Charles was never found, after his tether parted. But the force of dragging his body through the water could not have generated that kind of force, only a sudden impact. The inquest stated that he was attached to a "fixed point" and thus would not have benefited from jack line shock absorption. The lanyard may have also been defective, though I can't locate the testing information. http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20010307027.  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/snooker/2994528/Yachting-Charles-died-after-safety-harness-failed.html.

(I now believe dynamic tethers make more sense, in terms of energy absorption and multiple impacts. It seems that several or even most of the fatal MOBs that were related to tether failure involved multiple high impacts, and this need would be poorly served by a single use devise such as a Screamer. I have left this article as food for thought, but please refer to this more resent post for more up-to-date information.)

And this leads to a very interesting conclusion: the shock absorption device (Screamer) doesn't really need to be on the the tether, it could be on the u-bolt. It is the fixed-point anchor that is the hazard. If the sailor is on the jackline, the system will stretch and slide and nothing will break. Some sailors have expressed concern about the elongation of the Screamer on-deck, and this removes that concern. No one wants more clutter on the tether. Up front, the real hazard is being dragged in the water, as many have said. Only if the sailor is attached to a u-bolt in the cockpit is the impact force extreme! Thus, if we clip Screamers only to the cockpit u-bolts, the force is absorbed where it needs to be and no new hardware needs to be invented! While this adds a little cockpit clutter, it could save lives very cheaply. In fact, the mere presence of shock absorbers on construction lanyards has been credited with safer work practices, as it reminds the workers of the incredible forces involved. The presence of Screamers in the cockpit might even encourage sailors to shorten their tethers.

Well, at least that's one possible answer, something very simple that would only need be deployed in extreme conditions. This is much how climbers originally use Screamers; other applications came later. 

________________

So I made up some new tethers a few weeks ago, for my own use on a catamaran. These are my best yet, and I like them both, though for reasons I will explain below--multihull reasons--I like the one on the left better. They both have features I like, though they will not be for everyone. (I have since switched to dynamic tethers.)

• Knots instead of sewn loops. I'm still playing with the lengths and years of climbing experience tell us that the knots are not a real risk. But years of climbing, industrial and marine experience also tell us that sewn joints are stronger, reliable, and durable. They would be sewn if I were not still experimenting. (These knots weaken the webbing about 30%). Tails must be 3 inches and knots must be tightened by bouncing on them with body weight to prevent loosening or slippage--standard climbing practice.)
• Attaching the snap to the center of a 2-leg tether with a larks head is quite convenient. It is a simple matter to adjust the legs without re-sewing or re-tying the ends. The larks head will not slip appreciably during a fall and could also be secured with a lashing, though that is not needed. This also simplifies the construction if sewn and probably results in very little net loss over time; several fewer joins, it can be moved if worn, and there is no UV vulnerable stitching. It also takes the load equally well from either leg or from end-to-end.
• We like screw gate biners on the jackline because we do not often unhook from the jacklines. They are light and snag-free. We unhook from the harness end. This is because we have a deep center cockpit and never harness in the cockpit. If you clip on-and-off the jackline, the Kong Tango is a better choice.
•  Rope jacklines. Rope is stronger and withstands UV better than webbing. It offers controlled stretch, absorbing fall energy. It gives a better hand grip and clips more easily. On the down side, it can be mistaken for running rigging; on our boat this is no problem because of location and because we leave the jackline end attached. It is worse underfoot, rolling and making for poor footing; ours are not under foot because they are run on the cabin roof--cats are wide. If I had a monohull I would still strive to get the jacklines up against the cabin trunck and out from under foot. I might be forced to use webbing, which I would replace frequently (6-months?) and not like. I believe jacklines and harnesses are for everyday use, that practice with equipment breeds competence, and that rigging jacklines only when "needed" is a big mistake. Even more than reefing too late, who wants to be rigging jacklines too late, in a thunderstorm or at dusk? On a narrower boat, non-stretch rope is required.
• Quick release on harness end. We don't, since getting washed off a cruising cat by a wave is very unlikely and capsize even less so. We prefer the security of a locking biner and the Tango is a quick-open compromise. However, there have been a number of drownings of sailors dragged by tethers or on boats that capsized; monohull, sport boat, and performance catamaran sailors should have quick release snaps at the harness end. However, be warned that most tether quick releases have failed in testing and in the real world to release under load . Test by hanging before you buy! Practical Sailor is investigating this issue. If your boat can capsize or is narrow and washing off a possibility, use a quick-release shackle.
• One leg vs. two. Vital, as most boats need a short leg on the side decks and at the bow, and a longer leg around the mast. Though I played with 2 versions for some years (the conventional 2-leg version; a 1-leg version with an intermediate clipping eye at about 65% length) we have settled on the 2-leg version as handier. Do NOT clip the unused leg to you harness; clip it to the eye below the harness shackle. In the event of a capsize you will find that releasing the harness tether has left you clipped to the boat via the unused leg!
• Shock absorption: Screamer. Notice the Screamer at the harness end. A simple $18.00 gadget that ensures the impact force cannot pass 600 pounds. I've broken ribs snowboarding and don't fancy doing it again. Climbers have been using these for many years, and ALL industrial and military tethers use them. Because they are easily replaceable (larks head to the 2-leg tether and overhand loop on the end of the 1-leg tether), triggering one is a minor expense (they are still full strength after triggering but will no longer absorb impact). I thought about only using the Screamers on the fixed-point anchors, but decided a fall over the side could be rough for me and that they were not in the way. This feature is NOT yet commercially available, though prototypes are being field tested.
• Shock absorption: Dynamic Rope.  8-10 mm dynamic rope is another excellent option. Read this later post. The advantage of dynamic rope is that it can withstand multiple impacts.
  
• Fit to boat. I think it is a mistake that all tethers are 6 feet or 3-6 feet; there are sound engineering reasons why falls over 6-feet are very serious, but honestly, boats are not one size. Most boats should have a short leg less than 3 feet. Multihulls need more than 6 feet to work effectively on the tramp. This is one reason I make my own. If you feel the need to modify your tether lengths, just be careful. This post may help.

There  does seem to be one potential weakness to having shock absorption installed in the tether; when it triggers the entire tether must be replaced. With a commercial tether, this will be about $200.00. There are 2 things I've asked the manufactures to consider:

• The Screamer section should be replaceable. Then it is only a $20.00 fuse.
• If the Screamer is non-replaceable, it must be protected from wear with a single bar tack. I have already learned that repeated non-critical impacts tend to loosen the stitching. This is not a safety concern, but in heavy duty use (Volvo?) it will reduce the effective life.

If this is something you would like to see on the market, call Yates and ask for them! They've built prototypes, but demand is required for an idea to make it to market. 

_________________

 Another option is making the tether from a more dynamic material, such as nylon dock line or climbing rope. Let's consider climbing rope. A single rope meeting UIAA standards cannot have an impact force of greater than 1650 pounds (187-pound climber), while a typical modern rope gives a fall factor 1 impact force of more like 1000 pounds. These ropes are rated for twice this fall distance. How does this compare to the Screamer? The elongation is similar; about 2 -2.5 feet. The peak impact force is about double because the Screamer gives steady braking instead of graduated braking. The climbing rope gives lighter weight and greater simplicity.

Is Methanol Going To Be The Next Ethanol?

Natural gas prices are very low and projected to stay there. There is even talk in the Wall Street Journal this morning of spot gas going to zero by late summer; it keeps flowing from wells (small guys need the revenue and many wells co-produce oil and gas or natural gas liquids), storage is limited, the winter was mild, and export facilities are limited. Inventory is running far higher than normal. Day by day and more and more it is becoming clear that gas recovery by directional drilling and fracturing has cause a paradigm shift in our energy outlook.

Methanol is made from gas, and gas is very cheap and likely to stay that way for decades. The politics are pushing us that way too; gas producing states, voters wanting cheap gas, and policy makers seeing energy independence are all raising the issue, an there is no doubt far more behind-closed-door activity:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/op...-gasoline.html

The gasoline distributor recently filed suit against the EPA asking for relief on the coming ethanol blending requirements; it seems the law requires more ethanol than can be practically produced. And there is a good case against the environmental benefits of ethanol farming.

Apparently there are bill before Congress to require an "open fuel" standard by 2017.
http://rtec-rtp.org/2012/03/10/methanol-has-momentum/

Certainly methanol has it's weaknesses; I don't wish to flog that horse. But does it have weaknesses in the marine environment beyond those of ethanol? Water tolerance is one, and perhaps a major reason MTBE was used in place of methanol years ago. Add just a few drops of water and, BAM, the methanol layer falls out. It is not, by itself, a stable fuel. However, it seems that used in combination with ethanol, that problem may not be too serious...
http://web.anl.gov/PCS/acsfuel/prepr...04-90_0276.pdf
... and most of the gasoline pool has 10% ethanol or will soon. Just the ethanol we are already blending should be enough to stabilize the fuel.

There is also good information here:
http://celanesetcx.com/wp-content/up...ine-Blends.pdf

Enleanment may be the most formidable problem i the total alcohol content rises about 10% or even in 5% ethanol/5% methanol blends; methanol has less heating value than ethanol and like to run richer. It would seem new marine engines and outboards will need to become flex-fuel, just like cars. I expect materials compatibility issues as well, as methanol is more corrosive than ethanol, but that may be solvable with corrosion inhibitors; that technology has also improved.

I think it's quite possible we'll be seeing methanol/ethanol blends used to fulfill the EPA regulatory mandate. When? I'm sure it will be some time, but it's not to soon to look into the challenges.

Morse MT-3 Engine Controls

These have always been a bit of a mystery to me. The manual suggests annual lubrication--probably not needed on a PDQ 32, since they are under cover--which I never did. There are no visible fasteners and the direction always made it sound like major surgery, which I have been avoiding with some guilt until...

... I prepared to leave my anchorage this morning and the starboard handle fell limp. Oh, it would shift gears and felt normal when doing so, but the engine wouldn't rev. If the handle was pulled out as you do to adjust the throttle with the engine in neutral, the handle was limp. When I removed the engine cover and moved the throttle from there, everything felt normal and the engine was fine. I could only assume I had torn the head off the cable or that some crucial and unobtainable small part had disintegrate. Visions of boat bucks melting away filled my eyes.

Opening the control for a better look turned out to be easy:

• Leave the handles on. They aren't in the way and will help with trouble shooting.
• Remove the 4 screws that hold the control head to the bulkhead. Lift about 2 inches.
•  Remove 2 screws about 3/4-inch below the mounting flange, one fore and one aft. Both are in recesses and hold the cover haves together. No other fasteners need be removed and no spring-loaded parts will fly out.
• Pull the 2 halves apart. While you're in there, grease everything, including the exposed cable. In my case, after 14 years, the factory grease was just running thin but not gone; however, in more exposed locations, lubrication every year or 2 would be smart. Check for loose bolts--I found a few. 

The problem was delightfully simple. An E-clip (a type of external retaining ring) had fallen off of the throttle control lever and allowed the cable to come free from the control. Why? In part, because a pair of screws retaining the cable end had loosened and allowed the cable angle to change. In part, because the clip was stainless and not all that strong. I replaced it with a spring steel clip, buried in grease.

Carrying a few spare clips might be smart (5/16-inch E-clip--be aware these come in 2 thicknesses and that the thicker ones will not fit the shaft grove). The motor end controls are also 5/16-inch clips (a different design, and I have had failures there as well--the same E-clips will fit).