Soft sea rails

Here's an innovative solution for keeping things from flying around down below in a seaway.   Jeff from s/v C'est la Vie shows us a new way to address the problem:

A couple of years ago we added some shelves to C'est la Vie's main cabin - photos from shelf project. During the installation, I had visions of adding a wooden bar across the front of the shelves to keep the contents from evacuating during rough conditions. Since the installation the bars have never materialized and fortunately we have met with only a couple of evacuations. Dings on the cabin sole from large dry boxes flying off the starboard top shelf serve as evidence of the danger of flying dry boxes.

The solution came to me while sewing straps for the foredeck awning. The most time consuming aspect of the solution was running to town for the supplies...

Rather than the wooden bars envisioned, we can use webbing. We will be giving up that traditional nautical look, but the creation & installation is much less time consuming and the straps can be easily stored out of sight when not underway.

I sewed the buckles to the webbing to create a more clean look.

On the opposite ends I used a slider buckle rather than sewing. The slider buckles will allow the straps to be easily removed for cleaning or aesthetics. Next step was to install the stainless steel footman's loop (does anyone out there know the origins of the name?).

A bit of measuring and a visit to the hot knife completed the installation....

now back to loading the boat and closing down the basecamp.

Little bumpers

You've seen these little stick-on bumpers, haven't you?  If not these, then surely something similar.  They are like duct tape - they have 100's of uses, especially on a boat.

stop doors from rattling

I promise you that if you buy a pack, you'll use them all up.  So buy two packs.

Here are some ways I've used them:

to protect woodwork (the bumper's down there in the lower right)

as a cushion between the head lid and the wall

Something is happening in the solar cell world

Quick - what is the cost/watt for solar panels?

Most of you would have answered with a number between $7/watt and $10/watt.  And although the cost has been falling over the years, it has been falling slowly.

What would you say if I told you it was now possible to buy solar panels for about $2/watt?  You can, even with free shipping, if you do some judicious eBay shopping.

And if you consider yourself to be a handy person, here's a killowatt of solar cells which only need to be corralled up into panels, for only $0.35/watt.  Let me say that again: $0.35/watt!  (Well, no.  You can't have that one, 'cause I bought it.  But there are more...)

It is getting easier and easier to justify solar power...

Joyous Christmas!

From the crew of Eolian to you and yours,

Joyous Christmas!

(And let's all pray for peace on Earth)

What's in the lowest part of the bilge?

What's in the lowest, most inaccessible part of your bilge?  Your bilge pump and switch, of course.  On December 13,  Jeff from s/v C'est la Vie penned this description of his journey into the nether regions of his boat.

While awaiting out the frontal passage we tackled projects… laundry, cleaning the bilge, servicing the lower bilge pump switch, and replacing a section of exhaust hose.

Issues with lower bilge pump switch first appeared during our Wilmington to Abacos crossing.  Due to a build up of bilge sludge the switch would not turn off once it was activated.  This resulted in some long run times for the pump.   Our shallow draft, full keel hull design makes it very difficult to access the lowest section of the bilge.  Wisely the last owner installed an excellent pump switch -the ultimate bilge switch - and located the filter and pump remotely.  This set up is ideal for servicing the pump and the filter, both located in the starboard cockpit locker.  During the six years we have owned C’est la Vie this is the second time I have pulled the lower bilge switch for cleaning.  The previous cleaning was done in conjunction with replacing the shaft so there were fewer obstacles in the way (i.e. the exhaust system, water lift muffler, and shaft were all out of the way.)  

I went into the project with some idea of the difficulties of reaching the switch.   Accessing the switch required removing a number of cooling hoses, the air filter, and the diesel fuel return line.  With these obstacles gone and after much squirming, cursing, pleading, and bruising of my upper torso; I was finally able to remove the switch.    Expecting to find a hearty coating of oily muck, even I was astounded at the degree of gunk built up on the switch. 

Based on the contents of the switch I became determined to dredge out the lowest reaches of our bilge.  Anne assisted me in creating a scoop out of a measuring cup and bamboo skewers.   The very same bamboo skewers that worked so well to clean out the tubes of our heat exchanger in summer 2008.  A hour of effort resulted in the collection of one handle of a screw driver the metal portion long ago succumb to rust, one wooden scoop, one zip tie, numerous washers, the stainless screen off our scrum box, and nearly a quart of oily muck.

Did we mention it is cold here in Miami?  Low temps in the 30’s with wind chill readings in the 20’s…  in Miami?  Cannot imagine what the rest of the country must be experiencing.

At least we are prepared for it here up north...

Recapturing space

I can't take full credit for this one.  The Previous Owner liberated the space under the footwell at the Nav Station by cutting an opening into it with a saber saw.

It's a good space - it is deep - deep enough to store rolled up charts (and various tubes of caulk, it turns out).  But the Previous Owner did not complete the work.  He left the opening as a roughly rectangular raw cutout in the fiberglass.  Aside from the appearance issues, the raw edges were tough on your hands or arms if they contacted them, and there was nothing to keep the contents in the space!

So I cleaned up the edges of the hole and enlarged it a little, and then fitted a pre-fabricated teak door and frame into the opening.  After varnishing, it looks to be an integral part of the boat.  I installed the door with the hinges at the bottom - that way, the door does not interfere with access to the space when it is open.

(By the way, you're looking at the only section of flooring on the boat which has not yet been refinished)