Saturday, November 4, 2017

Added more wraps to main sail furler screw

When we furled in the main sail, it was touch and go whether we'd get the sail all the way in with just the UV cover showing. There was invariably some sail materiel showing outside the mast once the inhaul furling line reached the stop on the boom.
The furling line was also pulling on the bolt which attaches it to the furling unit, there were no wraps around the furler at this point, the line just came straight back from the furler.
Now, I was thinking I would add a couple of extra wraps on the furler when we drop the main sail but a neighbor on my dock said I should be able to do it without dropping the mainsail. Just pull the furling line through the deck and the blocks, then push the end around the furler unit a couple of times and then pull it back through the deck.
I did this last night and was careful to run a mouse line from the in haul line so I could pull it back again when I was done. It looks like this now
After adding 3 wraps
There were no wraps on the furler at all before I did this. The in haul line is pretty crappy, I don't believe it was new because it was pretty hard and has lost flexibility. I'll replace it soon. The other thing is that the line was already not long enough to get 3 wraps around the cabin winch so with these 3 wraps on the furler, that took maybe another foot out of it so the stopper knot almost meets the cabin top clutch for the in haul now. It definitely needs to be about 10 feet longer. I think this is why they rigged it the way they did. They seem to have had an odd piece of line which they used for the in haul and to have enough line at the winch, they didn't wrap the furler unit.

Anyway, it furls really easily now all the way in with no issues besides the in haul line stopper almost makes it to the clutch now but that's ok for now.

Privacy blind for main cabin

The entrance from the cockpit down the stairs is made of a transparent plastic/acrylic materiel. This looks pretty but lets anyone behind your boat see in the main cabin at night time. We made a simple velcroed on blind from fender blanket which we bought from sailrite. Some Velcro on the panel sticks to the blanket materiel easily and this then covers up the cabin hatch at night. Very easy to make and to use.
Velcro attached to starboard side

Velcro attached to port side

2 velcros at bottom of hatch

Blanket attaches to Velcro readily

Fire extinguishers and EPIRB mounted

We have 3 x 10lb BC fire extinguishers on the boat per coast guard code. They were in boxes until today. I mounted them in the following positions so they are easy to get to rather than buried in some locker/lazerette.
EPIRB and cockpit/galley extinguisher

Engine port extinguisher

Forward berth extinguisher
I mounted them with some stainless steel self tapping screws. The plywood looks like 3/8 inch if I'm lucky. The one on the stairs is going nowhere, it's resting at the bottom on the top step. The rear cabin one is close to the engine extinguisher port and is on an incline and it's the rear of the boat so I think that one is pretty secure also. The forward berth one could possibly fall off if we were beating in to heavy seas so I may move that one to the other side of that bulk head and put it on the floor basically.