Leather Wheel Cover

This past weekend, Geralyn installed a wheel cover. It took hours to herringbone stitch the leather cover on the wheel, but it looks and feels great!

Monel Rivets For Mounting Radar Reflector To Mast

This weekend we installed a Tri-Lens Radar reflector on the mast. The instructions called for monel rivets to mount the aluminum bracket that holds the radar reflector. Pretty happy with how it turned out.
I was so nervous going up the mast that I forgot to take a picture of the radar reflector!

Solar Panels From Above

I thought it would be interesting to take a picture of the solar panels from above and see how it matched up with my imagined placement of the solar panels. Not bad!

HMCS Oriole

Spinnaker Sailing with Bill & Yvonne

NMEA over TCP/IP

Our boat systems use the old NMEA0183 standard for communications. Regardless, there are ways to tie these old communication systems into modern ones. Here's a cool way that I found to relay onboard navigation info to my IPod touch.

Rose Point Coastal Explorer (CE) software has the ability to serve as an NMEA server. You simply enable NMEA server in the CE configuration. If you have a wired or wireless network onboard (easy to do with a Linksys or Netgear 12v router), you simply point other devices that are networked, to the IP address of the NMEA server, and you can get any information that the NMEA server has.  I wanted to be able to test cheaply, so I found this app called NMEA remote.

I enabled NMEA server in CE, then configured NMEA remote to get data from the NMEA IP address.
Now my IPod touch, or IPhone, or IPad will display position, course, speed, depth etc.

Blog Post From Radio Email #2

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Test Post To Blog From Radio Email

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Riverplace Cruise

This week, we took the Bliss downtown for a little mini-cruise. This involves crossing under, or lifting nine bridges. Luckily, we did not have to lift the most critical of the bridges, the I-5 Interstate Bridge on the Columbia River. Lifting this bridge is a big deal because it backs up traffic on a major interstate. Lifting the bridge is highly restricted during certain hours. We managed to make it under by four feet. Going under the bridge is very unnerving because from below, it always looks like we are going to touch.

Next bridge is the Vancouver Railroad Bridge. The bridge operator opened for us, and we motored down the Columbia and around Kelly Point to the confluence with the Willamette River. The Willamette runs through downtown Portland. Our first bridge going up the Willamette is St Johns, which is one of the prettiest bridges. The bridge is 200 feet high, so we did not have to raise it. Next bridge was another railroad bridge. This bridge was already raised, but as we were approaching, it closed. No problem. We called the bridge operator on the radio and he said to wait a little while for a train to come through. We told him that we would need 60 feet after the train went through. He raised to 62 after the train, and across we went. Next bridge up on the Willamette is the Freemont Bridge. The Freemont Bridge is 175 feet, so no need to raise that one. Next up is the Broadway Bridge. Broadway Bridge clearance was 80 feet, so no need to raise that one. Next up was the Steel Bridge. The Steel Bridge is currently at 17 feet, so we called on the radio and asked for a lift. Bridge operator told us that there was a train and several light rails coming through, and to wait for 30 minutes. After about 30 minutes, the train was done, and he opened to 62 feet. We crossed under the steel bridge, and made contact with Hawthorne bridge, who kind of coordinates with some of the other bridges. After some discussion about our mast height, river levels and bridge clearance, they decided to lift all three, Burnside, Morrison and Hawthorne for us. This was relief, as we hate to go under bridges and have marginal clearance.

We found a nice little slip on the inside break wall at River place, and we expect to be here for a couple of days. We want to return to Portland Sunday. The marathon is that day, and starts at 0800, so we need to be through the Hawthorne Bridge at 0700.

AIS Tracks

This past weekend, we took the Bliss out for a sail. We did a downwind run with several gybes, then turned upwind. The wind was 10kts. She sails like a dream with her new sails and rigging. We also had a chance to test the AIS and tracks. Glad to say the AIS is still working as designed.

12 Volt LED TV

We bought this 12 Volt LED TV with a retractable arm. I was a little worried about mounting on the bulkhead, especially since the forward berth is on the other side. Our friend Bill, who is an all around wizard came over, and suggested carriage bolts, that have a smooth head. The carriage bolts turned out great!

Defective Comnav AIS Transceiver Update

The Comnav Mariner AIS that I installed a few weeks ago turned out to be defective. After installing, I checked my transmission history, and found that I was only transmitting about once a day if lucky. I brought this up to Comnav support, and initially, they insisted that I had misconfigured the settings. I exchanged setting and screen captures with them, and they finally agreed that the unit appeared to be defective in the transmission area. When I brought this up to my local vendor, he too doubted that it was the unit, and said that most likely, I had misconfigured the unit. He said that they had sold dozens of these units, and never had a problem. I stuck to my guns and sent the unit back to Comnav. After a few weeks and some prodding, I got a new unit and reinstalled. I'm happy to say that the new unit is behaving normally, transmitting every 15-20 minutes, and verifiable through http://www.marinetraffic.com/.

I wonder how many fishermen or sailors install the unit, test once and walk alway, thinking that this important collision avoidance system is working as designed. It's important to check that the technology is working as advertised.

Solar Panel Project Part 2

This past weekend, we installed all the wiring from the panel to the charge controller and from the controller to the batteries. We also drilled a hole and installed a cable through-hull to run the cable inside the boat. For the cable, we used a mix of 10 awg and 8 awg. We used 10 awg to make the connections at the panel because 8 awg would have been too difficult to route inside the junction boxes. We used 8 awg for the run from the panels to the batteries in order to have less than 3% loss according to these calculations:

Each panel watts = 140w

Panel rated voltage = 17.7v

140/17.7 = 7.9 Amps

7.9 Amps x 2 (2 panels) = 15.8 amps

Cable run length = 30-40 ft

According to this guide:

http://www.projectfreepower.com/solar-wire-gauge-awg-calculation

We need 6-8 awg cable in order to have less than 3% loss. We had a look at 6 awg, and decided that it was way too big to run and bend around inside the boat, so we settled on 8 awg. We found these super awesome step-down (8 to 10 or 12 awg) butt connectors that are also heat shrink, so we used those wherever we had to splice the cable. Here are some pictures of the second part of the project.

We taped large dark garbage bags on the panels to prevent from getting shocked when making the connections, but noticed that the panels were still producing quite a bit of amps and volts, so we put the cockpit cushions on top and water jugs to prevent the cushions from flying off.

 This is the hole hole for the cable, and the mounting holes for the cable through-hull

 This is what the cable looks like once inside the boat. We put a "drip loop" in case water gets in, it will not travel to the controller.

 This is a "service loop" in case we ever need to lengthen the cable or put in a junction box for another panel.

 These are the super cool 8-10/12 step-down heat shrink butt connectors. The picture taken after crimping but before heat shrinking.

 The negative cable from the charge controller goes to the load or ground side of the shunt.

 The orange cable is the positive cable from the controller to the batteries. There is a 25 amp fuse in-line, within 7" of the battery.

 Below is the junction box with the leads going to the next panel.

 This is what the cable through-hull looks like from the outside.

 Below is the junction box with one pair of cables coming from the next panel, and a pair of cables going towards the charge controller.

 Below is the open controller. The top set of leads goes towards the batteries. The bottom set of leads goes towards the solar panel array. There is also a 2 amp load going to the starter battery.

Here's the controller sealed up and putting out 14.6 amps. Below the controller is another 25 amp fuse on the positive cable from the solar panel array.



Solar Panel Project Part 1

This past weekend, we mounted two solar panels on top of the bimini. We had done a survey a while back, and due to the location of our backstays, decided that that the Kyocera 135 watt panels would fit nicely in between. Between the survey and the purchase date, Kyocera came out with 140 watt panels that are the exact same measurement as the 135s, but 5 watts more per panel. Also, the solar panel frame has been reinforced a little. We bought the panels along with aluminum mounting brackets, and they fit perfectly. We had put the mounting brackets onto the panels, and were in the process of adjusting the crossbars, when one of the stainless steel screws on the bimini seized up and broke, so we decided to remove all the screws on the rails and put lanocote on the screws to prevent that from happening again. We wanted to be perfectly happy with the solar panel mounting situation before running any cables, so now we can go on to part 2, which is running the cabling from the panels to the charge controller, and from the controller to the batteries. We thought long and hard about where to locate the charge controller, and finally found a place in the lazarette that is completely useless otherwise. We mounted a 9" x 12" pice of wood to the fiberglasss using West System Epoxy adhesive for fiberglass and wood. We really like this adhesive. It has a mixing nozzle, turns to gel in 40 minutes, and completely cures in 5 hours. We used in a few months ago on the bowsprit, and it's holding up really well. We were able to keep the wood flush to the fiberglass with duct tape. So far this project has been really fun. Maybe it just seems that way after the sanitation hose : ). We were able to get out on the water this weekend too. After putting the autopilot back together, we had to do the sea trial adjustment and settings. We were able to do most of the test, but had to leave auto adjust for another day. The auto adjust takes over the helm, and does a series of S turns to auto adjust the autopilot. We also have to test the autopilot under sail. With spring chinook salmon in full swing the river is elbow to elbow with fishing boats, so we had to skip that part. Otherwise the autopilot works well now. We are so happy about it, since we are not looking forward to hand steering up to Puget Sound in the summer!

Sanitation Hose Project

Items needed for the project:
SeaLand Odor Plus sanitation hose
Hacksaw
Boiling water
Heat gun
Dishwashing Liquid
Measuring Tape
Patience and determination

We started our project by emptying the holding tank.  We removed all of the old hose in the forward head and measured them.  We then measured and cut the new hose.  We heated the ends slightly with boiling water and lubed the connector with soap.  Sean with Incredible Hulk strength attached the new hoses.  We took a break and did the aft head project the following weekend. 

AIS Class B Transceiver Install

One of the systems we wished we had when we brought the boat down the coast from Seattle to Portland was an AIS transceiver.  AIS is an identification system that lets you identify and locate other vessels that are equipped with AIS. The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) requires ships of 300 or more tons and passenger ships to have AIS. We would like to see and be seen by large ships.  AIS receivers let you see other ships, whereas AIS transceivers let you see other ships as well as transmit your position, speed and heading to other ships, adding another layer of safety.

AIS uses Very High Frequency (VHF) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to gather and transmit AIS information to either a dedicated display, or it can overlay AIS information onto an existing chart plotter or navigation software such as MaxSea or Rose Point. Our Furuno chart plotter and radar are older and cannot decipher AIS, so we thought about upgrading our chartplotter. Unfortunately a new chart plotter and repeater at the nav station would end up costing more than $10k, so we decided to leave the Furuno chart plotter and repeater in place.  We can still use the Furuno for our radar display and GPS data display.  We will now use computer charts and overlay AIS information onto the laptop chart. 

 After some research, I chose the Comnav MarinerX2 Class B AIS transceiver, partly because it doesn't come with a VHF antenna. I didn't need a VHF antenna because I chose to use a splitter and use the same antenna for AIS and VHF, which is allowed. Plus it saves me a trip up the mast, which is not my most favorite thing to do. The splitter has a PL-259 plug for the antenna, and two plugs, one for the AIS and one for the VHF radio. That way, the VHF and the AIS share the VHF antenna. The splitter also has a FM connection, but I won't be using it since my radio antenna seems to be connected to something already.

 It was a bit of a mental exercise trying to figure out where to mount the AIS and the splitter since the nav station area is at a premium for real estate. I found a little spot for the splitter near the VHF radio, since the antenna cable already routes to that area and it's a short run from the splitter back to the VHF radio. The AIS is a little bigger than the splitter, but luckily, it has a low profile, so I mounted it under the nav station desk. It's not in the way at all, and we can easily reach under the desk and press the "silent" button to stop AIS transmission in pirate alley – if in the area.

 Instead of mounting the GPS antenna permanently and running the cable through a through-hull cable connection, I ran the RG-58 cable through a ventilation clamshell. This allowed me to test if the GPS placement will work in the current location, without having to drill a hole.  I’m going to be running some other cables through the deck (future project) and I may wait to see if I can bundle it and some other cables together in the same through-hull.

 The AIS has a NEMA0183 interface and a serial connection. I used the serial connection with a serial-to-USB cable and connected up to an old USB hub under the nav station. I won’t have to run individual USB cables to the laptop, I can just connect devices ( PACTOR modem) up to the hub and then we only have one cable from the hub to the laptop.

 For the power connections to the AIS and splitter, I used the chartplotter and radar circuit breaker. This way, we only have to flip one switch and we’ll have AIS, radar, and chartplotter all powered on. This is nice, especially since we are running out of space on our nav station for additional power switches. We currently have one slot left and we are saving it for the hot tub : )

 After the AIS was all wired up and powered on, we went to http://www.marinetraffic.com and looked for Bliss in the marina, but even after a while, we didn’t see anything. I thought there may be a delay on how long the data is displayed on the web site, so I called up the local Coast Guard station and asked if I was visible on AIS. The watchstander asked for vessel name and MMSI number and told me that I was not visible on AIS. The AIS interface showed GPS satellites in range and the AIS unit up and running, so I thought I maybe didn't connect the VHF correctly. I decided to swap the PL-259 cables one for the other. The one for the VHF to the AIS and vice versa. I powered everything back up and within minutes we could see Bliss on marinetraffic.com. The Coast Guard watchstander had offered to help if we needed another AIS check.  I called up the station again and this time he could see Bliss on AIS.

Simrad HLD2000 Autopilot

We started having problems with our Simrad Autopilot several months ago.  We were receiving a Rudder Response Feedback Failure on the Simrad AP22 display.  At first it would only happen while sailing in strong winds, but then it started happening in light winds and even when we were motoring.  We did some research online and also checked out the manual, which suggested looking at all of the wiring, connections and junction box.  

During our investigation, we discovered that the autopilot pump on the hydraulic linear drive was extremely corroded on the bottom.  We also found steering fluid on the hydraulic arm and around the autopilot area. We disconnected the hydraulic linear drive (Simrad HLD2000 MK2) from the brains (Simrad J300x), and brought the unit out into the cockpit for a closer look.  With the amount of corrosion, we decided to have the unit tested at our local Simrad repair shop. They said the unit tested good "to factory specs" after refilling with steering fluid. They suggested that we clean up the unit and reinstall it.

We took the pump off the unit to clean the rust and then repainted it. We put the unit back together again and then put it back in to the boat. This required some major "boat yoga" with Geralyn helping through the quarter berth and me on top of the batteries. We got the unit connected and bolted down and then started testing at the dock.  The test failed – the linear drive was not working.  How frustrating!  It was such a difficult job to remove the unit and put it back in.  We noticed that when we powered up the autopilot, the clutch would engage and take over the wheel by locking it.  So we assumed the clutch was working, but the pump wasn't.

We decided to disconnect the pump leads from the J300X and do some testing with a volt meter.  When we connected the volt meter to the J300X leads and pressed the buttons on the autopilot to turn to port or starboard, we got a spike in volts. This told us that the J300X was sending voltage to the pump, but the pump wasn't activating. Feeling pretty energized from the troubleshooting, we took the whole unit out again and disconnected the pump. We connected a couple of leads to the starter battery and tried to get the pump to energize straight from the starter battery. Nothing!  We opened up the pump to make sure the wires were connected on the brushes.  We noticed that one of the brushes was stuck.  The next day we took the pump to the Simrad repair shop to see if they could fix the problem. They called later to let us know that one of the brushes wasn't making contact and that they were able to fix it.  We tested the pump one more time on the boat before installing it on the linear drive – it worked!  After a few stretches, we reinstalled the unit in the boat.  We then did the dock side test again and it went well.  Phew!  We weren’t able to do the sea trial test that day, but will complete that to make sure everything is running smoothly.  Fingers crossed we’ve fixed the problem that was causing the error in the first place.

Hasse Inspection

Carol Hasse of Port Townsend Sails came in January to inspect the sails her loft made that we bent on in October 2011. http://www.porttownsendsails.com/about.htm  Everything looked great.  Unfortunately there wasn't enough wind to inspect the sails while sailing, so we had to check them out at the dock.