We are adding a dodger and bimini to the boat.  For some unknown reason the previous owner removed whatever was there and just threw it away.  He said "It got in the way!"  Sure wish he'd "thrown" it our way!

We bought a used dodger and bimini removed from a larger boat.  We will need to extend the length but the width should be alright as-is.  The posts will need adjustment (some are stainless and some are aluminum.  Perhaps we'll have to add a couple new stainless poles.  We've purchased new Sunbrella material (eBay and Sailrite) in the typical Ocean Blue color.  New zippers where necessary and new plastic windows will likely need to be sewn into the sunbrella.  Since the mast is now down and lying lengthwise of the boat, the dodger and bimini can't be completed until the mast is up.

BATTERY CHARGING

Batteries have been replaced with new deep-draw wet cell batteries from Interestate (we obtained the largest capacity deep-draw batteries which fit in the compartment, as there's no extra space under the sofa).  Extra battery space will require some ingenuity and longer cables, no doubt.  We hope to add another battery strictly for engine starting so that if house batteries get low the engine starting will be unaffected. 

We have two (one new and one which was used for one trip to Mexico) Air X Marine wind generators although only one at a time will be used.  The wind generator is installed on a 9' pole at the stern.  We've designed the pole so it can be dropped down from the center (plug with through bolt and nut).  The wind generator was installed with a combination circuit breaker/switch in-line.  After the fact another switch was installed which allows for the generator to be disconnected from the batteries and then the two wires are shorted together.  This effectively acts as a brake as the Air X Marine unit is designed to spin very slowly when shorted across the two wires.  In this manner you don't have to listen to the hum of the generator if the batteries are fully charged or you're plugged into the shore power (anyone interested in more info on our experience with this generator, please email us at Roland693@Hotmail.com).

 We have built and installed a stainless steel rack, which goes aft of the cockpit to support two 75 watt Siemens (now Mobil) solar panels.  The panels will be installed once we put the mast up.  As this is written the mast is lying across the rack and some sawhorse-type wooden support braces for traveling purposes.

We have a new 100 amp alternator, which we had to install after a trip to Port Maitland in Canada.  Interesting to note that the wind generator charged the batteries sufficiently to start the engine after the alternator failed. We immediately bought another new alternator as backup.  We also have a backup 60 amp (similar to the original equipment) ready to be used if necessary.

A voltage regulator will be installed to balance the charging requirements of the solar panels, as the AirX Marine unit is designed to be self-regulating and seems to be working quite well.  We already have the unit, a VR-2, which is designed for wind generators but should work for the solar panels as well.  Currently there are two voltmeters installed with a DPDT toggle switch to manually check battery condition.  Perhaps in the future a more modern monitor will be added.

INVERTER

110 volts will be required for things such as refrigeration (more about that in another paragraph), microwave,  battery charger (for the AAA batteries), power tools, etc.  Obviously there's a loss from inverting 12 volts dc to 110 volts ac, so use of the 110 volts will be minimized where possible.  Most current draw will be 12 volts.  The inverter we purchased (again on eBay) is Model PPI 2000, manufactured by Team Products International (www.TeamProd.com).  This model has a 4500 watt high surge capacity and 2000 watts continuous power capability.  It's a modified square wave inverter, however, it appears to work for most things (curious about the IBM laptops, although we'll obtain a 12 volt cigarette adapter/charger just to be safe).

SSB RADIO (ICOM M710), AUTOMATIC TUNER (AT-130), MODEM (PACTOR-II PRO), ANTENNA SYSTEM (INSULATED REAR MAINSTAY), AND GROUND PLANE

We've installed the insulators in the rear mainstay.  The lower insulator will be about 9 feet above the deck and the upper insulator about 8 feet from the top of the mast., leaving the insulated portion of the mainstay slightly over 31 feet.  The automatic tuner will effectively tune that length to other shorter lengths as necesary to match the various frequencies.  We have also purchased a roll of 2-inch wide tin-plated copper foil, which will be used as part of the ground plane which is so important for SSb radio wave propagation.  This foil will be used to tie the fuel tanks, engine, solar panel rack, and stern rail together for the ground plane surfaces (100 square feet necessary).

The ICOM M710 SSB (single sideband) radio has now been installed.  Due to its heavy weight it requires a permanent mounting rather than just supporting overhead with a bracket.  Thus, we mounted it in the rear hanging locker, which was changed to shelves.  As we are going to primarily be in warm weather areas we feel tee shirts and shorts are better being folded and stored on shelves as opposed to hanging.  The Pactor II Pro modem (will be used to accomplish Pactor III speed) and double RS232 connector, are also located in the same locker.  Both receive their power from the M710.

Today's project is to mount the AT-130 in the stern storage locker area (will likely mount it on a board, using longer stainless bolts for the stern ladder to make it secure).  Once the mounting is complete, the cable and power wires can be connected.  Then, the ground plane foils can be attached, as mentioned above.  This ground plane is likely the singlemost important requirement for good signal attenuation.  The only remaining attachment will be the GTO-15 wire (neon sign wire, used because of the high frequency and high power output of the system), which will run from the top of the tuner to the insulated portion of the rear mainstay.  This wire will be run on standoffs to keep it away from the uninsulated portion of the rear mainstay.

Ports (windows)

Sometime ago we purchased a couple pieces of 3/8" thick plexiglas to enable changing all the ports from the existing 3/16" thick material.  We want thicker ports for obvious reasons and the old ones are weather cracked pretty badly, so change them we will.  We are using Life Seal as a caulking compound as it's simply the best for this task

Additional Storage

We've cut 28 pockets (trap doors) to add storage between the liner and hull.  They are 10" wide by 6" high, with piano hinge on the top and barrel bolts on the bottom.  Large nylon pockets will allow softgoods to be stored in this previously inaccessible area.  The pockets will hang down and allow the weight to be at or below the waterline in many instances.

Watermaker

The watermaker (PUR Survivor 80 II modular) is nearly installed.  It fits in the area behind the stern berth and will draw water from the inlet originally installed for the air conditioning unit.  As the air conditioning takes so much power, and we'll largely be "on the hook," it won't get much use.  The watermaker makes approximately 5 gallons per hour by the reverse osmosis method of salt removal. 

More to follow..............>
(latest update 4/26/2005)