Miscellaneous 09 Winter Projects
I made these modifications to the original Jensen-Wesmac RV Luminaire cabin lights (I don't know if they are still available but this style is great for LED retrofit):
The 6 LED unit was a festoon base bulb replacement put in last year using two machine screws through the end contacts, one is steel to ground it to the case and the other nylon with s.s. nut under the head to turn it into a wire terminal. The switch is two position, the first turns on just the LED for low power draw and the second both lights for brighter light and better light spectrum. The unused bulb socket on the left was removed by bending it until it broke. The 6 LED unit wasn't bright enough for most use.
I added the guts from a 3 pack of Home Depot LED lights, Hampton Bay Transitional Collection, 980 984, Sku # 8339 67208. These come in attractive cases complete with AC power unit but work fine connected directly to 12 volts DC. I would note that the original unit from the marine store is $3.00 per LED and the Home Depot units $1.20 per LED with all the other stuff. Such a deal.
Strider is now a documented vessel!
I added hold down straps to the battery box. If "Strider" ever gets rolled over by a wave I fully intend to come back and tell you about it here.
A clear drop board for use underway so I can see what it going on in the cockpit without having to open the hatch. This will also let light in making up for the conversion of the companionway slide to wood. I'll still use the wooden drop board with the lock hasp when leaving the boat.
This was made out of 3/8" Acrylic salvaged from a display case at the Linen & Things liquidation. I originally planned to use the plastic for the portlight storm covers but it turned out to be too difficult to work with. I now have a huge stock of the miserable stuff and no idea what to do with it.
Storage for the wooden top dropboard now to only be used when locking the boat in port:
The stainless tube below is the mount for the wind vane steering line.
A polycarbonate tube inserted into a hole in the overhead and screwed to the shelf trim edge provides secure storage for the clear companionway drop board where it won't get scratched up. This shelf over the quarterberth is too narrow to be useful for much else. The lower two drop boards are shorter and will fit in the port cockpit seat locker with the docklines.
Why? Like most foam core rudders, this one gets water in it that has to be drained out every fall. If the water should penetrate to the weld where the steel plates that transfer the steering torque from the stock to the rudder should fail, the stock could end up turning freely in the rudder. The rudder would still be attached to the boat but the multiple ways I have of turning the rudder stock would still leave me without steering. This simple expedient leaves me with a way of getting lines attached to the rudder that can be taken up around the hull to the winches to provide emergency steering control. It will also be useful when I remove the rudder someday. The foam core was removed for about half an inch around the hull between the skins with a bend nail in a drill and replaced with epoxy and chopped fiberglass. A threaded PVC pipe nipple was then epoxied into the hole, ground flush, and rounded in the inside corner to protect the emergency steering lines from chafe. For a long offshore passage, I can pre-rig lines and tie them off loosely to the self steering gear mount so that steering lines can be rigged without having to go in the water.
Our oceanographic cruises this spring and summer will require leaving the quarter berth cushions ashore since this space will become laboratory and scientific equipment storage area. The lack of a cushion to hold the storage bin covers in place required fabricating these brass turnbuttons and retainer lips.
I have converted my Asus Eee PC 900 sub laptop travel computer to a navigation and date recording computer and back up GPS. This is a very slow little machine but plenty fast enough for those tasks and has a solid state memory instead of a hard disk, making it quite rugged. Two of the 1/4" screw sockets that I used for the portlight storm covers were installed in the counter top and a board with strap and socket to secure the laptop to it screwed in place.
The board can easily be moved to the folding table at the end of the berth for better spray protection and a more comfortable seat. Similar boards can be carried for attaching scientific equipment to.
Two sockets were installed in the side table. The laptop can be folded up and the table folded down without removing the computer.
The main cabin table already had two of the same size hold downs for attachment of the table leg when the leaf is unfolded so it was just a matter of drilling another hole in the board to have this additional place to securely use the laptop.
The plastic bin that used to hold the storm ground tackle chain in the bilge was replaced with a proper locker. The new wood bin can still be removed for bilge access after unloading the chain into the canvas tote bags used to get it up on deck.
The ends extend under the floor both fore and aft so a plywood cover can be screwed on top to retain the chain in case of a roll over offshore.