Summer 2016

Getting to the Boat

I have an interesting method for getting to the boat in Milford CT from Long Island.  I drive to the Bridgeport/Port Jefferson Ferry, walk on as shown below.

Getting on the PJ Ferry

(This is Actually in Bridgeport)

Going across the Sound

Walking to the train station

(Notice the Ferry in the Background)

Getting on the Train

Going up Two Stops

(Sometimes with a Friend like Alex Snedden shown here)

And finally walking a few blocks to the Marina

I start to work on the Boat

Not a Good Spring

2016 was not a good spring (or year for that matter) for me, health-wise.  The first thing that happened was that I came down with a case of bronchial-pneumonia just before I was to start working on the boat.  It was a month before I felt I could start working on the boat; so that put me 4 weeks behind.  Consequently, I started working long hours to get me back on schedule...bad idea.

Up my Big Ladder Working

I was just finishing polishing the topsides when I decided to use a light aluminum ladder, in the yard to finish the last bit of the transom.

"The Ladder"

The ladder collapsed under me.  Down I went hitting my head on another boat on the way down: concussion time.  It took me two weeks to feel good enough to start work again.  Then I had a recurrence of the bronchial-pneumonia.  Finally, four weeks after that and paying the yard to complete the work, the boat was ready to sail back across the sound.

Got the interior all ready to go with a great deal of help from my friend.

The cabin sole (floor) is looking good

Ready to sail back

Sailing Calypso Back from Milford

In Mount Sinai Harbor

Pictures of and from the boat over the summer

The Swim Platform Actuator

I finally got the swim platform actuator and motor out (together with a faulty switch) and had them repaired and replaced.  If finally works reliably 

Pictures from our single cruise to Essex CT.

That's it for this summer.  We'll see what the winter and next summer brings.

Winter of 2015 to 2016

Taking the Boat back on a Supposedly Ugly Day

Supposed to be Windy: Hardly enough wind to sail

Just floating along in what was supposed to be bad weather

Then the blue sky appeared

At Milford, Under Wraps with the Mast Out

Here is a list of the Work Completed over the Winter of 2015 to 2016

These are in no particular order. Additionally, it shows the number of systems that are important for cruising that were much less important for racing.

Repair  and refinish Teak and Holly Sole: One of the things that struck me about Calypso, and all three other C&C 121's that I looked at was the poor maintenance of the wood work, in particular the cabin deck (or sole).  It was discolored with many "water spots".

The Boat in disarray because I pulled the floor boards out and took them home.

Refinishing the floor boards

Working on the deck on Christmas Day, one of the better Presents from mother nature for Me

Calypso out of the Water with Its Mast Down

Added a Serpentine pulley kit to the Engine: As noted in a previous post, the alternator/water pump belt on the engine were going into self destruct mode rapidly because the 100 amp (after market) alternator was putting too much drag on them.  After fooling around with replacing the belt and reducing the amperage put out by the alternator through voltage regulation, I decided it was time to solve the problem through the alternator manufacturer's solution, a serpentine pulley kit for the engine.  The installed kit is shown in the picture.  So far it has worked.

The Serpentine Belt and one of the Pulleys

Replaced the Lifesling Bag: When I acquired Calypso it had Lifesling as the throwable safety device attached to the stern pulpit of the boat.  Apparently it had been on the stern pulpit since the boat was originally put in the water in 2003 because it was in a state of advanced deterioration.  I got a new bag as a Christmas present.

Check the Binoculars: I could never seem to get the binoculars that I bought when I first acquired Starwood to work right.  So I thought that I might have to replace them.  But after finding a copy of the manual for the binoculars online, I found that it was a short circuit between the users ears rather than a problem with the binoculars.

Water in Saildrive: In the winter 2014-5 the mechanic found some milkiness in the saildrive lubricant and change a couple of seals.  Toward the end of the 2015 summer, I again found the milkiness and it got worse quickly.  So the mechanic completely disassembled it and replaced all the seals.

Replaced the Bow Pulpit: As I showed in my last blog (Summer of 2015) a storm came through, a boat drgs its mooring and smashed the bow pulpit.  Over the winter it was replaced with a new bow pulpit.

Repaired Saltwater Vent Loop for the Engine: During a fall inspection of the boat, the mechanic found that a hose for the saltwater vent loop of the engine had sprung a leak. And it was leaking first on the charger/inverter (which caused the C/I problem) and then into the footing for aft cabin wall (which caused the bottom of the wall to rot away).  So three problems were resolved.

Repair Engine Water Strainer: Additional the strainer on the engine water intake was repaired.

Speed/Depth Sensor Thru Hull Calking: In checking out the boat after it had been pulled for the winter, I noticed that the calking was pulling away from the housing for the speed/depth sensor as shown in the following picture.  It was repaired.

The White Calking is splitting off the sensor housing

Fixed LPG tank and valve: Even after replacing the gas sensor for the stove/oven, the gas was not flowing freely to the stove; it took 10 to 20 tries to get it fired up.  Further, I could not get the LPG tank out of its enclosure.   I had the repairs done and the tank replaced.

Updated the Chartplotter software and hardware: When I acquired Calypso it had instruments that did not allow the chartplotter on the deck to display the radar.  So I updated the instruments and had my friend Alex help me to install them.

Replaced lights with LED lights interior: As part of my updating of the electrical systems, I continued to change the interior lights from halogen to LED bulbs; halogen uses a great deal of electricity and become very hot, while LED bulbs use little electricity, last a long time, and produce no heat.

Added Blocks to the Boom Harness:  Over the summer of 2015 I discovered that my first design for a boom harness did not work as I expected to, so I revised the harness by adding blocks to allow better tightening of the harness.  Over the summer I found that I will still doesn't work as well as I would like.

Added a Flag halyard: Most cruising boats the size of Calypso come with flag halyards, racing boats, not so much.  So I added a flag halyard.

Replaced the Wind Sensor: As noted in a previous blog, the wind direction sensor fly was missing when I acquired Calypso.  So one of the repairs I made was to purchase and install a new fly.  Over the course of the summer of 2015 I replaced it two more times.  Finally, I called the manufacturer, Garmin, who did not acknowledge that they had a defective product, but did recommend replacing it.  So over this winter I had the new type of sensor installed.

Replaced Sump and Bilge Auto Float switches:  The mechanic noticed that both float switches were not (floating) and consequently needed to be replaced.  I had them both replaced.

Repaired the Hatches: Two of the hatches had covers for the mechanisms missing and one did not stay open properly.  So I  purchased the maintenance kit and tried to repair them.  The net result is that they worked properly for about two weeks

Replaced the Locks: Most of the locks on the boat were inoperable.  So I've had them replaced.  Now I need time to take them off, one at a time, and get them rekeyed so that they use the same key.

Top Down Mast Inspection: In the fall of 2015 I wanted the yard to perform a number of maintenance and repairs on the mast.  While most of these could have been performed while the mast was up, they would be easier with it down.  I wanted the stays checked, getting two of the mast lights working, and touching up mast paint.  One item can only be performed while the mast is out of the boat, replacing the mast collar.  The mast collar is the fitting that holds the blocks at the base of the mast.  It goes through into the cabin.  The collar that came with the boat is made of a low grade aluminum and is oxidizing at a rapid rate leaving a white powder all over the interior.  So I purchase a new stainless steel one to put in.  Unfortunately the yard left this project until the boat was almost ready to launch then found that the screws were frozen in place and none of the normal methods of extraction worked.  So that repair will have to wait until the winter of 2017-2018 when I plan to have the mast unstopped again.

Problem with filling water tanks: During the summer 2015, we had problems filling the water tanks.  When we checked it out, we couldn't find any problems

Refrigerator
The refrigerator had been a problem from the time I acquired the boat.  It would run and run and not cool.  During the summer of 2015, I tried adding refrigerant to the cooling system to no avail; it seemed to work a little better for a short time then it was back to being warm.  And there were other problems, the broken handle for example that I replaced in the winter of 2014-2015.

New Refrigerator Cooling System: One of the major items for the winter of 2015 to 2016 was the replacement of the cooling system for the refrigerator.

Repaired the Refrigerator gas compression struts: When I acquired Calypso, in 2014, one of the struts that held the top refrigerator doors was missing and the other had loose hinges. When I found the missing strut buried in one of the lockers, I realized that the lining of the refrigerator was not strong enough for the stress that was being put on it by the strut. So I put larger screws, but I found out during the summer of 2016 that these screws also pulled out. Now I will need a new design to repair this defect.

The Refrigeration Unit

Replaced the Light in the Refrigerator: When I acquired the boat the light in the refrigerator was not working. I replaced it with an LED fixture.

Added two New Fenders with Covers: I found that two fenders for the boat was inadequate in many situation; that 4 was really much better.  Further, for the Awlgrip finish, plush covers were advised.  I got the additional fenders and added the covers.  However, during the summer one of the new fenders was stolen.

Link GPS and "Otto Pilot": When I acquired Calypso it came with all Garmin brand instruments and electronics except for the autopilot that was Raymarine.  In 2014 and 2015 I was learning how to use the instrument effectively and how to configure them to allow me to use them effectively.  Additionally, I was learning the how to use the autopilot, which I call "Otto".  In the process I found that "Otto" could follow the path that I laid out on the navigation system, but that the supposed communications path didn't work; the sensor information was not transferred from the instruments to Otto.  So I had Cliff install a different type of communications link which works.  However, over the summer, between one thing and another (instrumentation glitches), I never spent the time to fully activate the link.

Replace Electrical Panel Lights: Several of the LED lights on the main breaker panel didn't light up.  Now they do.

Repair Roller Furling for the Spinnaker
While all of the components for the roller furling mechanism worked, the amount of tension required to keep the sail's tack line taut deformed the retractable bowsprit sufficiently that the line was never taut.  I suspect that the design of the bowsprit didn't envision the roller furling, nor did I.

Added a Bobstay: Bobstays holds a bowsprit in place by holding it to ensure it would not break upwards under load. While the line has been in use for perhaps 1000 years, until the advent of roller furling spinnakers they were not used for retractable bowsprits.  Using a high strength non-stretch line, I had a bobstay added.

Added a Bungee cord for bobstay: After the bobstay was added, it became immediately apparent it would be in the water any time the bowsprit was retracted.  So we added a bungee cord to keep the bobstay out of the water.  These is shown in the picture below.

The Bobstay and bunge cord with the Bowsprit retracted

Water in Engine Compartment: Over the first two summers I had Calypso it was constantly getting water into the engine compartment.  When we discovered the leak in the engine vent loop (see above) it solved the problem of where the water was coming from.

Added a Hook for the trash bags: In Starwood, there was a hook on which we could hook a trash bag.  There was no such thing on Calypso, so in the winter of 2014 - 2015 I added a small trash can under the sink.  During the summer of 2015, I found that it was not used, so I added a hook, in the form of a collapsible cleat and this worked.

Tried to fix the swim platform (again): While getting the boat ready to go into the water I found that the swim platform actuator was not working again.  However, neither the yard's mechanic nor I could get it repaired.  I finally did in the summer of 2016. 

Summer 2015

SV Calypso in early Spring 2015 on its cradle in Milford CT

The Swim Platform finally down

It's in the water

The Galley with the new pulls and all cleaned up

The forward Cabin ready for use

And we sailed SV Calypso to her mooring in Mount Sinai Harbor

Repairs to the Roller Furling System

The roller furling system was difficult to use, whether rolling the jib out or in.  I had tried to repair over the preceding winter with no success.  Part of the reason is the way the furling system is manufactured; way to many components to disassemble before you can get to the bearings, and part because the lower furling assembly is below deck level.  This is good for sailing and racing but bad for maintenance.

By the middle of 2015 it became so hard that I had to use a winch to roll it in.  Finally, the high strength furling line broke.  When the rigger that was supposed to replace the furling line he informed my that the lower bearing of the furler had been replaced with Duct Tape.

The lower system showing the duct tape replacement of the lower bearing

So I had to redo the entire roller furling system.  We pulled up the marina's dock and the rigger went to work.

So up goes the rigger and down came the forestay

Down comes the forestay

Here is the forestay laid out on Ralph's dock

Finally, back up goes the forestay

This is a detail of the "lower bearing" on the roller furling system

After the Storm

At about 5 AM the day before Jim and I were supposed to leave to head up to Martha's Vineyard, a very intense micro-storm came through with winds above 95 MPH reported. Apparently, a powerboat dragged its mooring and hit the bow of Calypso. This smashed Calypso's bow pulpit, broke off the anchor roller as shown in the following pictures.

So we powered over to Milford CT to the yard for help.  After much tugging and pulling, they bent the bow pulpit back into used shape and put on new navigation lights.  The light fixture had been mounted on the bow pulpit and was completely smashed.

The Sail to Martha's Vineyard

We sailed from Milford CT the next day,after getting the bow pulpit unbent enough to feel comfortable going on the foredeck and headed for Martha's Vineyard. We made reasonably good time, having left Milford just after lunch and making Fisher's Island by 10 PM.

On Our Way

Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard

Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard

Back at Oak Bluff

Calypso stands out in the mooring area with her dark hull and black mast

On Our Way Home Off Martha's Vineyard

Captain Jim sailing Calypso

Good bye Martha's Vineyard. On to Block Island

Hello Block Island

And We Leave Block

Up the Connecticut River to Essex Our Last Stop before Home 

At the Mooring in Essex

Sunrise on the Connecticut River with River Fog 

And out toward home

We unfurled the Spinnaker for the first time other than for testing it out.

You can see the retractable bowsprit here

You can see the lack of tension in the luff of the sail here, due flexing of the bowsprit 

Additional work

Added coolant to the refrigeration unit: I'd had problems with the refrigerator cooling since I bought the boat.  I spent a go deal of time on attempting to repair the problem to no avail.

Added a Boom Harness: In addition to the boom being mounted 6 inches low on the boom, a second reason that the boom created holes in the bimini was that when I sailed under the jib alone, the boom would swing and sway back and forth putting stress on the mainsheet and other lines and rubbing on the the bimini.  On Starwood I solved this by tightening the mainsheet, but that didn't work on Calypso.  In fact, all it did was pull the boom closer to the bimini.  So, as my friend Wayne recommended, I added a boom harness.  I tried a very simple design and found that it did not work.  I'm still working on a simple, yet effective and cost efficient design.

Added a Screen for Hatchway: When I purchased Starwood, it came with a screen for the hatchway, Calypso didn't.  Since we like to sleep at the mooring or at anchor and since mosquitoes and other insects come out in the evening and night, we felt that having a screen in the hatchway was a good thing (Calypso came with screens for the top hatches). I have a friend who is an excellent carpenter and he built a hatchway screen for me, shown in the photos following.   

From the outside

From the inside looking out

Repaired the Plexiglas: When I acquired Calypso I notice that all of the side windows were cloudy, not clear like the Plexiglas should be.  So I went to an automotive supply store and purchased a plastic scratch remover kit and tried it on the windows.  I was semi-successful.

Started the repairs of the rot in the cabin walls: When I acquired Calypso it was obvious that the cherry veneered walls were rotting, where they attached to the cabin sole.  Mike and I started to work on the repairs by cutting out the rotting wood.

The Main Cabin at the door of the head before work began

The Aft Cabin Wall with the rot cut out

A detail of the left (port) side of the cut into the wall

We left the cut open because we kept getting water into the area and we wanted find the leak before repairing/restoring the area. The mechanic found it in the winter of 2015 to 2016.