Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (Joe) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:37:25 GMT

Hi Gene,
My floors are definitely some sort of ply based veneer. I don't know what the old ones looked like, but mine looks like the ones on the new boats. Like you, I'm totally happy with it.

I looked aboard a Catalina470 at the SF boat show this week with the same floor and it showed a lot of use with plenty of dings in the floor. It was a used customer demo boat, but not very old. I guess all it takes is to drop something heavy and its permanently dinged.

...

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (yorkrose) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 06:03:00 GMT

Joe,

Catalina switched to a laminate cabin sole in 2004 for all but the first few boats of the model year. Some people apparently don't like the idea, but I think it is great. It looks fine, and it is much more durable than the previous wood veneer. I would presume that your boat also has the "perfect" laminate. Is that correct?

Regards,
Gene Fuller
Yorkshire Rose, C42 #870

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (Joe) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:40:16 GMT

Hi Marc,
Thats right, At first I was confused, as looking thro Yachtworld it looked like 2 3CL C42's where for sale in the bay area at the beginning of the year, but it was just listed thro 2 different agents with different photos. At first I lost it to another buyer and then his boat sale fell thro and it came back on the market. I then put in a real lowball offer and it got accepted. Thats the great thing about boats if you are willing to wait.

Its not surprising it...

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (majoma) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 07:01:31 GMT

Joe,
Is your new 42 the one that was for sale in San Rafael? I believe that I looked at it. Great looking boat and in very good conditions. Congratulations.
Marc

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (Joe) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:24:55 GMT

Hi Doug,
Thanks for the link, thats a great article. I learnt lots about batteries this afternoon!

I did find this interesting chatter at the other Catalina owners site about the stock Exide NG4D's in our 42's. I'm hoping I have the 200a/h version. What did others find in their battery boxes?

I will check mine next time I'm...

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (Doug Boyd) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 09:45:00 GMT

Folks,

I recently ran across a very good treatment of charging and battery science--supported throughout with very pertinent examples that seem very focused on many of our scenarios. It is detailed and lengthy, but I found the half-hour of reading to be a very good investment of my energy:

http://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Book-EN-EnergyUnlimited.pdf
...

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (CaptNorm42) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 09:07:17 GMT

If charging by diesel, battery voltage will probably go to 14 volts assuming a pretty big load. Then if charging by the Honda at the same time, the charger would sample those volts & figure no need to put a lot in, battery is already topped off. I think it would be a waste of gas & noise. Besides, I don't think the batteries would absorb all the amps you pump in.

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (do335) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 09:06:12 GMT

Thanks Rod! We are having a great time racing my C42, everyone should try it.

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (rbetzing) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 05:42:35 GMT

Norm,

I'm curious to know why you wouldn't charge the battery from the charger and alternator at the same time?

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (azure42) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 05:37:44 GMT

............and just to tie the whole world together. On Labor Day weekend, when my friend's J-35 boat returned to Half Moon Bay after coming in second over-all in the Santa Cruz race, losing to Steve's Tesa, he rafted up to my boat where I was anchored next to Joe's Sea42 as he spent some of the titled 7-days on the hook.

Steve -- Pegasus confirmed you are fast....... used sails or not. I gloated C-42's over him in your...

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (do335) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:22:19 GMT

I sail in SF Bay too. When it is blowing 25+kts in the slot, you need a winch to furl the jib. A 90-100% jib is all you will need in SF Bay unless you race. I added enough handholds inside to go from stem to stern without letting go of the boat. I added a teak grate to the helm floor so now I can see over the dodger that came with the boat. The boat is fast, I have won lots of races this season, inside and outside of the bay using used sails.

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (CaptNorm42) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:06:57 GMT

Don't let the Hitachi 80 amp alternator make you believe it can deliver 80 amps for a long time. It can't. It is very conservative in it's regulation, much more interested in keeping cool than delivering lots of amps. It may deliver 40 amps for 10 minutes or so, but I believe it will taper off real soon to 5-10 amps. That's basically an automotive alternator.

If you want a real alternator, you need to go with a Balmar or something with external regulation. I have...

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (Joe) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 17:49:21 GMT

According to my Xantrex Link20, with -200a/h drawn from a 540 a/h (3x4D's) bank I was able to put back around 25 amps with just the Honda EU2000i generator (powering my Charles 40amp charger) and around 40 amps with the built-in 80amp alternator on the diesel engine.

If I ran both together I was putting in 60 amps until the a/h dropped to around -100 and it kept falling from then on.

Next chance I get I will draw -300a/h from the bank and see how much difference that...

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (rbetzing) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:26:31 GMT

Joe,

I was wondering what kind of bulk charge rate you were able to get from the Honda 2000 generator when you were recharging your batteries?

I have the same generator and battery capacity as you and I noticed when recharging at anchor the battery voltage seems to go up very slowly - It took hours to get the voltage up to 13V with a starting voltage of 12.2V. I expected the voltage to go up above 14V during bulk charge. I have not installed the Link 10 monitor yet so I...

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (yorkrose) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:52:32 GMT

Joe,

As you can see from the hull numbers, our boat was probably on the production line at the same time as yours. A few random comments.

* Our boat came with a cleat for the furling line. It is about one foot ahead of the main mooring cleat. As a side note, I saw an arrangement for the furling line that seems even better than a cleat or a ratchet block. We chartered a boat in Tahiti earlier this year, and it had a small rope clutch just ahead of the furling line cleat....

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (Joe) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:29:03 GMT

Hi,
That ratcheting block for the furler is just what I needed. A winch would be overkill just to hold the line! Can I get that from WestMaine or is it a rare part?

I replaced theteflon strips on my hatch as they had gone bad, the sticking appears to come from under the deck. My surveyor said there was some delamination in this area (just forward of the dodger)

The flimsy panelling that concerns me is around the doors to the cabins/heads where the OEM handholds...

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (CaptNorm42) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 07:08:28 GMT

Joe,

First of all, I agree with 95% of what you said. You got into how quick the boat is, very true. Very comfortable, lots of stowage... also very true. I'd like to address some of my thoughts:

Addison is right, I have never put a winch to my jib furling line. I also installed a Harken ratchet block. Click here for a photo & small description

Re: Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (ajchan) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 04:14:18 GMT

Hi Joe

I agree with everything you said, except the bit about a second winch to help with the jib furling? I routinely do a 155% without a winch, although I have found that installing a Harken Ratchet block in the place of the last block on the push pit rail helps immensely when I am trying to put a few rolls in the reduce the headsail..

Enjoy
Addison

Lessons learnt after 7 days on the hook

feeds@yuku.com (Joe) — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 21:57:57 GMT

Having recently bought my 2004 MK2 3 berth centerline C42 this summer (now called Sea42) after owning an 1981 Islander Bahama 30 (see http://sailing.inetd.com/SanDiego05 ) I have been enjoying finding out the capabilities of this new boat. Its generally been a fantastic move and allowed my 2 kids to have a cabin each and so much more.

The 4 of us spent a lot of time aboard our old 30ft boat and its been interesting comparing the differences.

We live in the San Francisco...