My Whitby 42 Blog

Browsing Archive: July, 2013

Life lines

Posted by Bryan on Tuesday, July 30, 2013, In : deck hardware 
I am most of the way done installing the new spectra life lines.  19,000 lb breaking strength.  I can do the splices pretty fast now, not too hard to learn and handy to know.  The biggest secret, is that each splice SHORTENS your line by about 3/4 of an inch.  Since the line you are going back through is widened to allow the line to pass inside, it never stretches back to its original length.  The first 2 times I did a spice to finish a line, I though I had lost my marbles.....again.. as I me...
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Mast Up!

Posted by Bryan on Tuesday, July 30, 2013, In : Mast 
For the first time in 5 years,  Northern Phoenix has her masts up.  Not adjusted yet, a little issue with the forestay being too long (all rigging is new).  But we wanted to get the picture posted.  The crane operator new I used to do tree work and was not afraid to hoist me up with the crane.  That helped save a lot of time and cranking to get me up there.   Got the triadic stay attached, WiFi antenna, VHF, Anchor light, tri colour light, and got a great view at the same time.  Thanks to my ...
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Power

Posted by Bryan on Tuesday, July 30, 2013, In : deck hardware 
We hooked up the solar panel.  First we had to get the davits completely attached.  The batteries are also hooked up (no picture yet).  We have 6 trojan 225 batteries. (6 volts).  All the 12 volt power seems to be working.


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New Anchor Roller

Posted by Bryan on Monday, July 22, 2013, In : Anchor 
Just before we left Canada to make the journey, I installed the new Anchor Bow roller.  I forgot to post the info.  I was looking at Gerry's "Incredible Hull" website and was reminded.

Stainless Steel outfitters in Barrie Ontario did the work (as well as all the stainless steel work on the boat over the last 30 years)....funny story there about how small the world is.

They took the anchors and designed the roller to give us clearance underneath and well as allowing the 2 anchors to sit side by ...
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"C" is for Cookie that is good enough for me.

Posted by Bryan on Monday, July 22, 2013, In : Toys 
We purchased a SOS (Solar Oven Society) solar oven.  And of course had to try it out making cookies.  They were very good.  In the picture is a chocolate chip/peanutbutter chip cookie.  rolled out as one big cookie.  The temp in the picture is 280 degrees F.  We built our own solar oven a few years ago and it worked great.  But it was too big, heavy, and clumsy to take with us.  This has a plastic exterior and a special double layer plastic top.  The mirrors are alluminum and are not needed u...
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Dinghy Mobile !

Posted by Bryan on Monday, July 22, 2013, In : Toys 
We have been transforming a 12 feet aluminum dinghy into the "Dingy Mobile".  It is rated for 660lbs and a 15hp motor.  Unfortunately, my kids are growing toooooo fast and it may not be big enough for all of us.  Both kids, although just 13 and 11, are over 125 lbs each.  Devon, just turned 11, is wearing size 10.5 - 11 size shoes!!!!  We haven't test run it yet with the 10 hp motor.
Things we have done to it:
1.  Attached an old fire hose around the rim.  Fender protection.
2.  Attached cleats ...
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Sail Check

Posted by Bryan on Monday, July 22, 2013, In : Sails 
We checked over the sails to determine which ones to rig up and which ones to leave behind.  We have 2 mains, 2 roller reefing jibs and 1 mizzen.  All are in pretty good shape, given what my old boat had.  The boat has not been sailed much int he last 15 years.  The last 5 years it has been on land with the refit.  Before that it was on the hard for a few years, and before that it was used as a "cottage at the dock" and not sailed.  So although the sails may be 15 years old, they have hardly ...
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Mast Work

Posted by Bryan on Monday, July 22, 2013, In : Mast 
We have been re applying all the parts to the mast.  All the wire rigging is new, as well as most of the halyards.  The spinnaker halyard is a newer rope, but not a brand new line.  I didn't think I would be running the spinnaker very much.  All the halyards are run inside the mast, a first for me.  All my previous boats were smaller and did not need internal halyards.

At the top of the mast are 4 things we had to hook up.
1.  VHF antenna (doubles as the regular radio antenna as well )
2.  WIFI ...
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New Gauges and instruments

Posted by Bryan on Thursday, July 18, 2013, In : Electronics 
I installed new guages.  The old ones were not looking good on the back.  The electrical connections were suspect and instead of waiting untill I got the boat in the water and running, I just went ahead and changed out the gauges. The old wire was not marine gauge tinned wire either.  They probably all worked fine, but now they also look pretty.  I have a new tach that is set to zero for the engine rebuild.  I think the engine had about 5,000 hours on it.  

I had planned on using the old gear ...
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Big Changes

Posted by Bryan on Wednesday, July 17, 2013, In : Rant 
Sorry for the delay in posts.  The last 30 days has been the most busy in my life.  Here is a list of things that have happened, that prevented me from updating.  I will be putting a bunch of updates soon, that show all the work that has happened:

1.  End of june is always busy for High school teachers.  Exams, grades, clean up, etc..
2.  Both my kids birthdays.
3.  Last minute attachments to the boat for transport.
4.  packed as much as posstlbe into the boat for transport to Port Kinsale Marina...

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Bryan Haas


Please feel free to contact me! I grew up on the waters of the Chesapeake sailing and fishing. I was paid to work, sail, race, and sometimes live on a 51' Hinkley (they didn't really need to pay me but they offered!). I am a high school science teacher who likes to learn by doing. Used to teach at "The Sound School" in New Haven Ct. Check it out, the most amazing on- the- water school there is. I have rebuilt smaller boats from scratch, but nothing on this scale. This is an adventure. All help is greatly appreciated.

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Bahama's Weather

Just as a reminder to my self why I am doing all of this.  There is nice weather at the end of the tunnel.

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