Xantrex Charger/Inverter installed

So I went out and got a new xantrex charger inverter 1000watt.
Some info for you to read on is in the included links here;
Data Sheet
Owners guide
Installation Manual

For my boat I had to install it in my battery electrical compartment. This also meant some cleanup of the existing wiring the previous owners had left behind.
No biggy as this was also on the list of to do's and getting it properly arranged so the feeder from the switch actually did do the power feed was top of the list.
after removing all the extra single feeds I then made a power distribution feed and connected all power here. Grounding was also set up the same so everything is grounded to one place.
The feeder was set up in two lines
1) internal components on one feed which is controlled by the panel
2) external components on one feed.which is the radio, GPS and autopilot
So now when I shut down power everything is off.\
The only exception is auto bilge pump which is direct to house system and has the panels hooked into them as well for continuous power supply.

The second issue was the shore power and that needed to be rewired as it was done improperly and only powered one side on the main disconnect, so now we have two full 15 amp circuits drawing on a 30 amp system.

If you remember this is the solar panel kit I bought in 2010 which I has hastily installed and wired two summers ago which I properly re installed and wired through an MPPT controller.
Now the panels are putting out just over 75 watts of power with a continuous 7 amp charge which really handles all the power needs when on the hook.
I can run my power cooler all day with minimal drain on the system, I shut it down at night when cooler out and it is not being opened for atleast 8 hours.

The new main sail cover has been made for the boat and it looks awesome, Thanks to Barb Harrison who custom made this for me. Cost was 300 and is very reasonable... Pictures and close ups next post.

long over due

Long time has passed by so some updates are in need.
The furler is installed
the new sails are on the boat
did a full clean up in the interior, marine cetol was used on all the wood
lines were replaced, new sail cover has been ordered and will be ready next week.
Kami and I spent the day cleaning and reorganizing inside and out, removing items that were not used or needed. Slimming down what is inventoried and carried onboard made a big difference to space as well.
Electronics were tested, some wire management will be in order over the next few weeks.
Also I will have the dodger remade over the winter and am looking for a new anchor.
Bow roller is being picked up tomorrow while we are in kingston and I will see if it can be installed while on vacation during the next week.
The BBQ needs to be replaced with a larger grill and propane as well. The charcoal is just too small and has a habit of dying out prior to fully cooking the dinner.
The go pro was picked up and I am playing with it while sailing.

Were In...

Were in, were launched, we are tied to the dock and so begins the completion of the winter refitting.
So as mentioned before we have the ESP Furler by Harken to install, the new standing rigging is being made as we speak (so to speak). Running rigging has been replaced and the new halyards, sheets, dock lines, are all sitting in a bag waiting for the new rigging to arrive so it can be put into place when we re-step the mast.
I took the opportunity to also add a second foresail halyard and a topping lift.
Lazy Jack lines were replaced and so were the reefing lines.
The anchor rode was new last year so that is good but I added a 50 ft chain to the 200 ft rode. This will give me better holding with the ground tackle and I get the stretch from the rode as well.
The interior was totally re stained and varnished, a second counter that folds away was added to increase preparation of meals and to assist cleanup.
The next big project is to again go through the stuff on-board and remove what has not been used in the last year to make some more space. Cooking items, plates, silverware and such to be removed and only enough for 4 people will be left.
meal planning will be different and provisions will also be less this year. Unlike last year I removed four grocery bags off at the end of the season so my new improved provision list will be put into effect.

My old working jib will be cut down and a bolt rope is to be added which will make a great storm sail for the furler if bad weather is lurking for more then a day.

When I got the boat everything was led to the aft, this is no longer the case, some items are now back where they belong, Foresail is at the mast due to furler, main is at mast again as I have the reef point there so I can lower the main fix the tack point of the reef and tighten, then head to the cockpit to adjust the leach of the reef point.
Boomvang now leads to clutch and topping lift as well with the new DRS foresail halyard, slightly different but well thought out.

Still need for this season

As the new season approaches and were getting ready for launch day, I was going over the list of required items yet to get for the upcoming races and a cold water Immersion suit is on the list, at 500.00  This is a big dollar item that is needed for the race, anyone have one their not using, got one I can borrow.....

Next Item on the list are a few stantion blocks for the furler and for the DRS Tack line.
I am waiting on new hoses for the propane stove to run into the cockpit locker to where a tank can be installed on the rail.
Maybe next year I will swap out the charcoal BBQ for a propane one.

Sails have been ordered and am waiting on delivery, furler is in and waiting to be installed, new standing rigging and running rigging is more or less being assembled and set for installation once weather warms up some more.

I'd like to find a few sponsors that would like to be on the T Shirt, as these events do have news coverage it would be a great way to advertise.

If you know where one can be had at a reasonable price let me know or Hey just get me one for the season or to use for the racing that would be great.

Remember to help out if you can with a pledge by clicking the donate button on the side of the blog, anything will help get the last few items required for the season.

Were home

Were home now and the real work begins, a full inventory of equipment, spares, food, booze, reading material, DVDs.
Lets start to install the chart plotter on the cabintop and run some wires off the panel.
Hmm this is going to need some upgrading as well, add wire to shopping list, fuse block, terminate block and  2 new batteries as well.
So material in hand I begin re wiring the boat, tracing wires, pulling, fishing wires and a few nights of moonlighting Plotter installed, VHF installed and talking to plotter for DSC configuration.
New lights are on the list as well and a oil lamp to be installed for next week.

When I bought the boat

The following week the lamp is installed, lights moved as the wires were loose and once I removed them I was able to repair and restore them for daily use. Next is some counter work and move a few shelves and add some shelves for better stowage.
Also on the list is a repaint of the topsides as no matter how much I buff with restore and cleaner she just wont shine, the paint is too far gone, that's on the haul out list for a winter/spring project.

New head lines, and the smell is now finally gone, A bigger water tank is installed under the soul of the cockpit and I now have 30 gallons as opposed to the 12 that was there, this is good for longer stays at anchor.
After the rewire I notice that the house system seems brighter and lasts longer then before, guess it was not being charged from the outboard as the PO suggested and I now have it charging both banks as it was supposed to be doing all along, instead I was flattening my starter battery to charge the house I guess.
This is another good thing and I will install a dual charger for the separate banks.

Bringing her home

I show up to get my new boat ready to bring home to Picton, ON. So lets review quickly,
1) I am in Port Dover

Port Dover wind storm with its damage.
picture taken by Brian Jones

2) Home  port is Picton, ON
That's a sail down to the end of lake Erie, down the Welland canal and then all the way to the eastern side of the lake around 350 miles.
3) anti foul needs to be applied
4) provisions to be purchased and loaded
5) gear stowed

you can see my boat in the back line had these fallen the
other way things could have been different.
picture taken by Brian Jones

The actual day I show up is a wicked wind storm, wind blowing 75 plus miles an hour, in the marina along 4 boats have been blown over in their cradles. It was freaking windy and hard  to get supplies, remember that bad wind...... Power failures all over Port Dover, basically without power, possibly for the next 3 days no power.
No problem I have a gen set with me, but the stores don't. Essssh so we are now really working hard to find places open that can supply me some basic food so I can at least eat something on the boat, slim pickings with this going on, so lets clean up the boat, Wash it, wax it, start sanding the bottom and more sanding, then paint on 2 coats of anti fouling, which to get any work done that day. I resolve to tryingtakes 2 days and I am now on food scraps and still no power in Dover.
After 4 days of cleaning painting, sanding, washing and waxing were ready to launch.

Painting the anti fouling
picture taken by Brian Jones

fresh anti fouling washed and waiting for the lift

I get dropped in the water and tied off at the transient dock, where I really start to stow gear and work the logistics of sailing home, the wind is still blowing hard, and the charts that I thought were on board are no longer on board.. Matter of fact NO charts are to be found, cruise guides are no longer on board either seems to be missing them now, I call the PO and no answer, get provisions, half a dozen stores later I have some food again and it looks as if I will be leaving in the morning winds should be down to 10 - 15 knots.

0530 and I rise to the beep beep of the utility truck at the top of the hill repairing the line, no sooner does that poor guy hook it up the transformer down the road at the next pole goes KABOOM, and I'll tell ya what it sounded like a cannon went off and sparks were just flying all over the place. Made for a great light show and coffee time had a different start to it.
Make a few spamwiches and set more ice in the cockpit cooler for the pop and cream.
Cast off and motor down the fairway heading for the entrance, round the light house and hoist the jib, then the main kill the motor, lift it in tilt this time and start setting the sails, 5    4   4.5  3.5 3.2 2.2 what the hells going on wind was supposed to be 10 - 15, well this sucks no wind now

Leaving  Port Dover PO took picture and sent it to me. 

drifting for an hour maybe 1.5 - 2 knots and not much else, so in goes the iron spinnaker were back up to 5 knots and making headway to Port Colburne fast forward  to 4 PM and were just pulling up to Colburne, head in to the marina and it's closed, so I find a slip which was easy as I was one of  boats on a dock field that easily held 300 plus boats so it was spooky to say the least.
BBQ some chops and hit the sack early to do the Welland Canal.
0700 and coffee is brewing to fill the thermos for the day, buddy shows up at the phone booth at lock 1.
We head up and contact seaway control they inform us 15 min wait as biggy is on way to our lock and we can sneak in after he passes.
Sneak in ???? like do we have to gun it and squeak under the bridge after this guy passes by... So this massive laker slips by us and we head towards the drop bridge clear it and then the bells are ringing lights a flashing and then this bridge starts falling a sight to see for a first timer..
We pull up to the marker at lock one and were greeted by a fella tossing brochures at us and yelling all info is in the book and sign and give to lock 3 dock master.   Yelling you ask, well I guess i forgot to mention I was luckily able to test my new west marine foulies today, the rain and thunder was so hard and it was incredible. so I start to fill in the form that the seaway has all do, vessel name, length, destination, blah blah, and have 300 cash  or credit card ready for payment at lock 3.
We cleared the lock 8 just after 4 pm that afternoon where I tied up for the night at the base of lock 1 at lake Ontario side next to the phone booth. Buddy was picked up and I paid him a hundred bucks for riding the canal as my second to meet the requirements of minimum 2 crew.

Wet cold and tired I got the genny running and set to drying out for the night, heater running dinner cooking and my cloths hanging on a makeshift line by 9 things were getting dried out and getting some sleep was well deserved.
0600 rise and starting on a good breakfast the course is north east  to clear the line and not cut across the USA Border, I didn't have the boat in my name to be legal yet just a bill of sale and was not looking to test the waters with the USCG. So north east we go it's raining steady but not hard so with the dodger and the tiller pilot an autohelm AH800. A dodger or spray hood as they are called is like a windshield in a car and helps to keep the water spray and wind and rain from hitting you.  It also gives some cover where as you can sit under it and also store items on the cabin top and keep them dry. The tiller pilot is a unit that is attached to the cockpit seat and the tiller is attached to the unit. Then once under way with sails trimmed you turn the pilot on and set it's bearing with small adjustments of degrees till you are sailing the heading you want then engage the autopilot and it will keep a course based on what ever bearing you are heading on.


So with the boat basically sailing itself I was able to start to do a few other things, I was able to go forward and really watch the rig as we were moving along at 3.5-4.1 knots minimal wave off and on wind so this was nice to see and get to really investigate the boat and rigging.

My original proposed course

The fog had totally lifted by 830ish and the wind was maybe 8-10 knots coming out of the west so we were beam reaching our way towards the Toronto area for a while, around noonish I gybed her and started heading more easterly and we were making about 3.5 - 3.8 a slow but steady pace. At this speed it would take me around 36 hours non stop to reach my home port. At 5 + knots it would only take 22 - 26 hours which is what I was aiming for as I had commitments the day after which meant I had to be home tomorrow.
This means that I will have to hit landfall tonight then and hop along the shoreline and call in for a pickup and leave her for a night or two and then continue to bring her home. So I find myself at bluffers park for the night, there were a few boats in the water most were the liveaboards as seasonal had not launched as of yet.

New adjusted route due to lack of wind

I wandered up to the office and paid for my night, got the codes for the door and then walked up the road to the store for some more fresh food, last time I had been to s grocery store was 3 days ago and I provisioned light so a treat to go walk about and see Scarborough from a different angle.
Found a great Chinese shop on top of the hill and got some nice tea and spices with fresh fruits and some veggies, then headed over to C Tire to see what deals if any could be had, found some wrenches and screwdrivers on sale so the boat now had it's own tools which is a good thing.

Headed back to the boat and thought to myself I should get a small hand cart to haul this stuff, I was a good 2 - 3 klicks from the marina and I had a few bags which were loaded, I never found a cart while window shopping to the marina and walked the way back down that big hill which I forgot to mention on the way out.
Dinner was some BBQ chops with roasted corn and a hot toddy (Rum coffee).
After cleaning up I fired up my laptop and dropped in Black Hawk Down and another hot toddy in hand settled in for the evening. 1130 and I was hitting the sack. Around 0400 it started raining so I layed in bed listening to the sound and grabbed a few more hours with an early rise and some coffee and oatmeal with maple syrup for breakfast and I was ready to head out and get going.


Casting off alone in the rain has it's quirks to say the least but I managed and I was getting used to how the boat handled so the learning curve was quicker then expected.  Motored out and again light winds so I hoist the Jib, hoist the Main, start to trim the sails and I begin to feel that groove when she's talking to you. I scuttle closer to the dodger and leaning against the cabin next to the hatch I grabbed a book and did some reading. At first I was popping up and looking around every 30 mins or so and after a few hours stopped as it was very clear I was the only boat I could see on the lake. This was a an exciting feeling I had nobody around for as far as I can see with my binocs, very cool indeed. The rain stayed all day and we never got over 4.5 knots so I opted for Frenchmen s Bay for the night where I would have my wife pick me up as I had to be at work in the morning. I settled with the office for 3 days and would be back Friday night after work spend the night and early Saturday morning begin to finish the sail home.
 Saturday morning I headed out and with slightly better winds made for Coburg to spend the night there and hit the Farmers market Sunday morning. Sunday evening around 1am I was at Prince Edward Point where I anchored for the night and after breakfast and coffee finished the last leg to Prinyers Cove with my arrival at 1530 the gang was there to catch my lines. The kids did an inspection and told me they liked the boat, tidied up and closed her up for the night and we left for home and a nice BBQ.

The beginning ...

Suntack on hard April 12 2011

 Some background of where we are today, I found our Grampian 26 in an ad and drove out to Port Dover, ON to have a look at her. The day I arrived it was blowing 10 - 15 knots with gusts to 20. This was going to make for really good sea trials and get a good feel for the boat. I meet the Previous Owner (PO) and we chat for a minute or so and he is telling me it's to windy for his liking and wants to postpone for another day.
Another day, did he somehow forget I just drove 7 hours to get here.

It's all good I say, I'll single hand the sea trial then no biggy.
We drive over to the office and arrange the lift to drop her in and grab a few items that will be needed for the trial and as well for the sail back to Picton, ON. We begin getting the boat ready, installing and setting the main sail, then putting on the working jib. Fill the tank with high test gas, toss in some water in the tank, throw some water in the holding tank and flush a 5 gallon pail through the head. Spin the sea cocks back and forth tug on the hoses's to make sure there fastened tight and start looking for water in the bilge.

Launch time

The lift shows up and the fella says to me " You have an hour max or we wont be able to get you back on the hard. You will be stuck in the water for the night.

Curiously I ask why,, Well theres a big storm coming in and it may be too windy then to move you. Fair enough sounds as good a reason as any and I tell the fella No Probs be back in an hour so he starts to pick her up and trek across the marina to the launch dock.

Trekking across the marina

We get picked up, moved to the launch dock and dropped into the water, once in I say to the operator hold it there for a minute I have to check her for leaks before we drop the slings. A quick look shows no water yet so lets loose the slings and get started. The PO is with me and we board her together and make our way to the transient docking area where I can start to get ready to head out and drop the PO with lines to wait for me.

Hugh on the tiller, it was his last time at the helm.

Wind is easy 20 knots and I motor down the fairway to the entrance markers, and start raising sail, first the jib, then the main sail, shut down the outboard start trimming sails. Instantly we start healing and the sails filled with a good blow she feels like she just hole shotted out of the entrance and we were off, waves were 4 feet and getting bigger, wind was picking up sooner then expected and she was really starting to blow, a tack and winching were moving along and heading out to do a trial. Trial it was, I was now getting over powered by the wind and could feel it just a blowing right at me, so another tack and were heading in on a nice beam reach riding in the now 6 foot waves and just surfing fast stern raising high and that roll down the wave busting through the waves as it wiped by me. Great ride in she handled like a heavy weather boat should and reformed as I had hoped.

Back at the launch and she is picked up and dropped on the cradle.

I paid for her over our coffee at the local timmies and shook hands with Hugh, said my fair well and would call him next week when I come back to take her home.