Contract Signed / New Build Underway

[flyer50]

Ordered a 1003C from Fisheries Supply at the Seattle Boat Show last month. Torqeedo rep there was helpful with some tips and threw in a few goodies. We won’t be operational until May so please share your experiences. Looking forward to a no gasoline boat!

 

[N4061]

update

After sitting idle for two weeks we decided to take the boat out for ride. A small storm had passed through the day before leaving behind some wind but sunny clear skies. I noticed something interesting since I added the dingy to the top deck but everytime I back out of the slip the stern swings to port. We have always had this issue at this marina but some reason I think its getting worse. Now when I back out im turning the wheel over to help exit straight.

We stopped at the pump out station (first time in awhile) and had fun docking with the stiff breeze but did good. Mary took over and drove us across the bay and to the ocean. Visibility was unlimited as we enjoyed staying warm in the PH while taking a little spray on the PH windows. Passing sail boaters in their foul weather gear made us really appreciate the trawler style of boating. We took some speed/RPM readings which confirmed we we had an active tide helping us along. 7.5knots at about 1500rpm at 2gph.

After playing outside in the swells we turned around for home and fought the dang sail boaters who have little respect for the rules of road. Docking in our slip was a little challenging since both neighbors had their tenders tied up behind their boats (one was a 16' Boston Whaler). Add in one oversized sport fishing boat sticking out 5', the wind and current, I didn't have any room for error. Taking it very slow and aligning the boat up using forward/reverse and a little bow thruster got us in safely.

This week the boat is getting its annual wax job and looking good. We haul her out in 4 weeks for bottom paint. This boating stuff is sure fun.

John

 

[N4061]

Winter Nights

So we did something I have missed the past few months which is spending the night aboard. When we had the N40's we lived part time aboard (Monday to Friday) year round. While I enjoyed every season but Mary didn't care for the chilly winter nights and mornings. Yes it can get cold in SD sometimes and reach the upper 40's some nights. This past week we needed to leave the townhome to the realtor for some showings. Yes we have started another phase in the journey of life which includes finding what we hope will be our forever home. Downsizing from a 4000 SF house on an acre isn't as easy as we thought. While we don't want the big yard we do want some room and finding that in this hot SD market has been challenging. Well we found a home in a little place called Rancho Santa Fe located about 15 north of SD. We are about 3 miles from the ocean up on a bluff overlooking two horse training centers. No we are not into horse's but far enough away we can appreciate the open space. From the same vantage point we can almost throw a rock and hit the two homes owned by some guy named Bill Gates. OK I'm stretching the ability of my arm a little but not who lives in the next hill. Not a bad place to live, now we just need all the pieces to come together including some creative financing (anyone have an extra million they can spare?).

Spending the last two nights aboard have been great and brings back great memories of the past summer and fall. Even Mary has enjoyed the evenings being warm and cozy. We actually got lucky with the weather at night only going down to the mid 50's. Dinners up in the PH have been excellent with different types of food while enjoying the views of downtown.

The boat looks great after the wax job including the dingy which I tried to clean the bottom and did only a fair job. It now looks brand new. We both are looking forward to longer days starting this weekend and more time aboard. Tonight we are watching the Bee Gees One Night Only concert from back in 2001. Great concert. Life was good today.

 

[tadhana]

John and Mary. Sounds like a nice couple of nights there in SD. We are now headed north on the Atlantic ICW. We plan to go to Ottawa and Montreal this summer. Looking forward to the day you guys can cruise the ICW too.

 

[N4061]

Inverter Fuse

This was to be another weekend aboard as our realtor planned an open house on Sunday but the lack of power aboard forced us home Saturday evening. We actually spent Friday night aboard and was getting ready for a day out (around town not on the boat) when after I showered Mary said the TV went out. I immediately realized that we had two West Marine heaters running and the shower hot water heater likely kicked in during my shower taking the inverter off line. I know better and actually proud of both Mary and myself when it come to power management so I was mad at myself.

After reading the inverter (Low Battery) and unable to get a soft restart to work I call Scott. As usual he picked up the phone and started trouble shooting the problem. This guy is sharpe and always there. His initial thought was we ran the batteries down too low which I questioned since it was only 10 minutes but then again heaters are the worst thing to run off batteries. So a quick trip to West Marine and $100 dollars later I started to charge the batteries. After an hour I attempted another soft start followed by a hard start. Nothing, so I called Scott back and he immediately said "you blew a fuse". I didn't realize the inverter was wired with an in line fuse but upon checking it I could see it was blown. I told Mary lets go home and I will replace it in the morning. So we emptied the freezer and refrigerator then left for home. Fortunately home is only 8 minutes away depending on the lights.

This morning I visited our local marine supply store and purchased a new 200amp fuse then drove back to the boat. As luck wouldn't have it the fuse didn't fit due to one of the fuse block posts being bent. Not wanting to force anything I ran back out and purchased a new fuse block which only took ten minutes to install followed by the new fuse then hooked up the battery cables. I slowly added power and loads as I watched the control panel. Thank fully everything worked as designed and we have full power again.

A few observations regarding this small repair job includes;
1. Inverter is installed per the manufacturer specifications (location, cable sizes, ect)
2. Access to the inverter, batteries and fuse was very good through the large salon floor hatch.
3. ER lighting is excellent
4. Since the engine separates ER access I was still able to retrieve my tools stored forward without having to lift the PH access hatch which was nice.
5 Removable ER floor panels are the best design I can think off. I needed to remove one panel to reach the bottom of the inverter and a power cable screw due to my limited sizes of screwdrivers.

In summary I learned a few things, enjoyed working in a very large and well thought out ER and was fortunate the fuse blew before I toasted the inverter. Now hopefully my realtor had similar success.

 

[drb1025]

I admire your positive attitude on everything.

 

[N4061]

Attitude

I admire your positive attitude on everything.

Thank you, I would like to think that I'm a margarita glass half full type of person and try to find the positives in life. As I grow older I'm finding this approach to life in general helps smooth out rough times ( and seas). Now lets hope I don't blow another fuse.

John

 

[N4061]

A new slip

When we took delivery of the boat we knew we wanted to keep her at Sunroad marina in SD where we kept our last three boats but finding a slip in a strong economy wasn't going to make it easy. Fortunately for us the marina management company appreciated return customers with new boats and found us a slip which we have really enjoyed. The only downside with the slip is that its 45' and we have to pay for the difference between our LOA and the slip size. Last week we received word a 40' slip was opening up and we ran down to take a look. Turned out to be a perfect location, not to far from the gate and we are surrounded by mostly sailboats providing a nice open feeling and great views all around. Today after work we plan to move the boat to her new home and start appreciating the slightly lower monthly slip fee. As we all know and appreciate about boating is that you can always move if you don't like something about your neighborhood.

John

 

[Art]

When we took delivery of the boat we knew we wanted to keep her at Sunroad marina in SD where we kept our last three boats but finding a slip in a strong economy wasn't going to make it easy. Fortunately for us the marina management company appreciated return customers with new boats and found us a slip which we have really enjoyed. The only downside with the slip is that its 45' and we have to pay for the difference between our LOA and the slip size. Last week we received word a 40' slip was opening up and we ran down to take a look. Turned out to be a perfect location, not to far from the gate and we are surrounded by mostly sailboats providing a nice open feeling and great views all around. Today after work we plan to move the boat to her new home and start appreciating the slightly lower monthly slip fee. As we all know and appreciate about boating is that you can always move if you don't like something about your neighborhood.

John

Good for you! If you sleep at dock and wind picks up you will hear rigging slapping. Do keep that in mind as you get ready to change berths.

 

[Fletcher500]

You will like F dock John. We had good neighbors when there a few years ago. Watch out for the orange kitty.

 

[dhays]

Thank you, I would like to think that I'm a margarita glass half full type of person and try to find the positives in life. As I grow older I'm finding this approach to life in general helps smooth out rough times ( and seas). Now lets hope I don't blow another fuse.



John

If I were you, I would have bought the block and purchase TWO fuses, one to use and one for a spare. If you blew the fuse once, you can do it again. A spare fuse is a nice thing to have.

I have a few fuses that I need to stock. I’ve never blown any yet, but it likely will happen at some point.

 

[N4061]

Haulout Day

So this morning I spent a half hour writing a post about our first Haulout using Mary's cell phone only to lose the connection. Ouch. So this time let's try posting a few photos and see if I can keep a connection.

 

[N4061]

OK, it appears if I step outside the unit I can get a connection so let's try this again. But this time a little less words and more facts (yea right).

So we were scheduled to drop off the boat on Thursday so Mary, Sailor Blue and I met at the boat Wednesday late afternoon after work to prepare the boat for its first bottom paint. Amazing how quickly the past 18 months past by and we are already doing bottom paint. To prepare the inside of the boat we used the "everything goes into the OSR" approach then covered up the entry with plastic and tape.

Then we rolled up all the window blinds and covered them with plastic. This was followed by the PH seating area then the salon then the ......

After this I did the aft deck then back inside to start cutting the red painters paper and covering all the floors. After a few hours we were both tired and left for home. I told Mary I would finish up in the morning.

I needed to drop off the boat around 0830 which meant I needed to leave by 0800 and arrive the boat by 0700hrs. After arriving the boat I quickly realized I didn't have enough time to complete everything and was stressing out even before my first cup of coffee. I did my best to get the boat ready then started the engine before casting off. There is something special about cruising alone on the boat especially in the morning. I quickly realized my short cruise would not be in perfect conditions but rather in dense fog. Thankfully I had all the electronics turn on and enjoyed using the Furuno radar to track a couple of boats. One boat was transmitting his AIS designation so for fun I called him on the VHF. I was happy to hear him respond and asked if was seeing my designation on his radar. As luck wouldnt have it, he said he was running without radar or GPS and couldnot confirm I was transmitting. So much for that call.

Upon reaching the yard I found the haulout slip empty on one side and lined up the boat. There was a stiff breeze on my starboard side which was pushing me to the dock. This was good I thought as I put the engine in neutral and glided into place. As soon as I was in I jumped off the boat and tied up the bow line only to see the stern starting to drift away. Dang it, I quickly grabbed the boat s midship railing and jump aboard. Just as I was about to put the boat in gear a worker ran down to help so I ran to the aft deck and through him a line which he used to pull me in. After tieing up I tried to understand what the heck happened and could only conclude the boats momentum combined with the breeze was enough to take me to the dock but once I lost momentum a tide must had taken over and pushed my stern away. This was one time a stern thruster would have been helpful.

After checking in at the office I left for work and crossed my fingers everything will go smooth. More to follow,...

 

[N4061]

Fuses

If I were you, I would have bought the block and purchase TWO fuses, one to use and one for a spare. If you blew the fuse once, you can do it again. A spare fuse is a nice thing to have.

I have a few fuses that I need to stock. I’ve never blown any yet, but it likely will happen at some point.

Totally agree and already have a spare stored away for next time. Thanks

 

[MYTraveler]

to prepare the boat for its first bottom paint. Amazing how quickly the past 18 months past by and we are already doing bottom paint. To prepare the inside of the boat we used the "everything goes into the OSR" approach then covered up the entry with plastic and tape.

I am surprised you need bottom paint after only 18 months? And why do you need to prepare the inside of the boat. When I have my bottom painted, no one goes inside. What am I missing?

 

[N4061]

I am surprised you need bottom paint after only 18 months? And why do you need to prepare the inside of the boat. When I have my bottom painted, no one goes inside. What am I missing?

Great question and something I was planning to expand on during my following posts. In addition to bottom paint we are addressing a couple of small issues in the ER. The first is a small leak at a fuel manifold valve, the second is to replace the nut and washer on one engine mount due to the start of salt water corrosion which occurred during commissioning when we were dialing in the AC units and had salt water spray the area. I guess I didn't clean up the area as well as I thought. This is more a preventative maintenance item than true mechanical problem. We are also planning to remove the second cutlass bearing installed on our boat since we don't need it. As part of Helmsman Trawlers ongoing efforts to improve their boats Scott will invest in different enhancements to provide the best boat possible (something I look for in a builder) and this second bearing was one of those enhancements he tried to address a slight engine harmonic vibration at around 1700rpm. While the vibration is minimal and I don't run the boat at 1700rpm for any duration of time, Scott still wanted to remove the bearing at his cost. These items obviously requires the mechanics to have access to the ER thus the need to cover up everything.

Regarding bottom paint at 18 months I agree it appears to be about six months sooner than what I recall doing on the Nordys but this is a different builder and different diver servicing the hull so possibly the combination are resulting in a shorter bottom paint life. More to follow.....

 

[N4061]

Haulout Insurance

One subject I failed to mention regarding this bottom paint haul out was insurance. I'm not sure how others policies are written but in Southern California I need an amendment to my policy everytime we haul out the boat. The reason is the yard makes you sign off they are limited against any damages and somehow by signing off on the work order I waive my insurance coverage. According to my carrier I have to pay a little extra for an amendment to cover me. This may be a California thing, but I don't like to take chances and purchase the extra coverage.

Funny thing happened Friday afternoon when i asked Mary to drive by the yard and confirm the workers closed the aft salon door for the day. It was around 4:30pm when I received the frantic call from Mary saying the boat was gone. She was a little excited and said she she looked through both gates and couldn't see the boat anywhere. I received word from Ken at the yard earlier that they had to move the boat a few feet but it should have been visible from the street. I assured Mary it had to be there someplace and I would check on it Saturday. Sure enough when Sailor Blue and I drove down to the yard Saturday morning the boat was no where in site. The gate was locked so I couldn't get in but did see a few workers. As I searched for a way inside until i found an entry to the business next door and climbed the stairs to the second level. From this vantage point I could see our boat between two other boats but behind the main building which blocked it from the street. Needless to say I felt a little better knowing the boat was still there. No work planned over the weekend but I will stop by after work to check on things. Always something to deal with when messing around with boats but it part of the experience and fun.

 

[N4061]

bottom paint

Yesterdays inspection of the work performed was enlightening when I noticed the swim platform SS brackets were no longer silver but black? My first reaction was O no! I specifically recall seeing some discoloration on the support brackets and intended on discussing the yards cleaning process with the manager after the bottom wad painted. Looks like that discussion will be saved for another day and another boat. I did actually stop in the office and asked about the painting and was told each yard has a different approach, some paint below the waterline while some don't. Overall I'm ok with the support brackets being painted since its less work for me to keep them clean.

Appreciate others comments or thoughts on tho topic.

 

[N4061]

Bottom Paint

I checked on the boat today and everything appears to be on schedule for tomorrow. Attached is a photo of the swim platform with painted struts.

 

[Rebel112r]

I generally paint anything under water..

 

[N4061]

A night aboard

I still need to post about the haul out in detail but thought I would post this short update. After a business trip to Georgia this week I decided to take a vacation day tomorrow and spend time on the boat with Mary and Sailor Blue. When Mary called me at work this morning and suggested we spend the night aboard I was more than pleased. This will be the first night aboard in our new slip where it is very quiet especially after 5:00pm. After church we headed to the boat and Bar-B-Q chicken kabobs for dinner along with a cold margarita.
After cleaning up the galley I filled up the fresh water tank and inspected the ER. Despite the small craft warnings this weekend we still plan to take the boat out tomorrow and cruise around the bay. Possibly anchor out for lunch before heading back to marina for the evening. We may even launch the dingy and test the new Torqpedo OB. Regardless what we do we will be on the boat which beats work.

John

 

[N4061]

A Day Out

What else can i say about this hull? Today we took the boat out despite small craft warnings. We are the safest boaters out there and knew we would be staying inside but did go out to the point. As we neared the point and starting losing the protection from the worst of the breeze the water really started to pick up. We were following a 45 - 50 something bubble boat and watched him roll side to side as we stay relatively stable. Thanks full a deep keel and great hull design. When a 60' decided to pass close to us and we needed to turn into his large wake and took it just fine with limited discomfort. Once we started taking a few larger waves we decided that was enough fun for today and turned around. On the way back I checked the dingy which was fine. I'm still a little nervous with the soft chocks but I have the boat tied down well and it hasn't moved. Tomorrow we plan to launch the dingy and try out the new OB. We made strip to West Marine and picked up two new large fenders which we figured will finish our desire level of protection. It was great waking up on the boat and spending the day aboard. Looking forward to tomorrow.

John

 

[N4061]

Torqeedo

Wow, today we used the new Torqeedo outboard on the Gig Habor and were we pleased. So easy to mount and assemble. Three pieces that basically just fit together, no screws or bolts. Weighing only about 16 pounds fully assembled it is amazing. Figuring out the display and how to operate took only a few minutes. Quiet doesn't even describe this amazing motor. Performance matches our Yamaha OB at half the weight, no gas and 98% quieter. This company has something with these electric motors.

I took her first for about 20 minutes to get use to throttle and it's feel. Went from idle through open throttle and only used about 10% of battery capacity.

After Mary, Sailor Blue and I went out for about 40 minutes at mostly lower throttle settings we only used another 10% of battery life. Wow, what a great engine.

We also launched the dingy from up top for only the second time an it went well. To clear the slip dock we have to push the boat until the stern is about eight feet from the edge of the dock before lowering the boat. I'm getting to like this davit the more i use it.
It was another great day at the boat and a great weekend aboard.

 

[N4061]

Sunday Cruise

What better way to enjoy a nice day then take the boat out and that's exactly what we did Sunday. Despite the sea swells being a little mixed S @1-3, W @2-3 and both @15 seconds plus wind waves @2' we didn't let it stop us. While these seas are small we knew our plan to run north a few miles to anchor out in Mission Bay would equal swells directly on our port beam and another test w/o stabilization. While the gentle motion of the boat side to side was fine, Mary and Sailor Blue requested a change in course. A simple few degree turn to port made all the difference in the world to them and had minimum impact on our overall time. In addition to change in course I also played around with speed to find that "sweet spot" for swells. Once dialed in we had a great trip there and back. Would stabilization made trip more comfortable, yes by I'm guessing about 25% once we changed course. Do I believe we need it with this boat, no. I kept thinking about my N40's and how the fins worked great but not 100%. We still rolled some and close to what we did yesterday. Interesting and more trips are required with beam seas. Fun stuff to play with.

John

 

[N4061]

Spring Time

As with many boaters getting ready for summer can be a busy time. We find ourselves busy including a little more activity this week. Today we had Alcom marine who performed our original electronics installation aboard to change out a card to address an issue we have been having recently with the plotter. We look forward to a sea trial soon to confirm the gremlins are gone.

Cannot wait for a nice three day trip someplace.

John

 

[siestakey]

As with many boaters getting ready for summer can be a busy time. We find ourselves busy including a little more activity this week. Today we had Alcom marine who performed our original electronics installation aboard to change out a card to address an issue we have been having recently with the plotter. We look forward to a sea trial soon to confirm the gremlins are gone.

Cannot wait for a nice three day trip someplace.

John

Did you take any pictures? would love to see them

 

[N4061]

The past two weeks have been a tail spin of sorts for us. While awaiting to to see Scott and his son who were traveling to SD to off load and deliver Bill's new H43 (yes, there now two Helmsman trawlers in SD) I received word from the east coast my mom was in the hospital. I jumped on a plane to NY for a few days before returning home just in time to receive keys to our new house in RSF, Ca. The next week I was off on a business trip leaving Mary to coordinate the contractors (she was not very happy) only to return and discover scheduling issues. This resulted in yesterday being the only day I could spend time at the house and missed out seeing Scott. The good news is Scott will be back I a few months to deliver yet another H43 to SD. It appears word is out about these boats since SD is not a big trawler community like the PNW and it takes a great boat to break into this market. Off to the house now check out more paint colors.

John

 

[N4061]

After not taking the boat out for two or three weeks we finally found Tim to run her Sunday. We were excited to see Bill's new H43 and cruised over to Coronado where we spotted her shinning bright amongst the other boats. She looked great and we look forward to meeting Bill aboard in the near future. We spent the hour slowly cruising around bay while staying warm in the PH on what was a cloudy and windy day. Docking into our new slip bow into wind is much easier than than our previous slip. The new house is coming along and we expect to move in late next week. It sure is messing up my boating plans��.

 

[N4061]

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day to all and a safe weekend out on the water. Three day summer weekends have historically been non boating weekends for us unless we are headed out along the coastline. We just don't enjoy being surrounded by lots of boats, especially sail boats on the bay. This weekend will be no exception. We did spend the night aboard last night after a day at the house with a few contractors. As of today the inside of the house is done and we plan a final day of cleaning before we move in next week. Amazing how you purchase a home thinking its just what you were looking for only to make numerous changes during and after escrow. I guess that's how it goes ��.

Last night aboard the boat we Bar-B-Q lobster tails with backed clams. A few margaritas and it was a great dinner. Always fun waking up on the boat and drinking coffee. Today is another day of cleaning then back to the boat for the night while the unit downtown is being shown to perspective buyers.

Hopefully we get the boat out next week for a few days.

John

 

[BandB]

Happy Memorial Day to all and a safe weekend out on the water. Three day summer weekends have historically been non boating weekends for us unless we are headed out along the coastline. We just don't enjoy being surrounded by lots of boats, especially sail boats on the bay.

Wifey B: Well no worry about boating accidents and traffic this Memorial Day around here. Wind, rain, bad seas. Lousy for tourists.