Alright, our interest in a water making system was certainly piqued at the Newport Boat Show. The potential simplicity and ease of operation of the system offered by DIY Watermakers make our consideration very serious. So, why would we need a water maker when our sailing plans contemplate mostly coastal voyages?
Well, one of the elements of sailing, cruising, or voyaging that we really value is the self-reliance it requires. Additionally, we like to be relatively off the grid and independent with respect to "having" to go to the dock or "having" someone come out to us for anything. Now, we're not "doomsday preppers" or kooks longing for solitary existence. But we want to be able to handle most of our needs by ourselves.
Having a water making system would offer several benefits to us. First, we would always have control over the quality of the water we have in our tanks. Second, we would be able to generate enough water for all of our needs without having to make repeated trips to the dock to fill our 200 gallon tanks. Third, if we were to ever be able to take a cruise to the "islands", it would be imperative to have our own clean water supply.
In normal situations, one goes to the "main" dock or marina to fill empty water tanks. This water usually is from a relatively reliable municipal water supply, but sits in hoses until it reaches the one's deck fills. Once in the boat's tanks, the "new" water must be sanitized with a variety of chemicals. In outlying areas or the "islands", the water may be sourced from some very questionable sources.
For us, the process of bring Harmony into the dock involves a lot of work for 2 people. And that is in calm conditions. Yes, we have a bow thruster, but the Westsail 42 is a big and beamy boat with a 4+ foot bow sprit and it can be nerve wracking. To exert the effort for a 20 minute water fill may not be the best use of time and energy.
When we move onto Harmony we will have the luxury of pressure water, hot water showers, and multiple sinks. Our previous boat, Poetry, was fitted out with 1 manual water pump and no internal shower. Not that we want to be wasteful, but we do want to move beyond a camping-like existence on-board. We really want to entertain friends and family on-board without subjecting them to an overdone scarcity environment. Being able to replenish our water supplies while either at anchor or underway makes life aboard less limiting and increases the overall comfort level.
Yes, our primary cruising voyages will be coastal. We won't be crossing oceans. However, we do have a desire to take at least one trip south the Caribbean Islands. While we'll certainly have to go ashore to clear customs and enjoy the cultures, we do want to be somewhat independent from island water supplies.
OK, we could dinghy ashore with our multitude of 5 gallon containers and make the repeated trek back and forth. Let's see, 200 gallons divided by 5 equals 40. Each 5 gallon container weighs about 40 pounds. It won't take long for the back and forth to get old!
So, there are a lot of advantages and "luxuries" associated with the having a water maker system. There are also costs and complexities. It is certainly cheaper and simpler to take a container to a well or plug a hose into the deck fill. For us, the decision is less about the cost and more about the quality of the life we'll live aboard. This is not to say that we are not frugal: heck, we are New Englanders who have relatively simple tastes.
Since the Newport Boat Show, we have discussed this topic almost endlessly. I think we have convinced ourselves of the efficacy of having a water maker. Now, we need to invest a bit of effort researching our options, because we don't want to find ourselves all wet after having made a decision with diluted information!
Fair Winds and Following Seas!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
The Newport Boat Show - Decisions Made
Boat shows are usually a mixed bag for us. Yes, we really enjoy being among boats of all kinds, but we are not big fans of aimless wandering. Our most anticipated boat shows are those at which we need to do either major research for a project or serious buying for a boat project. However, as much as we gear up for getting something done, our boat shoe experiences fail to live up to the excitement we often feel to get into the detail.
Most of this disappointment involves vendors who tend to just show up at the show. With rare exception, they have a pretty face in their booth, but have either no desire or ability to really field serious questions or transact serious business. This is a shame, because some of us come to boat shows to do more than drool over the nautical eye candy.
For us the 2012 Newport Boat Show was targeted as a serious purchase venture. We were in position to buy major systems and wanted to take full advantage of boat show discounts. Our helpful counsel, Greg Flederman, The Boat Doctor, offered to help up select and negotiate system prices.
Obviously, Greg was going to really help out with our selection of navigational systems including radar, chart plotter, auto pilot, etc. We were going to avail ourselves of his expertise regarding lighting, refrigeration, and anything else he offered. He had other clients at the show, and we agreed to meet up at the Raymarine booth.
With Greg's counsel, we had chosen Raymarine as our suite of electronics. While Garmin was a serious contender, the interfacing capabilities of Raymarine, as well as their quality in the autopilot category swung the deal. However, the Raymarine booth was NOT selling at the show. WHAT!? Well, we were at least able to select each component with the help of their show folks. We would purchase it all later.
We then went to Frigoboat to discuss refrigeration. We have both a reefer and a freezer to install. Frigoboat sent us to Kathy Groh at Great Water Marine Systems to chat about systems. We found Kathy to be incredibly sincere and helpful. With her help, we were able to select the components for Harmony. She also helped us out with selecting water heaters. She wasn't able to make any sales at the show, but she noted our needs and we scheduled a follow-up chat/meeting to finalize what we would actually purchase. A huge advantage for us is that Kathy's facility is just 30 minutes from Harmony.
We evaluated a new rigid inflatable dinghy for Harmony, as our current inflatable is beginning to suffer from inflatile dysfunction, and may not be up to the task of shepherding us back and forth to the boat. If we get the air leaks fixed, our current dinghy may prove to be a better dinghy dock resident: we use our dinghy dock dinghy as an emergency access boat in case the Barden's Boat Yard launch is not available.
We were able to evaluate various LED lights for Harmony's interior. The tough task with these lights is that is hard to really understand how much light they emit and how their light looks when on. While we didn't buy any lights, we were able to make a clear selection of what to put where.
We were able to meet up with Mack Boring and purchase the new engine: a Yanmar 4JH4-HTE. This decision was covered in a prior posting, but at the show we inked the deal to buy it. Well, one purchase made!
Our last experience at the 2012 Newport Boat Show came after Greg scurried to find us. He had seen a very interesting water making system (i.e. reverse osmosis) that was not only very affordable, but really easy to install and operate. We spend over a half an hour at the DIY Watermakers booth listening to Raymond and Amanda Fosdick explain their concept.
Beth and I had not considered adding a water maker to Harmony. This was primarily due to the cost of the systems offered by the major players on the market. However, the simplicity of the DIY Watermakers' system, the relatively low cost to install, and ease of operation made us put this consideration in the high interest column.
So, after a long day of buying, selecting, and considering, we felt we had a decent boat show experience. While we didn't want away carrying big boxes, we did achieve a lot of what we wanted to do. Heck, I couldn't see how we were going to carry the new engine back to the car anyway! Yes, we had a good day at a boat show, finally!
Fair Winds and Following Seas!
Most of this disappointment involves vendors who tend to just show up at the show. With rare exception, they have a pretty face in their booth, but have either no desire or ability to really field serious questions or transact serious business. This is a shame, because some of us come to boat shows to do more than drool over the nautical eye candy.
For us the 2012 Newport Boat Show was targeted as a serious purchase venture. We were in position to buy major systems and wanted to take full advantage of boat show discounts. Our helpful counsel, Greg Flederman, The Boat Doctor, offered to help up select and negotiate system prices.
Obviously, Greg was going to really help out with our selection of navigational systems including radar, chart plotter, auto pilot, etc. We were going to avail ourselves of his expertise regarding lighting, refrigeration, and anything else he offered. He had other clients at the show, and we agreed to meet up at the Raymarine booth.
With Greg's counsel, we had chosen Raymarine as our suite of electronics. While Garmin was a serious contender, the interfacing capabilities of Raymarine, as well as their quality in the autopilot category swung the deal. However, the Raymarine booth was NOT selling at the show. WHAT!? Well, we were at least able to select each component with the help of their show folks. We would purchase it all later.
We then went to Frigoboat to discuss refrigeration. We have both a reefer and a freezer to install. Frigoboat sent us to Kathy Groh at Great Water Marine Systems to chat about systems. We found Kathy to be incredibly sincere and helpful. With her help, we were able to select the components for Harmony. She also helped us out with selecting water heaters. She wasn't able to make any sales at the show, but she noted our needs and we scheduled a follow-up chat/meeting to finalize what we would actually purchase. A huge advantage for us is that Kathy's facility is just 30 minutes from Harmony.
We evaluated a new rigid inflatable dinghy for Harmony, as our current inflatable is beginning to suffer from inflatile dysfunction, and may not be up to the task of shepherding us back and forth to the boat. If we get the air leaks fixed, our current dinghy may prove to be a better dinghy dock resident: we use our dinghy dock dinghy as an emergency access boat in case the Barden's Boat Yard launch is not available.
We were able to evaluate various LED lights for Harmony's interior. The tough task with these lights is that is hard to really understand how much light they emit and how their light looks when on. While we didn't buy any lights, we were able to make a clear selection of what to put where.
We were able to meet up with Mack Boring and purchase the new engine: a Yanmar 4JH4-HTE. This decision was covered in a prior posting, but at the show we inked the deal to buy it. Well, one purchase made!
Our last experience at the 2012 Newport Boat Show came after Greg scurried to find us. He had seen a very interesting water making system (i.e. reverse osmosis) that was not only very affordable, but really easy to install and operate. We spend over a half an hour at the DIY Watermakers booth listening to Raymond and Amanda Fosdick explain their concept.
Beth and I had not considered adding a water maker to Harmony. This was primarily due to the cost of the systems offered by the major players on the market. However, the simplicity of the DIY Watermakers' system, the relatively low cost to install, and ease of operation made us put this consideration in the high interest column.
So, after a long day of buying, selecting, and considering, we felt we had a decent boat show experience. While we didn't want away carrying big boxes, we did achieve a lot of what we wanted to do. Heck, I couldn't see how we were going to carry the new engine back to the car anyway! Yes, we had a good day at a boat show, finally!
Fair Winds and Following Seas!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
The New Engine - A Powerful Choice
After much searching, head scratching, and question asking, we have finally chosen an engine for Harmony. We looked at all possibilities for a diesel auxiliary. The 2 primary focal points included brand and size in horse power. We wanted to ensure that we had a reliable engine that was easy to service either by ourselves or others wherever we voyaged, and we wanted to have enough power to move the boat at hull speed and to spin a good size alternator.
When Harmony was built in 1976, she was powered by a standard Perkins 4-108 diesel which produced about 84 horse power. This had become a standard power package for the Westsail 42. While Perkins makes fine engines and we were experienced with our Perkins 30 HP unit on Poetry, the 4-108 has a reputation for being a bit of a hassle to work on.
Most of the engines we looked at, Beta, Perkins, Westerbeke, and Catepillar were all marinized truck engines. As had been our experience with finding electricians, we found it frustrating to get anyone to really talk to us about what engine to choose. Now, we're talking about spending roughly $18,000 for the new engine. I guess I imagined that in this relatively slow economy that someone would want to do a little business.
Well, enter the Mack Boring company out of Braintree, MA, and we found someone who was willing to spend time with us. We had huddled with Dave Winskowicz from Mack Boring at the January 2012 Boston Boat Show and he spent as much time as we needed. He gave us two recommendations, both of which were Yanmar models: a 75 HP model and a 110 HP model. Yanmar engines are made purposefully for the marine market and are standard equipment on many of today's leading sailboats.
Now there will always be a point of contention between the old school guys that like the Detroit diesels and the new school folks that move with the newer innovations. We liked that Yanmar has been installed in most of the new vessels and parts and service are found almost everywhere we were sailing. Besides, Mack Boring had a solid working relationship with our boatyard, Barden's Boat Yard. On top of that, Mack Boring offered 3 day instructional classes in servicing and maintaining the engine: Oh, the sight of Beth with a torque wrench in the engine room wearing a matching ensemble of matching overalls and shoes was too much!
After much thought and continued discussion with Dave over the intervening months we were quickly reaching a decision point. We were leaning to the 110 HP unit in order to provide the sufficient amount of power for propulsion and charging. A quick discussion with Doug at Barden's Boat Yard and our decision was made.
Our plan was to buy the engine at the 2012 Newport Boat Show thus enjoying the benefits of a boat show discount. We were to meet up with Dave at Newport and do the deal. Yep, we were going to purchase a Yanmar 4JH4-HTE: a turbo-charged 110 HP unit that will give us the power we need to battle currents AND do healthy charging.
Great! A major decision made and movement forward.
Fair Winds and Following Seas!
When Harmony was built in 1976, she was powered by a standard Perkins 4-108 diesel which produced about 84 horse power. This had become a standard power package for the Westsail 42. While Perkins makes fine engines and we were experienced with our Perkins 30 HP unit on Poetry, the 4-108 has a reputation for being a bit of a hassle to work on.
Most of the engines we looked at, Beta, Perkins, Westerbeke, and Catepillar were all marinized truck engines. As had been our experience with finding electricians, we found it frustrating to get anyone to really talk to us about what engine to choose. Now, we're talking about spending roughly $18,000 for the new engine. I guess I imagined that in this relatively slow economy that someone would want to do a little business.
Well, enter the Mack Boring company out of Braintree, MA, and we found someone who was willing to spend time with us. We had huddled with Dave Winskowicz from Mack Boring at the January 2012 Boston Boat Show and he spent as much time as we needed. He gave us two recommendations, both of which were Yanmar models: a 75 HP model and a 110 HP model. Yanmar engines are made purposefully for the marine market and are standard equipment on many of today's leading sailboats.
Now there will always be a point of contention between the old school guys that like the Detroit diesels and the new school folks that move with the newer innovations. We liked that Yanmar has been installed in most of the new vessels and parts and service are found almost everywhere we were sailing. Besides, Mack Boring had a solid working relationship with our boatyard, Barden's Boat Yard. On top of that, Mack Boring offered 3 day instructional classes in servicing and maintaining the engine: Oh, the sight of Beth with a torque wrench in the engine room wearing a matching ensemble of matching overalls and shoes was too much!
After much thought and continued discussion with Dave over the intervening months we were quickly reaching a decision point. We were leaning to the 110 HP unit in order to provide the sufficient amount of power for propulsion and charging. A quick discussion with Doug at Barden's Boat Yard and our decision was made.
 |
| Our Yanmar 4JK4-HTE - a 110 HP iron genoa |
Great! A major decision made and movement forward.
Fair Winds and Following Seas!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Foredeck Secure - New Deck Hatch Installed
One of the obvious replacement targets that we spied when we first looked at Harmony was the foredeck hatch. It was a plastic piece of garbage better meant for a dumpster than a boat. Besides the fact that it was extremely unseaworthy, it was broken and it leaked.
OK, the foredeck of a Westsail 42 was NOT meant for a hatch. Given our special below decks configuration, which featured a v-berth, I can fathom a rationale for increased ventilation. However, said hatch better be seaworthy to keep out any boarding seas the boat will surely take sailing offshore. Since the prior owner had installed a hatch in the foredeck thereby making restoring the deck to its original form financially impossible, I had to make the situation workable and safe.
Thankfully the plastic hatch was a standard size. I strolled through the pages of the mega marine catalogs that become so addictive and found a very seaworthy replacement. We went with a Lewmar Ocean hatch 60 because of its strength, workmanship, and, above all, very high rating for performance in tough conditions.
So far this little project was comprised of very easy decisions. Now, the supposedly super easy part, installation. Since the hatch sizing was standard, I didn't expect any issue. So, I allotted about 90 minutes at the end of long day to pull the old one out and "pop" the new one in. Not to worry, right? Pop out, pop in, short task at the end of a long day and near sunset....Right!
Well, the old hatch did pop right out. Well, that is where the easy ended! The cut-out in the deck was off just enough that I couldn't just pop the new one in. Out came the jig saw, rasp, and dictionary of works that Mom wouldn't want to hear. A little cut here, a little rasp there, with a few invectives thrown in for fine tuning, and, walla, the new hatch "popped" right in.
Next, I had to drilled all the through bolt holes. Yeah, I realize the old hatch was just surfaced screwed, but I didn't want this hatch flying off in a storm. I had now been at this quick little project for 2 hours. However, I was ready for the final act: bedding the hatch and bolting in place.
After about twice the length of time I estimated, and as darkness was closing in, I tightened the last bolt and prettied-up the bedding compound that had over oozed. Yeah, it sure looked nice, and it was certainly stronger than the old plastic hatch. It even worked just like it should. Above all, it was secure and didn't leak anymore! Nice!
Fair Winds and Following Seas!
 |
| The cheap and broken foredeck hatch |
Thankfully the plastic hatch was a standard size. I strolled through the pages of the mega marine catalogs that become so addictive and found a very seaworthy replacement. We went with a Lewmar Ocean hatch 60 because of its strength, workmanship, and, above all, very high rating for performance in tough conditions.
 |
| The Lewmar Ocean 60 hatch on the foredeck |
Well, the old hatch did pop right out. Well, that is where the easy ended! The cut-out in the deck was off just enough that I couldn't just pop the new one in. Out came the jig saw, rasp, and dictionary of works that Mom wouldn't want to hear. A little cut here, a little rasp there, with a few invectives thrown in for fine tuning, and, walla, the new hatch "popped" right in.
Next, I had to drilled all the through bolt holes. Yeah, I realize the old hatch was just surfaced screwed, but I didn't want this hatch flying off in a storm. I had now been at this quick little project for 2 hours. However, I was ready for the final act: bedding the hatch and bolting in place.
 |
| While not standard, The Lewmar will work just fine |
Fair Winds and Following Seas!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Energy Concerns - Charging Ahead
One of the more important concerns for the crew of Harmony relates to energy usage on board and the issue of battery charging. After our experience on our previous boat, Poetry, which was a 1965 Pearson Vanguard, we wanted to use our blank canvas situation on Harmony to our fullest advantage.
On Poetry, we had installed a refrigeration unit. Unfortunately, we were only able to insulate the original "cooler" box just so much. The result was that we had to run the engine 5+ hours every day we used the reefer just to keep the batteries charged. Yes, we had installed a huge battery bank on Poetry to be able to support eventual radar and chart plotting, but the refrigeration was a true hog.
Well, on Harmony we would have 2 separate refrigeration systems: a reefer AND a freezer. In addition to that, Harmony would have pressure water, and a full suite of radar, chart plotting, radios, and auto pilot. We did NOT want to run the engine 30 hours a day to support our existence on the boat. For one it is too much background noise, it uses gallons of diesel fuel, produces lots of exhaust, and the idling of the diesel doesn't do the engine much good.
What to do? While it is easy to ponder solar and wind power, these systems are not panaceas. We could install a diesel generator, but its just another diesel engine which requires space, plumbing, and fuel. So with the counsel of Greg Fledeman, the Boat Doctor, we were able to construct a general plan.
While the energy consumption rates of the basic electrical components are pretty much a given, we could find ways to conserve. First, our refrigeration systems would consist of Frigoboat keel coolers and well insulated boxes. Second, we would install a complete suite of LED lights for both internal and external needs. Third, we would install both solar and wind charging systems.
Even in our targeted Northeast Atlantic cruising grounds, these two systems should be able to provide enough energy during a normal sunny/windy day to power the entire boat including auto pilot. We do expect to run the engine at least 30 minutes a day when entering and leaving a harbor. So, the engine will mostly be used for propulsion. Great!
The solar panels will be mounted at the stern on davits, which will also be used to get the dinghy out of the water and off the deck for coastal cruising. Additional solar panels will be mounted on the bimini top. The challenge with all solar panels is that their efficiency diminishes so much when the shade from sails or spars occludes the panel surfaces.
The wind generator, brand to be chosen later, will be mounted on the mizzen mast above the radar dome. The concern here relates to the risk to life and limb should one of the generator blades break and rain down upon those in the cockpit. At the advice of the davit fabricator, Kato Marine, we decided to not mount the unit on the davits: too much vibration. However, the radar dome should deflect the brunt of the debris should such a catastrophic failure occur.
OK, we now know how we're going to charge the batteries without burdening the diesel engine. We can be comforted that we're being more environmentally responsible and limiting our reliance on the proverbial "grid". Ahh, doomsday preppers we're not, at least not yet!!!
More on these elements when we get to the installation process.
Fair Winds and Following Seas!
On Poetry, we had installed a refrigeration unit. Unfortunately, we were only able to insulate the original "cooler" box just so much. The result was that we had to run the engine 5+ hours every day we used the reefer just to keep the batteries charged. Yes, we had installed a huge battery bank on Poetry to be able to support eventual radar and chart plotting, but the refrigeration was a true hog.
Well, on Harmony we would have 2 separate refrigeration systems: a reefer AND a freezer. In addition to that, Harmony would have pressure water, and a full suite of radar, chart plotting, radios, and auto pilot. We did NOT want to run the engine 30 hours a day to support our existence on the boat. For one it is too much background noise, it uses gallons of diesel fuel, produces lots of exhaust, and the idling of the diesel doesn't do the engine much good.
What to do? While it is easy to ponder solar and wind power, these systems are not panaceas. We could install a diesel generator, but its just another diesel engine which requires space, plumbing, and fuel. So with the counsel of Greg Fledeman, the Boat Doctor, we were able to construct a general plan.
While the energy consumption rates of the basic electrical components are pretty much a given, we could find ways to conserve. First, our refrigeration systems would consist of Frigoboat keel coolers and well insulated boxes. Second, we would install a complete suite of LED lights for both internal and external needs. Third, we would install both solar and wind charging systems.
Even in our targeted Northeast Atlantic cruising grounds, these two systems should be able to provide enough energy during a normal sunny/windy day to power the entire boat including auto pilot. We do expect to run the engine at least 30 minutes a day when entering and leaving a harbor. So, the engine will mostly be used for propulsion. Great!
The solar panels will be mounted at the stern on davits, which will also be used to get the dinghy out of the water and off the deck for coastal cruising. Additional solar panels will be mounted on the bimini top. The challenge with all solar panels is that their efficiency diminishes so much when the shade from sails or spars occludes the panel surfaces.
The wind generator, brand to be chosen later, will be mounted on the mizzen mast above the radar dome. The concern here relates to the risk to life and limb should one of the generator blades break and rain down upon those in the cockpit. At the advice of the davit fabricator, Kato Marine, we decided to not mount the unit on the davits: too much vibration. However, the radar dome should deflect the brunt of the debris should such a catastrophic failure occur.
OK, we now know how we're going to charge the batteries without burdening the diesel engine. We can be comforted that we're being more environmentally responsible and limiting our reliance on the proverbial "grid". Ahh, doomsday preppers we're not, at least not yet!!!
More on these elements when we get to the installation process.
Fair Winds and Following Seas!
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