| SMALL PROJECTS |
| GPS Chartplotter Install | Hatch Glass Replacement | Tuff Luff Headstay Foil Install Battery Charger Replacement | Boomkicker Installation |
GPS Chartplotter
When I purchased the boat, the electronics were extremely dated. The old stereo and VHF were
removed and replaced with new units. The ancient loran was removed and discarded and it was
replaced with a new Garmin GPSMap 440 Chartplotter.
The DC distribution panel does not have any extra switches, so the
VHF and the GPS share a common power source. The alternative was
to purchase a larger distribution panel and, while that may be necessary
in the future, I did not want to do that at this time.
All of the newer generation Garmin chartplotters come with an internal antenna. However, an
external antenna provides quicker and more reliable satellite acquisition. The mushroom style
external antenna is the Garmin GA 29 and I purchased a West Marine rail mount to attach it to the
stern pulpit.
A minor annoyance is that the external antenna comes with the BNC connector already attached.
The connector diameter is significantly more than the cable's diameter. Rather than drill large
holes to route the cable, I removed the existing connector and purchased another one from Radio
Shack. Once the cable was routed, I reattached the new connector.
I also used the GPS' NMEA connection to interface the GPS with the VHF. This enables the VHF's
DNC components to broadcast our position and it displays the latitude and longitude on the VHF
screen - which may be very important if we have to broadcast our position in an emergency. The
person using the VHF does not need to learn how to operate the GPS in order to call for help.
In order to make the GPS more versatile, I installed it on a swing mount on the starboard
companionway bulkhead. It swings inside for storage and for use at the nav station and out to the
lower right corner of the companionway for navigating while underway.
The mount is the basic swing mount from West Marine. It is pricey, but it appears strong and well
engineered. In order to install it, I cut a small piece of teak to serve as a base. The bulkhead is far
too thin to drill into directly. I bedded the teak with 4200 and clamped it in place. I considered using
epoxy, but the 4200 cures more quickly and, most importantly, will be a bit easier to remove if
removal ever proves necessary.
The aluminum mount drills easily and I attached the GPS base using three #8 stainless steel
flathead machine screws. The swing mount was attached to the teak with 4 # 10 panhead stainless
steel self tapping screws.
As of this writing, I have only just begun using the GPS. However, my first impression is favorable. It
came preloaded with the Bluechart software for the entire country (no need for chips) and the
interface is very intuitive.
When I purchased the boat, the electronics were extremely dated. The old stereo and VHF were
removed and replaced with new units. The ancient loran was removed and discarded and it was
replaced with a new Garmin GPSMap 440 Chartplotter.
The DC distribution panel does not have any extra switches, so the
VHF and the GPS share a common power source. The alternative was
to purchase a larger distribution panel and, while that may be necessary
in the future, I did not want to do that at this time.
All of the newer generation Garmin chartplotters come with an internal antenna. However, an
external antenna provides quicker and more reliable satellite acquisition. The mushroom style
external antenna is the Garmin GA 29 and I purchased a West Marine rail mount to attach it to the
stern pulpit.
A minor annoyance is that the external antenna comes with the BNC connector already attached.
The connector diameter is significantly more than the cable's diameter. Rather than drill large
holes to route the cable, I removed the existing connector and purchased another one from Radio
Shack. Once the cable was routed, I reattached the new connector.
I also used the GPS' NMEA connection to interface the GPS with the VHF. This enables the VHF's
DNC components to broadcast our position and it displays the latitude and longitude on the VHF
screen - which may be very important if we have to broadcast our position in an emergency. The
person using the VHF does not need to learn how to operate the GPS in order to call for help.
In order to make the GPS more versatile, I installed it on a swing mount on the starboard
companionway bulkhead. It swings inside for storage and for use at the nav station and out to the
lower right corner of the companionway for navigating while underway.
The mount is the basic swing mount from West Marine. It is pricey, but it appears strong and well
engineered. In order to install it, I cut a small piece of teak to serve as a base. The bulkhead is far
too thin to drill into directly. I bedded the teak with 4200 and clamped it in place. I considered using
epoxy, but the 4200 cures more quickly and, most importantly, will be a bit easier to remove if
removal ever proves necessary.
The aluminum mount drills easily and I attached the GPS base using three #8 stainless steel
flathead machine screws. The swing mount was attached to the teak with 4 # 10 panhead stainless
steel self tapping screws.
As of this writing, I have only just begun using the GPS. However, my first impression is favorable. It
came preloaded with the Bluechart software for the entire country (no need for chips) and the
interface is very intuitive.
Hatch Glass Replacement
When I purchased the boat, the tempered glass on the large forward hatch was badly cracked. It
was made much worse after I stepped on it repeatedly during our first spinnaker run.
Rather than use tempered glass, I chose to use lexan. It is stronger and more durable than glass
or plexiglass and it is a very workable material. I purchased a 40" by 40" square of grey lexan,
which will leave enough material to replace the glass on the two smaller hatches as well. While not
damaged, they are deteriorated to the point where you cannot see through them.
The first step was to remove the damaged glass. The interior of the hatch
was easy as the glass came out in large pieces. However, the glass at the
perimeter, which was firmly bedded in sealant, had to be chipped out. As
it was real glass, it produced many shards that had to be carefully cleaned
up. Once the glass was removed, I scraped away the old sealant with a
paint scraper and plenty of acetone.
As the glass was heavily damaged, I was unable to use it to make a template. So, I placed the
whole lexan square over the hatch and traced the perimeter of the outer lip from inside the
v-berth. I then used my dividers and measured the width of the lip. I used the first tracing as guide
for the outer perimeter of the lexan.
I used a circular saw to cut the edges of the lexan. It cut very easily. I then cut the radii with a
jigsaw. Once the piece was cut, I placed it in the hatch to check the fit, which was fine. I scored the
protective paper where it overlapped the hatch lip and removed that edge so it would not interfere
with the sealant. I also taped the hatch with 2" blue painter's tape around the hatch to make
cleanup easier. I then ran a thick bead of butyl caulk, which will not harm the lexan and will remain
a pliable and effective water barrier. I laid the new lexan into place and used a battery to weigh it
down for an effective bond. I applied more caulk to the perimeter and smoothed it flush with the top
of the hatch. After letting the caulk cure for a day, I removed the protective paper and the battery.
The hatch looks great and, after waiting one more day, I sprayed it heavily with a hose to check for
leaks - there were none.
When I purchased the boat, the tempered glass on the large forward hatch was badly cracked. It
was made much worse after I stepped on it repeatedly during our first spinnaker run.
Rather than use tempered glass, I chose to use lexan. It is stronger and more durable than glass
or plexiglass and it is a very workable material. I purchased a 40" by 40" square of grey lexan,
which will leave enough material to replace the glass on the two smaller hatches as well. While not
damaged, they are deteriorated to the point where you cannot see through them.
The first step was to remove the damaged glass. The interior of the hatch
was easy as the glass came out in large pieces. However, the glass at the
perimeter, which was firmly bedded in sealant, had to be chipped out. As
it was real glass, it produced many shards that had to be carefully cleaned
up. Once the glass was removed, I scraped away the old sealant with a
paint scraper and plenty of acetone.
As the glass was heavily damaged, I was unable to use it to make a template. So, I placed the
whole lexan square over the hatch and traced the perimeter of the outer lip from inside the
v-berth. I then used my dividers and measured the width of the lip. I used the first tracing as guide
for the outer perimeter of the lexan.
I used a circular saw to cut the edges of the lexan. It cut very easily. I then cut the radii with a
jigsaw. Once the piece was cut, I placed it in the hatch to check the fit, which was fine. I scored the
protective paper where it overlapped the hatch lip and removed that edge so it would not interfere
with the sealant. I also taped the hatch with 2" blue painter's tape around the hatch to make
cleanup easier. I then ran a thick bead of butyl caulk, which will not harm the lexan and will remain
a pliable and effective water barrier. I laid the new lexan into place and used a battery to weigh it
down for an effective bond. I applied more caulk to the perimeter and smoothed it flush with the top
of the hatch. After letting the caulk cure for a day, I removed the protective paper and the battery.
The hatch looks great and, after waiting one more day, I sprayed it heavily with a hose to check for
leaks - there were none.
Tuff Luff Aero 1706 Headstay Foil Installation
The boat needed a new headstay foil. The existing one was a Head Foil 2 system and, while I
don't know how old it was, it was in bad shape. It was badly cracked, probably by a spinnaker
pole, and poorly repaired with a number of small screws. The starboard track would not feed.
I chose the Tuff Luff system as a replacement. Model 1706 is appropriate for my headstay and
luff tape size and I placed the order in early may with P-Yacht, who had the best price ($519). It
arrived at my office very poorly packed. Several inches of foil and the feeder were protruding
from a corner of the box. However, there was - incredibly - no signs of damage as a result of the
packing.
In order to get the new headstay on, I had to remove the old one. That started with the removal
of the old prefeeder, which was horribly designed. It is comprised of two halves that fit around the
headstay and over a plastic ball that's similar to the stopper balls used on spinnaker halyards.
The two halves of the prefeeder are held in place by pins. Those pins were the source of a lot of
grief when they would not come out of the prefeeder. They absolutely would not budge. The
plastic ball prevented the prefeeder from sliding off of the headstay turnbuckle, so I resorted to
drilling out the pins. Despite the generous use of cutting oil, I went through three DeWalt drill bits,
six titanium bits, and one carbide bit before giving up. I ended up drilling the plastic ball into
pieces small enough to slide out from inside the prefeeder and then detaching the headstay at
the stem fitting in order to slide the prefeeder out. What a junk system - an underbuilt extrusion
and a grossly overbuilt prefeeder.
Once the prefeeder debacle was sorted out, it was a simple matter to remove the older extrusion
and the PVC tube spacers.
I unrolled the Tuff Luff headstay and, while it thankfully did not have any
kinks, it had a great deal of memory from being rolled and stored in the box.
Even after the install, it does not run true up the headstay. I am hoping that
time and use will straighten it out.
The installation is very straightforward. The kit comes with a 4" tube spacer
for the top, more than enough extrusion, a prefeeder, the feeder, rigging
tape and more than enough tubing for the bottom spacer.
The first step was to attach the precut top spacer tube, which is 4" long. It simply snaps over the
stay and is secured with rigging tape along its length.
The bottom of the extrusion should be 42" above the stem fitting, as measured along the
headstay. I do not have a tape measure long enough to measure the headstay, so I removed the
feeder and attached the foil upside down and ran it up the stay. When it was all the way up, I
measured 42" inches from the stem fitting and marked the foil.
I removed the foil and cut it where it was marked with a hacksaw. I sanded the burrs from sawing
off and then reinstalled the foil right side up. I then took the spacer tubing and snapped it on
above the turnbuckle. I marked where it abutted the bottom of the extrusion and cut it with the
hacksaw. Then I wrapped the tubing with rigging tape.
The next stub was to attach the feeder to the bottom of the foil. Remarkably, I was able to do this
without losing any of the small screws overboard. The final step if to attach the prefeeder. It
should be installed 12" below the feeder and it's held in place with a seizing line. After it was
seized, I wrapped its base with rigging tape.
The boat needed a new headstay foil. The existing one was a Head Foil 2 system and, while I
don't know how old it was, it was in bad shape. It was badly cracked, probably by a spinnaker
pole, and poorly repaired with a number of small screws. The starboard track would not feed.
I chose the Tuff Luff system as a replacement. Model 1706 is appropriate for my headstay and
luff tape size and I placed the order in early may with P-Yacht, who had the best price ($519). It
arrived at my office very poorly packed. Several inches of foil and the feeder were protruding
from a corner of the box. However, there was - incredibly - no signs of damage as a result of the
packing.
In order to get the new headstay on, I had to remove the old one. That started with the removal
of the old prefeeder, which was horribly designed. It is comprised of two halves that fit around the
headstay and over a plastic ball that's similar to the stopper balls used on spinnaker halyards.
The two halves of the prefeeder are held in place by pins. Those pins were the source of a lot of
grief when they would not come out of the prefeeder. They absolutely would not budge. The
plastic ball prevented the prefeeder from sliding off of the headstay turnbuckle, so I resorted to
drilling out the pins. Despite the generous use of cutting oil, I went through three DeWalt drill bits,
six titanium bits, and one carbide bit before giving up. I ended up drilling the plastic ball into
pieces small enough to slide out from inside the prefeeder and then detaching the headstay at
the stem fitting in order to slide the prefeeder out. What a junk system - an underbuilt extrusion
and a grossly overbuilt prefeeder.
Once the prefeeder debacle was sorted out, it was a simple matter to remove the older extrusion
and the PVC tube spacers.
I unrolled the Tuff Luff headstay and, while it thankfully did not have any
kinks, it had a great deal of memory from being rolled and stored in the box.
Even after the install, it does not run true up the headstay. I am hoping that
time and use will straighten it out.
The installation is very straightforward. The kit comes with a 4" tube spacer
for the top, more than enough extrusion, a prefeeder, the feeder, rigging
tape and more than enough tubing for the bottom spacer.
The first step was to attach the precut top spacer tube, which is 4" long. It simply snaps over the
stay and is secured with rigging tape along its length.
The bottom of the extrusion should be 42" above the stem fitting, as measured along the
headstay. I do not have a tape measure long enough to measure the headstay, so I removed the
feeder and attached the foil upside down and ran it up the stay. When it was all the way up, I
measured 42" inches from the stem fitting and marked the foil.
I removed the foil and cut it where it was marked with a hacksaw. I sanded the burrs from sawing
off and then reinstalled the foil right side up. I then took the spacer tubing and snapped it on
above the turnbuckle. I marked where it abutted the bottom of the extrusion and cut it with the
hacksaw. Then I wrapped the tubing with rigging tape.
The next stub was to attach the feeder to the bottom of the foil. Remarkably, I was able to do this
without losing any of the small screws overboard. The final step if to attach the prefeeder. It
should be installed 12" below the feeder and it's held in place with a seizing line. After it was
seized, I wrapped its base with rigging tape.
Battery Charger Installation
The boat came with a battery charger that was very cobbled together.
The wires were poorly connected and it was screwed to a freestanding
plywood mount and left on the galley counter. It was unsightly and the
conglomeration of wires took over the whole port quarterberth.
The batteries were also a number of years old and suspect due to the
shoddy charging system. To remedy this, I replaced both batteries and the charger. I purchased
a Guest charger that regulates the charge load and maintains fully charged batteries. This
should ease the strain of repeated charging cycles and prevent premature battery failure.
I replaced the batteries with the same size, type, and brand that was previously installed. The
battery box on the J/30 is molded fiberglass, so the options were somewhat limited. I chose West
Marine's Sea Volt Dual Purpose 12V batteries.
The charger could not be simpler to install. It has a power cable and two output cables for the
battery connections. I attached the charger to a piece of marine plywood and secured that inside
the locker with 4200. The charger's power cable attaches to a bracket that can be flush mounted.
I installed it next to the battery selector switch. This allows the charger to be used without
removing the quarter berth cushion and results in a much cleaner installation.
The boat came with a battery charger that was very cobbled together.
The wires were poorly connected and it was screwed to a freestanding
plywood mount and left on the galley counter. It was unsightly and the
conglomeration of wires took over the whole port quarterberth.
The batteries were also a number of years old and suspect due to the
shoddy charging system. To remedy this, I replaced both batteries and the charger. I purchased
a Guest charger that regulates the charge load and maintains fully charged batteries. This
should ease the strain of repeated charging cycles and prevent premature battery failure.
I replaced the batteries with the same size, type, and brand that was previously installed. The
battery box on the J/30 is molded fiberglass, so the options were somewhat limited. I chose West
Marine's Sea Volt Dual Purpose 12V batteries.
The charger could not be simpler to install. It has a power cable and two output cables for the
battery connections. I attached the charger to a piece of marine plywood and secured that inside
the locker with 4200. The charger's power cable attaches to a bracket that can be flush mounted.
I installed it next to the battery selector switch. This allows the charger to be used without
removing the quarter berth cushion and results in a much cleaner installation.
Boomkicker Installation
To my surprise, the boat had neither a topping lift nor a rigid vang. This is not good for light air
as the weight of the boom can flatten the main more than is ideal and it makes hoisting and
lowering the main difficult, particularly when short handed.
I looked at a number of choices and read a lot of reviews when searching for a rigid vang. I
considered products from Garhauer, Vang Master and others. However, I eventually decided to
install a Boomkicker.
A Boomkicker is simply two fiberglass rods that provide upward force on the boom. The existing
soft vang stays in place. The rods resist the downward pressure of the boom and sail and, if
properly installed, hold a boom with a flaked main horizontal.
It has several advantages over a traditional rigid vang. The first, and most important, is that it is
significantly lighter. Also, it is absolutely silent, as opposed to the noisy creaking of some vangs.
Another consideration, though not the deciding one, is that it is far cheaper than most quality
rigid vangs: I purchased the Boomkicker from Mauri Pro Sailing for about $250, including
shipping. A quality rigid vang would be closer to $1000. Finally, they provide a vang that is
specifically sized for the J/30.
The manufacturers could not make installation easier. Not only does the Boomkicker come with
the fasteners needed for installation, they even provide the drill bit and tap.
The first step is to install the mast fitting. The fitting has three pieces: a luff groove slide, a
bracket, and the attachment point for the Boomkicker. If your mast does not have a luff groove,
or if it does not extend below the boom, then the bracket can be installed with the included
fasteners. To install the fitting, I simply removed the mainsail prefeeder and positioned the slide
just above the existing vang. I had to drill the groove slighty to accomodate the large machine
screws. I applied blue Locktite to the screws and attached the bracket.
Once the mast fitting was installed, I fit the boom fitting. To accomodate the compression of the
fiberglass rods, I used the main halyard to raise the boom 12" above horizontal. I then
temporarily positioned the Boomkicker and marked its location on the boom. I then marked the
location of the center screw hole.
I center punched the mark to keep the drill bit from wandering and drilled and tapped for the
included screw, which was secured with the Locktite. Once the boom fitting was in place, I used it
to mark, drill and tap the locations for the remaining screws.
It was then a simple matter to attach the Boomkicker to the mast fitting and slide it into the boom
fitting. The total project time was well under 30 minutes, including set up and clean up. You can't
beat that.
To my surprise, the boat had neither a topping lift nor a rigid vang. This is not good for light air
as the weight of the boom can flatten the main more than is ideal and it makes hoisting and
lowering the main difficult, particularly when short handed.
I looked at a number of choices and read a lot of reviews when searching for a rigid vang. I
considered products from Garhauer, Vang Master and others. However, I eventually decided to
install a Boomkicker.
A Boomkicker is simply two fiberglass rods that provide upward force on the boom. The existing
soft vang stays in place. The rods resist the downward pressure of the boom and sail and, if
properly installed, hold a boom with a flaked main horizontal.
It has several advantages over a traditional rigid vang. The first, and most important, is that it is
significantly lighter. Also, it is absolutely silent, as opposed to the noisy creaking of some vangs.
Another consideration, though not the deciding one, is that it is far cheaper than most quality
rigid vangs: I purchased the Boomkicker from Mauri Pro Sailing for about $250, including
shipping. A quality rigid vang would be closer to $1000. Finally, they provide a vang that is
specifically sized for the J/30.
The manufacturers could not make installation easier. Not only does the Boomkicker come with
the fasteners needed for installation, they even provide the drill bit and tap.
The first step is to install the mast fitting. The fitting has three pieces: a luff groove slide, a
bracket, and the attachment point for the Boomkicker. If your mast does not have a luff groove,
or if it does not extend below the boom, then the bracket can be installed with the included
fasteners. To install the fitting, I simply removed the mainsail prefeeder and positioned the slide
just above the existing vang. I had to drill the groove slighty to accomodate the large machine
screws. I applied blue Locktite to the screws and attached the bracket.
Once the mast fitting was installed, I fit the boom fitting. To accomodate the compression of the
fiberglass rods, I used the main halyard to raise the boom 12" above horizontal. I then
temporarily positioned the Boomkicker and marked its location on the boom. I then marked the
location of the center screw hole.
I center punched the mark to keep the drill bit from wandering and drilled and tapped for the
included screw, which was secured with the Locktite. Once the boom fitting was in place, I used it
to mark, drill and tap the locations for the remaining screws.
It was then a simple matter to attach the Boomkicker to the mast fitting and slide it into the boom
fitting. The total project time was well under 30 minutes, including set up and clean up. You can't
beat that.
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