Helia 44: Improvements to the Helia 44

[Cotemar]

Helia 44,

I agree with 60 meters of 3/8 chain. That is all I have ever needed.

We usually add 60 meters of 8 strand plait rope spliced onto the chain just in case.
Have never used the extra line, but its there for plan B or a storm.

[REsCat]

Originally Posted by Helia 44

Hello Bob, perhaps you have not anchored in shallow water and wanted to pull the hook in stronger winds... You struggle and have to motor to the anchor, as you are lifting maybe ten meters of chain out of the water into the air... Further the wind buffeting you means you sail a bit at anchor, wandering left and right of the pull. You have to hold the boat into the wind a bit with the engines so you do not rake the hulls with the chain..

In medium wind, my Lofrans Caiman windlass lacks a bit of power to pull the boat to the anchor, and needs a little help.

None of this is a problem anchored in deep water, there is no such issues. It is only with a lot of scope out in shallow that this is all a bit of drama..

Cotemar: Nice to hear from you after a year gone (me)... What is the problem with the original chain? Nothing, but only about 20-30 metres on board from memory. It and 100 Meters of 3/4" nylon is my second "Hurricane Hook" with the original Plow anchor.. A second hook, still have it, not used it..

Incidentally, on the early discussions on chain length.... Everywhere I have gone in the GBR, I could get away 90% of the time with only about 60 Metres of chain. I may just replace my 100 with 60 this time... The Person arguing against the 100 M was right. I will run 60 M with maybe 50M of 3/4 nylon below.. It is pretty shallow in most places everywhere in the Great Barrier Reef area, 60 M of chain would do for about 95% of the time..

Checking out now, nice to hear from all of you, but what about the stainless chain idea?? Will check back Monday.

Helia 44 AVALON

Helia 44 I understand the sailing around at anchor with shallow depth and a lot of scope out and it is hard to motor up to the anchor as the boat is being blown from one side to the other.
When we are in this situation we wait for the boat to swing to the centerline pull and then motor forward as much as is "slack" given and retrieve chain during this time.
As the boat is blown off the centerline we wait for the boat to come around with the wind to another centerline position and repeat this process.
Sometimes it is overall quick but sometimes it takes a longer , more frustrating time but we wait as it is always better to to let the boat retrieve the chain than let the windlass.
You will extend the life of your windlass if you let the boat do the work and remember! your windlass is probably one of, or the most impt piece of equipment on your boat and if you sail far offshore it is not easily replaceable.

As well we always "quick" release the gypsy and let the chain freefall when we are dropping the hook for any anchorage. It is easy and no work on the windless.

Bob

[Helia 44]

Yea, no worries, that is about how we do it...

However, that is a two person job as I have to hand signal which way, and use the engines one side or the other to steady us up so I can pull a bit more.. The wind wants to blow you off one way or the other. The reason for the rollers on the side of anchor roller and jam up mount for the 33 kg Rocna, is the window for motoring forward to lighten pull directly in line, is very small.

So the fix? I want to increase the width of the window, angle moment, of direct straight pull on the chain, as now it rakes over the front of the large stainless flukes of the roller that hold the Rocna in place. It will be with side rollers, or large hard 25mm thick bolt on Teflon poly board bolted to the sides to roll on.

Further, there is not much work on the windlass, and I am thinking of upgrading 50% to the Lofrans Tigress. That will give me the Lofrans Caiman home in the garage should I need it shipped up in a pinch but doubt it. The GBR is so cool of a place with hundreds of islands, at my age I am not likely to venture much further. Not likely to let me down, but if it does I can mechanically ratchet pull it till the Caiman is shipped to me...

My hobby is making things better when I can. It keeps me going.

BTW, Friends: The stainless chain idea is out. A big Trawler Captain friend has experienced it and says the stainless chain work hardens and gets brittle and has advised against it. Don't know if that matters with my loading but why take the risk.. He has put me onto a full Australian heavy galvanizing chain that holds up for five to ten years...

Helia 44 AVALON

[BigBeakie]

Helia 44

And that good chain is?? How would it compare to Maggi for instance?


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Helia 44]

Hello Big Beakie,

Long time no hear from, cuz of me being busy... heh he... Nice to hear from you... Now, never heard of Maggi, so no help there, however:

The Trawler Skippers top choice in all the chains available in Australia for long lasting galvanizing (most is Chinese and only goes a year or two) anyway the best is Australian Made PWB "Tested Link" each link stamped and the galvanizing lasts at least 5-10 years. I am going with that, just taking my wildcat into him to run a couple of meters of chain over before I order..

Helia 44 AVALON

[BigBeakie]

Thanks Steve, the Maggi stuff is Italian & high quality. I was thinking of using the G70 high tensile so I could get 100 meters of 8mm (5/16), but the quality of the galvanising worries me after a couple of so-so reports.

Not getting a Google hit on the Australian made chain you have found. I know it's not in Whitworths (what a surprise ) so any hints on where to find it?

Must trade catamaran fishing stories with you sometime...

[Helia 44]

Hello Big Beakie!!
Surprise, surprise, actually Whitworths did order it in for me in a 60 M drum... Cheaper than I could go get it myself. You might try the specs shown above with your local Whitworths... The Trawler Skipper actually said it lasts longer than what I quoted, he would know, using a lot of chain in various apps..

Talk with your local Whitworths, they might know more.......

**********************************

Latest improvement in the Helia 44: A big wear factor, and irritation is the raking of the chain on the sides of the FP stainless bow roller assembly that chocks the anchor so well.. Anytime you are not doing a direct straight pull (most of the time when ever there is a breeze) it rakes along the outer edge of the stainless, load and irritating, and wears the galvanizing too.

My solution: Shown below is 100mm x 25mm black Teflon blocks, flush fitting countersunk stainless machine screws on the inside. Note about 50 mm overhang of the teflon over the stainless, the chain will ride on that instead of the stainless. If and when if wears (it is hard, hope to live so long) it is reversible to the 50 mm still on the roller housing. The other change is after many experiments, I moved the roller out toward the bow on a horizontal line, 50 mm. It chocks my Rocna 33 kg plow with the shank in a horizontal position. The roller assembly is brilliant for that. I chose the Rocna 33 - 73 pound plow, for size and also the top hoop to be recovered if lodged hard in rocks..

Anyway, here shown, off AVALON at about the angle it mounts. Note the countersunk bolts (machine screws on the inside flush mounted) and the edges of the Teflon rounded...

[BigBeakie]

Thank you Sir, much appreciated.

Sent you a PM on another matter.

[Helia 44]

Correction to the above,

My Friend at the Stainless Fabrication Shop, says no that is not Teflon... I mean I have only seen white Teflon, never black.. He says he gave me that 25 mm thick block we cut those out of, said Teflon, but it is only Polyurethane. I ask why, and his answer was that it was far stronger and would wear better, but not wear the galvanizing. The blocks are 25 x 100 mm, so in ten years or two years if it be, they are reversible...

I was going to add side rollers, but it got messy, he convinced me to do this.. Claims hard wearing areas of Industrial applications even as slides use this mix of polyethylene... Inexpensive and good. The chain will run on the poly instead of scraping on the stainless..

Kind regards, Helia 44 AVALON

And for anyone in the 20,000 + views of this Thread: AVALON could come up for sale. This is the best equipped Helia 44, probably in the World, for not only gear but customization improvements... OK? Stay Posted, I think I will pretty much be able to decide in the next four to six weeks. It has about $200,000 in gear and improvements, and will sell in the $800 k range (Australian Dollars). At a .72 Aus Dollar, that is very cheap in U.S. dollars for the best equipped Helia 44 in the world...

[mndreamchaser1]

[QUOTE=Helia 44;1994204]Hello David on StarryHorizons,

When you order the temperature gauges, you have to order this particular wiring loom addition with the plug that goes in the back of the rpm gauge in an empty port made JUST FOR IT... [/COLOR][/B][/U]

Do you happen to know the part number for the extended wiring kit (loom and plug)? I can't find it in the Volvo parts listings. And does this merely run from Temp gauge to tach, not all the way back to the engines?

[Dod42]

[QUOTE=mndreamchaser1;2214680]

Originally Posted by Helia 44

Hello David on StarryHorizons,

When you order the temperature gauges, you have to order this particular wiring loom addition with the plug that goes in the back of the rpm gauge in an empty port made JUST FOR IT... [/COLOR][/B][/U]

Do you happen to know the part number for the extended wiring kit (loom and plug)? I can't find it in the Volvo parts listings. And does this merely run from Temp gauge to tach, not all the way back to the engines?

I'm not sure if the still have them but I purchased 2 x Temp and 2 x Oil pressure gauges with the extension cables from CoastalRides in England for our Lipari with D1-30F. If you don't get a answer let me know and Ill find the old invoice with the part numbers. They shipped to Australia cheaper than anyone I could find locally. The only problem is they could only supply the chrome Bessel not black (Nothing a can of spray paint couldn't fix)

The temp gauge works great just plug in and they work really well, better than waiting until the TOO LATE alarm goes off.

The Oil Pressure does not work as the D1-30 does not have the required sensor, however the D2-40 and 55 does, so IF anyone wants 2 Oil Pressure gauges and cables let me know.

the extension is just that a male one end female the other. The cable plugs into the Tach and then daisy chains to each gauge. You only need the extension as the cable supplied to daisy chain is quite short and limits where you can put the gauges

[Dod42]

I believe the extension cable is

Volvo Penta EVC Extension Cable 874759

Volvo Penta Extension Cable 874759

and the Gauges look like

http://coastalrides.co.uk/test-instr...e-gauge-874904

you can see the cables supplied are very short

[Lotus49]

Hi Helia 44

Thanks for a great thread. I'm hoping to get one of these great boats in the not too distant future, so your writing is both informative and inspiring!

Couple of questions if I may?

1. On the subject of hydraulic steering - what is the fail-safe mechanism in case of hydraulic loss? Are there redundant circuits and pumps?

2. With all those great customizations you've made at the stern, have you considered a floating dock/platform between the pontoons (below the davits) as a swimming/dive platform? It seems to me that would also be a handy "mini jetty" for boarding the dinghy.

Thanks again
Graham

[Helia 44]

Lotus, you wrote:

Thanks for a great thread. I'm hoping to get one of these great boats in the not too distant future, so your writing is both informative and inspiring!

Couple of questions if I may?

1. On the subject of hydraulic steering - what is the fail-safe mechanism in case of hydraulic loss? Are there redundant circuits and pumps?

Hello Lotus, Helia 44 AVALON here.. My comments in bold italics in the context of your email.. In my personal case since I converted this from the original "push me pull you" type Teleflex steering, I have that system on board as a spare.. But really, I put in Capilano Canadian Hydraulics and this should be good for 10-20 years without a rebuild. There is also a Tiller that runs both sides, but for extended use you would need to rig block and tack to winches to make this effective. (Both rudders are attached to each other with a rod)

2. With all those great customizations you've made at the stern, have you considered a floating dock/platform between the pontoons (below the davits) as a swimming/dive platform? It seems to me that would also be a handy "mini jetty" for boarding the dinghy.

Look, that kind of thing would always be advantageous, as long as you were in sheltered waters where I go like inside the Great Barrier Reef in the Whitsundays or other island groups.. However, in a big 10-12' following sea in open waters??? Definitely a no no... I mean I salvaged a 11'? hard bottom inflatable in mangroves up in the outer islands, and could not take it home as it was way to heavy to bring aboard or tow in big following seas.. A suspended or floating attached swim platform between the hulls would have a huge liability..

I suggest you tie off your inflatable between the hulls to accomplish the same thing. What I did invent, but not built yet, is another folding stainless ladder off that area to aid in getting in and out of the inflatable tied between the hulls...


Thanks again
Graham

[Lotus49]

Thanks for the reply, Helia 44.

Good to know that the hydraulic system is so robust, besides the fact that mechanical fail-over is still available.

Good idea about the dinghy/ladder combo. Saves weight, and a mobile swim platform into the bargain.

I've added this thread to my regular visit list - great way to stay focused on the big goal.