Sean, How is your new project going??

[Lightfin]

Sean,

It's been a couple of weeks since you got your new boat.

Can you give us an update on how your new business/boat development project is going???

[ssullivan]

Hey Lightfin,

Thanks for asking.

The boat is fantastic. When I bought it, I was only buying it based on cold, hard logic, rather than emotion (explains how she's a bit ugly outside! ha ha)

I had very few problems with the boat because I went through the boat with a self-survey that was well above the level of a regular pre-purchase survey. It's got 2005 Yanmars, a new battery bank (old one was dead) and now a new Lofrans Royal Manual windlass, to replace the old Seatiger that froze up.

We sailed the Keys for a week or two, and as of now, I'm in Miami awaiting some crew to help me with the sail back up North to start charter work in June. We'll be taking the boat "outside" the ICW as much as possible because I can't stand motoring through little canals. The Erie Canal taught me that.

The boat sails very nicely, and has more bridge deck clearance that I had originally thought when compared to other older cruising cats out here. Whiles she's no speed demon for a cat, she does make about the speed my old 45' mono did. Of course she doesn't sail as close to weather as that Hirsh did, but eh... I don't care. I'm lazy. I go *with* the wind, not against it.

Some of the most major things I've had to fix were:

1) Had to move temp sensor from freezer to fridge to allow me to keep the box colder

2) Had to ground the Yanmars so the alternators would work on the house bank

3) Installed a "blown up" Link 10, which wasn't blown up at all. The PO took it out for some reason and I think wansn't able to re-wire it. It's not reading voltage correclty, but the Amps work, and that's really what you're after.

4) The plumbing is "hosed" (big pun). There were some odd shortcuts taken where someone didn't want to do the job properly. One tank works for the galley with its own pump, and another works for the head with its own pump. The boat wasn't set up like this before. It was a PO modification. I have to tear out the plumbing and re-do... also because the water tastes like moldy pond scum.

5) Put in a sound system for the day charters

6) Bought a set of towels for the very leaky ports. I need to rebed them this summer in my spare time (if any).

7) Had to get OP Valves put on the aluminum LPG tanks. Went to the place Dag suggested and they were great! Did it while I went provisioning and they were ready to go when I got back.

8) Also, I had dry wood termites in the head. Drilled out holes to fill their galleries with poison and they seem to be gone.

9) Don't mess with South Beach cockroaches!!! Went to Publix one day and one hitched a ride back on the dinghy with me. I was using the computer in the dark, when I heard an animal scuttle across the deck outside - so I thought. Until the thing touched my arm. I turned the lights on and saw a cockroach about 2" long! The head was approaching the size of a dime!! I lived in Manhattan and NEVER saw one that big. I used the termite poison on it, once I cornered it.

Been getting attacked by no-see-ums at anchor here... red welts everywhere! These FL fauna are BRUTAL.

Other than that, there really (thankfully) isn't much to update on. Just waiting for the weather to change so I can proceed north. Trying *NOT* to sail over to the Bahamas and skip out on work this summer!! ha ha

Oh yeah, my mind is changed on solar and wind. When you have a hugely windy day and bright sunshine on this boat, you can make 15amps per hour of electricity, which is not bad. It's been pretty windy and sunny, so I have only had to run my little portable generator twice. I've only run the Yanmars to get in and out of anchorages. used not even 1/4 tank(s) of fuel yet in all these weeks. It's been all sailing because this rig is so much easier to handle than the big Gulfstar. The boat will be a good cruising boat once I'm done paying for her. The wife likes the boat a lot too.

One other thing about wind generators: I think they put out the same amount of noise as regular diesel gensets do. They just put it out over 24 hrs instead of 45 mins. Cumulative noise is the same though.

The new business is nearly complete. Due to the extra super secret nature of the charter business, I won't be revealing the marketing on here, as I did with BnB On The Water. I have to keep it under wraps as long as possible to milk it...

Hope all is well with you. Hope this little update wasn't too boring. It was "off the cuff"

I'd be glad to answer anyone's questions about Catalac 10M's...

[imagine2frolic]

Just curious at to which wind generator you have? My KISS is very quiet, and I always get folks coming by in dinghies asking about it. Plus it really puts out the amps. I am working on getting the solar panels back on the boat too. Hopefully before I leave in June. I love these 2 items..............

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

Just curious at to which wind generator you have? My KISS is very quiet, and I always get folks coming by in dinghies asking about it. Plus it really puts out the amps. I am working on getting the solar panels back on the boat too. Hopefully before I leave in June. I love these 2 items..............

I guess that's the difference! I have the Air-X. It's not loud by any means, but you do hear it constantly wooshing and swishing around. My thought is that if you added up all the decibels of the wooshing and swishing all day and night and compressed them into a 45 minute period, you'd have the same loud sound as a genset! ha ha

I'm a big fan of them though, since I didn't outlay the initial money for them. The numbers make a lot of sense when they come with a boat. Assuming they don't raise the hull price, which equipment barely does, it cost me $0 to get 15 amps/hr per day. Not a bad deal.

The refer uses about 10 amps per hour (worst case), so for the most part, I've been able to pester people on this forum and keep my food frozen/cold for free. Maine will probably see more use of the genset, I'm thinking.

What solar panels do you have?

[Lightfin]

Great update Sean!

Thanks, and please keep them coming as it's convenient for you. I look forward to hearing more about the business too when you are comfortable sharing about it.

Interesting that you loved the Hirsch so much and have so quickly made the transition to a "Cat Man."