Making Ex-Racer My Cruiser . . . Am I Mad ?

[Weyalan]

So, here is the finished article (not a very good photo, sorry), well, almost finished...

We now have fresh water delivered by a Whale Universal electric pump (its very quiet). We have retained our foot pump for salt water (you can see the small faucet in front of the larger, regular faucet), which should help to conserve our relatively limited fresh water supplies (we only carry 200 litres / 53 gallons, so an additional tank or bladder is on the list of jobs).

The gas system has been completely replaced. We now have a gas sensor and solenoid valve and all-new gas lines and hoses. We do still need to finish off the lids for the sinks - finger rings to be fitted into the carbon tops and chopping boards fitted on the underside, so they can be flipped and used for prep. We also need to fit the insulated box-section to the underside of the lid of the cool-box (that being the opening outboard of the small sink).

Last week / weekend we had our first days away on the boat since starting on this round of work - it was so nice having a much more functional galley - for example I can now do the wahing up with pretty much full standing headroom.

Good times.

Oh, did I mention we took on the quarter-berth refits too... here is a glimpse of work in progress...

[roverhi]

If you want to conserve water, plumb the freshwater to the footpump and saltwater to the pressure system. Pressure water systems are terrible water wasters. If you want to keep the pressure water system for freshwater, add a 2nd footpump for freshwater.

[Jim Cate]

Looks great, Patrick! When you bring the quarter berths up to that level of finish you will never get the crew out of them to go on watch, so don't overdo it!

Cheers,

Jim

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by roverhi

If you want to keep the pressure water system for freshwater, add a 2nd footpump for freshwater.

That's basically the way mine is set up except I have foot and pressure pumps on both. The pumps are hooked to a hand sprayer on both fresh and salt for rinsing the soap off, or if I have a stove fire I can just direct it at the fire, unless its a grease fire of course.

It's not plumbed in the picture but you get the idea.

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[Weyalan]

Seems like a while since the last update... another summer of sailing, and now getting cracking into the winter of work. At the moment the main project (of many) is a new anchor locker and separate chain locker.

When I bought Insatiable she didn't even have a bow roller - I used to pull up the anchor hand-over hand, leaning over the pulpit. When we fitted the bow roller I thought we had it made. Then a small anchor winch... even better! But currently, if I want to set and anchor I have to carry best part of 50 pounds of anchor up from below deck, along the side deck to the bow, to connect the chain and set it up for launch.

So, on the weekend, we cut a hole in the deck...



I get dis-proportionally scared by such exercises. I worried about it in so many ways. It was, in fact, a piece of cake. The new anchor locker 9mm ply with a couple of layers of 600g bi-axial glass on both sides, or existing hull / frame - and we are putting a layer of glass on any existing hull or frames as we go. Everyhting is theen tab-glassed together. We are using similar construction for the chain locker as well.

Filling in the gutter in the centreline is going to be a pill...

[Weyalan]

Oh, and see below for a salutary warning for all you cruisers about the dangers of racing...

[Jim Cate]

Oi, Patrick, all that weight in the bow...

I told you that this cruising stuff was dangerous... look what damage it has caused your Insatiable to bear!

But you will love the new convenience when you have to anchor in the middle of the night in Schooner Cove with a gale blowing.

Cheers from us both

Jim

[delmarrey]

The weight is a benefit for this IOR. I lengthened the waterline and made it a bit more stable in the rough. I must have added 2000 # to mine with the windlass, water maker, extra bulkheads and personal gear.

I had to extend the boot strip up another 3" to keep it out of the water. But it doesn't seem to slow the boat down, it just doesn't react to the puffs like it use to. The boat is way over powered with sail area anyway. She's not a racer anymore, we're in retirement now.

[The Vortex]

Huh. I agree with keeping the weight out of the ends, particularly the bow on my Choate. Not a lot of flare up there, buoyancy does not build much as the bow goes down.

[Weyalan]

I totally "get" the reasoning behind keeping weight out of the ends, in particular the relatively fine bow end. But the reality is that I am trying to get out of having to carry a large, heavy anchor up the companionway steps and along the side deck, and then set it up for launch (i.e. connect the swivel to the chain). So I have to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages. On balance, the weight of the anchor in the bow is trumped by the inconvenience and risk of manhandling the anchor around the boat and the time needed to set up. Life is full of compromises. I will store the 2nd anchor and chain near the centre of the boat, though.

[Jim Cate]

I suppose that you could just dump the whole lot to the bottom in your pen (buoyed, of course) when heading out for a race, and carry a "racer's anchor (balsa?)" to meet the rules for the articular event. Upon return, retrieve the mess, hosing vigorously as you go!

That might keep Lisa happy!

BTW, who was driving in that classic spinnaker evolution you posted? And who did the laundry afterward? Gotta love IOR hull shapes!

Cheers,

Jim

PS New furler to be delivered tomorrow, then on to the sailmaker. Escape soon?

[delmarrey]

That's one of the reasons I went with only 60' of 8 MM chain and the rest multiplait rode.


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[smithy09]

Nice work mate!! Please keep the pics and posts coming. Nice work you're doing there!

From my end on my Ross 40 here in Auckland, it has been non-stop modifications. We have gone from an in line 3/4 rig to swept spreaders (not so scary) with the runners just there for forestay tension.
At the same time, A new bigger section mast went in and the chainplate area got strengthened up big time, as the decks were lifting..
At the same time the rudder bearings failed so those had to be repaired, then new Raymarine chartplotters went inside and outside, along with the safety gear to get the boat to NZ Cat2.
I haven't done the structural work, as it is beyond me. Just all the electrical and plumbing work.. Spent a fortune. She's a lot stronger than she was though and still light!
After all this, I did a 2 handed around NZ north island race, and we won our division.. We broke the boom on the last leg, so that was more $$$$.

Then it was all the cruising gear back in and back to family cruising!

The next mods will be cruising mods to the head area, a heater (Eberspacher) The fridge needs looking at, and a retractable bow sprit for user friendly asymmetrical sails.. Does it ever end?

[Jim Cate]

G'Day Smithy,

Good to see another mad man here on CF! And a nice job of conversion under way.

What hull material is your Ross? I couldn't quite decide from the pix.

And I'm curious about your new rig. Sounds a lot like ours, and I'm, wondering if the rig designer gave you any guidelines about windstrength where you could safely leave off the runners? Our designer, Jon Sayer, wouldn't do so for us... kept saying that the rig could stand "quite a lot of wind" sans runners, but absolutely refused to quantify that. This has lead us to using them very conservatively, and it is a PITA for a couple of old farts to deal with at times!

Anyway, I can attest to the quality of Weyalan's work. He and his wife have done wonders with their Insatiable, and it has been good to see all the progress they have made in "cruisability" whilst maintaining reasonable competitiveness around the cans.

Cheers,

Jim

[Weyalan]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

That's one of the reasons I went with only 60' of 8 MM chain and the rest multiplait rode..

We currently cruise carrying 50 m (165') of 8 mm (5/16") chain with 10 m (33') of rope on the end. Most of the more experienced cruisers we meet have advised us to up-size to 10 mm (3/8") chain. I suspect we will. I hate the idea of the extra weight, but I like the idea of "sleep at night".

Unfortunately, our planned cruising grounds will include plenty of coral, so we need to carry a fair length of chain...