Cal 29 adding an Enclosure plus more

[fossil 2010]

Hope this is the right spot to post this. I would like to do some 3 season cruising along the BC coast. I am updating to a 2 bank (4 golf cart) battery system and a 2000 W inverter so I can run a portable 12v fridge, my computer and a cpap machine. I am interested in enclosing the cockpit to give additional living space while on a hook. I would be interested in the thoughts or suggestions from anyone who has done this. I would also like to add a solar panel and wind generator to keep the batteries charged. Any input or ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks the Fossil

[Hudson Force]

Hard or Soft? That's a question that might come up first for the enclosure. We chose soft since we have our solar panel on top of our dinghy davits and our enclosure is not needed to keep us insulated from cold weather.




Whether you select hard or soft I would recommend that you keep adaptability in mind. Our side curtains double as splash guards depending on position. Everything vertical can be opaque for shade or cleared for visibility and ventilation. Color is a huge choice for temperature,- ours could be much cooler, but your location is a factor.

The hard top choice may be better for mounting solar panels and possibly a choice to allow access to the main sail. .... but then, your type of sail rigging needs to be considered. I'm not one to suggest that there's a best answer for all, but there's much to consider with how the enclosure would fit with your design, your cruising range, and your needs.

[JPA Cate]

Friends have a clear cockpit enclosure, all the panels zip out, only the top is permanent (a bimini sort of deal). They took this arrangement to Alaska, having also installed a Webasto forced air heating for the boat, and insulating it. They are extremely satisfied with the approach. Having the back and side panels clear helps make it warm inside, and of course, they can look out and see what's out there. The enclosure Hudson posted a picture of is very cavelike. All those vertical panels could be clears.

To work well, your solar panels should not be shaded. The wind gen will shade them some of the time. I'm not sure you'll have room for all that on a 29 footer.

Ann

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

....................
................ The enclosure Hudson posted a picture of is very cavelike. All those vertical panels could be clears. Ann

I did post the "dark" mode, but the point is to be adaptable. We have a "bright" mode when we remove the opaque covers.



Actually, after spending long days in the bright sun, we often like the "cave". Being able to make the choice is important to us.

[Stu Jackson]

1. I'd opt for a larger house bank, put all four of the GCs together, and then get a (n optional) small start/reserve battery (which, in my 17 years of life with this boat I have never needed). You will get longer life from your batteries, same amount of lead, less voltage sag for your machine, and better all around system performance. No 1-2 every other day switching of banks. That's old school. Plus it's better for your inverter.

2. Solar is the way to go.

3. Wind gens make noise, for others besides you. Also, you want to anchor where there is no wind.

[fossil 2010]

Thanks for your input. You guys are great. I am leaning towards a hard top for the reasons you stated. I am definitely looking for protection from the elements. Lots of wind and rain in the fall and temp can drop as well. Having the extra living area on a small boat is definitely an advantage. Clear panels sound like a good option but I will shower in the cockpit. Don't want to get arrested.. Ha Ha
I may try to extend the wind generator out past the stern to help with the shading the solar panel. Will have to see if it is workable.
I have the GC batteries in series parallel for the house and a separate 12v for cranking. Would like to a battery monitor to tell the state of charge.
I am thinking of wind generator while under sail so I will be fully charged when I get to my destination. I hope this plan will work.

[fossil 2010]

I think the newer wind generators are a lot quieter. Anyone have information on this?

[japarker11]

F2010,
We have three season cruised this area (four season if you count Glacier Bay in September) the past two years. We started with a hard dodger and have worked our way to a full enclosure, no dark mode.

There are only two months , July and August that any of the panels come off.

Electrical loads. With the double GC house bank you will have about 400 A-H of power. The refrigerator will draw 20 amps, feeding the cpap through the inverter will take a similar amount. Recovering through solar at these latitudes will only happen three days a year, three days near the summer solstice....if the sun shines?? Suggest looking at beefing up the alternator on the auxiliary, too.

Also suggest a bus heater for the cabin, or the Webastos if money allows.

Consider designing for the fourth season. Central and North coast are fabulous after the summer hordes, fishboats and cruise ships are gone. Port Hardy, Shearwater or Prince Rupert are very friendly to wintering boats.

The bridge deck on your Cal will be a little problematic getting head clearance to the companion way. But it has been done before.

Good luck,
John





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[JPA Cate]

Yes, the newer wind gens are quieter than the old ones. We've always had one, and sometimes (if there's enough wind) it will keep the batteries topped up over night; we also have solar, and in our usage, they provide the lion's share of the amps inbound.

Ann

[fossil 2010]

Originally Posted by japarker11

F2010,
We have three season cruised this area (four season if you count Glacier Bay in September) the past two years. We started with a hard dodger and have worked our way to a full enclosure, no dark mode.

There are only two months , July and August that any of the panels come off.

Electrical loads. With the double GC house bank you will have about 400 A-H of power. The refrigerator will draw 20 amps, feeding the cpap through the inverter will take a similar amount. Recovering through solar at these latitudes will only happen three days a year, three days near the summer solstice....if the sun shines?? Suggest looking at beefing up the alternator on the auxiliary, too.

Also suggest a bus heater for the cabin, or the Webastos if money allows.

Consider designing for the fourth season. Central and North coast are fabulous after the summer hordes, fishboats and cruise ships are gone. Port Hardy, Shearwater or Prince Rupert are very friendly to wintering boats.

The bridge deck on your Cal will be a little problematic getting head clearance to the companion way. But it has been done before.

Good luck,
John





Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Thanks John for the Input, very helpful. The alternator has been upgraded to 65 amps, hope this will do the job. I am trying to be as self sufficient as much as is possible. I have a force 10 diesel heater on board and hope it will do the job.

[fossil 2010]

Hope I did this right. This is my little lady

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by fossil 2010

.........................
I am thinking of wind generator while under sail so I will be fully charged when I get to my destination. I hope this plan will work.

'nice photo of your boat. When you design your hard-top consider retaining access to standing at your stern and working with lines and pilings. It will be to your advantage to keep mobility at all areas of your boat. 'maybe from aft or maybe down the rail to the quarters. Handrails at the edge of your hard-top might help.

Don't make my mistake when planing to use your wind generator while sailing. I had this same plan and placed my wind generator at the forward side of my mizzen, but not high enough. I can be sailing swiftly on a beam reach in brisk wind and my wind generator will be sitting idle in the spoiled air between my main and mizzen. I recommend that you place a strip of yarn on a long fishing pole and hold it at different heights above your transom while sailing at various points. Find the compromise that will keep your generator working without too much interference with the air off the back of the main.

[fossil 2010]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

'nice photo of your boat. When you design your hard-top consider retaining access to standing at your stern and working with lines and pilings. It will be to your advantage to keep mobility at all areas of your boat. 'maybe from aft or maybe down the rail to the quarters. Handrails at the edge of your hard-top might help.

Don't make my mistake when planing to use your wind generator while sailing. I had this same plan and placed my wind generator at the forward side of my mizzen, but not high enough. I can be sailing swiftly on a beam reach in brisk wind and my wind generator will be sitting idle in the spoiled air between my main and mizzen. I recommend that you place a strip of yarn on a long fishing pole and hold it at different heights above your transom while sailing at various points. Find the compromise that will keep your generator working without too much interference with the air off the back of the main.

Excellent considerations that I had not thought of. Thank you

[UNCIVILIZED]

I'm a hard dodger fan, big time. But that said, regardless of how you build your enclosure, it'd be wise to include a clear overhead panel or three. Either Acrylic, or Isenglass, depending on the dodger material. That way, you don't have to get out from underneath of the shelter of the dodger, in order to check your mainsail trim. Ditto on locating see through panels so that you can check headsail trim.

You can also inlet your companionway slider (lid) for a piece of Acrylic, or Polycarbonate, to serve the same purpose. And for all of my boats, I always made a replacement insert for the top 2+ companionway boards out of plywood, & bolted a piece of Acrylic over a cutout in it, to let more light in on those drab, dull days. It helps a LOT, especially in the Winter time.

It's also nice to have a dodger which extends about 3' aft of the companionway, so that you can sit underneath of it in all but the worst weather, & still reach all of the important sail controls. As well as keep watch, while staying dry & semi-warm.
Although, to make this work perfectly, you need an autopilor with a remote which you can operate from there, or while sitting in the companionway. So that you can steer around the worst waves, & use the best following ones to your advantage.

For easier companionway access with a dodger, if it's really low. Sometimes you can design them with a sliding, companionway type hatch lid, into the top of a hard dodger.
Or as something like a fixed wind screen, on say, a Malo, with a Cabriolet, canvas lid.
And for soft dodgers, you can incorporate a dual zippered panel, over the companionway.. Although on the latter, such requires a bit of creative tube design, in the dodger's bow structure.

I made a traveler for my Dad's 29, & it was further aft than yours. Just in front of the helm (his boat had a wheel).
Doing so is a simple mod.', & while it does break up cockpit flow a tiny bit. It lets you run a dodger which is deeper fore & aft, as denoted above.

That, & try attaching the mainsheet to the traveler car with a snap link (locking carabiner). So that in port, you can just clip the sheet over to the toerail somewhere, & have the cockpit 100% free of interfering lines.

For the showers thing, you could always make some zip in panels out of bug netting, or sun screen mesh, which fit inside of the Isenglas panels. Thus, you'd have some privacy, visually. To avoid a visit from Five-0 ;-)

Also, when choosing colors of canvas, it's tempting in the PNW to consider using something dark, in order to "help to warm things up". But my experience there has been that the Sun's rarely strong enough to accomplish this, even when using black.
Where as, with a lighter color, it brightens the enclosure up a lot, which definitely helps, mood wise, given the weakish Sun, up North. Especially from now until April'ish.
Maybe go with a beige, or light tan? And if you decide you want something darker, simply make a stout awning out of a used tanbark sail. They're cheaper than Sunbrella!

And if this is going to be a semi-permanent structure, build as many solid hand holds onto the underside & outside as possible. Like, say, a full length for & aft rail P & S, on the underside, inside. As well as grab bars on the back of the dodger; underneath, & on it's outside. As well as some fore & aft hand rails on it's outside as well.

If you do an online search for dodger pics (hard & soft), you'll gain a lot of good ideas. And I ran across some good pics of a hard dodger, by CKD Marine, in South Africa, made out of a few laminated layers of 3mm bending plywood.
IMO, hard dodgers are the way to go. Just be sure to make a "window" or three out of opening hatches. Preferably ones of the sort where you can fully remove the hatch's opening panel, simply by pulling a couple of fast/quick pins.

PS: The Sailmaker's Apprentice is worth WAY more than it's purchase price. You'll recoup that $ in your first DIY repair or project.

[deblen]

My 28ft pilothouse for some ideas.

P/house floor is dropped below cockpit deck to keep windage down.
Sliding hatch in p/house top.
Canopy completely encloses cockpit for cold,nasty wx, but has roll-up sides(now with windows) & roll-up back. Also has support bow& folds down on aft deck like a convertible car,or unsnaps for complete removal & stores under aft deck.
Galley in p/house leaves larger living area in saloon.
Not perfect but a decent amount of space in 28ft.