HOME  :: WHAT'S NEW :: PROJECTS :: SAILING :: MAINTENANCE :: RESOURCES  
  MAINTENANCE LOG  ::  WINTERIZATION AND STORAGE   


Refit:  Winter 2008-2009


Winter 2008-2009 Refit | Sunday, March 29, 2009

I worked on several random maintenance and spring-preparation jobs, with little of note.  The big projects are all done; the only item remaining on my initial list for this so-called "refit" (using the term loosely), as of this writing, is the new wind instruments.

To that end, I spent a little more time looking at the possibilities and reading some stuff online.  Eventually, I decided to take a chance, as it were, and placed an order for the new Tack Tick semi-wireless T033 cruising boat wind system, which uses wireless technology to send the masthead anemometer's information to the display head, but the display head is powered by 12V rather than solar cells, like the far more expensive T101.  This suits me, though, since I already had 12V wiring run to the existing wind display, which wiring I could re-use, so installing the new display would be a cinch.  And I didn't need the racing features of the more expensive system either; mostly, I just want the wind speed.  I use a Windex (and my eyes, for that matter) for direction anyway.

Frankly, any wind system is unnecessary, as I don't use it to sail, but I like to have it just for fun.  So there. 

Choosing the T033 was, frankly, driven largely by laziness.  I just didn't want to run the new anemometer cable through the whole boat and up the mast, and then deal again with the annual ritual of connecting 6 tiny wires after the mast was stepped.  The wireless sending unit of the T033 is very attractive for this reason.  Plus, I think the general Tack Tick concept is a good one, and is a system I could see using more in the future, whether for additional upgrades to this boat or in some other situation.

The good news was that the price of the T033 came down from its initial MAP price, near the stratosphere, to a level close enough to the other choices I was considering to make it an acceptable step up--about 20% higher than my runner-up choice, the Northstar.  So it's on its way, as of this writing (or at least it's ordered).  It was time to just make the decision and cross this item off my list, having successfully postponed it all winter long.

Once the gear arrives, I'll do the installation.

My goal for this weekend had been to basically get all the nagging chores completed, so that the boat would be more or less ready for launch.  Even though launch was many, many weeks away, sometime in May, it would be nice for me to have the boat prep behind me so I could relax and do other things around my house and property on the weekends.  I am not much of a last-minute-r.

Among the small items I finished up on this day:  installing the stanchions and lifelines, re-installing the bow and stern chocks, which I'd removed earlier to varnish the toerails, and drilling out some stripped holes in the cockpit coamings so that I could epoxy fill and then reinstall some snaps for the dodger that had pulled out.  I also ordered a new chart #13309 for my immediate home waters.  I then made the mistake of looking at some crazy ideas for my rigging and sails, and new chartplotters, and...well, the Internet can be foe as well as friend.  Just some intriguing ideas and possibilities for next year's off-season, perhaps.

Total time today:  2-ish hours

Previous | Next


 

 

 


Glissando, Pearson  Triton #381
www.triton381.com 

We recommend viewing this site with your screen resolution set to 1024 x 768 or larger.  Problems?  Email the webmaster.

©1999-2011 by Timothy C. Lackey.  All rights reserved.  No duplication of any portion of this website allowed without express permission.  Permission may be obtained by emailing the webmaster.