Simrad NAIS-300 Class B AIS Transponder

Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) have been around a long time and required for use on most large commercial ships. AIS is very similar to transponders on aircraft in that they transmit the commercial vessel's navigation information such as name, call sign, position, course, speed, rate of turn, length and draft, port of origin and destination as well as navigation status (underway, anchored...). AIS units for commercial vessels are categorized as Class A systems. For the past few years AIS receivers have been available for pleasure boats allowing reception of Class A data so that we can identify and monitor large commercial vessels around us however it hasn't been until recently that Class B transponders became available allowing pleasure boats to transmit their vessel and navigation information. Class B transponders don't transmit as much information as Class A units however the important data such as vessel name, call sign, course and speed are transmitted. It is important to note that AIS receivers are a supplement to keeping a proper watch as not all vessels are equipped with AIS.

Shortly after Class B transponders became available we purchased and installed a Simrad NAIS-300 Class B AIS Transponder. This was back in April 2009. With all the choices on the market we chose the Simrad unit for a variety of reasons. Simrad is owned by Navico who also owns Northstar. Since almost all of our electronics are Northstar units, and because we're familiar with the customer service and warranty service offered by Navico we opted to continue to be a loyal customer. In addition the Simrad NAIS-300 also integrated easily with our Northstar M84 multifunction display but can also be connected to any other compatible chart plotter display or a personal computer.

At the time the order was placed we were required to provide information including the vessels name and MMSI number so that the unit could be programmed at the factory before being shipped. The FCC requires programming be done prior to shipping to a customer regardless of where you buy your Class B transponder or what brand you buy. The unit arrived on time and was well packed. Included in the box was the transponder unit itself, GPS antenna with cable, SIMNET cable, cable strain relief cover, software disc and user’s manual. Not included but necessary for completing the installation was a GPS antenna mount, an AIS antenna (VHF antenna will work), antenna wire, cables for power, NMEA and serial connections and misc electrical connectors. Optionally one can install a switch (not included) to disable the transmit function while keeping the receiver function enabled.

The manual is very well laid out with installation and operation instructions easy to read. Installing the NAIS-300 involved finding a suitable location for and mounting the transponder unit, mounting the GPS and AIS antennas and routing their cables to the transponder, routing power wires to the unit, routing the NMEA 0183 wire to our Northstar multifunction display and installing the transmit disabling switch. We also hooked up a serial cable to the transponder which allows us to run the included software on our laptop to check the status of the transponder as well as change a few parameters if necessary (antenna location, vessel size...). From unpacking to completing the installation took only half a day. Routing wires took most of the time involved.

Operation is pretty straight forward. When we first applied power to the NAIS-300 I used my laptop to monitor satellite acquisitions for the GPS antenna as well as proper receive and transmit operation. I was able to see a list of AIS targets and see the target's name, position, course and so on. Another nice feature of Simrad’s software is that you can check the efficiency of the AIS antenna to make sure it’s working within the tolerances allowed. Now that I verified operation it was time to turn on the Northstar chartplotter. Our chartplotter displayed all the targets appropriately overlayed onto the chart. I contacted a couple ships via VHF radio and confirmed that they were able to see my position and information so the transmit operation was verified.
Not having owned other Class B transponders I can’t compare the NAIS-300 to other units. However this unit appears to be very well built, was easy to install and works as advertised. And while Class B AIS transponders are not inexpensive I believe they offer a valuable addition to one’s navigation and safety inventory that they should be considered affordable.

Rating:
Performance 10
Quality 10
Ease of Use 10
Installation 9
Documentation 10
Customer Service 9
Warranty Service n/a
Overall Rating : 9.5

Fujinon 12x32 Techno-Stabi Binoculars

We purchased a pair of Fujinon 12x32 Techno-Stabi binoculars just before we departed Kemah Texas five years ago and for almost the first year we were very happy with them. One of the challenges with using binoculars on a boat is keeping a steady image in site, the Fujinon sure did the job to keep a steady image. Having used normal 7x50 binoculars in the past I have to say that the stabilized image was refreshing as we could actually read the numbers on buoys and names on ships. With normal binoculars this was almost impossible from any distance but near.

The Fujinon 12x32 came boxed with a binocular strap, caps for the eye pieces, 2 AA batteries, an instruction manual and warranty card. It would have been nice for Fujinon to include caps for the other end of the lenses so be prepared to keep these clean on a regular basis. Operation was quite easy. Without turning on the image stabilizng the binoculars work well on solid ground but have some shake in the image aboard a boat. To turn on the image stabilization you press and hold the power button for a couple of seconds and when powered a small amber light appears. Then to activate the image stabilization one flips a little lever located conveniently on the left side, and when activated the amber power light turns green. To save battery power you can flip the switch to deactivate the stabilization but leave the power on, turning off only when you're done with the binoculars. When activated the stabilizing does well to minimize hand shake making reading boat names and buoy numbers from a distance possible. Focus is a center adjustment and easy to use.

The power pack is a small box on the hand strap which houses to AA batteries. This is the down side of the Fujinon and the source of our disappoinment with these binoculars. From the battery pack to the binocular is a small and fragile wire. Within a year of owning these Fujinon binoculars our battery pack failed, and since they were under warranty I though it would be no problem to send them in and get the power pack replaced. Unfortunately that didn't work out like I expected. After contacting Fujinon's service center I was informed that the power pack would be replaced at a cost of almost $200 and that the power pack was not covered under warranty. After numerous emails with Fujinon I made no headway. What I did learn after numerous internet searches and reading many message board entries is that the failure of the power pack was a very common experience among owners thus leading me to think that this just might be a design flaw. And how disappointing it is to purchase a pair of $800 binoculars only to be told that to get a part fixed during the warranty period would cost 25% of the original purchase price when Fujinon is aware of the ongoing issue of the power pack. That's just poor business practice.

In the end I went back to West Marine where we purchased the Fujinon 12x32 Techno-Stabi binoculars and explained my experience with Fujinon's lack of warranty service. West Marine offered to exchange them for another pair which we did. And again they worked well for almost another year until the power pack failed once again. When they work they work well and as advertised, but I wouldn't recommend buying a pair unless your intention is to use them for less than a year.

Rating:

Performance 10
Quality 3
Ease of Use 9
Installation 9
Documentation 9
Customer Service 1 (at least they answered my emails)
Warranty Service 0

Overall Rating : Hard to say
Would buy again : Definately Not

Outback MX60 MPPT Solar Controler

Solar panels are a great addition to any cruising boat provided one has room to mount them. One of the key components to a good solar array installation is the solar regulator or controller which controls the voltage and amperage level to for appropriate output to the batteries.

When we left Texas we had one solar panel with a simple and inexpensive solar regulator. In St. Petersburg Florida we added a second solar panel and the same controller was rated to handle the output of both panels. Typical regulators take the input voltage and steps it down to just above the battery voltage. For example solar panels designed for a 12 volt system usually has an output of around 17.5 to 19 volts. The regulator steps this down to about 13.5 volts for a 12 volt system which is commonly found on most boats. With this type of installation multiple panels have to be wired in parallel and require large gauge wire to handle the amperage. Two 120 watt solar panels will output about 14 amps at 17 volts. Normal solar controlers cannot step down the voltage of higher rated panels, such as those rated for 24, 36 or 48 volts, for a 12 volt system.

Then there are the MPPT solar controllers such as the Outback MX60 that we installed a year and a half ago. On the surface the MPPT controllers are very attractive because they are advertised as increasing the available amperage by up to 30%. The key words being 'up to'. When reading the fine print in the manual for any MPPT controller one will find that the 30% increase in available amps occurs under ideal circumstances which is when the solar panels themselves are cool and the ambient air temperature and controller temperatures are cool. Further reading will reveal that the benefited increase in amps declines the futher south one travels into warmer weather. The hotter the panels and ambient ari temperature the less the benefit of the MPPT controller. In the tropics in sunny weather the benefits are minimal.

So why pay 10 times the cost for an MPPT controller? Well, there are still benefits even if one doesn't get to see the 30% increase. With an MPPT controller solar panels can be wired in series which means using smaller gauge wire. If wired in parallel these two panels would be wired for 12 volts at 120 watts outputing abotu 14 amps. Wired in series these two panels have an output of 24 volts at 120 watts thus putting out only 7 amps. With half the output I can run much smaller wire through the tubing in my arch, an easy task. At the controller the 7 amps at 24 volts is stepped down to 12 volts and the amps back up to 14 volts. So the benefit here is smaller gauge wire for the solar installation.

Another benefit is one can now buy larger panels such as 360 or 400 watt panels designed for 36 volt or 48 volts systems, an MPPT controller will step this down automatically to match the boat's system voltage. Another increase in amps, though very slight and almost not noticable here in the tropics, is that the MPPT controller will keep the output voltage to just above the battery voltage. A normal fixed controller keeps it output at 13.5 to 14 volts, it's a fixed output. If the battery voltage is 12.7 volts and the MPPT controller and lower the output voltage to 13 volts then there is a slight increase in amps.

Where the MPPT controller really does make a difference, and again it's slight, is on cloudy days. We do notice that the output of our solar panels is slightly higher on cloudy days than if we were using a standard solar controller.

Overall we've been very happy with our Outback MX60 MPPT controller. We like it's robust construction and ease of installation. The included manual is very laid out and provides easy installation instructions. The onboard digital screen makes programming easy and allows one to see the input volts, amps and watts from the solar panels as well as the output volts, amps and watts to the batteries. The display also shows the day's total output to the battery and keeps track of daily output with a 30 day history. The Outback MX60 will take an input of up to 60 amps making it an excellent controller for larger solar arrays. MPPT controllers, and the Outback is not an exception, is very expensive. For about $50 one can get a standard controller or for $500 an Outback unit. For the difference in price one could add another solar panel and have a substantial increase in amps, more than the MX60 could provide. But one would also have to have the room to add that additional panel and that can be an issue on most small boats like ours.

Rating:

Performance 10
Quality 10
Ease of Use 10
Installation 9
Documentation 9
Customer Service n/a

Overall Rating 9.75
Would buy again Probably

Spade Anchor

	Our anchor setup before leaving Texas five years ago consisted of a 35 lb. CQR anchor as the primary and a 33 lb. Bruce anchor as the secondary. This was a good setup for sailing on the bay and along the coast but our needs were changing. We wanted to beef up our primary anchor because we knew that when we would start cruising we would spend most of our time at anchor. After some research we ended up buying a new 33 lb. aluminum Spade anchor before taking off for our extended cruise. The Spade anchors are available in aluminum and galvanized steel. We chose the aluminum because of it’s lighter weight.. Though the 22 lb. aluminum model was rated as sufficient for Bruadair I wanted our primary anchor to be oversized. The 33 LB model is definitely oversized as it’s rated for boats up to 65’ or 40,000 pounds, our boat is about 26,000 pounds fully loaded for cruising. The 33 lb aluminum anchor has the same holding power as the 66 pound steel version. This is because holding power is determined by the surface area of the anchor not the weight. The steel anchor, being twice the weight, is supposed to set much faster especially in grassy or hard bottoms. We’ve been very happy with how fast our aluminum anchor sets. We weigh 26k pounds loaded. The Spade anchor, unlike some other anchors, sits very well in a bow roller. We have used our Spade anchor quite a bit since we left Texas in mud, sand , rock and grassy bottoms. I can’t say enough good things about it. It has set the first time every time, has never broken out when we change directions with the tide and we have never dragged anchor. With our all chain rode in 40 knots of wind we have always stayed put. The anchor is relatively easy to break out of the ground but on occasion it does require a bit of effort. Everyone we have met out here cruising that has a Spade anchor loves them, no one would give it up. The only down side of the Spade anchor is it’s price, they are not inexpensive by any means. But when living on the hook most of the time peace of mind of having a good anchor is always worth something. We have yet to use our CQR or Bruce anchor so we cannot compare them to the Spade. We have met many boaters out there using the Spade and the consensus is the same, it’s an excellent anchor. Rating: Performance 10 Quality 10 Ease of Use 10 Installation 9 Documentation 8 Customer Service n/a Overall Rating 9.75 Would buy again Definitely

Katadyne 40E/80E watermaker

The installation of our Katadyn 40E watermaker was done five years ago, three years ago we upgraded to a Katadyn 80E watermaker which produces about 3.5 gallons per hour. We find this output to be much more condusive to our needs. In the three years that we've had this water maker we have not had any issues whatsoever. It's performed as advertised and the support from Katadyn has been excellent in regards to our questions, both before purchase and after, by phone and email.

The Katadyn units arrived very well packed and all the accessories required including much of the hose were included. The instruction manual was very well laid out in terms we could understand and photos to go along with the instructions. Installation took only one day. The simpleness of the Katadyn watermakers was one big advantage in our mind, that meant less in the system to break. As we're approaching 1000 hours on our watermaker we will be doing a complete overhaul this summer before we head back to the San Blas Islands, basically that means just tearing it apart to replace all the seals and then putting it back together. Below is the web site entry we did when we installed the smaller 40E unit, upgrading to the 80E was simple as all the plumbing was in place and for the most part it's installed in the same manner. If we ever had to replace our watermaker it would without a doubt be with another Katadyn unit.



In late September 2004 we decided to add a watermaker to our equipment list. We had gone back and forth on the idea contemplating the pros and cons such as cost, space, energy use and maintenance. Some of the pros were we would have a source for fresh water in the event none was available or if the quality was questionable, it would also allow us to stay in more remote areas without worry of running out of water. Some of the cons involved were the cost, space needed to mount it and it’s energy use. To help offset some of the cons and after talking with Dee Dee at Katadyn we decided on the Pur 40E. The 40E is the smallest unit offered at only 1.5 gallons per hour but it was within our budget constraints as well as being within our energy budget at only 4 amps. The 40E also comes with a handle and can be operated temporarily in the event power is lost. We also purchased the cruising kit which included additional filters, a seal kit and more biocide.

We were limited on space in the boat as far as where we wanted to mount it, and after a day of going through the boat we decided that the forward compartment under the pullman berth not only had enough space but would also allow for easy servicing.

Surprisingly, the installation was quite easy and only took one day, probably one of the easiest projects done on the boat in a while. First thing we did was unpack all the components (20 micron filter assembly and the watermaker) and move them around the compartment until we found the placements that best worked for us. Next was to mount the water filter on the forward bulkhead and the watermaker on the outboard bulkhead. The watermaker was through bolted through the bulkhead with four 1/4” bolts and large fender washers to help distribute the load (the unit weighs 22 pounds).

Once the two pieces were mounted all we had left was to run two wires for power and connect three hoses. The 12vdc was supplied by the distribution panel and I also installed a dedicated on/off switch inside the compartment as well. The raw water intake was teed off of the air conditioner thru hull and a series of valves installed to control the water flow either to the air conditioner or to the watermaker. This hose was connected to the intake on the water filter via another valve. A 3/16” hose was also installed at the valve for the water intake so that when the watermaker is not in use we can flush it with biocide to prevent any unwanted bacteria or algae growth. The fresh water hose coming from the watermaker is 7’ long so that we can route it to a jerry can which can easily be stowed and secured in the shower while under way, and when not in use the hose stows easily in a small canvas pocket inside the watermaker locker. And finally the brine, or waste water, discharge hose was routed and connected to the galley sink drain. It was truly amazing that we actually had a boat project that went so well and quickly. Unfortunately we have not yet tested the system because of the poor water quality here at the marina. We’ll be testing it on our way to Florida and don’t expect that we’ll have any problems (though if we do we’ll have a couple weeks in Florida to take care if it).

Rating:

Performance 10
Quality 10
Ease of Use 10
Installation 9
Documentation 9
Customer Service 10

Overall Rating 9.75
Would buy again Definitely

Fourwinds II Wind Generator

There are many wind generators to choose from and each has their own pros and cons. We chose the Fourwinds II wind generator because of it’s high output, low noise and traditional looks. This unit is manufactured by Everfair in Florida.

The Fourwinds II comes nicely packaged and includes the wind generator, wire, terminal strips, terminal connectors, instruction book and warranty card. The blades also come already balanced from the factory. What is required but not included is a voltage regulator and mount. This wind generator is available as a stern pole mount, mizzen mast mount, radar arch mount and hoist mount unit so be sure to know how you’re going to install it before ordering. Another side note on ordering. If you call Everfair direct to order your wind generator be warned that they will try to talk you into buying every accessory with it saying that it’s absolutely necessary to have. It’s not. The exact voltage regulators with a different label can be had at other places for about 25% less, other monitoring panels will work besides their proprietary unit. Just be sure to shop around and buy only what you need.

Be careful to read the instructions carefully but beware that there is a lot in the manual to confuse you. The manual contains a wealth of engineering information about the wind generator and I found this to be confusing when trying to read the installation instructions. It would have been nice to have clear and concise installation instructions in one manual and the how’s and why’s of what the wind generator does in another, putting the two together just makes things confusing. I’ve installed about 8 of these units and each time find the instructions over shadowed by too much engineering information. The manual does have some good illustrations and once you’ve read through them a couple of times installation actually is pretty easy. Because the Fourwinds is one of the larger wind generators with a tip to tip span of 60" make sure you have plenty of space to install one.

Once installed the unit operates very well. The Fourwinds II is one of the quietest units on the market, in 25 knots of wind there is only a quite whisper. When we first installed the unit and used it at the marina we were quite disappointed with it’s output, but once at anchor and away from all the buildings and other obstructions we were very pleased with it’s output. At anchor in 15 knots of wind we typically get close to 9 amps or more.

Customer service from Everfair has always been good but sometimes the folks there can be somewhat abrupt as if they are busy doing something else or are low on patience. For the lay person it would also help to speak in less engineering terms. Overall we are very pleased with our Fourwinds II, but another wind generator to consider is the KISS. It is a much simplier unit to install (I’ve installed three) and doesn’t require extras like voltage regulators (it’s built into the KISS) and by the time installtion is done the KISS is less expensive. It’s output and noise level is very competitive with the Fourwinds II unit.

In the five years we've had this wind generator we have had to make two repairs. The rectifier shorted out after one year of service and was fairly easy to replace but did require some soldering skills. The new rectifier was about $40. Then at about the four year mark we had to replace the two shaft bearings at a cost of about $10 each, this was also easy to replace but required taking the wind generator off the mounting pole. All in all not bad for five years of continuous use.

Rating:

Performance 8
Quality 8
Ease of Use 9
Installation 7
Documentation 8
Customer Service 9

Overall Rating 8.5
Would buy again Yes

Lavac Popular Head

We purchased and installed our Lavac head in July 2004 to replace our Raritan PHII. The Raritan that was in the boat was a good working head, but it needed constant attention to keep working properly or to keep from leaking. In the five years we've had the Lavac head it has never needed a rebuild and continues to work today just as if it were brand new. The Lavac head is highly recommended from those cruisers that have them and are considered to be the most maintenance and trouble free heads. They are very common in Europe but the only distributer here in the US is Defender Industries. These heads, by the way, are not new to the market. They’ve been around since the 1960s. There are two models, the Zenith and the Popular. The only difference between the two is that the Zenith model is slightly larger however the Popular model is the one that fit where we needed to install it.

The Lavac Popular head is a very simple to install and use. The head consists of the toilet bowl and a Henderson pump, we chose the manual pump instead of the electric pump. The toilet lid and seat have a gasket on the underside of each piece so when the seat and lid are closed and the pump pumped, the contents of the bowl are sucked out and a vacuum is created causing clean water to be drawn into the bowl. The only drawback of this head is that one has to wait for the vacuum to equalize before the lid can be opened again for use, this has not been an issue for us but something to consider. Typically it takes only a couple of minutes to be able to open the lid again. The only moving part of the entire system is the Henderson pump (basically a manual bilge pump). There are only two hose connections to the bowl, a 5/8” water intake and a 1.5” discharge connection. These are standard hose sizes found on most other heads.

The actual operation is very easy and simple and uses about the same amount of water as the Raritan did. The bowl is porcelan but the seat and lid is plastic. There are a variety of options for installation and the manual contains excellent diagrams of the options available. We’ve been using the Lavac daily and have not yet had any issues, unlike the Raritan we had before. Because the Henderson pump is basically a manual bilge pump a Y-valve can be installed before the pump with the second entry point being used either as a back up bilge pump or it can be connected to the holding tank so the same pump that empties the head can be used to empty the holding tank.

Rating:

Performance 10
Quality 10
Ease of Use 10
Installation 9
Documentation 9
Customer Service n/a

Overall Rating 9.55
Would buy again Yes

New rear engine seals

	Well, as you know we were having problems with an oil leak at the bell housing and we wanted to get this repaired before heading off to Mexico and beyond. We were loosing about a quart of oil every 40 to 50 hours and were concerned that it might get worse over time. After doing some research I was pretty confident that the leak was coming from the rear main seal on the crankshaft. The only way to get to this seal is to remove the transmission/bell housing assembly and I was concerned that it would mean removing the engine to do it. I had a local mechanic come by and take a look and he said it could be done without removing the engine. I had my doubts but was happy to hear his plan. We came up with a deal that I would do most of the work myself while he would come by periodically to check the work (this kept the labor rate down). So here is what we did. 1. Drain engine oil and transmission oil 2. Disconnect the propeller shaft coupling and slide the shaft aft through the dripless seal as far as it will go 3. Removed the top nuts on the rear motor mounts. Disconnect the mixing elbow by removing the four bolts that hold it in place 4. Jack the rear of the engine up one inch and block with wood. I used a small car jack and it was placed just forward of the bell housing. 5. Remove the two motor mount brackets on the bell housing 6. Disconnect the shift lever cable 7. Remove all the bolts that hold on the bell housing. The transmission will not drop as four of the are nuts that thread onto posts that hold the transmission in place (see picture). Two of these bolts are low and can be challengine to get to. If you can't reach them a young, nimble mechanic/friend is nice to have around. I had to call the mechanic back to get the two bottom nuts off. I really didn't think he would be able to reach them so in anticipation of having to remove the engine I disconnected all the hoses and wires. He got them off no problem. 8. Slide the transmission off and lay in the bilge. No parts will fall out and it's not really that heavy. 9. Unbolt the dampner plate and set aside. 10. Unbolt the flywheel collar and set aside. 11. Unbolt the flywheel, an impact driver will help. 12. Carefully remove the flywheel using a puller. It is heavy but can gently be lowered into the bilge. 13. Clean the entire area before removing the seal. 14. Remove the seal (about $14) 15. Replace the seal. Gently tap into place so you don't tear it. 16. Re-install the flywheel and torque bolts accordingly 17. Re-install the flywheel housing and torque bolts accordingly 18. Inspect the dampner plate and re-install or replace 19. Clean the inside of the bell housing that is still attached to the transmission. Inspect the front transmission seal and replace if necessary. 20. Lift transmission into place and bolt back together. 21. Re-install rear motor mount brackets 22. Lower engine back onto rear motor mounts, remove blocks and jack 23. Tighten rear motor mount nuts, reconnect shaft and check alignment, re-align if necessary 24. Reconnect gear shift cable and replace transmission fluid and engine oil. 25. Run engine and check for leaks. It took a total of about five hours spaced over three days (waited for mechanic to come and check my progress). Though it seems intimidating it really isn't. Some of the tools really needed that helped along were the impact driver and flywheel puller. I did apply some penetrating oil on all the bolts the night before, don't know if it was necessary but I didn't want to chance breaking any bolts off.
	Here are some pictures we took during the work. removing bell housing bolts. As you can see I taped a reminder that the engine fluids were emptied Transmission/bell housing unit removed and laying in the bilge. Notice the oil all over the inside of the bell housing. I had taped reminders where all the hoses and wires were disconnected in anticipation of removing the engine (didn't happen, trust your mechanic) With the dampner place removed and the flywheel unbolted the flywheel was ready to be pulled. Notice the placement of the jack. You can also see the studs that keep the transmission/bell housing from just falling off when it's unbolted (the upper starboard stud came out with the nut but was later replaced) You can see the entire area behind the flywheel covered in engine oil, a pretty good indication that the rear main seal was leaking (no other way for oil to get inside the bell housing) Clean everything up before removing the seal so you don't contaminate the inside of the engine. This is also a good time to start cleaning up the engine compartment. The rear main seal is now ready to be removed and replaced. The stud sticking out where the flywheel bolts is the aligning pin for the flywheel.

Helmsman Seat Cushion

In preparation for our departure, there are several projects that each of us want to complete. Mine was the helmsman seat cushion. On our last trip to Harbor House in Galveston , Texas, I was at the helm. Rather than stand all the time, one does like to sit down once in awhile. I couldn’t fine the make shift cushion that we had been using for the past two years. It was nothing more than a small sunbrella cover with a draw string in the bottom edge so you could stuff it with a couple small pillows. Since I couldn’t find it, I grabbed one of our pick-up-and-go chairs that we had purchased at West Marine. Aside from the fact that the seat portion was about five inches to long, it was surprisingly comfortable! I had Damon try it out and he agreed , but thought it rather impractical because it kept sliding around, and the seat wasn’t wide enough to completely cover the actual helmsman seat itself. So I took over the helm again, and while I sat there, I thought. Thinking…creating in my mind how to make this work. It wasn’t long before I had the problem solved. When we had returned to the marina, I brought my friend Pam over and told her of my plan. I needed some conformation on the idea. Pam has a canvas shop here in Kemah. She, like me, with a little explanation, has the ability to see a project completed in her mind. So all I needed was someone to agree with my idea that this would indeed work. Pam was gracious enough to let me have free reign of her shop, while she went with her husband Dan, went to Florida to captain a charter in the fishing tournament near Key West. With the shop now to myself, I went to work. (The Pick Up & Go chair I bought, before work began) I purchased another on of the chairs at work and took it to the shop. I striped the covering off and broke out the electric knife. I cut off 4 ½ inches off the seat length. This exposed the metal bar structure of the chair. I then took our roto zip with a grinding attachment and cut off the exposed curved bar back to the foam edge. Then I pealed the foam back another five inches and cut another 4 ½ inches of the bar on each side of the seat. The I reattached the curved bar that was cut off with nylon double barbed hose attachments. Now all I had to do was glue the foam back on with Super 77. Then with some scrap foam that was in the shop I glued two more pieces to each side of the seat to make it a total of six to seven inches wider. While the glue was drying I traced the outline and proceeded to make a cover for the seat. So that the seat will tie in with all of the other projects that have been done here on Bruadair, the cover had to be a tailored look. I have never been one to take the easy way out. I always seem to have to take the more difficult route. It must be something inherited. I did get the cover made, now all that was needed was to connect it to the actual helms-men seat on the boat. Of course as with most of the projects that we have done, the original idea never seems to work out just right. I had intended to use twist locks to secure our new seat cushion to the helmsman seat top, but my measurements were a bit off. And I’m glad that they were, because the end product turned out to have a cleaner look to it. I ended up having to add two inch webbing straps with another piece of sunbrella to the bottom of the cushion. This then allowed me to put the twist locks on the underneath side of the actual helmsman seat. Now they are completely hidden. (The finished project, our new Helmsman Cushion) The cushion is now attached and doesn’t slide around on us. The advantage now it that we can still get under the helmsman seat without taking the cushion off. This was an added bonus. (The straps are sewn to the cusion, then pass under the seat where they are secured with twist locks. This prevents the cushioin from slipping in any direction.)

Teak Deck Box

The designed propane locker for Bruadair is located in the cockpit, and only holds two 4 lb. bottles. As liveaboards, we go through a lot of propane, and decided we wanted to increase our capacity. Since many of the Hans Christians have teak deck boxes on the foredeck, we decided that adding one not only would allow us to have a place to put larger propane tanks, but it would also keep the traditional lines of the Hans Christian that we like so much. The locker was designed by my self, and built by our good friend Capt. Dan. It was constructed out of solid teak planks, 7/8” thick 4” wide. The floor was built of 3/4” marine grade plywood. All joints were assembled with biscuits and epoxy, all the corners were also screwed together. The interior and bottom were coated with two coats of West Systems epoxy. There are three drain/vent holes in the bottom. The box was secured to the deck with 5” lag bolts driven from below deck, and sealed with Life Caulk. New propane hose and wiring for the solenoid were run, and the entire system was check for leaks (none found). Dan’s wife Pam made a beautiful canvas cover for the box. The box now holds two 10 lb. bottles of propane. I also added a small divider between the bottles and the extra space, where we keep our jacklines, anchor snubber line, and hose for the deck wash down system. Thought the deck box does take up a fair amount of space on the foredeck, it is space we don’t use often. We still have plenty of room to work the windlass, and move from one side to the other. The old propane locker will keep one of the 4 lb. bottles for the BBQ, and the rest of the space will go for storage (not sure what yet). Overall we are excited about our new box. Thanks Dan, couldn’t have done it without you!

The box was designed with some extra space (port side) to accomodate jacklines, the anchor snubber line, and deck wash down hose. A partition was added after this picture to separate these items from the tanks.