Splicing

Projects

Line splicing is an age old method of joining 2 lines or making an eye at the end of a line. Double braid 12-stand eye splicing involves separating the core from the cover and following a 10-step procedure. The only tools needed to make an eye splice are a fid (appropriately sized for the line), pusher-rod, marlin spike, and a needle and waxed thread for lock stitching the final splice. Lines on Apropos that have eye spices are used for halyards, topping lifts, lazy jacks, and dock lines. Below are pictures of the splicing procedure for a 5/16″ double braid line used for a topping lift.

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Metal Polishing

Projects

Apropos has a lot of bronze and brass parts. The binnacle, 14 opening ports, sampson post caps, and cowl vent plates to name a few. When I bought the boat, EVERYTHING was polished, even the bronze traveller, cowl vent caps, horn cleats, and the rings around the deck prisms. Over the past 10 years I have kept the ports and binnacle polished. The thing about brass/bronze metals, is they begin tarnishing the second you finish polishing. During the summer, I found they stay shiny for a week or two. Any rain speeds up the tarnishing 10x. Salt water causes the metal to go from shiny to dull and green in a few hours. In the spring, when I remove the full boat cover, it would take me about 15 minutes per port, or a couple of hours to polish all the port rings to get them back to shiny. After that and throughout the summer, it would only take about 5 minutes per port. The more often you do it, the less time it takes to remove the tarnish. Over the years I experimented with different polishing products. What I found works best is Flitz Polishing Compound. I apply it by hand using rubber gloves and work it into the metal, then I use a nylon scrub pad to speed up the removal of tarnish (every year or so my mom makes these pads for me, they are the best–thanks mom!). After about 9 years of doing this, I discovered a product called ProtectaClear (www.protectaclear.com) by Everbright that claims to seal and stop the metal from oxidizing and tarnishing. I was skeptical at first, but another Hans Christian owner said it works well for interior and exterior parts. So last fall I decided to apply it to a few exterior brass and bronze parts to see how it would do over the winter. I polished and then applied 2 coats to the 12″ port in the cockpit which is bronze, the top part of the binnacle (brass), and the top of the samson post (brass). 7 months later they are all still shiny. I’ve since applied ProtectaClear to all the remaining ports as well as some interior parts such as the bronze sink faucet, a brass ships bell, and a brass trawler lamp. It also works on other metals such as aluminum and stainless steel. When I refinished a teak/aluminum dinghy engine mount, I removed the chipped paint from the aluminum, polished it, and applied 2 coats of ProtectaClear. Another good thing about ProtectaClear is that it’s self annealing, so you can apply a 2nd coat after the 1st coat dries in about an hour.
Shown below are before and after pictures of a bow port. This is 1 of 2 ports that I didn’t polish regularly because they are harder to reach and they constantly get wet when sailing (sometimes they are underwater when the boat heals over). So it took about 2 hours to remove years of tarnish using Flitz compound on a polishing ball connected to a drill. These 2 ports will be a good test to see how well and how long ProtectaClear works.

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Running Rigging and Lazy Jacks

Maintenance

Running Rigging–After 10 years, the running rigging on Apropos was looking tired. I replaced the main halyard, mizzen halyard, drifter halyard, main and mizzen topping lifts, and jib halyard. I also added halyard clutches on both masts for line control.
Still to go are the jib sheets, stays’l sheets, and main sheet.

Lazy Jacks–Lazy Jacks help with lowering sails and are invaluable for short-handed crew. The lazy jacks keep the stack from falling all over the deck when flaking is not possible due to emergency situations or when sails need to be lowered quickly. I made my own lazy jacks after reading several articles from sailing magazines. I first made them for the mainsail, then copied the design with minor changes for the mizzen. Both designs use spreader mounted blocks, mast-mounted Spinlock cam cleats, 3/16″ AmSteel-grey line, stainless steel rings and eyestraps. The main was fitted with a 4-leg system and the mizzen a 3-leg system. They are easily deployed and stow against the mast when not in use. The AmSteel line and splicing to the ss rings minimize sail chafe.

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Track and Slide System

Projects

The new mainsail is being fitted with new slides made from 316 stainless that fit into a UHMW track (ultra-high molecular weight which is very strong and abrasion resistant) that slides into the original mast luff groove. This system by Tides Marine lowers the friction and makes it easier to raise and lower the mainsail. I installed the one-piece track by first cutting a new slot in the aluminum mast groove using a dremel tool with cutting discs. Next, the new track, which came in a big roll, was fed into the slot and slid all the way to the top of the mast. I had to remove the boom so there would be no angle when feeding the track up. This was an easy project that took about 3 hours.

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Canvas and Dodger Windows

Projects

Canvas–I washed and treated all the boat Sunbrella canvas. I have a ton of canvas–a full boat cover, 2 boom sail covers, a dodger, 2 deck box covers, helm seat cover, binnacle cover, 2 winch covers, 4 grab rail covers, 2 hatch covers, 2 stantion covers, and a BBQ cover. Most of the canvas is 10 years old but in pretty good shape, so they’re worth taking care of. The wash was done using Simple Green diluted to a medium strength and just a small amount of clorox cleanup. A light scrub with a stiff bristle brush helped remove some of the dirt and mildew. After rinsing and letting them dry well in the sun, I sprayed a waterproofing material on them using a small pump type garden sprayer. I used a product by Gold Eagle called 303 Fabric Guard that was given a best rating by Practical Sailor magazine and is endorsed by Sunbrella. It’s not cheap at $75/gal (and I went through 4 gallons!), but the results turned out great. After years in the Seattle rain, the canvas wasn’t repelling water like when it was new. Now the water beads up and runs right off. I’ll have to see how long it stays that way and decide how ofter to repeat the treatment. Shown below are photos of untreated canvas (top) and treated canvas (bottom) that were sprayed with water.

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Dodger Windows–The dodger was brand new when I bought the boat 10 years ago and is still in good shape. But the vinyl windows have become scratched and are not nearly as clear as they were 10 years ago, so I decided to replace them. I used double polished 40 mil vinyl by Regalite, which is the same as the original. The procedure was to first cut the new vinyl the same shape as the old. Next remove the outside stitching and trim back the old vinyl to the inside stitching. Then sew in the new vinyl with the outside stitch. Next remove the inside stitch which will allow the old vinyl to be completely removed. Finally sew the inside stitch and you’re done. This procedure ensures the dodger will keep the same shape when all done (removing the old vinyl first would make it nearly impossible to keep the dodger shape the same). The dodger consisted of 3 large forward facing windows and 2 small side windows. This project turned out to be very time consuming but we’re pleased with the results. Here’s a picture of the old and new vinyl:
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I also replaced the vinyl on the butterfly hatch cover. Here’s when it was half done showing the difference between the new (bottom) and old (top).

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New Bimini and Cockpit Enclosure

Projects

We decided to add a bimini for sun protection in the tropics and rain protection in the Pacific Northwest. Since we were able to see 2 of these installed on other Hans Christians and they were both Iverson designs, it was an easy decision to go with them. We also chose to have mesh-screen panels added to give the cockpit a full-enclosure. This also provides more shade from the sun while still allowing good visibility as well as air flow. The enclosure comes as 6 zip-on panels so various combinations can be used. A connector panel ties the bimini into our dodger. We made our own snap-on vinyl panels for keeping out the rain and wind. With the full enclosure and vinyl panels in place, the cockpit becomes an additional “room” during the winter months in Seattle. Even on a cold winter day, the sun warms the cockpit with the full enclosure in place.

Installation–I met the Iverson crew at the boat to go over the design. The biggest decision was the height of the bimini. The mizzen boom would need to be raised to allow clearance above the bimini AND I wanted the bimini high enough for me to be able to stand at the helm without ducking. This required me to move the boom up by about 13″. We also added a zipper onto the front edge of the dodger for the connector panel. This was all done before Iverson came back to begin building the bimini. They first built the custom stainless steel frame which they cut/bent/adjusted/installed on-site. Then they took measurements and returned a few weeks later with the canvas and mesh panels and everything fit perfectly.

Vinyl Panels–We decided to make our own vinyl panels. Instead of making separate panels to take the place of the mesh panels, we built the vinyl panes slightly small than the mesh panels and added snaps to make them easy to put on and take off. We used 30 mil vinyl and trimmed the edges with canvas. I did all the prep work (measuring, cutting, taping on the canvas binding) and Karen did all the sewing, using the “Beast”
(our Sailrite industrial-grade sewing machine). Then I took the 6 panels to the boat, removed the mesh panels, and hammered on the snaps. It was time consuming work but we were pleased with the results. Now I can sit in the cockpit playing guitar during a downpour!

Bimini and Full Enclosure w/ Vinyl Panels
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Single Side Band Radio

Projects,

I bought the ICOM IC-802 SSB radio at the 2012 Seattle Boat show. The package came with an auto-tuner AT-140, a GAM split lead antenna, a KISS counterpoise, and an SCS Pactor III modem.

Installation–Figuring out where to place the components was an important first step. Since the radio itself could be tucked away, I built a shelf for it under the nav station chart table. The remote display fit along side the chartplotter at an angle for easy viewing and tuning. I mounted the speaker higher up in against the bulkhead. Since the tuner wants to be as close to the antenna as possible, I found a place inside the transom that would be only a few feet from the antenna. The GAM split lead antenna has a split tubing that was easy to slide up a long side-stay with zip ties used every few feet. Lastly, the KISS counterpoise was run from the tuner under the starboard bunk. The Pactor modem easily fit atop the radio making it easy to connect to a laptop at the nav station. This installation kept everything relatively close together on the starboard side. Power to the radio was run from the DC panel using #8 AWG wire and a 30A breaker.

Testing–It’s hard to really test the SSB on a lake in the middle of the city. Interference, weather, and atmospheric conditions come into play with transmitting and receiving signals. At the marina, I was able to receive signals from far away (different languages) but couldn’t really test my transmitting capability. I did notice strange things happened when I keyed the mic to transmit–lights dimmed and some breaker panel lights turned on. I read this is normal and signifies you are sending some high power signals out. More experimentation is needed when I’m outside the city in more open water.

Sailmail–Sailmail

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Flags

Projects, Sewing

Another one of Karen’s side projects is making flags. My only job was to hammer on the grommets.

I used flagcloth polyester material, flagtape on the sides and fabric pens for the designs.

Here are some we hope to use on our trip (click on flag to identify):

Mexico

French Polynesia

Tahiti

Hans Christian Owners Association

Q flag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to say that I had the most fun designing the French Polynesia Flag, which I found out is not a courtesy flag in French Polynesia. The official courtesy flag is the French Tricolour. To get the design on the white portion of the flag I printed out a copy of the design and traced and coloured in the design using fabric pens directly.

For the Mexican Flag, which was my first attempt, I traced two designs onto white fabric patches and sewed them onto the flag. This design was so intricate I was afraid of making a permanent mistake if I traced it directly onto the fabric.

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Spectra Watermaker

Projects

I bought a Spectra Cape Horn watermaker at the 2014 Seattle Boat Show. I chose the Cape Horn because of its simplicity (manual control) and built-in redundancy (can run off 1 of the 2 pumps). With both pumps running, it can produce 14GPH at 18A (or 1.3 Ahrs/gal).

Installation–The Cape Horn is a modular system. The 3 largest components are the Clark pump/membrane, filter/pump1, and filter/pump 2. There’s also an accumulator tank, remote monitoring panel, product water valve, and test port to install. I had only a few options for the install location. Under the V-berth or under the port-side settee. Since accessibility is important for changing filters and throwing manual valves, I decided under the port-side settee would be the best location. The largest module (Clark pump) just fit after relocating a deck wash pump. The two filter/pump modules were slightly too tall so I modified a few hose fittings to allow them to fit within the available height and mounted them securely on starboard. I ran about 30′ of #4 AWG wire from the watermaker to a 30A breaker on my DC panel. I installed a brass spout at the galley sink for testing the product water and filling drinking bottles. Also in the galley is a valve for selecting the sink spout or the forward 60 gallon tank for product water. I installed a Tee in the sea water input hose for the head and piped the brine water output to the head sink drain. I also Tee’d into the pressure fresh water for the flush cleaning input. For filling the water tank, I drilled and tapped a hole in the top of the SS tank and installed a Parker fitting. The Parker fittings and 1/4″ tubing used on the product water side were easy to work with. The most difficult was running the 5/8″ tubing to the head and tying it into the 1-1/2″ sink drain. Since I couldn’t find an ideal place to mount the remote monitoring panel that didn’t require cutting into teak, I decided to mount it inside the galley engine access door. This was a convenient place since the valve was also mounted in that area. The panel has a flow rate gauge and a pressure gauge that should be monitored from time to time.

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Monitor Gauge and Manual Valve
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Video Showing Clark Pump Operating

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Vacation 2013

Sailing

We planned a 2 week vacation in the San Juan And Gulf Islands in the first 2 weeks of July 2013 with my sister. Unfortunately, due to family circumstances we had to trim it to 1 week.
We left Monday July 8th after last minute packing of the boat as Jim had climbed to Camp Muir at Mt Rainier on the Sunday. We left at midday and had a leisurely motor from Seattle to Port Townsend. The weather was sunny and clear with a mild breeze.

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At the locks

 

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A leisurely motor up the sound

Just past point no Point the wind picked up and we put up the sails. Had a north westerly wind so the boat heeled over a fair bit and we had to re-secure our stuff down below. We arrived at Port Townsend at sunset which was around 9pm and put the anchor down. Everyone was tired and we went to sleep after dinner.

Day 2 July 9th.

The next morning, Jim was itching to get going so he up anchored while I made oats for breakfast. We had it and as we rounded out of Hudson Point. Oh boy, was that a bad idea. We had wind vs tide and it was one of my choppiest rides in the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Jacintha and Sharon both lost their breakfast. I dosed them up with drugs then they went up into the cockpit to recover. Jacintha held onto the mizzen mast for dear life despite her life jacket and harness. The bumpiness settled down half way across the Straits but the damage was done. Sharon felt sick everytime we hit a wave.

It was a long ride to Roche Harbor and we were all happy to enter the calm harbor and drop our anchor. Sharon was happy to hit dry land and the shops when we dinghied to the resort. We bought Jacintha her first fishing rod and tackle and she was very pleased and wanted to go fishing right away.

The next morning Jim and Sharon took the dinghy to the resort while Jacintha and I stayed on board. As we were doing errands I noticed smoke coming from the marina which started getting thicker and thicker. I called Jim to find out what was happening over there. One of the million dollar display boats caught fire and the harbor workers had to move other boats out of the way and try to put out the fire. They closed the marina and Jim and Sharon were stuck on shore. Jacintha and I had a safe view from the boat.

 

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To keep Jacintha from fretting and occupied we pulled out her fishing rod and she was happy to “fish”. I didn’t actually know how to load the hook or put on the weight but since she didn’t know she was very keen to catch a fish.

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Speaking to Jim and Sharon, they had tied the dinghy in a location they couldn’t get to because of the boat fire. The hotel and shops were closed due to the smoke and they were hungry as it was lunch time by then. Also, Jim had been taking photos so his phone charge was running low. Meanwhile Jacintha and I had a nice lunch and a relaxing sunny day. Sharon and Jim finally got a ride from the marina staff to our boat as the dinghy was in an inaccessible area. They told us to come into the marina and they would give us moorage for the night. We got a spot right across the water from the boat which had burnt down to the waterline. The whole area smelt of char.

 

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The coastguard helicopter buzzed overhead a couple of times before they landed and checked out the wreck.

 

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And we had a beautiful sunset that night.

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The next day, the salvage cranes came to haul out the boat. We stayed 3 nights as our dinghy was still inaccessible.

Sharon was very much happier on land so I bought her a ticket on the Friday Harbor Clipper to Seattle home as she did not want to go back through the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

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Our next destination was a short trip to Jones Island.We enjoy walking around the island and exploring. We usually anchor in the north end but seeing as it was filled with boats we anchored in the south end this time. As it was low tide Jim secured the dinghy high up to a tree. I think he was wanting to practice his climbing skills. It was fun exploring the beach along the south end and hiking along the west side of the island. There was a wedding there that day so there were lots of people were around.

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As this was a short trip, our next port of call was Kingston where we anchored for the night. We had a mandatory stop at Mora’s ice cream which is our tradition. There is another Hans Christian 43T moored in the first slip at Kingston marina. We met the owners 5-6 years back and everytime we go there we stop to look out for them. Unfortunately, their boat was in a sad state of neglect with moss and leaves collecting. I do hope nothing amis has gone wrong and it’s just early in the season.

 

We love our Keens sandals!

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