New Neighbor in Town

You scraping the bottom today?

Air X Marine Wind Generator

In addition to the solar panel, I decided to add an Air X Marine wind generator to help keep the house battery bank charged when away from the dock. I am going to be switching out the 2 group 27 batteries I have now and go with 3 group 31 batteries for about 300 amp hours. This should be plenty to run the fridge, tiller pilot, VHF and chartplotter. Found a great deal on Craigslist, gotta love that site, and will pick it up next week. I have some specs below if you are interested. Pics to come...

Product Applications:• Sailboats and seaside locations
• Supplies power for refrigeration, auto-pilot, water maker,
• lights,
• navigational equipment, communication equipment.
• Designed to withstand hurricane force winds
• Can be installed on transom or deck in just a few hours 

Product Features:
• Carbon fiber composite blades
• Aircraft quality aluminum alloy castings.
• Exclusive Brush-less neodymium based sealed alternator.
• Sophisticated internal battery charge regulator.
• Maintenance-free - only two moving parts.
• Exclusive Auto-brake feature slows the AIR-X to a silent
• spin when the batteries are charged, extending bearing
• life & eliminating noise
• Marine powder coating and stainless steel fittings for
• corrosion protection in a marine environment.
• High Wind Safe Mode - Automatically slows turbine in
• potentially damaging winds. Reduces noise and distractions
• for peace of-mind when on or off your boat.

Corrosion Resistance:• Acid etched castings double coated with marine grade
• powder coat for superior protection from the environment.
• Anodized hub.
• Tuff-Gel coated fasteners to prevent seizing of components.
• Tin plated wires.
• Sealed alternator.

Quote of the Day

Makes sense to me...came across this quote on a sailing forum but certainly think it applies to every one.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church....a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes.” 

― Charles R. Swindoll

Sweet Smell of Victory, er, Chili

Skylark Chili

Fleming Island Marina likes to hold fun events for the gang here from time to time. So today, it was a throw down, a throw down of the chili kind. That's right it, was a chili cook-off and there was a prize on the line, a $50 gift certificate to where else, Chili's. Of course I couldn't just sit back and not make a batch, so I made my way to Walmart for chili makin' supplies. I didn't have a recipe in mind, I just went with some stuff that made sense and tried to recall the days of going to chili cook-offs with my friend Dave and his father back in high school. $49 dollars later, I was good to go.

It was a hot day to cook

The judging started at 3:00 and it was 11:30, so I had my work cut out for me. I  had the galley going at full strength while trying hard not to pass out from the heat. Yesterday here in Jacksonville, it was 86 degrees. It has been an incredible winter here if you want to call it that. Anyway, with the temps the way they were and 3 burners on the stove going, it got hot...about 95 degrees if you can believe it. But there was a prize on the line along with the coveted title of FIM Chili Master. (actually I just made that up)  By 1:00, all the chopping, mixing, sauteing and can opening was done and a full pot of Skylark chili was simmering. It was time for a beverage, one of the ingredients of the chili actually, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Good stuff. Please note the pic of the galley is a bit blurry due to the fact I was half conscience from heat stroke at that point. :)

Entries ready for the judges

Entries ready for the judges

At 2:30, 7 entries were brought up to the pavilion and made ready for presentation to the 3 judges. Besides the normal crew here at the marina, there was also the North Florida Cursing Club on hand as they had a race earlier that morning and use the marina for a meeting point. With a full keg of Yeungling on hand provided by John, the owner of the marina, we were ready to go. The judging was to be blind, so I received my number, 4, and prepared to hand in my three bowls to the folks who would bring them to the judges. (We are so professional). When all of the entries were presented to the judges, the flood gates were opened and about 50 folks hit the pots of chili hard. There was also corn bread, veggie platters, chips & dip and a huge desert platter. We were doing well.

Folks having fun at the pavilion

About 30 minutes later, we were called to attention by John as it was time for the results. Let me say before I go any further that every single entry was incredible. They really were, and everyone enjoyed them. I certainly had my favorites and knew there was some serious competition.

The head judge started with 3rd place, which was my favorite. This entry was submitted by the folks on s/v Baby Bluz and had some real nice ingredients that I had not had in chili before.
2nd place was won by Luareen and her family. She works here at the marina in the office. Her chili too was excellent.

Well, by now I am sure you figured out where this is going. When the winning number was called, I had no inkling that it would be number 4. It was funny actually, when the judge called number 4, there was silence for a few seconds before it sunk in that I had won. At that point, I raised my hand and yelled Yeahhhhhh.... freaking everyone out. It was kinda funny and had everyone laughing. My buddies here still can't believe it and one who had entered insists I cheated somehow. :) All in all it was a great day and a lot of fun. But the best part of it all, the gift certificate to Chili's! The only down side, there wasn't a spoonful of chili left and unfortunately, Skylark was one of a kind.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Making a difference

While heading into the bathhouse this afternoon, I noticed a large stack of papers pinned to the cork-board out side the bathrooms. After a quick glance, I noticed it was a petition for the city of Clay County, Florida. Well, I was taken aback that someone at the marina was trying to make a difference, proud even, and read further to see exactly what the difference was. It didn't take long to see what these individuals were looking to change, a worthy cause to say the least. Take a look at the second paragraph, A.

Got to love sailors...

Norcold Cold Plate Install

Figured I would keep the momentum going and install the Norcold cold plate that came in from Defender today. A cold plate converts and existing icebox into an actual refrigerator using a compressor and a metal plate that's installed in the ice box. That plate gets very cold and works just like a normal refrigerator eliminating the need for ice. (If you don't know, Defender is truly the cheapest place around to buy anything marine and is where I have gotten just about everything for Skylark. Their customer service is outstanding and delivery time is usually only a few days. Check them out.)

The first thing that needed to happen was the removal of the stove so I could get the new shelf in for the compressor. The old unit was more on the horizontal, where the Norcold compressor is taller on the vertical, so the shelf had to be dropped. Since everything was out anyway, I went with 3/4 inch marine ply instead of the 1/2 inch stock that was there. I was also able to move it back to the hull a bit so the swing of the gimbled stove picked up a few more inches. Even with the new placement, there is plenty of room for the compressor to breath and keep itself cool.

The holes were already drilled from the water tank project, so running the copper tubes and the thermostat under the sink and behind the shelves wasn't an issue at all. The system is pre-charged, so all you need to do is attach the quick connect fittings to the compressor and you are set. The thermostat has about 12 feet of cable that runs from the compressor to the ice box. I installed the thermostat controller at the top of the ice box, as the cold airs sinks to the bottom. This should allow for better temperature control.

In addition, the cold plates themselves needed to be installed along the side of the icebox. This wasn't too hard as the box is square and the plates are bent at a 90 degree angle. Along with plastic spacers between the plates and the box, screws are used to mount the plates snugly. It was a pretty straight forward install and went in as expected.
I still need to fill a couple of old holes and find some insulation to fill in the hole where the copper tubes leave the box. The better insulated, the fewer cycles of the compressor.

With everything mounted and installed, the last thing that needed to happen was connecting the power leads to the house battery bank. The compressor came with a 10amp in-line fuse, so for the meantime, that should be just fine. I might add something else in the future, but for now that should work. I have some more electrical to do to integrate the fridge into the panel to make everything perfect. But in the meantime, all is well, and beer is cold.

Amen, another major item off the list.

Progress Made

Water tank faucet to left, city water to right

I have been talking about fixing or replacing the water tank and lines for a long time now. In a previous post, I mentioned that the 25 gallon water tank under the V-birth was actually glassed in and had no access panel, if you can believe it. My buddy Ralph had to get creative but came up with a solution that makes it almost impossible to see where anyone touched a thing. Once the plan was in place and the fine cutting was done, we were able to pull the tank and take a look-see on the dock. After 43 years, the stainless steel tank looked perfect inside and out. About 30 minutes of cleaning, spraying and swishing with a few drops of bleach, the tank was ready to go back in along with all new water lines led to the galley (which was no easy tasks as the previous owner blocked all the old water line conduits adding extra insulation to the ice box) and the head sinks. To keep things as simple as possible, I decided not to install a pressure water system and just go with pump faucets. I wasn't sure how it would work, but after a few days of use, I think they really work well. I also look at it as somewhat of a built in "usage limiter" when out on the hook. Especially with folks on-board that are not used to a limited water supply. So I can now officially say the water system is completely overhauled and working on Skylark. About time.

The Norcold Icebox Conversion Kit

The other item we are in the process of installing is a new set of cold plates in the ice box. I had an old Adler Barbour system all plumbed and supposedly OK, but it never worked and like most things on the boat, had to go. Since it was at one time a good system, we took it out of the boat and brought it over to Ralph's workshop for a thorough inspection in hopes of a resurrection. After some poking and prodding, it looked like the compressor was shot so it was deemed dead. After some research, I decided to go with the Norcold Refrigerator Kit. It should work perfectly for my needs but I will certainly keep you updated once it's in and keeping the sun downers cold. More to come.

Delta 22

We are also in the process of adding a bow roller so I can include a Delta 22 anchor in my arsenal of ground tackle. That project is still in the planning stages, so I will add pictures as we get further along. Still have some wood to chop, but I finally feel like I am making a dent in the to-do list. Very happy indeed.

PS. The weather here in Florida has been in the 70s and 80s for the last few weeks. Today, it was 86...unreal. I truly have a new respect for the "Snow Bird" but that's another post.

Fair winds...

Across the Way

We made it!

Since bringing Skylark down to Jacksonville, I have been in the same slip on dock C, the floating dock, since I have been here. Although I am a fan of floating docks, here at Fleming Island Marina, dock C is rather exposed to the NE winds that come barreling down the river. The waves pick up and tend to make things wet rather quickly. I decided to move just across the fairway over to B dock where the ride is a little easier and certainly dryer. So with the help of a few friends I brought her over to the new slip this morning. Luckily (sort of :) Fred had his camera and snapped a few shots of the long journey over. Looks like my line handling is a little out of practice.

I think this is the spring line

Winter in Jacksonville, FL

New addition to Skylark

Sorry I have been so quiet, but I haven't had too much new to report lately. I am still waiting for a few things to wrap up and get done so I can cross them off the list. I've been down on Skylark since Feb 1 and have been trying to get things in order and planned for the upcoming season. The kicker is though, the weather has been spectacular since I have been here. It feels like it IS the new season. A little cooler today, but it has been in the low 80s the first half of the week, just incredibly nice days to help wash away the winter blahs. It's been wonderful to be in shorts again, I have missed it being in the 40 degree North Carolina mountains. Although no matter how cold it gets, I will never give up my flip flops, I refuse.

I have also been able to see Zachary almost every day I have been here, so that's been great as well. Looking forward to another weekend of baseball practice and relaxing. Although, Zachary has landed himself his first paying job and will be assisting one of his buddies washing and waxing his Grandfather's boat here in the marina. Hoping the weather holds for this momentousness occasion. :) It will be fun to watch...from afar...with a beer. :)

So what am I working on? Current projects include fixing or replacing the Adler Barbour refrigeration unit that has been sitting inoperative since I bought the boat. We are going to see if it can be repaired since it's a good unit and worth fixing. If it is DOA, then one of those new swap and drop units will be installed. Everything has already been fitted, so replacing shouldn't be that hard.
The water tanks are still at the top of the to-do list but might require a bit more time since we found them to be basically glassed in. Won't be as easy as originally thought (what ever is), but nothing that can't be handled.
Also keeping my eye out for a tiller pilot and a used dingy. And of course the solar panels once I get them, so all in all, pretty busy.

More to come...fair winds.

Skylark is Going Green

 Yup, you heard right, Skylark will soon be off the grid and just a bit closer to self-sufficiency. I do like the sound of that. By adding a 75w panel, I should be able to produce all the power I need without running the engine or the generator. At this point, I really have very limited power needs not having a refrigerator, but if that changes, I can just an additional panel to make up the difference.

For the panel, I came across a great deal for a brand new Siemens SP75 on Craigslist. The specs are here. As of now, I will probably mount it on the deck until I have an arch or a set of dingy davits to mount on top of.

In addition to the panel itself, you need to have a charge controller to manage the flow of current to the batteries. The controller will make sure you don't overcharge or inadvertently discharge your batteries.  I went with the SunForce Charge Controller. It can handle up to 10Amps of current and up to 150 Watts. They have good a deal at Defender.

I will post pics of course once everything is installed.

Little by Little Progress is Made

I got back to the cold weather on Sunday after spending a week down on Skylark. The weather was fantastic and it was really nice being in the warm sun after a few weeks of freezing temperatures. It actually felt like spring but I know the cold stuff is still on it's way. Between now and then though, there are a few things that are in the works and I hope to have it all done by the end of  January.

Good Old Boat Shirt Pic

As I mentioned previously, the engine work is basically finished although there are a few things that still need to be tweaked. That should be wrapped up this week though and I can officially cross the Atomic 4 refurb off the list. Skylark already seems happier that her innards are back together. She sits so much better now that the 400 or so pounds are back where they belong. When the engine was out, we bobbed like a cork in any bad weather. But between the engine and a full fuel tank, she is so much more stable. It's amazing what adding a little weight to a boat will do to her feel. 

In addition, my buddy Trevor will be painting the deck, an item on the to-do list that desperately needs to be done. I have decided to go with white on white since the light blue got so hot in the summer, it was crazy. So after a recommendation from someone who has cruised all of the Caribbean, white on white it is (thanks Ralph.) I am really excited to see how she turns out. The hull had recently been done right before I bought Skylark and still looks good, so once the deck is clean, she will look real great.

On top of that, the fresh water tank will be fixed or replaced, so my water woes will finally be behind me. If all goes to plan, the next time I get down to the boat, I will be ready for the first cruise of the year. I know you can't see it, but I am smiling from ear to ear. Trevor and I have already figured out a few places to buddy boat  while running sea trials. It's been way to long not being on the hook. I can't wait.

I also got lucky and found someone selling brand new, in the box 75w solar panels for a great price, so I picked one up. I don't have a cold plates at this point, so my power requirements are really low. A 75 watt panel should do me just fine until I replace the refrigeration sometime later in the year or next. I will post pics once it's installed as well as the type of controller I go with. Something simple should work for now.

So that's the update. I will post more pics of everything once I get things a little more sorted. 

Fair winds...