Weather: Sunny and warm
This is an easy post: Just lazed about with friends, fun, food and drink. Sitting on the bay, watching the tide roll away!
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Sunday, 24July2016: Kingston to Gig Harbor
Weather: Sunny and warm. Winds: Mostly 0...occasionally 5. Seas: Flat.
Departed Kingston after another leisurely morning, enjoying a dog walk in the park and a cafe' and cinnamon roll from a local coffee shop. Motoring out of the marina with west winds promised, up went the main and screacher. Initially made 5kts and dodged crab pots coming out of Appletree Cove.
Rounding the corner and southbound by Presidents Point, the winds died and the dull drone of the engine accompanied us across the mirror flat waters. 3hrs later, off the east side of Blake Island, a potential stopping point, we killed the engine and scrubbed Strider's waterline of her algae collection.
Though there were mooring buoys available at Blake, it was too early to stop. With Gig another 14nm away, we pressed, arriving around 1600. RT had Freestyle moored in the harbor, fenders over the side and beers! Great to have a floating dock available upon arrival!
Departed Kingston after another leisurely morning, enjoying a dog walk in the park and a cafe' and cinnamon roll from a local coffee shop. Motoring out of the marina with west winds promised, up went the main and screacher. Initially made 5kts and dodged crab pots coming out of Appletree Cove.
Rounding the corner and southbound by Presidents Point, the winds died and the dull drone of the engine accompanied us across the mirror flat waters. 3hrs later, off the east side of Blake Island, a potential stopping point, we killed the engine and scrubbed Strider's waterline of her algae collection.
Though there were mooring buoys available at Blake, it was too early to stop. With Gig another 14nm away, we pressed, arriving around 1600. RT had Freestyle moored in the harbor, fenders over the side and beers! Great to have a floating dock available upon arrival!
Saturday, 23July2016: Coupeville to Kingston
Weather: Sunny and warm. Winds: Variable, 0-10. Seas: Flat to 1ft.
Departed Coupeville after a leisurely morning, motoring east out of Penn Cove. Winds started to pick up so the main was raised and the screacher unfurled. Made 5kts until turning south at Snatelum Point and into Saratoga Passage. Off and on motor/sail throughout the southbound trip. North winds started to pick up as we turned west into the Puget Sound at Possession Point, the south end of Whidbey Island.
Our original destination was to be Kingston. With the wind increase, we were able to make 7-8kts southbound so we changed our minds and thought to head to one of the ports further south, like Eagle Harbor or even Poulsbo. HOWEVER, as we continued south, the winds started to die...damned convergence zone I suspect. So, turned to starboard and headed across the sound to Kingston, making 6-7kts.
Not really happy with Kingston Marina staff...basically, they could not tell us if a space was available. They had not been keeping track of occupied slips and, apparently, did not want to go out of the air conditioned office to actually look.
After negotiating entry past a suddenly underway Washington State ferry, we folded and found one first come first served slip. Though Strider is technically too long, she fit. Safe and sound around 1700, just in time for a Beatles cover band to start a concert in the park.
Departed Coupeville after a leisurely morning, motoring east out of Penn Cove. Winds started to pick up so the main was raised and the screacher unfurled. Made 5kts until turning south at Snatelum Point and into Saratoga Passage. Off and on motor/sail throughout the southbound trip. North winds started to pick up as we turned west into the Puget Sound at Possession Point, the south end of Whidbey Island.
Our original destination was to be Kingston. With the wind increase, we were able to make 7-8kts southbound so we changed our minds and thought to head to one of the ports further south, like Eagle Harbor or even Poulsbo. HOWEVER, as we continued south, the winds started to die...damned convergence zone I suspect. So, turned to starboard and headed across the sound to Kingston, making 6-7kts.
Not really happy with Kingston Marina staff...basically, they could not tell us if a space was available. They had not been keeping track of occupied slips and, apparently, did not want to go out of the air conditioned office to actually look.
After negotiating entry past a suddenly underway Washington State ferry, we folded and found one first come first served slip. Though Strider is technically too long, she fit. Safe and sound around 1700, just in time for a Beatles cover band to start a concert in the park.
Major Overhaul 2015 Part 2
I realize this has been a long time coming. I just have not been satisfied with the net edging and have been trying to figure something out. I may have and will update when completed.
Antenna and Wire: Need to maximize the power out to the antenna. While the radio is capable of transmitting 25 watts, the old, small gauge antenna wire drastically reduces the output, by as much as 15 watts. So, ShowMeCables brand 50 ohm 1/2in UltraFlex low loss coaxial cable was installed.
I looked at several materials/designs: Bainbridge, Sunrise Yachts and ATN. I liked the ATN 13mm polyamide, but ATN would not sell the raw material, only a finished product. Further, ATN wanted to adapt the Strider to the net vice the net to Strider. It became too difficult.
Stumbled across a half remembered entry in the Dragonfly Forum referencing another netting supplier. Ultra Cross (UC) Silver 42mm BK 20ply Netting by Net Systems Inc, a local company. The rep was easy to work with I had new, unfinished netting within a week! This appears to be a DIY project. The edges will be integrated with dyneema and lashed/sewn where required.
I was concerned how our dogs would react to the new nets. Though not completely set/tensioned, the nets have received the Little Brown Dog Seal of Approval.
42ft for the upper section, Suncor Extra Heavy thimbles were used at the mast attach point. Colligo Marine CSS 242 Double Lashing Block, spliced through the big eye, was used at the bottom.
The lower section of the backstay was also spliced through the Colligo CSS 242 with a standard stainless steel thimble pushed through the OEM Dragonfly stainless fitting on the ama. The splice was not buried. A tell tail has been left hanging out of the splice to facilitate tensioning/slack removal as the lines stretch and settle in.
The tensioner. A 2.5ft pigtail was made with 5/16in AmSteel. The lower end of the pigtail is spliced through the big eye of a Colligo Fork Distributor attached to the OEM aft ama fitting. The upper end of the pigtail is spliced through the eye of a low friction ring. The adjustable/running part of the tensioner was made with 1/4in AmSteel. This is spliced through the eye of the pigtail's low friction ring then runs up to the CSS 242, back down to the outer part of the low friction ring, back up to the CSS 242 then down, through the fork of the Fork Distributor then follows the normal Dragonfly pathway to the cockpit.
The guide block at the end of the ama has been replaced with a low friction ring. The outer layer of some old double braid has been added over the bitter end of the 1/4in line to help with winch/clutch grip and prevent fraying.
Radio
Standard Horizon Matrix AIS/GPS GX2200. The built in GPS/AIS with display screen were the major selling points. August in the US Pacific Northwest is called fogust due to the prevalent fog and the major waterways have a lot of shipping traffic. Since Strider does not have a radar, the AIS could be viewed as a poor man's radar. The unit also features a fog horn and public broadcast system.Antenna and Wire: Need to maximize the power out to the antenna. While the radio is capable of transmitting 25 watts, the old, small gauge antenna wire drastically reduces the output, by as much as 15 watts. So, ShowMeCables brand 50 ohm 1/2in UltraFlex low loss coaxial cable was installed.
Nets
The nets were OEM and needed repairing every year, usually the edge tape. However, the vinyl coated nets themselves were starting to come apart. Time for new nets.I looked at several materials/designs: Bainbridge, Sunrise Yachts and ATN. I liked the ATN 13mm polyamide, but ATN would not sell the raw material, only a finished product. Further, ATN wanted to adapt the Strider to the net vice the net to Strider. It became too difficult.
Stumbled across a half remembered entry in the Dragonfly Forum referencing another netting supplier. Ultra Cross (UC) Silver 42mm BK 20ply Netting by Net Systems Inc, a local company. The rep was easy to work with I had new, unfinished netting within a week! This appears to be a DIY project. The edges will be integrated with dyneema and lashed/sewn where required.
I was concerned how our dogs would react to the new nets. Though not completely set/tensioned, the nets have received the Little Brown Dog Seal of Approval.
 |
| One of the Irish Terriers lounging |
Standing Rigging
I got on a roll with the dyneema and thought since it was working so well with the nets and ama cables, why not go for broke and replace some of the standing rigging? It is lighter, stronger, new and best of all, I could do it all myself (and take the blame). Replacing the stainless cable aboard has been not all-at-once project, but a step by step process. Install something new and thoroughly check it out prior to moving onto the next part. Switching to dyneema is radical enough. I didn't want to have to test too many things at once. This is a major reason there are multiple overhaul entries.Backstays
The running backstays have 3 components, upper, lower and the nearly horizontal tensioner. While 1/4in AmSteel Blue had a better breaking strength than the original stainless steel wire, I went with the 5/16in for the greater stretch (therefore creep) resistance.42ft for the upper section, Suncor Extra Heavy thimbles were used at the mast attach point. Colligo Marine CSS 242 Double Lashing Block, spliced through the big eye, was used at the bottom.
 | |
| CSS 242 |
The lower section of the backstay was also spliced through the Colligo CSS 242 with a standard stainless steel thimble pushed through the OEM Dragonfly stainless fitting on the ama. The splice was not buried. A tell tail has been left hanging out of the splice to facilitate tensioning/slack removal as the lines stretch and settle in.
 |
| Stainless Thimble |
The tensioner. A 2.5ft pigtail was made with 5/16in AmSteel. The lower end of the pigtail is spliced through the big eye of a Colligo Fork Distributor attached to the OEM aft ama fitting. The upper end of the pigtail is spliced through the eye of a low friction ring. The adjustable/running part of the tensioner was made with 1/4in AmSteel. This is spliced through the eye of the pigtail's low friction ring then runs up to the CSS 242, back down to the outer part of the low friction ring, back up to the CSS 242 then down, through the fork of the Fork Distributor then follows the normal Dragonfly pathway to the cockpit.
 |
| Bitter End Pigtails Seen Hanging |
The guide block at the end of the ama has been replaced with a low friction ring. The outer layer of some old double braid has been added over the bitter end of the 1/4in line to help with winch/clutch grip and prevent fraying.
Miscellaneous
Coolant Hoses. Removed and replaced the 5/8in coolant hoses.
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