‘Minnow’s’ Autohelm

I’ve owned an Autohelm 800 for a good many years, and it has seen service on several of my boats. I’m surprised the device still works after experiencing harsh conditions - once being under seawater when ‘Sandpiper’ nearly capsized.

I’m pretty sure I set it up on the port side within the cabin of my old Paradox. The rod pointed towards the bow. Looking at photos posted by Glen Maxwell to the Paradox Builders Yahoo! Group’s forum, I note that his Autopilot was mounted on the starboard side with the rod pointing towards the stern.

If you are a member of the Paradox Builders Yahoo! Group Forum you can see photos of Glen’s Autopilot by clicking this link: http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/paradoxbuilders/files/Zoe%27s%20Autopilot%20Setup

I shall be doing something similar, but I’ve not decided which side of the cabin I shall mount the Autohelm. At the moment I’m favouring the starboard side, from where it will be wired directly to the ship’s battery.

Like Glen, I linked my Autohelm to the steering line with cords, but that method was not really quick enough to engage, nor was it as positive as I would have liked, because there was always a certain amount of play. I’m trying to devise a better system.

Electrics for ‘Minnow’ – Part 3

I finished mounting and wiring the cigarette lighter socket for the GPS units etc.

I was very pleased with the result.

All I need to do is varnish the mount.

My next job will be fitting and wiring the Autohelm 800. The tricky part will be linking it to the steering line. When I had ‘Faith’, I linked the end of Autohelm’s rod to the steering line with two pieces of cord. They were attached with rolling hitches, one forward, and the other aft. As far as I remember, the Autohelm was mounted fore and aft on the port side with the rod towards the bow.

 That worked OK, but I would like a quicker method of linking and unlinking the Autohelm. The ability to release the linkage quickly is crucial: for example, if there is a risk of collision with a nearby object.

Electrics for ‘Minnow’ – Part 2

I started the second phase of installing ‘Minnow’s’ electrics by fitting a cigarette socket adaptor for my GPS units that are mounted on a rotating arm. This is the same device I had on ‘Sandpiper’. It enables me to quickly deploy the units. All I have to do to complete the installation is to wire in a single cigarette socket adaptor.

Fitting my Autohelm 800 will take a little more effort. I shall have to invent and make a quick release gadget for attaching the steering line to the end of the Autohelm’s rod. I shall also have to devise a mount for the Autohelm and do the associated wiring.

Electrics for 'Minnow'

I made a start at wiring the electrics for ‘Minnow’. The solar panel and the 12 volt Lucas XV Supreme 86 AH Deep Cycle Battery are now linked via a control box which regulates charging. As soon as an opportunity arises for testing the solar panel in bright sunshine, I’ll give it a go.

The next task will be fitting and wiring a Nikkai L94AW 4-Way Cigarette Socket Adaptor to accommodate my GPS units etc. I would also like to install my Autohelm 800, and I may fit an all-round white navigation-cum anchor light. The less electric gizmos there are the better, because less wiring is required and less electricity is taken from the battery.

Children’s Weekend

 

 

They made a Guy and they saw him go up in flames. They jumped with glee at every firework.

They rolled icing dough; cut out shapes; baked them; iced them and ate them!

They had a weekend to remember, this second weekend of November.

Presents for ‘Minnow’

As I happened to be in Southend-on-Sea, I visited the chandlers and bought an expensive present for ‘Minnow’, a Plastimo outboard bracket; therefore I am committed to equipping the boat with my old Honda 2hp* engine. The bracket is made from stainless steel, and it is a NV 51566 with a height clearance of 370 millimetres. When it is retracted it takes up very little space. In fact, it will easily fit on the transom without protruding beyond the rudder. That is good, because the bracket will not prevent the boat from fitting in the garage.

 

My journey to Southend took me past a Maplin store where I bought a 4-Way Cigarette Socket Adaptor for powering my GPS units, iPhone etc. I had to get hold of a socket adaptor; therefore ‘I killed two birds with one stone’ by buying the outboard bracket and an adaptor. The adaptor is a Nikkai L94AW made in China for marketing by Maplin.

Next week I may be into fitting the battery and doing wiring for the electrical gizmos.

Links

Details of the Outboard Bracket

http://www.marinescene.co.uk/product/1943/plastimo-stainless-steel-outboard-bracket-nv-51566

*My 2hp Honda Outboard Motor

http://bills-log.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/engine-note-there-is-no-honda-insignia.html

Details of the 4-Way Adaptor

http://www.maplin.co.uk/4-way-cigarette-socket-adaptor-42895

Stowage Aboard ‘Minnow’

An advantage that ‘Minnow’ has over my previous boat, a ‘C’ Type West Wight Potter, is that she has more useable space for stowing gear and provisions. I might also say, that I think ‘Minnow’ has an advantage over a standard Paradox, built to plan, because her lazarette is not partitioned, nor does she have a fixed stove under the aft deck.

Why could these differences be advantageous? The answer is that stowage space can be partitioned by the use of separate containers. Such an arrangement is flexible - facilitating change according to what may be required.  The containers may be completely watertight, or they may take the form of open boxes/bins into which all manner of items can be stowed.

When I was in Staples, the stationers, I noticed there was for sale a selection of well made plastic storage bins, and immediately it occurred to me that one of a particular type would be very useful aboard ‘Minnow’, but it had to fit into her lazarette. After measuring her lazarette I returned to Staples to obtain the plastic container.  When placed next to the small waste bin I’ve had aboard previous boats, it fits exactly into the forward part of the lazarette, and I’m sure I’ll find it very useful, perhaps for vegetables and other foods. Tin foods will be kept in a bilge locker, amidships to starboard. There, they will act as ballast and be immediately available.

While shopping with my wife at TESCO I saw a selection of washing-up bowls, and the smallest, measuring 14.5 cm x 14.5 cm x 12.5 cm, was going for only 75p, so I snapped up three of them, not that I want them all for washing pots and pans etc., but for stowing a variety of items. They happen to fit athwart and astern of the transparent, plastic box I bought at Staples. Exactly what I shall use them for I have yet to decide.

Likewise, I have to sort out what will be stowed in the side bins.

Gear that is heavy and is not required on a regular basis will best be stowed in the forecastle. Getting in out of that part of the boat is not easy, and lugging heavy objects from there to the main cabin will take a fair amount of effort. This is due to constricted access through the port way of bulkhead number two. 

‘Minnow’ on her Trailer

 

 

Here’s a photo of ‘Minnow’ on her trailer, which is a modified SB 730/2 ADJ built by De Graaff Trailers of Gracious Pond Road, Cobham, Surrey, GU24 8HJ. Ideally, I would have liked to extend the tow bar, instead, I had to shorten it for the trailer to fit in my garage. I have a feeling that when launching and recovering ‘Minnow’, I shall have to have a length of rope between the car and the trailer. Without a rope, I doubt I shall be able to submerge the trailer sufficiently for the boat to float off or on. On the other hand, because the trailer is a swing beam roller type, I may get away with it, without the rear wheels of the car being too deep in the water. The winch can handle up to 1,102 lbs; therefore I may be able to winch the boat from the water, or let her into it by controlled use of the winch.

Besides taking photos of ‘Minnow’ on her trailer, I fashioned a piece of wood to replace a rotten lath screwed to the upper edge of the Perspex washboard. I’ll have to give it a few coats of varnish to bring out the colouring, and to protect it from the elements.

Little things done here and there can make an enormous difference to the appearance and feel of a boat, and by doing them I derive satisfaction.

Links

De Graaff Trailers

http://www.degraafftrailers.co.uk/

'Minnow's' Anchors and Trailer

 

 

 

Two things were accomplished today: I checked the anchor stowage, and I lowered the forward roller unit on the trailer.

The boat now sits nicely on all four banks of rollers, and her bow snugly fits into the yoke. When her battery and forward ballast is in place she will be loaded correctly for trailing. I checked with De Graaff trailers about how much downward thrust there should be on the trailer coupling. They said there should be no more than 73 kilos and preferably not be less than 50 kilos. 30 kilos could be sufficient, but they would not recommend it. Downward thrust is measured with a bathroom scale.

I shall have to buy 30 metres of warp for the 8 kilos Bruce anchor, and 5 metres of ¼ inch galvanized chain for the same anchor. Apart from obtaining the chain and warp, I only have to make a rode extender for anchoring the boat from the bow. The rode extender is a length of rope shackled to the bow, and about two thirds of its length from the bitter end there is another shackle to which the anchor cable is made fast; that enables ‘Minnow’s’ crew to stand in her hatchway when setting and retrieving her bower or kedge anchors.

‘Minnow’s’ under floor stowage for anchors, chains and warps is excellent. Slatted flooring enables air to circulate and light to enter; consequently there is less chance for the growth of mildew.

'Minnow's' Steering Gear

When I acquired ‘Minnow’ I was not happy with the steering gear. The galvanized pulleys did not run freely, and they squeaked as the steering line ran over them. I subsequently bought four ball bearing pulleys to replace them, and this afternoon I set them up with the old steering line. The line was worn* where it came into contact with the bulkheads, because it had not been aligned properly.

I exchanged the shackles securing the pulleys in the lazarette with short pieces of cord to allow them to assume the correct angle for the steering line to run freely. I also secured the forward pulleys with cord, but instead of tying them to stainless steel fixtures, I tied them to bolts passing through number two bulkhead. The previous owner had the forward pulleys bolted directly to the bulkhead, which meant they could not align themselves for the steering line to freely pass through the holes in the bulkhead.

I attached the steering line to the tiller with a clove hitch at one end, and a round turn and two half hitches at the other. I think this will prove satisfactory. This arrangement gives two advantages over Matt’s system where the line passes through holes in the tiller and over a slot at the end of the tiller. The advantages are: 1) Quicker to tension or slacken off the line, and 2) Quicker to release the line in an emergency.

*When I’m sure there will be no further abrasion to the old rope, I’ll replace it with a new one.

'Minnow's' Road Trailer Again

As I no longer required ‘Minnow’s’ trolley I took it apart and cut the wooden planks into sections for chocking up her road trailer. They will be useful for supporting the trailer when it is not being used during the winter. This will be essential to relieve loading on the tyres and springs, because tyres can be misshapen and springs weakened if they remain under load for several months.

The axle of ‘Minnow’s’ road trailer was too far forward; therefore the downward thrust at the coupling was insufficient. To rectify the matter I chocked up the trailer, undid nuts from four u-bolts securing the axle carriage, and moved it 17 centimetres towards the rear or the trailer. I tightened the u-bolts and removed the chocks. The balance for towing seemed better, but I shall have to check with De Graaff Trailers to make sure that the hitch loading is correct. I believe it should be 10% of the combined weight of the trailer and the boat. I have a feeling that I shall have to move the axle even further towards the rear for acquiring the correct ball hitch loading.

To make a perfect fit fore and aft to match ‘Minnow’s’ rocker, I shall have to lower the forward set of rollers.

Obviously, more work will be required on the trailer before it is right.

'Minnow's' Small Part

I have had a mixed day with mixed blessings. 'Minnow', or more correctly her trailer, played a small part in enriching my day.

An early morning start saw me and my wife at my daughter's place. The original plan was to take the grandchildren to church, but as one of them was unwell, it was better for them to stay with my wife while I went to church. She supervised and entertained them when they were not engaged in activities of their own making. I was free for morning worship, and what a blessing it proved to be. I came away with peace and contentment in my heart.

After lunch I had a little bit of physical activity - almost enough to bring on a sweat, and it came about because it was necessary for me to saw off the second of two extenders to 'Minnow's' trailer's bow crutch. Unless it was removed, I would not be able to adjust the height of the trailer's tow bar because the extender prevented the worm screw winder from rotating.

The physical exercise was a blessing, and I gained satisfaction from having achieved my goal of making the trailer viable and shorter.

Back at my daughter's place I took great pleasure in teaching the children as they completed their homework.

I always find it rewarding when I see 'sparks' of understanding evidenced by their gleeful faces. With each spark of comprehension they advance in knowledge and self-empowerment. More importantly they are being equipped with tools for enriching their lives and the lives of others. They do not live in isolation; therefore they must learn the hard lesson that what they do often affects others. They have corporate lives and they must be respectful of others. The lack of respect for others is the modern malaise and a significant factor in the breakdown of society.

1Peter 2:17 'Honour all people. Love the Brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.'

Note

At this moment I do not have access to my Internet supplier; therefore the photos are larger than usual, because I am uploading them via my blog app. on my iPhone.

‘Minnow’s’ Rudder etc

Today I fitted the rudder and tiller, thereby increasing the length of the boat to the extent that she and her trailer just fit in the garage when placed diagonally. To make a more compact package I shunted the tow bar towards the rear of the trailer, and the bow crutch forward. This shortened the overall length of the package by six inches. Part of the problem with the tight fit was because I could not raise the rudder into the vertical position on account of the upper gudgeon being in the way. A countersunk fitting would solve the problem.

It would have been necessary for me to retract the tow bar, irrespective of the rudder, because I shall be mounting an outboard bracket on the transom.

I am halfway through shortening the twin extenders of the bow crutch. I sawed about seven inches off the nearside one, and perhaps tomorrow I’ll do likewise to offside extender. Unless they are shortened, the jockey wheel unit’s handle cannot be fully rotated.

Something Done on ‘Minnow’

 

Chipboard particles

 

No need for a navigation table

 

17.0 kilo concrete casting containing lead

 

8.5 kilo casting in place

 

Trim piece to headlining

Before I could do anything on ‘Minnow’ I had to sweep the garage floor and clear her decks and cabin of tiny particles of chipboard that had fallen from the underside of the garage roof. During a recent storm, wind pummelled the roof, causing the chipboard supporting the exterior sheathing to shed minute chippings of wood.

Having tidied the boat I sat in her cabin, and I thought a lot about how to make a navigation table that could be attached to the stove unit. I came to the conclusion that I could do without it, because I could spread charts on the cabin floor where they would be secure and handy.

After that decision I set about refitting ballast I had removed. There were two concrete castings equal in size; one was almost twice as heavy as the other. The lighter one weighed 8.5 kilos, and the heavier one, probably containing lead, weighed 17.0 kilos. I fitted the lighter one under the floorboards at the forward end of the cabin and kept the other for trimming the boat. The 17.0 kilo casting will probably end up in the forecastle under the floorboards, but further forward than the battery.

I took measurements of the battery box prior to searching for an appropriate 12 volt battery for powering GPS units and my mobile phone.

I also made a plastic trim piece for the headlining at the forward end of the cabin on the port side to make it look smarter.

I was pleased that I had done a few small jobs restoring ‘Minnow’.