Who’d a thought we’d be out of the water for so long? Turned out the yard got busy and Charisma sat for over two weeks without any work getting done. So now, I go down to boat every day for an hour to supervise and make sure the yard knows I’m watching. They are finally getting things done. They are doing nice work too.A bonus I just found out is that we’re going to be able to hard wire the “portable” Garmin gps such that it will “talk” with the new instrument displays at the helm. We put in two Brooks and Gatehouse Graphical Displays at the helm in the hopes that eventually we’d be able to get gps data when we get a chartplotter (hopefully next year?). But in the mean time found out the Garmin will send the data just fine. So we’re adding a permanent gps antenna and wiring the garmin to a data unit that will send the info to the displays and to the new panel. Then we’ll be able to configure one display for speed and depth and the other display to show gps course and distance. In the center of the nav pod we also put an analog wind speed/direction gauge. We also put a “repeater” display over the nav table to we’ll have the same data down below. The “new” prop and prop shaft also went in today. Turns out the prop was probably too big, but the pitch was OK, so the shop ground it down to a smaller diameter. They took about 2 inches off, so now it’s a 16 inch diameter prop. Looks much better. I hope it performs as well as it looks. Also they said the shaft was “toast” (their words), so we’ve a brand new one. One final bit of good news is while digging in the storage compartments to run new wire, the electrician solved another boat mystery. He uncovered a strange looking pvc tube with numerous rope loops on it. Aha! The spreader bar for the sunshade! We have a sunshade with lots of attachments but no visible means with which to stretch it. I’ve been trying to figure out how in the world it worked. Mystery solved. Here’s a picture of the new prop versus the old prop. Not sure if you can see the difference in these photos, but now the blades have a better shape. 
Monthly Archives: March 2008
The Big One-Cont’d
Well, it’s March 10 and Charisma is still on the hard. I dropped by today (after a couple weeks of traveling) to see what progress has been made. They’ve had the boat for about three weeks now and the bottom paint is done, the head intake was fixed (an uncooperative clam had set up home and clogged the water intake). There’s a new diesel fill line (the old one was not rated for fuel), the inside is torn up as they’ve started with the new instruments, but just barely. I don’t think they have yet tackled putting in a new line to the holding tank. That will be a lot of work and I decided it better to leave that to the yard than to tackle it myself. The binnacle’s off in the metal shop being altered to accept the new instrument pod since-you guessed it-the new instruments wouldn’t fit in the old one. Also the prop’s off and the shaft was deemed “toast” so a new shaft will be part of the overhaul (extensive corrosion pitting likely due to the previous owner not sailing her enough). They have not yet started work on the new circuit panel. The old one had no more space for electrical “stuff”, so I’m having a new one put in to make additions easier. It will also begin the development of a real nav station in the quarter-berth as it will allow for installation of a new data repeater that will show speed, depth and wind and future adds likely to include GPS, Radar and SSB Radio. Lastly, the new rigging is not started yet since that’s not done until the boat is put back in the water. All in all, looks like at least another two weeks at the least. Probably just as well, since the garden needs attention anyway. 🙂 
