What I did or planned for my Top Hat today!

[Curryhouse]

Technically today I have completed the refit of Seaka with having put back onboard all of her gear.

Only taken me 11 months!

So what did I do:

Installed 2 rope bags in cockpit.

DSCF9286a.jpg

Hi Phillip,
Came across the above post (edited by me) when I was searching for info on sail rope bags. Could you tell me where you fitted the rope bags? Did you buy bags or make them yourself?

[Phillip]

I had my sailmaker make them to size to fit, as Top Hats are not symmetrical.

[SeaLady]

Today I went for my first, no pressure, no expectations sail on Lake Macquarie.

What a beautiful waterway.

Did not want to come back to the mooring.

[Curryhouse]

Great to hear your getting out. It's a great body of water; so many places to explore. Also got out on Lake Mac today. Headed out from Belmont up to Elebana and return. Enjoyable day out; got a bit exciting when the wind picked up later in the afternoon.

[Curryhouse]

Finished off the install of an hour meter to track the running time of the engine (Yanmar 8hp) in my boat. Thought it would be helpful with keeping up engine servicing on schedule. Hardest part of the install was tracking down a wiring diagram for the engine remote control panel and then finding a suitable wire that provided 12VDC when the key was turned on and the engine was running. Appears you can't always rely on the colour coding as shown on a wiring diagram. Who would have thought?.........Anyway, found a wire, mounted and wired in the meter and voila!, it began clocking over when I started the engine.

[Phillip]

Neil,

I also have installed an hour meter combined with an RPM meter. [brought on eBay from USA for about $100]

I used a direct link to my house battery with a fuse and an on/off switch.

Why? I wanted to avoid the voltage spike when I started my engine.

I have my GPS on the same system as the starting voltage spikes always turned it off
and that's not nice when you are approaching a bar etc and need the engine and then loose the chart plotter.

[Killick69]

Serviced all 4 winches. Removed from boat, taken home and full strip. Cleaning the old grease and cr-p off was the hardest, most time consuming pare. This was overdue. I have owned Night Cap 6 years and this is the first time I serviced them. Wonder how long since the last service (with grease on the pawls, apawlling, LOL). Luckily pawls and springs are all good and the winches are now good for many more years. In future will remove the 'caps' annually and do a service, maybe when I do antifoul.
Cheers, John

P.S. doing some work on the main sail today

[woodsy]

Main winch handle vanished over oard some time ago. Been using my spare. Decided to make a spare spare as I haven't found a replacement. Rough piece of aluminium was all I had.

[frank]

Woodsy that's pretty sad. Lol but clever

[woodsy]

I do good rough!