From: Ann or Mel
Date: 9/29/2007 10:48:08
AM
To:
Charmaine@SeptemberSea.com
Subject: what else?...the
boat
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Hi there,
Thank you
for your great website! You are really providing a
wonderful service.
I don't know
how deluged you are with questions, but here's a
couple of ours in case you have time to answer...
are the "toe rails" on 36's bolted or screwed on?
We're hoping to purchase an '82 and the rail needs
to be rebedded and we're trying to figure out how
we'll need to go about removing it. Also, the specs
you have listed are for the '84, right? It lists
keel as 5'6" and the one we're looking at has a 6'2"
modified fin keel. Were there two keel options?
As you
probably know, the only other site that has anything
about Lancer's seems to be offline, so you're
probably getting lots of inquiries.
Thanks for
any help you can give us and thanks again for
providing such a fun to look at and informative
site!
Fair winds,
Ann Wallace
I wrote Ann in detail about
the Lancer 36s and the toerail. But I didn't save
my reply!! In a nutshell, the toerails on these
beauties rarely leak. The leak is more often due
to a stanchion base or inadequate bedding surrounding a
toerail drain. The bedding compounds they used
back in the day (70s, 80s) can deteriorate over time.
In that event, the only solution is to take the toerails
off, clean the surfaces, then reseat the toe rail in one
of the many fabulous bedding compounds we have today.
Make sure to dip each screw into either silicon or other
protectant before adhering them into place.
Charmaine
About my recommendation of
Museum Putty:
Charmaine, my wife ordered some of that stuff and it
really works! I was so happy not having to drill
holes! She loves the interior of your boat. We enjoy
the site and your tips. We are heading east in
December for the Keys and beyond aboard Satori our
Westsail 32. Hope to meet you someday.
Ken and Debra
From: Emily Smith
Date: 04/23/07
16:24:39
To: Charmaine
Subject: Re: So good
to hear from you!
Hi Charmaine!
Hope you're doing well. Just a quick
question for you this time, contrary to my
usual long-windedness: Did you and Bill do
a sea trial when you were contemplating
purchasing September Sea? I know that you
were novice sailors at the time, so wondered
if you did this, and if so, how did it work;
i.e., did the broker or seller come with
you, did he do most/all of the sailing,
etc....?
I am a little nervous about a sea trial
since we are still in the novice category as
well, despite all the classes we have
taken. We are looking at a variety of boats
online just to see what is out there, but
haven't actually gone to see any of them
yet. We're planning to wait until after our
class May 19-20 since we'll be on an IP 44
then and will no doubt learn more about what
we want and don't want in a boat. About the
only thing we think we're settled on at this
point is a monohull over a multihull. :-)
Fair winds, and thank you!
Emily in NC
----- Original Message -----
From: Charmaine
To: Emily Smith
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007
5:50 PM
Subject: Re: So good to hear
from you!
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Hey Emily!
Glad to hear all is well with
you and yours.
Your questions are excellent
ones. Once you find a boat you
really think you're interested
in (after going to forums online
and finding out the pros and
cons of the boat's make, model
and year)... and if you're still
interested... then have a
surveyor of your choice (do NOT
ask the broker to recommend one,
you'll get his nephew!) do a
quick survey of systems aboard
and the hull, deck, rigging. If
you still
are liking the boat (most
sellers will have a recent
survey but trust me, it's from a
surveyor that represents them).
Anyway, compare notes. You'll
find that if they left many
things out from their survey and
your surveyor finds such, you
may want to move along... you're
not dealing with honest sellers.
Once you have found a boat that
suits your surveyor's
requirements (there's always
something that needs to be added
or tended to... that just helps
you lower their asking
price) you're ready for sea
trials.
I strong suggest you hire a USCG
certified Captain who comes
highly recommended (either on
the internet or word of mouth).
He or She will take the boat out
with you and
your husband, your broker, and
your surveyor. That's when
everything will be looked at to
see if all systems are working
properly and will give you a
good idea of how she sails.
Be sure the Captain shows you
the ease or difficulties with
reefing, and sailing on all
points of sail (to windward,
beam reach, etc.).
I'm sure your head is
swimming... LOL. Just look up
the things I've mentioned and
you will get the picture. You
may be novices, but you don't
have to be uninformed.
Let me know if I can be of
further help.
Big Hugs
P.S. On my way out the door...
rushed this one out to you.
Charmaine
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From Emily:
Hello Charmaine!
I hope
this note finds you well and that life
on September Sea has been
continuing to be as fulfilling as
before! I am currently reading your
"Charmainisms" page, and have already
gleaned some helpful tips!
The
past few months have been a real
whirlwind (exciting but exhausting!) for
us, and I am finally finding a minute to
fill you in. As you can see from the
subject line, we bought a boat! We had
been watching boats for months on
Yachtworld coming up for sale in
NC, and in late June, one popped up that
really caught our fancy, a Catalina 30.
Mind you, we had not even considered
Catalinas before this point, thinking we
needed to look at bluewater, offshore
cruisers (like Pacific Seacraft and that
ilk). But we gradually came around to
thinking that our primary cruising
grounds for a long time would be the
East coast, Florida, Gulf coast, and
Bahamas, and that a smaller (easier to
handle, less expensive) well-built and
well-maintained production boat with a
shoal draft would suit us just fine for
years, while being more comfortable and
liveable than a blue-water, offshore
boat with a narrower beam and deeper
draft. We can always go bigger and
bluewater-capable later if we so desire,
but we may never even get to that point
(or want to), so why not buy something
now that actually suits our present
needs and skills?
There
was just something about this Catalina
30, lots of things actually, that
appealed to us. The 3'10" draft (wing
keel), the storage and layout, the fact
that C30s have large interiors for their
LOA (they are often compared to 34-foot
boats of other makes), the very good
condition it was in, the
convenient location (Oriental NC), and
the price was far less than other boats
we had originally considered. We also
had a handful of other boats to look at
in the same geographic area - an
Endeavor 33, Hunter 30, Freedom 30
(gorgeous boat), and an O'Day 35, but
once we'd been on each boat, the
Catalina 30, Logos, was the
one, Barry and both agreed.
We got
an excellent, thorough survey that
turned up lots of little things but no
deal-breakers, and the broker, who had
bought the boat a few months earlier and
done a lot of maintenance on it,
captained the sea trial, so all my
worries about that were unfounded. He
had a few of the survey repairs done
that were needed right away, and we
found a nice marina. We then went down
and signed all the papers last Thursday,
making Logos officially ours!
We
sailed her up to her new slip, several
hours away by boat (tacking all the way)
(only 10 miles by car!), and got her
settled in. We spent all of Labor Day
weekend on her, getting settled in,
discovering her systems (she came with
great manuals for nearly everything
onboard -- the original owners had taken
great care of her!) We have a huge list
of projects we want to do to make her
even more liveable and cruise-worthy
(adding extra batteries, for instance).
Fortunately, Barry loves tinkering and
is super handy with electronics and
systems, so he is in heaven! And I just
love that she is like a little
water-front condo that I can fix up to
make comfortable for us - a nice little
nest!
The
small, rural marina we chose (http://www.johnsheppardbuilders.com/pointmarina.html)
is quiet and peaceful with great bird
life, and we so enjoyed eating all our
meals in the cockpit and having the
breezes blow through. We took nice
sails on Saturday and Sunday, and she
handles great. Sunday was VERY breezy
(15-25 knots) with larger waves than we
have ever encountered in our classes
(3-5 ft) and whitecaps on the Neuse
River, but she sailed well under main
alone. Learning how to dock and back
out of the slip with a minimum of
bumping are our biggest challenges at
the moment!
I
haven't gotten our latest photos from
the weekend posted on my blog yet, but I
do have a few from the survey if you'd
care to take a look:
http://emilys7.blogspot.com
I am
still working, so she'll be a weekend
getaway for now. We'll also take
some week-long cruises on her next year,
when I have more vacation. I used most
of this year's vacation in sailing
classes or going back and forth to the
coast during the buying process.
Eventually when I quit working, our
current plan is to split our year
between cruising on Logos and
living in a small cabin in the NC
mountains that we hope to build in the
next couple of years and sell the larger
home we live in now in central NC.
Hope
you're doing well!
Emily
in NC
From: Julie Grm
Date: 08/07/05 08:01:11
Subject: [Raritan Waste Treatment System
> >Is anyone familiar with the Raritan Waste
Treatment System? We have to
> >replace our holding tank and were thinking of
purchasing the Raritan. We
> >are planning on living aboard for the next
few years and sailing south.
> >Does anyone have this system and how do you
like it? Thanks
> >
> >
> >Julie Grm
> >Tartan 37
Hi Julie. Raritan Engineering offers many waste
system treatment
products: PuraSan, LlectraSan (which both can use
RE's Hold n' Treat product) and Managerm. Not sure
which product you are considering.
Charmaine Aboard s/v September Sea
"Life's a Gift... Unwrap It!" - C~
www.SeptemberSea.com
I swear Charmaine, I have
been reading this list (Sailnet's Livaboard Forum)
for quite some time and you are one of the most
helpful people to everyone that I have seen. Thank
you.
Julie
BOAT BEDDING -
KEEPING IT DRY
Question: Help! How can I keep my bunk bedding
dry?
The best defense against soggy bedding is to keep
the damp out of your boat in the first
place. First, I'd suggest you take a look at your
headliner and inside very locker and cabinet
aboard. Insulate, Insulate, Insulate! Keeping the
boat dry by not allowing condensation to
get a foothold is, in my book, Numero Uno in the
fight against boat dampness.
On days when it's more foggy than not, I don't open
my portlights. My hatches are opened but they have
bonnets over them to allow air to flow but keep
dampness out. The bonnets are perfect for the times
when a light rain is falling and you don't notice it
until it begins to get heavier. No rain gets inside
the bonnets unless the wind is blowing 15 knots or
more. During extended rainy periods
I take one bonnet and turn it backwards so that the
opening is facing aft. That allows me to leave
that hatch open even when it's pouring rain. You'd
be surprised the amount of air that circulates below
by way of that backwards hatch... it has been a real
blessing to have those bonnets.
So many people don't realize how damp a boat can
become inside just by allowing the evening and
morning dew to settle within. So you can imagine
how damp things can get when it sprinkles off and on
inside your boat. Those little sprinkles add
up big time.
"Dad
wet all the beds in the boat this time."
When making your bed in the mornings, during damp
times, you may want to bag your dry bedding in a
waterproof bag. Add a dryer softener sheet or two
to keep them smelling fresh. Prop up your mattress
when you're not using it (but only after getting in
there and bleaching out any mold spores hiding
beneath it). After you've bleached it and know
you're not harboring a mold lab, sometimes when you
make the bed with the bedding on... just don't tuck
in the sheets (head, end, sides). Let it
breathe. If you fold back the areas normally tucked
in... your bed still looks like its made.
I use big plastic doormats under all mattresses
aboard. They are about rectangular about 3 x 2 and
an inch thick. The mats have huge holes in them
When put beneath mattresses you allow air to
continue to flow, which thwarts dampness.
Fans will also help keep your boat and bedding
dry. It is so important to have fans running at all
times -- not only during damp weather -- but at
least one fan in living areas running a minimum of a
few hours per day. Mine run all the time, but
not everyone has ample electricity to do so.
"Rusty the Raincloud"
He's
just waiting to rain inside your boat.
Another trick I do is to not open enclosed cabins to
the dampness at all. Just run a fan in there and
open the cabin only when it's time for bed. You'll
be amazed at how cool and dry your cabin will be
because you've kept the weather's detrimental
elements out. You can also try using your lifelines
to clip a piece of canvas between the lines and your
portlight frame. The canvas acts as an awning to
keep excessive sunlight, light to moderate rain, and
morning and evening dew out.
Another trick I use is to turn my oven on when
things have gotten too damp. Just open the
oven door while the boat is closed up, go out in the
cockpit and let the oven dry your boat out. Reverse
cycle heat doesn't work because it is a moist
heat. My alcohol oven puts out a dry heat and works
miracles with removing dampness.
We have central air conditioning and that will work
too to remove dampness. I prefer drying things
out with heat In the five years which I've lived
aboard I have only had to dry things out three
times. Each time I was in the Everglades during a
hurricane. Not too shabby!
A little precaution will go a long way. When you go
in to grab a bag of ice... close your hatches and
portlights (windows). Where we live in the
Keys, it can be sun shiny all day... and then
boom... five minutes of pouring rain. I see the
boats that have the most mildew because I see their
owners rushing out in the thunderstorm to close
their hatches. TOO LATE.
Don't forget to close the
portlights when you leave the boat!
Hope some of this can help ya. I'm in the
Abacos Out Islands of the Bahamas right now... and
I'm dry, dry, dry... Being wet only when I choose
to be is a very important factor in my level of
comfort aboard. No landlubber would stand for her
or his bed being placed under a leaking roof. No
boater should either.
You can do this my friend! My evening cocktail
tonight I'll be sure to toast to you obtaining a dry
bed in which to sleep. It's not difficult. You
just have to play detective and find out where the
dampness is getting in... take the necessary
precautions -- and be diligent about keeping
dampness out.
All the Best,
Charmaine
Aboard s/v September Sea in the Abacos, Bahamas
"Life's a Gift... Unwrap It!" - C~
BOAT LIGHTING:
LED's - AMBIENT COCKPIT & INTERIOR
LIGHTING
My new favorite "toy" aboard is
a battery operated, heavy-based, stand
alone lamp that is marine grade and uses
LEDs. One charge operates the lamp for
80 hours. It's excellent in every way.
We have two of them and use them
exclusively when out on the hook: lights
up the whole boat if we wish. All
without draining our ship's battery
bank... which means more power to watch
yet another movie! (You can see
the lamps on this site at:
The Boat)
The lamps are the creation of Reynold
Steckley: his website:
www.Stecktronics.com He does not
have this NEW lamp on the website yet,
but you can see it at our website under
"The Boat," there's a thumbnail that
shows the lamp sitting atop our
refrigerator. They run about $130 --
but that includes a smart charger,
battery, everything you need for
trouble-free operation. Thousands and
thousands of hours of illumination. The
lamp also makes an excellent cockpit
lamp. So easy to just pick up and take
with you or set where you are... on
deck, wherever. This is an incredible
product. Mr. Steckley is also a
liveaboard [his boat, m/v Erika can be
seen in the latest issue of "Living
Aboard Magazine," article on "Smorgasboat
in Boot Key Harbor," m/v Erika is seen
along the seawall of Dockside as the
Smorgasboat heads from our canal to the
open Harbor. You can't miss it, it's a
restored Trumpe about 80 feet long].
Contact information: Stecktronics: 5409
Overseas Highway, #276, Marathon, FL
33050 (757) 880-8980 or email him at:
rsteckley@earthlink.net
We also replaced our mast light with one
from Stecktronics:
"You do not have to change your current
switch or mast wiring. Simply make sure
your masthead has correct polarity, and
wire in the light. Now, when you turn
the switch on once the light is
automatic. On at dusk, and off at
daylight. But, turn it on twice and
leave it on, the unit is on manual and
will require you shut it off. Three
flips of the switch equal slow flash.
Four flips equal fast flash. Five flips
and the unit will flash SOS until turned
off. With an LED wafer and no
controller, consumption is 80 milliamps.
Add a controller and the draw goes up
less than 3 milliamps. Daylight
consumption in the automatic mode is
less than 3 milliamps, about what an
electric wristwatch draws. A single
wafer with a controller wafer attached
sells for $82.00, part number 1274M-ST."
We LOVE our lamps and our mast light.
Just wonderful products. Mr. Steckley
stands behind his work 100%. You won't
be disappointed.
Charmaine Aboard s/v September Sea
"Life's a Gift... Unwrap It!" - C~
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BOAT ODOR
(Holding Tank):
Question: My head stinks to high heaven. What can
I do to get the smell to go away? The smell is
really bad under the cabinet where the hoses are.
The whole boat stinks!
E.
Walker, Boston, MA
I'd recommend replacing all hoses as others have
said. Be sure to replace all fittings as well. By
doing so, you'll rid the boat of a number of
obnoxious odors emanating from the head. I've
learned not to use any kind of hose that breathes.
Some sanitation hoses breathe and what they breathe
blows out into the boat when you flush.
Use the white sanitation hose with the slick
exterior... no odors come through it. In five years
you may want to replace it again, but maybe not if
you flush with fresh water. It's a pain, I know...
but by never allowing saltwater (and its myriad of
microscopic critters) inside a holding tank you'll
find you'll effectively reduce many odors from
starting.
If you use saltwater to flush you should have the
tank pumped out every few days. That's the only way
I know of keeping those odors at bay. A while back
I put up one of my tips on how to make sure you've
totally cleared the bowl of any voids: blue food
coloring in water or a wee amount of blue tank
deodorizer (some of them smell very nice - like
OZIUM spray) and have it in a spray bottle next
to the toilet. Spray a couple sprays when flushing
until the water in the bowl is no longer green but
either blue or clear. It's a sure way to know the
bowl is properly flushed. If you don't leave
anything behind... your bowl and hoses will stay
fresher longer. Fresh as wildflowers!
Also, after saltwater flushing, add a cup of fresh
water to the bowl. When you add the fresh
water be sure to add it at the highest part of the
bowl so the fresh water will flush any bacteria
remaining on the sides.
Some people use bleach to an excess when cleaning
their toilets. Then they flush it all into the
holding tank! Not a good idea. Often times
the bleach mixes with the gunk, critters, and
deodorizers already in the tank and that's a mix
that will definitely produce that sickening sweet
worse-than-a-skunk-on-fire odor that makes your hair
stand on end.
I clean my bowl and tank with vinegar and baking
soda. It works to keep both smelling fresh. Right
before and after a pump out I do the baking soda and
vinegar thing. That combination will also
clear your hoses of calcium buildup. A friend of
mine use to take her hoses off and beat them on the
docks to break up the calcium. Of course
I told her anytime you go to the trouble
of taking your hoses off... replace them! Ha! She
was very happy to find out about what vinegar and
baking soda can do for her problem. She
thanks me to this day!
Holding tanks also need to be vented. We have
cross-ventilation, a vent from the tank and out on
both port and starboard sides of the boat's
exterior. We also use a solar fan to vent the air
pocket areas around the actual holding tank.
I can't stand odors. The items above sure work for
me!
Charmaine Aboard s/v September Sea
"Life's a Gift... Unwrap It!" - C~
__________
Follow-Up Question:
Hi Charmaine,
How do mix up your
concoction?
Thanks,
JD
I use one of the little boxes of baking soda,
the kind you would put in your refrigerator, and
one quart of vinegar. Put 1/2 quart in the
toilet and sprinkle the entire contents of the
little box of baking soda over it. Then pour in
the other 1/2 quart of the vinegar. It
will fizz and bubble and churn... and that's
what you want! Wait five minutes and pull
the toilet handle once. Wait five minutes as it
bubbles and well, you know... keep doing this
with the handle every five minutes (longer
doesn't hurt) until all the baking soda and
vinegar are gone. This will serve to clear your
pipes of gunk and calcium buildup. You can
either have it pump overboard or into your
holding tank (I prefer the holding tank because
it keeps working in there too!).
Vinegar and baking soda will also clear your
sink drain and pipes. Close the thru-hull and
use an 8th of the concoction above. It will let
you know when it's done because it stops
fizzing. Open the thru-hull and you're
liable to hear the drain blowout as its
released... no harm done. Follow that up with
one teapot of boiling water. Your sink drains
will smell clean and fresh.
Charmaine
Aboard s/v
September Sea
"Life's a
Gift... Unwrap It!" - C~
__________
Thank you! I'm off to give it a whirl today.
-Jonathan
Aboard Serendipity motoring through the Block
Island Sound
__________
Worked great! Thanks
Charmaine. I really prefer to use natural
remedies than dumping chemicals down toilets and
sinks.
Thanks for the good
advice,
Jonathan
Aboard Serendipity
on the hook in Port Jefferson Harbor, NY
"Charmainism #1"
ON BOREDOM:
"I have been much too busy living life to its
fullest to know anything other than the enjoyment of every single
moment, no matter how difficult any one moment may be. I try to
find the positive in every single thing, every single day. Maybe
I'm wrong to perceive "being bored" as a negative. However, doing
so has kept me from ever experiencing it."
- Charmaine Smith Ladd Aboard s/v September Sea (August 2005)
"Life's a Gift... Unwrap It!" - C~
__________
Charmaine,
That is a classic wonderful statement. If more people had this
attitude, this world would be a much happier and well adjusted place. Thank
you...
Bob W.
BobCat
Venice, FL
BOAT/MARINE TOILETS - WHICH ONE?
Question: How do
you go about telling guests onboard how to use your marine toilet?
The answers on this subject were pretty much the same (i.e., "open
valves, shut valves, pump xxx number of times, "don't put anything in
the toilet you haven't eaten..." then flush, pump, open valve, shut
valve... " WHEW!! My head was spinning!
_____________
My response to those with the
long list of Do's and Don'ts for company aboard:
Goodness. Still doing that routine?
We have a Groco marine toilet. No valves to open or close.
When our vessel was manufactured (1984), a stainless plate with precise
instructions for using the Groco toilet was riveted on the wall at
{seated} eye level. The only thing the plate doesn't say is
"There's a container behind the toilet with a supply of free-standing
brown paper bags and zip lock baggies." The waste can is under the sink.
Pretty easy. In five years, no one has had a problem with the "system"
yet.
I'd recommend having something made up that has instructions. It
works for us, and you don't have to pull anyone aside to explain.
If it's someone with a bladder like mine... you might get wet while
explaining.
I do also enforce the "sit down" rule. It's the most sanitary way to use
a toilet on land as well. Men usually start to understand this the first
time they have to clean the bathroom. I mean really! I've yet
to hear any complaints afterwards that the water in the bowl is too
cold.
LOL
Charmaine Aboard s/v September Sea
"Life's a Gift... Unwrap It!" - C~
________________
Follow-up Question:
i agree,
sitting on the head toilet for all sexes and purposes is most civilized,
but no valves to open? what kind of marine toilet is that? chemical? but
you still have to pump out eventually anyway, right?
Joseph L., New Zealand
________________
Hi there Joseph,
It's always good to hear from you.
The Groco toilet is a marvel. It can be
installed above or below the water line a foot
pedal controls the amount of flush water you
use. Pressing the foot pedal adds water and
when the pedal is released it automatically
shuts the water inlet off. Thus, no valves or
hand wheels to open or close!
Another thing I love about the Groco K-Series
marine toilets is that they have an optional
electric flush (just press the switch) or pumped
manually. When guest are aboard they simply
push the
button and it works on its own (all they have to
do is step on the pedal to add water). Again,
you don't have to worry about them forgetting to
close a valve because when the foot pedal is
released it shuts off the water supply.
I only activate the electric switch when
children (or adults that freak out at the
thought of using a marine toilet) are aboard; or
when I'm at a marina and electricity is in high
supply. When
out and about, the electricity used is a small
price to pay for making the toilet
landlubber-friendly. LOL. The flush is
directed via a Y-valve and you can direct the
contents either into the holding tank or
directly outside (when in waters that allow
such). Folks aboard don't make that decision,
as it's locked over to the appropriate outlet.
The Groco uses no chemicals. It uses water via
a foot pedal (either salt or fresh {set up via a
Y-valve so you can choose which} but you know by
now that I recommend fresh water for that which
goes into the holding tank. That said,
yes, you do have to pump out the holding tank at
some point.
When we're out sailing and anchoring, we usually
take a trip outside protected waters and empty
the holding tank where it's legal to do so.
Flushing is very simple whether using the
electric button or manual (hand) pump. For
serious use, I highly recommend lining the
toilet with a few single sheets of toilet paper
before use (makes for very simple clean up as
everything leaves the bowl while remaining
inside the lining and not on the
toilet bowl walls).
I can't stress the ease of using this
toilet. It also is made in a manner that holds
up to heavy daily use (five years straight as
liveaboards) I know many liveaboards who use
the marina bathrooms as often as possible.
That's just not necessary if your boat's toilet
is a good one (and you have
an adequately-sized holding tank).
We have overhauled our Groco twice (you can buy
the overhaul kits from Groco, we always have a
spare kit aboard). The kit simply replaces
rubber parts (gasket, seals, joker valve,
flapper
and {plastic} piston rings). I do flush a wee
bit of cooking oil in it every few months if I
detect the flush getting cumbersome (the oil
helps keep the rubber parts from drying out
after my baking soda
and vinegar treatments). Baking soda and
vinegar rid your pipes of calcium build up,
which can be a cause of easy clogging.
Our Groco K-Series toilet has operated
trouble-free since 1984. That sure says
something to me about its value. It is
expensive compared to most marine toilets... but
the others can't do what the Groco does... so,
in my book, the Groco K-Series is most
definitely worth the investment.
You can learn all you ever wanted to know about
Groco marine toilets at the link below (you'll
need Adobe to read the second link which is a .pdf
file):
Hope this helps!
Charmaine
Aboard s/v September Sea
"Life's a Gift... Unwrap It!" - C~
BOAT SHADE
(Exterior):
Question: How can I keep my boat cooler in the summer.
I have seen people with those Tree Awnings on them.
Are they the best way to get shade on deck?
K. Johnson, Titusville, FL
|
They are a good product. But you
can have shade with less expense.
What I suggest, you can't use the entire
boat deck surface for sitting in the
shade or sitting there protected from
rain. But if that's okay with you, like
we who are at marinas (or even on
moorings) and want to protect our boats
from the sun, even as we live aboard,
thought you might like to read what
we've done for September Sea.
We use screens.. landscape screens. The screens you may
have seen normally used for shading
outdoor plants for sale at
businesses. They're heavy duty and the
mesh-like netting is very fine. We had
them made so we could tie them across
the boat, from port to starboard, to the
lifelines. They shade the boat
beautifully and let in air (and rain for
keeping the boat a whole lot less grimy
while in the marina. They are very easy
to put up and take down, as we go out
sailing often.
We have six different sections, cut and
made for six areas of the boat. With
grommet holes you can use those tiny
little bungees from Home Depot that look
like hair ties. Or, as we do in the
area where we get off the boat, we had
weights put in the hem which allows the
screen to overhang the lifelines. It's
very easy to move it so you can get off
the boat. Once off the boat and on the
finger pier, it's very easy to just
place the weighted screen back over the
lifeline. By using a weighted hem, the
more the screen can hang over the
lifelines and downward... insures shade
coverage for the boat's deck areas on
each side.
The other good thing about the screens
is that any bird droppings are caught
and can be hosed right off the screens
and off the boat. The bimini
area, where we pass under to exit our
boat for land, the screens can be zipped
into the port and starboard edges of the
bimini (or simply have a screen cut to
go all the way over the top of the bimini
as you would the boom) and tied (or
weighted down and hung over) to the top
lifeline. That keeps the screens up
high enough so we an walk under it with
ease.
Picture:
September Sea in full screen gear at
Manjack Cay, Abacos Bahamas.
Using screens, they allow shade for the
entire deck of the boat, no matter where
the sun may be positioned in relation to
the vessel. Most shade awnings, being
hung so high up, allow areas for the sun
to penetrate beneath the edges of
the awning throughout the
day (especially from the east and
west).
The screens are very flexible and
hatches can be opened beneath them just
as you usually do. They also stand up
to wind because the wind just goes
through them, hardly any resistance at
all.
What I love about using the screens most
of all, is that they are so easy to put
up and take down. We leave for a sail
and we take them down in a matter of two
minutes and they're stowed neatly in
a cockpit locker (they don't take up
much room either). Get to an anchorage
and back up they go to protect the boat
while out and about. For quick trips to
the anchor locker, there is minimal
inconvenience, as they can be detached
from the lifelines very quickly and
temporarily.
The stern of our boat faces west in the
evenings. So we
have one large screen that covers the
stern from atop the bimini down to the
stainless rails. Complete coverage
without being in the dark; and though
you can see through them perfectly as
you are on the boat, it's not quite as
easy to see IN from outside the boat.
The shades therefore, allow you a bit
more privacy as you sit in your
cockpit. (Very nice after snorkeling,
undressing and enjoying a quick shower
in the cockpit. Believe me, I looked at
this boat from every angle to ensure my
big behind was not going to be seen!)
Just thought you all might like to hear
a different way of acquiring shade for
you and your vessel. You can see our
screens
up by clicking on the thumbnail above to
enlarge it.
Charmaine Aboard s/v September Sea
"Life's a Gift... Unwrap It!" - C~
_______________________________________________________________
BOAT SHADE
(Interior):
Question:
I
checked out your website. very impressive. You've
given me some great ideas for fixing up Calypso. Like
those peek-a-boo shades. Where did you find those?
Thanks for sharing.
T. Smith, Boulder, CO s/v Calypso
Peek-a-Booo Blinds
I had used
dish towels to cover the portlights when
we first moved aboard. My friend Peggy
introduced me to Peek-a-Boo Blinds.
Mind you, be very careful when typing it
in on a search... I found all the
PEEK-A-BOO anyone would ever CARE to
find! Ha! Have mercy, it was a regular
Twat Fest... if you'll excuse my
French. (Is twat French?). LOL
Where's Josephine Baker when you need
her to clarify something like this?!
ANYway... click the link for more info
about
Peek-a-Booo Blinds.
(I
promise... nothing there to make ya
blush! Just put three O's in
Peek-a-Booo. I learned from my
mistakes!!)
Pictures Above left:
Peek-a-Booo blind for starboard side
fixed bow portlight in Salon
Above Middle: Salon
Peek-A-Booo Blind when open; Above
Right: Peek-A-Booo Blind when shut.
Below, Starboard Salon &
Galley (before installing Peek-a-Booo
blinds). Martha would be proud!
I highly
recommend Peek-a-Booo blinds.
Charmaine
Aboard s/v September Sea
"Life's a
Gift... Unwrap It!" - C~ |
"Charmainism #2"
"Life's a gift... (so) unwrap it!"
- Charmaine
Smith Ladd (January 2003)
BOAT SIZE:
Often times your boat chooses you, if it's near your
price range (LOL). Otherwise, my main point is that
linear footage is not always indicative of lack of (or
ample) space. Our 36-foot sloop is much larger than a
32-footer, and I don't mean only by 4 feet in length.
Everything is bigger; wider; taller (freeboard); as a
boat's length increases, so does everything else,
exponentially.
Also, center cockpit boats can offer tons of space even
in the smaller sizes due to the higher freeboard
(meaning lots of headroom below decks), and usually a
nice large aft cabin. Many CC boats have two heads, one
adjoining the V-berth and community space, and the other
in the Owner's Sleeping Cabin. Great example for
impressive space per linear foot are the Scylla
Swallowcraft boats. Go to Yachtworld and look around,
find the boats that show most all the angles and areas
of the boat. But there's always a trade-off:
center cockpits, in general, do not sail as well on any
points of sail as their counterpart (aft-cockpit boats).
For those who haven't seen the differences in space, all
boats of the same linear footage are not created equal.
There are 40-footers I've been on that don't have the
"open" spaces on my 36-footer. So besides length, it's
make, model, CC or not, and many other yada yada yadas.
The thing here is to try and offer people who may not
know exactly what they want -- a manner of weeding out
and narrowing down, realistically, the right boat for
their respective needs. Judy's needs are pretty clear
with a claustrophobic mate (however, I too am
claustrophobic [got hives inside an elevator!], yet have
learned ways to accommodate myself. I actually sleep in
our Owner's cabin, which I thought would be an
impossibility in my lifetime. (We have a king-sized
convertible bed in the salon, that was my security
blanket for six months. I took the door off the hinges
in the Owner's cabin and would go in there and read...
before I knew it I'd be cat napping... you get the
idea). The door's back on its hinges and I'm very
comfortable in there now.
The trick is to try to keep an open-mind with regard
to size, as so many people find they buy boats larger
than they really needed (cause they didn't know what
they needed). Hopefully, with a thread such as this
one, it will give pause to some who think they too could
never live aboard "anything less than 40 feet." My
husband was one of those people... didn't take long
before he was seeing things differently. I suppose he
felt that if I (Miss Claustrophobic) could handle it...
so could he. He's 6'2 and loves our boat just the way
it is and is so thankful I got him to consider looking
at smaller vessels. (You know, the "What's the harm in
looking?" routine.)
Hopefully, as we've all pretty much agreed on this List,
your boat will find you. Let's just say I think it's
advantageous to try to increase the odds of it being the
right choice by making a decision based on education,
not emotion. "Dreamboats" are often... well, like in
life: not necessarily "reality" boats.
"Life's a Gift... Unwrap It!" - C~
