Commander #65 "Lucky Dawg"

[ebb]

Let's get those kite-cams up there you brilliant guys!

[Tim Mertinooke]

Ebb, that sounds like a perfect project for you to wrap your brain around. I would love to see an "ariel" shot of Little Gull.

[ebb]

I'll leave that kite cam stuff up to you guys.

BUT
If I ever have the time - HAH - I'd put it into developing a kellet cam.
The idea is to send a camera or corder down the anchor line to see how well the anchor is set. Good idea?

First models would be relatively simple and probably be limited in depth. Upgrades might include infrared or remote wider angled views of the bottom and stuff like that.

Every cruiser will want one of those.
Think it's a marketable idea. Have to cut costs so it would be affordable. Probably available already.

[Jack]

ebb... two words, otter box. These waterproof boxes would do the trick with just about any conventional camcorder. Just send it down, and then pull it up and check the footage.

Just a thought.

[Lucky Dawg]

Great thought. I had imagined sticking it down with epoxy or wedging a board in. Does the lead wrapped board deteriorate sloshing around in the bilge water?

[mbd]

Yeah, but it's removed each season and in and out of there a lot during the season, so there are plenty of opportunities to inspect it.

All you'd really need is something to attach the pump to and heavy enough to sink it. I wonder what the smart guys/gals on the forum do with theirs? I suppose the search button would turn up a lot of alternatives, but I'm at work, so I suppose I should get back to it.

[Westgate]

Kyle,

On Arthur we have a manual pump who's hose goes to the deepest part of the bilge just aft of the keel void. I pump this out by hand when needed which up to now has only been after the ice melt from the fridge has drained out. It is a Titan whale gusher and can really move a lot of water in a hurry. Just to see what it could do I filled the bilge up with water and had it pumped dry in under two minutes.

http://images.westmarine.com/full/03525_f.jpg

We also have an electric bilge pump (Rule 2000 I think) mounted into the floor of the bilge using 3/16" SS screws. It sits below the sole access panel closest to the companionway. Does a Commander have two access hatches? The glass is thick enough there that 3/16" does not penetrate through and beside all you would go into would be the keel void which is dry as a bone right . Remember to mount the switch higher than the pump which is easy since the bilge floor slopes up fast right there.

I like this system because the electric pump stays high and dry 99% of the time but is there if needed. It is also easy to get to for inspection and cleaning. I have not measured exactly how much water has to be present to turn the bilge pump on but I ran a hose into the bilge after initial set up and I took a minute or two to "fill" the aft bilge to the turn on level. Some say you need two pumps, some more. I think that the important thing is to have at least one manual and one electric and of course one bucket .


Sounds like your windows need rebedding. We did it last year and it was a messy but straight forward job. Took all day to do the first two but an hour to do the last two! We bought a big 'ol piece of 1/2" Lexan from the local glass house and I cut the panes using the old ones as templates. I cut them out over-sized and did final shaping using my table top sander. Follow Lackey's advice and use longer screws and nuts during the initial set-up. Makes life a lot easier. I recommend using butyl I got mine at ACE. If you have time fill in the void between the inner and outer skins using the techniques described by Ebb. Makes for a tigher, cleaner final product. I remember the hardest part of the job was cleaning all the junk (Silicon 5200 buytl) off the old frames. Finally ended up using a wire wheel on my drill. Took it off pretty fast

Andrew

[Lucky Dawg]

Thanks Andrew. Great info. My bilge system - like you describe on Arthur - is based on the recommendations in the extensive bilge discussion at http://pearsonariel.org/discussion/s...ighlight=bilge

And I think there is a "Silicone is Pure Evil" (!) discussion too.

I'm similar to you - dreadfully slow start (all day for the first pair, and two hours for the other), and once I figure it out it seems like cake. Just have to get my hands in it. Kinesthetic learning I think they call it. I want to come hang out with some of you and watch your handywork!

[Westgate]

Kyle,

I am a newbie at this too!


I figured out that one must be able to,

"Carryout airborn ambulatory activity using the posterior portion of ones outherwear."

Andrew

[Lucky Dawg]

A smattering of pictures. A bit less sailing this year with an infant! Still able to get out with the aid of the occasional afternoon baby sitter.

Introducing my 13 and 10 year old neice and nephew from Atlanta to sailing last weekend, and a whole family sail for father's day.

[Tony G]

Outstanding job!!! Nothing better than time on the water when you're a kid-young or old.

I left one of our sailing dinks at the Father-in-laws cabin one year in an effort to get the younger generation interested. Offered to take them out, showed them how easy it is, don't worry about breaking anything but your head, told them they could even putz around at their own whim ( in the protected bay ). Nothing. Only whinned and begged to ride the PWCs.

[Lucky Dawg]

Nice sail today. Shore breeze made Lake Michigan flat as a pancake with 12-15 knots or so. Ride along if you like - a one minute clip that looks like we are FLYING. http://picasaweb.google.com/kyle.amy...34443765523346

I had the logos I found on eBay repaired and rechromed. Sparkley!

Sadie continues to get more confident aboard. As she was headed forward today, I started to say... and she finished my thought - "I know Daddy, three points of contact!" She is quite a swimmer for 4 and we have jumped in the drink in our life vests and practiced MOB. At the dock, she has taken on the jobs of uncovering and covering the cowl vent and tiller with their canvas before and after sails. Good crew is hard to come by. This particular one generally sports a princess nightie - her usual sailing garb.

[Lucky Dawg]

Fan response, yes, but possibly a little English Bulldog responding with an anxiety disorder Getting used to 90,000 crazy Bulldog fans might be a bit much for young and hypersensitive dog-ears! It is freaking loud in there!

[Lucky Dawg]

Busy this spring - Tired of a non-planing sailing hull, I installed some new power. Note my new 65 megawatt coal-fired power plant - equipped, of course, with an electrostatic precipitator and a wet flue gas desulfurizer system for emission controls. The weekly coal deliveries are tedious, but the girl turns heads.

[Lucky Dawg]

E A S Y boys... Ahhhh, ready for sailing. That badass forklift can handle 36000 lbs, but it still makes me nervous to watch.