Messages

Pentwater, MI

Hello guys,

it's been a long time since I last posted. I got my "Stretch Ariel" (Alberg 35) about seven years ago and initially was still participating here since I consider my boat just a longer version of the Ariel/Commander I started my sailing life with.
Anyways, I never found as good a home with the Alberg 35 owners - they are not active at all. Sometimes there's no messages in that group for months!
So, I'm back here with you guys, I hope you accept me still. I'm currently on a cruise from Chicago to the South - hopefully the Caribbean at some point. Since I'm still working my job I did the cruise in phases:
1. Chicago to Port Huron
2. Port Huron to Buffalo and on to the Hudson river

The 3rd phase starts soon, in which I plan to go down the Hudson, along the NJ coast to Cape May, up the Delaware and through the canal, and finally down the Chesapeake.

In case you guys want to see some pictures, here's the link to my blog.

capriceyacht.blogspot.com

If anyone of the association is along that route, please let me know where you are and I keep an eye out for you.

Stephan (Stretch Ariel #45)

I don't know for sure, Ebb. The picture isn't very clear, and it appears the Coast Guard attached some hazard beacon and warning signals on the boat. Why would a bulb have foam? I'd think they would put the densest, heaviest material at the end of that blade. If the boat is only #2800 pound, even if there was a bulb, it would have minimal righting moment. And they carried a crew of 8 on it! That might be good when you can use them for rail meat on the wings, but at night they probably crammed in the cabin. Terrible boat to be in tough conditions, they seem more like hobie cats, and less a displacement boat.

This ad seems to be of another boat of the same type, Kiwi 35.

http://www.sailingtexas.com/skiwi35a.html

Looking at the displacement number, I'm not surprised the boat could not come back after turning turtle, unless there's a mistake in that number. This boat is half the weight of an Ariel! I don't think it had a bulb.
I think it's just like a catamaran really, counting on stability from it's broad beam. Once it flips, there's no coming back!

OK, the West Marine technical advisor tells me that this paint is made by Pettit, and that any acrylic coloring agent should work. He can't tell me officially to do it, but he said he knows of people that have successfully done so... I'll try a few ratios and see if it dries and if I can get close with the original color.

Hi guys,

I'm repainting part of my deck and just bought:
WEST MARINE Sea Gloss Pro Nonskid Paint
I got the white version, and need to color it to the 'powder blue' the rest of the boat deck is painted in. I'm planning to buy some blue coloring agent and try different ratios until I get close. My question is - which coloring agent works with this paint? The guys in the store didn't know, I can't find anything on the West Marine web site, and, forgive me if I missed it, a search on here didn't yield any posts. So, did anyone use this non-skid and colored it? And what did they use?

Greetings, Stephan

Unlike many people that have much more experience than me, and who I respect a lot for their advice, I don't always buy the best, most expensive tools. I learned some bad lessons, naturally, by being a cheapskate when it was a bad choice. Working with poor tools is awful, wasteful, annoying, even dangerous. However, on a boat I consider that a tool might get lost overboard, borrowed and never returned or rust in the humid environment, and I'm not one to carefully clean, oil and wrap everything after every job. I'm too messy. I'm not a craftsman by a long shot. I do my routing with a cheap handheld router, and it shows.
I have my share of real nice, made in USA tools, and I love them dearly. On the other hand, for rarely used or 'throw away' items I just go with what seems a reasonable cost/usefulness/lifetime expectation. Good tools are a pleasure to use, even for me. If the tool sits and rusts in some corner however, it's not a pleasure.

The constant speed version:

http://www.harborfreight.com/multifunction-power-tool-67256.html

The multi speed version:

http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/multifunction-tools/variable-speed-multifunction-power-tool-67537.html

It's loud, just like the Fein apparently. The replacement blades are not cheap, but way cheaper than the ones from Fein. Some people say the Fein blades are better, others say they are all bad, the Fein included. I can't say anything about the Fein, and haven't used mine enough to say if the blades are good or not. I don't have any standard to compare them with anyways.
You need, as Ebb says, the allen wrench to exchange the tool. The $40 one comes without a box. the $70 does. It has supposedly 19000 OPM, a little less than the Fein.
BTW, Harbor Freight, even though their stuff seems crudely made in China (naturally), gives lifetime replacement warranty on their hand tools. It doesn't say so on their web page, but in store they show posters with that claim. Might be worth enquiring if it applies to that tool
If you haven't used your Fein, why not buy the Harbor Freight thingy and compare them. You can return whichever you don't like...

My reasoning with the multimaster tool is:
1. The $40 clone from Harbor freight is so cheap that I won't worry much if I either lose it, break it, rust it because of little use, or find it doesn't have all that much use after all.
2. It allows me to try what it will do (and what not).
3. If I find it is useful, and it holds up, I win. Cheap, useful tool!
4. If I find it is useful, but it starts falling apart, I buy the real thing, I win, too. Because for just $40 I  got to try it and learned I want it.
5. If I find it useless, I lose just $40.

I'm at steps 1-2 at this time. Haven't used it all that much yet. I'll have to wait and see.

I guess I've been away from my boat too long - after a week absence yesterday evening I discovered a duck nest in my cockpit. Mother duck had coiled some rope and laid three eggs already. She had apparently fled when I approached with my dinghy (I live on a can, not a dock), and I was a little worried her eggs were doomed. However, this morning I was woken up by 'my' duck making a fuss over the eggs, rearranging them and in the process clicking them on the cockpit seat. When I got out to look there was a fourth egg...
I wonder how they taste  

Yes Ebb, your concern is valid.
1. The power draw on idle - I haven't measured it yet but it's probably wise to keep this thing off the batteries when not needed. It might also emit some RF noise. And I'd rather keep an eye on it when it's connected in case it starts burning or something.
2. Power loss when working - The specs state 'up to 85% efficiency' which is of course a pretty idiotic statement since that would also cover 0% efficiency. This inverter is probably not the best one on the block when it comes to efficiency. That said, it didn't even get warm when I ran my power tool (and the tool got *plenty* hot). Which is a good indication that it's efficiency ought to be around the stated 80%-85%. For my intended use it's working well, and cheap.

I bought and tried:

http://www.harborfreight.com/750-watt-continuous-1500-watt-peak-power-inverter-66817.html

That thing, even though cheap, didn't seem to have any trouble running my trim router and multi tool. Even the hair dryer worked - I didn't run it long though to keep my batteries charged. I think  I have plenty reserves though since my fridge is currently not running, which usually was the biggest consumer.

I was wondering if any of you uses 110V power tools through an inverter off their 12V system. I'm living on a can, and would like to use my little trim router and a Fein Multimaster knockoff from Harbor Freight without having to find a dock sometimes. The starting current on those babies is likely way higher than their continuous draw, so I know I have to get some serious device.

Also, the Admiral would LOVE to be able to run a hair dryer (even if only for 5 minutes on 'low'). I got three batteries so I think I ought to be able to handle that on the supply side. Any advice?

Hi guys,

finally back in the water, and here is proof of her Alberg lines. Just another Ariel, really, just elongated...
Can't wait for the weather to get really comfortable here in Chicago and sail the heck out of her.

Greetings to all of you,
Stephan

Very true indeed. Mike, your suggestion is well received. Pardon me if I don't follow your instructions while using my router though.