sailboatdata

[sailboatdata]

See our solar and basic electrical usage.

[sailboatdata]

Photos from the original build.

[sailboatdata]

Weather

US Sat Images

Sat IR Direct

SPC Convective Outlooks

HPC Surface & Rain

Band 8 Water Vapor (6.19 µm)

Offshore Forecast - Caribbean/SW Atlantic

S Atlantic Sat

Tropical Atl

Tropical Atl Vis

Gulf Stream

Passage Weather

Tropical Bits

Windy

Marvs

[sailboatdata]

Autopilot Components

"My autopilot broke."

Oh yeah? What part? An "autopilot" is very much a collection parts that work together in driving the boat. Any of them can fail and bring the entire system down.

Autopilot Computer

The brain box that also houses the motor controller for the autopilot actuator/motor and clutch.

Steering Actuator

Compass & Gyro

PGN Messages * 127250 - Vessel Heading (20 Hz). Magnetic or true heading? True is used by AIS Class A. * 127251 - Rate of Turn (20 Hz) * 127252 - heave (10 Hz) * 127257 - pitch/roll (10 Hz)

Navico Precision-9 Compass - Only n2k. True north heading with GPS?

Airmar 200wx - No 127252

Airmar H2183 - No 127252

Raymarine EV-1 - No 127251, 127252, 127257 - Only n2k.

Rudder Feedback Sensor

Possible Options

Navico RF25 Rudder Feedback

Control head

Triton2 Autopilot Controller $250

Instrument Display

Triton² Instrument Display $500

GPS

Must send magnetic deviation.

[sailboatdata]

Places on the move south

Annapolis, MD Harness Creek Solomon's Godfrey Bay / Fishing Bay Norfolk Great Lock to the Atlantic Yacht Basin Alligator River River Forest Marina Belhaven, North Carolina New Bern, NC to Northwest Creek Marina Charleston Harbor Savannah, GA Harbortown Marina in Merritt Island, Florida Punta Gorda and Burnt Store Marina Cape Fear Inlet St. Catherine's Inlet in Georgia Cape Hatteras

[sailboatdata]

Boat Requirements

Basic requirements

Recent extensive refit.

90's or newer offshore cruising design. Longer water line, small scoop or walk through transom. Also fewer owners and less elapsed time for hack fixes.

Centerline Sea berths. Pullman berth forward, aft cabin.

Many hatches and port lights with good ventilation and natural light below.

Deep cockpit that feels secure without compromising space below.

By the numbers

Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) below 2.

Displacement of 19-28k pounds with good pounds per inch of immersion.

Displacement to Length of 140-270

Length to Beam 3.2 - 4

SA/D: > 15

PHRF 5’10”

Year: >1990

Tanks: Fuel > 60. Water > 100.

Length on deck: 11.5m - 14m

Max Beam: 3 - 4.2m

[sailboatdata]

Post Survey

Hull

Fix divots out of bow from forward jackstand abuse.

Rebed thru-hull fittings in port hullsides above waterline. Moderate moisture reading.

Rebed aft thru-hull fitting in starboard hullsides above waterline reading.

Scattered moisture elevation in the vessel’s bottom. Laminate profile needed to determine corrective measures.

Deck

Rebed hardware in areas where moisture penetration to core was found. Moisture port side cabin top under jib traveler. Moisture around forward port side padeye.

Replace rubrail on the forward port side above “sling” label.

Repair cracks in starboard cockpit locker lid.

Straighten or replace bent lifeline stanchions.

Replace gas strut for starboard aft cockpit locker lid.

Replace lexan in hatches.

Fill gelcoat cracking around old heater vent in transom.

Secure black (GPS?) sensor starboard of companionway.

Replace screen on starboard flush mounted deck drain.

Refinish top of steering pedestal.

Replace cockpit speakers. They do not currently function.

Interior

Repair leaks to aft head coach roof. Rebed hardware as needed.

Clean corrosion off of the vessel’s interior hardware or replace.

Replace latches on the vessel’s doors.

Adjust fit of door to forward stateroom.

Repair latch on door under sink in aft head.

Repair floorboard latches

Replace shower surround where there a significant crack.

Fix wood issues inside companionway. Bulkhead misalignment and water damage to lower starboard trim.

Propulsion

Reduce potentially catastrophic over-pitch of prop.

Calibrate tach. Reading high.

Install guard over drive belts on engine.

Tighten alternator belts.

Add coolant to heat exchanger.

Install EGT gauge.

Mast & Rig

Repair leak on backstay adjuster.

Reenforce bulkhead for inner jib stay support as needed.

Install stainless steel washers in gooseneck to prevent aluminum to aluminum contact.

Ensure upper cap shroud swage hook fittings are straight and run fair.

Clean jib and adjust leach.

Plumbing

Post operating instructions for stove where visible in galley.

Repair sink faucet so that it moves freely between basins.

Reattach foot pump as desired.

DC Electrical

Improve inadequate battery venting.

Install grommet around where wires exit mast.

Install terminal protection over positive terminals on the vessel’s batteries.

Install terminal protection for windlass positive terminal, LectraSan positive terminal, terminals on alternators, and starter motor on engine.

Install protection over back of engine instrument panel to protect wiring from contents in cockpit locker.

Install protection over mast wires where entering/exiting mast.

Provide protection to cables exiting base of steering pedestal.

AC Electrical

Install protection over back of AC portion of combined AC/DC panel.

Replace aft receptacle above port settee.

Provide better separation from data cable to prevent interference.

Steering

Minimize excessive play in top bearing for rudder stock.

Install protection around steering gear to prevent contents in cockpit locker from jamming the vessel’s steering gear.

Rudder moisture levels high. Investigate further.

Safety

Install smoke detectors.

Install CO monitor.

Reposition bilge pump switch to more central location.

Install high bilge water alarm.

Ensure all seacocks open/close freely.

Install first aid kit.

Construct deviation table for compass.

Install automatic fire fighting system for engine room or install fire port.

Ground tackle

Rocna 25 requires 3/8” chain. Replace 5/16” and ensure appropriate size gypsy. Rocna 25 with 3/8” chain likely too large for reliable Lofrans Progress 1000 use.

[sailboatdata]

[sailboatdata]

Free Spirit

The boat feels very familiar and like an evolutionary step, rather than revolutionary change for us. Seeing the boat in person was helpful in confirming my conviction that’d we’d be happy cruising full-time in a Saga 43.

I do need to make sure there is room to store everything. I don’t think we found a spinnaker, storm jib, or the “Full Eisenglass cockpit enclosure”. I need to visualize where that fits and where our little vacuum and my tools will live. Is the forward most stateroom hanging locker actually useable?

With Free Spirit specifically I’m left with a couple hundred questions I’ll find answers to before full acceptance. Much of them can probably be answered looking through the many binders onboard.

We’re happy with the boat overall. In many ways the above average condition helps illuminate the imperfections. Like that stack of washers on the jib traveler. I’m a little surprised they’ve lived with the sloppy filler just inside the port side companionway as a bandaid to that problem. The exposed foam around the edge of the floor is puzzling. All that effort fixing bulkheads and replacing tanks and then leave the floor edge unfinished?

For some reason I was expecting to find the T105’s in the generator bay where the hot water heater is. Finding them under the aft berth was an eye opener and contributes to my storage discomfort. I will want to see whats necessary for spill containment and venting if not already.

[sailboatdata]

Owl, just hanging out.

[sailboatdata]

version 1

[sailboatdata]

History

As a bachelor I lived on a steel hull homebuilt in St Paul, trailered around a Catalina 22 and raced a shared J24 with fleet #1. During that time I was commuting frequently to LA for work and spent a good deal of time looking at and sailing boats out of Marina del Rey.

Between my time spent in Marina del Rey and cruising Lake Superior in our Freedom 32 I’ve looked at and taken notes on dozens of boats.

Some of the more memorable:

Bayfield 36, Beneteau 456, BaBa 30, Bristol Channel Cutter, Cabo Rico 38, Cal 39/40/43, Caliber 40LRC, C&C Landfall 43, Columbia 10.7, Crealock 40 PH, Island Packet 38/40, S&S Catalina 38, Kings Legend 41, Open 40, Pacific Seacraft 37, Pearson 39, Tartan 37/40, Tayana 37, Valiant 40/47, Westsail 42, West Indies 38.

[sailboatdata]

Plumair

I first toured Plumair in 2013 when Tim Edwards showed me the boat. The price seemed high considering it had already been sitting for 6 years and was full of partially complete refit projects and so many unknowns. After hearing that Mrs P had turned down an offer for $30k my heart sank and I ended up buying a Freedom 32 with the help of Bill Hooper from Mr Wong in Lake City.

Our slip now is in Pikes Bay so we see Plumair every time we drive up and down the hill. Sitting there, waiting. While the family and I have enjoyed sailing the Freedom for the past couple years the excitement of adventures possible with the Tayana have not subsided. I looked at the boat a couple times in 2015 with the help of Larry Nelson, but still it sounded like Mrs P might not be ready to sell it at a reasonable (to me) price.

It saddens me that the boat sits there unloved, watching the hornets fly in and out of the flapping cover. I'm wondering if this is the year an agreement can be made. I realize it might be nothing short of a small miracle, but I’m anxious to see the legacy left under the blue shrink for so many years come back to life.

I’m not interested in a survey, but I'd hire a few different experts to help evaluate specific components of the boat. I’ll want to remove the cover to look at the topsides, bobstay and have a generally easier time looking things over. I think the way forward is through assembling a fairly detailed condition report, equipment list and establishing what is actually being sold and what specifics are required to put everything back together in working order.

The marina has collected a bunch of junk in the storage/work shed and is keen on getting an accurate catalog of what belongs to whom before they start tossing stuff August 1. I want to make sure everything that belongs to Plumair is marked correctly before then.

I’m encouraged by the counter. I believe the boat we want to buy and the boat the owner believes she is selling are very well aligned.

The unfortunate truth is $30k is outside our budget based on the things I already know the boat needs before it’s ready to go sailing. The last thing I want is to get into a situation where I’ve overcommitted and find I don’t have the funds to get Plumair back in the water in a reasonable amount of time.

My biggest concern is in the harsh reality that our hopes and the sellers memories do not accurately reflect what will actually convey with the sale. I can resolve that unknown with some hired professional help and cataloging the equipment that can be found in the Pikes storage/shop. But I’d like some kind of agreement before I spend the money and time making that happen. Perhaps an honest talk with Mrs P about what condition she feels the boat is in might be helpful. At the moment I need a couple days of letting the emotions settle to find conviction on how to proceed.

The other variable to the equation is how much (or little) we get for the Freedom 32 we have and how long it will take to sell.

Emily, our daughter and I had a face-to-face with Mrs P today. It was very generous of her to talk with us. She's a kind and earnest woman. I asked her a few questions about what she was comfortable with during the inspection and her thoughts on the general condition of Plumair. She said that removing the plastic cover was acceptable as long as I was willing to pay to replace it.

There is no question, we absolutely love the boat and how she whispers stories of adventure into our ears. But the more time I spend with the boat, the more I realize how large an undertaking it’s really going to be. I killed four different wasp nests today and noticed more things that will need immediate attention after purchase to prevent water intrusion.

Honestly, I’m beginning to think even 20k is a little high. If we move forward I’m going to come back after the inspection results and try to renegotiate a lower price. I’d much rather the inspection be a yes/no tool rather than a guised opportunity for further price negotiation. I think it will save us all time and heartache later if I hold steadfast on our offer.

It’s not an unwillingness to find additional dollars to make the sale happen, it’s about wanting to do right by the boat. Every dollar saved on purchase price is a dollar invested in restoring the honor and tradition of Plumair. That’s my priority.

Even if we can’t come to agreement on price I’m still willing to pay to have the plastic removed, spend some time cleaning up the remaining wasp nest and other debris and have new plastic professionally installed. It’s the least I can do to express my thanks for consideration and dedication to the boat.

I’d be surprised if other interested parties didn't crop up recently. We’ve been telling everyone of our intentions and how excited we are. Excitement breeds excitement. If Mrs P can get more money from a family that will love Plumair as much or more than we will she should absolutely pursue those possibilities, without question. I concede our limited budget puts us in a place of little negotiating power. It’s a reality we accept. I’d even go so far as to tour the boat with another potential buyer and explain what I’ve seen good/bad thus far. I really want what’s best for everybody.

BTW, the engine is a Yanmar 3QM30F. I believe it was installed as a used engine in 1997.

My contingencies are the following:

Fiberglass/deck expert finds deck/hull/bulkheads in reasonable condition. Enough that deck/structures don’t need immediate removal/replacement.

Mechanic finds engine cylinders move freely with no signifiant indication of rust on cylinder walls. Fuel injection pump moves and is not seized. Engine has signs of coming back to life.

Rigger finds chainplates and standing rigging intact and of suitable integrity. Enough to have confidence in being able to put the rig back together. I plan on replacing most of it in the coming years anyway.

I’m not interested in a finicky surveyor telling me about all the little things. I only need some assurance on engine/hull/deck/rig. I’m fine with leaky water tanks, broken bilge pumps, broken companionway trim, cabinets that don’t close, cracked hoses, unfinished electrical, rusted out water heater, dead batteries, fridge needing refrigerant, leaking portlights/dorades, etc, etc.

It sounds like Mrs P has approved removing the wrap. I hope to get that done later today. Assuming I get the shrink off Andy Miller is going to help me look things over this afternoon.

Given that Mrs P feels our offer is insufficient I don’t see a way forward.

I removed three more wasp/hornet nests Friday. I haven’t done anything with the 6” of diesel and water in the bilge but someone probably should. I let the marina know they can put the cover back on anytime Mrs P decides. Based on what I've seen that should probably be soon.

Deck inspection revealed delamination in several areas. The foredeck, side decks and starboard cockpit all show visible deflection with application of direct weight and sound hollow with hard plastic tapping. On the plus side, the water meters indicate a primarily dry substrate. The caulking is cracked, loose or missing in several areas. There are large gaps around the samson posts. Where intact, the caulking is proud of the surrounding decking. In areas where the caulk is removed a very shallow seam is revealed. Before reseaming the grooves must be made deeper in order to accept enough caulk to allow sanding afterward. Bungs are raised or missing throughout. Screw holes will need to be countersunk deeper.

I’m looking at 3-4 months of full time labor to fix the teak decks or removing them and converting to non-skid. I’ve been quoted $20-30k including indoor storage if I hired it out. That’s before addressing engine and rig issues.

The moisture meters show elevated levels around the perimeter of the boat on deck just inside the bulwark. The chainplates were left leaking for a long period of time before eventually being inadequately rebedded. The interior, non-structural plywood is rotten or moldy under almost every chainplate. In some cases there is wet wood with standing water even now.

Unfortunately I fail to see where there’s a justification in the price. After purchase I’m looking at having to spend too much time and money to get the boat to a place where it keeps the water out, rig up and crew happy.

The decision to enable my family to take on the responsibly of care for Plumair is on Mrs P. The boat is literally rotting away. Every passing day bringing it closer to death. I’m offering a warm and loving home for an orphan and we’re quibbling about adoption fees. I wish the discussion was more about making sure my family has the qualifications and resources to take care of Plumair after adoption.

As I have said before, I’m open to thinking creatively about how to proceed. Partial ownership, seller financing, placing the boat into a non-profit or foundation. Maybe Mrs P has certain reservations, conditions, or privileges she wants to maintain, a financial stake in a future sale perhaps. I’m all ears.

Bombastic boat love aside, Mrs P is an actual, in-the-flesh human and dollars contribute to quality of life. I get that. I like Bonnie and also want what’s best for her. I have no idea what her financial situation is. If Bonnie needs the most money possible for the boat, we are the wrong fit. End of story. I’m happy to help get it sold to someone else.

Formal offer rejection. A week or two later we got another counter. As it happens we moved on to another, newer, much more expensive boat...

[sailboatdata]

Caliber 40LRC

The Caliber 40LRC ticks off so many check boxes but the SA/Disp of 15 and 5ft draft prevented it from being considered initially. Also, iron and concrete ballast. WTF?

The Sail Area/Disp of 15.3 and Disp/Length of 281 puts it on the conservative, easier to handle, slower/comfortable end of the spectrum. My initial reaction is to question why they didn’t extend the water line forward given the anchor roller bowsprit. Ballast/disp is respectable at 44% it's not dense? The 5ft draft is great for the Bahamas but I can’t imagine it does any better than 60 degrees apparent. Hopefully sheet angle is tight. The variable geometry is a big plus but why the small sail area? Does the (removable?) fractional staysail require running backstays?

I like the pullman. Nav area looks rather cramped. Ventilation looks good. The tankage is almost unbelievable. Yes please. I’d never want to carry around 100 gallons of sewage that far forward but I do understand its purpose as a collision bulkhead. I like the idea of integrated tanks in theory, I’ll have to research how they are in practice. The dual Racor 500FG setup looks nice. The bow thruster is in the preferred location. Previous generation electronics.

[sailboatdata]

Personal Criteria

Numbers

Disp: 18-28k lb

CSF: < 2

SA/D: > 15

L/B: 3.2 - 4.0

PHRF: < 160

Disp Len: 140 - 270

Max Draft: > 5’10”

Year: > 1985

Details

Rig: Solent or staysail sloop. Would consider a true cutter or ketch.

Layout: Prefer aft cabin. Pullman berth forward. No wide, pointy vee-berths. Would like two > 6ft sea berth options in the center saloon/settee area. Single head with separate shower close to companionway preferred.

Hull: Symmetrical ends. More diamond shape than pizza slice. A little scoop on the back with narrow walkthrough would be nice. Prefer little to no bowsprit.

Tanks: Fuel > 60. Water > 100.

Equipment: Solar/Wind/Watt&Sea, Wind Vane, 5KW usable battery capacity, high amp alternator, N2K compatible electronics, SSB, Watermaker.

Sails: Genoa, Jib, Spinnaker, Main w/ 3 reefs or 2 deep. Storm jib, trysail.