The canal is a wonderful, scenic trip.

I'm getting ahead of myself a little, but next spring I will be making a 500 nm run up across New York's Erie Canal.  What has everyone done when it comes to pulling down both masts and storing them on deck for a river and canal trip like this?  I know that the lowest bridge only has 15 foot of clearance.  I also intend to use this opportunity for mast maintenance, painting, etc.

Thanks in advance!
--
Dave Kurtz
SM2 #380
Celtic Cross

Detroit, Michigan

Thanks for the photos Joerg. The video would be helpful so I can understand it better. Or more accurately, so I can come up with better questions. :)
--
Scott 
2007 A54 #69
SV Tengah
http://www.svtengah.com

Hi Scott, a few thoughts.  

1. I agree with you that the bow pulpit is not strong enough to take the load of the guys.   

2.  I would do what you are suggesting - use the ring - with a few twists.  When you are flying the Parasailor on a broad reach or downwind, the guys will be pulled forward and the strap will chafe on your bow seat.  I think you will need to take that seat off.  Alternatively, you will need to attach a third strop to the ring and lead it to a point aft so that it prevents the ring from moving forward.  Or, mount a stainless strip that has a rigid eye above and aft of the board.  

3. Rather than using blocks, you should use rings like the Antal rings I use.  Cheaper and they don’t bang around.  See the pic I posted.  

4. If you use the Tacker, you don’t need the guys at all.  I really like the Tacker since it stabilizes the sail a lot and simplifies rigging the sail.  The downside is that it puts loads on a small part of the forestay foil and chafes on the rolled up Genoa   I think only time will tell whether this is a problem.  Lots of people use the Tacker for their cruising chutes so I suspect its ok   

5.  To prevent the leeward sheet from rising too high, you may need a barberhauler.  I use an opening eye over the sheet attached to a line run to one of the cleats on the leeward side deck for this.  

I have posted pictures of the setup on my boat which may help you.  I also have a video I could send you.  I hope this helps.  Cheers. Joerg 

Joerg Esdorn
A55 #53
Kincsem

Original was a Banten, can't recall the model number. Just climb on up the mast and take a look!

I do know that the wiring is integrated into the antenna - there is no connector you can disconnect on the antenna side.

http://www.banten.it/en/

The 5215 combined with RG-8X has been a godsend in that I have received coast guard VHF transmissions nearly 200 miles offshore and from St. Anne in Martinique, I could hear Rodney Bay marina staff (20nm away) conversing with ARC participants arriving after their transat. Earlier, I could barely converse with a crew member with a VHF handheld 1/2 nm away. Note I replaced the super thin RG58X all the way from the antenna to the VHF head unit.

It also connected my rigging with my bonding system, which Amel started doing in 2009. I believe Amel selected the Banten because the attachment is isolated from the coax ground foil, but given their current philosophy on bonding the rigging, that's not necessary nor advisable anymore. This rigging-bonding connected revealed an electrical leak that was eating my Bamar EJF-1 aluminum casing but didn't show up on the Mass+/- tester prior. FYI - the source of the leak was the bow nav light wires and the starboard windlass motor. 

Here are some reasoned thoughts on VHF antennas:

https://www.practical-sailor.com/issues/33_2/features/5387-1.html

--
Scott 
2007 A54 #69
SV Tengah
http://www.svtengah.com

Alex,

I went through that same replacement.

The commutator vanes on my SP 155 TCi motor cracked and ate a set of new 200 euro brushes in about a week. The motor repair shop said it'd be difficult to repair and they couldn't guarantee it would work. I went for the SE170 for about 2200 euros if I remember right.

It's almost, but not quite a direct fit. The solenoids have moved to the front, which requires you to cut a bit of the floor of the bow locker to allow them to move up and down freely. Sounds scarier than it is. Then you have to re-route the battery cables to accommodate the new location AND secure it to the front edge of the bow thruster compartment floor. This is to prevent the battery cables from being crushed underneath the motor when the BT is lowered. I used two sets of bungees and a backup set of line. Definitely overkill but the downside to those big 95mm2 wires getting pierced and shorting is pretty hefty. 

Finally, you will need to move the staircase cover about 6cm towards the bow. Easily done with wood. 

Overall, if you can fix the. SP155, do that. But if you have to install the SP170, ping me and I can send you pics of my installation.

The sad thing about this whole operation is that it worked great for a while but now the BT is intermittent! I cleaned the joystick switch, replaced the "BT down" switch, replaced the on/off switch in the bow locker, tested the on/off switch at the helm to no avail. Alban tells me that "it's not that important" and I could spend a ton of time searching for the problem. :/

I do have both the wiring diagram and the schematic for the BT if you want it. Got it from Alban.

--
Scott 
2007 A54 #69
SV Tengah
http://www.svtengah.com

I had a similar issue when changing my ZF25 fluid for the first time. Frankly I had no idea how it fit together so I just kept turning the Allen bolt. Eventually the whole assembly comes up if you apply a bit of diagonal lateral force.

Then, I put the whole thing in a bench vise and turned the Allen bolt - came right out.
--
Scott 
2007 A54 #69
SV Tengah
http://www.svtengah.com

I will definately post a "how the new solution is working" post...after a while...great idea!

Hallo, Merry Christmas and Happy new year
My old Fakir Hobby S, aft cabin electrical heater, is not working. Fakir is still in the market and available via Amazon around 60 euro. Any one found a same size, may be with better performance and or timer? Thanks for any infos

Stefano

N’EVEREST SM185
now dry dock Bocca di Magra Italy

Hi all,

I just purchased a used Parasailor (169sq meters) for my A54 and had a bit of trouble flying it the first time, going dead downwind. With our rolling, the Parasail tacks/foot area was chafing against the rolled up Genoa as it rolled with the swell and when we tried to ease the sheets/guys to fly it out further forward, the Parasailor rose up rather than going further forward.

Per the suggestion of the seller, another A54 owner, for DDW I ran the port/starboard guys to the Genoa car, which was positioned as far forward as possible. The guy lines then went to the staysail turning block and then the big cockpit winches. The sheets went directly from the Parasailor clews to the Genoa turning blocks and then the small cockpit winches. 

I believe a solution would be to run the guy lines down to the bow roller area, which is what the attached official Parasailor instructions specify. Now the question is where on the A54. On the attached photo of my bow area, I believe a solution would be to put two blocks on the ring that I'm holding, circled in red. That ring is attached via webbing to two shackles to the bow roller. Normally I attach the code zero furler to that and it works great. Perhaps with this solution, I can jibe the Parasailor as per the attached instructions. Thoughts?

Another idea I'm less excited about is to attach it to the liferails. When I purchased the boat, the previous owner had two blocks attached to the little welded loops far forward on the life rails, circled in blue - what he used them for, I'm not sure. And well, his English isn't great, so difficult to ask. My thinking is that these welded loops are definitely not strong enough and even if I attached the blocks to the forward end of the life rails, I'm not sure the whole life rail assembly and attachment system is strong enough.

The final solution is what Dmitris (Alma Libre Too) did which is have a bow roller extension added. I don't like that solution as I use the bow roller for the anchor rode snubber and also attachment lines for mooring balls, as you can see in this photo from our current location in Bonaire. A bow roller extension would interfere with these lines as the boat rotates.

I have how seen Ashia, an SM2K did it, but I don't think we can attach directly to the shackles at the bottom of the webbing strop you see in the photo, as that may rub on the teak bow seat. I read Joerg's post about it but perhaps he and others can chime in on how they would do it on my setup?

Thanks all!

--
Scott 
2007 A54 #69
SV Tengah
http://www.svtengah.com

I had to replace mine and I looked at those . I went to McMaster-Carr and selected one that 12 mm

Aras
Sv Fiasco #163 Sharki

John,

Customs was another issue.  The Government employees are on strike here in Martinique, including Customs.  Since I didn't clear the equipment out of Martinique, I'm going to have it shipped to St. Martin instead.  Doug would have been a great resource.

Happy Holidays!
Duane

In both heads there is a small bar with three hooks next to the sinks.  These have pitting due to corrosion.  I checked and they are not magnetic, so I thought they might be solid stainless rather than chrome.  I started to sand with some fine wet/dry and went right through the shiny stuff to what appears to be brass colored metal.  I suppose I'll just buy some spray paint labeled "chrome" but thought I would check to see what others here might have done.

I have the same pitting on the head door hinges and the "strong points" in the cockpit for the harness tether.  Does anyone know if the harness tether strong point is solid stainless?  I would hate to start sanding them to find they are chrome plated bronze.

Duane
Wanderer, SM#477

That’s a great way to go for sure. Get all the funk out. Thanks JPG!! Glad we’re still upright!!!!

Have a good Haulout yourself.

Porter.

Excuse the errors.
Sent from my IPhone
Www.fouribis.com

Not a metallurgist but FYI, we use a pressure washer and fresh water to clean out the lowers.

We’ve had some strong winds. Walked through the yard and Ibis is fully secured with no slack on any of the stands.

Merry Christmas to all ou youse

JP Germain
Eleuthera SM 007

A question if you would re Corosion X and Stainless.

I am, as likely many are on this forum, a fan of Corrosion X. It has proven invaluable in he last couple of years on he boat. So using the “if it’s good here it must be good everywhere logic”, and knowing one of the problem areas of rigging is the lower swages we sprayed it into the open swages before we left the boat to displace moisture and hopefully deter water ingress there. But now I’m thinking about the nature of stainless steel and the metal’s, for lack of a better understanding, need for oxygen exposure. Perhaps I didn’t do the right thing. Any thoughts on this matter? Any metallurgists out there?

Many thanks

Porter McRoberts
S/V IBIS A54-152

Good to hear you have solved the issue Dennis ,
Thanks for sharing- will check whether we also have the fuse ...!!
Merry Caribbean Christmas
Andy
Maramu Paladin #75

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the details on your new autopilot, very helpful. 

We were docked right next to your boat at Caraibe Greement while we were getting a new rig.  I hope we do get a chance to get together, but we will probably have moved on by then. 

Duane

For any of you who were interested in my inquiry (several weeks ago) about total power loss on my Maramu when a loose alternator cable shorted out, I solved the problem.  I wasn't in any hurry as it's winter in Santa Barbara and after several years sailing between the 20th parallels I've become a warm weather sailor, so my diagnosis was spread out over several days.  At any rate, in case anyone else has a similar event, check your main house battery switch terminals.  I had a 300A fuse on the red cable terminal that blew.  An $8 fix -whew.  Now I got to get that alternator re-installed....

Dennis Johns
Libertad
Maramu #121

Dear Daniel,