I just bought a Neptune 24, looking for help

trainmanjess · Nov 2, 2014

hello

and welcome to the family of sailboat owners

you can contact the admin section and ask for a Neptune category be added... I did that and they added the Kittiwake category for me... and come to find out there are several Kittiwake owners on the board here... congrats on the purchase... my 1st sailboat was a Mac25 I won in a church auction for $25.... my 2nd sailboat is a 1967 Kittiwake 23ft sailboat I traded a flat screen HD 40" tv for.... my 1971 Morgan 35ft sailboat I paid less than blue book for....

QUESTION : if it isn't the boat you wanted, why are you paying all that for it ????

answer 1; I built the doors on my Kittiwake sailboat ... I used Mahagony and lexan windows.... I buiscut joined the door frame together, then attached the lexan windows... I bought lift off hinges and attached them to the entry to the cabin.... the doors swing out and can be lifted off the hinges to stow below when sailing...

Anser 2 ; upholstery shop... take in the old ones for them to use as patterns, or learn to sew...

Answer 3; use the old counter as a pattern and cut it yourself, then cover with atleast 3 layers of marine grade varnish... I use a clear wood sealer before I varnish any wood on my boats....

Answer 4; start by tracking back the water lines from the head faucet... they might not be hooked up... you do not mix a pump faucet and an automatic faucet... they do not work on the same pressure lines...I would replace the head sink faucet with a regular faucet and make sure it is hooked into the main line with the electric pump for water pressure....

Answer 5; get a floor model room heater that plugs in either 110ac or 12v dc... these all have a safety, should they tip over, they shut off automatically.... they also have a temp range auto switch on them too... I have one on my Morgan.... works great....

Answer 6; I like to get the wet wipes ... kills germs as I am cleaning... for the really tough stains, use bleach or fantastic....

Answer 7; simple to add the switch... 2 wire connect and mount the float switch....make sure you seal the wire ends from water, or it will corrode and stop working totally....

Answer 8; I got a 12v dc charger with the trickle charge auto setting on it.... this way all my batteries are topped off all the time and ready for use... also I have solar panels and controller that keep them topped off most of the time and the battery charger is not needed....

Answer 9; not sure on your layout, but get a camp stove to sit on the counter top on your galley area... if you get a counter top cover for your sink, you can set it there for cooking then store it away later when not needed... with the right attachments you can make a BBQ grill that attaches to your aft pulpit and you can cook from your cockpit....

Answer 10; do you have a cell phone ???? look for navigation, compass, wind, gps plotting apps for your smart phone.... I have them to use on my little boat... on my big boat I use the garmin 176c gps/chatplotter....

Answer 11; do you plan to use the sun shade while sailing?... or just when docked or anchoring?... if only going to use it during anchoring or at dock, I would suggest a boom tent... easy to make, easy to use, easy to store.... if you plan to use it while sailing, then a Bimini will be in order... you can find all kinds of Bimini's on Ebay... but you need to know how wide and how high you need it to be....

Answer 12; it sounds like they just ran a set of extension cords to power whatever they needed.... it is ok, but not totally safe.... what you need is a shore power hookup installed on the side of your cabin.... a cable can then be plugged into you boat and ran to shore power.... inside the boat, the power lines are ran like in your home to a set of perminant recepticles for you to plug into to use your AC appliances.... My boats are set up for only 12V systems.... everything I have on board my boats are 12V dc powered....my big boat has a AC power inverter to switch everything over to 12V....

Answer 13; storage is already built into your boat... under the bed, under the settee, under the lounge... anything can be done to add more storage to your boat....WOW, such a big TV for a little boat.... I have a 37in. in my big boat and I think it is almost to big for the cabin...

Answer 14; remember simple living is an art in itself... living on the boat will help to keep down your expenses too.... learn to do most of the work required on your boat yourself.... marinas charge big fees to work on boats....learn where the local hardware, home improvement and marine store are....

the forum here is full of answers, learn to look up old posts about what you are trying to do.... there is a world of knowledge here to learn.... remember, there is only one dumb question, and it is the one you didn't ask... seek out the knowledge, friendship, and commeradery here....

I have learned a lot here, met some great people, and found new friends....

sincerely
Jess

trainmanjess · Nov 3, 2014

hello

check out a woodworking site on technics about building doors, or consult with a friend who knows about woodworking... maybe you can get him to build it for you....

check out your local area... maybe go to Jo Ann Fabrics and see if they have anyone who can sew them for you.... a little money and supplies and you will have new cushions....

I use 2 - 30 watt solar panels and a controller on my little boat... it keeps my 2 batteries fully charged... and I can run my lights all night... to run other things I need another back up battery at night... the battery charge will depend on how many electrical items you are using during the night.....during the day the solar panels will take some of the use for the items....

the switch is a rocker style... the base can be glued into place with a water resistant glue...

I found my solar panels for $56 each, the controller for $15, and the spare connectors for $4...

yes... ipad2 is good with waterproof case... to mount it I would use Velcro on the waterproof case and a place on your boat in the cockpit where you can see it

I use the boom tent on my little boat and the Bimini on the big boat.... I wear a big rimmed Australian style hat when sailing and my wife brings her umbrella to use for shade...

I will find some pictures for you about some of the items we have talked about.... I hope these pics help...

sincerely
Jess

Brian S · Nov 4, 2014

sailrite.com has many video tutorials on how to sew cushions.

Hatch drop boards can be as simple as plywood. Make sure to cut the joints between boards at an angle outwards and downwards, so water dripping down doesn't drip inside the hatch boards. Varnish them up, or paint them if you don't feel like learning all about 10-12 coats of varnish

There are tons of blogs and web sites of people on the internet who have modified the interiors of their boats to create additional storage, sliding galleys, or even stuff as simple as a moveable galley box that holds dinnerware and single burner stoves.

The Left Coast Dart people have built a very simply A/C deck plate system: http://www.leftcoast.biz/iWeb/Left_Coast/AC_deck_plate.html However, I would not add ANY A/C system to a boat unless the deck plug uses a Smart Plug. The old standard is ****, and you can learn why here: http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/installing_a_smart_plug

You have a lot of stuff on your list, and it sounds like you have A LOT of learning to do. Just start googling things on your list, and read up on how others have solved that problem. There are plenty of people who have done this before you. You have to learn how to be a Mr. Fixit unless you want to spend LOTS of money to have others do it for you...

Brian S · Nov 4, 2014

By the way, the asterisks in my previous post were a word that started with S and ended with T, and I mince no words about my opinion after reading Maine Sail's website.

DAVA390 · Nov 9, 2014

You have a long list, sorta like mine was, many items. I found that keeping it on paper(maybe on a clipboard) was helpful. drawing a line through that item "done!" can be more satisfying than a cold drink at sunset!.

justsomeguy · Nov 11, 2014

Post those pictures, Hooks!

justsomeguy · Nov 11, 2014

D'oh!

Yep, that bulb is siliconed in there, all right.

trainmanjess · Nov 11, 2014

hello

you are on your way to making it your baby... have fun with it...

are you sure the light switches are bad.... my switches have fuses in them... each switch has it's own independent fuse for what the load is set for....

it is always easier to put the new counter on, than it is to take off... you already know where everything goes, now that you removed it....

sea dog makes good navigation lights at a descent price.... you might be able to find the exact same model of lights that you already have.... if not, send me a picture of your lights, I have several sets of navigation lights extra here.... maybe we can work something out....

look at the fridge units that the truck drivers use... 12v and can sit upright like a fridge or set down like a cooler... can get them sometimes inexpensive... I have 2.... 1 for each boat....

the toilet should have 2 valves and hoses.... 1 for water intake, and the 2nd to flush out to see... some boats have a Y valve that can divert everything to a waste holding tank for later pump out...

if you cannot track them back, or get a reading for power from them... then I would suggest you attach 2 good wires to them and pull them back through until they are replaced with the new wires with extra length to work with...

try a degreaser like easy off oven cleaner....worked for me

teak issue... I replaced all my teak with Mohagany... I do not like the teak, too much work to keep looking nice... always working on it to make it look nice...

answer to your own question... yes... replace it, unless you can get all the silicone out of it... silicone was probably put into it to stop a water leak....if that is the case, you will want to replace the lights with something that doesn't leak....

if the stanchion is coming off the deck... remove it, fill in the holes with fiberglass epoxy resin, then drill new holes and add a backing plate to make it stronger... when you drill your 1st set of holes, drill them 2x the size you need... then fill them with fiberglass epoxy resin... then drill to the exact size you need for the bolt... then ;put silicon on the bolt and refasten your stanchion on... the reason you drill the hole 2x the size needed then fill with fiberglass epoxy resin, is this will prevent any water that might leak down the bolt to get inside the fiberglass and cause delamination or wood rot ...

the front hatch on my little boat was not painted and the raw fiberglass was seen... it was done this way back in the day to allow more light into the cabin... I painted over mine and attached a 30 watt solar panel ontop of it....painting the hatch covers are doable... one thing to remember, any time there is a difference in temp inside the boat vs the outside, condensation will occur on the bottom of the hatch cover.... use a good anti mold paint under them... another idea, is to cut out most of the hatch and replace it with a piece of clear plexiglass to allow light in....

asking question and getting answers are how we all learn new things from the old salts here on the forum... remember the only dumb question is the one you didn't ask, that will later get you into trouble...

great name.... I went to a sign maker and he made me vinyl letters for my name for my boat... he even had the font style I wanted too... my wife is Chinese and she names both our boats..... the Kittiwake 23' is "Xing Fu" = happy boat..... the Morgan 35' is "Kai Xin Yuan" = happy home... the letters are done in the Chinese font like from the old movies....she liked the style too

sincerely
Jess

Sumner · Nov 11, 2014

Congrats on the boat. Looks nice and something you can enjoy using and fixing up.

Looking at your pictures I see one thing you might want to consider changing.

I'd be leery of that PVC ball valve in that application. If it failed you might be sunk. I'd look into a proper bronze valve or other valve designed for a thru-hull. Not as cheap for sure but a lot safer. The same goes for the one that is top-left if it is brass I change that out also.

You talked about 110 from the marina into the boat and a charger also. The 110 and the charger can pose a possible problem to anyone that might be in the water near the boat, as in possibly killing them so you want to make sure you are using a marine charger and not a car charger and you also need to make sure the 110 wiring coming into the boat is proper to avoid any deadly situations. It is not as easy as house wiring or car wiring since you are mixing 110 volts and 12 volts and you have the boat in the water to factor in.

Maybe all of that is in order but if not look at these links and stay safe...

http://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Ten-Deadly-Conditions

http://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Marine-Grounding-Systems

http://qualitymarineservices.net/Neutral-Ground Bond, Exchange Article, 12-2005.pdf

Wiring correctly can be confusing so if confused please get help here or with someone there and the best on using, fixing and living on the boat,

Sumner

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walt · Nov 12, 2014

so you want to make sure you are using a marine charger and not a car charger

What is the difference? Link?

Sumner · Nov 12, 2014

walt said:
What is the difference? Link?

The marine charger if built to ABYC / UL 1236 standards should have good AC/DC isolation and reverse polarity protection in case the shore power has a problem in that area.

Maine Sail has a good review here and talks about the differences...

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/installing_a_marine_battery_charger

... and you can find the same info other places.

I've used a car battery charger at home before I put solar on the boat and I don't see a problem with that with the boat out of the water. The problem can be a "possible" safety one with the boat in the water if someone is near the boat in the water.

Not a huge difference in price so why not get the better one and they probably also have a better charging algorithm vs. a cheaper car one,

Sumner

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walt · Nov 12, 2014

Ok.. this was something you read on the internet - but from Maine sail which is generally a good source. I think that more likely means don’t buy a POS charger.. (such as an old and obsolete design transformer style charger).

FYI, I would be surprised that you can buy a non UL battery charger at all. Its insurance underwriting, protects anyone who sells the product. UL 1236 covers about any battery charger you can plug into AC. Home, car, marine. Pretty much every single item that you can plug into AC gets that high voltage test. We do it on consumer electronics but at an even higher voltage 2120 volts DC (called Hipot test)

If you correctly hook up a marine AC and DC system, it will be automatically protected from some of the bad things that can happen with a battery charger - like a fault where the AC input gets put on the charger chassis.

UL 1236 scope is below:

Battery Chargers for Charging Engine-Starter Batteries

UL 1236

1 Scope

1.1 These requirements cover battery chargers rated 600 volts or less and intended for household or commercial use to charge lead-acid engine-starter and other starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI) type batteries, in accordance with the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70. The requirements also cover a battery charger intended to be permanently installed on a boat.

justsomeguy · Nov 12, 2014

A UL rating may not be all it's cracked up to be.

walt · Nov 12, 2014

I have had to deal with UL a fair amount, I think they are best at extracting money out of manufactures. Must have a lot of lawyers there.

However.. if you want to sell something to the public in the US.. you almost always need to have the UL rating. Simply, it protects you from a lawsuit.

But.. the UL specified high voltage tests we do on consumer electronics (and it is done on 100% of everything that plugs into AC) does insure that when you plug the unit in, it will not have high voltage on the chassis. If the cord has an earth ground, the UL test also makes absolutely sure that the green earth wire has a very low impedance connection to the chassis of the device.

I just bought a Neptune 24, looking for help

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