SV Hadley has nearly completed 46 seasons. Five of them under my care.
This years sequestrations at home gave time to consider all I have experienced, enjoyed being a boat owner.
When you choose the project boat path it should be with wide open eyes. My boat came with a good hull and structure. Its design was mid range for the label Cruiser/racer, inherited from her older cousin the Cal40. Her design is definitely more cruiser than racer. The boats foundation has given me a great slate to shape the boat to my use.
The reshaping has been interesting...
I've learned to make good coffee, cook boat meals that taste good while being nurturing, anchor and dock my boat solo without incident, plan multi-day cruises and navigate waters that were once foreign to me. During these adventures I have enjoyed sunny, foggy, warm, cold, squally, snowy, windy, becalming days on the boat. I've experienced 60 plus knots tied to a dock with cleats popping off the dock as the boat tries to lay over in the wind. I enjoyed the pop of a new sail as it fills with wind the first time.
All of these things and experiences were background to the opportunity this path of boat ownership has given. My most memorable life enriching events have been meeting new acquaintances, making of new friends or sharing new experience with life long friends.
I read recently a quote by Robert Roosevelt, the uncle of Teddy Roosevelt.
He said:
“I’m afraid, Theodore, you have mistaken the object of traveling,” Robert wrote to his Theodore SR, Teddy's father.
“It is not to see scenery, you can see finer at home. It is not to see places where great people lived and died, that is a stupidity. But it is to see men. To enlarge your mind, which will never be enlarged by looking at a large hill, but by conversing with, and seeing the bent of the minds of other people.”
Sure I have enjoyed the boat projects They were often experienced with others, some who have become deep and engaging personal friends. Some caused me to sweat in uncomfortable places as I tried to reach and secure that washer/nut onto a bolt being held on deck by a friend. These people experiences made the beer and the laugh we shared, after the project was finished or watched as the light of day faded, all the more sweeter.
Thanks to all of you who have shared these past 5 years,
I look forward to many more joyful experiences visiting with current and meeting new sailors.
May the breeze be fair and fill your sails,
the beer be cold to cool your thirst,
and the sunsets glorious in beauty to inspire your evenings.
This years sequestrations at home gave time to consider all I have experienced, enjoyed being a boat owner.
When you choose the project boat path it should be with wide open eyes. My boat came with a good hull and structure. Its design was mid range for the label Cruiser/racer, inherited from her older cousin the Cal40. Her design is definitely more cruiser than racer. The boats foundation has given me a great slate to shape the boat to my use.
The reshaping has been interesting...
- Refit the mast, standing and running rigging - Biggest most expensive project but worth every penny
- Purchased 3 sails (Main, Genoa and new to the boat Asymmetrical) - old sails are like bad fuel in an engine
- Removed/replaced furler with new Harken - Management of foresails is critical to safe sailing.
- Removed and installed a new powered Windlass - no more manual pumping the chain - 2 links up slip back 1. SBO Shop to the rescue. Install helped by sailing buddy Les.
- Repaired the boat after collision with fishing boat.
- Removed/replaced prop - new CampbellSailor prop from WestbyNorth, All the promised improvements were delivered.
- Removed and installed a new foredeck hatch - Dry V-Berth priceless
- Removed and installed a new engine panel with gauges - sweet look and functioning gauges less guessing courtesy of Les.
- Replaced the VHF radio - Safety plus.
- Installed an AIS system - Vesper integrated system worth the money. Tech Support priceless even though a day away.
- Installed a diesel heater - tee shirts in the cabin while freezing temps outside. Unbelievable value. Learned you can drill a holes through the side of your boat and it will still float.
- Installed a Wheel Autopilot - Worked right out of the box. Learned about magnetics and crazy Ivan. i3DGear remote and new clutch arm excellent product/service.
- Installed a SeatalkNG system that shares data - lucky to have a buddy sailor Les who saved me hours of tech study
- Removed/replaced an integrated Depth Sounder - so far kept me floating-free of ground obstructions.
- Removed/replaced the Anchoring system - one word MANTUS. Exceptional support.
- Installed new batteries and upgraded the charge wiring - What a terrific resource MaineSail here on SBO Forum.
- Removed/replaced the Alternator - What a terrific resource MaineSail here on SBO Forum.
- Removed/replaced the AC Battery Charger - What a terrific resource MaineSail here on SBO Forum.
- Removed/replaced the AC power cord and fittings - SMARTPLUG. welcomed me to the 21 century
- Removed/replaced a couple of through hulls, valves and strainers - Just in time
- Removed/replaced a water pump - Glad I discovered the problem. Likely why previous owners sold the boat, a problem that had kept the boat in the marina for years.
- Removed/cleaned/reinstalled a heat exchanger - easier than imagined.
- Removed/replaced a hot water heater - one of my early DIY adventures with very satisfying results.
- Replumbed the Head (which now that I met Ms Peggie the Headmistress needs some more work)
- Installed a new refrigerator - One of my most recent projects/investments. The woodwork skills of sailing buddy @LeslieTroyer again made this challenge a breeze.
- My Mantus Anchormate
that holds the tip of the Mantus anchor from damaging my bow 
, decided to test its swimming skills. It sunk like a hunk of steel. It sits on the bottom of Parks Bay, WA 20 feet beneath the surface. When I explained to MANTUS that the Anchormate (only used once) spun off the bow roller as I deployed the anchor, they without hesitation delivered a replacement. I was very pleased, surprised, thankful. They have my vote for excellent service and support. Solving the cause of the problem, I think is the type of bolt used. I am going to install a carriage bolt through the front roller. Secure it again with a washer, lock washer, locktite and this time a nylock nut. Then deployment will be tested to assure the roller spins without turning the bolt. Fingers crossed. The Mantus Anchomate is a good addition to the bow roller system. It holds the new sharp pointed anchors off the vulnerable fiberglass bow of our boats. As long s it does not try to go swimming it is a welcomed addition to my anchor system. - i3DGear came to my attention when my EV100 wheel pilot started to act funny. The clutch arm that compresses the drive belt against the internal gears driving the wheel pilot failed. I tried several solutions to resolve the problem among them a rubber band (worked as a good temporary solution) even a friction devise developed by Les and his home base 3D printer (clever solution). But still no happiness. So I found and bought a replacement from i3DGear. It worked for awhile. Then not. Looking deeper on the internet I discovered some issues that were resolved with cleaning and lubrication. Taking the unit apart I found that the new Mk2 systems are made differently from the Autohelm ST4000 and ST4000+ wheel hardware. It looks like the older units were made more robust, but also suffered from plastic deterioration. There is just no way to get past that. To help resolve some of the issues you can keep the "eccentric" gears clean and lubed inside the rubber ring that slips over them. You want the rubber outer ring to attach to the belt, but slip around the inner nylon "eccentric" gear. This eccentric gear is rotated by the clutch arm. The clutch arm should rotate and catch on the two raised nubs on the wheel ring.
They mark the eccentric as "engaged or free running". The Raymarinec clutch part and the first clutch part from i3DGear were of a softer plastic which deformed in use.
When my first part failed I reached out to i3DGear and together we identified and corrected the issues. What a great experience. I now have the new model installed and I believe it will resolve with regular maintenance and lubrication the problem of autopilot failure. That and DO NOT PUT METAL or MAGNETS near the EV100 Sensor that looks like the starship enterprise. Unless you want to experience a Crazy Ivan... i3DGear also has an ingenious device they call the "AutoBuddy" I can now steer remotely my boat from anywhere aboard. That is a cool trick. - The new refrigerator is way COOL.
After exploration of many options I decided on a NovaKool freezer to install on Hadley. It was not to get ice cubes for drinks or popsicles, but to solve the issue of space, system performance, and desire for a cold beer. The system is 3cufeet of cool. It is powered by AC/DC currents. It is silent on the boat and stingy in use of my batteries. The box holds a 37degree temp with so far no ice buildup. Granted it is still in the honeymoon phase of our relationship but the cold beer has grabbed my heart.
I've learned to make good coffee, cook boat meals that taste good while being nurturing, anchor and dock my boat solo without incident, plan multi-day cruises and navigate waters that were once foreign to me. During these adventures I have enjoyed sunny, foggy, warm, cold, squally, snowy, windy, becalming days on the boat. I've experienced 60 plus knots tied to a dock with cleats popping off the dock as the boat tries to lay over in the wind. I enjoyed the pop of a new sail as it fills with wind the first time.
All of these things and experiences were background to the opportunity this path of boat ownership has given. My most memorable life enriching events have been meeting new acquaintances, making of new friends or sharing new experience with life long friends.
I read recently a quote by Robert Roosevelt, the uncle of Teddy Roosevelt.
He said:
“I’m afraid, Theodore, you have mistaken the object of traveling,” Robert wrote to his Theodore SR, Teddy's father.
“It is not to see scenery, you can see finer at home. It is not to see places where great people lived and died, that is a stupidity. But it is to see men. To enlarge your mind, which will never be enlarged by looking at a large hill, but by conversing with, and seeing the bent of the minds of other people.”
Sure I have enjoyed the boat projects They were often experienced with others, some who have become deep and engaging personal friends. Some caused me to sweat in uncomfortable places as I tried to reach and secure that washer/nut onto a bolt being held on deck by a friend. These people experiences made the beer and the laugh we shared, after the project was finished or watched as the light of day faded, all the more sweeter.
Thanks to all of you who have shared these past 5 years,
I look forward to many more joyful experiences visiting with current and meeting new sailors.
May the breeze be fair and fill your sails,
the beer be cold to cool your thirst,
and the sunsets glorious in beauty to inspire your evenings.
