Bilge Concern and Winch tie Point

[Spence]

Hello Everyone, first post.

First a bit about myself. I'm not new to boats but am to sail boats. I've built wooden boats since the 60's. Most of my models were by the old PM architects such as Atkin and Hanna. They were mostly runabouts,row and one dory. I was more interested in lake/river fishing with my sons. I worked with FB as well.

But now I purchased a Halman 20 and I have two questions.

I noted had a tiny crack in the cockpit around one of the scuppers I presume was there for some time, proly due to 30 years of flexing. I noted also the plexi hatch wasn't too tight as well. The hull is sound and all stainless fastenings below WL are sound. It doesn't appear the bilge is overflowing with water, but may have a gallon or so way down, I'm guessing.

My concern is freezing expansion during winter storage. I'm assuming the ballast is accessible and in punchings. I thought of three possible ways I could solve this, one is the dehumidifier run for a month or so in the cabin, another is to pour a gallon of glycol in the bilges and that should mix well during the trailering home, and lastly to hope the ballast is punchings and simply scoop that out then dry it with rags.

Is there any real concern about this?

The first option i need electricity and there's none on site. The best i could do is a generator run for a day and that wouldn't be practical and it would be costly. The glycol thing is against my principles but seems to be an option provided that no noxious gases get evaporated. Removal of the punchings(1000lbs) would work if I get the lads working in a bucket lineup. Maybe I can get it all refilled within a day.

The second question is regards to securing the hull with straps while trailering. Although the boat has a cradle secured at 4 pad points(I hate this setup), I would need to secure it laterally to the trailer. No tie points are available except to the base of chrome railings and other protrusions(why don't they MFG the fittings for this in chrome covered recessed fittings while their glassing, just a thought). Now I saw pictures of boats secured with a loop or two around the sail winches at the cockpit, and I was wondering if they are properly anchored to receive this horizontal tugging which would be minimal, but just for stability, and if the shafts were thick enough to not bend. (Boat disp = 2500lbs)

Thanks for the help.!

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I believe most boats that size are safely towed with one strap and an "eye" bolt on the bow.

As to the bilge, remove as much water as you can and add a gallon of ethylene glycol which does not off-gas to any concern. If you are concerned with toxicity, just remove it in the Spring for safe disposal.

 

[woodster]

take a shop vac wet or dry to remove the water out of the bilge.....

regards

woody

 

[Spence]

Thanks guys for the help.

 

[watercolors II]

trailer bounce and flex

For towing, as already suggested, the bow tied horizontally to keep the hull from sliding backwards is all that is needed up front but, with the stern being the furthest from the tow vehicle it will bounce up and down a little as the trailer rides over imperfections in the pavement causing the stern to walk sideways. A strap at the back end of the trailer to the winches or all the way over the cockpit and down to the trailer again will help eliminate this bounce between trailer and hull. The trailer will flex in very rough conditions so strapping the bow down tight to the trailer may cause this trailer flex to be transferred to the hull.

 

[Ray Bowles]

Spence, you speak of the ballast as being punchings. Usually all the small sailboats I've seen have solid, fixed and non-removeable ballast. In small boats it normally is a swing keel or centerboard, an encapsilated keel or a bolted on keel. If your boat is covered by these types then all you have to do is remove the water.
Ray

 

[Brian S]

Further to Ray's comments re: punchings, yes, for many boats in the 70's, they used steel punchings for ballast, and they may be encapsulated in resin. However, over time, we all know that polyester resin is not particularly water resistant, and what can happen is that water can get in and start to rust the punchings, especially if there are any cracks that can develop. For example, the Montgomery 23s use a ballasted shoal keel with a cast iron centerboard. Very often, the punchings would start to rust, and the centerboard slot would get narrow as the keel swells, and would bind the centerboard. I know of 2 Montgomery 23s that had this issue, and the owners cut out the sides of the keels, jack hammered out as much of the steel punchings as they could, and replaced with epoxy encapsulated lead shot. In both instances, they did increase the amount of ballast a bit, which probably never hurts a shoal keel, provided she stays close to her lines. Here's a link documenting replacing steel punchings on one of the M23s: http://sailhavasu.com/saildauntless...llastreplacement86a9.html?cr=1&linkvar=000044

Brian

 

[Merlin Clark]

Spence,
Welcome and VERY cool boat! You may have bought it accidentally or for looks but that is one of the true "blue water" small cruisers. Most boats in the 20 foot range displace roughly 1/2 half of the what the Halman 20 does and are built for protected waters or to venture out on a calm day.
I'd strongly suspect the ballast to be lead and is more than likely to be in one solid piece in the bottom of the keel for stability. Both like bigger boats are built.
Have you checked the cockpit lockers for a manual bilge pump? May be a socket accessible to the cockpit well that the handle plugs into.
Since you have no power where the boat is and if their is no pump onboard, I'd pick up a Whale Gusher, some cheap hose and clamps and mount it to a board until it's convenient to permanently mount it. Even if you have or plan on an electric, a manual bilge pump is a good idea. A manual pump doesn't care about batteries or the condition of the wiring.
A cheap Navy pump like the Beckson Thirsty Mate would do what you want to do right now and they are handy little pumps but don't want to plan on it for a bilge pump as they don't move much water and can be pretty tiring after a few gallons.
Congrats on the great boat and welcome to SBO.

 

[Spence]

From the Halman manual.

"Notes: 1) the Ballast is punchings and metal scrap encapsulated in the hull’s lowest section;"

Later on it describes that the lower part of the keel was impregnated with some of the punchings to give some mechanical shock protection from collision.

Looking at the keel I was surprised they didn't install a steel strap for abrasion and such.

 

[Spence]

For towing, as already suggested, the bow tied horizontally to keep the hull from sliding backwards is all that is needed up front but, with the stern being the furthest from the tow vehicle it will bounce up and down a little as the trailer rides over imperfections in the pavement causing the stern to walk sideways. A strap at the back end of the trailer to the winches or all the way over the cockpit and down to the trailer again will help eliminate this bounce between trailer and hull. The trailer will flex in very rough conditions so strapping the bow down tight to the trailer may cause this trailer flex to be transferred to the hull.

Would you recommend attachment to the mast step? I would make a special bracket that I could affix to the step with the same lock pin. Then i would feed a cargo strap from each side of the trailer to this plate. I'ts a cabin stepped mast,so I hope the structure is strong enough to withstand the occasional side movement which I feel will not be substantial.

 

[Spence]

Thank you. I'ts an old boat but I think with a spruce up of the teak and the spar varnish, and some nautical themed wallpaper for the wife and grandkids, it will give many more days of pleasant sailing. The stove is missing which could be simply a missing option. Anyway in the manual the stock two burner doesn't look gimballed, so I'll make my own setup.

It will be fun just to work on it.

After a month or so of practice (and purposely in foul weather on occasion) I feel my son and I will be ready for the Labrador coast where we will pig out on Halibut and I'll do some mineral prospecting.

 

[Merlin Clark]

Spence,
This issue of Small Craft Advisor has a nice write up on the Halman 20.
One of the owners called it "the smallest offshore, biggest trailer sailor" he'd want.
Too cool.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

No, I would NOT use the mast step. That is engineered for compression loading.

I would do as most people who trailer sailboats do- run a strap from one side, across the cockpit and down to the other side of the trailer. I did a 3400 mile trip this past June-July that way, with a 3000 pound boat, with zero trouble.

The reason most folks do this, is because it has proven to work.

 

[jeffclown]

For future reference, if you are concerned about enviro, propylene glycol (the pink stuff) biodegrades and is more benign/non-toxic than ethylene glycol (the green stuff). Both should be available in any auto store, Walmart, etc.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Spence;

As a former dealer who has over 2 million miles of towing boats, never tie down a boat using the mast step. Make sure the winch strap is attached to the bow eye and for suggestions I would make sure there is a safety chain also to attach to the bow eye. I even tied down the winch handle as sometimes that lever locking the winch in place has popped off.

Now for strapping down the boat to the trailer, use a 2 inch wide strap and twist the strap twice where it goes over the side of coaming to prevent wind slapping against the hull. Go about 15-20 miles and recheck the tie downs and winch strap as the boat will move until settled onto the trailer.

crazy dave condon