New Beneteau 31
- Thread starter DancingDays
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Nice. What hardware did you use. Am I seeing correctly that the guides cover the holes from the old fiddle?
No, I will have to plug the old holes with some coloured wood paste & sand to perfection or as close to that as I can. The old holes were too far inboard; Since I was fastening from the top it was easy to go closer to the edge. Also the end-pieces are on the edge of the vertical ends to the shelf. I used a bracket as shown on this link. http://www.buyrailings.com/pd-productid-1990-sku-2884ZN5-ref-NXTAG.htm the size wasn't perfect so I used a little foam tape on the inside of the bracket. In the forepeak I did a paper template of the shelf and curved the plexiglass sheet to follow the outline of that shelf using a heat-gun but watching that the lexan didn't bubble.
I had bought more lexan than needed but finally it didn't bubble and all is safe...
The pieces are 3in. high and the thickness is 6mm or about ¼in. It is easy to cut the lexan with a good table saw so buying a piece 1' X 8' and cutting it to size was the best way to go.
I had bought more lexan than needed but finally it didn't bubble and all is safe...
The pieces are 3in. high and the thickness is 6mm or about ¼in. It is easy to cut the lexan with a good table saw so buying a piece 1' X 8' and cutting it to size was the best way to go.
By shopping locally I bought them for a little less than 20$CDN and they look much better than the bases with a hole in the middle... since they are higher they will hold the lexan better & it will be less subject to break.
But since you need 12 of them it will make a difference.
But since you need 12 of them it will make a difference.
Other changes
I made a few other changes...
I put in a piece of teak about 3½" X 2' in the cockpit in front of the cockpit table to be used as a footrest for the "passenger" when we are heeled-over.
Put in two shelves in each of the hanging lockers... who has anything to hang onboard anyway. I sawed off the aluminum pole in the lockers, did the same to the pole in the galley cabinets.
I took out the piece of plywood at the back end inside the chart drawer: chartkits now fit nicely in there.
Put in an ICOM M-710 SSB below the chart table mounted sideways & vertically: the front of the radio is in the "hallway".
I have 4 X 6V-225 amp/hrs for house bank & the original starter battery, the boat is on a mooring & has no access to shore-power.
My wife wanted two hand-holds in the companionway: we had stainless ones made & installed.
My wife made form fit mattress covers and sheets for the V-berth; we use standard queen-size (terry-cloth sheets for stretch) for the aft-cabin.
I will be putting solar panels & a washdown pump in the spring... Any ideas & help on these two items would be appreciated.
Instead of AC we have a Webasto heating system & use it quite a bit.
Though the boat is recent & we live in the northern hinterlands we have racked-up 1,700Nm on it already.
I made a few other changes...
I put in a piece of teak about 3½" X 2' in the cockpit in front of the cockpit table to be used as a footrest for the "passenger" when we are heeled-over.
Put in two shelves in each of the hanging lockers... who has anything to hang onboard anyway. I sawed off the aluminum pole in the lockers, did the same to the pole in the galley cabinets.
I took out the piece of plywood at the back end inside the chart drawer: chartkits now fit nicely in there.
Put in an ICOM M-710 SSB below the chart table mounted sideways & vertically: the front of the radio is in the "hallway".
I have 4 X 6V-225 amp/hrs for house bank & the original starter battery, the boat is on a mooring & has no access to shore-power.
My wife wanted two hand-holds in the companionway: we had stainless ones made & installed.
My wife made form fit mattress covers and sheets for the V-berth; we use standard queen-size (terry-cloth sheets for stretch) for the aft-cabin.
I will be putting solar panels & a washdown pump in the spring... Any ideas & help on these two items would be appreciated.
Instead of AC we have a Webasto heating system & use it quite a bit.
Though the boat is recent & we live in the northern hinterlands we have racked-up 1,700Nm on it already.
Caboteur,
Wow, that's a lot of miles. I bet you've learned a lot about handling the boat underway during that time. Any thoughts?
Where do you have the house battery bank installed? Did you keep the original charger and alternator?
Wow, that's a lot of miles. I bet you've learned a lot about handling the boat underway during that time. Any thoughts?
Where do you have the house battery bank installed? Did you keep the original charger and alternator?
DancingDays,
I'm still learning to handle this rear-drive vessel compared to my genoa-driven last boat... The hull shape demands to be kept relatively flat in the water for optimum speed. Use of the mainsail outhaul being mandatory to power depower the rig I lengthened that line & brought it to the starboard cockpit rope clutch array. Replacing the spinnaker halyard which I put on the mast: you have to go forward to raise the spinnaker & spinnaker-tamer and/or to lower it, so why have that halyard in the cockpit? I no longer race but have found the boat to be a little slow hard to windward and am trying to improve that aspect of sailing...
House battery bank: two of them are in front of the engine under the companionway stairs; the other two are in the lazarette in a special vented box and the starter is under the aft bunk. I changed (had the dealer do it) the alternator for a Balmar 70Amp. with external regulator. I think the original charger is still there; I rarely if ever use it.
Will be sailing around home this summer, going to the Bahamas this fall & returning in late June 2011. The last time we came back from the Bahamas we detoured through Bermuda, the Azores, Portugal, Spain, the Canaries, Barbados, St-Martin, Bermuda again, Nova-Scotia, the Magdalens & up the St-Lawrence to home. Now THAT's mileage.
This time with the smaller boat and three granddaughters we will try to keep it simply down & back, no detours!
I'm still learning to handle this rear-drive vessel compared to my genoa-driven last boat... The hull shape demands to be kept relatively flat in the water for optimum speed. Use of the mainsail outhaul being mandatory to power depower the rig I lengthened that line & brought it to the starboard cockpit rope clutch array. Replacing the spinnaker halyard which I put on the mast: you have to go forward to raise the spinnaker & spinnaker-tamer and/or to lower it, so why have that halyard in the cockpit? I no longer race but have found the boat to be a little slow hard to windward and am trying to improve that aspect of sailing...
House battery bank: two of them are in front of the engine under the companionway stairs; the other two are in the lazarette in a special vented box and the starter is under the aft bunk. I changed (had the dealer do it) the alternator for a Balmar 70Amp. with external regulator. I think the original charger is still there; I rarely if ever use it.
Will be sailing around home this summer, going to the Bahamas this fall & returning in late June 2011. The last time we came back from the Bahamas we detoured through Bermuda, the Azores, Portugal, Spain, the Canaries, Barbados, St-Martin, Bermuda again, Nova-Scotia, the Magdalens & up the St-Lawrence to home. Now THAT's mileage.
This time with the smaller boat and three granddaughters we will try to keep it simply down & back, no detours!
Caboteur,
Do you have the furling main or the classic? I've got the furler, and we're still working the bugs out of it. I've got it mostly reliable, but it still seems to have more friction than I would expect. This may be due the relatively short boom causing the outhaul to pull at a non-optimal angle--this is probably a pretty small rig for a furling unit.
Which keel do you have? I've got the deep one, which I think might be a bit deep for the Bahamas. (We'll be chartering in the Abacos this April on a Bene 40, so I will get a better idea.)
Are the 3 granddaughters going with you? That could get pretty wild in a boat this size.
Do you have the furling main or the classic? I've got the furler, and we're still working the bugs out of it. I've got it mostly reliable, but it still seems to have more friction than I would expect. This may be due the relatively short boom causing the outhaul to pull at a non-optimal angle--this is probably a pretty small rig for a furling unit.
Which keel do you have? I've got the deep one, which I think might be a bit deep for the Bahamas. (We'll be chartering in the Abacos this April on a Bene 40, so I will get a better idea.)
Are the 3 granddaughters going with you? That could get pretty wild in a boat this size.
Bahamas
DancingDays,
I have the classic main, I wasn't ready for a furling main because of sail shape & possible furling jams. From what I read & hear I'll happily live with raising & lowering and even reefing in the classic way.
Shallow keel; my mooring is in about six feet of water & I want a little margin... I've gone to the Bahamas, Abacos & Exumas with a five foot keel & found it OK. The six foot keel on your 31 shouldn't be any problem: you have neither bulb nor wings therefore if or should I say when you ground you can easily tilt her a little & nudge her off, it's all sand out there.
DancingDays,
I have the classic main, I wasn't ready for a furling main because of sail shape & possible furling jams. From what I read & hear I'll happily live with raising & lowering and even reefing in the classic way.
Shallow keel; my mooring is in about six feet of water & I want a little margin... I've gone to the Bahamas, Abacos & Exumas with a five foot keel & found it OK. The six foot keel on your 31 shouldn't be any problem: you have neither bulb nor wings therefore if or should I say when you ground you can easily tilt her a little & nudge her off, it's all sand out there.
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Cracks
Has anyone noticed cracks in the cabin top? I've got a pair in the fiberglass cover over the companion way slide. This is the separate piece of fiberglass that runs from the companionway, under the traveler, and over the skylight. I've got a small crack in each corner at the forward end of the companionway slide.
I haven't figured out if this is structural or just cosmetic, but I'm concerned that the fact they are nearly symmetric might indicate there's some stress going on there. I'm on a north Texas lake, so it's not like the hull is regularly getting pounded.
Has anyone noticed cracks in the cabin top? I've got a pair in the fiberglass cover over the companion way slide. This is the separate piece of fiberglass that runs from the companionway, under the traveler, and over the skylight. I've got a small crack in each corner at the forward end of the companionway slide.
I haven't figured out if this is structural or just cosmetic, but I'm concerned that the fact they are nearly symmetric might indicate there's some stress going on there. I'm on a north Texas lake, so it's not like the hull is regularly getting pounded.
PHRF Rating
Anyone get one yet?
We just bought one, so curious if anyone has obtained a rating.
DancingDays - got it from Sailboat Mike also.
Anyone get one yet?
We just bought one, so curious if anyone has obtained a rating.
DancingDays - got it from Sailboat Mike also.
PHRF Rating
I'd be interested in hearing if others have gotten more "scientific" ratings.
I have a provisional rating of 211 from our local club. This was based on a base of 178 we found from another yacht club, and adjustments for my roller furl main, lack of genaker, etc. I personally think it is significantly too high for the boat, but I'm personally not a competitive racer. My usual crew and I will need lots more practice before we can decide if the rating is reasonable. OTOH, I wasn't dead last in the one race we've had her in, so that probably proves the PHRF is too high
I'd be interested in hearing if others have gotten more "scientific" ratings.
i received a phrf rating of 144 - installed an electric head this week and am still loving the boat
Wow, 144 puts you in First series country, doesn't it? Have you raced it much? How's that rating working out?
What electric head did you install? How do you like it? I'm not particularly happy with the stock jabco. I keep getting backflow. Replacing the joker valve helped for a few months, but it came back.
What electric head did you install? How do you like it? I'm not particularly happy with the stock jabco. I keep getting backflow. Replacing the joker valve helped for a few months, but it came back.
The 323 is at 141 and the 310 was generally in the 140 range.
The current First series boats are all sub-100.
The current First series boats are all sub-100.
i went with the jabsco seawater compact unit (the $499 one at west marine)...just this weekend I spent my first three nights in a row on the boat...really had a chance to realize I want to do something about providing enough electrical support for my comfort-needs (microwave, tv, stereo...etc.). I'll likely go the route of snagging a little honda generator and connecting to the shorepower input.
Here are some other photos of changes I've made:
Here are some other photos of changes I've made:
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I did indeed - xantrex 1000 watt inverter charger combo unit...I've been very happy with it.
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