I splashed her Friday afternoon. All went well. As I was saying my wife weighs 98 pounds soaking wet so I was concerned with the mast raising. I decided that I would get the boat in the water and then worry with stepping the mast due to the traffic at the ramp. After I got her to her slip I begin working on the rigging. I thought about recruiting a few fishermen who where hanging around the dock but decided I would give your way a go. So I rigged up the boom to the triangles on the side stays and lifted the mast up on a 6 foot ladder on the dock. I rigged up a 4 foot section of line between the end of the boom and the mainsheet tackle to solve the short mainsheet problem. I walked the mast up as she pulled in the main sheet. It was the easiest I have ever stepped the mast. I will never do it any other way! It was a great confidence builder to her as well. Saturday we sailed about 5 or so miles and dropped the hook for the night in a bay off the main lake. We got a bad weather report for thunderstorms with straight line winds with possible hail and a tornado watch so we ran back down the lake wing on wing till the wind gave way. We motored into the harbor right at dusk. It blew pretty hard over night but I slept well to the sound of the wind whipping through the stays. I was very pleased that everything went well. The only problem I had was the anchor light is on the blink so it looks like the mast will have to be lowered to solve the problem. Not sure what is going on with it. I think its time to replace it. I have a small led lantern I picked up at Wal-Mart that I am going raise till I solve the issue. Not exactly legal but better than nothing. Thanks again for the advise.
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Just replaced my 360 degree top light.
I stumbled over this AquaSignal mast light.. ( Fixed version ). It is an exact match to the one on my 222-0. Price was right too.. Here is the link
I stumbled over this AquaSignal mast light.. ( Fixed version ). It is an exact match to the one on my 222-0. Price was right too.. Here is the link
Be careful, you may want to add up the watts....
Chuck, that light had a 5 watt bulb in it! 8 hours on the hook would kill a 100 amp hour battery. I would look into a Coast Guard Approved LED that burns less than .25 watts. If I recall, the Sailboat Owners Chandlery ( the tab at the top of this page) has them. Frugal with electric, r.w.landau
Chuck, that light had a 5 watt bulb in it! 8 hours on the hook would kill a 100 amp hour battery. I would look into a Coast Guard Approved LED that burns less than .25 watts. If I recall, the Sailboat Owners Chandlery ( the tab at the top of this page) has them. Frugal with electric, r.w.landau
Ed, the anchor light used 50% of the usable power in one night.
Two nights of only anchor light and the battery is ready to recharge. That doesn't account for depth sounder, vhf, misc other electrical usage. What options are there to recharge the battery? Taking into account that a battery should only be discharged 50% before being fully recharged. To me, that is a battery killer. r.w.landau EDITED: I stand corrected!I was thinking 5 amp lights not 5 watt. Every nav. light on my boat draws 2 amps. So with running lights all on, I have an 8 amp draw. That is good for a few hours of night sailing. Also correct my first statement : it is .25 amps not .25 watts.
Two nights of only anchor light and the battery is ready to recharge. That doesn't account for depth sounder, vhf, misc other electrical usage. What options are there to recharge the battery? Taking into account that a battery should only be discharged 50% before being fully recharged. To me, that is a battery killer. r.w.landau EDITED: I stand corrected!I was thinking 5 amp lights not 5 watt. Every nav. light on my boat draws 2 amps. So with running lights all on, I have an 8 amp draw. That is good for a few hours of night sailing. Also correct my first statement : it is .25 amps not .25 watts.
to replace the bulb?
rw Landau, Indeed I checked this Chandlery and found LED replacement bulb using less energy. I did not know of their existence. I sit on the hook on nights that I am a judge's boat. Which may be two to three times a season, for no more than three hours. I will look into these amp saving lights.
rw Landau, Indeed I checked this Chandlery and found LED replacement bulb using less energy. I did not know of their existence. I sit on the hook on nights that I am a judge's boat. Which may be two to three times a season, for no more than three hours. I will look into these amp saving lights.
My Pleasure, Keith!
I'm glad that everything worked out great for you folks, and that you were able to get her in the water and sail. I splashed mine last Tuesday but haven't even sailed her yet. I had every intention of going down to the club today but it's blowing real fierce out there right now and I know that I wouldn't enjoy it much out on the water. So tomorrow's another day. I found out that I had a broken wire in my mast when I removed my Steaming light to check it a couple of weeks ago. I just decided that I didn't want to deal with it this year. I haven't used the mast lights in a few years now. I have a small cheek block near the top of my mast with a halyard that I use for my "Pig stick" to fly my Shawomet Yacht Club burgee from. I'm seriously thinking of attaching one of those battery solar LED lights to the stick and using that. I got this idea from one of Lynn and Larry Pardey's books on cruising. I don't know why it wouldn't be permissible in most states to hang a light on your back stay. Smooth Sailing! Joe
I'm glad that everything worked out great for you folks, and that you were able to get her in the water and sail. I splashed mine last Tuesday but haven't even sailed her yet. I had every intention of going down to the club today but it's blowing real fierce out there right now and I know that I wouldn't enjoy it much out on the water. So tomorrow's another day. I found out that I had a broken wire in my mast when I removed my Steaming light to check it a couple of weeks ago. I just decided that I didn't want to deal with it this year. I haven't used the mast lights in a few years now. I have a small cheek block near the top of my mast with a halyard that I use for my "Pig stick" to fly my Shawomet Yacht Club burgee from. I'm seriously thinking of attaching one of those battery solar LED lights to the stick and using that. I got this idea from one of Lynn and Larry Pardey's books on cruising. I don't know why it wouldn't be permissible in most states to hang a light on your back stay. Smooth Sailing! Joe
anchor light
The anchor light is a very old perko brand I think? It uses the festoon type bulb. I tested all the mast lights while I had the mast off the boat before I launched the boat. I hooked up a battery to the wires at the bottom of the mast. I have a 4 wire run up the mast with a common ground for each of the three lights. All lights worked. I also tested the wires at the mast tabernacle. I was getting 12 volts there so I thought I was all good. The more I have thought about it I am not even going to worry with it this year. Hanging a led lantern will be much more efficient and probably safer. Not many boaters in my area would be looking 30 foot up for a light anyway.
The anchor light is a very old perko brand I think? It uses the festoon type bulb. I tested all the mast lights while I had the mast off the boat before I launched the boat. I hooked up a battery to the wires at the bottom of the mast. I have a 4 wire run up the mast with a common ground for each of the three lights. All lights worked. I also tested the wires at the mast tabernacle. I was getting 12 volts there so I thought I was all good. The more I have thought about it I am not even going to worry with it this year. Hanging a led lantern will be much more efficient and probably safer. Not many boaters in my area would be looking 30 foot up for a light anyway.
Common Ground Wire in Mast
Can be ok for AC wiring (two legs of line voltage out of phase with a common neutral return) but expecting one negative lead to take the current load of three positive DC wires may not be the best setup. (unless the wire gauge is heavy enough for the load)
Can be ok for AC wiring (two legs of line voltage out of phase with a common neutral return) but expecting one negative lead to take the current load of three positive DC wires may not be the best setup. (unless the wire gauge is heavy enough for the load)
Mast wiring
I was also concerned with that. With the anchor light being the longest run I also wondered if that may have some bearing on it? But by turning off the running light and the deck light I would think that would rule out any grounding issue? The bulb may have came lose or broke while transporting or stepping the mast but I really doubt it. I replaced the bulb just a few weeks ago. The original bulb was a festoon with dimples that depressed inwards on the ends of the bulbs. I couldn't find that exact bulb but did find a bulb that had ends that went into a point that where protruded. Not depressed as the original. I drilled very small holes in each of the contacts of the anchor lamp to hold the bulbs. I would have been very hard for that bulb to have came out. Almost impossible so I really don't know? The replacement bulbs I used were the same watts ect..
I was also concerned with that. With the anchor light being the longest run I also wondered if that may have some bearing on it? But by turning off the running light and the deck light I would think that would rule out any grounding issue? The bulb may have came lose or broke while transporting or stepping the mast but I really doubt it. I replaced the bulb just a few weeks ago. The original bulb was a festoon with dimples that depressed inwards on the ends of the bulbs. I couldn't find that exact bulb but did find a bulb that had ends that went into a point that where protruded. Not depressed as the original. I drilled very small holes in each of the contacts of the anchor lamp to hold the bulbs. I would have been very hard for that bulb to have came out. Almost impossible so I really don't know? The replacement bulbs I used were the same watts ect..
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