Showing posts with label is. Show all posts
Showing posts with label is. Show all posts
Tuesday, 18 April 2017
Special Report What the heck is a perigean spring tide
(corrected text, because I was informed I didn't know what month it was! Thanks, Pat.)
They dropped this term on The Weather Channel this morning. Dang, we had to look that up! The moon has something to do with the tides, right? (Go ahead. Look it up. I'll wait.) During the full moon (twice a month), the tidal range is greater (or high tide is higher and low tide is lower)--that's called spring tide.
They dropped this term on The Weather Channel this morning. Dang, we had to look that up! The moon has something to do with the tides, right? (Go ahead. Look it up. I'll wait.) During the full moon (twice a month), the tidal range is greater (or high tide is higher and low tide is lower)--that's called spring tide.
When the moon is closest to the earth, it is called a lunar perigee. The gravitational pull of the moon is the strongest.
Three to four times a year, the lunar perigee and full moon coincide. This is the perigean spring tide (or unofficially, the supermoon or "king tide" in New Zealand) and can affect tides up to 20 percent (usually just a few inches). Apparently, we experienced this once in Annapolis--when it's perigean spring tide, wind blows onshore from the bay and it storms (barometric pressure drop), they get flooding downtown.
If you're still reading this, the next perigean spring tide in August 29th (this Sat), and it coincides with the possible arrival of Hurricane Erika on the Atlantic coast. Yikes. The Weather Channel specifically mentioned Charleston.
Here's more info:
NOAA perigean-spring-tide
http://earthsky.org/space/what-is-a-supermoon#how-many
Woods Hole Oceanographic: Perigean Spring Tides Aug 1998
Don't get me started on neap tides and apogees.
Monday, 17 April 2017
It is Jeans Birthday
It's Jean's birthday and I must tell her what I see, because she is a thousand miles away.
I portage east to the big lake on a sunny and calm day, passing a man with a child on his shoulders who says with a laugh, "It's a long way to the water," and I can reply, "no it's not," with a laugh, and as our shoulders drift pass each other in opposite directions, we are amused.
The dry and brittle totally exhausted cattails still stand and their puffs remain, our spring and late winter dryer than normal and less stormy than most. The farmers east of the mountains are already beginning to count their water, and the mountain reservoirs wait for less than normal snowpack to melt. I bump against the edge of the east marsh. The first new cattails are coming up, still less than a hand-span high. And a redwing blackbird trills and chips as I sit.
I head through the east channel of the burial island and into the south lagoon where I find four herons, although two of them are only seen after they take to wing. The fourth sits and lets me pass under with no obvious concern.
As I move north up the east side of the west islands, the scent of fresh water comes to me. The water is still too cold for that, so the sun must be heating the surface just enough to lift it airborne.
At #1 island, an otter swims parallel to me for a hundred yards. It is just a few inches from the cattails and I am 30 yards out. It only notices me when it turns in my direction. It's serpentine dive is the last I see of it.
I circle #1 and return towards the east end of the ancient portage, but first, I pass through the break in broken island, grabbing the last of the car tires as I go.
Tuesday, 11 April 2017
To tape or not to tape that is the question A goo vs tape analysis
I was asked to make a service call to replace a field diagnosed problem with a Garmin auto pilot shadow drive. The shadow drive is unique to Garmin's autopilots, and its job is to detect that the helmsman has taken control of the vessel by detecting movement of the helm. When it senses helm movement, it immediately disengages the autopilot, and gives full control to the helmsman to do some task like steering around a lobster trap buoy. After a couple of seconds with no helm movement, the auto pilot will request permission to re-engage, and place the vessel back on course. It is both clever, and easy to use.
The initial problem report was that a hydraulic pipe fitting had been screwed into the end of the shadow drive so tightly, that it had damaged the sensor's wire where it passed out of the brass case, and it sure looked that way when I first saw it. The fittings that screw into each end of the shadow drive are 1/4" NPT standard pipe fittings, and are often used in hydraulic steering systems. Armed with a lot of rags, and some wrenches, I try to unscrew the fittings but criminy, the fittings aren't moving. So back to the truck I go for some bigger wrenches, and with more effort than I would have ever thought I would have needed, they finally unscrewed out.
I finally free the little beastie, and staring down inside the shadow drive, I find a wad of Teflon tape inside. This is the real culprit. Your boats steering system does not like any foreign materials that will find its way into check valves, ports, steering pump parts or the ilk, and this wad of tape was a problem. After examining all of the evidence at hand, I was able to logically determine that this problem must have been caused by a "Roid Raged" professional weight lifter, with a serious teflon tape fetish issue. I know this because even the Mercury hose fittings, that do not need tape or sealers at all, had tape on them. In a few minutes the new shadow drive was installed, and the system works now perfectly.
I have mixed feelings about hydraulic pipe thread sealing systems. They do two jobs, the first of which, and most importantly, is to lubricate the threads, allowing the fittings to screw down further, and the second job is to provide a seal for any spots where fluid can escape. In theory, and it is theory, perfectly machined NPT pipe threads on both parts will not leak, if they are tightly enough screwed together. The reality is that these parts, although closely machined, are often not perfectly machined, and handling, shipping, and other abuses in your hardware store, vendor shelves, and bouncing around in my truck all contribute to nicks, and flaws that can allow fluid at a 1000 psi to sneak through, and so these materials are sealants also. Lets now take a look at some of the options.
Ladies, and gentlemen, in the far corner, weighing in at next to nothing is Teflon Tape. He's pretty, snowy white, the reigning champion, and ready to fight.
In the other corner, also weighing in at nearly nothing is TFE Goo. He's messy, not pretty, but has a long record of knock outs. Lets make it a clean fight, especially you Goo.
We are now off to the very top secret Parmain laboratory to do some empirical analysis of the sealing options.
Below is an example of the culprit that mucked up our Garmin shadow drive sensor, and an example of how not to apply teflon tape to pipe threads. When the tape is applied below the starting threads, the threads can cut off the lower tape, and allow it to enter the hydraulic system.
I screwed that fitting in, and then screwed it out, and you can clearly see what happened. The threads did cut off the excess tape, which will migrate into the hydraulic system, mucking things up, as it did in the shadow drive.
If you use teflon tape, this is what it should look like. You must keep the tape clear of the lower threads. When this fitting was screwed in, and then screwed out, it came out cleanly, with no tape left behind.
Using the goo, you can actually encounter the same problems you have with teflon tape By getting goo down on the lower threads, the same thing happens. The goo ends up on top of the fitting, allowing it to also get into the hydraulic system with the same ill effects. I did overplay the amount of goo used to illustrate the point, but it is not easy to apply it from the tube directly.
Below is the a picture of that same fitting screwed in, and then backed out, and you can see the excess goo hanging off the end of the fitting.
I mentioned in the beginning, that I have mixed emotions about all of these sealing products. They all have some pluses and minuses, and there is a huge number of products to chose from. They all have one thing in common, and that is proper application techniques.
I'm not a fan of TFE paste. Yes it works well when properly used, but it can be messy. The products sold in tubes are hard to apply on the small fittings you see above, and many of them need some curing time to become truly effective. The second problem I have with the pastes, is despite the claims of many that they don't harden, they do. I know this because when I install an autopilot on a ten year old boat, that has been baking in the Florida sun, I have to often unscrew the 90 degree fittings off of the back of the helm pump, and replace them with tees. The TFE paste is often very hard, and brittle, and little chunks break free, and can fall into the helm pump if you are not very careful. The products that come in the cans with a brush, have brushes that are designed for larger household plumbing pipes, so you often need a smaller brush to apply it.
Truth be told, I would rather use teflon tape, than TFE paste anytime. Properly applied it works well, it isn't messy, but I suspect that companies like Teleflex have a long history of dealing with poorly applied teflon tape, and less issues overall with the paste products, and that is why they recommend that or other products. There are a couple of liabilities with the tape. You must wrap it in the right direction (looking at the fitting with threads down, you go counter clockwise), and you have a high probability of leaks, if you back the fitting off, even a little bit during installation.
Nothing is perfect in life, and often we have more options than we would like. It would be nice if there was only one solution available. We could grumble about it, but couldn't do anything about it, but this is not the case. Below is my current favorite. It is a purple colored liquid, and has a thin nozzle applicator, that makes it easier to apply to smaller fittings. Loctite makes many products that are similar, but avoid the products that are also thread lockers, if you ever want to get that part back off in a dark very cramped place. This product, although it works very well, also has a tenacious death grip on the threads, and under some scenarios you may need a heat gun to expedite removal. If I run out of it, I always have the tape (sorry Marc).
TFE Goo did win the fight, and Teflon Tape is still trying to wash it all off in the shower.
If you have any better suggestions, edify all us with the comment box below.
I couldn't resist using the interesting laboratory picture, and I was not telling you the truth. It isn't my lab at all. The lab actually belongs to Mr. Tesla, and he is sitting in the chair. I won't do this to you again ever. Well mostly never, I might even keep using teflon tape, maybe....
Monday, 10 April 2017
How much is it to canoe at wekiva springs
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Wednesday, 5 April 2017
Learn How hard is it to build a canoe
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The Proteus 106 catamaran kit is now cheaper
Checking back on old mails and finding the prices to a kit on the Proteus 106 catamaran and around six years back when it was U$24,000 or so I now find that with the Rands devaluation the same kit will probably now cost you U$20,000, so a saving of U$4000 at the exchange rate today.
There was a plans fee increase, but far less than the saving mentioned above.
See also http://www.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-proteus-106-sailing-catamaran-has.html
There is also a Proteus 106 kit under construction here in Cape Town, I spoke to the owner yesterday and he has offered to supply pictures and details of his build.
The picture is of a Proteus 106 build in Thailand, the transoms have been extended on this boat.
http://www.com/proteus10.html
Roy
Length overall: 10.600 Meters
Beam: 6.360 Meters
Draught: 0.370/1.75 Meters (dagger up/down)
Displacement: 2800 Kilograms (light)
Mainsail: 48 Sq Meters
Roller Furl Jib: 24 Sq Meters
Genneker: 58 Sq Meters
Freshwater: 140 litres (installed or 20 litre containers)
(now added and included in your price)
or about U$9800 right now.
dated 16/09/2013
We can also supply the epoxy and glass cloth with glass tapes as an extra to the above offer.
You would do best to source the boats Meranti wood where you are.
There was a plans fee increase, but far less than the saving mentioned above.
See also http://www.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-proteus-106-sailing-catamaran-has.html
There is also a Proteus 106 kit under construction here in Cape Town, I spoke to the owner yesterday and he has offered to supply pictures and details of his build.
The picture is of a Proteus 106 build in Thailand, the transoms have been extended on this boat.
http://www.com/proteus10.html
Roy
Length overall: 10.600 Meters
Beam: 6.360 Meters
Draught: 0.370/1.75 Meters (dagger up/down)
Displacement: 2800 Kilograms (light)
Mainsail: 48 Sq Meters
Roller Furl Jib: 24 Sq Meters
Genneker: 58 Sq Meters
Freshwater: 140 litres (installed or 20 litre containers)
Please note
This includes the materials for the hulls, bridge decks and bunks. The cockpit and coach roof will be added to the kit soon, please ask for further details.(now added and included in your price)
What the kit includes:
- 10 sheets of 4mm Redwood marine ply
- 6 sheets of 6mm " " " "
- 78 sheets of 9mm " " " "
- 16 sheets of 12mm " " " "
- MDF 17 sheets x 16mm x 1220 x 2440mm
- All CNC machine work of the above (excepting the 4mm plys)
or about U$9800 right now.
dated 16/09/2013
We can also supply the epoxy and glass cloth with glass tapes as an extra to the above offer.
You would do best to source the boats Meranti wood where you are.
Plans
All plans and royalties for this design must be bought prior or with the purchase to the kit and are available directly from us.Monday, 3 April 2017
Knowing How much is a sailboat engine
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Friday, 31 March 2017
Where in the world is this Cape Town
Thats what it looks like but your wrong.
Click on the image to enlarge it.
All the bags say Cape Town but this is really Hout Bay Harbour and in winter.
Its a nice splash of colour though.
Roy
All the bags say Cape Town but this is really Hout Bay Harbour and in winter.
Its a nice splash of colour though.
Roy
Thursday, 30 March 2017
Canoe is to boat as
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Tuesday, 28 March 2017
Boat warranties big brother is really watching you
The letter excerpt below was sent to the owner of a new boat. The owner was being advised by the manufacturer there would be no warranty coverage on the boat because they had determined, via the internet, that the boat was being used for commercial purposes.
I have spent a lot of time reading boat and motor warranties the past couple of days, (an excruciatingly dull, but informative task), and almost every one has a specific warranty exclusion for "commercial use", and several additionally spelled out the fact that this included the use of the boat in anyway that created revenue. What was interesting about the letter, was apparently this manufacturer was searching websites for their boats being used as fishing charter boats, and the ilk. They were then cross referencing the names found on the websites to their owners list, and if there was a match, the owner was sent a letter advising them their warranty was voided.
What was unusual in this case, was the fact that the picture on the website was not the boat in question, but a several years older version of the boat, that had recently been sold, and a new one, of the same make, and model had been recently purchased. In this case it would be like trying to tell what year Volkswagen it was from a picture. The owner occasionally did day fishing charters. This was more of a hobby, and a retirement project, rather than a money making operation. The owner unfortunately passed away shortly after the purchase of the new boat, and it is not known if the new boat was used at all, much less commercially, or otherwise. But since he had used the old boat commercially, the manufacturer has said that the new one was surmised to have been used commercially, so the warranty is kaput, and they won't discuss it any further.
I did a little test to see if this was an effective way to identify commercially used vessels, and it is. I Googled charter boat images, and found lots of newer boats being used for chartering, and most of them did not have logos blazoned across their hulls, that would clearly indicate that they were being used commercially.
So big brother, in a creepy, and not necessarily always in an accurate sort of way, is truly looking over your digital shoulder. This type of digital surveillance, and warranty voiding increases the builders net profits, in an environment where there are not a lot of profits. Now just to be clear, when you buy a new boat, most certainly your warranty will have a "commercial use" exclusion, but I wonder if it really makes sense for many builders to have that clause, in such a severe, and black and white way.
My take on this is you should want to encourage charter operators, fishing teams, and other related businesses to use your products, and by telling them they won't have any warranty when they buy their new, and often expensive boats, seems to me to be a real disincentive. The message being sent, is that the product won't hold up under real use, like using it often for fishing. I think this approach also hurts dealers who sell the boats, and do the warranty repairs. Since there is no warranty, most will seek the least costly approach to repairs, and that is not likely to be the dealer. This also encourages the use of after market parts, instead of the official, and often pricey original manufacturer's parts.
My take on this is you should want to encourage charter operators, fishing teams, and other related businesses to use your products, and by telling them they won't have any warranty when they buy their new, and often expensive boats, seems to me to be a real disincentive. The message being sent, is that the product won't hold up under real use, like using it often for fishing. I think this approach also hurts dealers who sell the boats, and do the warranty repairs. Since there is no warranty, most will seek the least costly approach to repairs, and that is not likely to be the dealer. This also encourages the use of after market parts, instead of the official, and often pricey original manufacturer's parts.
So who does this impact, charter boat operators, who are struggling in this economy, nature cruise, boat rental, and local sightseeing companies, fishing teams, and anyone whose boat is sponsored by anybody, for anything. There are a couple of bright spots I came across in all of this digging. Trophy boats allow up to 50% commercial usage, and Yamaha, and Honda both provide a 1 year warranty for commercial usage. Mercury's warranty stuff is so scattered, and complex that I couldn't really tell if they offer any commercial use warranty at all. I think they do, I just couldn't find it, and I eventually gave up. I understand the racing exclusion, and some of the others, but maybe manufacturers should rethink what they're doing, and cut some slack on the "commercial use" warranty exclusions, unless your product is made for only occasional light duty use by your grandmother on Sundays.
Friday, 17 March 2017
WPMC Historics is back!
We missed this event in 2013 as the costs were said to be too large and the Cape Town Western Province Motor Club declined to have the cars that year, now they are back for 2014.
Entry was R80 per person in 2012, expect similar or a little more but the value is worth every cent.
See you there, best to be early so you can really see the cars close up and meet the drivers. Take sunscreen and a hat to cover your head and neck, the sun can really get you over the period of an entire day.
Roy
Entry was R80 per person in 2012, expect similar or a little more but the value is worth every cent.
See you there, best to be early so you can really see the cars close up and meet the drivers. Take sunscreen and a hat to cover your head and neck, the sun can really get you over the period of an entire day.
Roy
Wednesday, 15 March 2017
Proteus 106 Sarita is afloat!
This is the first Proteus 106 to have been built as the designer wanted, the K.I.S.S rule applies to this boat.
My thanks to Barry, the boats owner / builder for supplying the pictures.
My thanks to Barry, the boats owner / builder for supplying the pictures.
The boat is named Sarita.
She was launched recently and in South Africa.
A basic roof over your build is great idea.
My thanks to Justin of the SA Yacht Blog for resizing the images.
http://sayachts.blogspot.co.za/2013/09/proteus-106.html
Please copy and paste, open and read more about this very affordable design.
The builder reported that the kit worked and that the panels fitted.
How hard can this be?
Try one and see for yourself?
Prices, basic CNC cut okoume marine ply and removable staions, allow R180,000 which is around U$13,000 ( prices to material and rate of exchange pending)
The plans are NZ$4500 and supplied direct from Lavranos Design.
All prices subject to change without notice, please make contact for an up to date quotation.
Roy
Friday, 10 March 2017
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