Video: December 2013

Video: October 2014

Video: October 2014

MY NOTES FROM EARLY 2014:

I'm back to work on the S/V Second Wind!!  I am currently working on multiple projects...

I am finishing up the engine - putting all new hoses everywhere and new hose clamps (upgrading to ABA/AWAB SS & double clamping everywhere).

Also in process is Caesar - owner of CP Marine Woodwork - www.cp-marine.com - who is constructing a "Floating" Cabinet which will be of Teak and mounted over the Galley sink, plus a cabinet for storage at the "V" of the V-berth, and some other projects...

I also sent off my patterns to Zarcor to install window blinds (CloZures) - www.zarcor.com - which will be done in a few weeks.

After the engine is wired up & running and the above projects finished, I have several other things to finish up!  Then I plan to go sailing for the rest of the year!  I plan to pull the mast & rigging for redos & rerigging during the "dead" of winter - most likely Jan/Feb 2015 - and anything else to FINISH up on the refit!

Then in Spring 2015 - its back to sailing & hopefully living aboard the newly FINISHED S/V Second Wind!  And Summer 2015 will hopefully take us on a Shake-Down Cruise TO San Francisco & the Delta for a couple moths or more!  Then at the end of summer 2015, its back to the Channel Islands of SoCal to get ready to sail to Mexico at the end of the Hurricane Season (Late October 2015)...

Well enough Day Dreaming! Its BACK TO WORK for Capt'n Ricko!!!

Or how after deciding that I would Sail first and Work Later...

(after a few quick installs & finish-ups)

HOWEVER... as Mr. Murphy would develop on that idea... shortly after sailing to Catalina in May, a "little" engine electrical Fire changed the timing of my Refit Schedule...

Soooo.... I ended up moving up my engine & engine compartment refit and deferred other work... and it hasn't taken me loooong... just the rest of May, most of June, July, August, September, October, November, 2013, and on through 2014... What month is this?

OK, so I took a short break and flew back East on in mid October to attend the Annapolis Fall Sailboat Show - and to see "lots of stuff" - watermakers, rigging, etc, etc...!  That was great!

Then, when I got back, I went back to work - with Mike Zima (mechanic) of Western Marine - to finish reassembling & reinstalling my engine...

So the plan was to finish and do some sailing in November?  er... make that December?  er... uh oh - Ok... better make that late 2014... RATS!!#&^%$^*!!! 

But... it WAS worth it... because the engine IS a BEAUTY!!  And I did unplanned upgrades - like adding a REVERSO OIL PUMP (GP-311R-12) hooked to a special fitting at the bottom of the engine (vs the old way of retrieving oil through the dipstick)

Soooo... after months and months of work - now I basically have a "New" and "Improved" Diesel Engine and systems - Renewed Injector Pump & Injectors, new Damper Plate, Renewed Head, Valves Sytems, Springs, et al - New Starter, New Alternator, and, of course the new Reverso electric pump which will suck out the oil & pump new oil back in with the "flip of a switch"!

The engine has been wire-brushed down, removing old paint & rust (I used "Ospho" to etch the bare metal where rust was removed... Oh, and my Engine Compartment was Redone, Re-Insulated, & all Wiring cleaned up... Plus New Racor Fuel/Water Separator... and along the way, I relocated the Engine Control Panel into the Port Lazarette, and redid the Port Lazarette, installing a new wall separating & further insulating the engine compartment.   <catch my breath here> 

And just prior to my sail to Catalina in May, I finished hooking up my Garmin Radar & its Self-Leveling Mount, the rest of the Arch stuff - like the Davit setup, and the Solar & Wind Generator wiring & its Control Panel, hooked up LED Spot Lights on the Arch...

I received my Cape Horn Windvane, and had a visit from Eric of Cape Horn who installed it... 

And Hans, the expert fiberglass repair guy (he is The Best is the area!) came down and repaired & filled openings (where I had removed the engine control panel, the old phome jack receptacle, & where the old radar post had been) in the cockpit.

and of course, Mike Zima of Western Marine, who removed my engine and did the "heavy lifting" stuff that "was beyond my pay grade" of mechanical engine work - I searched the internet for Kubota parts, etc and sent out the Head and Injection system for reworking <catching my breath again>

and my new custom mattress from HANDCRAFT MATTRESS...

OK.. so I guess I DID get alot of "stuff" done... But I gave up my Summer Sailing promise to myself... Oh Well! It won't be Long (about a year) to wrap up everything to set sail for good!  and I still need to Pull the Mast, Install SSB Radio, install Watermaker (if I decide to), get Life Raft & safety gear, etc etc...

I just hope I can get it all done a couple months before I set sail (need a buffer time period to check out everything & provision)...

Capt'n Ricko...

Out!

FIRST:  IN MARCH & APRIL 2012 - OUR HAULOUT AT BASIN MARINE: 

*We pulled the Rudder, the Prop Shaft (& replaced), replaced all the Thru-hull fittings.

*We renewed the prop shaft packing and coupler, and accomplished various maintenance issues, such as fixing our muffler exhaust mount, and, of course, we painted the bottom.

*We added another Thru-hull fitting for use as a combo - Salt Water manual pump at the Galley sink, & Water Cooling line for the Adler Barbour Refrigerator compressor.

*We installed a new Garmin Bronze B60-20 Degree Tilited Element Transducer Thru-hull

*We discovered the need to replace both aluminum fresh water tanks with two 30 gallon plastic tanks - Port & Starboard.

*We hired a Marine Electrician and rewired the boat.

*We also installed new LIFELINE AGM Batteries - 440 amp hour House Battery system (four 220 amp hour 12 volt batteries) and a Group 27 LIFELINE AGM Starter Battery for the engine.

SECOND:  FROM EARLY JUNE THROUGH MID-SEPTEMBER - CAN YOU SAY "MAJOR ELECTRONICS REFIT?" - AND A "BOATLOAD" OF OTHER PROJECTS !!!

*With the help of "Landlubber Bobby B" and several weeks effort - The Arch was installed!

*We installed our new Garmin GPS 5212 Chartplotter

*And a new Garmin GSD 22 Sonar

*Bobby B was instrumental in the install of our new Quick Antarres 1012D Windlass

*And also - Chain aluminum slide plate (in front of windlass)

*We finished our electrical rewire with the electrician

*Capt'n Ricko installed multiple LED Lights in the Engine Room, Bilge and under the cockpit (he sometimes retreats "down under" and admires the lights as his 12 volt fan cools things down! :-)

*And he installed seven more 12 Volt DC Fans - four in the main cabin, two in the forward "V" Berth, and one in the "Head"

*Custom built a shelf in the Port Lazarette to mount the DC

  Refrigerator Compressor Unit (Adler Barbour SuperCold Machine)

 *Finished installation of sea water cooling system & switch for the refrigerator (setup added for the tropics)

*Rebuilt & Renewed Head (This is Bronze & worth keeping)

*New Alpenglow Brass LED Reading Lamps in Salon area

*New 7" Brass LED Dome Light in Head area

*New Teak Towel Ring, Toothbrush & Cup Holder, & Toilet Paper

  Holder in Head area

*New Brass Metal Shower Control (looked everwhere for it!)

*Port & Starboard Forward Electrical Bus Bars for forward LED

  cabinet Lights, and 12 Volt Fans

*Added Insulation to Refrigerator

*Added Divider to Refrigerator for Storage

*Installed Salt Water Foot Pump and Faucet at Galley Sink

*Jensen 12V LED LCD 26" Flat Screen TV

*Marine Depot SS Chain Stopper

*Waltz Radar Leveling System

*Garmin GMR 24HD Radar

*Garmin RF Wireless Remote for GPS 5212 Chartplotter

*eMarine Solar/Wind Hybrid package: consisting of:

    - 2 Kyocera 140W Solar panels (280W Total)

    - Air Breeze 200W Wind Generator

    - eMarines's e20 Wind Turbine & Solar PV Control Panel

    - 3 inch crossbar mounting kit, & install kit

One Solar Panel is installed, as well as the Self-Leveling Radar Mount & Garmin 24HD Radar Dome (needs to be fine-tuned & wired up).  I had a marine welder make brackets for that and a mount for my Wind Generator - which is behind it - Aft Center Top of Arch. 

*3 GC 10 Cameras

One will be mounted on the Arch - Port side forward, and one on the Starboard side forward, while the third camera will be mounted center aft - this way I can see forward with either the Port or Starboard (aimed forward) and behind me. When heeled over the forward-aimed windward (higher) side will be switched on, and the Aft Cam for rear-view.  These two views will be visible on my 26" LED LCD Flat Panel DC TV in the cabin, for those times I am below deck...

*Garmin GMI 10 & GMI 20 Marine Instrument Displays

(I have One GMI 10 now and I am waiting to purchase Two new GMI 20s - when they start discounting them)

This is a smaller, separate 3.5" square guage to display instrument data such as depth, speed through the water, water temperature, fuel flow rate, engine data, fuel level, wind direction and more, depending upon what sensors are connected.

COMING SOON in Early 2015...

*Pull Mast, Rewire, & Replace Standing Rigging

  SEA TEK SPARS & RIGGING of Wilmington, CA, will be handling this job after the mast is pulled at Basin Marine in Newport Beach....

We will pull the mast, refinish, rewire, and rerig...  a big job...

*Top of Mast LED Tri-Nav Lights w/Strobe, & Anchor Light

*Airmar WX200 - Weather Station at Mast Top

This will be done when I pull the mast...

 OTHER THINGS ON THE "TO-DO" LIST:

*Install Ratlines

*Install Mast Steps - from Spreaders to top of Main Mast

*Spectra 200T Watermaker (Desalinator)

*Check all Chainplates & Fittings

*SSB Marine Radio

*Pactor Modem for SSB (email at sea)

*New VHF Radio with AIS "B"

*Newly Certified Liferaft in Soft Valise

*Extensive Med Kit & Antibiotics

*EPIRB

*Garhauer Boom Vang

*Garhauer Dingy Davits - 6 to 1 Purchase Hoist   COMPLETED!

*Blue Water Life Vests - BOUGHT MUSTANG PFDs AT ANNAPOLIS!

*Install Inner Forestay & Storm Jib

*New Laptop Computer, iPad, & Large External Hard Drive

*Garmin Hand Held GPS

Just a few things before I depart... :-/

(and I probably left off a couple things...)

 and these are just a few of the items we've COMPLETED in 2012 & 2013!