Messing About on Boats

[Philpott]

Recovering a topping lift halyard:
At first Bob's Climbing equipment was incomprehensible. What is this mess on Dura Mater's cabintop? Two women sailors from Cal Sailing sashayed by in their foul weather gear, on their way to sail in the windywindy outside the marina: "Hey, Hi! Do you have any idea how to use this?" I asked. We puzzled over it for about twenty minutes, perused the instruction pamphlet and then they shrugged and went sailing. Smart girls.

Gradually all became clear to me, and I ascended DM's mast 4 inches by 4 inches by 4 inches .... etc etc. It's a tall mast. The trick is to winch the halyard tight and keep one arm around the mast. It was windy in Berkeley today, so another trick was to not get freaked out about the sideways movement. I mean, all the masts on O dock were moving already because all the boats were rocking in their slips. DM's mast was moving even more because, well, I was up there. Incrementally I got up to where that halyard shackle was waiting for me. And yes, I was just barely smart enough to have first uncleated the line down below. Thank goodness. Thanks again, Bob!

What are you all doing on your boats?

[DaveH]

What are you all doing on your boats?

Since you asked;
1. impatiently tapping my fingers on the desk, waiting for Matson to get Dom home... or at least move the damn trailer from Kauai!
2. breathlessly awaiting the precious opportunity to open the check book once again and liberate the boat and trailer from the Port Of Oakland
3. NOT SAILING, for the reasons above.

DH

[Steevee]

Here's a little montage of a weekend worth of boat maintenance I did...expletives included, although if you can't hear them make up some of your own.

[mike cunningham]

I have one of those top climbers too. Going to get to use it in a couple of days when I replace the mast top VHF antenna whip on Jacqueline. The original blew away with the dregs of Celia. I am really looking forward to it. the boat bounces around quite a bit at Nawiliwili.

If you want to go up fast you tie the base of the static line six or seven feet away from the mast so you can lean way back and sort of swing yourself up on each ascending step. You can't realistically have a backup line doing it this way but that is how the mountain climbers do it. Let me know how it goes.

[Philpott]

Since you asked;
1. impatiently tapping my fingers on the desk, waiting for Matson to get Dom home... or at least move the damn trailer from Kauai!
2. breathlessly awaiting the precious opportunity to open the check book once again and liberate the boat and trailer from the Port Of Oakland
3. NOT SAILING, for the reasons above.

DH

Pobrecito!

[Philpott]

If you want to go up fast you tie the base of the static line six or seven feet away from the mast so you can lean way back and sort of swing yourself up on each ascending step. You can't realistically have a backup line doing it this way but that is how the mountain climbers do it.

Thanks, Mike. That sounds like way too much fun for me, but thanks for the advice. It would be wonderful for all of us marooned on the Mainland to see a go pro of YOU doing it, though! Oh please, Skipper!

[BobJ]

Great job, Philpott! Another notch in the singlehanded sailor's . . . well, where ever you keep your notches. You completed your first Singlehanded Farallones this year too, right?
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I use the TopClimber more as Mike describes. If you cling to the mast all the way up it takes forever and your arms get sore from trying to hold on. Better to tie the static line down to a point out away from the mast (on the side you'll mostly be working on) and work your way up the static line, free of the mast, spreaders, etc. You'll sway around a bit, although I tie down the static line pretty tight to minimize it.

I do rig a backup/safety line. I fasten a spare halyard to the biner above the center of the sling, take up the slack every few feet and keep tying it off. If something breaks the halyard will stop my fall, which is nice... (Edit: Reading this, I realize I should be tying the spare halyard around my torso instead - maybe that sling is what will break!)

Also, I NEVER depend on one of those snap shackles shown in Jackie's photos. I tie a proper knot, especially when tying the top end of the static line to the halyard I'm using to support myself.

One more tip: It seems I always forget something I'll need up there so I tie a long lanyard to a bucket (left on deck) and take the tail of the lanyard up with me. Then I can ask Statler or Waldorf to put the forgotten thing in the bucket so I can hoist it up.

(P.S. Were you retrieving a topping lift or a halyard?)

[BobJ]

I have an electrical puzzle I may try to solve this weekend. Suggestions welcome!

I have a Victron battery monitor connected to my house bank (two Group 27 AGM's). When I'm charging with the alternator it reads as expected (several amps going in depending how full the batteries are). But when I charge with the portable charger (a typical West Marine 3-stage charger plugged into shore power) the voltage showing on the monitor goes up as expected but the amperage reading on the monitor stays at zero (or a bit negative). The batteries are charging - why doesn't the monitor show the amps going in?

The batteries are joined in parallel and I clip the charger cables to the positive and negative terminals on the battery that's easiest to reach. The alternator connection, however, is to the back side of the battery switch - but should this matter for what the monitor displays?

[Philpott]

[QUOTE=BobJ;15380]Were you retrieving a topping lift or a halyard?/QUOTE]
My topping lift shackle was at the block up there. It was not quite at the top of my mast.
All good now. Just in time for the sail home from Drakes Bay.

[pogen]

I have an electrical puzzle I may try to solve this weekend.

Trace the system and draw a schematic as you go, assuming nothing. It sounds like the Victron's shunt may not be in the right place.