RichC | November 26, 2014
Took this photo while enjoying a warm and quiet evening relaxing in the cockpit before heading for home and back to less attractive weather, but it will soon be Thanksgiving and a time to be “thankful.” I’ll need to keep reminding myself that when the snow starts to fly! On the positive side, having a […]
RichC | November 24, 2014
A little damp where I’m at, but at least it was far warmer than points north this past weekend. I’m sure glad not to still be closing up my mother-in-laws farmhouse in western New York … whew, just missed traveling in the “Snowvember.” One of the projects I worked on was installing new LED navigation […]
RichC | November 18, 2014
One of the items from my mother and father-in-law’s farmhouse that I wanted were her thin-bladed stainless steel kitchen knives. They were “always” dull, but the cast handles and all metal construction made them perfect for the dishwasher (although a couple of the tips were pretty bent). We have two similar knives in our kitchen […]
RichC | October 27, 2014
What a wonderful life. I’ll let our video speak for itself. "God is good, God is good all the time. All the time God is good." from the movie God is NOT Dead. But it applies …
RichC | October 24, 2014
The last 24 hours I’ve been running a two person battery test to see just how comfortable we can be on minimal amp hours. Obviously we need to do better since even with a fair amount of sun hitting Encore’s single Kyocera 135 watt solar panel our battery bank is depleting. The clouds are passing […]
RichC | October 23, 2014
After our 16 hour drive on Wednesday from Cincinnati to Florida, Brenda and I were welcomed by our liveaboard friends Mark and Dar with a cold drink. They had already turn on our refrigeration making it convenient to repack a few items from our cooler box into the galley. I sure appreciate them keeping an […]
RichC | October 20, 2014
An “easy to put off” project on any sailboat is marking rode or chain for the anchor. I added a purchased yellow tab to our previous boat Brenich’s nylon rode, but haven’t figured out how I was going to mark the all chain on Encore. Earlier this year I save a copy (testing iCloud Pages […]
RichC | September 17, 2014
A small Canadian company called Davron Marine Products has an innovative stainless steel, block and line option for half lifting and half towing an inflatable dinghy for boating. Their Dinghy-Tow system looks simple and do-able. I’ve been pondering adding davits that would work with our Cape Horn self-steering gear for Encore since 2012. What ever […]
RichC | September 3, 2014
One of the reasons, besides age and appearance, that I replaced the halyards on our sailboat this year was due to the stiffness of the double braided line. Here’s me holding up the line demonstrating just how “stiff” this old mainsail halyard was. Question: Is there a way to find out what kind of rope […]
RichC | August 31, 2014
Archiving a great sailing tip from the sailboat-cruising.com website starting with a tip on how to adjust the jib sheet car when using a roller furling genoa: Deck-sweeping genoas are not wonderful on a cruising boat if you’re at all interested in what’s going on ahead; nor do they work well with furling gear unless […]
RichC | August 30, 2014
The past week had me on an enjoyable but quick trip to take care of a few sailboat maintenance items in Florida. The sails were re-stitched and needed to be picked up from South Sails as well as new halyards spliced and hoisted. Unfortunately the summer sun has been hard on every exposed part … […]
RichC | August 28, 2014
I picked up the repaired sails from South Sails this week and had initial success after stitching in a nylon thimble multiple times (I’m learning) into Encore’s new jib halyard. I still have the main sail halyard to go, but hopefully it will go smoother after the practice? I noticed the old halyards were oversized […]
RichC | August 23, 2014
The convenient way to replace running rigging on sailboats are to purchase lines pre-made for a particular boat at places like SailboatOwners.com. Of course that would be the “easy” way, but it does discourage upgrading shackles and thimbles or whipping and splicing your own lines. Since our Encore is strictly a cruising sailboat, the premium […]
RichC | July 16, 2014
Our sailboat Encore is in need of a better hatch screen system, so in my search for roll-able, but sloppy looking velcro stick-up screens to replace our ill-fitting fix framed screens, I came across this simple European idea. The stiff wire frame (stainless steel?) is covered by a stitched on polyester “no-see-um” type mesh screen […]
RichC | July 7, 2014
First … my son Taylor took a few days away from work in Williston, North Dakota to going backpacking with a few guys in Glacier National Park – Montana. His weather was picture perfect and besides being out of shape for the long an challenging hikes, he had a fantastic time. I’m so glad he […]
RichC | July 2, 2014
Arrived at the boat Tuesday evening after a long day of traveling … flight delays and rain squalls driving I-95 south from Orlando. All was well but wet as expected. Hopefully Tropical Storm Arthur will track a little faster and as expected taking the current 50 mph wind and rain with it. I’d like to […]
RichC | July 1, 2014
Packing list for this week: Repaired autopilot: ck Tool bag: ck Hurricane prep list: ck Clothes bag: ck Computer bag: ck Weather forecast – pack RAIN GEAR … Well that last one might not be going quite like I planned. So much for scheduling my trip for Encore’s hurricane prep for the first of July. […]
RichC | June 16, 2014
Some time ago I purchase a couple Command Brand Bundlers with the idea that I could use them for cords and coils and then a few months ago I saw a fellow sailor using them on a boat to organize lines. I’m not sure how well they will stand up to the sun and elements, […]
RichC | June 1, 2014
After considering my options after removing the belt and housing off the autopilot during my last trip on Encore, I sent the old wheel pilot to be upgraded/reconditioned to match the “brains” of the Raymarine SPX-5 that I replace when I bought the boat. It will still be an out of date generation and in […]
RichC | April 21, 2014
While sorting through a few iPhone photos from the past couple of weeks, I realized that I didn’t update my “Air Conditioning on the cheap” post for Encore. The installation went as planned with both the new 4 inch deck plate mounted in the cabin side and adding the new higher shelf and strap setup […]
RichC | April 4, 2014
Posting a couple reminder photos so that I remember to research replacing “at least” the rubber parts and belt for the wheel steering motor. Hopefully there is a rebuild kit available for the ST4000 that I upgraded the electronics to the Raymarine SPX-5 Wheel Drive or a way to find some salvage parts as Encore’s […]
RichC | April 1, 2014
We had almost perfect weather to enjoy a mini-vacation on Encore these past few days, unfortunately all good things come to an end. Beside doing to much needed cleaning (Brenda does a better job than me), we took our niece Sarah and her friends out for a day of sailing. Our goal was to head […]
RichC | March 31, 2014
Just a quick filler post after watching the sunset at the marina in Florida after a cold front passed and left a slim sunset photo opportunity looking over the boom. The cool air felt good and will make for great sleeping tonight … and was also an excellent opportunity for chili … which is always […]
RichC | March 25, 2014
While I should be spending a few more evening hours working on taxes, I’ve instead been tinkering around on another boat improvement. This time I’m working to re-shelve one of the hanging lockers in order to install a removable 10,000 BTU Air Conditioner/Heat pump on the cheap. After reviewing all the more robust and expensive […]
RichC | March 18, 2014
In wrapping up the “work trip” (cough, cough) down to Florida … I figured the trip would not be complete without at least a walk on the beach. Sunday afternoon sunshine made a good excuse to see how the sand felt on my feet – nice (panorama with the iPhone 5 above – click for […]
RichC | March 17, 2014
Above is an iPhone panorama photo of the aft of Encore but it was so distorted that I had to try and tweak it in Photoshop. Better than it was, but still a quirky perspective. The fenders used to keep boats from bumping together or into docks and pilings take abuse and get pretty weathered. […]
RichC | March 16, 2014
The to-do list for today listed the 12 volt LNG Propane gas switch, detector and solenoid diagnosis for the stove and oven aboard Encore. I almost ordered a new solenoid before the trip, but am glad I held off. Seems the weak link in the circuit is the detector/horn (top right) and has unfortunately […]
RichC | March 15, 2014
One would think that with me aboard working on a variety of projects this weekend that the fish eating Osprey would leave me alone? Unfortunately he or she has decided that a clean boat is a target (just finished washing down). Besides the bird bombing mess, my instrument upgrade did not go as planned. Unfortunately […]
RichC | March 14, 2014
Although I know spring is around the corner, the Florida sunshine is nice, although I can’t say I felt much of it today as the temps were mid-60s and I spend the afternoon with my head buried below decks working on electrical gremlins – with some success I might add. Tomorrow the plan is to […]
RichC | March 7, 2014
It seems as if I’m spending more time looking for parts and pieces that actually getting repairs done these last few days. Besides testing Raymarine components for Encore, I’m spinning my wheels looking for a shut-off solenoid for the propane locker, liquid silicone and port visors to seal a couple challenging water leaks (hatches and […]
RichC | March 5, 2014
Another one of my Ebay winnings came in yesterday so I plugged it in on the workbench to make sure it would work. I think both Raymarine ST60+ instruments are in good shape and will be great replacements for the older defective Navman displays. I’m still hoping the depth transducer works with the new display, […]
RichC | March 4, 2014
Another electrical project for Encore on the top of my list is trying to convert a couple of my defective Navman instruments to older used Raymarine ST60+ series instruments (made an Ebay purchase). After talking with a pretty sharp supplier to the marine industry, he convinced me that if I wire them correctly the ST60 […]
RichC | February 16, 2014
One of the longer term projects that I continue to ponder and seek opinions on is how to handle the Zodiac while keeping one of Encore’s expensive options, the Cape Horn Self-Steering gear. It has been a quandary for a while now and I’ve gone back and forth. A recent ad in Cruising World classified […]
RichC | February 13, 2014
Winter seems to be dragging on this year perhaps because it started earlier and has not let up. The “daze” have been colder and snowier than usual without the usual intermission of warmth and melt. It is notable that even in Cincinnati snow plow companies have adopted the practice of piling the snow in parking […]
RichC | February 8, 2014
Monitoring Kickstarter projects is a great way to see just what entrepreneurs and inventors are coming up with … and to rejuvenate pride in American Exceptionalism. The other day I saw a guys talking about Mobile Personal Theatre headphones called Glyph on the business channel CNBC which was pretty neat. I’ve micro funded a few […]
RichC | February 5, 2014
It is about time that I wrapped up the numbers for the recent Florida trip in order to work on the boat. One of the “high level” decisions that I had to make (snicker), was whether to drive my own car down and back with my 300 or so pounds of batteries and gear, or […]
RichC | January 30, 2014
So much for my Postie WordPress plugin … “no postie” would be more appropriate. Anyway just wanted to include a photo of my liveaboard boating friends Mark and Dar in front of their sailboat Zola. The news is that after Dar’s surgery and stroke that left her vision impaired, they will have to put their […]
RichC | January 29, 2014
President Obama addressed the nation with his State of the Union rhetoric on Tuesday night and his blabbering leaves many of us wondering if he really knows how to rejuvenate the economy? Focus, Mr. Obama, focus. I have my doubts he even cares, let alone understands how jobs are created. Once again an Obama speech […]
RichC | January 28, 2014
While using my Freedompop hotspot on the boat on Monday night for a Skype video call with my son on his XBox, I wondered just how much data I was burning through. I wasn’t too worried since I’ve been paying $3.99/month to accumulate some data, I still I knew video would chew through data pretty […]
RichC | January 13, 2014
The previous spar varnish on the teak instrument mounting board deteriorated under the sun and weather when in storage last year. This time I’m going to use a product I’ve used on previous boats and while doing some other brightwork on Encore. Hopefully with enough coats and yearly maintenance the finish will hold up a […]
RichC | January 7, 2014
Back in November I started Encore’s electrical diagnosis after struggling to charge my old battery bank. After putting a tester on the 7 year old AGMs, I declared them dead. What I didn’t know was that the charger on my Heart Freedom Inverter / Charger unit wasn’t working either – the inverter had already giving […]
RichC | December 3, 2013
An early Christmas present to myself. I’ll probably never need an impeller puller for the boat again, but now I have one.
RichC | November 15, 2013
I found out my small 28HP diesel “sailboat duty” jump starter had a bad battery last week (my starter and deep cycle battery bank is another story). Yes it was frustrating, but since Encore was still hanging in the travellift slings it wasn’t panic time either. Nevertheless it is time to find a new battery. […]
RichC | November 10, 2013
I spend most of today in the “spacious engine room” (that’s a joke BTW) working on basic diesel auxiliary maintenance. The aging 27 year old diesel has worked hard most of it’s life pushing our Westerly Corsair II around the world bit by bit. Just as with most older gals, Encore no longer measures beauty […]
RichC | November 8, 2013
Our sailboat has been out of the water far too long considering the hurricane season was a bust this year. I think we would have been better in the water. The hurricane forecast models aside, it has been far too long since Encore had her keel wet even with all we’ve had going on. (Katelyn […]
RichC | August 22, 2013
I’ve come full circle in researching the best way to keep the price down and our Zodiac inflatable easily available when sailing Encore (or eventual a new lightweight RIB – AB or Walker Bay). The best davit option was to have a custom welded stainless steel (or aluminum) system made in order to hold not […]
RichC | August 17, 2013
It is not time to start another sailboat project, but I wanted to archive a site from Marshall Design while I’m thinking about it. The site has some great looking fiberglass and aluminum hard enclosures which could be used on Encore (1/8/2011). The original design on our Encore is still functional, but I can […]
RichC | June 10, 2013
Encore’s sailing projects have taken a back seat to illness, funerals and wedding this past year, but I’m doing my best to do some project planning and research for next year. I received a reply from the Rich Boren, the CEO of CruiseROWater after I made a comment about his infatuation with fish tacos. In […]
RichC | February 5, 2013
In the last few weeks gasoline prices have risen 20 – 30 cents per gallon and the extra few dollars were felt when we were in Florida this past week. The small, and cheap feeling, Nissan Versa rental car was at least a little thrifty at the pump – 32 mpg, but it should have […]
RichC | February 1, 2013
Well if it isn’t one thing, it is another. Unfortunately Encore is still on the hard after my failing to noticed that the broken motor mount causing excessive wear on the cutlass bearing. At least I have the mount ordered and have time to work on the stuck seacocks. The downside is that we aren’t […]
RichC | January 25, 2013
In order to resolve my ongoing “up the mast” electrical issues when it come to anchor lights, I’ve picked up a portable low-draw 12 volt anchor light for Encore. The Davis MegaLight gets reasonable reviews from those needing a simple way to be legal when mooring or anchoring their boats. According to the information, the […]
RichC | January 17, 2013
We’ve all been there. Weighing the choice to put in sweat equity to save money or spend money to save time. This year is no exception and sided with spending money to save time. Life has been busy and priorities like spending time with my mom in her final months, and my dad in recent […]
RichC | October 11, 2012
After years of sanding/grinding paint off of boat bottoms, I've opted to have Encore stripped by professional soda blasted. In part due to limited time and the need to open up some gel coat blistering … and in part due to the hassle with the environmental prep requirements involved with stripping the paint on my […]
RichC | June 26, 2012
Let’s start with the good news … Encore is safely out of the water, block and safely in the boatyard. Her bottom ablative bottom paint sort of did its job, but was completely used up. A strong power washing took care of the slime and some of the growth and left a few barnacles glued […]
RichC | June 25, 2012
Encore is out of the water, but not necessarily dry at the moment. No doubt I picked a lousy weekend and Monday morning to schedule for our haul-out. It has been a planned move since my failed attempt in May for coming out of the water for the 2012 hurricane season and much needed bottom […]
RichC | June 25, 2012
Archiving a few Encore “thinkering” photos so as to begin searching for upgrades. The four smaller reading lights are currently halogen and draw too many amps and create too much heat for the boat. I’m hoping to be able to replace them with warm-white LED bulbs as they improve and come down in price. ( […]
RichC | June 24, 2012
The list of boat related projects continues to grow. Just as I knock a couple off the list, a few more pop up. First the “stop engine” cut-off cable broke and although I can climb to the bilge and manually move the lever to choke of air, it is much more convenient to do it […]
RichC | June 23, 2012
Since I’m hanging out at the boat this weekend getting Encore prepped for tropical weather/hurricane season, it is rather fitting that the chatter at the marina is about what is brewing in the Gulf of Mexico. A couple neighboring boat have added a couple extra dock lines and removed some canvas. I’ve taken down the […]