The Cape Dory Board

John, I have the Balmar 80A alternator on my MD7B, which uses the engines flywheel as the engine's pulley. I went thru several belts from the local stores, all of which failed due to the heat and stretching, resulting in squeeling and slippage when the alt puts out 100 Amps or so. I found that NAPA ...

Dean and all, On our CD30c, filling the water tanks from the provided deck fill resulted in junk wasing down into the tank, and also, severe leaking from the cleanout port, as the tank bulged upwards from the water pressure of the fill hose being full of water too. So we stopped using that hose 10 y...

Dean and all, On our CD30c, filling the water tanks from the provided deck fill resulted in junk wasing down into the tank, and also, severe leaking from the cleanout port, as the tank bulged upwards from the water pressure of the fill hose being full of water too. So we stopped using that hose 10 y...

Russel, Which of the generators is quietest? Now how about output at say 20kts. of wind? Seems that you can have a quiet generator or one that will output a decent amount of amps in average airs, but will have a whisper sound. I certainly understand what you are saying though...if it is on 24/7 then...

We have had the Air-X Marine for nearly three seasons now, and we like it a lot. It took the first season for the bearings to loosen up a bit and allow the generator to turn properly, in wind shifts, but otherwise it is a great generator. We see 5-10 Amps in 10-15k winds, under sail, and have seen a...

I doubt that occasional topping off at idle would be a problem, especially if the engine is run at cruising speed and temp regularly.[/quote] Bill, the Balmar alternator I have takes about 4 hp to run at top output of 100A. I have 13 hp to start with, so this will make the load about 32% of the rate...

Chase, I removed our seahood for painting and rebedding a few years back. There should be several screws around the periphery of the hood. Remove these and then pry up gently. It will lift right off once the bond is broken with the bedding. We also had that same leak in the wood framing the companio...

Scott, My bet is that you have a diaphram that is leaking for some reason. By the way, I would not install a strainer on the bilge pumps hose end, unless you can get to the end and clear it easily and quickly. On the CD30's that job is darn tough to do. The hose is routed under the galley riser and ...

Andy, Both West and Defender, as well as JSI etc. carry Blue Sea battery boxes. I have one for my Trojans, and they are great. Made from a very strong poly, they have a captured lid, mounting ears on the case, and fit the batteries perfectly. I can't recommend them highly enough. Be sure to at least...

Scott, If you have the MD7B, then 2000 RPM is fine. Top end is 2600 RPM, and anything short of 2400 is ok. I can keep 2200-2400 rpm running for many hours without a problem, so you should too -if needed. The ideal operating temp for diesels to run at is normally 190 deg. The deciding factor on which...

I searched the internet for information on equalization of AGM's, and the only opinion that I got was to NOT do it. On the Lifeline Battery site, there is no reference to equalization that I could find. I would not do it. The higher voltage is a critical value. generally, 15.5v is considered the mos...

Nice picture..good sailing!

Post some more if you can. Winter is damn long right now...



Cheers and Keep Sailing,

Kevin, I am looking at a map of WI. now. From Madison, you are: 132 miles from Green Bay on Lake Michigan 75 miles from Milwaukee on Lake. Michigan 284 miles to Bayfield, WI. on Lake. Superior, where I am at. On either lake, the sailing is wonderful! Lake Superior offers more secluded and out of the...

Matt, Congratulations for making such a voyage and returning safely. I trust the CD36 was up to the challenge? That is a sail with many unknowns, so it must have been interesting. I would like to hear more about it Matt. I am following the same path, but on freshwater, at least for now. Superior has...

Hi Cathy, Sounds like good advice. I have stayed away from windvanes because of the weight. But lighter units are available as you say. One windvane that two friends now have is this one. http://www.voyagerwindvanes.com/Voyager/windvanes.aspx Still a lot of weight on the stern though... Maybe learni...