the ABCs

[restless]

Hi Restless here in Aruba.

We sailed from PR here in late June. First landed in Curacao then visited the Aves and Bonaire. Now waiting fr the end of hurricanes to move either N to Jamaica, Cayman, maybe Cuba and Belize or maybe W to Cartegena and San Blass before going N. The latter will require more windward work and is becoming less attractive as we approach winter N winds.

Any other Cds around here?

Ted

[Russell]

Hi Restless here in Aruba.

We sailed from PR here in late June. First landed in Curacao then visited the Aves and Bonaire. Now waiting fr the end of hurricanes to move either N to Jamaica, Cayman, maybe Cuba and Belize or maybe W to Cartegena and San Blass before going N. The latter will require more windward work and is becoming less attractive as we approach winter N winds.

Any other Cds around here?

Ted

Did I meet you in Fajardo about 3 years ago? I met a CD40 but cant recall the name of the boat, I am on the CD36 Lady Pauline and I was in Marina del Ray doing some rigging work.

[restless]

Yes we did meet there. If I recall correctly I was admiring your arch. Could you send a few pics?

[Russell]

Yes we did meet there. If I recall correctly I was admiring your arch. Could you send a few pics?

Sure, here is one I just stepped outside and snapped for you. Let me know if you want more detail of a specific part of it.



Enjoy the ABCs, I really liked Curacao. I regret never pushing further west though to the San Blas.

[K Chiswell]

I have drawn something similar for my boat that I hope to have welded this winter. I am still trying to finalize height. How much headroom do you have?

[Russell]

I have drawn something similar for my boat that I hope to have welded this winter. I am still trying to finalize height. How much headroom do you have?

I had it made with just barely enough headroom for me, I am 6' tall, at the foreward part of it my head does brush the top (it slopes very slightly downward as it moves forward). At the helm I have an inch or two above my head. The nice thing about it is, compared to typical biminis, having it attached to the arch means no pesky poles that get in the way of winches and such. It isnt retractable like typical biminies, but since I wanted to support some rather large solar panels, it was not like I was going to retract it anyway and i wanted the sturdiness. One of the keys I found to making the arch look okay on a boat like a CD, with a narrow stern (where they often look odd), mount it somewhat more forward then you would normally, so its not so narrow, and dont make it too tall. While it does not and never would "fit" a purests idea of a traditional boat, its very practical and fits the profile of the boat pretty well and does not look silly, I get compliments on it from other cruisers constantly.

By the way Ted, if you go east from the ABCs and want to have a similar one made, I had mine made in Trinidad by West Coast Fabricators in Chagaraumas. I had gotten a quote for this arch in Annapolis a few years before and in Trinidad it literally cost 1/4 of what it would have cost me in Annapolis, and its good SS and good welds. The SS I have polished all of once in 5 years and there are no visible staining. The welds, there was another in Coral Cove (where I was docked when I had it made) who happened to be a nuclear plant weld inspector in his life prior to cruising who looked it over and said the work was top notch.

[Russell]

Oh, by the way, on the headroom thing, on my CD36, to get that headroom, and still have room on top for solar panels and NOT risk the boom hitting the solar panels, I barely have a couple inches, I wouldnt have gone any higher then I did. A CD 33 you may not be able to get that much headroom if you wanted panels on top, if you dont want panels I am sure you could manage it.

[restless]

Bimini & solar arrays 001 small.jpg (64.64 KiB) Viewed 727 times

Russell,

Yes it does look great. I have a regular bimini support system reinforced to support three large solar panels. I have a y brace from the forward ploe to the steering binacle hasndrail. It gives the whols system latteral support. Ill put a pic in if I can.

My dodger ias also made up of three more panels angled to look ok. I thread bits of canvas here and ther to provide more shade. Also a windshield up front when on passages.

Thanks for the tip re Trinidad. I will likely not be that way again for a few years. I hope to cross the pond in the spring. Be back in a few years lol.

What are your cruising plans?

Ted

[Russell]

Enjoy Europe! I had hoped for awhile to go there, I even spent hundreds on charts and Imray books, but I kept hoping for the exchange rate to improve first, which it never has. By all accounts its expensive to cruise the med (until you get to Turkey) and I just havnt been willing.

I am just doing the Bahamas this winter. Considering going through the canal next winter, pretty sick of the east coast and the caribbean.

[barfwinkle]

Hello Russell

I really like you "bimini" setup. Way cool. One quick question, I see a propane tank hanging off the rail, that's not your primary tank is it?

Happy Thanksgiving

[Russell]

Hello Russell

I really like you "bimini" setup. Way cool. One quick question, I see a propane tank hanging off the rail, that's not your primary tank is it?

Happy Thanksgiving

Yes, that is my primary tank. My backup tank also has a spot on the rail, it just wasnt there for that photo (I had just swapped tanks).

[barfwinkle]

Thank you Russell.

How often do you use your stove and how long does one tank last? (I know you live aboard).

What size tank?

Thanks.

[Russell]

Thank you Russell.

How often do you use your stove and how long does one tank last? (I know you live aboard).

What size tank?

Thanks.

I use the stove 2 or 3 times every day (coffee every morning and at least one hot meal each day) and the oven, which burns a lot more propane, I use 3 or 4 times a week to bake bread (so its on for about an hour each time). So I use it a lot. I get about 6 weeks out of each tank, so about 3 months to burn through both of them, they are both 10lb tanks. Which is plenty of time to find propane, trying of course to refill one tank as soon as I can once I switch to the other tank. If I didnt live aboard and use it as much as I do I think the smaller 6lb tanks would make more sense, if I wasnt so fond of baking bread and using the oven I could probably nearly double how long they lasted too.