This bulletin board, hosted by the CDSOA, Inc., is the on-line meeting place for all Cape Dory owners and groups. We welcome everyone's questions, answers and comments about Cape Dory sailboat
other guys mainsheet.jpg (1.52 MiB) Viewed 274 times
Working on running rigging, Lazy jacks should be done Friday. I ordered halyards New England's Viper 10mm and the Schaefer cast halyard shackle like Jim's but I got the one for 1/2 ". I'm hoping for some input on my mainsheet rigging. It doesn't look right or very good. I went over to the other CD ketch that is here and he has a double block and a single with becket. I like his Gantry or what ever that support is called for the main boom. I rigged mine at the time with whatever I could find on the boat. How can I make it better?
I got the steering gear in and went across to the island Saturday. I couldn't get the windvane to work. It's amazing how well it worked with only the tiller. I figured I need to reduce the resistance or friction. So I realigned the Jeffa sprocket drive motor and the self-aligning bearing for the worm drive shaft . It seems much easier now. I'll try it again this weekend . If worse comes to worse I will have to disconnect the chain sprocket everytime I want to use the windvane. Not so bad for a long cruise but it's too bad. Oh well.
You guys are way over my head with all the battery and electric talk. I think I will just buy a brand new battery when I go and not connect it just stow it till one of the others go bad. I think It must have some shelf life. How long do they keep them in the store? I will probably get a small new Honda generator just for the purpose of charging in case I drain them.
Time is going fast. Less than a year to go . I have a neighbor CD 28 Who is also going down Baja but He is leaving sooner. I think Jan or Feb. I plan to go March
JD you have done some great work. I know you are happy to have your worm get reinstalled. I can’t offer a thing on the worm gear/windvane interface. There is no question it works better with a tiller.
The electrical is not so bad. It hursts to learn it but then it’s like oh that was not bad at all. The curve is steep but not long. Wet cell batteries do not have a very long shelf life if not charged. And in reality I don’t think batteries like to be left discharged. The more expensive the batteries the more fussy. So I recommend you figure it out. It’s important to get together a reliable workable solution. I sailed for five years with a single 100 aH AGM. I had almost no requirements but no engine to charge either, relying instead on a single 30 watt solar panel. Now a I have 225 aH bank, an engine to charge it, and need a little larger solar panel. I used the Blue Seas Add a Battery system. I think it was about $100. Supposed to be incredibly reliable. Charges the start battery and house bank. Automatically. You can’t mess it up. It hurt my head to read about it but now that I am installing it, it’s very simple. So it’s something for you to consider. Don’t spend the money on lithium batteries. Go wet self if you can snd AGM if you must. I have gone back to all wet cell. About 1/2 the cost of AGM. Same life span. Maybe more. We will see. I think the Honda generator is awesome. We have one at home. I’d never take it on the boat though I know many people do. It’s just something else to maintain and get in the way. Save your money. Work on putting together a simple battery system with small movable solar panel. Keep it simple. Small house bank and a battery to start your engine. That’s it.
The mainsheet looks wrong but I don’t know much about the CD 30s or how they are rigged. I would think the bottom block would have a becket. Double fiddle on the boom. I think that’s 3:1. Line starts at becket, runs through the fiddle block, back to the becket back up to the fiddle then down the boom to gooseneck, to deck, back along cabin top to winch. That’s how they seem to be rigged though not how I would do it. Mine is 6:1 and I don’t use a winch but my mainsail is 400 sq feet. I’d reach out to someone like Steve Laume who has a ton of experience on his CD30 and is very practical. See what he thinks.
Id think you are in good shape for a departure a year from now.
Thanks John I PM ed Steve. I cant quite picture the way you described. I think the photo of the other guys ketch is original.
I do have the Add-a- Battery kit. I know it can be much neater but not by me.
Seems to me you’re in pretty good shape. I don’t see why you’d carry a spare battery. They have batteries all over the world. Make sure that locker lid has a gasket and and you keep it latched. You’re almost certain to get pooped offshore and you want that stuff to stay dry.
I’m sure Steve will give you some helpful ideas to consider.