Meet the new La Rea!

LaRea

Yeah, I could try to patch it together and hope it lasts another year, but it's 14 years old.  I'd rather replace it on my own timeline and know we're good.  

On a lighter note, Yeti delivered custom drinkware with a boat image that I made from a graphic in the owners manual.  Of course, we had to do some product testing!

Rich_

Very nice but a bigger boat deserves a bigger drink?

GMSLITHO

those are the shot glasses 

LaRea

Mandatory pix of a freshly detailed boat.  Garcia's Boat Detailing ... I love these guys.  It took a 3-man crew nine hours.  The boat is literally cleaner than she has been at any time during our 12 months of ownership.  

aero3113

😎⚓️

captkevin

Looks great

Dream_Inn

Sure, I show up on Sunday and see a dirty boat.  Now you clean it two days after!   Sure looks nice!

I am still amazed after seeing that dash in person.  I think I stared at it for 15 minutes and still didn't get enough!

LaRea

Yesterday our yacht club held its annual Commissioning Day.  The Commodore had asked me to be the MC, so I wrote some good material and got a few hearty laughs from the crowd.  It's always a great event ... champagne toasts on a Sunday afternoon, and a chance to hobnob with state/local politicians who all love the event.  

Since Diane and I are starting the Great Loop just a few weeks, a bunch of our friends pitched in and got us ten club burgees that we can trade with other clubs along the way.  Such a thoughtful gesture!  The Commodore toasted our upcoming trip, and got us both teary-eyed.  We have wonderful friends.  

Grahamu

@LaRea, it's amazing how many loopers that you will meet that will become friends,  some of them close. 

LaRea

This week's fail:  main breaker for shore power (inside the boat).  What's amazing is that it failed in comfortable weather, and in a location where I could get a part delivered the next day.  Power is now restored.

Dream_Inn

Sounds like many Murphy's laws were broken.  Just remember this when you are out on the loop!

LaRea

Interesting twist today.  I hauled the boat to install a new sonar and a couple other things.  Then I found out why my starboard trim tab had stopped working:



Imagine my surprise to find the entire 42-inch trim tab was missing in action! 

It has two actuators, and both of the lower hinge pins fell out.  With no actuators holding the plate in place, it fell out too.  After talking with a very helpful tech at Bennett, I figured out what happened.  Without getting bogged down in details, it's basically my fault and I'll own it.  

If anybody has Bennett tabs and wants details, ask and I'll tell.  

YYZRC

Are the hydraulic tabs? I had them on a previous boat and never again. 

Lake_Bum

Good thing you found it, that could have affected a trip quite a bit!  I have Lenco tabs 

LaRea

@Lake_Bum -- yeah, this boat really needs trim tabs.  Without them, she plows.  It gets expensive.  

@YYZRC -- yes, hydraulic, but the issue was not related to the hydraulic system.  

YYZRC

Understood, it’s just so much more complex than the Lenco electric. 

Liberty44140

I’ve got Bennetts so would be glad to know…

Rich_

I actually just pulled one of my Bennett 30x12 tabs off today to replace it. The trim plane suffered some bending during a storm and I want the full effectiveness back.

LaRea

OK, here's the long-winded explanation. 

The bottom of the actuator has a hinge secured by a hinge pin (not nut/bolt).  By design, the two attachment screws extend past the hinge pin, and that's what keeps the pin from falling out.



On my boat, the builder had to cut notches in the stiffening rib to clear the swim platform hydraulic lift.  The notches compromise the stiffness, so they welded on L brackets behind the actuator hinges.  

So here's the problem.  With the extra thickness of the L bracket, the hinge needs longer screws to retain the hinge pin.  I didn't know that when I replaced the actuators in October, so I used the OEM screws -- which are not long enough.  



Three of the hinge pins fell out.  On the starboard side, after both pins fell out, the plane assembly fell off.  

Bennett's installation manual doesn't mention that the screws need to stick out and retain the hinge pins, so I guess that's the root cause.  Ultimately, it's my fault for not realizing it!

aero3113

Great explanation @LaRea !⚓️

Liberty44140

Thanks! I know exactly what you’re talking about and never realized that those longer screws held the pins in. Good to know!!

LaRea

Sharing is caring!  

I also installed a new swim platform.  The original was too short and too hard to climb, with sharp edges waiting to bite legs and dinghy tubes.  All cured by this new ladder.

oscar1

It happen to me too with the lenco one.

YYZRC

Salt water is so angry!

LaRea

I won't enjoy my next step in prepping for long-distance cruising, but it's gotta happen:  I'm selling The Beast.  2017 Audi RS7 Performance with a 605-HP twin turbo V8 and man does that car move!  But like so many other things, I don't want to store it.  We're also having a giant moving sale this weekend.  Everything Must Go!  

captkevin

Nice looking ride.

Lake_Bum

Those wheels and brakes are amazing.  

YYZRC

LaRea said:

The front of the hardtop has a perfect spot to mount a Starlink High Performance Antenna, which is huge (22" x 20").  However, I was sweating the risk of interference from the radar.  This week I hacked the antenna into place and got 150-200 mbps with the radar running!  So the location is a keeper.  Today I'll install a small inverter to run the system, which needs AC power.  

I finally got around to installing the Yaosheng Starlink adapter which eliminates the AC router and allows you to power the Starlink on 48v DC. Not sure if it works with your model but worth looking into. 

YYZRC

LaRea said:

Next project: a built-in inflator for the dinghy and water toys.  It's a ScanStrut Atmos, and what a great addition this is!  Connect the air hose, set the pressure, and press Start.  It shuts off automatically.  It's quieter and faster than any air pump I've used before. 

Does the Atmos store your hose/adapters or do they need to be stored separately? I’m tired of that crap floating around in my storage bin - this would be worth it to me if it’s all integrated. 

LaRea

No, the Atmos doesn't have hose storage.  That's something I haven't quite figured out yet.  I also need to find an adapter for fenders that have a needle fitting. 

I got rid of the Starlink router and connected the Starlink directly to my Pepwave router.  It's powered by a Victron 375-VA pure sine wave inverter that works fine most of the time, but it has tripped the breaker a few times (I think when it's raining).