What did you do to your boat today

Dream_Inn

Great news Dan! 

LaRea

Replaced my cooktop that got busted by an airborne microwave turntable.  A bargain at only $350 from Defender.

Willhound

Ouch! @LaRea that reminds me. I had posted the idea earlier this year about using the child proof locks that are available to keep that door closed in the bumps. Yet I haven't done it yet. It just went to the top of the list.
Edit: here it is. https://rinkerboats.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/11021/microwave-lock#latest

aero3113

@Willhound , I installed the child proof lock.

Aqua_Aura

aero3113 said:

@Willhound , I installed the child proof lock.

Of course you did. If anyone has an idea then just ask aero cause he already did it. 😁. Such as my coffee maker that will be here Sunday ☕

reneechris14

not only has he already done it.
Its documented,photographed and archived.
Dude smart and talented 

Aqua_Aura

reneechris14 said:

not only has he already done it.
Its documented,photographed and archived.
Dude smart and talented 

Indeed!!

LaRea

On my microwave, the door butts up to the coffee maker.  No way to use a child lock as shown above.  I'd love to hear suggestions for this.

aero3113

Thanks @Aqua_Aura and @reneechris14 appreciate the comments. Anything I do to the boat I try to document and take pics. It’s a great reference if I need to look back and have any questions.

aero3113

@LaRea , I think it might work if you install it right under the handle up top. Looks like there might be enough space.

aero3113

You’ll have to unlatch it to use the coffee maker also. 

J3ff

MiamiAG said:

J3ff said:

You guys and your waves... all I've got is the sunset..had to get the boat out of the canal to check on the growth on the NON-painted drive.. so far so good, a month in and just a wipe down with a sponge every 2 weeks is working.. have a call with the mechanic on Monday to figure out what we're going to do about this alignment mess. Either he steps up and takes care of it (remember he was the last one to have the motor out) or I'll be buying some harbor freight stuff and parts.. there's a marina down here that charges 80 a day to keep it on your trailer in their yard and will let you DIY. Hoping to find something a little more reasonable but that's the option for now. 

What marina, Jeff?

Catamaran boat yard

skuter99

Made a custom transom door for my 270.
A couple smoked clear windows with the top one laser etched with the Rinker logo.
Just need to install it now

LaRea

Replaced spark plug wires on the starboard engine, and will do the port side tomorrow.  Did plugs while I was at it.  I had noticed the wires had some chafing damage.  On inspection, it was worse than I thought.  Here are a couple examples.  

aero3113

WoW @LaRea , I’m sure she will appreciate the new wires!

LaRea

I guess 14 years is a pretty good life for a set of wires.  From the looks of it, 10 would have been better.  

GMSLITHO

That looks dangerous 

LaRea

What a difference!  As an easy way to measure the boat's overall health, I look at cruise speed MPG on the VesselView.  I remember getting over 0.8 MPG in the past.  Lately, I've been getting 0.72-0.76 MPG, and I never knew why.  Last night I was back up at 0.81.  That's an improvement of 9%, just from spark plug wires!  

YYZRC

Spat a belt at 4500 rpm having some fun in a relatively narrow shallow water channel. Starboard motor so steering bye bye. That sucked. At least I had a spare on board. 

It was a brand new belt a month ago so maybe it stretched and rubbed against another pulley?

https://youtu.be/y--gGcAgev0

aero3113

@YYZRC , Didn’t you go with a Gates belt? Maybe that’s the issue? Strange for a new belt to fail so quickly...

YYZRC

Yep I went with Gates. 

I suspect it was too loose. 

Willhound

How's the tensioner pulley? Bearing good?

YYZRC

Yep!

LaRea

Replaced my 13-year-old anchor rode.  The splice from rope to chain was getting worn from too many trips through the windlass.  

YYZRC

How many feet of chain did you go with?

LaRea

60 feet of 5/16" chain and 220 feet of 5/8" 8-plait.  

BTW a few years ago I upgraded from 30' of chain to 60', and it made a big improvement with how the anchor holds.  However, the 30' I added was actually the wrong size chain.  The links were 5/16" diameter, but slightly too long for my gypsy.  When bringing the anchor in for that final 30 feet, the gypsy would grab for two links, then the third link would jump.  It was really loud and annoying.

Now I have 30' of 5/16" BBB and 30' of 5/16" G4, both of which fit my gypsy perfectly.  Very smooth and quiet.

Bonus:  I stowed the other 30' of chain under the v-berth as ballast to help with balance.  Big difference!  Now I probably will not have to use trim tabs at all!  

Aqua_Aura

I just downloaded the manual for my windlass, need to check the gypsy and chain. It has trouble catching the chain and skips sometimes as I'm pulling the anchor.

Got a new manual toilet pump assembly coming and TV so those will be my Monday and Tuesday projects before we take our boat trip Wednesday. 

YYZRC

My rode is fraying where it connects to the chain. Next year...

Ian

Anyone using the rode markers and what type? I hear various results with the tapes and I’m not sure they work well with 8 plait.

LaRea

I use these, and they work fine in 8-plait.  I don't mark the chain, because I always put out the entire 60 feet of chain.