SO WHAT DID YOU DO WITH OR ON YOUR C-DORY TODAY??

We hauled No Pressure out for the third time this year. We had to replace the drive shaft on each motor the previous two haulouts. Last week, we were hoping to dive around the south side of the peninsula but the charging alarm went off. I tried speeding up, slowing down, idling, and turning the motor off for a few minutes but nothing worked.

We made it back into the slip. I told Merry I would likely have to replace the alternator. I removed the cover to find this.
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A leak on top of the motor sprayed water everywhere, frying the alternator and starter. We hauled the boat out, ordered parts including new thermostats for each motor and will try to clean off the rust everywhere else.
 
1070 hours. The corrugated hoses leading from the motors were too short and pulled away from the motors the first week we had the boat. I tried tape and zip ties but water would still get in. That is the likely cause of the starter and various bolts being rusty.

The water leak that fried the alternator is new. I just checked the oil a week before.
 
Over the past month or so, after purchasing C-Traveler, I've been doing a lot of installations and changes. The latest was getting the autopilot installation finished up, and installing an am/fm radio. Still have projects I want to do, but finally also spending a little bit of time on the lakes as well. Have taken a few pictures of changes I'm making, and those can be found in the C-Traveler nested photo album: http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?...ame=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php Colby
 
Installed a spare tire carrier and a spare tire.

Finishing up putting on a new horn. The old ones were so corroded they wouldn't toot. I have a lot of extra horns from my motorcycle days. Putting on a red plastic one that will not rust.
 
colbysmith":2bikzsrc said:
Over the past month or so, after purchasing C-Traveler, I've been doing a lot of installations and changes. The latest was getting the autopilot installation finished up, and installing an am/fm radio. Still have projects I want to do, but finally also spending a little bit of time on the lakes as well. Have taken a few pictures of changes I'm making, and those can be found in the C-Traveler nested photo album: http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?...ame=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php Colby
Click to expand...

I see you removed the KISS stove and replaced it with butcher block. That is a great idea. I need to do the same thing (my stove is already out). Where did you get the butcher block and how did you attach it to the counter top?

Thanks.
 
Installed 3 new rocker switches at the helm for the AIS transponder, an aft bilge pump, and for future expansion.

I also installed a new Simrad RS35 VHF radio that connects to the NMEA2000 network that "should" allow me to make DCS direct calls directly to vessels activated from the chartplotter. Does anyone know if it actually as seamless as Simrad boasts it to be? It also has something called "buddy tracking" that looks interesting, and I assume it keeps track of a buddy's position on the plotter.
 
Attached SOLAS reflective tape on each end of cabin top grab rails to more easily find out boat in an anchorage at night and also make it easier for others to spot us if they shine a light around.
 
I see you removed the KISS stove and replaced it with butcher block. That is a great idea. I need to do the same thing (my stove is already out). Where did you get the butcher block and how did you attach it to the counter top?
Click to expand...

We could have gotten a full blown "Butcher Block" at Menards. It's actually a countertop. Thick and heavy, and $84 would have gotten us twice as much length as what we needed. While we already had it in our cart, my wife saw another gal go by with a piece of her wood in her cart and my wife asked if something like that would work better for us. I said sure. Actually, it was just a piece of 1x Oak, I believe 18" if I remember, and 2' or 4' long, perfect size. I cut it to fit the area I wanted it over, and then routed out about 3/16" depth around the edge so it would fit down into the hole the KISS came out of. Also routed the top edge to round it off. Used some silicone caulk around the edge, and just screwed up from the bottom to hold it down. Then many coats of Mineral Oil.
Colby
 
I also installed a new Simrad RS35 VHF radio that connects to the NMEA2000 network that "should" allow me to make DCS direct calls directly to vessels activated from the chartplotter. Does anyone know if it actually as seamless as Simrad boasts it to be? It also has something called "buddy tracking" that looks interesting, and I assume it keeps track of a buddy's position on the plotter.
Click to expand...

Seamless? All depends. I have done DSC calls and the problem tends to be the callee not knowing how to answer. If both you and the person you are calling know your individual radio's operation for making the calls, it works slick. In the long run, it's probably easier to just pick the microphone up and call whoever you are looking for the regular way. However, if the channel is busy or you want to call someone without alerting anyone else on 9 or 16, or go to a discreet channel, then it's a nice feature. I have not used the position reporting, but that can be set up to work as well, as long as both know how to setup the operation. Colby
 
Finally decided on placement for the bow cleats and ladder.
Drilled, cored, and filled with Six Ten thickened epoxy.
(All credits to Dr. Bob and Dr. John's advice and tips.)

Coated the aluminum backing plates with self-etching primer to hopefully cut down on the galvanic corrosion with the SS washer/bolts.
Positioned the ladder with just enough tension to stay 1/4" away from compressing the rub rail when fully loaded.

Still need to add the SS rub strips in front of the cleats.
Project for another day...

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colbysmith":1owm9b87 said:
I also installed a new Simrad RS35 VHF radio that connects to the NMEA2000 network that "should" allow me to make DCS direct calls directly to vessels activated from the chartplotter. Does anyone know if it actually as seamless as Simrad boasts it to be? It also has something called "buddy tracking" that looks interesting, and I assume it keeps track of a buddy's position on the plotter.
Click to expand...

Seamless? All depends. I have done DSC calls and the problem tends to be the callee not knowing how to answer. If both you and the person you are calling know your individual radio's operation for making the calls, it works slick. In the long run, it's probably easier to just pick the microphone up and call whoever you are looking for the regular way. However, if the channel is busy or you want to call someone without alerting anyone else on 9 or 16, or go to a discreet channel, then it's a nice feature. I have not used the position reporting, but that can be set up to work as well, as long as both know how to setup the operation. Colby
Click to expand...

Played with it today and it actually works pretty well. Called up a sailboat with a name I recognized and made a direct DSC call. Worked like a charm, except it wasn't the same "New Sensations". I can definitely see a problem acknowledging the call as it is not very intuitive. Need to press the soft key under the display. The nmea2000 radio does integrate with my chartplotter and I can initiate the DSC call by depressing a touchpoint right on the chart. Pretty slick.
 
Of the two marinas on base, the one we use faces surge from Pensacola Pass and requires evacuating boats and rigs for the mild Tropical Storm last week to the sailing marina 4 miles away, which faces the Bay rather than the Gulf of Mexico. So back then we staged the boat and trailer on the apron there. We chose to go boating today by dropping off the car at our marina, driving the truck to the safe marina, hitching up, launching at the ramp there, going boating, returning to our marina by boat, taking the car we dropped off back to pick up the truck and trailer we left at the safe marina, returning the trailer to our dry storage slip and keeping the boat in our wet slip. Complex logistics is our niche.

We boated over and anchored on the Bay side of Ft Pickens portion of Gulf Islands National seashore and walked the beach for six miles mid-day. Had a beautiful boat ride back to our marina, where we looked all over for the car keys but could not find them (the new-fangled fat fob kind with RF coding that are $400 each to replace where you can’t hide an extra ‘key’ on the car). We surmised that Yours Truly must have left the car keys in the truck back at the other marina. So She assigned me clean-up duties and walked the 4 miles back to the truck and trailer, found the keys in a cup holder under an empty Gatorade bottle, and drove the rig back to our marina.

I got slapped around some (OK, a fair amount), but frankly I’m lucky that my bride of 36 years can and will hike 10 miles in the middle of June in the bright sun at 88 degrees and a UV index of 11 (max 12) in a Pensacola summer 2 weeks after receiving her Medicare-65 card (whoo-hoo!).

So whatever you do on or to your C-Dory, remember to take the keys!

Raise a glass to my Eileen!
John
 
John, two thumps up to your bride! The keys to the boat, car, house ect can be a challenge. I always now have an extra set to the pick up in the boat & vis versa. One of our memorable key missing moments was after trailering the boat to Flaming Gorge Reservoir from home 150 miles, we came to the conclusion, the keys to the locked boat were back at the house. A long drive but no boating that day.

Jay
 
John,

You were a smart man to marry her! And kudos to her for doing it.

Several years ago I had the keys to the van in my pocket when my riding buddy and I rode from Cody to Red Lodge, MT on motorcycles. I called Nancy to let her know we were in Red Lodge but I didn't see the van anywhere.

Her answer? "Look in your pocket." Got a cool reception when we got back to Cody 3 hours later.
 
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