Water Lilly Archive.

[Jimmyt]

Hatch Looks great!

[Be Free]

...
Power is something my boat still needs. I have the switch panel, which has built in circuit breakers is great, but it didn’t come with a ground bus. I went online searching for a marine ground bus and ran into a marine fuse panel with a ground bus. This is great as it will allow me to create a fused power tree as well as the breaker set up. So I’m going to reconfigure my original electrical design to incorporate this system along side my original idea.
...

I don't know about the 25 but this is the factory ground bus for a 26X.

I'm sure you can do better!

[Massey]

Mast raising system works like a charm! But my “pitchfork” for holding the mast up slightly didn’t work. The PVC pipe is simply not strong enough, I need to reinforce it. I have an old aluminum brush handle that should fit inside the PVC and reinforce it. No word yet on my cushions but I won’t need them this weekend. Below are a couple pics and Saturday is going to be on the water, wind or no wind!

[Massey]

...
Power is something my boat still needs. I have the switch panel, which has built in circuit breakers is great, but it didn’t come with a ground bus. I went online searching for a marine ground bus and ran into a marine fuse panel with a ground bus. This is great as it will allow me to create a fused power tree as well as the breaker set up. So I’m going to reconfigure my original electrical design to incorporate this system along side my original idea.
...

I don't know about the 25 but this is the factory ground bus for a 26X.

I'm sure you can do better!

Yea, that’s what I’m trying to avoid! So as I avoid the bold with a million wires attached to it, I found this…





Sorry the pic turned out so dark, no matter what I tried it wouldn’t come out better.

[OverEasy]

Hi!
There are several varieties of “REAL” marine grade buss bars to choose from.
They are available from a variety of suppliers and are relatively inexpensive.
The attached picture is from West Marine just as an example.


They provide a safe reliable means to provide a manageable ground for multiple circuits.
It also allows one to provide for a properly sized connection for multiple wire gauges and connectors.
Make sure the lead going back to the battery negative is properly sized to allow all the amperage of all the circuits can be safely handled.

It would seem like a shame to retire an acceptable existing circuit breaker panel just to add a ground buss bar.
Your boat, Your rules!

Regards,

[OverEasy]

BTW: Water Lilly has really improved with your TLC!
Nice work all around!

[Massey]

Hi!
There are several varieties of “REAL” marine grade buss bars to choose from.
They are available from a variety of suppliers and are relatively inexpensive.
The attached picture is from West Marine just as an example.


They provide a safe reliable means to provide a manageable ground for multiple circuits.
It also allows one to provide for a properly sized connection for multiple wire gauges and connectors.
Make sure the lead going back to the battery negative is properly sized to allow all the amperage of all the circuits can be safely handled.

It would seem like a shame to retire an acceptable existing circuit breaker panel just to add a ground buss bar.
Your boat, Your rules!

Regards,

My original 3 circuit panel may look ok in the front, but the back side is totally gone. There is not a single wire that has survived the effects of time and corrosion. So no matter what I was in need of a replacement, and I figured while I’m in there let’s make some improvements.

Now I know there are quite a few out there that think they know how to handle wiring and in reality they are clueless. Well I’m not one of them, so do not worry, all electrical circuits will be arranged and protected properly with the correct gauge wire and fuses/breakers. I spent 5 years in the Navy repairing the F14D and E2C radar, and before that I was an auto mechanic and auto electrical specialist. I got this! Lol.

Thank you for the links to the bus bars from West Marine, my local store has nothing as far as bus bars so I never even thought to look at their website.

[OverEasy]

Funny world…. You did radars and I did radar warning systems!
No skill set ability intended… Just the thoughtful caveat for other readers.

(Don’t know how many failure investigations of equipment I’ve done to find systems where distributed loads to negative buss exceeded primary buss cable load capacity )

This was not only on amateur DIY projects but also on commercial industrial applications as well as on legacy aerospace.
Unfortunately, this isn’t just limited to boats but can be found in autos, RVs, houses, planes and other instances where the Sort of like the classic Mac buss bolt approach was done where somebody did something without the knowledge required and nobody checked their work…

If you look closely at some of the Mac buss bolt photos there appear to be no clamping washers on either side, there are multiple size crimp connector hole sizes, multiple crimp connector styles, connections are splayed overlapping in every direction and all appear to be the same gauge wire. Kind of a shame that whoever was responsible for the electrical portion of the Mac assembly wasn’t capable of making a valid system and ham fisted it instead given all the thought and design that went into the rest of the vessel efforts.

It’s a fortunate aspect that most times it only results in scorched wires rather than something worse.
Reminds me of something about angels looking out for fools and innocents….

When we opened up our Mac26X electrical we also found that age and corrosion had gotten the better of the fused 4 switch panel back side. Our PO had already done some good work RE wiring and had included a basic negative buss. We also changed things and improved things to meet our own anticipated DC needs this past Spring. Our next project set includes a separate AC system for our anticipated ICW Cruising next year.

Again, there was no slight intended in any way shape or form.
You have been doing a remarkable job with your vessel refit!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[Massey]

Funny world…. You did radars and I did radar warning systems!
No skill set ability intended… Just the thoughtful caveat for other readers.

(Don’t know how many failure investigations of equipment I’ve done to find systems where distributed loads to negative buss exceeded primary buss cable load capacity )

This was not only on amateur DIY projects but also on commercial industrial applications as well as on legacy aerospace.
Unfortunately, this isn’t just limited to boats but can be found in autos, RVs, houses, planes and other instances where the Sort of like the classic Mac buss bolt approach was done where somebody did something without the knowledge required and nobody checked their work…

If you look closely at some of the Mac buss bolt photos there appear to be no clamping washers on either side, there are multiple size crimp connector hole sizes, multiple crimp connector styles, connections are splayed overlapping in every direction and all appear to be the same gauge wire. Kind of a shame that whoever was responsible for the electrical portion of the Mac assembly wasn’t capable of making a valid system and ham fisted it instead given all the thought and design that went into the rest of the vessel efforts.

It’s a fortunate aspect that most times it only results in scorched wires rather than something worse.
Reminds me of something about angels looking out for fools and innocents….

When we opened up our Mac26X electrical we also found that age and corrosion had gotten the better of the fused 4 switch panel back side. Our PO had already done some good work RE wiring and had included a basic negative buss. We also changed things and improved things to meet our own anticipated DC needs this past Spring. Our next project set includes a separate AC system for our anticipated ICW Cruising next year.

Again, there was no slight intended in any way shape or form.
You have been doing a remarkable job with your vessel refit!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

I understand. I have found that post count and rank (while in the Navy) has a lot to do with perceived skills. I joined the Navy at 26, turned 27 while in boot camp and as an airman I already had a career as an auto body tech, a mechanic and a carpenter. Many of the people I was in boot with were kids right out of high school. I already had life skills and some valuable tech skills that allowed me to advance fast, and allowed me to fit in in many places. I have found this to also be true in forums I have been involved in too. I may be new to this sail boat, and sail boats in general, but I have worked many hours onboard various other water craft as pilot, and mechanic.

Funny pilot story.
So this older couple had this 40some foot mini tugboat as their cruiser. It was pretty nice, and the old man who was trying to undock the boat had no clue of what he was doing. He had already hit many other boats, and several people on the dock along with myself tried to keep him from damaging the other boats. So he was backing up slowly and not getting enough speed to allow the rudders to work, but the wind was making the bow turn as well. Basically he was moving sideways and not turning. Going forward wasn’t much better, he would just hit more boats. We were trying to get him to put it in neutral and we would turn him… he ignored us and pushed harder. His wife was near me while I was trying to prevent him from hitting a boat. I asked her if he knew what he was doing. She said no, but he’s the captain. I replied with “that fine, I’m the Admiral!” I jumped on their boat rushed into the pilot house and pushed him out the opposite door, and locked him out. He was pi$$ to all hull, yelling at me. I backed the boat up, then split the engines one reverse, one forward and the tug spun on it’s keel and then put it in forward when we faced the right way. One shot, one attempt to undock and already heading out of the marina. I let his wife in and showed her how to independently control the motors. She didn’t know they did that, she pulled down window and told her husband to calm down, and listen up, this kid (I was in my mid 20’s at the time) knows how to drive our boat better than you, and you would be wise to come here and learn. He actually thanked me for getting them out and asked me how I was able to turn the boat so well. I showed him how to unlink the throttles, I let him back in as we neared the last few meters of dock and I jumped off as we passed the end. I never seen them again… Thankfully. Lol. Someone that was on the dock helping got the hull numbers and passed that on to the dock master just in case someone’s boat was damaged in all that.

[Be Free]

I used the Blue Seas 150A buss bars. I like having the positive and negative busses in the same unit and that it has a cover to keep stray tools away.

[Massey]

I used the Blue Seas 150A buss bars. I like having the positive and negative busses in the same unit and that it has a cover to keep stray tools away.

My bus panel also has a cover. It has a positive fused bus, and a negative bus as well. I didn’t have the covers on it or any fuses in it when I took the pic.

[Massey]

So today was the day! The boat got wet, and we got some wind in her sails. Not a lot of wind, but enough. So I found out I can’t read the wind all that well. I don’t have a windex, or tattle tails on my sails so there is that. It could have also been an odd wind area. I was holding course but my sails started to luff. I then turned a bit to get out of the no sail zone, then I was going way wrong. I tried to tack through it but it was almost 180 degrees until I got good wind again. Then a simple turn put me through a gibe, followed by luffing again just a couple degrees of turn. I motor sailed after this until I got into an area of water where I could see the wind on the water, and that got me going again. So I have the singing wire when the wind pushed us fast. I also found that I can steer the boat just fine with the rudder while under power. I have heard others say their rudder was ineffective under power. Well enjoy the pics, and we are going sailing again tomorrow.















So for those wondering why the stores have empty shelves… we’re here is one of 2 container ships that were in the Puget Sound that were at anchor. Seattle is in sight and Tacoma is just around the corner.

[Russ]

Nice to see her afloat and under sail. Thanks for sharing.

[Jimmyt]

Glad you got to go sailing. Great pics.

[Massey]

So sailing Water Lilly a couple weeks ago taught me that my starboard winch was not happy. The pawls that prevent it from unwinding were not catching. The pawls for the winch handle we’re working fine. So yesterday I picked her up from the storage lot and decided to investigate the issue. Thankfully it was just a matter of dirt and grime that had locked them in place. Some simple green and a toothbrush sized wire brush and I was all cleaned and good to go. I used some high quality gun oil to lubricate the moving pieces and once reassembled the winch worked smooth as silk… with a ratcheting feel that is. I decided since I did one, I should do the other, and I’m glad I did. Even though the port winch was working as it should, only one of the reversing pawls was moving, the other was locked down with grime just like the starboard side was. More Simple green and scrubbing later, a few drops of oil and now I have 2 happy winches.


Next up, tonight or tomorrow, I am replacing my running rigging with some new brightly colored rope! Yay