New bog...

Perhaps not glamorous work, but important nonetheless.  The 12V head started working intermittently, and when I tried to service it, many of the screws holding the motor to the toilet broke off.  So I purchased an entirely-new unit from Burnsco Marine.  It took an afternoon to install, plumb, and wire, and it certainly does look and function much better.  The original toilet would have been manual (?), but this old 12V unit was at least a decade or two old, judging by the corrosion of the hardware and the state of the motor.

I begin to sense that many components on Kiss Kiss are in need of replacement...such as it is with boat ownership.

Working down the list

I made a list of "to-do's" on the boat, ranked in order of priority based on safety-impact.  #1 were the lifelines, which were quite badly corroded from end to end.  The plastic coated wire is (IMHO) a danger in that it masks the corrosion beneath until such time as it gets brittle enough to crack.

I have had the top and bottom wires completely replaced with uncoated stainless wire, both top and bottom 5mm.

I've also replaced the main halyard with spectra line.  The old one was chafing badly, and had worn through the cover in one spot.

Cool Things ~ Stitch it Awl

I have been looking for an all-around tool for repairing worn seams in cockpit cushions and for finishing my double-braided eye-splices.

I came across an advertisement for the "Stitch it Awl" in Practical Boat Owner, noted that it was Australian, and therefore not too far away.  I ordered the full kit and it arrived within a week.

Interesting, it is made in Airlie Beach, Qld, which is not only one of the most beautiful places on earth, it is also the site of my last vacation (4 years ago!...I work too hard).

In any case, without doubt one of those things that all sailors must own...and in the top 10 of my all-time cool gadgets.

Extremely well-built, heavy stainless steel.  Nice wooden box.

Cool things ~ RPM Meter

I admit my shortcomings...and one of them is my inability to abide inaccuracy.  I suspect the Westerbeke 35D3 tachometer is not being honest with me...and I also suspect the zero-throttle rpms are a hair too low.  Given that the factory tachometer is but a signal from the alternator, converted to a mechanical needle, how does one accurately-determine rpm?

With one of these...$25...

Laser/digital rpm meter

The unit comes with sticky reflective strips that you stick on the crankshaft pulley, aim and press the green button...easy...at least I hope...it hasn't yet arrived.

Clean your water strainer!

As the boat is new to me I don't know when last the raw water strainer was cleaned, but I am glad I took a look yesterday:

The large object on the lower right is a black olive (!)...I suppose the rest is the other half of the greek salad?  Perhaps we sailed too close to a cruise ship.

The strainer was 90% filled...did not notice lack of flow on our first trip, but this has shocked me into regular maintenance on this item.  I didn't have a chance to clean the glass bowl itself, but I will find a toothbrush and do so soon.

The new tank is installed and filled with clean diesel.  The Racor filter was changed and the bowl cleaned.  When I ran the motor for 1/2 hour there was still some particles/debris in the bowl, so I cleaned it again.  I suspect there is some debris in the supply line/primer bulb, so I may have to keep cleaning the bowl for a while.  I am getting good at it, including bleeding the air without making a big mess.

Diesel Tank rebuilt

I picked the tank up from the engineer yesterday.  I had the bottom floor of the tank cut out entirely, and in it's place I had them weld in a much thicker (3mm) plate, and remove exactly 10mm from all sides.  As a result the tank is 10mm "shorter" from bottom to top.  This was done to ease removal and installation in the future, and will have very little impact on capacity.  It also completely-eliminated the original lower welds, giving me new welds all around.  Securing the tank in the locker will be as easy as adjusting the position of the boards and trim that hold it down against the hull.  I have also purchased some foam rubber strips to add to these contact points. The tank was pressure tested.

I then cleaned and lightly-sanded to tank before masking off and spraying with 2 coats of aluminium etch-primer and two coats of dark grey epoxy paint.

Installation perhaps Sunday, then install new secondary filter and test run.

Diesel Tank Removal

With the boat sitting securely at Whangamata Marina (beautiful), I've begun the first major project on Kiss Kiss, namely the removal, repair, and re installation of the diesel tank.

The tank was taken offline some years ago by the previous owner following a bad bout of 'diesel bug' (an algae).  He used a plastic tank mounted amidships.  I elected to have an inspection port cut into the tank and to have it steam cleaned.  I did so to give myself a full compliment of fuel onboard.

Once steam cleaned, the tank began to leak (!).  It amounted to about 500mL to 1L per 24hrs, but however little, the stink of diesel permeated the cabin, and made a mess of the bilge.

I began by draining the tank entirely (every drop) with a siphon pump through the inspection port.  I then disconnected the filler, vent, return and supply, as well as the wiring to the gauge.

I then removed the various screws holding the trim that secures the tank from above.  This is accessed from the cabin, lifting the base panel that sits above the tank.

Once the trim pieces were removed, the tank slides aft very easily.  I then rotated the aft end of the tank upward, so that the top of the tank faced outboard.  Lifting through the starboard cockpit locker, rotating forward at the last minute...and it was out...without removing the teak trim (though gouging it slightly).

The source of the corrosion that may have led to the leak (ongoing) is apparent looking back into the space occupied by the tank.  Years of dirt, grime, and various screws, washers and the like were found blocking the drain hole at the forward port corner.  The tank was sitting in this brew of moisture, metal bits and dirt.

The tank was sitting in a damp and dirty spot...the wires dropped down during removal

An intense cleaning was done, and the drain hole was scrubbed and opened.  When the tank is repaired and re installed  I will either paint it or seal it in some way to keep the moisture away from the metal.

Details of the repair and re installation to follow.

Delivery

On Sunday October 28th we set sail from Bayswater Marina in Auckland bound for Tauranga via Great Mercury Island, and Whangamata.

The sailing on the Sunday was fantastic, with blue sky and winds from the NE at 7-10kts.  The swell from the NE was larger than ideal, but not a major concern.  We were joined on several occasions by dolphins along the way.

We anchored in Mercury Harbour, on Great Mercury Island and spent our first night at sea on Kiss Kiss.

We woke the next morning to rain and poor visibility.  The weather forecast had altered dramatically, with rough seas and high winds on the nose for the second leg of the trip.  We carried on, battling colliding swell from the NE and SE, and an ongoing problem with fuel delivery from the diesel tank.  On one occasion about 1 hour north of Whangamata the engine died altogether.  We quickly raised the main in heavy seas, and learned through our mistakes both how capable the NS30 is...and how every oversight at sea can lead to difficulty and bruising!

A few hours after this photo was taken it was impossible to hold a camera!

We elected not to continue to Tauranga (a further 6hrs of horrible conditions) and put into Whangamata Harbour on low tide.  We crossed the bar with 100mm under the keel!

Safe and sound in Whangamata Marina





Purchase...Let the fun begin!

Hello from New Zealand!

I have purchased a 1987 Hinterhoeller Nonsuch 30 Ultra, the only one to my knowledge in New Zealand, and likely the Southern Hemisphere.  Being an ex-pat Canadian, I recall seeing these yachts on the Great Lakes as well as the West Coast.  With two young boys I knew that this model would be ideal for short-handed sailing along the East coast of the North Island of New Zealand.  I was lucky enough to find one for sale in Auckland, and I moved quickly to make it mine.

The yacht "Kiss Kiss" was brought to New Zealand on a purpose-built yacht transporter some years ago by the previous owner after extensive sailing through North America and the Carribean.  While Canadian-built, it previously resided in Texas.  It is #400 from the Hinterhoeller factory, built in 1986-1987 with the Ultra interior layout and the shoal keel.

Major modifications include a 2007 Westerbeke 35D3 engine (less than 400hrs) and an extensive electronics package from B&G.

Kiss Kiss at sea (photo courtesy previous owner)