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Refit: Winter 2008-2009
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Winter 2008-2009 Refit | Sunday, March 29, 2009
I
worked on several random maintenance and spring-preparation
jobs, with little of note. The big projects are all
done; the only item remaining on my initial list for this
so-called "refit" (using the term loosely), as of this
writing, is the new wind instruments.
To that end, I
spent a little more time looking at the possibilities and
reading some stuff online. Eventually, I decided to
take a chance, as it were, and placed an order for the new
Tack Tick semi-wireless T033 cruising boat wind system,
which uses wireless technology to send the masthead
anemometer's information to the display head, but the
display head is powered by 12V rather than solar cells, like
the far more expensive T101. This suits me, though,
since I already had 12V wiring run to the existing wind
display, which wiring I could re-use, so installing the new
display would be a cinch. And I didn't need the racing
features of the more expensive system either; mostly, I just
want the wind speed. I use a Windex (and my eyes, for
that matter) for direction anyway.
Frankly, any wind
system is unnecessary, as I don't use it to sail, but I like
to have it just for fun. So there.
Choosing the T033 was, frankly, driven largely by laziness.
I just didn't want to run the new anemometer cable through
the whole boat and up the mast, and then deal again with the
annual ritual of connecting 6 tiny wires after the mast was
stepped. The wireless sending unit of the T033 is very
attractive for this reason. Plus, I think the general
Tack Tick concept is a good one, and is a system I could see
using more in the future, whether for additional upgrades to
this boat or in some other situation.
The good news
was that the price of the T033 came down from its initial
MAP price, near the stratosphere, to a level close enough to
the other choices I was considering to make it an acceptable
step up--about 20% higher than my runner-up choice, the
Northstar. So it's on its way, as of this writing (or
at least it's ordered). It was time to just make the
decision and cross this item off my list, having
successfully postponed it all winter long.
Once the
gear arrives, I'll do the installation. |
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My goal for this weekend
had been to basically get all the nagging chores completed,
so that the boat would be more or less ready for launch.
Even though launch was many, many weeks away, sometime in
May, it would be nice for me to have the boat prep behind me
so I could relax and do other things around my house and
property on the weekends. I am not much of a
last-minute-r.
Among the small items I finished up on
this day: installing the stanchions and lifelines,
re-installing the bow and stern chocks, which I'd removed
earlier to varnish the toerails, and drilling out some
stripped holes in the cockpit coamings so that I could epoxy
fill and then reinstall some snaps for the dodger that had
pulled out. I also ordered a new chart #13309 for my
immediate home waters. I then made the mistake of
looking at some crazy ideas for my rigging and sails, and
new chartplotters, and...well, the Internet can be foe as
well as friend. Just some intriguing ideas and
possibilities for next year's off-season, perhaps. |
Total time today:
2-ish hours
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