Dave and Jane's journey towards live aboard sustainable sailing on a 1977 Rival 38 Centre Cockpit Yacht.
We focus on showing - the practical progress of the refit - Boat Refit Tips - Exploring Low Footprint sailing options and benefits (low footprint in terms of Planet, Health and Finances)
We have memberships (and accept donations) using Ko-Fi see ko-fi.com/sustainablesailing
We bought Vida at the end of August 2019 with a sound hull, deck and rig but the survey condemned the whole gas system, the mains electric, and one of the seacocks. Almost all the equipment is original and best described as either tired or broken. We also knew there was significant water damage from leaking windows and various deck fittings (later we found that the headlining was very wet in places having absorbed lots of the incoming water).
Our refit is radical, including aiming for zero fossil fuels, full dyneema rigging, and with many interior layout changes.
Hi, just spent two rainy rest days watching you channel and I will be following your progress. It's great to see your enthusiasm and drive to get things done. The river Lynher is a lovely place and there are many other fabulous locations within the Tamar and its rivers for you to discover while finishing the boat. Keep the great videos coming, I'm looking forward to seeing your next one. ATB Mike #StayCornish😬
Wow, that's great. Thanks! In years of sailing along and around the South Coast it's the River we've sailed in least. I guess rushing from home base in Chichester to family near Fowey it got skipped.
Ah but we will be focused on the Cornish side of the River. The River Lynher is in Cornwall and Saltash is likely to be our nearest shopping place (there is a Lidl there). The Devon side is all marinas, no where to anchor.
Also when weather permits during Autumn/Winter/Spring we will be sailing around to Fowey to see family and also places like Falmouth, the Helford as well as the Yealm, Dart etc.
You should definitely have the "tattletale" feed line checked and if necessary, the water pump impeller replaced. That is nowhere near enough water being pumped through the tattletale!
@@SustainableSailing Yeah if it isn't "peeing" it needs to be checked. Make sure you also check the tattletale feed line for obstructions. It can also get clogged by debris and here in Texas I've even seen mud wasps crawl into the tattletale feed line and plug them with mud. Also if the outboard hasn't had the impeller replaced within 2-3 years or has been sitting for that long or more it's best to be safe and just replace the impeller. I really enjoyed the video and interaction. Wishing you safe and blessed travels!!!
Have you replaced the impeller? If the motor hasn't been run in years, the impeller blades will have become brittle and will break with very little use.
Check to see if you have the correct propeller on an also the condition of it. And if all is well there you can definitely look at getting another propeller with a shallower pitch, this will give you the low down grunt you need to get on plane two up😉
Thanks, this is very new to us. I've now heard that a couple of times. Wondering if it will be enough without tackling the big issue of its low compression (80psi).
@@SustainableSailing See what prop is on it now and what prop came from the factory. I agree that the prop may be holding you back. The compression may be low due to the motor sitting for a long time and the rings getting gummed up with old oil. A good flogging up and down the river with some load on it will probably do it the world of good. I'd run a tank or two through it and then re-do the compression test and see what you get. I've got a 40hp Yamaha 2-smoke on my boat, not what I would have chosen, but it came with the hull and it was cheap. Its pretty low maintenance for a 15 year old motor. I'd like a 4stroke, but for the amount I use it, over $10k(AU) for a replacement will buy a lot of fuel.
@@hoyks1 that price difference is critical for us. Wondering about a longer ride to see if it clears things. There always is a balance between conflicting views eg should we change the impeller first.
Sadly the Azores are another place made more difficult by Brexit. If we do get all the way around the world then the Azores are on the bucket list. If we still have this engine look us up 😄
That is a very nice motor, worth saving in fact it works great, it probably just needs to be run, or maybe the oil mix is off, fuel up front is a good idea
Good on you for reusing old kit, its great - our toyota hilux is a 1996 and has done over 500 000 km it doesnt have a carbon footprint anymore, in fact I think it is owed My outboard is a 23 year old honda 4 stroke 2hp
I love a good 2 stroke outboard. Good power to weight ratio, and I think buying anything used is better for our environment than buying new, The process of manufacturing the new electric outboard might cause more carbon footprint than using a smokey 2 stroke! with a similar 10.5 foot RIB and a Yamaha 15 hp we got on plane with 3 people no problem.
Agree totally about buying used. If this was generating a little more power I'm sure it would get us on the plane. Just debating whether it's worth the parts to rebuild and get the compression up to get closer to original power. I'm sure the extra 1foot length makes it easier to climb out of the water hole onto the plane, no deck space or it would be our choice. By choice I'd definitely go for a 15hp, same weight and size just makes sense.
Liked your Aladino comment 😂😂😂, where did you get your carbon fibre? Was it a good price - I am making foam epoxy composite pushpit and pulpit check my blog if you are interested
Brilliant Andy thanks. Exactly my problem (and loads of looking-up google) - Solved. Really appreciate your sharing of the solutions you found thank you. Small rigging I'm doing to a Pirate 17 that had the stainless steel shrouds fail while moored in harbour. Mind you the rigging was probably origional and 30 years old. Going dyneema obviously now. Rooster in the UK seem to have the best supplies I can research so far.
I learned to drive on my parents T2 Bay Window (Danbury Conversion). It was bright orange (just like the one here www.justkampers.com/vehicles/vw-t2-bay-window/ ). Jane and I had a T4 camper conversion for a few years until our 3 sons got too big :-)
How did the heat dissipation work out in the end? Were you able to comparing charging rates with the battery bank open/ventilated compared to in the sealed up box? I wonder if it really makes much of a difference, since it seems like the batteries themselves are not exactly setup to dissipate a lot of heat from inside the battery anyway (no heatsinks or metal cases).
Not tested yet. The real challenge won't be until we get to the tropics. Well before then I'll have full temperature logging around the box and batteries so we can see the impact of both charging and discharging then automate appropriate action in plenty of time. If we are concerned we can add a chimney and fan ventilation but I'm pretty confident it won't be necessary.
Did you run into any issues with insurance, since the rig is using custom parts and a non standard chain plate design? I would imagine it is more tricky to prove the setup is adequate if you are not following the original design, or at least using a common configuration of components?
@@SustainableSailing... 360M folk pronounce it my way, very few use the more than 3 different versions I've heard you use today 😄 In spite of language difficulties 😇you have given me yet further ideas for reducing costs... Acetal deadeyes! Thats pronounced ded eyes ;-) Bed time for me, think about the ded eyes 😀😃😃 Cheers...
@pocketcruisersailing did I only use 3 versions? Clearly feeling very restrained 🤣 Today I had an idea for soft shackle pad eyes using the same Acetal rod. Deadeyes are also a great idea, could be cheaper and better than low friction rings.
Thanks Ian. The long wait for the GoPro replacement process was very frustrating. More content this week as I hope to finish preparing these bases. Then waiting for that combination of being at the boat in good weather to fit them 😊
Much simpler to replace the cotter pins once in a while. I don't get why you're so concerned with having to fix your things at sea when the original stainless tangs/pins are not something you're going to have to worry about for decades if you just replace the original equipment.
Hi, It would be less change but the advantages are much more than being able to fix things at sea (or more accurately diy repairs in remote locations). We believe our latest version is a significant improvement in lots of ways.
I agree. If the axle is going to be parallel to the sides (our tangs have to be angled) then I'd make a jig that held the sheave using the axle. Would make it much easier and safer.
I like the galley work surface over the foot of the bed. I am beginning to think a free standing mast is the way to go. Maybe with an easy control junk rig. It would get rid of all the chain plates.... and the genoa gear as well. Lots less holes in the deck. No stays to trip over on our skinny side decks either.
With the benefit of hindsight I definitely would price up switching to a free standing mast. If buying a project boat with no mast or a damaged mast the price would be very attractive too.
Two things, any space between the headliner and the deckhead has air in it that has water in it that can condense on the fibreglass. The second thing is that once there is any water in that space, it never goes away no matter how warm it stays or gets inside the boat. This is the one place a planked wood deck head out performs metal or fibreglass as it generally doesn't need a liner. fibreglass does need insulating but leave no space between the insulation and the FG.
Fully agree. Plus vinyl is a terrible environmental option. We have made progress on our insulation recently. See Facebook or the blog. Video coming soon now that we have a replacement GoPro.
All I could find was a passing reference on the Rigging Doctor channel. When we recently bought new Crusader sales they recommended dyneema soft shackles (lot less work for the sailmaker i guess). We might fit webbing ourselves to get a few more miles out of old sails. Basically a long loop on one side, that goes around the forestay and is connected to a shorter loop. Then the connector between them is well away from the sail. Connector could be a standard forestay piston hank or a soft shackle.
Thanks I am currently in the process of changing my standing rigging so this was helpful. I do have a plan for putting a furling head sail on the Dyneema forestay/s (cutter) but I am having difficulty getting people to understand my plan or willing to help.
Crusader sails spent a lot of time discussing things with us. For us the key issues are: - without roller reefing you need to think through your sail plan for different wind speeds (and especially how you handle squalls from each base windspeed). It will mean more sail handling unless you have multiple furling sails hoisted and switch between them). We will have some wind speeds where we don't have the optimum sail area. We will need to raise and lower the staysail as wind speed changes. - getting a tight luff if the headsail is close to a forestay (assuming no expensive halyard locks and hydraulics) is tricky. The furlers often are designed for the torsional rope to be the forestay in order to work correctly. We have several options that we are going to explore.
Very nicely done. Like others, I shuddered a bit at your (relative lack of) safety precautions. However, this is a fantastic example of can-do-under-a-boat. Kudos!
Glad to see your posting again ....really looking forward to seeing the electric drive installation. Also after my last comment on using carbon fibre in the mast, be good to see how it turns out using it on the stanchions.
Lots more happening with the stanchions now. We have all but 2 fitted (the gate we are using with the ladder is all that is left). Working on the braces for the gates and pushpit at the moment. More videos coming.
We bought our tubes from www.carbonfibretubes.co.uk/standard-tubing/ Our old stainless stanchions were bent. Lots of leaks from the bolts. As the gate uprights could wobble in the bases that meant that the feet of the gate diagonals rock on their screws causing leaks. Plus we want taller guardrails than they had in the 1970s. In materials this is cheaper than replacement stainless and no bolt holes to leak.
Hi Nick, I'm afraid that it came with the boat. The old bulwark cap had been removed and the local boatbuilder already had both the aluminium strip and the C-section rubber cap. Unfortunately, his health started to deteriorate at about that time and he was never able to fit it.
@@SustainableSailing No worries I've managed to get 20mtrs free ...... Whilst on your both doing a fantastic job on her and it'll all be worth it when you eventually start sailing........Good luck and take care ....... Regards N
The friction created by a bolted joint is what holds your loads, not the bolt itself being in shear so a standard chainplate does indeed have equal loading on the bolts.
we are basing our views on what Jane was taught (many years ago) in her Civil Engineering degree. These calculations are very conservative as the risks of failure are so great. When bolting two plates together with a lengthways set of bolts they calculated the load entirely on the first bolt. Obviously the situation is more nuanced than that but better safe than sorry.
Brilliant, love what you are doing, I've just bought a boat down at Port Dinorwic, wondering what to do about the heads. Immediate solution is portapotti, but guess composting loo is the way to go. Can't find a video dealing with your choice? Help!
We have used PortaPottis a lot when camping, in caravans. They are never pleasant to empty and their capacity will leave you stuck on a longer passage (even stuck on a mooring or anchor during a few days of bad weather). This is pretty good on Natures Head (which we have) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vB-ZIV2F3Zw.html Or just search, loads of videos: ru-vid.com?search_query=natures+head+composting Now US imports are difficult this looks good for the UK ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4qgHnfB5cFw.html at compoosttoilets.com/
It is always a balance. The total amount of plastic being added by the rigging is relatively small (especially compared to a new boat or this one being scrapped). The fibres have an increasing % of non-petrochemicals. Financially, it is far more sustainable for us. From a safety perspective in terms of being able to carry spares, repair and re-rig ourselves anywhere in the world there is a big improvement.
We chose Natures Head. I don't think we have done a video about them yet (there are quite a lot around on RU-vid). Availability in the UK is now difficult (Brexit and Exchange rate not helping). If buying now might well go for this UK toilet compoosttoilets.com/products/deluxe-compost-toilet-with-urine-diverter-12v-self-stirring Much easier to empty the solids but also much smaller capacity so you have to empty more frequently.
Verry well done you guys. The singles look perfect. I would think about the upper doublés. They come out away of the mast quite a. Bit. Can the bolt take that downward force? I would want a steel plate at the outside coming from above so it can't bend you're bolt. Verry nice change to the acetol Keep up the good work. Kind regards machiel
I have just binged watched your videos having just found your channel I thought the videos were very good and informative was worried about your tangs but you persevered and made good well done
You probably have, but I was thinking: Could you epoxy the Dyneema chainplates once they are in final position? This would seal up the entirety. Downside is that it's harder to get them out - should this be required. However, I imagine drilling them out would not be too much extra work. The upside, as I see it is: - No (potential) holes for water coming in at rough seas, - Plus, extra strengthening of the Chainplates, - Further reinforcement of the "knot" under deck. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Bca5_uyH9E4.html here at around min 7:20, Steve Yrvind talks about epoxied ropes, and how he uses them. Great channel, if you want some feedback on how to improve some youtuby-things - ill gladly throw in my 2cents. Keep up the good work, cheers!
Just remember any plastic tube in cold weather loses its flex. So any rivet would break the plastic inside the mast anyway when the mast flexes. Have you thought of using carbon fibre instead and marine glue it using those rivet holes ?
thanks for the video, just found it - I own a 1972 Twister that I'm constantly upgrading. Quick question (and please just point me in the direction of the video if you've covered it already) what paint did you use to paint your mast/mizzen, why did you choose to paint and how many coats? TIA
We painted them just before we started doing RU-vid a bit more seriously. The anodising had worn off the main (the mizzen might have been replaced at some point). So we had one gold and one grey mast. Also a number of fittings had been improperly fitted so there was some localised electrolytic corrosion. We used a nylon grinding pad to clean up the pitting. We used epoxy filler on all the holes/pitting. Then International Perfection 2 part paints (2 epoxy primer, 1 undercoat and 2 top coat if I remember correctly)
Nice to see somebody using a book for instruction. Often easier to understand that a video or something online that disappear every time you touch your device!
Hi Carlos. We buy FR4 which is the fire resistant version of G10. Our supplier is www.aiplastics.com/products/industrial-laminates/epoxy-4w-ep.html We have bought a variety of thicknesses 6mm, 9.5mm and 10mm depending on application.
