“We want more (you are our slave now!)!!!”. I share the opinions up here as to how entertaining and interesting these videos are, BUT making a video is already insanely time-consuming. Let’s not overwork the “horse”.
Hi Madds, the security lanyard is there to secure the radar to the mast when you are removing it from the mast bracket for service or maintenance so it doesn’t fall to the deck when at anchor or dock. Helps you free up your hands when on a bosuns chair.
Hi Mads, one advice from my rigging specialist: usually rigging starts to corrode inside the bottom terminals, where you don't see it. rainwater comes inbetween the steel wire and the terminal. There is an easy way to prevent this: dip the terminal into molten hot wax (or molten candles), in such a way that the remaining air/space between steel wire and terminal is filled with wax. After taking it out, no rain/salt/water can come into this invisible place anymore, and your rigging will last a lot longer/you don't have to worry about rust in a place you can't check.
Triangular shaped screws - called “self-tapping screws” in the USA. That nylon cable pulling dohickey- is called “fish tape”, because not all fishing is done in the water. With the radio coax cable two things: first try to avoid soldering the center conductor in the vertical - if you gob on too much solder, there’s a chance the solder can pool in the connector and short out the shield to the center conductor. Tilt the connector downward a little and let the solder wick up into the connector - far less chance of shorting. Speaking of shorting - after you’re done mounting the PL-259, check for continuity between the sheid and center conductor. It should read as an ‘open’, or NO continuity. If there is continuity between the center conductor and the shield, this indicates a dead short, a connector install fail, and a future destroyed radio. Consider buying a small device called an “SWR” meter to measure the performance of the antenna/cable each time you transmit. Lastly AVOID sharp bends in the coax, which may adversely impact the performance of the coax. Cheers!
What? Didn't start the video this week with "Hi guys!"?! The kids and I almost thought something was wrong when we didn't hear it. It's literally part of your RU-vid personality. Another great video!
Great video, and they are never long enough!. The speed log etc should be removed whenever the boat is stationary and for any length, i.e. more than a day. You'll be amazed at what will start living behind that paddle wheel! Make it easily accessible with a service hatch in the floor and we use silicone spray on the "O" rings every time. You were lucky getting the cables through, we were not! Think about forward and rearward facing cameras at the top of the mast, with IR illumination they are priceless when docking and other activities at night, including security, PLUS reefs and submerged object become very visible. You can never have enough LED deck lights either - some small units on the underside of the spreaders are very useful. One other thing, a horn/loud hailer is very, very useful for those foggy days, not everyone has AIS. Meticulous workmanship as always. Phew!
Mads. just to let you know , I totally appreciate the fact that not only are you doing an amazing job, but the fact that you are filming, editing, producing and doing all of this refit on your own is quite remarkable. I feel your pain and love your tenacity, it is rare in people these days. Top stuff. Cheers Ross
Mads, never worry about your videos being to long, the vast majority of us would watch a 20 minute or 2 hour video. Only downside is watching your video time flies by.
Frankly, Mads, I was a little shocked! I was fully expecting to see the rest of the video showing how to dissolve the corrosion off the inside of the mast and applying 2 coats of epoxy primer (sanded)! In case you were going to ask, I would have said it should be white to make it easier to see down the mast with a light. But seriously, your work is a beacon for all of us to follow!
Mads' chill demeanor makes this big unruly project seem like a walk in the park - Amazing to think he's not just doing this epic refit mostly solo, but filming it all as well and having it ready every Sunday like clockwork! I'd have had a nervous breakdown by this point even without the filming/editing.
Mads, your videos are never too long. I did notice that you broke the cardinal rule for engineers and actually read the directions before starting installation of the equipment on your mast instead of in the middle. Tisk, Tisk. ;^) With only 240+ days left until Ava moves in, it is going to be a really, really busy winter. Don't forget that tasks will always exceed the allotted time line (Murphy's Law #12). Take care, stay well and have a great week ahead.
Mads, Ham radio guy here. Good to see you replacing the RG-58 with RG-8. RG-58 was common in the ‘80s, but it is very lossy at VHF freqs, only has a single braid shield and the PVC outer covering breaks down easily with age. RG-8 is a much better choice. It looks like you might have taped the connectors at the mast head. Please consider using “Coax-Seal” (found on Amazon). It’s very good for sealing connections exposed to weather. Hams use it for coax connections on towers. Cheers!
It'll be interesting to see how Athena's AIS compares to some of the other boats (with the better cable) 🙂Coax sealer looks very similar to the 3M mastic rubber tape I've used 🙂
Is it just me or are there others who worry about what we are going to watch when he finally sails off? Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us. Just watched your last video. And its become part of my monday. Always excited to see a new video.
Yes, a long video, but these interesting and informative videos can never be too long. But nevertheless, I do begin to experience a strange sense of unease and anxiety if too much time transpires without any sanding.
When I watch your video clips I get jealous and start contemplating quitting my job and start restoring an old boat full-time. It is such a pleasure to watch you !! Now I have to wait again for several days ...... Thank you very much for all the tips and details !
Your RF cable is fine as long as your radio has a built in SWR antenna tuner..think RF reflection, but I would also make sure the LED light you installed does not emit a lot of RF noise, LED lights are notorious noise generators on the AM radio frequencies...and with all electrical connections on a boat, think lightning and stray ground current...bonding grounds....I'm an electrical engineer and I have problems figuring it all out when there is no earth ground....great videos and your humor when dealing with problems is fantastic....would love to see the outtakes..thank you John
Hello... as an FCC General Licensed Ham Radio operator, the better the cable, the less signal loss before you transmit via your antenna. You have to balance the benefit versus cost, as the sky is the limit! The antenna’s efficiency is only as good as the connectors and cables installed. Good choice on the RG-8U cable! One thing I noticed, your cable installations should have a low dip so water won’t drip down the cables and into the feed through holes. Insulate all your coaxial connectors well with a flex-rubber wrap. If you want to go overly-spiffy with the antenna connectors, consider using silver connectors for even less signal loss. The less signal loss between your radio and your antenna, the better your VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio). You should test your VSWR before you transmit to make sure your cable isn’t pinched or damaged from installation. It’s cheap assurance to protect your radio. Respectfully, Timothy F. Maimone, KD6UYK (FCC licensed since 1993).
Trilobular threads - these are fasteners with a rounded, but slightly triangular thread profile. The recesses of a trilobular thread allow the target housing to cold-flow or creep around them, granting increased resistance to vibration. Trilobular threads have the added advantage of being highly effective in thread-cutting, but their irregular thread shape means that their vibration resistance will be greatly reduced with repeated use, making them more useful as a semi-permanent solution.
Never skip the security lanyards Mads. Anything heavy enough to hurt you should be mounted AND secured if you mount it somewhere where it might come down onto human beings. Standard practice, since it is unlikely, but it HAPPENS that mounting systems fail. Also, this gives you some extra security during maintenance, since you can't just pull the mast only to service your radar. I mean, you CAN, but you really don't want to :D
Your English is excellent. For the screw which cuts its own thread, it's called a "self tapping screw" or "self tapper". It's from "Tap and Die" - the tap is the tool to cut an internal thread (male) and the die is the female equivalent. I feel like I've added 0.000000000001% to the project :)
"That worked out as well as it could." he says gesturing with a freshly injured finger. The blood sacrifices needed for the completion of projects are freely given by the faithful. The excitement is building. The sweat and blood of your efforts will soon come to the water. Well done.
In a good blow I noticed that the radar dome was gone on my friends boat , luckily we found it atop his bimini canvas top the lanyard had saved it from going overboard . Saved him a couple thousand $$$$..just saying lanyard saved the day .
Allthough you spoke fast enough, the video got long. I loved it. Not so many details ( for first time), but i hope you can tell more (much more) at some other time. Great video.
I did that when I re-did the cable for the wind instrument :) I think the two channels on the sides of the mast are pretty full now. If I need to add anything else it's going to be down the center of the mast :)
@@SailLife To avoid cable making noise inside the mast you could add large cable ties every 50 cm. Dont cut the end of the cable tie. there is noting worse than having lose cables inside the mast, the noise will drive you crazy.
I wouldn’t mount the fathometer transducer next to the keel like that. If the boat is heeled over far enough, with the transducer on the windward side, the keel might block the signal enough to be a problem. It’s usually best to mount the transducer a little forward of the keel.
I would agree if it was a more modern fin keel, but the Warrior 38 is closer to a long keel boat, and on boats like that it can be difficult to mount the transducer in front of the keel, and on full keel boats it isn't much of a option at all. I think if he were to mount it in front of the keel (looking at the stock floorplan) it would be a lot more difficult to access when needed.
Plus a plastic through-hull fitting exposed out there at the bow is a super bad idea. Just saying. They do make a bronze version but it is about a boat buck just for the skin fitting $$$. And even a bronze through-hull in such an exposed area isn't wise either.
A festival of spiffiness! Fabulous stuff. The screws that cut their own threads are called 'self-tapping' in the UK. Looking forwards to the next episode.
Hi Mads, the screws for the wind bracket are called "Taptite" in the UK - although they are sometimes confused with self-tapping screws - which are similar, but not quite (self-tapping screws have a slit down the side that cuts the thread)!!
Hi Mads - first of all great video and a huge respect and kudos your way for doing every little thing on the boat in a prestine way. That serves as a huge inspiration for all the small jobs on my boat. Being a dane i hope to be able to see you on the water IRL someday!
A comment from my small corner of the ham radio community. Dielectric grease on the VHF connectors is a good way to keep water out of the connectors. I personally was always suspect of that practice, but one of my buds is a retired FAA radio technician, and the FAA uses silicone grease. I have taken connectors apart after years and no corrosion inside. BTW the smaller of the two cables looks like RG8X not RG58. Also when soldering the center pins try not to allow the build up of solder on the outside of the pin, as it stretches the female part of the SO239 that the pin fits in. Those self tapping screws are Thread forming screws see: www.mcmaster.com/screws/tapping-wood-and-drywall-screws/thread-forming-screws-for-metal/ not all that common here in the states. 73 de W9PCS
Riveting tip: Not sure if you are doing this but if you are confronted with a combination of the upper torque limit of a hand squeeze rivet gun and the outer limit of your hand grip size ..... you can lift the rivet gun a little higher off the mandrel face (2-3mm) at the start, this allows the rivet gun to start gripping with zero force for the first little bit and you can close the handle up to a more managable distance to allow you to get a better grip ..... hope that makes sense ..... or just buy a concertina style rivet gun. And dont forget to punch out the center of the rivet stem. Cheers Mads, lov'n your work.
Mads! IMPORTANT REMINDER: You kinda eased off the cute stuff for Ava like the voice balloons and "little things that matter" as well as they are noticed. Probably that time to do another voice balloon or little "Love snippet" for your Ava. Just helpin a brother out :) Cheers from Canada
He doesn't have to be doing any thing like that on camera, as long as he's doing it off camera. Not everything has to be broadcast on YT for the world...
Yes, once again a very easy to follow video. So you are a software developer, that explains why you flowchart everything while the rest of us sit in a state of "Oh Glorious Jealousy". Thanks again, cheers n stay safe. ⛵
Mads, my heart is racing as you rapidly leave your miasma of drudgery. behind. Very Happy you are close to fulfilling your dreams! Your persistence and constancy in pursuit of the approaching grand finale is so deserving. When you sail away you will carry the memories of many of your followers with you. We are all in your debt. thanks for this wonderful journey.
A few people have suggested getting your Ham license. I'll add another reason -- you can send/receive email while at sea with Winlink over HF, including requesting and downloading GRIB files to get recent winds/currents into your chart plotter. Plus with the same gear you can receive weather faxes -- de KN4ZMA
The next time you are visiting Ava go to Harbor Freight and spend $20 on their larger rivit tool. The head doesn't pivot but it has 16" long handles, a collection jar for the scrap wire tabs, and will easily do even the biggest rivets. Monel are the toughest rivets to do. They are even harder than the steel ones used for general construction. I have both a smaller rivet tool like the one used in the video and the heavy-duty Harbor Freight "Pittsburgh" brand one for larger rivets and only use the big one on any monel rivets. Even the tiny monel rivets are too hard on the smaller tool. Aluminum rivets are so much easier.
Your videos will never be “way too long”. If anything a 45 minute or longer video every Sunday would be ok with me and I think everyone else would agree. Thank you very much for them no matter how long they are.
Hi Mad's, Hey I'm really surprised and a little disappointed you didn't oh gloriously sand and polish the top of the mast before installing all the fittings directly to bare aluminium, please don't trip before you get to the finish line after so much meticulous hard work, the finish line will get to you when it gets to you, if you know what I mean, great work great vid all the very best, Al
Sorry to chime in on this matter this late, but You should have installed the log-transducer in front of the keel to get consistent readings on both tacks. I had a log installed 1/3 from the front of the keel, and the difference was several tenths of seconds from tack to tack. It made it basically useless on a beat. Luckily You'll be all sailing downwind or motoring, and looking at Your COG anyways so this won't be a big problem for s/y Athena. I do suggest that all others install the log-transducer on the centerline and about 1/4 of the keel chord in front of the keel. Because sometimes you race. At least when there's one single other sailboat on the horizon. As there always is. You always race.
Great fim as ever and so good to see splash down is near!! that will be an incredible moment for you. I would install the Radar, wind instrument and other items now - easier than from a bosun's chair with no risk of dropping them the height of the mast and any experienced mast crane operators is used to looking after these items when moving the mast.
Great pilot house, particularly liked the massive, insulated w/tight door below. Bit surprised that the fiddles aren‘t higher, I‘ve raised them on my nav table and galley worksurfaces after crossing the Indian Ocean.
Congratulations on going with the wired option of the wind transducer. Friends tried the wireless option and spent days trying to get it to connect, finally decided that their mast was too tall and had to remove the wireless unit, pull the rj45 with the mast up and install the wired transducer. It is electronics and thus subject to OBF's you probably do want to benchtest the gear, I had to climb the mast and replace a brand new radome that would not talk to the MFD. I tested the replacement to make sure it worked before I climbed the mast to install it.
If you ever have to pull many cables together at the same time, use dish soap to lubricate the cables. I make up something called a reach rod through three 25 ft rod with control cables for an automated welding machine inside pipes for a oil transfer station. The “soap” will stick to the cables and allow it to slide easily and glide over any obstructions like the foam pads or around corners.
That speed transducer location will probably give you a large bias when the boat is healed, due to the pressure and velocity differential between the two sides of the keel when the keel is fighting leeway. It will read high on a port rack and low on a starboard rack with the error approximately proportional to the boat heel.
Mads is a software engineer, simple task for him to cobble some code together to account for this, that’s why he was so excited about the possibilities with this transducer. 😜
I cannot believe that I have been patiently awaiting each Sunday episode for over 6 years now. I do not own a boat, but have been watching you fix your boats for this long. I do not know what I will do on Sundays after you complete this project.. You have mad skills and I love watching you solve problems each week..
Mads, on the transducer make sure you have the correct yellow O-ring installed. I believe they are different sizes for different applications. You'll know if when you install it, the transducer does not sit flush with the housing.
a lovely nautical word for that additional bit of string to assist in pulling future wires...a "messenger".. thanks for taking us along on your journey...
Hi Mads, just a couple of things worth noting regarding your VHF antenna install: 1/ unless the self-amalgamating rubber tape used is something special it's not UV stable. I would be wrapping it in some vinyl tape that is. 2/ some people have suggested a drip loop in the cable before entering the mast, If you do decide to do this the minimum bend radius for your cable (identifying it from what I could see) is 50mm.
I used to race sailboats and we would pull our speed transducer every time we were done racing. I actually got into the habit of pulling the transducer on my cruising sailboat until it was needed to reduce the amount of growth on the transducer.
Your going to want to install that cable lanyard to that Radar. It is a safety feature. A previous comment by Yves explains why. Put that on there man!
I’ll add on more thing in case it’s not already mentioned in the comments: it is very important to weatherproof the interface between the coax connector (the PL-259) and the antenna to keep moisture out. Use dialectic grease on the center conductor before connecting to the antenna. You do all this to minimize adventures climbing a mast in rough seas because Murphy decided that would be a good time for the connector to fail....
Eyup from Derbyshire in the UK. The screw that cuts its own thread is called a Self-tapping screw in English. This is why the tool for cutting threads are called Taps and the process of creating a screw thread is called Tapping. Vid was the perfect length. All the best.
Good decision on thicker VHF cable. The actual output at the antenna using rg58 is about a third of the radios power due to loss at VHF frequencies. 25w radio =8w transmitted. You should be double that, depending what line you went with. Double props on butyl sealant on connections.
The slightly triangular (tri-lobe) screws are called thread forming screws in English. The threads aren’t actually cut. They are formed. The material from the root of the thread is extruded towards the crest of the thread. That’s why an M5 thread with thread forming screws (or taps) calls for a 4.5mm pilot hole instead of the usual 4.2mm. No metal removed, just displaced.
G'day Mads, greetings from "Downunder". Watching you struggle with those horrible rivet guns has prompted me to let you know about the battery operated rivet guns that are out there on the market. They work brilliantly and used effortlessly with one hand only,quick and efficient. Mine is a Milwaukee but there are other brands on the market out there. Worth the purchase and a great tool to keep on board while cruising. Cheers Mate.
The removable transducer is also nice to prevent damage when it protrudes very close to where lifting straps go. Except when you forget to remove it and the lifting straps destroy the paddle wheel anyway :(
Anything that moves chaffs, always. So if you can hold your wires in place do, if you can order a grommet, do. Always leave yourself a pull string, it is like hooking your future self up. The yankee word for that screw is self tapping (triangular sides, sides with slits, or even a drill bit on them). Will be interesting to see the wear on your cables. Hopefully, the updated electrical stuff out paces the chafe. I insulated a structure with closed cell foam and mylar on all 6 sides. No longer could I punch a cell signal (for alarm and automation system). So I placed a remote antenna right below the roof & ran the largest RG cable i could get. The change of the cable size made a huge difference in db loss. I later ran it in grounded pipe and got an even bigger gain. Thanks for another great video, and keep up giving each day your best. You are doing great.
Biltema har en større popnitte/blindnittetang til ca. 300kr. Den kan jeg godt anbefale 👍 Den minder lidt om en boltsaks, samme størrelse i hvertfald 😁 Tak for nogle gode videoer, godt arbejde 👌✌️
