--- In T27Owners@..., <brian@...> wrote:
I think the myth of keeping your boat 110% stock is hogwash.
Besides
which, choices have been made for me that I have no control
over.. .and
others I don't give a damn about.
Example:
Air Conditioning. It's 98% with 100% humidity here in the summer.
I
put in AC, the hell with the v-berth floor. It was worthless
anyway.
Not like I used to hold dance parties there.
Diesel engine: Someone else replaced the atomic bomb..... I'll
keep the
Volvo mess running... if it ever dies I promise it is headed to
scrap
and I'll put in electric with a small diesel genset.
Deck Paint: I used a new acrylic polymer... looks great, was easy to
apply, and gets me out of messing with gel coat defects from 1964.
Roller Furling: Yea, I put that on too. I am out to have a good
time
and I want my friends to enjoy it too. Playing Bouncing Betty Sail
Retrieval in a 2 to 3 foot chop trying to retrieve a hank-on jib is
a
great way to ensure non-sailors never come back. Or if I fall over
that
I never come back... lol.
Bimini: I installed one to make summer sailing more enjoyable. I
had a
choice of moving the main boom up 2' or constantly ducking in the
cockpit. The old sailmaker advised that I move the boom up. I did
and
it was great.
Main Halyard: I replace the wire halyard with a high-tech line
(technora
core). The line is rated for an 1800 lbs breaking strength. I
think it
will do just fine, but may need to be replaced every few years...
which
is still better than getting cut by meathooks.
My point here is that I bough the boat to enjoy it. My decisions
about
maintenance are driven by usability, maintenance impact, and doing
it
"right" in my eyes. Many of the expenses will never pay back. I
won't
get an extra $1000 for the bimini... but I'll get an extra few dozen
summer sailing days when it's hot as hell and nobody wants to bake
in
the sun. I don't like to cut corners on safety or rigging.
I agree, I'm not S&S or a naval architect. That is why I'm
consulting
with my rigger who is locally well respected. All he does is
rigging.
I've also read some of the sail design and sail theory books and I
know
enough to say that moving shrouds in increases the load and moving
it
out makes the mast more stable but compromises pointing ability.
Seeing
as my centerboard is out (and on the to-do list) .... Oh hell I
gave up
on J-Boat pointing when I bought a Tartan. Lol. I also gave up on
being stuck in the mud with a 7' keel when I bought a 3.5' draft
Tartan.
Lol. It's nice to be able to sail when nobody else will dare go
out for
fear of being stuck. We get northern winds in the winter that blow
the
water out of the bay.... By a foot or so which is critical to some
of
the deep draft guys.
I believe that the chainplates are one of the few mistakes in the T-
27
design. I think that at the time they didn't expect the boats to be
going strong 42+ years later; figured that sealing it in glass was
the
right way to do it; didn't know about crevice corrosion; didn't know
much about fiberglass (the boat is basically a wood boat in glass);
and
didn't want to move the bulkhead back 6". If the bulkhead had been
moved back 6" it would have been exterior bulkhead mounted
chainplates
like you see in a variety of other boats.
At any rate, I know from test holes I drilled that there are issues
lurking in the chainplates. I just hope to get to them before they
fail. I do test them regularly before I go out by pulling on the
stays
fairly hard and listening and watching. I consider that just common
sense maintenance. I know that the hull can handle the loads...
if
you look at the fore and aft stays they are externally mounted.
Besides,
the stress is not being held by the deck, so it is being
transferred to
the hull anyhow. My other concern is making a mounting block so
that I
don't have to cut the teak toerail and deck/hull flange. I also
think
it's useful to factor in that I do have a professional rigger with a
good reputation, that I trust, who is saying that yea it's a good
idea.
At the same time, it's important to realize that while S&S did
design
our boats, it isn't quite the same as one of their one -off
commissioned
designs. I'm almost certain that the inboard chainplates was a
compromise to deliver theoretical pointing.
Oh and btw, I paid $3500 for my boat 3 years ago.... Now I've put
enough
into it to get to market value... new sail, bimini, ac, etc etc
etc... I
think the FMV is about $12K to $15K depending on your patience and
the
buyer and the time of the year. When I go to sell it, if I get
most of
my money out, I'll be happy. The difference between what it cost
me,
and what I got is the true cost of going sailing. If it mattered
to me,
I probably wouldn't own a boat. After all, it's an intrinsically
expensive activity.
Hotpuppy Too, #71
Brian Greul
Brain;
Wow, a man after my own heart. I have done some of what you have and
some is still on the to do list.
As for the chainplates some compromise would seem to be in order. In
board is definitely out however outboard is doable. Have been
thinking perhaps a combo of both with thru bolts and spacers/shims
not sure till the time comes to open the knee wall. One thing RIGGER
MUST APPROVE.
Does the A/C unit fit right in the spot "V-berth floor" is it
actually called a floor? Floor LOL. Would have to move some
electrical for access purposes.
