Moving to The Dark Side. Pilot House w/F300. Just because... it's Atlantic Northeast.

[swatski]

One of the first mods on this boat that should be a factory install! - a surface guard/bumper to cover the cabin door lip!
I almost split my forehead already a couple of times hopping around the deck, lol.


Also got some big ball bumpers for use at the new dock, and as an anchor ball for the windlass.


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[swatski]

Nice cabin and cockpit lights, in addition to white for cabin and bright deck spreaders, I guess to help preserve night vision.



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[drewkaree]

Was/is that just a flat finished lip (maybe undercut) that would have a forehead splitting edge?

With all that cold surfing, I thought your head was impervious to damage (or the damage was already done)

 

[zipper]

The anchor ball is a really good idea. We use one. They let you and others see where your anchor is as well as a way to pull your anchor out backwards if it gets fouled. Love the red light. We also have a red/white light for the cabin. I think I will add a couple of led's under the navpod for the cockpit.



Although the guy above should be pulling as the boat passes over the anchor.



I can't tell you how many times I have hit my head on the boom or the s.s. dodger frame or the sliding companionway sliding hatch. No permanent damage that I have noticed. My wife may say otherwise. I can tell you it was not as bad as high siding/flipping an ATV on a gravel driveway while faceplanting, no helmet, as the atv lands on your back ribs. I almost did not get up from that one. So what's an occasional bump on the head gonna do? I have a hard/thick scull. Lol.

And lastly, spot on with the right angle drill. I have had one for 15+years. Used it a lot at first drilling holes in close together studs to run wiring. I have not used it much in the last 10 years.

 

[djetok]

Nice cabin and cockpit lights, in addition to white for cabin and bright deck spreaders, I guess to help preserve night vision.
View attachment 146172
View attachment 146174

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We call that mood lighting in Okiehoma

 

[2kwik4u]

We call that mood lighting in Okiehoma

View attachment 146215

 

[zipper]

@swatski I have not seen a picture of your windlass yet. Does it have an octagon shaped hole or any other specific hole to insert a manual crank if you lose power and need to hoist the anchor? You can see the one on ours is designed to fit a winch handle just in case I need to manually crank it. I have hauled it up by hand in the past, but not something I want to do now unless necessary.


Edit: Nevermind, I went back and could see that you have a horizontal axis and not the vertical type that we have. I assume there is a straight bar or tool to fit the winch for manual operation.

 

[swatski]

@swatski I have not seen a picture of your windlass yet. Does it have an octagon shaped hole or any other specific hole to insert a manual crank if you lose power and need to hoist the anchor? You can see the one on ours is designed to fit a winch handle just in case I need to manually crank it. I have hauled it up by hand in the past, but not something I want to do now unless necessary.


Edit: Nevermind, I went back and could see that you have a horizontal axis and not the vertical type that we have. I assume there is a straight bar to fit the winch for manual operation.

View attachment 146235

We got the pro fish 700, it's a brute. Still learning how to service it.



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[zipper]

Nice tool. You have the option of using that or a 1/2" drive socket wrench.

 

[swatski]

Nice tool. You have the option of using that or a 1/2" drive socket wrench.

View attachment 146272

Yep, I got that! they don't tell you though how not to lose your fingers while trying to free the gypsy, lol.

It's all good now, my initial issue with this windlass had to do with the size of my brain (shrinking?) rather than the windlass itself.
I'm not lying, spent some time figuring out how to disconnect the windlass power (to disengage it for manual operation) without turning off power for the boat; was looking for a dedicated circuit breaker, even identified a suspect, a 100amp in the bilge:


Well, that wasn't it, my determined efforts showed...

A day later, I finally found it, lolol. a dedicated windlass breaker (which I somehow managed to overlook).



Anyway... At least I'm doing it in my driveway, not in the middle of the ocean, lol., my only weak excuse.

BTW - that other breaker is also new to me. I think it is a Yamaha aux charging cable, but I'm still unsure exactly how to use it and when should it be on, it's been OFF during the delivery I noticed. At first look it's black cable but it's red and runs between the battery positive and somewhere into the rigging tube in the armstrong bracket. IDK.

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[PEARCE]

@swatski I have not seen a picture of your windlass yet. Does it have an octagon shaped hole or any other specific hole to insert a manual crank if you lose power and need to hoist the anchor? You can see the one on ours is designed to fit a winch handle just in case I need to manually crank it. I have hauled it up by hand in the past, but not something I want to do now unless necessary.


Edit: Nevermind, I went back and could see that you have a horizontal axis and not the vertical type that we have. I assume there is a straight bar or tool to fit the winch for manual operation.

View attachment 146235

@zipper your Bene has the same windless that our Express had. It's a beefy unit. It would have been flawless if we had all chain rode. It didn't care for rope, or the transition to and from, the chain and rope. Having the combination of chain and mostly rope was on purpose to save considerable weight in the bow since it was a planeing hull. I think we had around 20 feet of chain and a lot of times that was all we put out since were beach anchoring a majority of the time in about 5 feet of water.

Our first cruiser, the one that burned, had all chain for the windless and it was absolutely unbeatable. We'd usually be the primary anchor boat when we would all tie up together since I had the strongest setup at the time. My wife still misses that boat because of the space it had in the cabin. I don't miss driving it. It was like a bobbing cork in rough water because of shallow draft and high center of gravity. It just felt uneasy it nasty conditions. The Express, which I loved driving, handled like a big runabout by comparison.

 

[zipper]

@zipper your Bene has the same windless that our Express had. It's a beefy unit. It would have been flawless if we had all chain rode. It didn't care for rope, or the transition to and from, the chain and rope. Having the combination of chain and mostly rope was on purpose to save considerable weight in the bow since it was a planeing hull. I think we had around 20 feet of chain and a lot of times that was all we put out since were beach anchoring a majority of the time in about 5 feet of water.

Our first cruiser, the one that burned, had all chain for the windless and it was absolutely unbeatable. We'd usually be the primary anchor boat when we would all tie up together since I had the strongest setup at the time. My wife still misses that boat because of the space it had in the cabin. I don't miss driving it. It was like a bobbing cork in rough water because of shallow draft and high center of gravity. It just felt uneasy it nasty conditions. The Express, which I loved driving, handled like a big runabout by comparison.

Ya, I like it a lot. It is beefy at 1000#'s max. We bought the rode package for our gypsy, while on sale a couple of years ago, of 20' of G4 5/16" chain with 200' of 9/16" nylon rope spliced to the chain so it goes smoothly thru the gypsy. Lewmar 20ft 5-16in G4 Chain and 200ft 9/16in Rope with 3-8in Shackle 69000339

 

[drewkaree]

BTW - that other breaker is also new to me. I think it is a Yamaha aux charging cable, but I'm still unsure exactly how to use it and when should it be on, it's been OFF during the delivery I noticed. At first look it's black cable but it's red and runs between the battery positive and somewhere into the rigging tube in the armstrong bracket. IDK.

I cannot tell you anything about your usage, but I'll try to snap a pic of that type of breaker used on my work trucks. That type of breaker is used for the oil dispenser meters, and they're perpetually ON for that purpose. If something happens that requires a reset (the "unplug it and plug it back in" of on-the-road "IT" in my line of work LOL), I have to completely shut down the truck, trip the breaker, count to 5, and reset it before restarting everything. Mine has a button to physically trip it, and the lever is to reset it, so I might be comparing apples to hand grenades, simply relaying my use. Interested in finding out what or how yours works too.

 

[zipper]

I put a 90 amp in, for the windlass, near the battery switches.

 

[swatski]

I kind of figured it out, tracing the part:


If I only had access to parts fiche for my new Parker! I tell you, we 've been very spoiled with Yamaha boats, can find every part, nut and bolt in every model, in seconds.

As I understand it, the isolator lead simply prevents current from flowing from the house battery back to the motor just like a VSR does; since the F300 4.2 Yamaha alternator has independent outputs, like a VSR controls where the current goes.

I’m more used to having a DVSR or VSR but either can fail, and Yamaha in Parker does it right it seems: a great, simple, and robust system straight form the factory, and no need to complicate it with an extra combiner, if I understand it all correctly.

In most schematics I see aux charge lead as 'optional', so kudos to Parker, again, for including this!

EDIT:
this would be an (oversimplified) schematic that I think applies here:


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[drewkaree]

I put a 90 amp in, for the windlass, near the battery switches.

View attachment 146289

Zipper's is exactly the type I've got, push the red button and the yellow lever pops out, and reset is simply pushing the yellow lever back into place

 

[swatski]

Eight more rod holders, seem really beefy and supposedly 316 SS.
I think I'll have enough holders at this point, no rods sitting on the deck.

 

[2kwik4u]

Eight more rod holders, seem really beefy and supposedly 316 SS.
I think I'll have enough holders at this point, no rods sitting on the deck.
View attachment 146323

So the rods stay in there while underway? What keeps them in place besides gravity? Do the waves make them rattle around and get scuffed/damaged?

Is it obvious I'm not a fisherman?

 

[swatski]

So the rods stay in there while underway? What keeps them in place besides gravity? Do the waves make them rattle around and get scuffed/damaged?

Is it obvious I'm not a fisherman?

yessir, those rods have rubbery inserts that help retain the rods, and they are angled almost vertical, I've never seen one jump out. Cheap rod holders can get loose and flop around and I had seen people losing rods falling out and sinking. with some gimmicks some of those rod holders will also be used for trolling, albeit it is best to have "outriggers" for that. I'm not that commited, yet, lol.

Couldn't get to the boat today, I hope she misses me as much as I miss her, need to make sure they fit snag and tight. I tried other,less expensive models, but it was a no go.
Hopefully I can finally hit water tomorrow, if my work doesn't call...

In the meantime, got my inlet socket (for the onboard charger)! this will be the first big hole I'll be cutting in this boat, it's always exciting.


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[drewkaree]

In the meantime, got my inlet socket (for the onboard charger)! this will be the first big hole I'll be cutting in this boat, it's always exciting.

You should take a video of the process to show how simple it is, for those who are terrified by the whole thing LOL

Or at least some sort of proof of concept for the wives that think paying someone is the only way such things should be done.

Remember kids, measure once, cut three times!