I see that S / V FutherMoor has a 6 HP bow thruster. Pete or Chris, could you tell us about your experience with the BT? In your opinion is it worth the money? Which brand is your BT and are you happy with its performance? Any recommendation or pearls of wisdom that you could share with us, will be of great help in making our decision to move ahead with this project.
Thank you
Isi and LaMae
S / V Windseeker II
New Jersey
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We are considering installing a bow thruster to our 387 and are looking for suggestions on brand, horse power and recommendation on a reliable marina that will do a good job.
Thanks in advance
Isi and LaMae
S/V Windseeker II
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What success is there with bimini-top mounted solar panels? Needs are around 300 watts p/day. Manufactures of panels and mounting systems? And what you do it again? Thanks
Mike Goodnough
Summer Place, 387#18
Your unit of measure for your needs is confusing to me. Don’t you really want to ask for a certain amount of energy (W-hours) to be delivered on a daily basis? I suppose you could come up with a simple model and derate the peak wattage generated by the panels less any conversion losses (to generated ~12V for charging the batteries) and multiply it by the number of hours you expect on average to have decent sun.
I’ve not looked at this myself but perusing the web just now and I see most panels are rated in either/both amps and watts for their maximum output. Their outputs are unregulated and peak voltages can be much higher
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I was looking at an 18 RH 12 three blade feathering propeller considering a Gori since it reports to have a motor sailing feature.
Wondering if anyone has any experience or opinions.
Dennis and Cindy Sikkema – Holland MI
SV Genesis
1999 C380 hull #143
I had a Gori 3-blade on my 387 #53 and had it taken off. It vibrated the entire aft section of the boat. I replaced it with fixed 3-blade. To be technically correct though, Gori is not a feathering prop, it is a folding prop. Our current local dealer recommended a Maxi 3-blade should I decide to get another folding/feathering prop. Others on this list have Flex-o-Fold and love them. I had one on my 320. It was a great prop.
Wes Giles
C387 #53
Spring Fever
Marina Del Rey, CA
No experience with the Gori but I have a Flexofold 17 x 11
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I have a Catalina 380, Hull #380. After 10 years of cruising the Great Lakes, I have decided to install air conditioning on my boat. I am considering a 16,500 BTU unit in the salon area and maybe vent to the V-berth. Anyone have a factory schematic of AC in their owners manual that you could scan and email to me?
Thanks,
Ross Grippi
There is no factory installation or diagrams for A/C. It was a dealer installed item and every one is different. I did a Mainsheet article several issues back that outlines the ducting required for a nice installation where the unit is installed under the settee just forward of the galley sink and ducts to the upper fwd bulkhead with a main outlet for the saloon and a small outlet (close able) to the vberth. Where are you in the Great Lakes?
Tim
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Here’s an email I got from my friend that installed a tankless water heater in his new 445. Needless to say, they love it.
Wes
C387#53
Spring Fever
Marina Del Rey, CA
Guys – I finished installing a tankless water heater in About Time. We tried it out at the Isthmus a few weeks ago and it works great – hot water whenever you want it without having to run the engine or generator.
I installed the new water heater in the aft starboard locker and ran the exhaust hose to the port transom to avoid interference with the rear locker covers. I routed the hot water output of the original heater to the cold input of the new heater so the original heater’s output can still be used until it cools off. The output of the new heater now feeds the hot water lines on the boat. I inserted
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The following posts were responses to requests for advice on boat polishes and waxes:
You might want to read the post below from Rodd Collins. He is known online as MainSail, he’s a former multiple Catalina owner, and he really knows his stuff. I have bought and used the equipment he suggested for the past three years, and the results have been spectacular. When I bought Juniper she had been neglected for a couple of years, and the hull showed it. She now sparkles, and the shine lasts all year.
We simply use Star Brite (correct spelling I believe) marine polish on our hull. When I got my first boat in the 1980’s it showed early signs of needing TLC and it was the recommended solution. In the old days I would put it on with a folded high quality paper
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The following are responses to the question “What are the best charts and cruising guides to the ICW?”
In my view, the best ICW cruising guide is Managing the Waterway published by Mike and Diana Doyle. The minimum essential library of most useful documents I found on our ICW adventures were: that guide, the spiral bound flip chart navcharts published by Kettlewell (which serves as a backup to electronic charts as well as an extremely handy repository for hand added notes at critical points enroute), two Skipper Bob pubs specifically “Anchorages” and “Marinas”. These four books I used daily. Ocasional use included Waterway guides (Midatlantic and Southern versions) and A Cruising Guide to the ICW by Moeller. Actually, the latter was sort of superceded in our use by the Doyle publication which has a more useful format.
All of this is being currently field re-tested by Assn members Doug and
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Replaced the Shurflo 2.8 GPM water pump that was starting to lose the prime with a 3.0 GPM unit. Both units were noisy as the prime was reached and water was pushed. The unit itself is very quiet when first started after a period of time, but once water is being pushed through it is loud enough to wake up the whole boat. Anyone have any good methods to reduce the noise levels? It is mounted directly on the back wall of the cabinet under the galley sink.
cj.adams
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The following are suggestions for where to store and run your Honda generator:
I use my Honda 2000 in the same way as everyone else, but store it differently. I made a starboard shelf that i attached to the starboard aft locker lid. I replaced the existing hinge screws with longer ones to secure the shelf with no additional holes if it did’t work. I keep it attached with a bicycle cable lock to the back stay and the railing. I run it in the same position. No fumes and less noise inside the boat. It doesn’t budge in rough weather.
This is the generator sitting in place ( taken yesterday from my dink in B.I.) You can see the bicycle cable that holds it in place. The shelf (next email picture) was made from a scrap of starboard that I had. It was not quite wide enough so I
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