Battery charging - rather technical!

 Following our initial day sails, I have now spent several days aboard to implement the completion of winter projects put off during the first Covid-19 lockdown.  The second lockdown has given  the opportunity to study the internet in depth to resolve our 12 V power requirements and charging.

   Not all electrics, also an opportunity to tidy up the mainsail and admire the new lazy jacks, fitting a temporary third one.

The Sunware 36 watt panel had clearly, with visible damage, stopped working last season, if not in 2019 but careful deployment of the one -both-two switch ensured that both sets of batteries were charged at the end of a day, sufficiently to restart the engine, the following day.  With her new Beta 30 engine she has a standard 75 amp, internally regulated, alternator with multi-v belt drive. It appears that this replenishes the few amps drawn in from the start battery with in minutes, if not seconds.  So an early switch to 2, while helpful, has still meant that there is not, then, a three staged charging of the, often, 25% depleted house batteries.

It became clear that, rather than a simple charge relay, as recommended by a local marine electrician in 2018, who never had time to start the job,  a DC to DC charger would be a better option.  It would achieve a multi stage charge for any specific battery chemistry, including the sealed lead AGM's replaced in 2017, or even Lithium Ion if ever affordable.  Given that the FLA starting battery and alternator is similar to a set up in a car and is almost always 100% charged, a greater excess from the alternator could be drawn by the DC-DC charger and used to power the variable charging needs of the AGM house batteries more rapidly.  Alternator over heating would be unlikely except for Lithium batteries. 

 

By moving the 1100 watt 250v ac inverter, that came with the boat, by one inch, there was room to mount the Victron device on the bulkhead between the two lockers under the quarter berth, leaving room for three busbars, two +ve for each battery and one -ve for both.  The existing Stirling mains battery charger, which already uses a three stage algorithm, is retained but the isolation switch for the inverter was replaced and re sited.  The opportunity was taken to install a fuse for each battery in the battery compartment to replace the single fuse for the house batteries, while retaining the separate fuse to the inverter. The starting battery was never fused to the mains charger!  

Another delayed project was to try and reduce the apparent 0.3v drop at the DC panel. Replacing the untinned 4mm wire to the panel with 16 mm2 tinned wire from a 30 amp trip near to the battery and accessible under the companion way step. The "one-both two" battery switch is retained but can be left permanently on "one", the starting battery as it is always isolated unless the DC-DC charger detects the engine is running and more than 13 V.  There is still the facility to start the engine on the house batteries if the start battery fails or needs a boost.  Experience in our first season, demonstrated the inadvisability of combining AGM with FLA batteries, so "both" has not been used for a while.

The damaged Sunware solar panel had already been removed, the deck made good and painted by Julie.  A near similar sized, semiflexible, panel from the same manufacture but capable of 60 watts output, was refitted with industrial velcro tape under most of it's area, to assist easier replacement in future.  This has stayed in place so far and may introduce some cooling.  The old Fox 100 PWM solar charge controller was replaced with a Victron MPPT controller and isolating switch.  All now connected to the new bus under the chart table with a fuse. 

Early indications suggest that after a few days of sunshine at this time of year the house batteries are fully charged on float, anyway, if not they receive more absorption charge while under engine, although many hours would still be required to fully charge.  The 250 V AC shore power and outlets remain and may be used kore, via the inverter, for charging power tools etc.

A four fuse block is now attached to the +ve of the house bank with blade fuses for "always on", bilge pump, switch, CO/LPG alarm and constant 12v for the fm wireless. 

The engine starting wires have been left intact retaining "one-both-two" for emergencies. The only thing remaining is the connection between the original, much simplified -ve bus bar in the battery compartment and the engine block. Like the starter connecting cables they are untinned and need reviewing.  The actual connections to the starter are inaccessible without lifting the engine, which involves removing the heat exchanger, probably above my pay grade! 

"Susan J" gets a major spars and rigging overhaul - despite a second lockdown!

A long winter, with no skiing and plenty of time led us to consider  abandoned projects from the previous year and how to make her sail better.

David Carne of Riggers UK had, over the four years he and his team have been checking her rigging for us, had come up with several suggestions.  With the spars being repaired and overhauled, now was the time to put some of them into practice.  As with so many projects by the time we returned to "Susan J" after Easter, a good start had been made but the gaff saddle remained un galvanised, let alone releathered. This gave another month for contemplation of the re fitting of the spars and rigging!

The steel running backstays, requiring two heavy wooden blocks at head height to tension, were replaced with single, Dynema covered with braid, lines and tensioned just with the staysail winches, as at present.  The possibility of a jamming cleat, instead of , or as well s, the winches, was considered but this would be difficult to release if the stay was adequately tensioned on the winch, so was abandoned.

The double block with jamming cleat, lead from a block on the jib halyard at the mast head and sited on the, already narrow, side deck by the shrouds, while effective in ensuring a straight jib luff against the, handy billy tightened, bobstay, was adding weight aloft and complexity, which we agreed to try without.  A similar arrangement on the starboard side deck, for the original duplicate staysail halyard, was only used to haul the dinghy aboard when laid up and, possibly, a MOB.  Both have been removed and retained ashore.

The twin topping lifts had already been, successfully, terminated on Dynema soft shackles further forward at the front of the reefing combs, rather than at the boom end to keep the flailing end of the gaff within their grasp.  I had already created a purchase at the mast to lift the heavy boom and gaff off the boom gantry at the aft end of the cabin.  These were revised with an extra run of Dynema and the original three strand topping lifts and lazy jacks themselves, which were as stiff as pokers with grime and age.  have been replaced with 6 and 4 mm, braid on braid, respectively.

With new soft braid on braid peak and throat halyards, a releathered gaff saddle(or bucket as it is known as locally), the main should go up and down more easily and in more control, while she rolls less in a seaway because of less weight aloft.

While waiting for the crane, the coach roof trim was stripped and varnished in Woodskin, as was that around the bow bulwarks and the lazarette hatches.  at the same time, Julie sanded and re painted all of the deck in preparation for the re galvanised mast collar support and the replacement solar panel.  The mast was restepped and the nine hard wood chocks were trimmed, where necessary and numbered for future reference.

  

  

    

With Graham at the yard keen to get us off the car park before G7, the spars were eventually craned back in early May and all the ideas came together in a matter of days.  The new stainless steel fore aft and cap shrouds fitted flawlessly, as did the, largely new and traditionally coloured, running rigging.  

After much internet research and costings, I had worked out how to replace the radar and multifunction device (chart plotter) with modern equivalents (it was not possible to do one without the other), which would talk to each other through a newer NMEA 2000 network and, only marginally, use less battery power and be lighter.  While feasible, it would be a major project and cost many £1,000's. It seemed pointless refitting the radome and it's large heavy cable, given that we had only been able to use the radar on shore power.  It also did not enhance "Susan J"'s appearance. So, for the time being, we would forego radar and rely on active AIS, which does integrate with the old C120 plotter.

Finally the question of topsail ahs been discussed on several occasions but the relative tall mainsail, leaves little room for anything substantial and, again adds extra complication and a lower handicap!  we do now have plenty of cleats on the pin rail band, if we change our minds.

 

Cleaning the mooring buoy and pick up buoy in anticipation of re launch!

"Susan J" launched in less than ideal conditions, which have tested the VHF as much as the rigging!

 "Susan J" finally reentered the Penryn River on Monday May 10th, after hastily bolting on the, now, re galvanised, releathered, oiled and tallowed gaff  "bucket", Julie having antifouled, the engine recommissioned and started and the other rigging sorted the week before a family gathering in Somerset.

 

A blustery cold day with even more wind on the Tuesday afternoon, we decided to swing off the docks to finish the lacing before departing early the next day.  Falmouth Haven was too windy to rely on at anchor, as we needed to hoist the sails fully for a while, so we picked up a mooring, quite far out.  It was a "Fowey" type mooring with no pick up but a ring on a relatively small buoy.  Despite the gusts we had the buoy alongside but Julie gashed her hand and lost a glove while (fortunately!) retaining the boat hook and the rather low buoy.  In the meantime I had come forward, having attached the tiller lines and promptly sat on the windlass, very hard.  When writing this in mid June I still tend to sit on one or other buttock but Julie's hand is fine and the errant glove replaced! 

Too windy to hoist, we had our first supper aboard of the season.  By dusk it was almost flat calm.  The main was hoisted, successfully and the jib run out and furled, all was well, stove lit and peace restored.

With a forecast 5-7 in the afternoon we put two reefs in and set most of the staysail and then heard an imminent F8 gale warning east of the Lizard on Ch 16.  This was at 09:30, while we passed under Pendennis Head.  We were already laying the Helford entrance and under reduced sail, mainly as we were supposed to be gently trying the new rigging.  So we continued  We called the coast guard on Ch 16, to reassure them we had heard but would carry on anyway but failed to raise Nare Point NCI, half way across the Bay, as advised.

As forecast, we duly noted a steady 36 knots with gusts as much as 48 knots but all settled once in the mouth of the Helford.  As a result of this first season sail, Double Deckers have now been reinstated, to compliment the Kit Kats, thought now sufficient by the skipper for such occasions!  

Matt and Rosie insisted!

Having crossed the Bay, we were called by Nare Point NCI, half a NM away to ask why we didn't respond to their acknowledgement of our call on Ch 65 about an hour ago!  We explained that, despite several calls from us, we had received nothing from then.  I telephoned them, once safely on our mooring and explained our dilemma vis a vie our VHF's apparent inability to receive over more than about half a mile and endeavoured to try again, with mobile to hand, later in the week. 

This we did during a couple of pleasant, if chilly, shake down sails as far s Gull Rock and back on the Friday.  Tests with Nare Point NCI confirmed what I had suspected, transmission at 2-3 miles was readable even at 1 watt but reception was nil .  At 25 watts we were loud and clear via the mobile!  This despite hearing the coastguard on Ch 16 & Ch 67 and the various Maritime Information schedules on Ch 62, which, perhaps unlike NCI stations are higher up and higher powered.

At the time of writing this in early June, we have achieved the same results on the emergency taff rail aerial, with and with out the AIS, which shares the aerial.  The SWR is always around 1.7:1, which is fairly good.  The AIS receives, from the masthead aerial at 4-5 NM although, as ever, our AIS transmissions appear sporadic, neither ideal and warrants further investigation.  In hindsight, I felt we had not been receiving properly since I installed the new wireless in 2019.  It has been to and returned from iCom, who says it is OK, including the suspected squelch filters.  Next, once back on board, is to eliminate sources of interference such as the instruments, MFD, the 12 v socket telephone charger and possibly the 12 v handheld iCom charger.  If that fails I might try reducing the coax cable by a 1/4 wave length apparently 1.5 feet.

  

Having relaunched and had a few trial sails, "Susan J"'s much simpler rigging, has resulted in, a much more attractive and traditional appearance, in keeping with her aspirations.  The mainsail is going up and down more easily and her rolling is less pronounced.  We are modifying the routine to tighten the free flying jib, without the massive additional purchase, now eliminated. Tightening the jib halyard first, lifting the bowsprit within the gammon iron and finally using the handy billy to lower the bowsprit back.  this seems to work and has the merit of ensuring less strain on the spar.

Here she is back on her mooring amongst the average white boats!

Several more posts, since September 2020 are now in draft and awaiting adequate internet to add photos, before publication.