The specs for an Alajuela 38 claim a fuel capacity of 75 gallon. However, after emptying the tank into jerry cans, I measured the capacity to be 60 gallons. While measuring the capacity, I also calibrated a Simrad Fluid Level Sensor model 000-11518-001. The process involved adding ten gallons at a time and measuring the resistivity of the sending unit:
Volume (Gallons)
Resistivity (Ohms)
0
255
10
193
20
127
30
98
40
70
50
51
60
42
Note the change in resistivity is not linear. This is due in part to the non-linear behavior of the sending unit, but mostly due to the V-shape of the fuel tank. Without calibration, a “half tank” according to the mechanical gauge was probably in fact about a quarter tank. Having used five points to calibrate the Fluid Sensor (Empty, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and Full), it presumably gives a more accurate measurement of the fuel volume (highlighted in red).
Aegir-Ran’s original tiller is nearly seven feet long and was originally constructed of laminated hardwood. Unfortunately, the wood started delaminated. An effort was made to shore up the tiller by inserting dowels, but it still felt “hollow” under pressure.
Note two other features of the original tiller: 1) the cam cleats on the top (for the wind vane) and the bracket for the tiller pilot on the bottom are insecurely screwed into the wood and 2) the tiller extends well into the cockpit (making the cockpit difficult to use for purposes other than sailing). To address these issues, the tiller was rebuilt.
This was achieved by sawing the tiller in half, discarding the unusable handle, strengthening the remaining half of the tiller, building a bracket, and constructing a new handle. I started by cutting a groove down the middle of the tiller with a table saw and gluing in a 1-1/4″ x 3/16″ x 5′ bar of stainless steel (with a hole drilled through it for the main bolt).
Additional plates were recessed and glued on the two sides of the tiller where the bolt passes through. Note the white line of carbosil/epoxy that was used to fill the groove left after inserting the steel bar.
After reshaping the the end of the tiller to accept the new bracket using West Systems 407 Fairing Epoxy, the entire tiller was fiberglassed.
A bracket was designed with Fusion 360 and it was constructed by SendCutSend. Because the top was a different thickness than the sides and bottom (to accommodate tapping the threads for the cam cleats) and because the bracket could not be folded, the four sides of was constructed of tabs and slots (to insure alignment of the holes) and it was welded together. Note the tongue that extends from the bracket to accommodate the Tiller Pilot’s bracket.
The tongue of the bracket was attached to the tiller using stainless steel E-Z Knife Threaded Inserts (in addition to two 1/4″ stainless steel bolts the pass horizontally through the bracket).
A handle was designed with Fusion 360 anti was turned from a single piece of ash (not laminated like the original handle), stainless steel tubes were glued into the holes that accept the pins, and the block was fiberglassed to provide additional strength.
The handle is attached with 1/4″ stainless threaded rods and wing nuts so the handle is easily removed during long passages (to free up the cockpit).
So … after filling the day tank with fuel (15 gallons), it apparently drained (siphoned) out. I installed a Lowrance/Navico Fluid Level Sensor to put the fuel level of the day tank (15 gallons) on the NEMA 2000 network via the sending unit. Once I was able to monitor the fuel level, I discovered the fuel was indeed being siphoned. After I examined the plumbing, I decided to switch the engine return (without siphon tube) and overflow hoses (with a siphon hose) to/from the day tank, and this fixed the problem.
After more than four months on the hard – during which time she received a new fuel system, a bow thruster, bottom paint, etc. – she was put back in the water this morning. The launch was not without its problems. The dripless seal is dipping (and needs to be adjusted) and the engine would not run. Eventually, the problem was traced to an oil pressure sending unit that is attached to the alarm system. Because the sending unit was not tripping, the electric fuel pump was being shut off. I “hot-wired” the sending unit so the boat could be moved from the ramp to the slip.
A 15 gallon aluminum day tank was installed in the engine room on the shelf where the genes used to be mounted. Since it is located above the engine, the diesel is gravity-fed, which reduces the chances of an air blockage in the line.
Since the day tank will be filled from the main tank via the fuel polisher, the fill line for the day tank was located in the bottom of a lazarette. The fill line will only be used for emergencies, were for some reason it is not possible to transfer diesel from the main tank.
My sister ship Arabesque (also an Alajuela 38) and the Aegir-Ran happened to both be on the hard at Marina Seca in San Carlos, just a few boats away from each other. I had only arrived in San Carlos that day and had taken the owner out for a couple of beers and some almejas chocolatas (chocolate clams) at one of our favorite restaurants, La Manga Restaurante Doña Rosita. The Arabesque was to be moved from the work yard to storage at 2:00 PM, and we arrived at the yard exactly at 2 only to find that the boat yard had begun to move Aegir-Ran, not Arabesque. While there are many differences between the boats (e.g., Aegir-Ran had a hard dodger), the hulls of the boats are almost identical, right down the the color of the paint of the hulls (Awlgrip Insignia White) and the waterline stripes. Flagging the workers down, we all had a good laugh about the incident, and in the days following, I still poke fun at them for trying to “steal” the Aegir-Ran.
Here is a photo of the Aegir-Ran on that day:
Here is a photo of the Arabesque being hauled to storage:
Sailing from Bahia Algodones to Bahia San Padro, the starboard jib block failed. It’s nut suffered unseen crevice corrosion, causing the pin to pop out and the sheave to be slingshotted across the cockpit. The nut that failed was split in four places! Chloride ions can cause localized corrosive attack (pitting and crevice corrosion) of stainless steels.
Fortunately, the winds were light at the time , all of the parts were recovered, and a replacement nut was on-board.
Since the solar panels were installed in the hard dodger, I have been concerned that the topping lift was not beefy enough. Quarter inch double braid seemed to be insufficient and it was not possible to increase the diameter without significant modification of the boom. Also, the single block did not deliver sufficient leverage to lift the boom with the extra weight of the sail pack when the mainsail is lowered. The boom vang struggles with the extra weight as well. To deal with these issues, I replaced the double double braid with block with Dyneema and the single with two blocks, a Schaefer 3 Series Single Block Stainless Steel Cheeks with Becket and Swivel Shackle and a Schaefer 3 Series Single Stainless Block with Front-Side Shackle. A Brummel Lock Eye-Splice was used to attach the Dyneema to the becket.
I have been focusing safety equipment this week (ditch bag, InReach, AIS, etc.). Today I registered an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon. The beacon was registered with US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Since a Category 1 EPIRB is being used (which means it is capable of automatically deploying, it was mounted out-of-the-way on the deck.
Category I EPIRBs are housed in a special bracket equipped with a hydrostatic release. This mechanism releases the EPIRB at a water depth of 3-10 feet. The buoyant EPIRB then floats to the surface and begins transmitting.
Upon deployment, the EPIRB’s built-in GPS will fix your position to within a few meters and then utilizes a powerful 406 MHz signal to relay a distress call to orbiting satellites. When triggered, the EPIRB broadcasts a unique registered distress signal (that includes the vessel’s MMSI) that not only tells rescuers where you are, but who you are.
An additional feature of the EPIRB is a 121.5 MHz secondary homing transmitter which means that once Search and Rescue teams have been deployed, they are able to home in on your exact location. The rescue is also assisted by a a LED strobe built into the EPIRB.
