[C38] Lightning/Fire

Joseph Launie jlaunie at cox.net
Mon Aug 29 03:25:47 EDT 2011


Steve,
     Here are two pix of the turning blocks on our boat. They are Harken 
rated at 20,000 lbs. Remember, when you do a 180 turn in the line you 
double the load. In one of them you can see our genoa car which is where 
the line comes from going to the turning block. Hard to see but it is a 
Harken adjusable genoa track and car. We can move the genoa car under load.
     To install the Harken adjustable genoa track and car you have to 
replace the existing track. This led to what others think is the 
funniest project of my entire boat rigging career.  I still fail to see 
the humor.
     There are 2 kinds of genoa track, inch and metric. They look 
similar but are not. When I decided to do this project, I wanted to be 
certain the holes in the new and old track lined up, since if they did, 
the holes in the boat would line up. I got out a steel calibrated ruler 
and measured - old track was inch. I checked the Harken track - it was 
inch. We are rolling. A frequent mistake is to buy the new track too 
short only to discover that the first holes in the two tracks do not 
line up. Bought the Harken track with extra length to avoid this 
problem. The new car was wider than the old so carefully measured on the 
port side of the boat. It was a little close but  cleared the cabin side 
nicely.  I put my hired bolt backer below and pulled off he old track 
and got ready to install the new track.
     With the old track off, I laid the new track over the space and 
every hole lined up perfectly.  Then it slowly dawned on me, THE HOLES 
IN THE OLD TRACK AND THE BOAT WERE 3/8 AND THE NEW TRACK TOOK 5/16 
BOLTS.  That was one of those Oh, shit moments. The new track bolts 
dropped into each and every hole in the boat like a string in a well.  I 
had to fill each and every one of the old holes in the boat with 
fiberglass and drill holes precisely in the middle of the new fiberglass 
after waiting a week or so for it to cure.  But at last it was done and 
I got my hired bolt backer down below again after warning him not to 
even smile. We bolted the new track down and I sat back to admire a job 
well done. Nothing could go wrong now. I put the new car on the port 
side track and it went on perfectly.  I went to put the starboard side 
car on and IT WOULD NOT FIT - IT HIT THE CABIN SIDE.  I sat down to 
think about this accompanied by gales of laughter coming from below. The 
two of us spent the next several hours measuring the deck, the cabin, 
the boat and discovered, the BOAT WAS NOT SYMMETRIC. The old track was a 
different distance from the cabin and the toerail. Not much but enough 
so that the starboard car was never going to fit. I thought about this 
for about three days when the solution came to me. The cabin side slopes 
inward so higher up there is more space. I had my shipright cut me  some 
1/4 inch teak spacers to go under the track.  Then I drilled four 
million 5/16 inch holes in the spacers. Then I got my paid bolt backer 
back on the boat and we unbolted the new track, installed the spacers 
and rebolted the new track and the spacer onto the boat. The port car 
slipped right on. the starboard car slipped right on. Piece of cake.  
  Joe Launie/Macavity

> That's one of my projects for this  year too, I think I'm going to totally seal the engine instrument panel and move the key and glow plug to another location all together. Have had to many problems with it, most recently the ignition switch (Brand new) corroded and shorted during a race, we had to continually disconnect the start battery and reconnect under sail so as not  to run it down and burn up our fuel pump.  Now I have a battery switch isolating it so that  the problem wont reoccur, but still need to move the switches and seal  that panel,  Drives me nuts every time  the cockpit fills up and that puddle goes splash splash into the instruments.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: listserve-bounces at catalina38.org [mailto:listserve-bounces at catalina38.org] On Behalf Of Larry Malmberg
> Sent: Friday, August 26, 2011 7:47 AM
> To: 'Catalina 38 Listserve'
> Subject: Re: [C38] Lightning/Fire
>
> I have to concur with Joe here, having had an electrical fire on Hassle in the past you really don't know what has been damaged until you get into the entire electrical system.  Either a very good surveyor or marine electrician, perhaps both, to determine your needs.  Also keep in mind, any repairs done need to be checked and re checked.  We found on the recent Trans Pac race our engine panel did not have any drain at all and was not sealed well, hence a ton of sea water in it which caused us ton's or problems.  I'll do an article soon on this for the site along with our experiences on Trans Pac 2011.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Larry Malmberg
> Team Hassle
>   
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: listserve-bounces at catalina38.org
> [mailto:listserve-bounces at catalina38.org] On Behalf Of Joseph Launie
> Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 9:05 PM
> To: listserve at catalina38.org
> Subject: Re: [C38] Lightning/Fire
>
> David,
> I have been a forensic examiner in insurance matters for over 34 years.
> These are just casual comments, not advice. I would immediately hire the best marine surveyor I can find to look for hidden damage. Anything that got hot or was near what got hot is suspect.I would not rely on the insurance adjuster for any insurance company on the planet. I work both sides and am currently working for CSAA in northern california and Nautilus in Anchorage.
> Joe launie/Macavity
>
>
>    
>> Fellows,
>>
>> Some of you may have read about the french maxi-tri IDEC flipping off
>> Long Island Sunday night/Monday morning.
>>
>> During the same storm INTEMPERANCE was struck by lightning, setting
>> the VHF on fire, which then set the electrical panel on fire and
>> blackening the interior.
>>
>> I discovered the fire mid-morning on Monday, exstinguish the embers,
>> and yesterday, under her own power, INTEMPERANCE made her way to the
>> yard where she's been hauled awaiting a marine surveyor from our
>> insurance company, clean-up, and repairs. I have hopes we'll be
>> sailing Charters again by early September. Amusingly IDEC was towed in
>> and righted just a short walk from where INTEMPERANCE was hauled.
>>
>> This is, of course, a set-back, but not a killing blow; either to our
>> business or to INTEMPERANCE. She is water-tight, her engine appears to
>> be undamaged, and more importantly, her sailing rig appears undamaged.
>> The starboard side chain plates will need a good look and the coach
>> roof where the traveler and winch are anchored. But I believe she will
>>      
> sail again.
>    
>> Best to all,
>> David
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>      
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