Securing the Furling Hobie 20 Jib - Tack and Halyard tie off points. Still Struggling.

Update - August 2017: I made a soft shackle that I think solves this problem. More in a forthcoming post.

I took these photos quite a while ago, but the problem of how to effectively raise and lower the furling jib remains with me. At issue is how to secure both the halyard, which lives inside the zipper luff pocket around the forestay, and the tack. My Furler is perhaps an older model and there is literally one French Wichard shackle that can fit around it's girth and still have a small enough pin to go through. I usually try to shackle both the halyard end and the tack to the same shackle, but the tension is too great for that, and I often resort to using two shackles. The photos below should make this easier to understand. In theory the sail has a jam cleat that can accept line and "cleat off", but I haven't been able to make mine secure without slipping under sail.

Note the tack secured with captive pin Wichard Shackle.
 The black and white spectra line is the halyard after the extension line is removed following hoisting.

A peak at the red EP spinnaker made by the original sailmaker for the Hobie 20 - Skip Elliot and family.

Hobie 20 Mast Base Sheave (Block) for Main Halyard -- Replace with larger diameter block

My Hobie Main Halyard is the standard Hobie dimensions (D = 3/16"by 64ft Long), that is to say extremely thin to allow it to reside inside the mast going up and down without interference along any of it's length, while also being relatively strong, and it exits a 90 degree corner at the base of the mast around a sheave. This sheave is the pinch point when hoisting the sail, and if there is any cross wind or any excess friction in the sail track, the load on this component climbs greatly.

Typically, this delrin on delrin bearing sheave is used (29mm Harken Bullet Sheave #160), but I've noticed it worn or completely destroyed on a couple of Hobie 20's that I've encountered, and I decided to take action to prevent recurrence of failure on my boat.

As commented in the blue text-box above, the stock 29mm Bullet Sheave riding on Delrin internal balls burns out every 2-3 years or about 100 cycles.

Although pricey at about $33/piece at West Marine, I found that this 38mm wire sheave just barely fits with some very minor interference with the center bottom Cunningham Block which straps up from below and is pulled upward and out of the way when under any tension. The sheave cross-profile is design for wire, hence a much tigher radius, but it seems to fit snugly on the 3/16 rope halyard and the bigger diameter (38mm) translates into better pulling power in my tests so far. [Update 8/17: I've been using it now for 9+ months without too many issues -- it is crucial to keep the delrin spacers and sheave tight laterally so the line doesn't jump off the sheave while hoisting.]

The other option would have been to go with a solid delrin sheave, not spinning on internal delrin balls, but rather the through bolt itself. While likely stronger against all loading, this I felt would be a step backwards as the friction to spin it about the 1/4" bolt that secured it would have been far greater than that of the ball bearing versions. So I think my solution was a good improvement without many adverse trade-offs.

For reference, here is a link to all Harken "small boat" self-contained sheaves for your perusal: http://www.harken.com/productcategory.aspx?taxid=393

Burned out Delrin Sheavee

The Joys of "Cider" Kuzumochi サイダー葛餅の喜び

Recently I had the opportunity to taste two varieties of Kuzumochi, a mochi without the red bean in the middle and is "just plain mochi". It has a great soft texture, and you can dip it into soda like sugar that comes with the Mochi. The color is close to that of "Ramune" if you're familiar with that sweet kid's drink, also known in some circles as "Marble Soda" because of the captive marble in the bottle.

Tasty Kuzumochi from Arima, Japan
It comes with a dipping powder which is flavored like cider (red writing on the left of the package)

This "Cider" Kuzumochi brand was great and kicked off the search for others.

I'll get some pictures up of the actual Mochi when I can spare not eating it...

Porsche O2 Sensor Replacement Photos

 The O2 sensor in "Big Red" as I now call the 924s was rusted to the exhaust connector pipe between the header outlet and the Catalytic Converter inlet. This is a separate part of the exhaust that can be removed relatively easily, and many bolts sheared when I did so.

The first step is to measure the existing O2 sensor wire length and to cut the new Bosch replacement to match this. Then you spice in the Bosch connector which has waterproofing features built in such as little donut O-rings which go around each wire. Best place to study up on the procedure is Clarks Garage linked here: http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/fuel-18.htm

Measure the wire. I found clamps to my work table helpful.

They grey clamps are $1 at Home Depot in Cupertino and Campbell. Great Buy.

Steven's Creek Porsche Gave it a shot, but the O2 sensor was rusted in place. We had to destroy it pulling it out.
Measure from the old sensor in a comparable location to the end where the plug connects. Then duplicate this by cutting the new sensor wire to the correct length.

Bosch supplies an "Ikea Hieroglyphic" style instruction sheet, but they have English instructions on their website also.

The most difficult portion was rethreading and zip tying the sensor wire up from the exaust once reinstalled. As mentioned in my previous post, most of the heavy lifting for plasma cutting out the old O2 sensor boss, re-welding a new boss and re-welding and reinstalling the exhaust came from Kwik Way in Santa Clara. Many Thanks to Bob and the team there.

Exhaust work on 924S - New Catalytic converter and muffler

After passing Smog testing consistently for years, the red car finally needed attention -- it failed smog at a couple of different test sites. "Guarantee to Pass" fuel additive didn't work and neither did changing the oil, oil-filter, air filter and spark plugs.

NOx value suddenly spiked, and I also smelled fuel intermittently inside the car.
I'm not sure if the two are related at this point. After Catalytic converter replacement, I have not smelled fuel yet. The NOx levels fell to 0 an 42 ppm at 1700 and 2800 RPM respectively.

Being a Wisconsin car previously, the 87' 924s, now affectionally known as "Big Red", had some serious corrosion on it's muffler and around the Catalytic converter. These issues were in addition to the fundamental failure of CA Smog testing.

-> I was unable to remove the O2 sensor from the exhaust pipe. It had essentially corroded on. Later, I would have an exhaust shop (Kwik Way in Santa Clara) cut out the sensor threaded nut with a plasma cutter and weld another onto the pipe with a MIG welder.

-> I removed the exhaust from the header pipes and saved the gaskets. Some bolts broke along the way, but Bob at Kwik Way was able to provide replacements without too much difficulty. I also had him order the new Magnaflow Catalytic converter.

-> I went to Pick-n-Pull Oakland to get a replacement muffler from an 86' 944. Bob welded it to the rest of my exhaust in place of my existing rusty muffler.

I'm now able to drive her over Thanksgiving break! Only two remaining issues to address:
-> Exhaust vibration at 3800 RPM as I think the Exhaust is resonating against the Catalytic converter heat shield at that frequency.
-> Oil Pan Gasket replacement. This one will take about 8-10 hours+ according to Clark's Garage
This job will require removing the suspension drop link while supporting the engine from above!

Frankfurt -> Nuremberg (Nürnberg) by Bicycle. Late Summer Trek

I was able to take a few days and fly to Frankfurt, a major German city in the region known as Franken (Franconia). My mission was to ride the Mainradweg (Main River Bike Way), for 600km along the Main River in the heart of German wine country. After arriving in Frankfurt the tricky aspect, apart from prying myself away from this alluring city with great restaurants and night life, was getting to the bike shop to rent a trekking bike. My strategy was to ride to a different town along the Main each day, starting with Aschaffenburg and continuing to Wurtzburg and beyond. Accommodation was not planned a priori, and I found Air-BnB to be invaluable here along with my iPhone.

Frankfurt Haupbahnhof - Large Open & Victorian Look which reminded me of Liverpool

Frankfurt Alt Opera Haus Where Strauss was playing in September. Very Charming Exterior

For the first challenge: I found the DB bikes and registered for their system. This proved expensive in the end (30-40 Euro) but was invaluable for getting to the Bike shop, called Fahrradstation North of the center of Frankfurt by a few kilometers. In hind site it would have been better to ride the street car system from the city Hbf to the stop just next to the Fahrradstation.

Expensive but useful, the Call-A-Bike service helped me get to the Bike Shop in Frankfurt from the train station.

As soon as I found a good bike shop, the trip became much easier. I rented the bike with a 50 Euro deposit and 10 Euro a day. It was a sure footed Raleigh touring bike of a type I had never ridden before with integrated light (hub driven generator) and rear brake light. The shop attendant, Suzanna, was very friendly and helpful and got me setup with a rear bike basket, into which I put my 35L Marmot pack. The fit was perfect, and I was glad that I chose to travel light.

I rode directly to the Main river and began making my way towards Aschaffenburg, where the quaint castle Johannisburg awaited. I made it by twilight and in time to stroll along the Main, seeing the Castle as the sun began to set, and finding a warm rock wall covered in lizards. I also found evidence of previous years floods dating back to the 1700s marked upon a riverside wall leading to a road ascending to the castle.

Evidence of prior years' flooding

Schloss Johannisburg - Aschaffenburg

Hobie 20 Tuning

Putting Battens into the Mainsail

Hobie 20 Halyard Hook at the top of the mast.

Jib Car Track

Racing Trapeze Setup (2:1 Installation -- 1 handed adjustment from the wire)

http://www.clamcleat.com/cleats/cleat_details.asp?theid2=72
http://www.clamcleat.com/uploads/cleat_installation_pdfs/CL253_Installation_Drawing.pdf

Spinnaker Pole Attach -- Pin Restraint

Kayak Re-Gelcoat Repair - My Steps and Methods

During a great warm weather spell during this El Nino year, I set out to fix fiberglass "read through" issues on the gel coat of my 2005 Seda Swift kayak hull.  Watching some Youtube videos, including this excellent one by Jeremy Vore, I planned my strategy and materials list.
References for this guide are shown below:

Mrs. Milly Biller of IYC (Thanks Milly!)
Tap Plastics Product bulletin 13 https://www.tapplastics.com/uploads/pdf/Product_Bulletin_13-2012.pdf
Jeremy Vore's YouTube Channel

Materials. Conditions

* 65 -70F Day. Sunny with not too much wind
* Gel Coat and surface cure
* (hazardous - use protective gear) MEKP
* Sheets of overhead projector film - which I believe to be made of PET material
-> This helps protect the material from dust ingress, while establishing a smooth surface.
-> See Tips below on taping this in place while considering gelcoat "run" due to gravity

* One set of very long cuffed Black latex gloves (from the Home Depot Paint Department)
* nitrile or latex disposable gloves. several sets
* blue masking tape
* a good quality dust mask
* small dixi waxed cups
* a few disposable brushes
* Acetone
* Many extra clean rags (I used yellow microfiber towels from CostCo)
* Ziplock bags to contain different sets of materials
* Sandpaper of grades ranging from 60/80/100/120/150/230/320/400/500/600/800/1200/1500
* Polishing compound

Directions.

*Wipe surface clean
* Mask Off with Blue Masking Tape
* Sand #60 or #80 Grit in linear motion (not circular) only
* Clean gouge with acetone
* Allow to dry out, then put color-matched Gel Coat on a piece of cardboard
* Leave in the sun for 15 mins (no Catalyst yet)
* (hazardous - use protective gear) Catalyze using MEKP (Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide) Hardener
* Use a small, solvent resistant brush to apply to gouge
* Once built up proud of the surrounding surface, apply surface cure
* Allow 24 hours to cure at above 65 deg. F.
* remove tape. sand with sanding block only using #320 grit. focus on proud area
* fill in "pin holes" with raw gel coat and spray surface cure on it
* allow to cure for another 12 hours
* wet sand 400, 500, 600

Tips.

* Don't mix your sandpapers. Keep each in a separate plastic bag to avoid cross contamination of grit sizes
* Carefully position the overhead projector film by taping it to the boat and consider what gravity will do to the Gelcoat while it hardens. Use enough hardener to allow it to become tacky before leaving it to cure. In essence, you are "casting plastic" using the film as a mold that can be made to conform to the overall curvature of the hull.

Small Gelcoat spot repair. During cleaning and masking phase.

Rain and Rainbows in Cupertino - Tornados in El Dorado

After 4 years of extremely dry weather, we're starting to see more consistent rain (and snow) in Northern California. We couldn't be happier. I haven't done the calculation to see how many continuous days of rain we require to refill our stressed reservoirs, but I'll bet it is something like 1-2 years of continuous rain. Let it Rain!

Driving up Highway 50 towards Tahoe over the holidays, I saw something that I'd never seen before -- Tornadoes...

Raleigh Sunbeam Winkie Tricycle Project

It is time to revitalize "Betsy" the family trike that generations of my family have grown up riding.

The first task is to learn how to remove the 14 x 1 3/8 tyres from the English Trike, which the Duke of Edinburgh once apparently rode. This trike has a delightful rear trunk which is great for storing all kinds of kids stuff -- it also has a handle which can help parents guide their little tyke if necessary.

Steel Tube Frame with Sheet Metal Fenders.

Bar at bottom is retractable guide to help push children along or maintain control of their riding.

12/12/2016 Update -- All 3 tyres (tires) changed with new inner tubes. Components cleaned and now ready for re-assembly over Christmas!

8/27/2017 Update

See this link for the latest on Betsy. We met our Christmas 2017 deadline when the next generation is slated to ride her for the first time!