I mentioned a few months ago about experimenting with flexible fins attached to the trailing edge of the rudder for sculling.  This has turned out to be very successful.  I can scull while sitting down at a good clip.  I don't have to pack a long sweep or Yuloh onboard anymore.  In a dead calm I can scull at 1 1/2 to almost 2 knots with very little effort.

I just bolted the ends of a couple of speed swim fins to the trailing edge of the rudder.  When I push the tiller back-and-forth the rudder acts like a fish tail.  Eventually I'll replace these crude fins with a single Lexan blade.

If you have a storage battery for running lights and VHF radio, you need one of these plug-in volt meters which can be bought at most car parts places.  It plugs into the cig. lighter socket.  If you have a battery switcher and two deep-cycle batteries you will always be able to know how much power you have left.  Your charger should push 14.4 volts.  On the charger box it will say 12 volt output, but it should actually put out a higher voltage.  Auto and Marine batteries are meant to have around a 14 volt imput to properly top off.  I have two batteries on "mini".  When I'm on a cruise, I use just one of the batteries and use the other for a reserve. 

   

Most of us have an inverter onboard so we can charge up flashlight batteries, phones and computer.  Some inverters will not operate with less than 10 or 11 volts.  If you have only 11.5 volts, that's getting pretty low.  Your mini voltmeter can tell you exactly how much voltage you have in each battery.  Here is "mini's" wiring and electrical panel. 

   

So much has happened and I haven't posted forever.  I apologize.  New items purchased:  A true "Charlie Noble" of stainless steel instead of the galvanized vent pipe I've used through the years.  I'm happy about this because when I was on a starboard tack, I couldn't use the fireplace because wind from the mainsail would backwind the fire and smoke would fill the cabin.  With the "Charlie Noble" (a sea going chimney top is called a Charlie Noble because there was an old sea captain by that name who was noted because he demanded the chimney coming up from the galley would always be perfectly polished) I can sail with a fire on any point.  Cool. 

I also bought a Para-sail for ultimate storm survival stategy.  I'm following Lin and Larry Pardey's advice concerning parachute anchors.  I bought both of these items at our huge marine swap meet we have here in Chula Vista twice a year down at the harbor.  It is great.

I'm racing MINI this Saturday.  This is the last race of the Fall Series in the Venture Yacht Club.  Last race she was 4th out of 7 boats.  Pictures to follow of the new paint.  Same color scheme.

 Just received:  Dear Dave,  How are you?  I appreciate the new pages.  Please find some pictures of Viva sailing in Jamaica.  Thanks.
Neil
aka
Capt Tuna
the chicken of the sea

Thanks Neil.  I just posted Viva's pictures on the photo page.  Click here.  

 Work is going well.  I've only spent an hour on it, but I sawed the opening down and will use some foam and pvc to build my new lip to receive the hatch boards.  The new little saw works great and I highly recommend it.  I also tried the blade which is used for power-scraping and found it really does the job with little effort.

I wanted to show you one of the most incredible sailing photos I've ever scene.  Wow!  This was taken here in San Diego of the BMW/ ORACLE America's Cup challenger before she shipped off for Spain and the races in early February.  What do you think?

 I just bought a new tool.  



Maybe you've seen one of these on TV selling for millions of dollars.  This is a Harbor Freight tool for $39 on sale.  It is a saw,scraper,sander and oscillates 19,000 times a minutes.  The throw on these things looks to be almost 1/4 inch.  Wow.  I'm going to use it to make my hatch opening larger.



I'm getting a little older (58 this year) and it's getting harder to crawl through that little opening.  I'm going to go to a three board (instead of one) washboard system.  I built this little wall up with 1" foam sandwiched in fiberglass.  It's been great but it's coming off.

 I pray this is your best year yet.   

 Dr. Neil will be so blessed that I'm going to get Mini back to bristol condition.   My problem is time.  I just haven't had it.   Yesterday I did a little scraping on the rub rail.  This coming Monday and Tuesday I'm going to work on her.  Pictures to follow here on the blog.  I've been testing out some inexpensive paint to use rather than the expensive marina store stuff.  I've come up with.....regular old Rustoleum (sic) Gloss white is working out very well.  1/4 the price.  I've had it on the dinghy for awhile in the sun.  Looking very promising.  More later.

 I would sure like to post something new every week on this blog.  The time flies by.  I took the 8'4" dinghy "mum" out last Saturday.  I anchored in the estuary and studied for my sermon.  Maybe other people don't need three boats, but I do.  Mini's cockpit is so small for daysailing and with nine stays, she take a little while to rig up down at the boat ramp.  One of my great blessings in life is that my house is one short mile to the launch ramp down at Chula Vista Harbor.  Everyone here calls the harbor  " 'J' Street."  Eva and I love it here in Chula Vista.  The average summer temperature is 77 degrees and the average winter temperature is 67.  

I posted a new picture of the "Pepper" in Chula Vista Harbor.  Took three days off and sailed "mini" up to Glorietta Bay, to Crown Cove and to "Dave's Spit".  I know it's gross.  Sorry.  Had a great time.  The Vivacity 20 is an awesome boat. 

I'm working on a very simple trim tab self-steering vane that should work on most trailer sailboats.  I'll keep you informed.  Nag me if I start to get lazy.

I finally bought a scanner.  This will allow me to post older pictures of "mini" and the crossing.   The new "Pepper" photo was scanned.
Here is the starboard counter.  My Origo stove is stowed with the frying pan in brackets.  Where the stock boat's sink should be is the ice box.


God bless you all.  I'm going to bed.

 

 I've been sailing a bit.  I've had 3-three day cruises and a four day cruise since my last post.  My church activities have been many and my boats and house are neglected.  I've still only renewed one window on MINI and  she needs her topsides, deck and cockpit painted.  I've been spending some time working on my 8' dinghy.  Varnished the rub rail and fiberglass work on the floor.  This dinghy is cool because I can use the mizzen sail and mast off of MINI and step it directly to the dinghy while at anchor.  The dinghy's name is MUM.  So when I'm towing MUM behind MINI.
  --MINI MUM.  
Kind of corny.  Pictures will follow once my computer is up and running.  I'm using my wife's MacBook right now.  Blessings.