tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post4394069036720162742..comments2024-02-27T11:15:46.473-06:00Comments on Quidnon: The mastsDmitry Orlovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-71863735536239526932015-01-30T09:02:04.806-06:002015-01-30T09:02:04.806-06:00Actually, it's even easier than that. A shallo...Actually, it's even easier than that. A shallow slots milled into the front mast heel (which is a block of aluminum) would grab the head of the lower Jesus bolt, while with the top one one side of the tabernacle bracket would have a square hole milled into it, and then I'd use a carriage bolt.Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-25948792597923725402015-01-30T08:59:39.795-06:002015-01-30T08:59:39.795-06:00This is a very interesting idea. I'll have to ...This is a very interesting idea. I'll have to think about it. I was thinking that the hollow boom gallows ducted down into the hull, along with the airgap between the black-painted topsides and the insulated cabin liner, would provide enough ventilation.Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-89245079589721234642015-01-29T22:10:29.634-06:002015-01-29T22:10:29.634-06:00If you have tabs welded to the tabernacle to preve...If you have tabs welded to the tabernacle to prevent the bolt from rotating once inserted (pieces of flat bar simulating a wrench welded to the tabernacle) then you only have to go on deck with one wrench, and you only need one hand to hold that wrench, the other can hold on to the boat. This would only be important in bad weather, but it could be very important at that timeDennis Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04525900170454935174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-37217917039110125512015-01-23T10:48:31.057-06:002015-01-23T10:48:31.057-06:00You write of wanting to use many parts for multipl...You write of wanting to use many parts for multiple purposes. You also wish to ventilate and insulate the interior effectively. Have you considered running a very thin wall plastic pipe up the inside of the mizzen mast and using it for a counter flow heat exchanger for cabin air? It would need insulation for the lower 2/3's, which could be effectively arranged if the mast tapered. Detailing of the ducts at the lower end to be quick disconnected and/or flexible when lowering the masts, and arranging for condensation drainage from the inner (exhaust) tube would be crucial. With good detailing it could be used with the mast lowered as well. The flow could be driven by clever shaping of the intake and exhaust fittings near the mast head, and augmented when not underway in calms by PV or battery powered 12V, 4 Amp computer fans.Glennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16509609643029842132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-58725799852421761012015-01-21T13:46:31.650-06:002015-01-21T13:46:31.650-06:00No, on HOGFISH the masts weren't grounded, and...No, on HOGFISH the masts weren't grounded, and I never saw Saint Elmo's fire. I did sail through some fierce lightning storms, but nothing strange ever happened.Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-60724711241989938272015-01-21T13:45:00.142-06:002015-01-21T13:45:00.142-06:00Galvanization is done just once, post-fabrication....Galvanization is done just once, post-fabrication. After that it generally lasts for the life of the boat if galvanized pieces are oiled every few months or painted with epoxy paint just once. Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-47875002213174132852015-01-21T13:35:16.143-06:002015-01-21T13:35:16.143-06:00How much does it cost to have custom items hot dip...How much does it cost to have custom items hot dipped? Would it be a worthwhile maintenance procedure to have them re-dipped every few years during annual dry dock (or in Quidnon's case, annual dry beaching)? Or would that process make them more expensive than stainless in the long run?MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-80718190040618500212015-01-21T08:32:33.424-06:002015-01-21T08:32:33.424-06:00Galvanized mild steel is a lot cheaper.Galvanized mild steel is a lot cheaper.Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-20310665555650911442015-01-21T05:40:31.021-06:002015-01-21T05:40:31.021-06:00Dmitry, why all the h/d galvanised mild? For a onc...Dmitry, why all the h/d galvanised mild? For a once-in-long-while set of relatively small fittings, why not stainless throughout? What am I missing?Rhisiart Gwilymhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16198537913810396544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-91925992772449693042015-01-20T20:25:33.638-06:002015-01-20T20:25:33.638-06:00Have you ever seen St Elmo's Fire on Hogfish? ...Have you ever seen St Elmo's Fire on Hogfish? Was the mast on Hogfish grounded to the sea?MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-72153292823284379092015-01-20T20:20:43.606-06:002015-01-20T20:20:43.606-06:00Perhaps you can do both by using a 'spark gap&...Perhaps you can do both by using a 'spark gap' between your bonding cable (from your coppered bottom) and your mast, while electrically bridging that spark gap with one of the above static arrestors? I would assume that if the mast was actually struck, the arc will jump the spark gap just fine; while the arrestor can still reduce the odds of that occurring most of the time.MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-61496087817616725642015-01-20T20:14:14.625-06:002015-01-20T20:14:14.625-06:00Technically, it's inductance (not resistance) ...Technically, it's inductance (not resistance) that is between the antenna and it's ground. Most hams use these...<br /><br />http://www.iceradioproducts.com/impulse1.html<br /><br />Which constantly bleed static voltages to ground, but still permit transmission powers to about one kilowatt, within a frequency range. They will NOT protect your gear, or your boat, from a direct hit; but signicantly reduce the likelyhood of getting struck. Trees are more likely to get hit by lighting because they can develop a static difference compared to the ground around them in the wind. And ungrounded mast can do the same thing. What attracts the surge of power is a (slight) charge on the elevated object, not really it's elevation above ground. I've personally witnessed a strike hit a tree 30 feet from a much taller building.MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-24841843064912710872015-01-20T18:26:59.208-06:002015-01-20T18:26:59.208-06:00The inverted V wire setup is a better antenna than...The inverted V wire setup is a better antenna than just a horizontal wire spread between masts, but if you're just listening to broadcasts it won't matter. If you want to transmit, it will matter. But yes, a mast can be both an antenna and protected from lightning at the same time, any terrestrial broadcast station has to do it anyway. However, that also not as simple as just bonding the mast to the copper bottom and running a coaxial cable up the center of the mast. Contrary to popular belief, a true and proper lightning rod isn't designed to ground out the strike to prevent damage; the energy pulse is simply to great for that to work effectively. The goal of proper lightning protection is to manage the differences in electrostatic charge between a building (or boat) and the local ground references, so that passing through the building on the way to ground is NOT the ideal electrical path. There are solid state devices that radio hams (such as myself) install between the transmitter and the antenna, whose purpose is to prevent the current from traveling through the transmitter to ground, and a separate device installed between the transmitter and it's local ground rod that introduces resistance between the two whenever the transmitter is transmitting, thus permitting the antenna to function both ways by limiting the strike risk to the time period of actual transmission. The lighting protection used by broadcasters work in a different manner, but I don't understand it, and they cost a fortune.MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-44217770225047037062015-01-20T17:21:40.389-06:002015-01-20T17:21:40.389-06:00I've never been struck by lightning, but the t...I've never been struck by lightning, but the theory is, lightning strikes the tallest object in the area, and sailboat masts are tall. Also, lightning always seeks the lowest-resistance path, and a grounded mast provides a lower-resistance path than an ungrounded mast, so I'll only ground one of the masts.<br /><br />As far as insurance, it's generally a rip-off. Most people in the US have to have insurance for liability, to fight off the bloodsucking American lawyers. Everywhere else "no tengo dinero, Señor" is generally good enough. Insurance against your own losses is called money.Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-55080849190706704972015-01-20T15:14:23.010-06:002015-01-20T15:14:23.010-06:00I was interested to see a mention of lightening st...I was interested to see a mention of lightening strikes in this post. I do not have sailing experience but I have read books on sailing that say 1) that many cruisers elect not to insure their crafts or are unable to; and 2) that a lightening strike can cause catastrophic damage to sailboats or at least all of their electronics. This has always troubled me, since, in my inexperience, I would expect that a sailboat would have a high likelihood of being struck at some point. Is there any predicting how effective the mitigating factors you describe in this post will be in minimizing damage from strikes? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02763027914033710080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-23073651210085683962015-01-20T13:08:00.704-06:002015-01-20T13:08:00.704-06:00The question is, how can a mast be an antenna and ...The question is, how can a mast be an antenna and a lightning rod at the same time? Perhaps a better choice would be to run a few wires between the two mast-tops?Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-42726424192922683712015-01-20T13:03:35.996-06:002015-01-20T13:03:35.996-06:00Are you planning on using one or both of the alumi...Are you planning on using one or both of the aluminum masts as your shortwave antenna? Or do you plan on doing the 'inverted V' wire antenna with twin stayed wires? It seems like the inverted V would get in your way raising and lowering the masts, but typically has better emission characteristics than the tuned quarter wave that a single mast would be. However, using the mainmast as your shortwave antenna would fit well with your 'everything has more than one purpose' principle.MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-20994722549957934062015-01-20T09:14:41.450-06:002015-01-20T09:14:41.450-06:00When it's down and bolted into the tabernacle ...When it's down and bolted into the tabernacle the mainmast overhangs the transom by 20'6". When it's unbolted and slid forward, it does not overhang either the transom or the bow.Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-64658538326979252482015-01-20T08:23:35.880-06:002015-01-20T08:23:35.880-06:00How does the aft mast not overhang the back of the...How does the aft mast not overhang the back of the boat by a bunch of feet? Does it hinge mid way up too? Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13978293677123309037noreply@blogger.com