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During the course of the last months while fixing several
items of some
problems, improvements and new additions were made to
Yang Fan. I will use links to images which may take long time to download
on slow connections. Whenever possible I may include links to smaller
representations where "small" refers to an image 640x480 and "large" to
2200x1600.
- LectroSan
Addition of a LectroSan toilet. Doing it yourself save significant resources
over doing at the factory. My advise is to do it BEFORE you have used
the toilet. After long considerations and several attempts I decided to
always have the output of the head go to the holding tank and from there have
an option of pump out or overboard discharge thru a LectroSan system. May not
be required during offshore cruising but I wanted to be
gentle to nature.
- Power Winch
Addition of a hand held electric winch. The main halyard is routed so many
times that along with the weight of the mainsail it has become quite an effort
to raise the mainsail. Sine I am in this for pleasure and do not wish to work
off a sweat just to get the main raised, I decided to put in an electric
winch. It would have been nice to have them built in but the cabin restraints
below do not allow this. The only other choice was a manually held winch
that is placed where you usually use a winch handle. The price is about the
same but you need only one of them. Unfortunately, the only winch
available was delivered with a cable too short for my purposes. Since it
needed to be plugged in to as near as where the battery or a reasonably large
supply wire was located, I opted to locate the plug at 5 o'clock under the starboard
steering wheel. Hoping to one day extend the wire on the power winch to also
reach the port winch. This is a look behind the steering wheel bulkhead (small,
large) and the connector (small, large).
And this is how it is used (small,
large).
UPDATE: I recently saw someone advertising a D-Handle right angle drill
converted to a winch handle. Apparently, they used a Milwaukee 18V
battery operated right angle drill, attached a winch adapter and possibly
re-geared the unit for higher torque (delivering about 100 ft/lbs according to
a support person from that company). Another vendor showed up with a
similar design without the re-gearing (delivering about 50 ft/lbs). The
unit sells for almost $1000. Quite a mark up considering the original tools
can be had for about $350 on the internet and the adapter can be easily done
on a lathe/mill.
This is exactly what I did. But I opted for a Makita 110V D-handle
drill, about $260. I already have the 110V on my boat. This unit
delivers about 90 ft/lbs in low gear mode. And I tell you, I have never
seen my sail go up that fast. Yes, the unit is not as water proof as the
power winch, but it is lighter, cheaper, and I can use it as a regular
drill. Put around a some water repellant sock and it will work fine and
will give the needed electrical insulation. Make sure the tool is tied
to something so it does not make the big plunge. I made an adapter from
aluminum (small,
large) which fits the unit
rather nicely (small,
large)
- Inverter
For the most situation small handheld inverter will do fine and are in fact
preferred over a larger unit due to less power consumption. But I wanted a
fixed unit on top of the handheld units and wanted permanently installed wiring
to avoid tripping over cables.
- Power outlets for 12v and 110v
Yes, some of them are optionally installed by the factory. But you
really want to carefully consider exactly where you want them. This is a
decision best made with the boat on hand and I like to do this myself. Now,
the regular available outlets for household and marine use are rather large
faced plates which did not appeal to me. I like those little 1x1" squared
outlets one finds in computer back panels. Unfortunately, they require a
metal base to properly install and hold. So I made a square plate from
stainless 2x2" with a square cutout of 7/8" to fit those sockets. Then
the installation in the boat reduces itself to drilling a 1" whole and
inserting the finished plate. The back connectors are insulated with a
cap from a 3" pipe. GFI interruption is served by a central unit (small,
large).
- Shore Power, Telephone and Cable TV
Not that it is needed but handy to have in place. I wanted those connectors
out of the way of the main cabin and to eliminate as much a trip hazard as
possible. Also, having the cable close to where it is stowed is handy to
prevent having to lug it around (lazy me) (small,
large)
- Redesign of the instrument console
I added several instruments and the stock console was to small for all the
gadgets. I did not want to have wiring hanging around, nor did I want to
drill more holes in the top above the galley to accommodate those units. The
ultimate solution is to have a console that can be turned up to 90 degrees so
it can be seen from the main steering station, the secondary station, and when
sitting at the settee in the main salon. Due to my limited manufacturing
capacity I opted to build a teak enclosure to house the new units along with
the old. Not yet a perfect solution but a start (small, large)
- Autopilot remote control
Alright, I am lazy. Opted to install the unit in the companion way to the
starboard hull which gave me the most reach to the important places (small,
large)
- Autopilot mount
As installed, the drive motor intrudes into the wall and is fixed with
caulking. I opted to remove the caulking and install rings made of
starboard and screwed them together so that I have now ~2" of supporting
structure for the drive. The inside between the rings is filled with a
O-Ring of 48mm (1 7/8"). Ray Marine installations usually sport a fixed
clamp type installation when the support structure is there. Any uneven
installations will be dampened by the rubber grommets which clamp on the
spokes of the wheel. Inside (small,
large) and outside (small,
large).
After owning this unit now for more than a year, I had so far 3 failures
with the drive unit. My understanding is that the unit was most likely
incorrectly assembled as the lead wires from the motor to the connector in the
drive housing were twisted off. It is important to first attach the metal
housing to the belt unit, then slide in the motor, then screw on the rear ring
while allowing the connector to rotate freely, and then fixing the connector
to the rear unit. Something that I observed some repair technician NOT
to follow, resulting in a failure.
- VHF with remote handheld
I opted to have a unit installed down below near the starboard forward cabin
with a remote handheld near the main steering station. External speaker would
be a good addition to improve readability of any station. (remote:
small,
large) (main unit:
small,
large). You might want to
consider to get one of them new wireless remotes available. Also, beware of
remotes that do NOT give you full control over the radio from the remote
microphone. I bought one of them based on the advertisers description
and claim that it provided full control over all functions except DSC. It does
NOT operate the loudhailer or horn signals.
- Microwave
Luxury item, needed when traveling with kids :)(small,
large). Note, the
additional shelf that I put in in the middle compartment. It had to be
raised so that the microwave door cleared the faucet. This is a small
600W unit with .6cu ft. This is the only place for it to be. Didn't want
it behind the stove nor in the electrical locker.
- Water pressure tank.
To prevent the water pump from kicking in frequently
and to prolong its life, I opted to add a one gallon water pressure tank
located in the forward storage, starboard of the chain locker. I now moved the
tank in the portside aft locker behind the wash basin to get more space in the
forward locker and to prevent salt water splashing from the chain. This seems
to cause some problem with the pump which appears to be cycling more often now
due to the distance from the accumulator. Some form of oscillation occurs. I
added a second and smaller tank near the pump which resolved this problem.
- Radar
A must in any situation where visibility is impaired and waiting is not an
option. I opted for a cheaper unit from JRC which does the job. On a previous
boat I had a Raytheon installed with built in chart plotter and repeater and
found it overkill for the type of usage I got out of the boat. I thought of
installing the unit on the mast's first spreader. But then, I decided against
it due to extended installation task and other people had the antenna
installed on a pole near the solar panel which I followed (small,
large). The pole is stepped
on the lowest step with a swiveling mount (small,
large) and braced with a
triangle type holder against the stern davit. Now there have been
newer developments on software available. Ray marine make a nice package which
allows you to interface via the HSB bus and get data from all of the
instruments. I would have probably opted for that. It is really
nice to have radar overlaid onto the chart plotter which you can connect to a
laptop and use their Ray Tec Navigator software. It does work with the BSB
charts from Maptech on top of C-Map NT charts. It is always a good idea
to have a second opinion when consulting maps.
- Rudder position sensor
For better autopilot operation and reduction in wear in the drive unit.
Installed on the starboard rudder. On second thought, I should have it
mounted on the port rudder as there is more space. But this could prove
to be a problem as the autopilot unit is attached to starboard steering (small,
large). If I ever
have a second auto pilot motor unit on board as spare, I would opt to install
it on the portside rudder. This way you only need to reconnect the second unit
(maybe even use a switch) to use alternate drive unit if first one fails.
- Battery monitor
This is a heart interface battery monitor. Pretty pricey but it gives you a
good report on your electrical consumption and may be essential on long trips
where you run on a tight electrical budget due to lack of sun/wind. (small, large)
- Changed downhaul rigging
I was not satisfied with the regular rigging and decided to add an additional
set of blocks per suggestion from some catalogs of the going block
manufacturers giving me a 24:1 advantage, divisible into a 8:1 rough
adjustment and a 24:1 fine adjustment. (small,
large)
- Lazy Jacks
As delivered, I had some problems with the Lazy Jacks. One or two of the
mainsail battens would always snag on the aft line of the Lazy Jacks
especially when there was alternating wind and when it was not possible to
keep the boat as straight pointing into the wind. Once snagged, one had
to lower the sail, change the boats direction, or manually un-snag the battens
with a pole, not a very elegant solution. The correct answer is to
adjust the jacks and/or allow for a mechanism to pull jacks forwards and out
of the way the battens (small,
large).
- Outboard for dinghy and dinghy
Having such a large foredeck is perfectly suited to store the inflated dinghy
topside down. Make sure it is properly tied up to prevent it from
getting air-borne. I opted to store the engine aft near the barbeque,
doubles as a mixer :). This allows me to use the arch as mount point for my
little motor lift (small,
large).
- Throw able floatation device
As required, a boat should have some gadget aboard that can be tossed to a
person in the water, preferably connected with a line for retrieval. Although
the Seawind 1000 comes with holders for standard life rings, I opted for a
life sling with retrieval line attached to it and mounted it the opposite to
the outboard engine (small,
large). To protect it, it
is located in a solid box. You may want to order the targa bar without those
life ring holders as they are probably difficult to remove.
- Propane cylinders
A nice feature of this boat is that propane cylinders are stored outside and
therefore reducing accidents. The currently shipping cylinders, although this
may change, are not refillable in the state of California where new
regulations, again, have forced propane cylinder owners to either upgrade or
update their cylinders. The new regulations require some overfill tip
protection to be present which shuts off gas in such situations. Now, I
do not know what those gadgets do on a boat in heavy sea while cooking.
One could argue that you don't use the galley in those situations for safety
reasons. The smallest equivalent tank I found was unfortunately a bit tall in
the collar region which was interfering with the angled beam under the seat.
This just required cutting off a piece of the collar to fit nicely (small,
large). In a further
improvement I added a switch to alternate between tanks (small, large). I got one advice
from another owner. Before buying a newer tank, get a regular one (with
new safety device) and have that device moved to the original tank, a savings
of about $120.
- Solar air vent
The original vent cowlings did not seem to get the proper ventilation going.
So I opted to add solar powered vents. You want to make sure they run smooth
as any vibration is easily carried thru the hull and can be annoying during
the night. A popular unnamed manufacturer makes several models. Some
have a switch to turn the unit off. A wise choice in my opinion (small,
large). Down the road I
also replaced the starboard vent with a solar vent.
NOTE: keep the covers that allow you seal the opening after removing the solar
unit. In heavy weather the solar vents, as any other vent, might take on
water.
- Jib sheet breaks
I found the original clam stoppers used for the jib sheets not only cumbersome
but also possibly harmful to the sheets integrity. I opted to install
some Spinlock swivel breaks as seen here (small,
large). Now this was
a waste of effort. Those Spinlock breaks are not made for use on winches and
will be hard to open when under load, do NOT attempt. Third time is a charm.
After replacing my jib track to full width, I ended up with a 2:1 sheet
advantage due to the blocks. Now, the Spinlock work just fine.
Make sure you mount them with a wedge to get more clearance when locking them
by with the line.
- Remote Gas Fill
The boat comes with 2 steel gas tanks under the settee. The gas tanks
are rather difficult to fill due to Australian spill prevention requirements.
A stand pipe is attached to the inlet which has very little clearance and
causes air to be trapped which escapes rather slowly during filling. Usually, you bring in portable gas tanks
and gravity fill them. The portables are then stored in the forward lockers
under the mast, two on each side. I am planning to run piping there to
allow me to fill the main tanks from the remote tanks by just opening a valve
and squeezing a hand pump a few times and then let gravity take its course.
Lugging large tanks around during rough sea is not a pleasure.
Altogether, this gives me 2 x 16gal in the main tanks + 4 * 6 gallons in
reserve = 56gal total. Also useful would be some smaller screw hatch in
the larger hatches so as to only access the gas caps. Something like a
3" or 4" service opening to prevent having to open half of the floor which
mostly is covered with other stuff when underway. Of course you are much
neater then me and do not have that problem.
- Self tacking Jib
Found a very simple self tacking jib solution suggested by Gary (small,
large). After some trials I
opted to actually replace the tracks with a continuous track and a car which
allows to travel to both sides. This is a much better solution. In most
cases you leave the jib sheet at the same position and let the car travel from
port to starboard during tacking. The track also allows a much closer
tack (small,
large). Another view is
here (small,
large). The jib sail is
attached via a block (small,
large) and a car on the
track (small,
large) which does give you
a 2:1 advantage and allows handling the jib by hand in many cases.
- Fixed radar deflector
Originally, I had raised a ball type radar deflector on my flag halyards.
Depending on weather and wind, this sharp metal object would flop around. So I
mounted the unit on the forward spreader on the mast (small,
large)
- Loud Hailer/Fog Horn
Keeping a filled air horn around is a low cost solution to getting noticed.
But when you need to give signals in certain time intervals, the task is best
left to an electronic gadget. The horn has been mounted on the forward lower
spreader to be out of the way of any sail and lines (small,
large). Although some
VHF radios incorporate the loudhailer functions, be aware that they then will
not function as a radio. A separate loudhailer unit closely mounted to the
steering station is desirable.
- New Main Table
The factory installed cockpit/saloon table is made to double as a foundation
for the sleeping quarters in the salon. I found the table a bit too large and
replaced it with a wooden version (1st try = $20 on material) which allows one
to walk by any sitting guests without requiring them to get up (small,
large). Note: the cushions
used to complete the bed can be used at the rear benches under the arch for
more comfy seating. Please make sure you tie them on to some place (small,
large).
- Propane switch
I did not feel like lugging around gas cylinders just to switch between them.
A double propane switch with pressure meters comes in handy. Make sure
they are mounted so that the switch is protected from most spray and water (small,
large).
- Electric Water Heater
I finally parted from the Bosch water heater. I did not feel comfy with
propane inside. Frequently, when docked I wanted some alternate hot water
source and this IsoTherm 4gal heater with extra coils for engine heating or in
my case a webasto diesel heater is just fine (small,
large). I am planning to
add some heating to the boat and, yes, it will be diesel based.
- Jib Halyard
After some consideration I opted to move the jib halyard from the deck
organizer to the mast. I did not see myself adjusting that line that
often and wanted to use the freed break for the self tacking jib (small,
large).
- Forward Scanning Sonar
During my last haul out I also decided to add the sonar to the port hull.
Now, when someone asks me "How deep is it?", I have to ask back "Which
side?"
- Gas Tank Meter
Due to the fact that frequently the floor is covered with equipment, it would
be nice to have some way of determining the fill state of the gas tanks.
I added remote monitoring meters (small,
large). This involved
cutting holes into the stainless tank. I opted to have this done
professionally. Well, to my surprise that Russian mechanic just leaned
over the tank with a cigarette in his hand, gas fumes still evaporating from
the tank. I asked him if we needed to steam the tank. But he just waved this
issue of the table and promised the tank to be done the next day. Nothing did
happen to the guy and my tank, so I just vacuumed out the metal debris,
reinstalled the tank, transferred the gas from the other tank into the new one
and let the mechanic play with life one more time.
- Embedded Lights In Main Seating Area.
You can see in the tank meter pictures above that I have replaced the factory
lamps in the seats with LED versions. One of my passengers once told me
that they become so hot that one could get burned on them. Besides, LED
lights use less power anyway. I would like to see more LED lights used
in the boat.
- Motor insulation
By lining the interior upper sides of the motor well I was able to bring down
the engine noise level by about 3dB. I used the self adhesive 1/2 in
material available at the usual marine stores. Although the glue seems
to hold it is advisable to mechanically fasten the material as well due to the
wet location (small,
large)
- Main Cabin Enlargement
I saw this on another boat where the curtain of the main cabin was moved back
to align with the stainless steel frame, practically extending the interior
bridge deck space. I went further and added a stainless hardware to the
frame to align with stern side of the motor cavities and then had the curtains
moved to that position. Now, the steering stations and motor wells are
inside the bridge cabin. Important is to seal the motor well covers to prevent
any gas or exhaust fumes to enter this area, although there is still
significant ventilation. This is a view from astern (small,
large), from the side (small,
large) and from inside the
cabin toward port (small,
large) and starboard (small,
large). I also had
installed a zipper to close the gap between the 2 flaps that attach to the
arch (small,
large). Stole that
idea from Gary's boat.
One more advise; If at all possible you might want to choose a lighter color
for the canvas extension. Yes, it might soil easier but it also
brightens up the boat better inside. If traveling in hotter climates the
brighter fabric will also keep the boat cooler. Go with some thing in light
grey or other pastel colors.
- Wind generator
With the upcoming transom extension I have taken the opportunity to also
add my Rutland wind generator. Being on the hard helps a lot in terms of
dropping AND retrieving items. The generator is installed in the middle of the
arch extending about 20 inches aft. This gives plenty of exposure in either
case of points of sail .
- Transom extension
After some test sails in Miami I finally decided to add the transom
extension. The boat is currently in the yard for this work and should be
finished after Thanksgiving.
Future planned improvements
- Barbeque sink addition.
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