07 Friday Jan 2022
Posted in Navigation, Planning, Provisioning, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Voyaging
Once we got the FlexOFold prop dialed in I finally managed some time to take the Far Reach out on a four days cruise. We motored down the ICW from the Neuse River to Beaufort NC–about 28 miles. The engine worked perfectly. Then we beat out the inlet 8 miles to the Bight at the Cape Lookout Seashore.
Continue reading19 Monday Jul 2021
Posted in Installing an Inboard Engine, Modifications
With the boat back in the water the most pressing issue was to get the propeller pitch right. Farron Peffer at Beta Marine was adamant that we should strive to get the max RPM at wide open throttle (WOT) within 50 RPMs of the designed 3,600 RPM. He explained that even though we might never operate at max RPM having the pitch and diameter of the propeller correct would insure the engine was operating in its sweet spot at any RPM and would not be working in an overloaded capacity which could shorten it’s life. The other thing Farron mentioned was you want to make sure you can achieve the full 25 HP if necessary and you can’t do that if you can’t attain max specified RPM when under load. Last, he said it is better to be slightly over max designed RPM than under.
Continue reading19 Monday Jul 2021
Posted in Installing an Inboard Engine, Modifications
Needless to say it was a great day to relaunch the Far Reach after nearly 22 months on the hard. It was long complex project and I am glad it is behind us. She went into the water easily. I checked the seacocks and stuffing box. No leaks. We pulled her out of the slings and secured her alongside the dock. I started the engine and let it run about ten minutes. We shifted into forward and reverse to make sure the linkages were connected correctly. I rechecked the stuffing box and had a few drips. That’s what we wanted but I had nothing to compare it too.
Continue reading04 Friday Jun 2021
Posted in Installing an Inboard Engine, Modifications, Upgrades
This is part IV and the conclusion of the engine installation project.
This post covers installing the inboard engine, installing the fuel system, aligning the shaft, building and installing battery boxes and the batteries and cables, installing the engine throttle control head, starting and test running the engine, stripping and reapplying barrier coat and anti fouling paint, installing the two blade folding propeller and making final preparations for relaunching the Far Reach after 20 months on the hard.
Continue reading06 Saturday Feb 2021
Posted in Installing an Inboard Engine, Modifications
Building and Installing the 12v panel and Supporting Systems.
With the engine beds installed it was time to start work on the new larger electrical panel to replace the small one I used for the last five years. I decided to reuse the 8 breaker Blue Seas 12v panel. I only used four of the breakers before: 12v accessory plugs, LED lights (which I added for the second voyage to the West Indies), AIS, and compass light. I also decided to move the panel from its previously hidden location near the inboard side of the quarter berth to under the bridge-deck, where it would be more accessible, and combine it with the Beta Marine engine instrument cluster, battery monitor, and battery switch. The new panel will be hidden by sliding doors.
Continue reading13 Wednesday May 2020
Posted in Installing an Inboard Engine
Installing an engine requires a number of supporting projects. In Part I, I described how I modified the rudder, installed a shaft log, and built and installed engine beds. In Part II, I will describe how I designed and installed the fuel tank; designed, fabricated, and installed brackets to secure the Luke 70 pound storm anchor; designed, fabricated, and installed a removable engine drip pan; and installed the engine intake flush through-hull and seacock, as well as a few other ongoing projects.
Continue reading08 Wednesday Jan 2020
Posted in Installing an Inboard Engine, Voyaging
I built the Far Reach to be simple—and she has served me very well that way. She has never failed me and in our time together she has safely carried me to a number of magical destinations. With her taller rig, longer bowsprit, and modified underbody she has proven to be surprisingly capable upwind as well as off the wind. She is fast. In fact, I have had to slow her down a number of times, especially singlehanding. She is as reliable as the day is long. She is comfortable. She is beautiful. As John Keats the poet observed, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”
Continue reading13 Tuesday Aug 2019
Posted in Equipment, Modifications, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Uncategorized, Upgrades
Tags
Blue water sailing, Cape Dory sailboat, engine free sailing, Engineless Sailing, Lin and Larry Pardey, sailboat restoration, sculling a displacement sailboat, Sculling oar
During the six year rebuild of the Far Reach I decided to remove and sell the original Perkins 4-108 50 hp diesel engine (you can read more about the decision process to ditch the engine here). We initially relied on a sculling oar to propel and maneuver the boat for the first year after the launch which included 3,500nm of sailing and a voyage to the Virgin Islands and back to North Carolina.
Continue reading11 Thursday Jul 2019
Posted in Navigation, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Uncategorized, Voyaging
With a reasonable weather forecast I slipped the mooring in Elephant Bay at 0800 on 10 June and sailed the Far Reach through the mooring field past all my live-aboard friends. I let loose on the conch horn I was given by my friend Ali Baba with as long a wailing trumpet blast as I could manage. With the wind out of the east about 15-20 kts I ran west along the south coast of St Thomas. My phone was buzzing with texts from my friends I had made during my time in the VI wishing me a safe trip home. I had a lump in my throat. While ready to get home I already missed my friends and the wonderful time I had in the Virgin Islands. But I needed to get focused on the voyage that lay before me. Once clear of the west end of St Thomas I turned the Far Reach NW leaving Savannah Island to starboard and then headed out into the Atlantic. In short order I had the whisker pole up and the jib winged out and started what would be days of downwind sailing wing and wing.
Continue reading02 Sunday Jun 2019
Posted in Local Sailing, Modifications, Planning, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Uncategorized, Upgrades, Voyaging
The wind in the SW North Atlantic north of the Caribbean remains elusive. I discussed it with Chris Parker of Marine Weather Center last week. Together we came up with three options:
Far Reach Voyages 