He Called My Boat a Barge

Forgot to post this one:  article from Wavetrain about the venerable Morgan 41 Out Island.  They used an unattributed photo of my Pelican under sail.  Worse not a single mention of Sally Morgan and her influence on the boat.

Article

So I'll give Sally's response, which I blogged on in 2004:

Comments on tacking the Morgan 41 

My usual first sarcastic remarks to someone questioning the sailing characteristics of the Out Islanders is 'how much sailing experience have you had?' If you don't know how to sail a boat to weather anyway, it really doesn't matter does it?

Best we can determine, the idea that the Out Island 41's do not sail well evolved from a story Bill Robinson of Yachting Magazine wrote right after the first boats were out, and his comment was it didn't sail to weather like an ocean racer. It wasn't designed to.

I'll be interested in what comments you get to your note. I love the way they sail - they're fast reaching, extremely stable (don't round up in puffs), and fun to sail. 

Just had to get my 2 cents in. 

Sally Morgan

2013 Projects List

1. Still need an Autohelm
2. New Sails?
3. Install Battery Watering system from Flow-Rite Controls to 4 T-105 house batteries -- provides a single watering point.
4. Build shelves for boat dishes in port locker
5. Turn companionway dish locker into a dehumidifier closet, pipe dehumidifier into cockpit drain system.
6. Repair / maintain engine coolant system.  Replace all old hoses.  Replace all clamps.  Inspect / replace fresh water and salt water pumps.  (sigh)
7. Remove rust from engine using elbow grease and Ospho.  Paint engine.
8. Install LED light above stove
9. Replace old plastic vent covers for engine room blowers with new stainless vent covers
10. Fashion springs onto broken salon hatches.
11. Replace Cape Dory dinghy with a 10.5' RIB and 15 HP motor
12. Bottom Job?

As they say, the list never gets shorter.

How Not to End a Weekend Cruise...

We had a great time with Eric and three of his friends from college spending a weekend on the boat.  Unfortunately on the way home we had a few troubles.  First a clamp failed on the starboard side of the engine and all our freshwater coolant drained out.  Shut the engine down, kept sailing towards home.  New clamp, refilled reservoir.  Started engine again and the belt to the alternator / seawater pump broke.  Went to replace the belt and bolts were missing on the alternator.

One bad (poor) maintenance thing after another.  At least I've kept up with paying my unlimited towing from BOAT/US.

2012 Project Revisited

We did accomplish a lot last year, making the boat a great place to spend weekends on.

JSI built us new cushions for the salon.  We replaced our running lights with new LED lights and added an LED spotlight over the dinghy to make those return trips at night easier when bringing the dog into shore.

We replaced the roll up doors on the port salon lockers with beautiful teak doors.  Same with the galley doors.  We finally installed the microwave in the galley for convenience.  And best of all, we installed a liquor cabinet over the table.

Other projects that are not shown include changing the analog thermostat in the galley fridge to an electronic unit.  The old thermostat would freeze everything over night, now we can comfortably use the fridge for weeks at a time without worrying about the temperature.

The new cockpit cushions (from JSI) were long overdue and look great.  The bimini and dodger are great.  The Eisenglass windows in the dodger are crystal clear and we invested in covers that will hopefully keep them in good shape for years to come.

All of our new electronics are great.  But we still miss having a an autohelm.  It's in the budget for this year.

And the kid's college is still getting paid for and he made the Dean's List his first semester.  Not too bad of a year.

Afternoon Cruise in the Gulf

Our current autohelm is a dog.

 Eric and friend Megan

2012 Projects

It's been a great year working on the boat.  I have been joking that we bought a project boat in 2004, fixed it up, and now its a project boat again.  But we love Pelican.

Current Projects underway:

1. New Bimini and Dodger with cover being built.  Slight redesign to eliminate a support pole from blocking the mainsail block.
2. New cockpit cushions -- light color sunbrella with a navy piping to match our canvas.
3. New interior salon cushions -- can't wait to see these installed.  This will be a huge upgrade.
4. repairs to the spreader bars.
5. Tune the rigging.
6. sails removed, repaired and cleaned.  the jib sacrificial is being replaced.
7. New electronic thermostat and fan added to refrigeration.
8. Anemometer head unit and cable being replaced.  
9. Autohelm installed
10. minor repairs to davits
11. Looking for a used AB 10.5' inflatable boat
12. Send son to college with whatever funds are left over.

2012 projects competed:

1. New air conditioners.  We never had an aft air conditioner working, and the forward air bearing burnt out this Spring.  Our poor lab Hoover was alone on the boat when it happened.  We returned to a smoky cabin and a distraught Black Lab.  They have now been replaced with two Marine Air units.
2. New Standard Horizon GX2150 radio with AIS and DSC.  Also added RAM mic in cockpit which is very convenient.
3. Garmin 740S chart plotter.  The radio ties into the chart plotter and shows the location of AIS broadcasting ships on the display.
4. Moved the boat to PYCC which is a beautiful place to keep the boat.  Replaced all the docklines.
5. Replaced circuit breaker for windlass
6. replaced sump pump switch in aft cabin
7. replaced Perkins salt water pump
8. Replaced all original running lights with new LED lights.
9. Added a dinghy spotlight on the davits.  Will help make it easier to find the boat for those after dark trips to shore with the dog.  These lights are also LED.
10. New 22" flat screen HDTV in salon
11. New throw rugs throughout the boat
12. Sent ships clock to Weems & Plath for refurbishing
13. Added "bird-proofing" to mizzen mast.  We had an Osprey using our mizzen as a perch and it sure pooped a hell of a lot.  We had plastic spikes added to the top of the mast to eliminate his perch.

Morgan Invasion 2012

 Pelican

Pelican and Sleeper during the race

Oceanair – blinds, screens, and soft furnishings for boats, yachts, superyachts, road vehicles, and the home

Oceanair – blinds, screens, and soft furnishings for boats, yachts, superyachts, road vehicles, and the home:


Add-on hatch surface mount roller blackout / screens.



'via Blog this'

The Frugal Mariner: Home Page

The Frugal Mariner: Home Page: is a great website featuring a 1977 Morgan 41 Out Island.



'via Blog this'

Save the Date May 18-20, 2012

27th Annual Morgan Invasion & Catalina Rendezvous 2012 - Sailing for Hospice at The Club Treasure Island:

Use this link to request more information.

'via Blog this'

Propane Outboards

We went to the Miami Boat Show / Strictly Sail last weekend in search of new ways to spend even more money on the boat.  We went to research a variety of boat projects and wound up becoming the first customer of Lehr's new 2.5 HP propane powered outboard motor.



They are selling green technology, but there was quite a bit more of interest to us than "saving the planet."

This motor will run on either a standard propane tank via a hose connection, or use the little 1 pound propane bottles sold in Wal-Mart etc. to run lanterns and stoves.

1. Our old Nissan 3 HP motor was 2-stroke and it's a pain to mix gas plus states are starting to ban 2-strokes on inland lakes due to motor oil pollution.
2. The new motor is a 4 stroke, much more environmentally friendly and is allowed on any lake that allows motors.
3. Ethanol in gasoline can easily gum up engines. Propane does not.
4. I hate having gasoline aboard my sailboat. Storing gasoline is dangerous in those red plastic containers with their leaky tops. Propane is still dangerous, but is stored in much more durable containers.
5. I'm terrible at top filling a gasoline outboard. I always seem to spill. Propane tanks screw on the motor. No mess or fuss.

Boat Projects

Nothing like a trip to the Miami Boat show to put together a list or projects for an old Morgan.

Navigation & Electronics

1. New Autohelm
2. VHF Radio - test / repair
3. LED running lights
4. troubleshoot anemometer
5. replace circuit breaker for windlass

Below Decks

1. New air conditioner units
2. replace icebox with freezer
3. replace refrigeration unit
4. Corian countertops

Engine

1. troubleshoot alternator

Other

1. new shore power cables
2. replace running rigging

Christmas 2009

Eric & Spencer leaving Gulfport Marina

Christmas 2009 Cruise

We moved the boat from Burnt Store Marina to its new home at Gulfport over Christmas break.  Here is Hannah at the wheel with Hoover standing watch.

New Stainless Ports

We replaced all of our old plastic portlights with stainless portslights over Thanksgiving weekend.

The results look great but it was a lot of work. The whole family participated.

Returning out of dry dock

Pelican was on the hard from March until October 2009 with a variety of fixes.

We finally got her back October 10th and here is Eric bringing her across the bay.

FL West Coast Morgan Owners Group is Forming

Junab Ali, owner of the beautifully restored 1982 Out Island 416 Sleeper asks:

A couple of fellas have expressed an interest in forming a Florida West Coast Morgan Owners Association. We were wondering if there is any interest in holding a Florida West Coast Morgan Rendezvous once or twice a year. Would you mind posting this on your website with my email address? Maybe I’ll get some nibbles.

Add Pelican to the list. Contact us here at morgan416@gmail.com, or get in touch with Junab directly at jali@tampabay.rr.com

2009 Morgan Invasion

Morgan
INVASION
2009 Rendezvous

The 24th Annual Morgan Invasion will be hosted
-- are you ready for this ??? --
by the
St Petersburg Yacht Club at Pass-A-Grille
May 8 - May 10

Here’s the plan:
raft and party at Pass-A-Grille on Friday
race in the Gulf and party at Pass-A-Grille on Saturday
breakfast and depart on Sunday

www.spyc.org

Notice of Race

Rules: The race will sort of be governed by the Racing Rules of Sailing and the Sailing Instructions. For example, protests are very very discouraged.

Eligibility: Open to any self-righting sailboat built or designed by Charley Morgan. Boats must have, or be eligible for, a current PHRF rating www.westfloridaphrf.org . PHRF certificates can be delivered or sent to the St Petersburg Yacht Club Sailing Secretary, SailingSecretary@spyc.org or the event chair, GloriaDavis@tampabay.rr.com Boats that do not have PHRF certificates will be assigned a rating by the Race Committee

Fees: Entry fees include Saturday racing, docking/rafting at Pass-A-Grille, one Awards Dinner ticket, a 2009 Morgan Invasion pennant and complimentary coffee and rolls on Sunday morning.
$50.00 for entry forms received prior to Friday April 23
$70.00 April 24 through May 5
$80.00 May 6 through May 7

Registration
Entry forms are available at www.spyc.org Send completed forms to:
St Petersburg Yacht Club, 11 Central Ave St Petersburg Fl 33701 ATTN Morgan Invasion

Schedule:

Friday, May 8
Boats arrive at Pass-A-Grille. Docking/rafting is free for all entrants.
Registration - - - - - - - - - - - 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Buffet dinner - - - - - - - - - - 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm ($25.00, reservations required)

Saturday, May 9
Hearty breakfast- - - - - - - - 7:00 am – 8:30 am ($8.00, reservations required)
Skippers meeting- - - - - - - 9:00 am
Box lunches available - - - 9:00 am
Begin departing docks - - - 9:30 am
Lunch for non-racers - - - 12:00 am ($8.00, BBQ, dogs & burgers, (reservations encouraged)
First Warning - - - - - - - - - - 11:00 am
Returning boats- - - - - - - - - ~4:00 pm
Dinner - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6:30 pm – followed by:
Our Honored Guest - - - - Charley Morgan
Awards - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Charley and our Commodore, Bob Johnson ($25.00 – reservations required)
Each entrant receives one dinner ticket

Sunday, May 10
Coffee & rolls - - - - - - - - - - 7:00 am – (complimentary)
Boats begin departing - - - - 9:00 am

Classes: and any divisions will be determined by the number of vessels in length/model categories and/or WFPHRF ratings.

Venue: Gulf of Mexico west of Pass-A-Grille

Courses: will be described in the sailing instructions

Penalty System. RRS 44.2 is modified to one tack and one gybe satisfies the rule.

Sailing Instructions: available May 1 on the SPYC website www.spyc.org and at the skippers meeting.

Radio Communication. Race Committee will begin broadcasting at 9:00am on the channels listed in the sailing instructions. Weather conditions, course selection, count-down and infractions will be broadcast

Scoring: The Low-Point Scoring System, RRS Appendix A will be used

Awards:

For additional information contact:

Gloria Davis, GloriaDavis@tampabay.rr.com or Phyllis Eades, SailingSecretary@spyc.org

2009 Projects List

PELICAN MAINTENANCE AND UPGRADES

Engine:
1. Repair Transmission
2. Replace Impeller
3. Inspect and Replace rubber hoses

Hull
1. Clean and paint bottom
2. inspect and lubricate through hull fittings
3. Non skid deck paint
4. Replace remaining plastic port lights with stainless ports from New Found Metals
5. Polish hull sides and whale stripe

Masthead
1. Replace VHF antenna, rewire if necessary
2. replace masthead light with LED anchor light
3. replace front deck light

Dinghy
1. Repair fractured dinghy

Electronics
1. New hydraulic auto helm

Below Decks
1. New Aft mattress
2. mount microwave in the galley

That should just about do it for 2009.

Mothers Day Cruise on Charlotte Harbor

Floating Dock is Launched!

Built a floating dock to continue work on Pelican together with a neighbor at Burnt Store marina. It was successfully launched in May. Total cost about $170.

Dry Tortugas

We had a great 6 day escape to the Dry Tortugas.

After attending an SSCA breakfast at the Burnt Store Cafe Saturday morning we purchased final supplies and got underway. Spent Saturday night anchored at Pelican Bay. Had dinner on the boat with Clay & Jeanne Griswold Saturday night.

After a brisk walk around Caya Costa island Sunday morning we headed to sea. The weather could not have been much better. Winds were from the west and off the beam for the better part of Sunday and into Sunday night. Monday morning the winds slowly shifted to from the North and finally from the East and again on our beam. We (mostly) sailed at around 5.5 knots the entire way. The trip was about 28 hours, and we motor sailed for about 8 hours in the early hours of Monday morning as the wind died.

The anchorage was kind of rough. It took us three tries to set the anchor in about a 20 mph breeze. Our 50' of chain really needs to be upgraded, but once the anchor set we held for the duration.

The fort was great. We spent our time walking the fort, snorkeling off the beach, and enjoying our boat. The wind never died, but we were able to cook some great meals on the grill.

We left for home around 10:00 on Thursday. The trip home was even better than down. It took us 25 hours including a side trip to Loggerhead key. We made over 6 knots for most of the trip. We finally lost our wind around 2:00 AM and motored for about four hours. At 6:00 it picked up again and we sailed between 6.5 and 7.5 knots the rest of the way. The sailing was so nice we took advantage and cooked a full meal at sea. Good times.

Dry Tortugas Spring 2007

Yahoo! Groups: Morgan 41 Sailboats

morgan41sailboats : Morgan 41 Sailboats

Some nice person has created a Morgan 41 group at Yahoo! and was nice enough to invite us to join.

This is a great idea because there is not really any good resources left dedicated to the OI41 on the web.

Morgan Invasion

Morgan Invasion

April 21 is race day. DIYC again.

We've Moved!

To Burnt Store Marina over the Thanksgiving weekend.

We have talked about moving Pelican to somewhere in Charlotte Harbor for a couple of years and made the move over the weekend. The Burnt Store Marina facility is very nice and we look forward to having more time to explore gunkholes in Charlotte Harbor.

On Wednesday I replaced the failed alternator with a Balmar 612 series 100 amp alternator and the MC612H Max Charge Regulator. The alternator is tied directly to the house batteries. The starting Optima battery is charged by the house bank via a Balmar Digital Duo Charge. The Duo Charge only charges the Optima when it sees more than 13 volts on the house bank, and can charge the Optima at up to 30 amps an hour. I'd be completely happy with my handy work, but can't get the Faris tachometer to function with the new alternator.

I also added a rudder position sensor to the Raymarine wheel pilot. I picked up the RPS at the JSI flea market last summer. It did not have all the parts with it, and it took a while for me to plan how to install it. Once it was plugged in we noticed a big improvement in the wheel pilots performance.

Next job is installing a Xantrex Link 10 battery management system, and there are 16 stainless steel ports in my front hall waiting to go to the boat for yet another big project.

On top of all that, the front macerator pump housing failed and the pump has to be replaced. It's not a job I'm look foward to. The forward head also is starting to act like it needs a rebuild kit, but I'm leaning towards installing an electric head instead. It would be easier for guests to use.

Project List: Nov '06 through April '07

1. Install Link 10 Battery Monitor
2. Install Balmar 612 series 100 amp alternator
3. Install Balmar MC-612H Max Charge Regulator
4. Install Balmar Duo-Charge Digital charging system for Optima starting battery
5. Replace zincs and impellers in Perkins 4-154
6. Install new forward bilge pump motor
7. Install 16 new stainless steel portlights
8. Sand and varnish exterior wood.
9. Paint whale stripe Royal Deep Blue using Awlgrip.
10. New non-skid deck paint
11. calk toe-rail
12. New 200' of anchor chain with 100' anchor rode attached.
13. Reuse old 50' chain plus 200' of rode for Danforth anchor
14. Split anchor locker to handle two rodes
15. Install rudder position sensor for autohelm
16. Add Ventair product under all cushions on boat.
17. Replace aft mattress with a memory foam bed.
18. Install TV antenna on mizzen mast
19. Add two LED reading lights, one each in forepeak and aft cabin
20. Replace anchor lamp with LED system.
21. Replace all halogen & incandescent red overnight passage lights with RED LEDs.

New Projects

It's been a long while since I posted to the blog. Over Thanksgiving weekend 2006 we are moving Pelican from the Harborage Marina in St. Petersburg to Burnt Store Marina in Charlotte Harbor. We have wanted to explore Charlotte Harbor in detail and decided now was the time.

Prior to the trip I am installing the following new charging system for Pelican:

1. Xantrex Link 10 Battery Monitor. I am happy with the new battery configuration from the previous post, but have not had the ability to monitor our battery usage.

2. Balmar high output alternator -- I have the model 621-100-SR-IG on order which should be footed properly for a Perkins 4-154 engine and puts out up to 100 amps.

3. Balmar Max Charge Regulator MC612H I have used this regulator on a past boat and it does a terrific job of quickly charging a battery bank.

4. Balmar Digital Duo Charge. The alternator and TrueCharge 40+ battery charger will be wired directly to the house bank of 6 6VDC flooded lead acid batteries. The Optima starting battery charge will be controlled by the Digital Duo Charge that is connected between the house bank and the starting battery. This system will put up to 30 amps into the starting battery only when the house bank is at a charging voltage above 13.5 volts.

Once we have the Link 10 installed we will learn how efficient our refrigeration, anchor light and reading lights are. Once we know this, we will understand the issues involved in long term cruising.

After this round of the electrical system is installed we will begin to install 16 new stainless ports from New Found Metals on Pelican. I can't say I'm looking forward to this job, but am looking forward to the results.

How to See in the Dark - WikiHow

How to See in the Dark - WikiHow

Morgan Invasion 2006

Davis Island Yacht Club

We decided to race at the last minute and our goal was to finish. We came in second behind Junab & Deena in Sleeper.

Shot taken December 27 on the way to Pelican Bay in Charlotte Harbor. Hoover was getting hot, so we put a hat on his head in jest. He actually liked it, put his head down and took a nap while we made our way south out in the Gulf.
click on image for larger picture

Thanksgiving weekend anchorage.
click on image for larger picture

October 8 Cruise to Isla Del Sol with the Dolphins

 
 

Isla Del Sol Anchorage

 
October 8 cruise with the Dolphins, hosted on Pelican 

Batteries, Batteries, Batteries

Update:  finished the job and now have everything mounted in the engine room including:

1.     TrueCharge 40+ as the main house charger, or to charge four of the house bank batteries when they are split apart.
2.     TrueCharge 20+ as a backup charger, or to charge two of the house bank batteries when they are split apart.
3.     Optima starting battery for the GenSet.  Which is recharged by the GenSet alternator.
4.     Optima starting battery for the Perkins engine, which is recharged by the Perkins alternator.
5.     Six 6VDC golf cart batteries.  4 mounted in the original Morgan battery box alongside the port side of the engine, and two more mounted in battery boxes in the bilge between the Perkins and the Genset.  These are tied together with a 2 bank battery switch.

My question now is should I tie the house bank back into the Perkins alternator, or simply rely on shore power or GenSet power to recharge the batteries?
--------------------------------

I came to a decision on what to do with Pelican's batteries.  I have not liked how the previous owner set up the battery loads, so I am going to take the time in September to get it fixed.  Right now here is pretty much how it had been set up:

Generator -- 12 VDC lead acid battery, tied to genset alternator and a TrueCharge 20+ battery charger

2 6VDC Trojans in aft cabin -- refrigerator only, tied to Perkins alternator and TrueCharge 40+ battery charger

4 Exide 6VDC batteries in engine room -- for all house except fridge, plus starting, plus windlass on 30 foot cable, tied to Perkins alternator through 2 way switch.  One set of 2 is tied to TrueCharge 40+, the other to TrueCharge 20+

TrueCharge 40+ is mounted in aft cabin on bulkhead next to Betsy's pillow.
TrueCharge 20+ is mounted inside engine room.

Problems with current set-up are:

1.   Starting Perkins from golf cart batteries which
   a.   causes electronics to turn off when starting the motor
   b.   is risky with house draw plus windlass draw on same set of batteries.

2.   Location of genset battery requires a maintenance free battery because it is hard to access from aft head.

3.   Fridge will deeply discharge a single set of two batteries over the weekend.  Prefer to see a more shallow discharge to extend battery life.

4.   Overall system is inefficient use of battery resources, hard to understand, and risky sharing starting batteries with house and windlass.

New Setup will be:

1.   Optima maintenance free 34M marine starting battery tied exclusively to genset.  (Yes, they are twice as much as cheaper marine starting batteries, but trouble free, could be mounted upside down or sideways if I wanted, and they have a 3 year warranty)

2.   Optima maintenance free marine starting battery tied exclusively to Perkins.  (OK, so now I'm spending 4 times as much, but really want to get this right.  This battery will be mounted in front of the genset, I estimate I need about an 8 foot cable run from the battery mounting to the engine.  Really not any longer than the current system going to the battery switch and back.  Oh, and the Optimas put out 1000MCA / 800 CCA vs. the cheaper option 550 CCA.

3.   The Exides will serve as a bank of 4 house batteries, still using the 4 way switch.  They will run the fridge, but no longer start the motor or run the windlass.  I believe I can still tie the Perkins alternator into these batteries to recharge them while under motor (?)

4.   The TrueCharge 40+ battery charger will be remounted inside the engine room.  Initially it will exclusively charge the house bank only.  I have the option of charging up to 3 sets of batteries with this system and can easily add the two optimas in the future if I desire.  (The Optimas are also sealed lead acid batteries so this will work.  You can't mix battery types with the TrueCharge.

5.   The 2 Trojans in the aft of the boat will be relocated to the engine room and tied into the four battery bank with the existing 2 way battery switch..  

6.   The TrueCharge 20+ will remain in the engine room.  It will exclusively be used to charge the 2 Trojans.  This way I have the option of charging all six batteries with either the 20 amp or 40 amp TrueCharge, or to split the bank of six into banks of 4 and 2 golf cart batteries and run both chargers at the same time, giving the system up to 60 amps per hour recharging.

7.  The Windlass will continue to run off of the house banks.


I think this will be a pretty good system.  All of the reading I have done and the participation in chat discussions points to it being a good idea to have separate starting and house banks.      

Installing Optima Starting Batteries

This weekend I am finally reconfiguring the batteries on the boat. The two new Optima starting batteries have arrived. When finished I will have dedicated starting batteries for the engine and the genset. Then will have one major bank of 6VDC golf cart batteries to run the house lights and the refrigeration.

The specs on the Optimas state they are 800 cold cranking amps and 1000 MCA. Look forward to getting this job done. The current battery configuration on the boat is suspect.

MARINE

Sailing with the Dolphin Cruising Club, Boca Ciega Bay. 4/23/05

Another great shot from Mike and Barbara Hawkins

From the rear

Mainsail is reefed, I think we need a second reef point if it is really going to blow.

Boca Ciega Bay

We sponsored a photo cruise on Boca Ciega Bay with the Dolphin Cruising Club on Saturday, April 23. Five boats braved 18 knot winds with gusts to the high 20's. It proved to be a bit of challenge to keep sails full AND take pictures at the same time. We later met on Pelican, downloaded our photos and burned CDs. Over 370 pictures were taken in about 90 minutes. We have a library of 64 shots of Pelican under sail from the cruise.

Cruising out in the Gulf on a brisk Saturday afternoon. April 16, 2005.

Good Old Boat: Quit Horsing Around by Steve Christensen

Good article about maintaining stability at anchor.

Good Old Boat: Quit Horsing Around by Steve Christensen

Sailing in the Gulf

Eric enjoying his favorite spot on Pelican. Sailing off of St. Pete Beach, FL.