In this issue:
Who & What is new with Yachts with Experience
Wiggers Custom Yachts/ Nonsuch 33
New Website for Whitby 42, Whitby 55, Brewer 12.8 and Brewer 44 Owners
Whitby 42 Association & Bernie Boykin
Explanation of Load on Waterline or the TPI
Fuel Filtering & Scrubbing on Pilgrim
Extended Rudder Notes by an Owner
Who & What is new with Yachts with Experience
Since my last newsletter, a number of vessels have new owners. Some have acquired their Whitby or Brewer on their own while a number shared the experience with me. The dynamics of geographic separation happened while bringing together Sarah & Darrell Dunagan with Mike Tardiff for an agreement of purchase for Mavourneen, Whitby 42 #200. Sarah and Darrell live in Oregon and Mike & Katherine live in Rehoboth, Maine. The vessel was in Florida and with a little creative imagination, Mike was able to visit the vessel and fall in love. From there it was paper work and dollars. Joe Machado and Sarah Eichler bought Windreka III, hull #309, and now keep it in Deale, Md. Sarah was relatively new to sailing and even after some severe foot surgery has become an enthusiastic participant in the boating sport. Dick and Marybeth Seibert bought their boat from Ray & Diane Barnard. Marybeth traveled to St. Croix to do the primary viewing and oil samples. Ray & Diane brought the vessel to Annapolis where Dick, Marybeth, Page and Stephanie enjoy and continuously upgrade the vessel. The boat was subsequently hit with lightning at the dock in their backyard and now has a new electrical system installed. Don & Susan Kitchen came to the Rendezvous 2002 in a vessel purchased in the Annapolis area from Dr. Phil Cardon. They had done extensive refurbishing through Wiggers Custom Yachts in Canada including a new 106 HP Yanmar. The work order was long and thoroughly researched, but the ultimate happiness is that they and their children got away on target and are on that mid-life cruise so many fail to accomplish. Terry Folinsbee and Peter Dodd got away aboard their new acquisition, Rovinkind II, Hull #312 heading south in the "1500 race" and enjoyed a winter in the Caribbean. This year they have focused on a new ‘cottage’ in Nova Scotia and wintered their vessel in Lunenburg. I understand that the vessel is ready for a winter south again once a few minor repairs and upgrades are complete. Dave & Jan Sherwood bought ‘Laurel’ from Pier Putter and Laurel. They took their Whitby to near home on Lake Erie where they have undertaken new owner improvements to bring her to the Great Lakes Standards formatted by the short sailing season and the energies of new owners. Paul & Colleen Taubner are cruising with their 3 children (and I believe their cat is also) aboard Triana Marie. They bought a Fort Myers Whitby 42 #212 in Mississippi and took it home to Port Washington, WI where over the course of a year or more they readied her for a mid-life cruise with their family of 3 girls. They have sent emails of their adventures and like Don & Susan Kitchen with their children are fulfilling a plan so many miss accomplishing. Robert Dessureault, a retired Professor has bought Whitby 42 #196 and after preparing her for long distance cruising has fulfilled his wishes too. Bill & Judy Speary, original owners of Janus had twinges of parting from the dedicated cruisers of the world but after we reviewed the vessel in detail, they have decided to extend their love affair with their Whitby and the open sea. Judy has a unique hobby for a sailing vessel resident. She plays the Steel Drums with great expertise and carries them aboard Janus. She delighted the Whitby 42 crowd at the Rendezvous recently with a few solo renditions of great music.
While not all new owners or past owners mentioned above sought me out to intervene in the process, it is my hope that I did include all those who did since the last Newsletter in early 2002. If I have faulted, my apologies!
2002/2003 Rendezvous
And, speaking of the Whitby Rendezvous, the 2002 gathering was once again held at Pat Drenning and his neighbour’s adjoining property of Virginia Rankin and her recently departed husband, Bruce Rankin. Pat Drenning had recently also lost his wife, Alice. Both Alice Drenning & Dr.Bruce Rankin had been key to the hospitality and hard work in hosting the Rendezvous for many years and all of us who knew them will miss them and their true enthusiasm for our sport and way of life. Bernie Boykin will be announcing the Rendezvous dates and confirming location for the fall in his next Association Newsletter.
Vessels Newly Listed
Recently, a few vessels have been listed with me that may be of interest to you or an acquaintance, so I will mention them here. First, there is a 1979 WHITBY 42 Ketch, NUITS BLANCHES, with changes to the interior to a fine cabinetry standard. The vessel has had the decks and teak professionally redone and the hull has had a 1990’s Imron painting in Hunter Green or known to some as British Racing Car Green. She is mechanically up to date and has been cruised primarily in the St. Lawrence and tributaries with one trip to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In 1992, the current owner had Alex, at Whitby, who has many years experience at Whitby Boat Works, undertake many of the upgrades. She is winter tarped until near the end of April. She can be viewed at http://www.yachtsls.com/w42131 with pictures and inventory. Remember the original specifications for the Whitby 42 can be seen at http://www.yachtsls.com/w42specs
In 2000, Doris Hansen brought WHITBY 55 #1 to the Rendezvous where many of you got to go aboard her and see the WHITBY 42 on a grander scale. Just recently
WHITBY 55, SUNRISE, hull #3, a 1986 has come on the market. Her first and only owner has sailed her since new. He is now moving up to a 66’ Oyster and so his long-term sweetheart is available as of the middle of this month. She has been professionally maintained without reservation to quality and level of care. She has both a new engine and new generator and although a veteran of 16 years of sailing shows little wear & tear. She has been family-sailed since new by a sailing-savvy owner. Plans are now being formed to bring her to the East Coast of the USA, possibly Annapolis this spring. In the meantime she can be viewed at http://www.yachtsls.com/w55003
Wiggers Custom Yachts/ Nonsuch 33
Over the past few years, I have been involved with Wiggers Custom Yachts in Bowmanville, Ontario. Andy Wiggers and I originally met at Whitby where he and other members of his family applied their cabinetry and other skills to the production of the Whitby 42 and other custom finished vessels. For many years now, he has been a boat builder of great renown, specializing in One-up Custom Vessels with superb cabinetry up to 65’. In the mid-nineties he built a Custom Alan Andrews 65 and is now detailing a newly built Mark Ellis 54 Custom vessel. In addition, he has acquired the molds for the entire Nonsuch and Niagara Line. I currently have the Nonsuch 33 Factory Show Boat for sale as well as offering New Production. With detailed knowledge of the building procedures of the Whitby, he has done major refits and upgrades to two of them as well as a Brewer 46. These three vessels had upgrades well into the six figures with everything from new fuel tanks under the pilot house sole of the Brewer 46 to installation of a new engine, port fuel tank, new battery systems, epoxy bottoms and imron painting of hull and decks, pleasing the owners and surpassing their expectations. If you are considering a major upgrade of this magnitude, let us discuss it! The Nonsuch 33 specs can be seen at http://www.wiggerscustomyachts.com and click the Nonsuch 33 icon.
In the near future, I will begin marketing my services through Sailing Yachts & Trawlers Inc. to reflect the demographic changes in our activities. Each year I am increasingly involved with some owners of Whitbys & Brewers changing to coastwise and leisure cruising under power. For instance, last year, Andrew Skerlec & Rowan Marsh, while still enjoying their Whitby 42, took several weeks to do the run from Vancouver to Alaska in their newly acquired Grand Banks 36, certainly a major cruise undertaking and not for the light of heart. Heading North they enjoyed great spring weather in May but on the way home in early fall, experienced the wrath of high winds, currents and following seas for a few days. All in all, it is reported to have been a great trip!
Each year I have been assisting the search, selection and approval process for a few new owners-to-be of an alternate to their Sailing Vessel. In my early years, I spent part of a ‘getaway year’ prior to settling down, aboard a 65 ton Feadship and later was involved with the Canadian Distributor of the Grand Banks.
New Website for Whitby 42, Whitby 55, Brewer 12.8 and Brewer 44 Owners
Separately, Greg Temple bought a one-owner Whitby 42 #313. He undertook the normal upgrades and then some followed by a cruise to the Bahamas with the Spearys and then north to Annapolis where the vessel is at present. I mention Greg separately because he and Dick Seibert with cooperation and assistance with Bernie, who has been pushing for a Whitby Chat Line for some time, have pulled together a Website that will allow us to share a wealth of information about the Whitby and Brewers. The name was approved as http://www.Whitby42.com This should be completed by the beginning of May this year. Join in and see if the answer to your questions is there or pose or submit resolutions you feel may be of value to others. Just recently, for instance, I have been able to share information to Les Litton about the heel pin replacement on a Whitby 42 cruising in the Marshall Islands and got two owners together about the process of transmission removal and return without taking the engine out of the vessel. Savings, fantastic, both in dollars and effort!
Whitby 42 Association & Bernie Boykin
Bernie Boykin, the Editor-in-Chief & Publisher of the Whitby/Brewer Association Newsletter has information posted at http://www.whitby42brewer.org If any one receiving this Newsletter wishes to join the association of Whitby and Brewers as owner(s) or future owner(s), they should contact Bernie Boykin at bcboykin@bcpl.net or by phone at 410 828 5690. His mailing address is 1919 Ruston Rd, Baltimore, Md 21204-3510.
Explanation of Load on Waterline or the TPI
The TPI (tons per inch immersion) is a naval architecture term for the weight in water that is displaced by sinking the boat 1 inch, and it is dependent on waterplane area. Since the shape of the waterplane changes as the boat sinks or trims, it is not a constant number, but depends on how your particular boat happens to be floating.
TPI is normally used for ships; for boats of this size, PPI (pounds per inch immersion) might be more useful.
PPI is computed by 64*(waterplane area in square feet)/12 (in fresh water use 62.4 instead of 64). If we estimate that the waterplane area is about 245 square feet, then in salt water, the PPI would be 1307. In practice, of course, adding 1300 pounds to your boat (for example, 150 gallons of fresh water) won't necessarily sink the boat down evenly one inch. Depending on where the weight is added, the bow or stern will move down further.
Bruce Hays
#316
Input by Douglas:
Somewhere in the past on either a previous newsletter or chat line, I pointed out how loading the Whitby/Brewer hull with its normal tankage of 300 gallons U.S of water and 200 gallons of fuel and 40 gallons of holding tank capacity is about two tons of variable ballast in total. On top of that we added a bowsprit and offsetting lead aft of the engine to equal out the trim. Owners have since added davits, outboards, gasoline tanks, and all-chain rodes at 2 or more pounds per foot. Others have added an extra anchor or two for another 100 pounds with additional chain and rode. Bowthrusters, Battery Systems, Generators, Water Makers, Liferafts and Enclosures are amongst a few of the heavy weight additions whose total combined weight can influence you waterline/freeboard factors. And hence, performance under different conditions as well as fuel economy and range will vary. One needs to consider all these before decisions about new equipment are added and where it should be placed. Tuning your rig should be done with your boat in trim, as it will go to sea for optimum performance. If you get your Main masthead raked to far aft, weather-helm will be a drain on you and your autopilot. Before adding equipment, seek out other owners for best a location instead of one of those ‘wish I had known that!’ owners. Here’s to a well-balanced cruise.
NOTE: If you have well documented experiences that will be of help or good input to other owners, they are appreciated. If they appeal to a large group of owners they are very helpful. All three of these articles are of that nature. I will hope for more! Many thanks, Douglas
Fuel Filtering & Scrubbing on Pilgrim
Fuel can be sourced from any tank and returned to any tank as well as to the engine by means of the original tank selection valves. I have added an extra return line equipped with a one way valve to the fuel return valve for use while polishing. I have used the original RACOR filters that came with Pilgrim since they work and have inexpensive filter elements. One is equipped with a water sensor and alarm. The second RACOR is only deployed when filters need changing. Upstream of the Racor units is a special filter which uses toilet paper as an element. The filter has no water separator so you must use the RACOR filter as well. The filter can be one of two units... I have one from Gulf Coast Filters and one from Motor Guard. They both work but use different lid attachment systems. I prefer the Motor Guard M-30 (Gulf Coast is shown) since the lid screws down and is held by a T handle which is very secure. All fitting are of hydraulic quality with 3/8" hose barbs used to secure the fuel line. I use 3/8" Coast Guard approved thick walled fuel hose throughout. All metal fittings are assembled with Blue. I tried their pipe compound (very expensive/white) but it failed in a couple of joints. The fuel pump can be used to prime the fuel system, provide an addition boost when using the centre tank, polish the fuel with or without the engine running and rebalancing the tanks. I use the centre tank for fuel storage only. The side tanks are topped up when they get down to 1/2 full. Since the fuel is polished during transfer I can be sure everything remains clean. I have made up a short length of clear hose with quick disconnects that I can quickly insert into either the suction or pressure side of the system to check for air leaks and/or fuel quality. It is hard to see through black hose.
Here is a photo of the fuel polisher installed on Pilgrim. The unit was assembled on a piece of painted marine plywood then bolted to the inside stern door of the engine compartment. There are 3 quick disconnects for fuel line and return attachment. The whole door can be removed by lifting it off the hinges.
Brian Stewart Whitby 42 #304 PILGRIM
brian@techno-hlp.com
Extended Rudder Notes by an Owner
This is a copy of a note written to Neil of Whitby, Hull #8, a 1976 named Windfall from John Reid, owner of Whitby 42 #15 named Odin II
My Whitby 42, hull No. 16, built in 1973, "Odin II", has not exhibited the "rudder banging" problem that you have described.
I happen to be a mechanical engineer by trade and have had most of Odin II's innards apart too many times to count, including the Wagner hydraulic steering system. I am an inveterate "tinkerer", much to the consternation of my wife of 47 years. And one of my many "upgrade" tasks was a rudder enlargement which included a larger steering piston, larger autopilot hydraulic pump, larger wheel hydraulic pump and of course a new and much stronger "tiller arm" to which the steering cylinder ram attaches and which in turn is keyed to the rudder shaft. When undertaking the rudder enlargement I took the rudder internal bronze metal "skeleton" into my engineering office and asked my associate, Jim Conners, P.Eng., a very learned structural engineer and by chance also a sailor, to do an engineering calculation check on its structure to determine what if any structural "beefing up" would be needed to handle the larger loads resulting from increasing the rudder area.
Jim subsequently reported to me that strangely the original rudder post or shaft had been very seriously weakened in manufacture in that at its most stressed or loaded point it was cut away seriously so that it was flat on both sides, for some unexplainable reason. As a result its strength at that point was about 40% of the remainder of the shaft. I took the metal "skeleton" assembly to a shop and had it strengthened as recommended by Jim. To date there have not been any structural failures of the enlarged rudder. Based on Jim's findings I would not be surprised if some standard Whitby 42 rudder shafts failed at the under cut point, but frankly I have not heard if that has ever occurred. I reported all of this long ago to Doug Stevenson. In fact I believe he saw it all when the work was under way at our marina in Midland, Ontario, Canada, close by his office and home.
Back to your problem. I am assuming that you have truly isolated the "thumping" noise to the aft end of the ship. I am also assuming that you have properly checked the rudder shaft bearing and lower mounting bracket for play. In fact as you mention the fact of a 5 degree "slack" in the steering resulting in rudder "slap", then it must be sourced in the aft end and in the steering linkage, because there should not be any "play" in the mechanical linkage.
There should be "zero" play in the rudder. That is the case with Odin II. I believe that the play you have observed is the source of the problem. So you must locate the source of this play. There should not be any play in any mechanical linkage of the steering system.
First, all mechanical linkage points must be checked for "play". I am sure you did this long ago and have eliminated any play. But then you mention that the rudder post key linking the rudder post to the steering yoke is working in the keyway. That is definitely a "no no". It may not be the source of your noise, but I certainly would not like to have that condition on Odin II in a large storm situation. It would surely work its way into a keyway failure in no time. And having said the foregoing I must add that a small amount of mechanical play in a keyway can amplify into considerable noise given the right mounting conditions.
How about the point where the hydraulic cylinder is anchored to the hull. It should be a fabricated metal bracket to which the cylinder arm is attached and then the bracket is bolted to the underside of the fiberglass "deck" that supports the aft cabin port side berth cushion. The connection of the cylinder end to the fabricated bracket should have zero play, and of course the bracket should be firmly bolted to the underside of the berth fibreglass so there is no play there.
Finally, is it possible that the steering cylinder incorporates an internal check valve, or is there a check valve in the steering hydraulic system that is working open and shut when the system is at relative rest? I know there are spring loaded ball check valves in the Wagner hydraulic autopilot
pump head that could "thump" if the springs are too weak and they are loaded and unloaded by a swinging rudder. But on Odin II this pump is located in the cockpit lazarette beside the autopilot pump. In other words, it is not located in the aft region of the hull where you say the noise originates.
Finally, finally, and this is "reaching", is it possible that the rudder movement is causing one of the flex hoses to the rudder cylinder to contact the hull? Under way this would not be noticed.
I wish I could come up with a firm answer for you, but the foregoing is my best effort.
Regards, and great sailing for 2003
John Reid
Odin II, Hull No. 15
The dialogue continues and we look forward to your shared input of real time experiences.
Thanks for all your contributions. I have a lot more to share and will endeavour to do so with a shorter interval in between contacts. To the Kitchens aboard Alembic, the Taubners aboard Triana Marie, the Spearys aboard Janus, the Domvilles aboard ‘Beau Jeu’ and all the fortunate people cruising their dream come true, I wish you well.
Best Regards and may Fair Winds and Clean Diesel Fuel be yours,
Douglas