Hi,

I have an opportunity to purchase at very low cost a clumbia 34 with an
old palmer diesel. I was wondering about what would you substitute for the
original and how much would it cost?

Regards,

Allan Bart

I’m looking at a boat for sale on the internet and it lists this:
     ZF 2:1 Transmission
Is this some big deal?  Do they make transmissions with different ratios?
Is a 2:1 ratio good?  I’ve never seen this before.
Thanks, John

The owner of  scuba diving school once commented to me on how
astounded he was regarding cost savings after replacing his water
heater with small, individual, point-of-use water heaters in his
shower stalls. For some reason this has always stuck with me, and now
I noticed the following attractive item in the local h/w store:
http://insinkerator.com/pdf/hc1100.PDF

I’m interested in getting some feedback on what the ‘gotchas’ might be
installing this on cruising sailboat. I suspect 190°F is probably
scalding, but using both the hot and cold together is probably good
enough for hand washing. In terms of power consumption, I contacted
the company and received the response below:

..Conor

Steamin’ Hot Water Dispenser…
Energy Consumption Information
(For ½ gallon tanks)

The original ISE Hot Water Dispenser was designed to provide " instant
food temperature water" for the kitchen.
Studies @ the Iowa State University Heat Transfer Laboratory have
shown that when used as an aid in cooking and the preparation of all
"instant foods" the hot water dispenser can save "over 80 percent
normally used in cooking where hot water is required."  It also saves
water, since only the water used in cooking, without any waste.

TYPICAL KITCHEN USE & COST
The ½ gallon water tank is fully insulated with expanded polystyrene
foam and uses a 75-watt element to heat the water.  It is generally
located under the sink directly below the decorative faucet.  An
automatic thermostat maintains the water in the tank @ 190°F, the
ideal preparation of "instant foods".

During normal use (when hot water is drawn from the faucet, colder
water replaces it in the tank) the thermostat will turn the heating
element "on" to maintain the 190°F temperature.  The thermostat also
turn the heater on periodically, even when no water is being used, to
replace the heat lost to the air (a water heater does exactly the same
thing.

The cost of heating water in the Hot Water Dispenser is a combination
of two factors:  standby cost and dispensing cost.    The standby cost
is the power used to maintain the tank temperature even when there is
no water being used.  The dispensing cost is the power used to heat
the water actually drawn from the faucet.

The ISE standby cost is 0.52-kilowatt hours per 24 hours.  This means
that the heating element is only on 42 minutes for 24 hours.

The ISE dispensing cost is approximately 0.021-kilowatt hours per 8oz
cup of water used.

The average daily usage of the dispenser is about 10-8oz cups.

A typical cost for electricity is about 8 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Standby cost                   0.52 x 0.08           = $00.0416 (4
cents)
Dispensing cost      0.21 x 10 x .08     = $00.0168 (less than 2
cents)
THE TOTAL DAILY COST FOR THE DISPENSER IS: $00.0584 (less than 6
cents).

Hey there Guys,
I need to get the Solitaire towed up to Bethel Island to Marine Emporium for
dry storage. I have been calling Towing companies if I am going to pay that
sort of money I would rather it go back into the community. I am looking for
someone that is willing to tow her from South San Francisco to Bethel
Island. She is fiberglass and 32 ft long and 11.5 wide. Please email me if
you or if you know of someone that would be willing to help.
Greg
webmas…@fullcircle.net

I sold the boat and a have a Next Generation shutoff Cellinoid free to anyone
who wants it.

See you in Paradise!

Capt. Sterling

Florida Keys and Key Largo Everglades Tours

Most of the U.S. inland waterway charts are available for free from
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:

You can download charts graphically from
http://crunch.tec.army.mil/ChartServer/jsp/index.jsp

These free charts can be viewed using the free viewer:
http://www.fugawi.com/viewenc/viewenc.html

A full GPS navigation software package, FUGAWI Marine ENC is
available, which supports these charts for $198, see
http://www.fugawi.com/docs/navframe.html

-John

My posts havent been gittin through fer some reason so I’m gonna
repost this one.

For ppl who really want to stay connected while afloat ( I dunno why
but they do).  Useless Idea #3734

Put a T in the output of your VHF so your cellphone can be connected
to your VHF antenna waaaaaaaaay up thar on your mast.  Since your 900
Mhz cellphone is even more line-of-sight than vhf, this will give you
more more coverage when you are a few miles out.  In this case, I
expect coverage will then be limited by cellphone power instead of by
not being able to see a tower.  I would expect to be able to get
coverage from 15 miles out.  I once experimented, while standing on my
cabin top, I was able to use my cell phone while being 6 miles
offshore.  Would a cell phone booster be illegal?

I finally managed to get out by myself to try out the new CDI roller
furling on my 28′ S2.  Why didn’t ppl tell me how much easier it would
make sailing? (Oh, many ppl did, but being something of a
luddite….).  It was great, furled and unfurled at least 6 times just
cuz it was so easy.  With a hank on jib, after I put it away, I would
not get it back out for any reason cuz of the hassle, now, no problem.
 Its great.  NOW, I want Lazy Jacks.

After reading ppls posts concerning mast top anchor lights, I have
decided that they are nearly useless so I will not bother to fix mine.
 Instead, I want a light with super-bright LEDs that emits only
outward (I dont want it to put light on the deck).  I dont want an
electrical connection to my boat so it should have batteries.  Since
an extended cruise would require many d-cells or many 6 V batteries,
it should have rechargeable NiCd or gelcell batteries to be recharged
from the boats 12V system during the day.  It should have a state of
charge indicator.  Of course, it should be BRIGHT when seen from any
reasonable distance, be waterproof, shock resistant, etc.  I expect to
mount it on a halyard suspended in the foretriangle.  I do not see
such a light anywhere.  So, making one shouldnt be too difficult, as
the electronics are easy. Would other ppl be interested in such a
light?

Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to
use it), I still use paper charts and think that navigation and
position plotting is aesthetically pretty, but I also admit to being a
geometry/trig geek.  For the last 13 yrs, I have had a Loran that I
sometimes trust when it agrees with my plotting.  I used to rely on a
"knotstik" to get my speed and then when I got the loran started using
its stated speed.  Far from any recognizable markers or shore
features, I reluctantly rely on a Loran position but check it with
dead reckoning.  I spose I just have a fetish about my hand compass.
I am planning to go to he Bahamas where Loran supposedly dont work so
am considering GPS but will still use my beloved paper charts so dont
need a chart plotter.  All I really want is position and speed.
Waypoints just get me screwed up because I can never remember if I
really entered the correct coords last night or if those coords for
WP5 is for my last trip.  Considering that my wants are few, which GPS
would be best?  Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V?  Do the
hand helds have that option as well as batteries?  Most of the hand
helds look too much like my cell phone that I purposefully leave at
home.  I have even been tempted to forego GPS completely but I spose
it is a safety thing.  Any ideas?