Ordered the GARMIN CCU Extension Cable 5m


OK just ordered the GARMIN CCU Extension Cable 5m from West Marine.
We will be autoing around next week! 

  • Model # 12030409 | Manuf. # 010-11156-30

Cable Tie Cutter leaves flat cut without spikes

In a marina in San Diego CA.

Cable Tie Cutter leaves flat cut without spikes

New Xuron 2275 Maxi-Shear Flush Cutter Cable Tie Cutter
 Now were talking. We should have purchased these a long time ago! We have a gazillion wire ties on the boat and will be adding a gazillion more and it becomes a barbed wire type of fishing expedition to get at something. 
 No more giving blood to find the wire.
We have arrived :) or evolved! Or finally wised up etc.
 Easy purchase off eBay.com
A new flush cutter that is designed for rapidly and cleanly cutting cable ties and other soft plastics in a wide range of manufacturing and field service applications is being introduced by Xuron Corp. of Saco, Maine.
The Xuron Model 2275 Quick-Cutter provides a full cutting capacity along the entire length of the blades to let users cut cable ties fast; especially in tight spaces with limited vision. Featuring the patented Micro-Shear® bypass cutting technology that square-cuts cable ties rather than pinching them and leaving spikes, it produces flush cuts with a smooth, flat finish.

Developed for wire harness applications, Model 2275 Quick-Cutter is suited for cutting nylon and other soft plastic cable ties inside aircraft or equipment enclosures. Micro-Shear® bypass cutting technology square-cuts cable ties, producing flush cuts with smooth, flat finish. Able to be used in tight spaces with limited vision, ergonomic tool offers full cutting capacity along entire length of blades. Design incorporates rubber cushioned hand grips and Light-Touch(TM) return spring. 

Cable Tie Cutter leaves flat cut without spikes

In a marina in San Diego CA.

Cable Tie Cutter leaves flat cut without spikes

New Xuron 2275 Maxi-Shear Flush Cutter Cable Tie Cutter
 Now were talking. We should have purchased these a long time ago! We have a gazillion wire ties on the boat and will be adding a gazillion more and it becomes a barbed wire type of fishing expedition to get at something. 
 No more giving blood to find the wire.
We have arrived :) or evolved! Or finally wised up etc.
 Easy purchase off eBay.com


A new flush cutter that is designed for rapidly and cleanly cutting cable ties and other soft plastics in a wide range of manufacturing and field service applications is being introduced by Xuron Corp. of Saco, Maine.

The Xuron Model 2275 Quick-Cutter provides a full cutting capacity along the entire length of the blades to let users cut cable ties fast; especially in tight spaces with limited vision. Featuring the patented Micro-Shear® bypass cutting technology that square-cuts cable ties rather than pinching them and leaving spikes, it produces flush cuts with a smooth, flat finish.

Developed for wire harness applications, Model 2275 Quick-Cutter is suited for cutting nylon and other soft plastic cable ties inside aircraft or equipment enclosures. Micro-Shear® bypass cutting technology square-cuts cable ties, producing flush cuts with smooth, flat finish. Able to be used in tight spaces with limited vision, ergonomic tool offers full cutting capacity along entire length of blades. Design incorporates rubber cushioned hand grips and Light-Touch(TM) return spring. 

Head board up for re-work functionality test


 The head board in the stateroom got put back up temporarily so we can cut back the foam and test it for functionality before we remove it and recover that end.


Our new galley gear arrived


Our galley gear arrived. Now to check this pan out! Corn on the cob from the Farmers Market sounds good to start!


Buses ready to leave for the AC 110 volt items not going to inverter


 These are the two buses we have ready for the AC 110 volt items that are going to bypass the inverter. Such as the hot water heater. They will connect just under the 30 amp breaker and then the power (black) will connect to a 20 amp breaker then the hot water heater.


The Garmin drive A autopilot drive unit is almost installed.

In a marina in San Diego CA. 

The Garmin drive A autopilot drive unit(AP) is almost installed. The only part left is to make the quadrant stop bigger. About two inches all around the previous stop. That will give us the range for the drive unit. It will be 5% less than now. Not bad. "Rocco the Rigger" is having the part made up. Rocco has been a fun guy to work with and reasonable price wise.

 With all the other work done it is now time to start putting the windlass wires and bus back. Also it is time to wire up the autopilot brain (ECU).


 Debbie climbed back into he lazerett as my size prevents me from getting that far under deck.
 I can but I was getting some cramps and Debbie was gracious enough to take it on.
 We did pull out the cockpit scupper hose for more room.

It is like climbing through barbed wire down there with all the cut off wire ties scratching and gouging you. Notice Debbie's arms! We try to face the wire ties away from the work area but these wires have all been cut down to make room for the AP install so the ties are any old way now.


 We got the bus and terminal block re-installed and then decide to stop there and move on to the ECU as it was getting late. Securing the wiring will be done when we are sure it is all correct.


 It may be the bus cover does not fit on and the wires may need some re-routing. Debbie already re-routed some stern anchor windlass wire on the terminal block.



oops!
I screwed up again! Not to be alermed as it can be fixed. Just throw some cash and time at it :). I bought the wrong cable extension for the flux gate compass to the brain (CCU to ECU). Dam. 
This is supposed to be idiot proff with the color coded connections but I can find a way to defeat it!

This is a Garmin 2000 network cable extension, not the one we need. eBay here it goes :)


Sam and Dave s\v IsleƱa - Roca Solitaria, Mexico 2012

Below is a post from Sam and Dave who are in Mexico and cruising.
Makes us want to be there too. Although we could have done without the spear in the spine part it is all good :)
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Kettenburg Johns non-skid decks - 2012

2012 Marina Kona Kai Shelter Island San Diego, CA
They are light tan so they are a bit hard to see. 
Although it is a bit hard to see Kettenburg John has his non-skid decks done. They look really good. 

Ordered this Metz antenna extension bracket - 2012

 We just ordered this Metz antenna extension bracket to mount the antenna on the starboard outside top of the bimini.

Lazy Jacks installed - 2012

June 2012 - Marina Kona Kai Shelter Island San Diego, CA
 The mast corve sure looks good. Now to try it out!
 “Rocco the Rigger” went up the mast and installed the Lazy Jacks for us.

AC outlet bus added for 15 amp breaker


 We added a bus where the old terminal block slash bus was. This is for the AC outlets. They are wired to this bus then the bus is wired to a 15 amp breaker. This protects the oulets\wires.

The bus just fits into the space. We will 3M 5200 it into the space.

Found a home for the ICOM AT-140 Automatic Antenna Tuner. - 2012

We found a home for the ICOM AT-140 Automatic Antenna Tuner.

One cockpit courtesy light was installed

  The first cockpit courtesy light was installed. It ended up being a bit crooked but honestly it looked straight when I was installing it. Oh well when it is all done it will not be noticed but by me.

 Debbie and I did some test with the light and thought at first down lower was where we were going to install them. That meant they could be an ankle biter but they are so low profile it would not matter I do believe. Any way they seemed better when lit up in the dark at the higher spot. They shed enough light to be higher. They are just meant to show where your footing would be when bringing in gear say from the dingy at night. Also they lend some ambiance to the cockpit area.

Got it in without chipping the gel coat.


 Not as easy to do with a hole saw. When you go backwards with it the saw wants just unscrew :)
We added the needed wire lengths to the light before installing it.





Miss the bus


 Picked up a new round 3/8 post bus at Marine Exchange. It is for the items that we do not to have run off the inverter. They will be wired to two buses for AC neutral and power.
Such as the hot water AC breaker.
 We had a round bus only we did not have one :)
The one we had has a different stud size and #8 screws. We want to be as consistent as we can so the new one with the #10 screw size is what we want. Most of the AC buses have #10 screws. We will purchase another.

Also we purchased a Blue Seas System 4312 2 pos Weather Deck fuse switch.

This was going to be for the anchor wash down pump but we are re-thinking this.

Then some never ending 3/8  heat shrink and 3/8 terminal ends for the bus studs.


Two cans of "Sikkens Cetaol Marine"


Debbie picked up two cans of Sikkens Cetaol  Marine.
A can of “Natural Teak”
A can of “Gloss”.
 We are going to start the eyebrow on the salon coach roof soon. Ya!



Raising the stern steps with block + tackle? - 2012

The stern steps got another look at. We are now trying to figure out the best method to raise and lower the steps with the block and tackle. 

New rudder stuffing box hose clamps


 Rocco the Rigger got the old hose clamps off the rudder post and installed the new ones we had gotten.

 Old hose clamps.



 We had Rocco do this because I am too large to fit in the space and do any realistic work and Debbie does not have the arm strength to but off the clamps. Darn girls :)

 Rocco got in there and did fine, well he was talking to Jesses sometimes so maybe not so fine but he did get the new clamps on and was wishing he had not taken on that job :).


 The new clamps we purchased at Marine Exchange and were a bit big so it made the installation even harder as Rocco needed to screw the clamps down even further.

 They look good though. 

We will put some rubber safety ends on them and check them for tightness.
Nothing against Rocco but we had better check all work done or shame on us if something happens and we did not check it out.


Installing our DC LED stateroom lamp

 We first had to decide on the exact location. Most of the options were limited. That was OK because we wanted the lamp where it was best to install it. We needed to go on the outboard side of the 110 AC outlet and high enough to miss any chords that may be plugged in. We wanted the lamp to light up the dark corner but not take any shelf space. We keep the shelf generally clear so there is a place to put something if need be. It is nice to have some open space on the boat, not all of used up, for us.


Our sail 110 volt lamp being replaced.

Old 110 volt light being replaced.



Ruff spot to work in although I am on the bed :)


 Once we got the spot figured out we drilled three holes. One for the wires and two for the screws.



Darn screws were hard to work with.


Pulling the wires through to the head. 

Debbie is in the head pulling wires.

This lamp really makes the stateroom look bigger. 

Also very homey. 

Makes you want to jump in while walking by.

Combine this lamp with one of the LED reading lamps and you have a real nice space.

We used an additional 6 feet of #16 wire for the run to the head blade fuse block we had previously installed.. The original wiring colors were yellow - ground and white positive. We did not have any white #16 so we chose red.



More Garmin GHC 10 class A under deck autopilot unit instalation

In Marina Cortez in San Diego Harbor Island 6\06\2012

Rocco the Rigger came by and worked on the autopilot. 


Rocco tapped the SS bracket that Dynamic Dave made and installed it on the quadrant. Then he installed the Garmin A drive unit under the cockpit sole and onto he SS bracket. The he re-installed the steering stop on the SS bracket. It was on the quadrant.



Rocco drill holes for the GHC 10 class A under deck autopilot mount. It will be through bolted through the 3/4 inch plywood added support under deck.


Clears the 80 gal diesel fuel tank.

The unit wants to be installed on it's side.


Oh my, we have some work to do to clean up this wiring to the stern windlass and now to the Garmin Drive A unit, again.

Not hard to get at to service if there should be a reason.

This is just dry fitted at the moment.

And now for the chit chat!

 We have figured we will lose about 5% of our steerage. That we can live with.
 There needs to be a ball made for the stop or the wood under the cockpit (stops) need to be extended for this.