seaclear 2 looks pretty good and free. :)
i like its ability to calibrate maps. what format charts do you typically use?

as the red witch isnt the biggest sailor out there i was trying to keep screen size down as its really only there as back up. but ill see how a bigger screen fits.
i will still defiantly have a track ball for ease of use.

looking into the best way to integrate a transducer into it, anybody have any thoughts? ideally i would like it available on the PC not separate.

cheers :)

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Stuman92 said..
seaclear 2 looks pretty good and free. :)
i like its ability to calibrate maps. what format charts do you typically use?

as the red witch isnt the biggest sailor out there i was trying to keep screen size down as its really only there as back up. but ill see how a bigger screen fits.
i will still defiantly have a track ball for ease of use.

looking into the best way to integrate a transducer into it, anybody have any thoughts? ideally i would like it available on the PC not separate.

cheers :)

I use digital Raster admiralty charts from the Hydrographic office but you can use anything you can calibrate. I use the free chart from the NSW msb for local work, far more accurate than the admiralty charts. I picked up a 17 inch Dell monitor from the Salvos this afternoon for $3. I'll use it for fiddling about and probably buy a 20" Dell for the ultimate set up. For the GPS puck I use one of these http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/GlobalSat-BU-353-S4-BU353-S4-USB-GPS-Receiver-48-Channels-for-laptop-Notebook-/271976428367?hash=item3f530ef34f These are the best but the sirf 3 chip one works well too and are about $25. PC based nav systems are the best, not just because you can make your own charts and annotate them but drag and drop positions and of course share.

Through work i do a lot with Rasters so should be able to come up with some good charts and maybe combine a few to complete the WA Coast.
bargain on the monitors ive got a few 17" s lying around, just trying to keep my power consumption down.

The SiRF USB GPS bight be a good option especially with the Glonass ability.
PC nav system is looking good, might start throwing some parts together and see how it goes soon.
can easily double as a multimedia player and Battery/solar management.

What part of the WA coast? If you have access to old work stations and monitors you are half way there. This is my old fishing boat set up. Computer is in another compartment.

Yeah ive got plenty of old PC's and screens available. just trying to keep the PC size down due to limited realestate.
mainly looking for the perth part of the WA coast but i will be looking to expand to get most of the southern point down to Albany and up to say the Abrollis region \

I do like the track ball mouse. i would like to have a track ball and touch screen for ease of use but we will see about that.
also any thoughts on using an android tablet running micromaps?? looks like a cheap option with plenty of functionality.

You have to expect wet hands when your sailing. Try your wet hands on your touch screens and see if they will work satisfactorily. My Toshiba tablet certainly wont!

Open CPN is now available for Android. Use the same charts on either Seaclear or Open Cpn.

Cheers Ramona ill look into Open CPN
Most of my equipment i use at work ( Im a Surveyor) has touch screens and they relatively work fine in the rain, it depends on the type, the main two are resistive and capacitive, Typically resistive works better with wet hands so i would be looking to use that type, plus i would also be fitting the track ball, this just gives me a back up if one fails or my hands are dry :)

Sorry its been all quiet on the western front.
unfortunately been extremely busy at work and will be for the next 6 weeks.

ill post as and when i make some progress.

feel like i need to retire...................

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Stuman92 said..

feel like i need to retire...................

We all need to do that. With all the labour saving devices we have around these days nobody should have to work.

Back from work for a few days lets some how much we can get done in 3 days!!!

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cisco said..

Stuman92 said..

feel like i need to retire...................

We all need to do that. With all the labour saving devices we have around these days nobody should have to work.

I know rite!!!!!!! but dont want to put myself out of work.
plus at 23 i think i have a few years before i get the luxury retiring, but still trying to come up with that million dollar idea :)

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Stuman92 said..

I know rite!!!!!!! but dont want to put myself out of work.
plus at 23 i think i have a few years before i get the luxury retiring, but still trying to come up with that million dollar idea :)

My wise Uncle told me many years ago that with your four score years and ten, you spend the first 30 educating yourself, the next 30 plying the trade you have found you do best at and the last 30 enjoying the fruits of your labour. I thought it was a good plan but all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

If you can't make a living in six days a week, you won't make it in seven. The seventh day is for Red Witches and Sorcerers.

So according to that plan, at 23 you are still at school.

Another wise man said "The richest man in town is the one whose needs are least. Why?? Because he has more options than anybody else."

Another said "If you want financial success, either decrease your needs or increase your income. However, a position of want is stronger than a position of need."

Another said "There is only one success in life and that lies in living your life in your own way." Don't let somebody else set your goals for you, ie peer pressure.

For sustenance of life, money comes just after oxygen.

And here is one of the greatest ideas from the Great Zig Ziglar. "You can get whatever you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want."

These are universal truths and therefore not copyrighted, so feel free to print them out and stick them up around your house to motivate you on a daily basis.

Cheers Cisco, a dude doing what he wants to do in his third 30 year span of life. I hope you get the privilege of growing old and do what you need to today so you will have as much or more fun then as I am having now.

Here endeth tonight's Positive Motivational Address.

well Finally back to work on the witch!!!!!

next steps will be fiberglass the hole where the transducer used to be. then back to good old sanding and painting...... yay!!!!!!!!!

any advice on what paint to use for inside the cabin?

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Stuman92 said..
well Finally back to work on the witch!!!!!

next steps will be fiberglass the hole where the transducer used to be. then back to good old sanding and painting...... yay!!!!!!!!!

any advice on what paint to use for inside the cabin?

On the inside of my yacht (fibreglass) I am using a universal primer followed by gloss enamel. Two pack paint is for the birds.

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Stuman92 said..
well Finally back to work on the witch!!!!!

next steps will be fiberglass the hole where the transducer used to be. then back to good old sanding and painting...... yay!!!!!!!!!

any advice on what paint to use for inside the cabin?

White Knight's oil based paving paint. No primer just paint 3 coats. Hard wearing and easy to touch up.

Awesome both sound like good options, ill price up 4L of each and then decide which one seems best. ( any particular brands Cisco?)

As Ramona suggests, White Knight is a good option. Killrust single pack epoxy enamel is also good.

Brand names I favour are Haymes, Wattyl, Solver. Choose the type of paint you want to use first, i.e. oil based enamel, epoxy enamel or a solvent based enamel then buy it in a quality brand name.

The likes of Taubmans, Dulux and British Paints don't seem to do paints for marine environments.

I have just finished what became a longer than planned refit and update.

Boat is International inside and out

Inside is all Toplac except for the bilge/wet areas which were painted with their "tank liner". The "tank liner" is very very durable but the only catch is the need for very good breathing gear .... the right filters etc.

But very happy with the outcome. be it the Toplac inside or Awlgrip outside.

I work on the theory "you get what you pay for" and as I dont enjoy painting I am not wanting to revisit this for awhile.

My thoughts

I have just finished painting the inside of my GRP boat with Norglass all surface primer and Norglass Weatherfast premium Enamel. Easy to apply with a brush and roller, finishes nice( roller and brush tip out ) and cleans up with thinners. Worked out good.
I didn't want to use 2pack because I'm just putting lipstick on a pig but I did want the lipstick to look ok

Toplac is a great paint, that's easy to work with and can give a great finish, highly glossy especially when rollered.
For a single pack paint it's not bad.

My only criticisms when I used it on the last boat, was that is was pretty easily damaged when used on deck and in the cockpit, and also I found it yellowed if used inside any lockers or in the bilge.

This time I have used one from Altex, which is 2 part and much tougher, and rollered well also.
Wear a decent mask.

Inside, Dulux oil based enamel was used.

I also used a small bottle of anti- mould additive that helps, so long as you don't go licking the bulkheads.

Wow so many Good ideas, im liking a few of them Toplac and White Knights sounds like a plan.

also the anti-mold additive, will it work with most paints?

By the way

Whats with the Coins being glued under the mast???????

Started patching the hole where the Transducer used to be, going well id say it will be a 3 by 3 patch.

also, im missing the two backstays, should i match the rest and go stainless braid, or modernize and go dyneema? thoughts?

Must admit starting to look good now

patched the hole where the transducer used to be yesterday after work, checked it this morning looks like it all went well, hopefully this evening i can do the internal patch, then its a quick sand and ready to paint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

any thoughts on swapping stainless braid to Dyneema?

Sanding has begun again!!!!!!!!!!!!
Patching the hole where the transducer used to be was fun, havent done any fiberglass in a few years. but looks like it went well.


All Primed up, will be painting it identical to the other area, 3 coats of undercoat, 5 coats of topcoat.




Heres a Sample Area of some Gloss white Epoxy Paint i want to try on the topside and interior, looks good personally just needs a cut and polish.




and heres my new project, the evinrude 4.5 that i will be converting into about a 10hp electric powered beats!!!!!!

What electric motor are you planning for this conversion? Excellent idea by the way.

Not 100% sure yet Ramona, seen a few use plain old Brushed DC motors, but ill see what i can get at an affordable price that i can fit a speed controller to easily.
should be able to fit a good sized motor under that hood easily though.

Well Back from a weeks work in the goldfields/ wheat belt area and keen to crack on!!

Will be sanding the undercoat ready for the top coat, then making a start on that.

does anyone have any recommendations for online shops to get rigging parts?
and any thoughts on Dyneema versus stainless braid?

well been making some progress in the last few days, hampered still by that thing called a J O B........ so rude taking up 10 hours a day :(



The outboard is actually in almost brand new condition internally so it would be sacrilege to pull it apart. so ill keep this one as internal combustion for now.


First Coat on both sides, looking good, nice not to look like a zebra anymore :)


Other side :)
Second cote makes a big difference, although yes it only needs 3 cotes for total coverage, 4 cotes allows for plenty of material to cut back when finishing the surface.

the window looks funny with the hole for the old nav unit lined up :)

If you want to do your own rigging Sta Lok can be used There would be places in W.A. that sell them as well
www.harboursidechandlery.com.au/catalog/


This would be your best shot below

Western Australia
Marinex Australia
4 Nelson Avenue
Padstow NSW
Phone 1800 759 079
stalok@marinexaustralia.com.au
There are other you tube vids on the topic



Another brand below

Firstly, the coins
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mast_Stepping

Secondly the Dyneema.

Its a bigger job than you think.
With the mast and deck fittings you currently have it can be difficult to source the correct end fittings and they are the expensive part.
Also if you want a dyneema forestay then you will have to change to soft hanks on every jib, again expensive.
I have rigged two boats with dyneema and it works well but the upfront cost is up to 50% more than replacing what you have with wire.

Where you save with dyneema is re-using the fitting everytime you replace the stays, also learning to splice it yourself.


In all honesty for a boat like yours, take all your stays off and drop them into Boating Hardware in Carrington St. in O'Connor.

New owners, top guys. You should be able replace all the standing rigging including turnbuckles for around $500-600.

if you need any blocks etc, drop me PM.