I think it was the 4.2

I got it from West Marine, but that was over 2 years ago now. It is nice because I can set the rudder a couple of degrees off to fight weather helm and let go. It will hold course quite nicely now.

When I replaced my steering gear, I used a zero feedback model. The wheel stays where I put it always.

I added a mount for the halyard 6" above the forestay. I tie it off to the pulpet just to keep it out of th way. I did this due to frequent tangles with the furler in the origional possition. Now I can rig a spinaker without risk of fouling on the furler. And I have had the forestay come off. U...

BK wrote:Can you recommend any long term trailer parking places in the Keys?

Launch at Oceanside, park at Hurricane Hole Marina 1 mile down the road.
At least that was what I used last year. Both are just as you fet to Key WEst.

I and I think several others have installed Tempo 12s. At least on my boat these are a major pain to try to get out empty much less full. I put an 8 inch deck plate in the seat over each fill port. The tanks can move very little so mounting straps are not needed. Grounding, I have not yet figured ou...

The dodger is almost together. I put it aside waiting for some more parts. You need lots of zippers for curtains etc. I suggest you start with the bimini anyway. It is much easier to assemble. As to sewing. The walking foot maching is freat. I recommend you first take a bit of the sunbrella, cut off...

My son once tried to tie up the boat by putting one foot on the dock. The wind pushed the boat away from the dock, and he had one foot on each. Well teenage boys can only do the splits so far.

The dodger frame is up. Pattern made. Sailrite ships enough tubing for a 100" wide dodger about 4 feet tall. Way too much tubing. I have cut out the major panels and am starting to sew. The video instruction disks are good. I am holding off on shaping the leading edge until last so I can be sur...

I broke down and got a $600 set at the boat show. The set from Macgregor (or whoever makes them) was crap. )But I'll sell them to you if you want ) They get wet and hold water. I got the sealed foam ones from C Cushions in Texas WWW.ccushions.com

Step 2 Start measuring. I need the mast up to get boom height and other clearances. Still 8 inches of frozen snow and ice on boat. Hint: Clean snow out of mast step. It compresses nicely otherwise and becomes ice... or so I've been told. You can push a frozen rope.. they do not bend. OK mast is up. ...

I havn't decided yet. The poles would allow for just about anything.

The kit came from Sailrite. It is universal. I may make the full enclosure, I think ther is almost enough material to do so. They give you 10 yards of sunbrella for a bimini.

I got a stainless frame and 30 mill window material. For dodger and bimini that ran about $1100.

My Jimmy squatted too much. I got rear shocks with the helper coils and it rode level. If only the differential had survived I would still be towing with it.

Part 1

The packages arrived today. A 3 page part list. .. what have I gotten myself into?

The stainless frame is much nicer than any frame I have seen before. Now all I have to do is dig the boat out of the snow to make the pattern.

I'm going to watch the instruction disk now.

More later.