Technical Updates and Enhancements:

2024:

Renewing of the Steering Link Rod Ends:

During the test drive when I bought Moon, I noticed a certain slackness in the steering. Not much, but it was there. After having sailed the boat more extensive the clicking sound from the steering system became more and more present. Clearly something had to be done.

After some investigation, it turned out that it was the innermost (of course) and most difficult-to-reach steering rod end that was about to completely disintegrate. The steering links is located below deck at the helm, so space is limited.

The rest of the rod ends also showed signs of  some slack in them, so I decided to have all four of them changed.  I purchased new ones at Whitlock Steering in the UK.

The Rod end did almost fall apart when the rest of the linkage was dismounted, but the "bearing ball" was impossible to remove, whatever trick I tried. Because the space was so tight, the ball was hard to get to, and the amount of arm strength and tools that could be used was very limited. 

No other choice, the pedestal had to come off.

If I just could have been more patient.. It was quite some work getting the pedestal free and the steering link out in free air. Then it was possible to use some force, and it was not that hard to make it come loose. 

It was clearly that the anti corrotion stuff I used, a Lanolin based "Fluid Film",  to loosen the bearing ball from the pin had been working almost half its way through to the end.  A couple more hours...

Now that I knew how to dismantle the pedestal  it was an easy task to put it all together again, and on the first sailing trip after the change, it was noticeable that the steering had become much smoother and compact.

Let there be light... As the pedestal was taken apart it was possible to inspect the missing night light in the compass at the helm station. It turned out to be a missing cable and a corroded connection. To prevent further corrotion the connection was soacked  in the previous mentioned Lanonlin based "Film Fluid".

Backup Autopilot

The autopilot is the most important piece of equipment on any sailboat. More important than the rig and sails or the engine. Of course, if you are sailing close to land, you may be able to do without, but hardly.

It's never IF the autopilot crashes, always WHEN...

Sooner or later it happens, and typically, it will certainly happen when you need it the least. As this is a short-handed boat, hand steering will become far too tiring over time.

In addition to the autopilot itself failing, another factor to consider is if the NMEA network fails. The autopilot is completely dependent on this network to receive steering information from both the heading compass and the autopilot controller.

To overcome this and gain redundancy, a "Stand Alone" Autopilot was needed. By "Stand Alone" it means; not depending on any external sources other than power. 

Although Moon got a wind pilot, its of no use when going by the engine or sailing along a shoreline with shallow areas. The Windpilot  only comes useful when out in the open sea, but even there it has its limitations, since its not usable if the wind dies and you have to go by the engine.

There are a few brands of Stad Alone autopilots on the market, but not many as reliable and sturdy as the CPT autopilot. I have had some experience with it from one of my previous boats, and I know of long distance cruisers been using one for years and years with great success. 

The unit has three main parts. The drive unit, the control box containing a compass sensor, and finally the wheel pulley with its drive belt. For pedestal mounting, an optional stainless steel pedestal bracket is available for clamping directly to most pedestals (as seen on the picture above). This bracket can usually be installed without drilling any holes.

CPT has at least four main advantages: it's easy to install and maintain, needs no external connections except of power which its uses very little of (max 10A 12V) and last but not least it's almost dead silent. The latter is very important when sailing. Nothing spoils a good rest and sleep like the whine and scream from a autopilot drive unit.

Renewing of the Electrical System:

The boat is equipped with an electric galley with an induction cooktop and an electric oven.

Together with the other electrical equipment such as navigation instruments, plotters and autopilot, the load on the batteries often pushed them to the limit. This creates challenges and limitations during multi-day passages or long anchorages without access to shore power.

The frequent overheating of the alternator was also making things quite a strain.

To overcome this it was decided to install a more powerful (24V / 600A) lithium battery bank, a more suitable alternator and the largest solar array that would fit.

The process started with Tor at Tor Båtservice getting involved to see what options could be chosen. He was involved in the refurbishment of the electrical system on my previous boat 'Bluebird' and I was very pleased with the work done and his ability to solve challenges and find good solutions.

For a while it seemed that building a system using components purchased from different suppliers would lead to a reliable and reasonably priced solution, but then Victron reduced the price of its components, in particular the Lithium batteries, which led to an easy choice.

We needed to understand how the system was originally built before removing all the redundant equipment and installing the new units. As is often the case when renovating, you "remove one stone only to find two more underneath". In this case, there was this dual installation of Victron Phoenix inverters and a Victron Skylla charger that didn't have any digital connectivity. This made them both deaf and dumb in a new Victron system, which communicates via digital protocols.

One of several advantages with lithium batteries, in addition to how fast they receive charging, is the increased capacity compared to lead/ AGM technology. Moon has got 3 x 25.6V 200A Victron Lithium Smart batteries that provides 12.3kW at 80% discharge. It implies that capacity has been raised with more than 100% of usable energy compared to the older AGM batteries.

The batteries are controlled by a external Victron  Smart BMS500. The brain behind all charging, whether from solar, grid or alternator, no matter if from one device or all three at the same time, is the Victron CerboGX.

Another of the Victron system's great advantages compared to other systems consisting of different products from different suppliers, lies in the communication within the system.

Therefore, the latest generation Multipluss-II inverter/charger replaced three other "well-functioning" but obsolete old items.

For maximum redundancy, two 12V AGM batteries have been retained as an emergency source should the BMS - Battery Management System - decide to shut down the lithium system.

To achieve this, the AGM batteries are connected to an Orion Smart 12/24V DC/DC converter which converts 12V current to 24V.

The second Orion Smart 24/12V DC/DC converter charges the 12V AGM batteries from the Lithium 24V system in addition to the 12V alternator, which also charges the 12V starter battery when the engine is running. Thus the emergency batteries are always fully charged.

In the unlikely event that the starter battery runs out of power not able to start the engine, the old "stand alone" Victron Pallas 12V charger remains in the system and can be activated via the SmartPlus-II inverter. 

To take advantage of the lithium technology's fast charging capability, the old Mastervolt 75A alternator was replaced with a new ElectroMaax 165A alternator. To avoid the problem of overheating, the new alternator has a rectifier that is separate from the main part of the alternator and located in a cooler place than the hot engine compartment. To be sure that working loads and heat conditions are within limits, the maximum power output from the alternator has been reduced to 75%.

The temperature that develops, even after a couple of hours of full production, seems to remain quite low, so as experience is gained, the effect can possibly be adjusted upwards.

Tor and Ben at Tor Båtservice  in deep concentration, programming the Wakespeed 500 to match the ElectroMaax alterator.

The Wakespeed 500 alternator regulator unit, has been developed in close cooperation with Victron, which means that it´s able to talk to the Cerbo GX as an integrated part of the system. The control of the alternator's power output takes place in a continuous dialogue between the Wakspeed 500 and the Cerbo GX. Parameters like; total consumption, status of the batteries, solar charging ability, battery temperature, alternator temperature and engine speed are taken into account when the Cerbo GX decides how much output the alternator is allowed to produce at any given time. 

The touch screen makes it easy to both see the system status at any time, and make changes in the system setup.

The overall aim is to be able to recharge the batteries without having to start the engine just for that purpose. Thats why it is important to gain enough electricity when the engine are running entering or leaving port. Installing an external generator is out of the question.

Previous experience with solar panels has been good, so the desire was to be able to place as large panels as possible to get the best possible charge from the sun.

The challenge was to find the sweet spot between maximum size of the panels and practical use of space. The choice fell on two 380W panels from CSun with an open circuit voltage of 42V. 

The only place for the solar panels was to have an arch made over the rear part of the cockpit. The arch was also prepared to accommodate the IridumGO and Starlink antennas.

Quite some kilos of old cable was removed..

Solar Arch:

It was a bit of a challenge to fit the arch for the solar panels. We needed something solid but not too heavy, and we also had to make sure it was attached to the hull in a way that didn't affect the quality of the boat itself. And, of course, it had to look good.

The solar arch was made of 30 mm stainless steel pipes at the workshop of Hanmo AS in Trondheim. 

The lifeline aft of amidship was too low and needed to be raised to make the boat safer when passing to and from the cockpit, especially in heavy weather. There was no liferaft cradle at the pushpit, which was made along with a few other changes.

Arnt at Hanmo AS did put a lot of time and effort into the construction process, and did a great job both with both the actual construction and all the details that came up along the way.

The raised lifeline and upper part of the pushpit are a major safety improvement. The height of the arch allows even tall people to stand fully upright under the panels.

Sarca Ex-Cel Anchor

The confidence in the Delta anchor that came with Moon  was not very high. This based on countless descriptions and tests by others. Although my own experience with the anchor was short, and the previous owner was happy with it, I was in doubt. Absolute confidence in the anchor rode is crucial since the boat, or in worst case our life can be at stake if it fails.

Sarca Ex-Cell has received a lot of good feedback both in tests and practical use, so when the decision was made to change, a 53kg Ex-Cell  was purchased.  ...In heavy anchor we trust...

Mast Steps and LTE 4G Antenna

In connection with other work on the boat, we discovered that we were right next door to the base of Riggmaster AS in Trondheim.  On request they could start work immediately, so all of a sudden the long-awaited steps could be installed.

Going aloft several times during the season is mandatory, so having steps in the mast is very handy.  With steps you don't need to be two people to get up the mast . A single person can easily climb to the top of the mast secure against falling, either with attachments to ropes from the running rigging or slings around the mast. There are several different types of steps. On Moon we chose fixed steps with a railing at the top. With such its less likely to slip off a step, and they are very sturdy.

They also mounted two antennas for the LTE 4G internet router on each of the lower spreaders, and a guide for the genoa halyard to improve the angle of the halyard from the block at the top of the mast and the forstay furling. This to prevent  the genua roller furling and the halyard getting entangled should the latter become slack in any way.

Diesel Heater Renewal

Moon came with one of the best heat sources you can have on a boat, a Reflex diesel stove. It's excellent in every way, provides dry warm air and expels condensation, uses no electricity and is economical on diesel, but it lacked one very important detail. Access to the flame. It's not the same looking at a hot shiny steel pipe when a window provides all the comfort in the world just by looking through it. 

Contact was made with the Reflex retailer in Norway  and they was happy to send me a window to refit.  Then  a local blacksmith made a hole in the oven and fitted the window. Success.. 

Even small, the oven has a capacity of 4,2Kw heating, and with a cooktop it serves nicely as a kettle heater or as a backup for the electrical galley.

2023:

Cockpit Canopy Installation

When sailing in high latitudes like the west coast of Norway, a proper cockpit enclosure is heavily needed. Moon did not have any, just a sunbrella (roof), which clearly showed signs of being near exhaustion, so we got one ordered.

The canopy was supplied by a local company, Flataker Industrier AS  and consists of several panels that can be installed or removed individually, depending on the need for protection. With just the roof in place, the boat can be sailed and cruised on both tacks without interference. If protection is required, the windward side panels can be fitted while the leward side remains open. The sails can then be trimmed as normal without interference. At anchor, the entire cockpit can be closed completely, creating a large and dry exterior space.

If the wind is hard and the canopy cant be raised, there is a removable "see through" canopy that can be fitted at the aft of the hard dodger. This seals off the dodger from wind and rain and makes it a warm and comfortable place to be.

Inside the harddodger there is two tablets, iPad and Orca with charging, used to keep situation averness at all time. 

Cockpit Chartplotter Installation

Up to now, only the autopilot display and controls were at the helmsman's place. A plotter box had to be made and assembled so the chart plotter could be placed there.

In order to lead the necessary wires and cables to the plotter box, a new pipe had to be fitted that could accommodate this. A new hole in the deck at the helm had to be made and this was carefully sealed with epoxy to make it water tight. 

A local workshop took on the job at short notice, making the stainless steel box and drilling all the necessary holes.

Sleipner E-170 - 24V Bow Thruster

Long keeled boats can be a real nightmare to handle in close quarters, especially when the wind don’t play along. Hence the powerful  Sleipner E-170 bow thruster with integrated inverter for variable speed and “holding” mode was installed. 

The Twaron (identical to Kevlar) reinforcement of the composit hull made it a though job to make the two large holes needed to fit the thuster-tunnel. 

The tunnel was then integrated as part of the hull by being epoxied on, which gave a very strong construction.

The E-170 has the new 6-phase PMSM synchronous motor made explicitly for marine thruster use, delivering performance and runtime never seen before in a DC thruster. The Sleipner eVision thrusters have a built-in functionality to limit the maximum voltage delivered to the thruster, preventing a sudden "all out" burst normal on older models, thus there are no dedicated battery close to the thruster.  The Victron LifePo4 batteries and Smart BMS can handle a continuous load of 500A, and a 5 min peak up to 600A and since the thruster has a maximum load of 395A, there will not be an overload on the BMS. 

The absence of a dedicated battery and the low weight of the thruster it selves gives a total weight from the installation which is at least 50% lower than a traditional installation.

When "holding" mode is activated, the thruster pushes continuously with the force its programmed to by the operator, without in need of the operator continue holding the ON button . This way a single- or short-handed crew can tie/ untie the lines while the thruster keeps the boat in position at the dock.

Retirement of an Old Salty Sea Dog:

After extensive use, the original Perkins engine had more than 6,000 hours on the clock, had aspirated seawater a couple of times and needed close attention most of the time, so the time had come for retirement. The new engine is a Lombardini Kohler  KDI2504-M.

Marine inboard engines in KDI series were developed to grant very high performances and reliability. They perform high power rating and torque at low engine speed. This allows to reach cruising speed at low engine rpm with reduced noise and vibrations.

KDI2504M-MP is a direct injection inboard diesel engine, naturally aspirated, fresh water cooled via heat exchanger. Hopefully will low rpm combined with a Cast-iron engine block, one piece cast-iron cylinder head assure engine sturdiness and longlivety.

The engine was delivered by: Arken Teknik, Lidkøbing, Sverige

As the opening at the entrance was barely big enough, getting the old engine out and the new one into the boat required great precision.

The existing reduction gearbox from the old engine was new in 2015 and hopefully still had many years of life left in it, so the engine was delivered without the original reduction gearbox. The mounting plate for the ZF Hurt 25M gearbox had to be ordered separately.

Redundancy is provided by a separate, almost unused, equivalent gearbox that was found on the second-hand market and taken on board as spare.

The engine was supplied with a 12V alternator. As the electrical system on board is 24V, a new mounting bracket had to be adapted to the 24V generator. Due to the customised bracket and the adjustment of the drive belts, it was necessary to install an additional pulley and change the organisation of the drive belts.

To ensure that the engine always is supplied with clean diesel, Moon has a 120-liter day tank. Diesel is pumped from the main tank to the day tank via an electric fuel pump when needed either automatically via a float switch, or manually by a switch at the main panel. The manual method is preferred as it provides an accurate overview of the fuel consumption and the condition of the diesel. The latter is possible at the glass housing in the bottom of the Racor filter, as the diesel passes on its way from the main tank.

There are a total of three filters in the fuel line between the main diesel tank outlet, the day tank and the engine's fine mesh filter.

All filters are Racor 500 housings, which makes administrating the filter elements very easy.

When the engine was installed and everything was ready for Moon to sail home to Norway, a small coolant leak was discovered at the bottom of the engine compartment. Closer inspection revealed a crack in the coolant pump housing. 

The pump had to come off, and since the engine supplier did not have one in stock, a new one had to be sendt from the factory in Italy. The insdident delayed us for six days.. A real bummer..

There was no chartplotter at the helmsman's position in Moon's cockpit. This was on top of the to-do list as soon as the boat arrived in Norway. 

Coincidentally, the new plotter was on board and since we were stuck here anyway, waiting for the pump, staring out making the plotter box could be done.

2019

Rudder and Centerboard Shaft Bearing Renewal:

The Lower rudder shaft bearings are about to be replaced.

Here located on top of the rudder shaft braket just for display, the old one (white to the right) was made of Vesconite Hilube, and even if they was delivered with a "lifte time waranty" from the producer in South Africa they had to replaced after just 7 years. The new one (grey in the midle) is made of Tufcoat T100 MF which is said to be 4 times as durable as the old one. Time will show...

Both the upper and lower rudder bearings have been replaced and the rudder is ready to be reinstalled. Finally, the rudder mount is fitted flush with the rest of the keel.

The centerboard shaft bearings had allso to exchanged. The shaft can be inspected from a hatch in the floor in the salon area, inside the boat, but to have it removed require slightly more specialized work.

Access to remove the shaft is via a tunnel on the starboard side of the hull. This tunnel is revealed  when a hole is made in the hull. 

Opening a stainless steel bracket allows to remove the shaft, and make i possible to exchange the bearings on both sides. The same strong Tufcote T100 material as in the rudder shaft bearings was also used here.

Once the bearing had been replaced, and the shaft was back in place, the hole was sealed with many layers of fibreglass and epoxy, becoming as strong as the rest of the hull.

Since the center board is rarely used, the new bearings will probably last forever.

Shaft Seal and Cutlass Bearing Renewal:

The purpose of the PSS - Shaft seal - is to prevent water from the outside entering the inside of the hull along with the propeller shaft, since the shaft Cutless bearing in the tube where the propeller shaft is located is lubricated by sea water.

The rubber seal on the PSS shaft seal needs replacing from time to time. To be able to remove the seal it was necessary to disconnect the propeller shaft from the Aquadrive at the gearbox. This also allowed the new one to be threaded over the shaft and on to the tube which is a part of the hull and where the shaft goes out to the propeller.

The Cutless bearing was also replaced.

2017

Feathering Propeller Renewal:

A 600mm Maxprop Easy 111 four blade, feathering propeller with variable pitch replaced a three bladed of the same brand.

The propeller is highly adjustable, and can have different pitch angle wether in forward mode or backword.  

2012 - 2014

Hull and Deck Renewal:

In 2012 after several dormant years the second owner took possession of her in Malaysia and commenced on a thorough and major refit lasting well into 2014.

Their approach was very methodical and thorough. In addition to removing the teak deck and replacing it with cork, both the deck and hull were carefully inspected for signs of moisture damage and where found, damp wood was either dried out or removed and replaced with epoxy. Exposed areas such as the bow and deck where the anchor winch is located, and the stern deck where the electric winch is located were heavily reinforced and sealed. All hatches were removed and their attachments improved. The attachment points of all deck mounted equipment has been moulded in epoxy to prevent moisture ingress. In the hull, all of the hull bushings were removed and the holes for new bushings in Marelon were baked in epoxy before the bushings were fitted.

This brief description does not in any way justify the effort that was put into getting the boat in top condition. These are just a few of the improvements.

All in all this became a very comprehensive renovation and as a result, the boat became in better condition, both stronger and more durable than when it left the shipyard as new.