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Question for Skip on SV Flying Pig

Skip, I have followed your posts for some time as do many people who
have not had the opportunity for this extended cruising lifestyle. You
may remember we communicated several times when you were selecting a
refrigeration system. As I recall you rebuilt the original Morgan 46
box and installed a new combination refrigerator freezer. You also
went with two Frigoboat BD50 compressors and their keel coolers.
Before the mishap in the Gulf the boat was equipped with both solar
panels and a wind generator. Because I work with several boaters all
over the world each week I like to see how their planed power
management and refrigeration selection is working in actual service. I
remember at one point when you were heading north you planed on doing
an actual onboard power grid analyses, if you did I missed that
posting. If you have time I would appreciate information on the
following:
What type wind generator do you have and is its performance as good as
advertised?
What is the total advertised wattage of your combined solar panels?
What do you estimate the boats daily 12 volt power consumption at?
Did you do a daily power analysis by component as you planed to do?
What about daily amp-hrs to operate each refrigerated box when
seawater temperature was between 60 and 75 degrees F.?
What are the approximate sizes in cu. ft. of each box?
What temperatures are maintained in each box?
What kind of service life are you getting from the zincs on your keel
coolers?
Did you ground the keel coolers if so where was ground wire connected?
Have you been able to solve the alternator belt problems?

RL Kollmann

Question for Skip on SV Flying Pig

"Richard Kollmann" wrote in message
...
Skip, I have followed your posts for some time as do many people who
have not had the opportunity for this extended cruising lifestyle. You
may remember we communicated several times when you were selecting a
refrigeration system. As I recall you rebuilt the original Morgan 46
box and installed a new combination refrigerator freezer. You also
went with two Frigoboat BD50 compressors and their keel coolers.
Before the mishap in the Gulf the boat was equipped with both solar
panels and a wind generator. Because I work with several boaters all
over the world each week I like to see how their planed power
management and refrigeration selection is working in actual service. I
remember at one point when you were heading north you planed on doing
an actual onboard power grid analyses, if you did I missed that
posting. If you have time I would appreciate information on the
following:
What type wind generator do you have and is its performance as good as
advertised?
What is the total advertised wattage of your combined solar panels?
What do you estimate the boats daily 12 volt power consumption at?
Did you do a daily power analysis by component as you planed to do?
What about daily amp-hrs to operate each refrigerated box when
seawater temperature was between 60 and 75 degrees F.?
What are the approximate sizes in cu. ft. of each box?
What temperatures are maintained in each box?
What kind of service life are you getting from the zincs on your keel
coolers?
Did you ground the keel coolers if so where was ground wire connected?
Have you been able to solve the alternator belt problems?

RL Kollmann

Old Wilbur will be getting the keyboard ready for this one..

Should be fun...

Come on Wilbur,, get this newsgroup humming.. tell Skip how bad he is, and
then Skip can call you trailer trash ..

It makes the hours of living in an igloo much more enjoyable ...

Question for Skip on SV Flying Pig

On Feb 26, 11:23 am, Richard Kollmann
wrote:
Skip, I have followed your posts for some time as do many people who
have not had the opportunity for this extended cruising lifestyle. You
may remember we communicated several times when you were selecting a
refrigeration system. As I recall you rebuilt the original Morgan 46
box and installed a new combination refrigerator freezer. You also
went with two Frigoboat BD50 compressors and their keel coolers.
Before the mishap in the Gulf the boat was equipped with both solar
panels and a wind generator. Because I work with several boaters all
over the world each week I like to see how their planed power
management and refrigeration selection is working in actual service. I
remember at one point when you were heading north you planed on doing
an actual onboard power grid analyses, if you did I missed that
posting. If you have time I would appreciate information on the
following:
What type wind generator do you have and is its performance as good as
advertised?
What is the total advertised wattage of your combined solar panels?
What do you estimate the boats daily 12 volt power consumption at?
Did you do a daily power analysis by component as you planed to do?
What about daily amp-hrs to operate each refrigerated box when
seawater temperature was between 60 and 75 degrees F.?
What are the approximate sizes in cu. ft. of each box?
What temperatures are maintained in each box?
What kind of service life are you getting from the zincs on your keel
coolers?
Did you ground the keel coolers if so where was ground wire connected?
Have you been able to solve the alternator belt problems?

RL Kollmann

Hi, Richard,

A quickie summary to your letter follows, but...

I do, indeed have such a list, and have been sitting on it for a while
to develop more real-world experience. It's very extensive, and
analyzes my expected usage and load both at anchor and under way, with
engine or sail, in day and night.

Like most things about cruisers, doing it for a while has exposed
different usage patterns, somewhat, than originally expected, so my
list, developed while I was flailing away at alternator problems in
Charleston, needs a bit of revision.

However...

We have only one BD50 and zinc-less keel cooler, which is grounded
using their lug provided. The keel cooler got a bit of bashing during
the wreck, but was inspected by SALT, the vendor, and pronounced
sound. I injected 5200 into the gaps under it where there had been
flexing, and have had no complaints about it since. We have about 3.5
and 7.5 that we keep at 8 and 34 degrees, each, fed by the largest
stainless clad evaporator they make and a spillover fan. Both boxes
have no/nc magnetic switches which turn off the circulating fans and
on the LED lights when opened. Because I don't have an ammeter
devoted exclusively to that unit, the best I can do is guess, but
based on the smart speed control, it appears to use ~1.5A at most-
times running speeds, only going to full blast when we put lots of
stuff in, or there's been a lot of door openings.

We have a KISS and if there's wind, it's marvelous. It's designed for
the Caribbean, so we don't get full use out of it most of the time on
the East Coast. However, in 20 knots of wind, it makes more than 20A,
and quickly ramps up from about 10 knots, to 30A at about 25knots. We
have 370W of solar and through the MPPT as I type at noon in Miami in
the winter, it's making 20.

Our portable generator is a Honda EU2000i which despite its name isn't
a 2kw for more than about 10 seconds. It's about 1600 or as needed by
speed. Because we've been using both computers lately, the laptop I
have about to get the axe due to its ravenous appetite, we run it
fairly frequently, as well as to make hot water. About 15 minutes
makes a tank of hot water. Highly recommended.

The alternator problems seem to have been entirely a pulley issue.
Going down to a 10mm has resulted in my not having to replace another
belt since. The alternator sold me by the joint in Charleston fried
itself; when I took it back they said it wasn't intended for
continuous duty - despite my having told them when I bought it how it
would be used. My original 3 alternators aboard are working very
well, albeit only 70A, after refitting them with 10mm pulleys and
replacing the controllers on two of them; I've not had either of the
backup out of stores since I put the other on...

Thanks for your interest. I'll post my entire list of stuff sometime
soon. Would you like a copy direct to you?

Meanwhile, it's Bruce who calls Wilbur trailer trash :{)) I rarely
bother to even acknowledge his posts...

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power
to make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in
its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts."
(Richard Bach, in The Reluctant Messiah)

Question for Skip on SV Flying Pig

Skip,
I am very much interested in how boaters manage their on board
electrical power grid and if you prefer to send information by email
please send it that way. I am attempting to build a large library of
onboard power grid management and boat refrigeration problems, so any
information you can provide on this subject would be helpful. I am
curious of how many hours per day your engine alternator or Honda
generator needs to be run. It is possible today for a few cruisers
under the right conditions to sustain basic electrical onboard power
including refrigeration without the need of an internal combustion
engine. I know of only a half dozen boats that get by without running
an engine at least two or three times a week. Typical non live aboard
boaters seem to have no problem running an engine an hour every day.

One of the best equipped boats was a 39 ft world cruiser with three
separate battery banks connected by voltage sensitive combiners, all
batteries are charged by alternative energy. Charging current on this
boat was available to all batteries from a wind generator, solar
panels and a pull behind the boat water generator. Electrical drawing
of this boat is in my 12/24 volt refrigeration book or it can be
viewed at the end of my web site slide show "What Works And What Does
Not".

Question for Skip on SV Flying Pig

You're always subject to compromises. Extra batteries are HEAVY. Weight
slows the boat. To say nothing of added expense. Same deal with the drag
caused by the water generator.

It'd be interesting to know if anyone's rigged up a sterling or other type
of engine as part of a charging setup.

Question for Skip on SV Flying Pig

Skip, I too have followed your adventures - and have always wondered -

Did nobody warn you, of the bad luck that comes with saying "Pig" while on a
boat?

The name of your boat is, well, asking for it.

Sal's Dad

Question for Skip on SV Flying Pig

On Feb 29, 5:26 pm, "Sal's Dad" Sals...@nospam--betts-hyphen-
orourke.net wrote:
Skip, I too have followed your adventures - and have always wondered -

Did nobody warn you, of the bad luck that comes with saying "Pig" while on a
boat?

The name of your boat is, well, asking for it.

Sal's Dad

Hi, Sal's Dad,

Nope - nobody warned us - but several observed how pigs are seen as
good luck in some European countries. The pig continues to fly, in
the face of all logic and expectation, though. Stunt training may be
next! My standard (for the last while) sig line pretty well sums it
up...

As to the original content, I'm rounding third on my revisions of my
original audit, done in September, and will have my usually very long
post on it in a separate topic, as well as responded here, as the
separate topic will likely generate the usual torrent of - shall we
say - commentary :{))

L8R

love from Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to
make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its
hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts."
(Richard Bach, in The Reluctant Messiah)

Question for Skip on SV Flying Pig

I would also like to add having any animal icon on board is terible
luck. For example, I was working on a ~300' F/T. We were still at the
dock and the cook was brining on supplies. For breakfast the cook set
out the new honey containers................. they were plastic
bears ! ! ! Yup, honey bears ! OMG the mate saw that and reported
immediatly to the captain who was in the galley in a second demanding
every honey bear First have its head cut off and second the honey
discarded and finially all thrown over board!

BUT, there is an old sailors yarn that says, if you have two normally
not swimming animals tattooed on you feet, you will never drown. Now, I
happen to know this is true cuz I'm still here!
I also know it's true cuz I've never seen a drowner with tattoos on
his feet!
What you're saying is I have to cut off my feet before going cruising?
Gordon

Question for Skip on SV Flying Pig

On Feb 29, 2:26*pm, "Sal's Dad" Sals...@nospam--betts-hyphen-
orourke.net wrote:
Skip, I too have followed your adventures - and have always wondered -

Did nobody warn you, of the bad luck that comes with saying "Pig" while on a
boat?

The name of your boat is, well, asking for it.

Sal's Dad

I never heard of this.

There are 35 documented boats names with PIG - does include three
Pigeons and a TroPiGal

Vessel Name Built Service Home Port Length Doc. No.
1. BIG PIG 1979 Passenger (Uninspected) Carolina Beach 28.8
615366
2. BLUE PIGEON 1974 Recreational Marion 38 573477
3. BLUE PIGEON 1961 Recreational Newport Ri 39.7 1097157
4. BLUE PIGEON TOO 1989 Recreational Jamestown 52.7 1133574
5. C PIG Recreational Topsail Beach 35.8 1164623
6. FLYIN' PIGS Recreational San Diego 36 1053402
7. FLYING PIG 1978 Recreational St Thomas 45 992056
8. FLYING PIG Recreational San Rafael 29.9 1130605
9. FOUR LITTLE PIGS 1994 Recreational Ft Worth Tx 34 1031664
10. MADAME PIG 1984 Recreational Libertyville, Il 34 675865
11. MISS PIGGY 1982 Unclassified Burlington, Vt 40 648280
12. MISS PIGGY Recreational Freemont 31 667367
13. MISS PIGGY Recreational Verplanck 62 914896
14. MISS PIGGY 1996 Recreational Seaford 40 1097289
15. MISS PIGGY 2002 Recreational Chester 23.8 1138660
16. MISS PIGGY 2 Recreational Inver Grove Heights 33 1159782
17. MISS PIGGYS PLAY PEN VII 2004 Recreational Atlantis 47.7
1161211
18. PIG PEN 1990 Recreational Annapolis Md 34.4 976201
19. PIG PEN 2000 Recreational Punta Gorda Fl 35 1101865
20. PIG RIG 2004 Recreational Topsail Beach 60.4 1158099
21. PIG STY 1999 Recreational Royal Ar 78 1080947
22. PIG TALES 1990 Recreational Ventura 34.4 967006
23. PIGEON TOES IV 1989 Recreational Solomons 44.2 954521
24. PIGGY BANK 1994 Recreational Smithfield 54 1024312
25. PIGGY BANK Recreational St Louis 33 1122899
26. PIGGY BANK III 2000 Recreational Dana Point 33.8 1105975
27. PIGGYBACK 2000 Recreational Carson City 78.2 1101803
28. PIGLET 1988 Recreational Boxboro 35 928634
29. PIGLET Recreational St Louis 33.7 971000
30. PIGS FLY 1983 Recreational Marion 32.8 670949
31. PIGS IN SPACE 1985 Recreational Duluth, Mn 33 695126
32. PIGSNOOT IV 1970 Recreational Jackson Nj 36.1 573240
33. PIGTALES 1995 Recreational Louisiana 39.2 1043394
34. PIGTRACKS 1988 Recreational New York Ny 30 929389
35. POOH PIGLET 1991 Recreational Tuckerton 39.4 988126
36. SEA PIG II 1985 Recreational New Smyrna 32.8 973839
37. TROPIGAL 1978 Recreational Key West 35 616597
38. WHEN PIGS FLY 1976 Recreational Boston 31.6 585623
39. WHEN PIGS FLY 1986 Recreational Lee'S Summit 42.1 919877

Also I've seen or found the Happy Heifer, Heifers, Heifer Dust, The
Brown Cow, Pied Cow, two Cowardly Lions, twenty boats with some
variation of Black Sheep, a Sheep Dog, and a Wild Sheep

Aqua Hog (2), Bay Hog (3), Blind Hog, Elegant Hog, Fish Hog (4) Hedge
Hog (2), Ground Hog, Hog Dogs, The Slippery Hog, Wart Hog (2). Plus
over 300 boats that had some version of BEAR in their names.