The Port Townsend Sailing Association, Blackbird Associates, and Steve Scharf have relaunched the 1979 CHB Trawler race committee boat, Committee. (Yes, that’s the name. Underworld sounding? Or a little like naming your dog, Dog?) Fresh from the Port Townsend Boatyard, simplified for purpose, and with a new electric motor, Committee is meant to augment the local sailing community and to oversee the local Thunderbird fleet and PHRF buoy and long-distance races.
Originally put on the hard for winter storage and routine maintenance in the fall of 2020, the refit turned into more of a rescue. As work commenced, it became clear that many of the systems of the 42-year old boat were at end-of-life. The leaky and smokey Ford Lehman diesel, which the house mechanic Dan Ginther had kept running, was ultimately going to need a rebuild or replacement. With parts difficult to source, the latter was the reality.
Steve, the owner of Committee, decided to pull the trigger on installing an electric motor. “At that point,” said Steve, “other diesel options were considered, but I convinced myself, despite a real mix of opinions concerning my sanity, to go electric.” It’s a progressive and new-age conscionable decision, though not yet widespread, whereas a diesel engine is time-honored but not necessarily forward-thinking. Full speed ahead, Steve enlisted Revision Marine to help design the new system.
In the meantime, there were other tired systems to remove that were unnecessary for a day-use committee boat. Out went the two-cabin heating system, the cooktop, and the hot water. Say bye, bye to refrigeration, radar (a tough call), and extra cushions. Get rid of the two large diesel tanks and the oversize freshwater tank. They removed the excess plumbing, renewed much of the remaining wiring, and rebuilt the steering. Other cosmetic and functional improvements are ongoing.
After a long winter of prep, the boat was ready for the motor to be installed. The new propulsion system Matt Mortensen of Revision Marine, a self-described tech geek, designed for Committee, hasa 108 volt, 40hp, Elco EP-40 electric inboard powered by a 25-kilowatt-hour battery consisting of five recycled Tesla modules. It will have an operating time of about three hours at 5.5 knots. Efficiency increases at slower speeds with 6.2 hours of run time at 4.5 knots. “They used about 15% of the battery capacity for Wednesday’s race,” stated Matt about Committee’s first outing for the T-bird racing.
The refit and repower of the committee boat demonstrate a commitment to supporting PTSA races and leading-edge technologies. The trawler’s structure is solid, providing a good viewing platform. Its operation will often be by volunteers, so it’s important to have a safe, simple, and reliable vessel that is easy to operate. As the days get longer and the Port Townsend race season heads into full swing, Committee is ready to play her star role out on the bay. As we see the reign of the combustible engine challenged in our modern world, the Port Townsend marine community is embracing the future.
Out with the old plumbing and tankage. In with the new recycled Tesla battery.
Photo Credit: Steve Scharf, Steve Scharf, Joshua Wheeler
The Elco ready to installed. The Elco Installed. The Command Center
Photo Credit: Steve Scharf, Joshua Wheeler, Joshua Wheeler
What could be more salty? The latest installment by the Resourceful Sailor Series in Latitude 38′s online ‘Lectronic Latitude, centers around the addition of Breskell‘s crow’s nest for her transit of the Northwest Passage. Thank you to Monica and the crew for publishing “Shouldn’t Every Boat Have A Crow’s Nest?” on May, 12, 2021.
For the full article, follow the link below to ‘Lectronic Latitude:
https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/shouldnt-every-boat-have-a-crows-nest/
According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, the third entry defines ‘warp’ as to move (something, such as a ship) by hauling on a line attached to a fixed object.
Thanks to Monica and the crew at ‘Lectronic Latitude for publishing the latest installment of The Resourceful Sailor Series, Warping A Boat Around At The Dock, on April 14, 2021. It includes a video for the first time in RSS history!
For the full article and video, follow the link below to ‘Lectronic Latitude:
https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/2021/04/14/#warping-a-boat-around-at-the-dock
I can’t thank Monica and the crew at ‘Lectronic Latitude enough for their support. They have done it again. On March 12, 2021, they published my latest Resourceful Sailor Series piece, Outboard Thermostats – An Open and Closed Case.
“There is a simple test to determine if a thermostat is opening and closing properly. Place it into boiling water. It should open in the water and close when removed.”
Click the link below for the full article:
https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/2021/03/12/#outboard-thermostats-open-closed-case
The battery-testing meter on Sampaguita, my Flicka 20, was not working properly. I was particularly missing it while swinging on the hook. In addition to slow-cooking stew on the solenoid-regulated stove, there were long, winter nights under the anchor light and short, stormy days with limited solar-charging opportunity. Monitoring the battery’s health was no longer flick-of-the-switch easy.
Thank you to Monica and the crew at ‘Lectronic Latitude and Latitude 38 for publishing the Resourceful Sailor Series installment, Replacing The Battery Meter on ‘Sampaguita‘, on February 15, 2021.
Here’s the link:
https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/2021/02/15/#replacing-battery-meter-sampaguita
When you buy a used boat, you also buy a previous owner’s modifications. Sometimes these are desirable and sometimes less so. For example, the conversion of Sampaguita’s galley stove from alcohol fuel to propane was a win. But the push-pit mounted LPG tank blocked the visibility of the stern light. Correcting this seemed proper. This Resourceful Sailor Series article explains how I did that.
Thanks AGAIN to Monica and the crew at ‘Lectronic Latitude for publishing Keep The Stern Light in Sight on February 5th, 2021. Also, for their continued support in these trying times.
Click the link below for the article:
https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/2021/02/05/#keep-the-stern-light-in-sight
A special thank you to 48 North Magazine for publishing my piece, Exploring Local: Kilisut Harbor, in their February 2021 issue. Kilisut Harbor was my go-to destination for 2020 for reasons I’ll let the essay explain.
You can get a subscription to 48 North Magazine or pick up a free copy at your local chandlery or marina.
There’s also a cool article about a new Maritime High School, and it looks like Sarah Scott bought a new boat too.
Sampaguita’s portlights had sprung a few leaks around the panes. It was very slight in only a couple but was worsening and spreading. The outer gaskets were deteriorating too, so it was time to roll up my sleeves.
I did just that, and the project was the subject of my most recent Resourceful Sailor Series article, Old Bronze Portlights: Sealing the Pane. A special thanks to Monica and the crew at Latitude 38‘s online version, ‘Lectronic Latitude, for publishing it on January 18th, 2021.
Click the link below for the article.
https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/2021/01/18/#old-bronze-portlights-sealing-the-pane
‘Lectronic Latitude, the online counterpart to Latitude 38, published the lastest Resourceful Sailor Series installment, Don’t Chafe On Me, on December 14, 2020. This article demonstrates some easy and economical solutions that I came up with for preventing chafe on Sampaguita‘s anchor rode, bow sprit and platform, and standing rigging.
The intent of this Series is to demonstrate “outside the box” and affordable solutions to keep boaters on the water. I am not a shipwright or a tradesman. The goal is less about supplying a solution, and more about encouraging creative problem solving. Thanks for reading.
And thank you to Monica and The Crew for their support.
CLICK HERE for a link to the article.
Sampaguita, a Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20, and I went out for a sail one late November day in Port Townsend Bay, WA. I took this video with a head-mounted GoPro HERO 7 and have created clips centered around a few activities. There is no mood-inducing music added, just the sounds of sailing. Splashing water, roaring wind, flapping sails, winches and lines, my breathing, and the occasional talking to myself. And most of the bird-like sounds are actual birds. (If you must, think John Cage’s 4’33”)
These clips are not how-to lessons or the epitome of anything. They are “live” recordings, warts and all. No do-overs, no what-ifs. What struck me most when I reviewed these clips was how natural these maneuvers had become for me on this boat. It’s not that I am a spectacular or talented sailor. No, I am just well-practiced on Sampaguita. As I wrap up my eighth year with her, I have done these actions countless times, and my comfort with them seems evident, at least to me. It certainly helps that the boat is well-behaved, predictable, and easy to balance with the sails. This propensity to handle herself affords me the ability to handle lines and sails single-handed in a fairly low-stress, low-tech manner.
The knotwork is also second nature. Much of it occurs just off-camera. Figure eights on one end of the sheets, bowlines on the other. A reef knot here, a cleat hitch there. Wrap, lean, and pull.
It’s not all roses. The restricted deck space and rigging clearance require specific footwork, an inboard lean, and one hand for the mast. I have grown accustomed to this too. (The irony that Sampaguita has her lines led aft to the cockpit, but no roller furling headsail isn’t lost. Maybe I’ll make that change one day. Or not.)
Even when things don’t quite go right, like in Reef the Main (1’09”), the clew isn’t tight enough. It was an easy correction as if I had been through it before, many times. Or in Changing the Headsail (1’09”), the halyard doesn’t run clean. As soon as I felt resistance when pulling the sail down, I knew what was wrong and how to fix it. It wasn’t the first time.
The unexpected takeaway from these clips for me is the tremendous value in a boat I know. I will remember this the next time I wonder whether Sampaguita is the right boat to go voyaging in.
Reef the Main
Change the Headsail
Shake out the Reef
sailingwithjosh
Sailing With Josh 