Went to the Toronto Boat Show yesterday and started unloading boat bucks on equipment for our re-fit, there were some really good prices on stuff especially electronics and we came home with the car packed car full.
Got a Standard-Horizon nav suite, the 300i Chartplotter and a GX2100 VHF/AIS/DSC with the CMP30 external mic kit. We were told the GX2100 wasn't available yet by the Standard sales guy and one of their dealers overheard that and he came over and he said he had a boxfull which really surprised the Standard guy. It is a slick unit, first one to combine VHF and AIS, and also can talk with the chartplotter, repeat the AIS on the chartplotter and provide the VHF with positional data for DSC. The AIS data also gets repeated on the remote mike. We like their products, especially their 3 year warranty no one else has that. Got the CMap chips for Great Lakes/Maritimes and have the US East Coast/Bahamas one ready to order. Saved a pile over list on this stuff so pretty happy with that.
Also got all new lifejackets including two auto inflatables with harnesses built in for less than half price. Apparently if you wear a US Coast Guard approved lifejacket in Canada, or a Canadian approved one in the US, you will drown. For some reason they don't work in waters other than were they were stamped. Since our boat came from the below the border, we had to get new ones to avoid the dreaded drowning issue.
Got a brand new head for less than the price of a rebuild kit for the pump on the existing one. Suzanne also feels a new head is a huge plus on a used boat, minimizes the ick factor if you know what I mean.
New BBQ and rail mount, 20 lb. aluminum propane tank for 75 bucks, about 1/2 normal price. All new flares, new dock lines and more small stuff I haven't even got out of the car yet.
They are down to the last two days of the show and were marking stuff down rather than taking it home, that strategy always seems to pay off for getting bargains at that show.
Still have a long list of stuff to get and work to do to make the old girl look new again, but we're getting there. I just love Xmas, even a late one.
Bud, thanks for the update. Deep into this dark season it is refreshing to hear enthusiasm for the coming year being expressed so eloquently...and money-savingly!!!
The GX2100 is in my purchase plan for later this year. I learned of this product on panbo.com, a blog that I check frequently, and I am very excited about it. The S-H GX2100 combines a great VHF (if it is anything like the Standard Horizon VHF I presently have) with a built-in AIS receiver AND fog signals. We spend a lot of time in the fog up here, offshore, and I hope to install a small speaker underneath my radar (at the spreaders) for PA and fog signals. My experience with S-H has been first class. The RAM mic is amazing, one of the best items at the helm...it has such a clear-sounding speaker built into that small hand mic.
Went to the Portland Boat Show yesterday, and one of the dealers had the GX2100 there. "Just got it this week," he said.
And thanks, Bud, for the new strategy of attending a boat show in the final few days, as products might be more subject to blow-out negotiable prices. I hadn't thought of that.
Re PFDs, yes, it is strange. A Canadian-approved PFD works just fine in our waters when they're on a Canadian-registered boat; and the You-all ones work fine up there on a US-registered boat; but vice versa and we drown. We all have our bureaucracies to maintain I guess.
Good luck on your installs and the interior refinishing. Seems to me that you might have material for a couple more C36IA upgrade articles. :)
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
The only difference between a USCG approved PFD and a Transport Canada approved PFD is the TC one must have bilingual labels, french & english since Canada is supposed to be a bilingual country. When we bought our C36 in Ohio, it came with a package of 4 brand new USCG approved PFDs and we had to purchase a new set, that were identical in every way except they had bilingual labels to be TC approved. Sure am glad this biligualism stuff isn't costing us any money ;)
We were at the Toronto boat show on Saturday and picked up a new rigid vang from Bill & Mary Felgenhauer. I ordered it in December and had them bring it up with their display. We also plan to do the Miami boat show in February.
Tom & Janis Grover
C36 #0949
SR/WK, M25XP
Midland, ON
More on the Standard Horizon GX2100...
At the Seattle Boat Show this weekend I stopped at the SH exhibit and discussed this nicely designed radio. It sounds like just what I want, but I wasn't happy to learn about some installation hassles that would affect my boat.
I presently have an SH radio (now 7 years old) at the nav station, with the RAM mic mounted at the helm. The RAM mic connection with its mother radio is apparently an analog connection. But the new GS2100 radio uses a digital connection, necessary because there is so much more data being communicated. For example, even the AIS picture is remoted for display on the new GS2100's RAM mic.
What this means for me is that the cable between the nav station and the helm will have to be replaced. This is Not Trivial, as you can imagine. (On the other hand, it's not rocket science either...just labor intensive.) Another benefit of the GS2100 is automated fog signals, which would require that I install a speaker, located (on my boat) immediately beneath the radar scanner, which is mounted slightly above the spreaders. Then I need to run a fairly large-gauge pair of wires up the mast to the speaker. Also decidedly Not Trivial.
The evolution of technology brings its blessings, but they come at a price (in hassle) that often seems burdensome.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
A day at a boat show during the off season is almost as enjoyable as a day on the water.
__/)__/)__/)__Capt Mike__/)__/)__/)__
Punta Gorda Florida
1990 Std WK M35 Hull #1050
Tom,
I thought you could make those vests Canadian compliant by just putting an A at the end of each sentence. Can't you do that with a Sharpie markere A.
Cepheus dream
C36 MK I # 825
MK I Tech Editor No Mas
Good one Steve! But actually its spelled "eh" ...eh.
Tom & Janis Grover
C36 #0949
SR/WK, M25XP
Midland, ON
Speaking of late Christmas presents, we just ordered a new set of sails for Allez Yukon. While at the Toronto Boat Show I spoke with several different lofts including North, Ulman. UK Halsey, Performance and Hyde Sails.
We ended up going with a Hyde main and 135% Genoa. We chose the Hyde because they are represented by a local loft who has a great reputation, although he only started representing Hyde Sails last year. Their pricing was competative even though they quoted 8.3 oz cloth versus 7.62 for most of the others. The Company is based in the UK and have their own loft in the Philipines. So we will see how they turn out.
Unfortunatly, my mast is down on the rack at the moment so the sailmaker will have to wait until we launch and step the mast in the spring in order to do a proper measurement. None of the other lofts we spoke to seemed concerned about coming out to actually measure the boat as they all pretty well said a C36 is a C36. Besides I think they felt that we were too far away to bother.
So the fact that the sailmaker will come out an measure the boat and do some post installation sailing with us really helped to seal the deal.
I am also getting a Tides Marine Strong Track main sail handling system.
Tom & Janis Grover
C36 #0949
SR/WK, M25XP
Midland, ON
It's our civic duty to help out wherever we can. Two and a half more boat bucks this week on anchors/chain/rodes and bit and pieces. Then another boat buck and a half in March on batteries and alternator. Then spring is here and we really start to spend.....time that is, working on making her hull pretty again.
:-)
Bud & Suzanne,
Please keep us up to date on the improvements you are making to Delaroux. We are proud owners of a '95 MKII also, we purchased Sceptre in Aug. '09 and although the boat is in excellent condition we plan on making many upgrades over the next year or so. I am especially interested in the installation of the Standard Horizon VHF and Chart Plotter you recently acquired.
Thanks,
Tony
Tony Cullen
s/v Sceptre
1995 C-36 MkII 1449 TR/FK
San Diego, CA. (Chula Vista Marina)
I"ll do that Tony, unfortunately our boat was not so well maintained in the last couple of years and it shows. Won't likely get to installing the electronics until after the boat is splashed in spring, we have a ton of external cosmetics and underwater maintenance to do before she goes in. Not looking forward to that installation, I have to pull two sets of cables from binnacle to nav station to tie the VHF/Chartplotter/remote mike together and it's not looking like a fun job.
Bud, in my experience the most problematic part of running new wiring to the helm is the five feet of the length from the quadrant area through the stainless steel tubing to the helm. It may be easier to start your wiring install at the helm and run the full length downwards from there.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
Bud,
When you get your new wires installed in the stainless steel tubing, remember to install a new piece of small diameter rope or string so that next time you can easily pull a new wire through.
Bill Matley
Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan, Michigan
Lakes Huron, Michigan,
Canadian North Channel
"Spirit of Aloha" Hull #1252
Thanks for the suggestions guys.
I am thinking I might install the plug for the remote mike in the new instrument pod. Even though there is an 'S' bend in it that is a shorter length of pipe and seems less crowded than the binnacle tubing plus that pod unit has room in it for the plug. Then make a mount for the mike clip up on the nav instrument pod so the remote mike will be close to eye level which is important since all the screens on the main VHF unit are repeated on the remote. That would leave 1 cable to go into the binnacle. I have a 50 foot fish tape so hopefully can get it through to pick up the cables. Will definitely leave a messenger string in both places, very good idea.
They give you 21 feet of cable for the remote mike install but none to tie the chartplotter and VHF together. I emailed them and asked if Outdoor grade Cat5 network cable was suitable for this, they said that would be fine due to very low voltage and data volume that it carries. That cable is made for direct burial underground so it should be fine on a boat, it's readily available as well.
If anyone has pulled wires in these places and have any suggestions to ease the job I'm all ears!