The Boat

Shango is a Pacific Seacraft 40, hull #2 built in 1996. We
are the third owners and purchased her in July 2005.

After returning from our first Bahamas cruise in 2002, we went
in search of a more suitable boat for extended short handed
cruising. The highest priorities in our search were:

    •a more rugged boat with sufficient displacement
      to stand up to prolonged abuse from seas and wind
    •cutter rig
    •shallow draft
    •a powerful and dependable engine
    •sufficient below deck space for my 6"4" frame and all our junk
    •respectable sailing characteristics
    •a size and design that we felt comfortable handling in both demanding
     at sea conditions as well as in tight docking situations with wind and
     current
    •the intangible ability to reach out to both of us with her design, fit
      and finish.
    •within our budget

Although Amy had a double ender prior to our meeting, this was not
necessarily a high priority in our search. After many boat shows and
web research we kept coming back to the Pacific Seacraft 40 as the boat that seemed right for us. The Pacific Seacraft 40 certainly has compromises
like all boats but so far she seems to be working pretty well for us.

The previous two owners were from the west coast and although we live in Newburyport, MA we actually bought the boat in Seattle from Tom
Cooper at Seacraft Yacht Sales. Buying the boat in Seattle gave us a great excuse to sail to the Gulf and San Juan Islands, see friends in Oregon and Washington, and get married in Victoria, B.C.

The boat's first owners had done a very good job with her initial outfitting and her ongoing maintenance. The second owners had her for only a short time before their sailing plans changed. Although Shango is now 13 years old we think that she has aged well. She ceratinly was a wonderful boat for our 2007 cruise to the Bahamas. We couldn't be happier with her. As we tell many people, when we returned from the Bahamas in 2002 on our Ericson 35 , we felt that we had unfairly pushed the boat beyond its design intentions. On multiple occasions and not only offshore, I did not feel secure, and Great Notions, our Ericson 35, could almost be heard saying to us, " What the hell are doing to me, I'm not meant to be in this situation!!"

During our 2007 trip we were always saying to ourselves, wow, what an amazing difference, can you imagine what this would have been like on Great Notions. It's very clear to us that we have a well found and secure boat for our needs. Going forward I must now reluctantly admit that the limiting factor in our our cruising goals will be our abilities rather than Shango's.

Recent Projects and Upgrades ( for those few of you that may be interested)

Wind Generator

One of our biggest frustrations during our 2001 trip was the constant use of the engine
for power generation. We always envied others who could sit at anchor for days
and power their house banks with either solar panels or a wind generator. Friends
on Yaquina from Portland Oregon had an array of solar panels on their bimini which
worked great for them. We are still thinking of this option but I was reluctant to
tackle the engineering task of bimini penetrations and support. We already had a
stout 2.5" diameter wind generator mast on the stern so wind became our first
choice. Shango came with an Aerogen 6 wind generator which we found to be
nearly useless. At 15-20 knots we barely made 2-3 amps. At survey I was very
suspicious of its performance and had the local Seattle dealer check it out. He
returned the verdict that it was fine. Although I knew something was fishy I did not
pursue it at that time

As far as I could tell, the English company that made the unit no longer exists and the support email addresses all went to dead ends. After tracking down the unit's actual designer, we still could not get the unit to perform as expected. It became time to pursue other options Other friends on Eleanor M. from Newburyport, MA have had a Ferris 200 rig mounted unit for years which they are very satisfied with. Other friends had Kiss and Four Winds units with which they were also satisfied. Although all three units appear to be excellent options, I went with Ferris given the fact that they were based in Massachusetts and would be more accessible for support.

The unit is now installed and although I've had to track down some initial installation bugs related to wiring and also with the regulator it is really able to generate the amps as advertised. I'm still gaining experience with the unit but so far it does start generating power at 5-7 knots of wind, 1 amp at most, and at 12-15 knots it consistently puts out 5-7 amps. At 15 and above the output really ramps up. We see 10 -18amps between 15-20 knots. In Cape May as a cold front passed through one afternoon we had gusts up to 28 and the unit's amp meter maxed out its recording scale at 25 amps......That's the power side....noise and vibration is another story. Needless to say the Aerogen never put much stress on its mounting mast and supporting struts.The Ferris does. I've started to investigate solutions with some luck to date. First, after initial settling in, I had to further tighten down the set screws securing the unit to the mast. That helped ease the vibration greatly. Secondly I am finding that as usual my height is causing problems. I had four inches added to the base of the mast given the increased radius of the Ferris's blades. This increase in height as well as the height of the mast in general in causing strong forces on the mast especially during wind changes. During the strong Cape May winds, I added kayak tie downs straps to supplement the two supporting struts and that also seems to work. I'll continue oogling solutions and look at other people's ideas as the trip continues. My first thought is that a radar arch for electronics and solar panels might also be a better solution for mounting the generator.More stiffness as well as a much shorter mast.

Helm Instrumentation

Amy and I both prefer having as much of our instrumentation duplicated at the helm as
possible. Shango previously had some at the helm and some at the nav station. Especially
bothersome to us was the use of a removable aluminum bracket for the radar repeater
which when in use was so high that Amy's 5"2" view was obstructed. Additionally there
was no remote radio MIC for VHF communication while at the helm. So, I looked around
for a helm unit which could both hold all our displays but also be low enough in profile so
that Amy could see over the unit while seated on the helmsman bench. The Navpod
Grand Prix on the right just about fits the bill. We did not have room for all six of our
displays so we had to add an Edson display head at the lower left for our autopilot. Buying
the unit was the easy part. Installation was a bear. I terminated all the wiring under the
helm in three terminal boxes, made new connections for runs up the pedestal guards, and
then fished all the new wire runs down the pedestals to the terminal boxes for connection.
After numerous false steps, faulty soldering, impossible places to access, and overloaded pedestal guards I finally completed the job.
For amateurs among us like me, I have a new found admiration for the clean, efficient
and professional work provided by qualified marine electronics technicians. I also have a new found appreciation
for the benefits of both wireless instruments as well as integrated display platforms cutting down on the need for
separate displays for each device. Despite the installation headaches, the Navpod has been great for us data freaks.

Bimini and Stack Pak

When we purchased Shango/Kiva her bimini and dodger were in pretty
bad shape and additionally they did not have side and back enclosures.
Another big lesson from the last trip was that Fall sailing down the East
Coast especially at night is COLD. Full enclosures were a must for us.
At right is a shot of the new bimini and enclosures. We are really happy
with this addition. Not only do we stay warm but as happened during
the 4th of July celebrations in Ptown, we can stay in the cockpit when
it rains.

The Doyle Stack Pack has eased the burden of sail covering. The
PSC 40 has a good sized full battened main and I wanted to make it
as easy as possible to cover and uncover. I'm still working out the best
system especially in wind and rolling seas. The bimini requires that the
boom be moved outboard in order to reach the zipper to close the
Stack Pak. In calm seas it's easy to just move the traveller or loosen
the mainsheet for access to the zipper. When it is rocking and rolling
that would be a good way to be knocked in the drink by the flying boom.
I've now found the right combination of deployed preventer, vang, traveller, and mainsheet to pin the boom can to an outboard position enabling me to stand on the toerail and reach up to the aft end of the boom and start the zipper pull to enclose the sail. After I get the zipper just aft of the dodger my circus act maneuver is over. In a rolling sea this is definitely not as easy as 1,2,3 but on balance I think the Stack Pak is a great addition.

New Battery Banks

The cranking battery was identified as being suspect at survey and I confirmed this during our first summer's cruising. The house bank was only 420 amps and I wanted at least 700 amps so I replaced both banks. I replaced the cranking battery with a Group 27 AGM. For the house bank I was able to fit 3 8D AGM totalling 735 amps. In addition I fabricated aluminum tie down bars and fiberglass angle irons to hold all four batteries securely in place. The picture below shows the cranking battery to the right and one of the three 8Ds to the left. The other two 8ds are perpendicular to the 8d and run under the cockpit sole under the galley sinks. These two also have aluminum tie downs and fiberglass angle irons securing them in place. Hopefully Shango will always be facing the sky but in the event she decides to turn turtle I think we have a good chance of avoiding being bombarded by flying batteries in addition to everything else that would be going haywire. At the top of the picture you can also see newly installed wind generator regulator and diode.

Dedicated Alternators for House Bank and Cranking Battery

Every resource that I consulted recommended dedicated alternators for both the house bank and the cranking battery. Shango came with the original and unused internally regulated Hitachi 80 amp alternator. In its place was a high output externally regulated alternator. At survey the external regulator was found to be misbehaving and I replaced it as soon as I got the boat back East. The new regulator in conjunction with the existing high output alternator have worked fine. The magicians at Merri-Mar custom made a second bracket ( shown below at left) for the Hitachi allowing me to install the unused Hitachi. We now have dedicated alternators for both the battery banks with each alternator specifically designed for its bank's needs. So far the system has worked like a charm with absolutely no intervention required. I've been monitoring voltages and amp hours for both banks religiously and so far everything is working as it should with no effort on my part. Best of all I can keep the battery switches isolated and avoid any unwanted run down of either battery bank.

Holding Tank Diverter Valve

Another issue discovered at survey was a very finicky and nearly inaccessible diverter valve for the holding tank. Every time we wanted to change the direction of head discharge, a nearly impossible contortion was first required under the head vanity to access the diverter valve handle and then as the handle was in reach, a super human effort was required to actually turn the handle. The valve and the handle were plastic so I of course was just waiting for it to break. During our trip, the handle did freeze in place so I was forced to jury rig our system so that all discharge was redirected directly overboard. Amy was outraged by this necessity but gave in to the compromise so as to avoid using a bucket. So, upon our return and having Shango safely hauled ashore, I decided to rebuild the holding tank plumbing system in a fashion more similar to the way it should have been in the first place. It is interesting to note that most PS 40 owners talk about this refit as the one they most dread as well as the one they most envy when when they see someone who has taken it on with success. Here's the finished product:

The above picture shows the space under the head sink with the casework all removed. The upper left corner of the picture shows just the edge of the holding tank, behind which is the old mounting plate for the now removed diverter valve. The new diverter valve, the bronze 3 way ball valve, is shown in the middle of the picture. The white sanitation hose coming into the top of the valve is from the head. The two hoses leading out horizontally are the lines going either to the holding tank or directly overboard. The new valve is up to its task unlike the previous one. Most importantly, with the casework in place the valve is still very accessible.

Am I glad that this project is done.

Engine Compartment Insulation Replacement:

I don't have a good picture of the engine compartment with the old insulation besides the one above , however, the insulation material was of very poor quality. The thin foil cover was full of tears and the foam insulation material itself disintegrated. This is a picture of the compartment free of the old material. I have ordered a new and much improved material as a replacement.

Engine compartment stripped of old insulation awaiting new material
installation.

Here are the first two panels with cut outs for the oil changer,
the raw water strainer, and fuel lines. Pictures a little dark. The
material is very rugged ,e.g., silver rubber exterior and 3 layers of
foam behind. Should hold up very well.

More to come...

Here's the final sound proofing mounted with fenderwashers.

Watermaker Replacement:

We always had a sense that Shango's original watermaker was too small for our needs, e.g., 3 gallons per hour. However before we invested mucho bucks on a bigger one we wanted to take an extended cruise to verify that the investment was consistent with our needs and to also get a feel for the correct size. After our trip we learned that , one, a watermaker has indeed become a high priority for us justifying the expense. And two, the PUR was definitely too small. We tend to use 5 gallons per day when we are in economizing mode so we chose the Spectra Ventura 200 T which makes 8 gallons per hour. This production level should allow us to run the machine every couple days for several hours thereby hopefully meeting our needs. The unit is now on the boat and here is its prepared location under the nav seat where the air condition used to be....the only time we ever turned on the A/C was at survey! Installation will be an interesting affair. Stay tuned..

Future home for the Spectra Ventura 200 watermaker

Here's the final install right after start-up. The unit made between 7 and 8 gallons per hour despite the water temperature being 52F. The unit is not recommended for temps below 50F. Higher pressures, higher amperage, and lower output can result.

Another angle looking through the nav seat to below.

New 6 Man Winslow Life Raft:

On each offshore trip we have always felt a bit nervous with our "use the RIB" life raft strategy. The thought of going on the foredeck, untying the 130 lb. beast, and getting it hoisted overboard in uncertain conditions always bothered us. We tried Ebay and to our surprise there were great values. We successfully bid on this 6 person 2007, never deployed life raft. Our savings were several thousand dollars!!

Here's Amy during our inspection, prior to repacking.

Sea Frost Freezer and Refrigerator:

We had been planning on replacing our 13 year old Glacier Bay Freezer/Refrigerator unit next summer (2010). Although we have had excellent experience with the unit, newer technology would allow us to rid ourselves of the huge compressor in the transom locker as well as the horrendous noise that it produced. From all the research I have done, the daily amperage as well as cooling/freezing performance would probably see little change. Noise, space, and planned replacement were the goals. Well, 10 days before our departure, the Glacier Bay had an unplanned stroke....all controls ceased to function. She worked as well as usual she just would not stop no matter what I did. With ten days to departure we had 2 choices. Call Washington to see if I could find a new control unit for a no longer made unit or move up our planned replacement by a year. We chose the later.

Our boat yard had installed 3 Sea Frost units that summer each with adoring owners. A cruising buddy knew the owner of Sea Frost and vouched for him. I spoke with the owner and learned that he had been installing his product on many recent PS40's. I was sold. The new unit is 12 volt. The freezer and refrigerator are separate units and each can run as either a fridge or freezer. They are very, very quiet. The amperage draw is less than 5 amps when running although they cycle many, many more times than the Glacier Bay. My early guess is that they use the same amperage per day. So far we are very happy. Let's see how they perform over the next 13 years like Glacier Bay did!

The temperature controls very conveniently fit in the old holes left by the Glacier Bay.

Monitor Windvane Installation:

Here's the wind vane in use on our passage from Norfolk to the BVI. Hard to believe but all our sailing on this passage was done by the vane and we had no previous experience. During our first of 3 high wind days I did call Monitor on some fine tuning to keep from being headed up during gusts to 40. After making suggested adjustments we no longer were headed during gusts. This is not an advertisement but I can't say enough about the device. All day all night it just keeps doing its thing. Better steering than a person or an autopilot on vane mode and no amps. Small changes required in wind angle control as conditions change but no big deal.

Here's the route for our control lines back to the Monitor

We were careful to position and size the turning block to the wheel. On long passages and long usage I wanted to avoid chafe as well as any mounting issues. So far so good. Check back in 5 years...