A Fleet-Wide Digital Selective Calling Number (Vol. 59)

By Mike Dunn, WALLY 41#2
(As excerpted from a 28 March 2014 Forum posting)

Wally 41#2 cruising the PNW

As the new VHF radios get better and better, most of us now have Digital Selective Calling (DSC) on our radios. With a group num-ber you could get underway or drop anchor and send a group call to find out if anyone else, on a good looking tug, is out on the wa-ter. If we don’t have one or at least an organization wide number, maybe it’s time we do. It will also let you see who responds and you can then send a position request and find out where the other tugs are located. Might be fun on the way to a get together or ren-dezvous. I propose 033837419. The last five digits are based on our tug sizes 37, 41,49 (we could only use five numbers). Here's a good Practical Sailor article on using DSC. 

(Editor's note: Mike's proposal for using 033837419 has been adopted after being seconded by Brave Duck #67, Renegade #72, Teddy Bear #15, and Cielito #51.)

Cabin Wall Thickness

Tosh Chontosh, Petite Wazo #20, found the cabin wall thickness where he'd removed his stateroom, head, and shower portlights to be 1-3/4".

Saloon Leaks from Dinghy Deck Teak fasteners

Trev Croteau, Hjortie #33, found leaks into the saloon from at least four screws which were holding the O2 teak decking down. The screws had penetrated all the way through the saloon's fiberglass roof. To prevent a recurrence of the problem the new O2 deck teak pads were epoxied down.

Fair Market vs. Replacement Value

I just got a copy of Concinnity #17's January 2014 survey. The surveyor, Bob Ptak, stated that the estimated fair market (FM) value was $138K while the estimated replacement (R) cost was $500K. Combined these two numbers give us an interesting ratio, the FM/R. For #17 the FM/R = $138K/$500K= .276. In the box below is the FM and R data for all the surveys on LNVT.org—clearly we need to collect more surveys.

FM/R	Hull #	Date of Survey	FM	R
1.00	#34	4 November 1985	$95K	$95K
0.64	#46	27 January 1993	$135K	$210K
0.79	#66	12 September 2005	$178K	$225K
0.39	#74	23 January 2006	$175K	$450K
0.45	#42	March 2009	$190K	$425K
0.28	#17	17 January 2014	$138K	$500K
0.33	#74	11 March 2014	$125K	$350K

The first thing that strikes me is that replacement cost (R) has gone up dramatically while selling prices have not. This means inflation, which has increased the replacement cost by five times, has had little effect on sales prices. On in the case of a boat, depreciation trumps inflation. It's worth keeping tabs on FM/R as it will let us know if inflation adjusted sales prices are increasing or decreasing. An FM/R > 1 would be consistent with a collector's item. Clearly LNVTs are not collectibles—yet.

When considering fair market (FM) valuation it's important to know why the survey was done. FM valuation for an insurance driven survey may be lower than in a purchase survey. In the first case, a lower valuation translates to lower insurance premiums. In the second, a higher valuation. i.e. loan value, makes it easier to borrow a greater amount.

Hull Number

This is an update to the 37' LNVT production chart that was first put together in July 2010. This update is possible because we now have all the fleet's Hull Identification Numbers (HINs).

Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total
1983					1		2	3	4	5	6, 7	8	8
1984	9	10	11	12	14	15, 17	16		18, 19	20	22		12
1985	21, 23	24, 25	27, 29	26	28	30, 31	32, 42	33, 34	35				15
1986	36, 37, 40, 41	38, 39, 43, 51	44	46	45	47,48	49	50	66	52			17
1987	53, 54, 70		55, 56	57, 58	59	60, 65		62, 63, 64	67	68			15
1988	69, 71	72						73	74				5
1989	75		76										2
Total	13	8	7	5	5	8	5	8	7	4	3	1	74

The chronological hull# order is:

(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14,15) (17) (16) (18,19,20) (22) (21) (23,24,25) (27) (29) (26) (28) (30,31,32) (42) (33,34,35,36,37) (40,41) (38,39) (43) (51) (44) (46)
(45) (47,48,49,50) (66) (52,53,54) (70) (55,56,57,58,59,60) (65) (62,63,64) (67,68,69) (71,72,73,74,75,76
)

Bronze Portlights with Stainless Exterior Trim Rings?

Like all of the earlier tugs, at least through #42, Hull #20 has bronze port lights in the stateroom, head and shower. The port light's trim rings, on the outside of the hull, are stainless steel. Strange that a bronze port light would have a stainless trim ring. Was this done by the yard to match the stainless of the other windows (the five wood pilothouse window frames excluded)? Did the earliest tugs have bronze trim rings? Did the yard make the stainless trim rings? 

12 July 2013 update: Bob Allnutt, Victory #2, just confirmed that his stateroom, head, and shower port light exterior trim rings are bronze.

Saloon Window Spacings Differ--A Lot!

This drawing below shows the white space (gel coat), in inches, between the dutch door and the windows on hulls 2, 31, 63, and 66. The earlier tugs have less space between dutch door and the first salon window. I believe the spacing was increased in later tugs so that the teak window valance (inside the tug) would span the entire window.

Elevation (side profile) of a 37' LNVT. Pilothouse to the left. Measurements (in inches), on the outside of the boat, of the white space between the dutch door and the first salon window, the space between the windows, and the space between the last window and the end of the salon.

Hull #	Door to Window #1	Window #1 to #2	Window #2 to #3	Window #3 to back of Pilothouse
2	26	28-1/2	3-3/4	18
4	30	28	3-3/4
31	25-1/2	24	7-7/8	19-1/2
33	26-1/8	24	7-7/8	19
38		24	8
43	26	24	7-3/4	19
47	30-5/8	19	7-3/4	18-3/4
66	30-1/2	19-1/4	7-1/2	18-3/4
56	30-1/2	19-1/2	7-1/2	18-1/2
63	30-3/4	18-1/2	7-3/4	19

Rusty Water from Ballast Appearing in Bilge

Here's an interesting one.  After painting Nellie's bilge from the bow to the engine room bulkhead, and while Nellie was still on the hard, 1/2 ounce of brown fluid magically appeared in the bilge.  Funny, it hadn't rained, and the fluid was no where near any hoses. The fluid has no obvious odor.  Wipe it up and the next day there's more in the same spot.  I suspect water has found its way into the keel and is mixing with the iron ballast, explaining the rust color; changes of temperature force it up and through small cracks in the bilge's fiberglass.

Need to talk to Tommy Chen about the 3000 pounds of ballast he placed in an LNVT's keel: was it iron; the shape of the pigs; was anything poured around it to keep it from moving; etc. Does he think water could accumulate around the ballast, and if so, any ideas on how to drain the water?

The rust-filled fluid which seems to be entering via hairline cracks in Nellie's bilge.

Sewing Up a Storm (Tuggers Vol. 55)

By Lisa Taylor, Aramis #40 

I absolutely loved our first season with Aramis, but she just didn't quite seem like "ours".  The interior furnishings were all in nice shape but they were someone else’s furnishings....not mine. I had a few ideas but couldn't quite make up my mind until the East Coast Rendezvous (thanks to John and Jeanne Niccolls, Knock Off #66...remember, imitation is the best form of flattery). 

New signal pillows aboard Aramis

 I have heard many times from my husband, John, a shipwright by profession, the value of having the right tool for the job (usually while he's bidding on yet another plane, chisel or gouge from ebay) but it finally hit home for me when I was trying to sew 4 layers of sunbrella and 1 layer of Phifertex mesh with my trusty, 30 year old Singer sewing machine. 

New screen and curtains too

John quietly took note of my building frustration and surprised me with an early Christmas present, an Ultrafeed sewing machine, designed to handle multiple layers of canvas and even leather. My frustration was soon gone and I was on a roll. After completing new window coverings for the boat I went on to make pillows (note what they spell out) (http://www.maineharbors.com/flag.htm), a screen door, dinghy, outboard & fender covers, and in keeping with my...

Whimsea Gets New Cushions (Tuggers Vol.55)

By Barb Robertson, Whimsea #64 

I decided Whimsea’s 1987 vintage blue velour; sun-bleached cushions didn’t fit her new name and whimsical image. I embarked on a winter reupholstering project with great enthusiasm but little experience or skill. Just in case any of you are contemplating such a project, I thought I would share a few tips and lessons learned. Initially, I intended to completely replace the foam inserts and fabric. As I deconstructed the cushions, with an industrial seam ripper to create the fabric templates, I was surprised to find the foam in great shape albeit quite smelly. Although I contacted several firms to buy replacement foam, none could provide the quality and exact fit of the foam I was replacing so I decided to keep the originals. The next quest was to remove 25 years of odors dominated by diesel.  After a gallon and 6 applications of Pureayre Marine Formula (http://www.purayre.com/marine.htm) the old smells finally abated. 

New Cushions on Whimsea

Window Channel--Three Years Later (Tuggers Vol. 55)

By Dave Howell, NELLIE D. #63 

Tape holds corners securely while S-40 sets

I replaced NELLIE D.'s crumbling felt window channel with a modified Trim-Lok 1375B7X3/8 molding using the procedure explained in the Wiki's FAQs (lnvt.org/tug-faq#windowchannel). In three years of use some problems have cropped up: the molding sometimes sagged on top of the window; a sticky window could grab the molding and pull it along; and finally, over time the molding settled into its stainless U-channel and where once the Trim-Loks' bitter ends pressed together tightly, a gap appeared. The good news is that all these shortfalls can be addressed by 'gluing' the Trim-Lok into place.

Relax the corners for a better fit

First, I recommend that both the movable and fixed panes of glass, and their stainless retainers, be completely removed from the window. Next, put a bead of polyurethane caulk (like 5200 or Loctite S40) inside the stainless U-channel. Next, put the Trim-Lok into the stainless U-channel holding it tightly in place, especially in the corners, using masking tape. Finally, when the polyurethane has dried, reinstall the glass and its retainers.

 The windows are once again a joy to use and hopefully, in another three years, I'll be able to report they have been trouble free.

The Fleet's Varying Saloon Ceiling Heights

It was during a conversation with Craig Smith, Rose Bud #34, that I realized that the floor heights of LNVTs vary. Craig's experience was first hand—his head hit the ceiling in some tugs but not in others. He specified is his purchase order that #34's ceiling was to be no higher than hull #22's. Here are two data points as measured just forward of the companionway hatch in the salon: #28 is 6' 1-1/2" and #2 is 6' 3-1/2".

An LNVT 37 is Actually 36'-10"

The actual length of a 37' LNVT is 36'-10" per Bob Allnutt, Victory #2, who dropped plumb bobs from the bow and stern and measured between them.

How to Remove the Companionway Hatch

Per Jamie Hansen, Philbrooks Boatyard, Ltd., this how to remove the companionway hatch:

To remove the fixed panel of the aft sliding hatch there are a few steps needed to take. There are several wood plugs on the top edge of the panel. After removing them, screws below can be removed. This may be enough to remove the panel. If not the hatch will need to be cut along the wood joint around the edge of the hatch frame. Once cut the top panel will be loose.  To re-install use a brown caulking on the joint and screw the top back on the hatch frame. New teak plugs can then be glued in and sanded flush.

A Replacement Window Channel Made by Faucher.ca

Per Jamie Hansen, Philbrooks Boatyard, Ltd., Faucher.ca has stainless steel window channel (621-4471) which fits an LNVT's 10mm glass. It costs $47/8' + shipping from Canada. He describes the installation process as follows:

The windows are made with two stainless steel frames that are inset into an outer frame that is attached to the cabin side. The inner frames are held in with small flat head machine screws under the gasket material. After the old gasket has been cut out and screws removed the frames can be pulled out using small pry bars or tapped with a wood block and hammer. Be careful not to bend or kink the frames during the removal step. Be sure to clean the inside of the metal frames well to prepare for the new gasket material.

To bend the new gasket into the frames can be hard so we have come up with a helpful method to obtain a good fit. Using the frames as a template, trace the inside shape onto a piece of ¾” plywood or MDF. The cut out is a good jig to bend the gasket around and give you the right size and shape to fit the frames. Slots are cut into the gasket before being installed to create the drain holes. The track can be glued back into the frames with silicon as well as the frames into the openings on the boat. Tape can be used to hold the gasket in place while the silicone dries over night. Be sure that the new screws attaching the frames are not in the way of the operation of the sliding pane of glass.