HideAway Makes a Cover

On a day when we realized all of our navigation gear has gone missing - Really how can you lose navigation instruments and expect ever to find your way home again??

Don't know but they are lost - Gotta appreciate the irony I suppose.

On a happier note the HideAway has made the cover of Boca Ciega Yacht Club's 2011 Directory - Cool eh?

We had just returned from a week long cruise to Anclote Key and Tarpon Springs arriving close to sundown we secured the boat in our slip at BCYC and went over to another dock to visit when I snapped this photo which has become a favorite. 

SV HideAway

Don't Let Your Current Stray - Zinc It

Pennies do have some value after all. Leave one in an aluminum power boat and it will eventually sink the boat from corrosion. Suppose there is a market for aluminum jet skis with copper coin holders?


Stray Current Corrosion occurs when unprotected metal boat parts are exposed to stray current especially in salt water. Stray current comes from electrical faults in other boats or from the dock power system. Sacrificial anodes, zincs, protect the valuable boat parts in the water such as outboard motors from attack by the electrolysis fiend.



In this case the aluminum part of the kick up rudder was slightly submerged in the salt water marina aka battery fluid.

Keep Your Metal Protected - Zinc It! 

Where are the Sacrificial Anodes when you need them? On the outboard motor that was raised out of the water to keep sea creatures from making a home on it of course.

Another reason not to swim in marinas.

The OOPS Factor - The HideAways Turn Oil Into Cream

Awhile ago we chronicled rebuilding the lower end of our 1994 Evinrude 8hp outboard motor in a series of videos on HideAways Utube channel.

The good news is the motor keeps its cool during the most stressful of times such as running horizontally during a recent heavy weather event on Tampa Bay as HideAway buried her rail for a lot longer than one would think possible.

Her exhausted, salt encrusted crew took two days to return HideAway to her trailer and two weeks to sew up her damaged sails and glue her dink back together.




Linda sews while two crew members watch

 



HideAway and the Dink locked rub rails






Then someone asked why Mr E, our faithful outboard, was hemoraging a cream colored substance from his lower end. The answer to which can be found below

SMALL BOATS ROCK!

Compac 23 V Berth Conversion

The V berth in my Compac 23 is a wide and spacious place originally designed as a double berth separated from the main cabin by a full bulkhead. For the cruising couple the V berth has one major flaw common in most boats of this size. Smack dab in the middle of the berth lurks the head which in most cases is a self contained Marine Sanitation Device. No doubt this is the best and only practical place to install such a device but it is a real pain in the neck if one of the berth’s occupants needs to use it at night. In addition, if you are using the V berth for sleeping where do you put your other stuff?



I happened upon the plans for a Cape Dory 25D.  The concept of sleeping in the V berth is abandoned in favor of using the space for the head and storage. Applying the concept to HideAway, I replaced the original porta pottie with a larger one rigged to use dockside pump out equipment. Not only does this mitigate the worst of the undesirable chores on HideAway it also provides an outside vent for the MSD. Then I developed and installed a sink with a cabinet added an electric water pump and plumbed the vanity to an unused thru hull.




SV HideAway Vanity

In cruising mode the V berth area is home to our main jerry jug water supply, extra sails, tools and supplies. Now all of our cruising gear and small coolers labeled by day of use can be stored in one place.





The early Compac 23s had no cabinetry beyond the sink/ companion way steps. While a bit stark compared to the Compac 23/IV that feature a slide out sink and galley with additional cabinetry along the settees.


Compac 23 IV port side

 The HideAway has human size settee berths that are comfortable for sleeping.


A fair trade off to me as the thought of cooking something below decks makes no sense to me and with the reconfigured V berth space the settee cabinets are unnecessary.





HideAway is the earliest known Compac of this design in existence.  


SV HideAway Compac 23 Hull #2

Now I can stand up to put on my pants – A decadent luxury.

Small Boats Rock!!

A Word from our cruising kitty-

 

Classic Sailboat & Dink Mousepad by SailingHideAway

Browse for more mousepads from zazzle.com.

A nice thick mouse pad is hard to find.  

This on fills the bill-- 

Add your boat and text.  It's easy!  I did it!