Ebbtide Owners Group

Betty

2009-07-28T20:56:00.001-04:00

Betty
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon

She floats!
We launched our Ebbtide last month. After seven years out of the water, we were enormously relieved to see her settle into her gorgeous lines. Our present project: cutting out the old ports and replacing the frames and windows. Then- moving aboard, and the mast!

Mayflower Marina

2009-04-12T21:08:00.001-04:00

Mayflower Marina
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon

From our newest Ebbtide owner, Lee:

Well first blog is a whinge at the local Beta Marine agent. Having
bought the yacht whilst she was out of the water, I thought that
I'd save time ashore by paying to get the surveyors comments on the
engine all sorted. I have a Kubota 1505 with Beta marinisation
kit...

I decided I'd get my first engine service and thorough checkup by
the local Beta rep here in Plymouth, what a waste of £1000...

They have made so many mistakes and cockups that I will have to do
the entire job again myself, as I dont know how many other suprises
are waiting for me. With 20:20 hind sight, I should have done it
all myself in the first place...!

Top Tip to any yachtsman:
If you're in Plymouth, England, DO NOT use "Marine Wise" Beta Rep
to overhaul your engine. Just my opinion but the service and value
for money I received was very very poor, although they didn't
quibble about getting the saloon cushions cleaned after they
managed to get grease on them.

Well I'm looking forward to my first cruise from Plymouth to the
Med, via Paris....
More Blogs to follow,

Happy sailing

Lee

Mokusiga

2009-04-11T22:59:00.001-04:00

Mokusiga
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon

This just in:

I'm Lee from Plymouth in the UK.

I have just bought an Ebbtide 33, called Mokusiga, (It means
"Wasting Time" in Fijian)

I have just been made redundant from my job designing superyachts
and now I'm off to New Zealand, a trip I'm hoping to make over the
next 18 months.

ellen- Another one on the open seas. Looking forward to updates!

Ebbtide in Africa

2009-03-26T20:48:00.001-04:00

Paddy and Conachair en route to Dakar: http://www.youtube.com/user/Yachtconachair

Ebbtide in Africa

2009-03-08T22:40:00.002-04:00

Conachair is in Dakar, Senegal. Read about it on Paddy's site: http://www.conachair.co.uk/
His full narrative is the in the "Yarns" section of the site. Enjoy!

Meanwhile, John is busy replacing our rig- all new Hi-Mod fittings and wire, new chainplates to be welded externally sometime this month. Once the mast is up- we're floating!!

2008-10-29T22:04:00.000-04:00

Taken aboard an Ebbtide 33. We watch it whenever we need inspiration to get aboard again.

New Stanchion Bases

2008-06-06T08:47:00.001-04:00

New Stanchion Bases
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon

They will eventually have a stainless rod that goes from the pipe to the deck, just like the original below.

The Old Stanchion Bases

2008-06-06T08:46:00.001-04:00

The Old Stanchion Bases
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon

We are alive and well and finally hard at work restoring our Ebbtide 33. I hope to get photos of all the little projects John's tackled up on the blog later today. We have wonderful stories of boats that have been fully restored and are cruising all over the world, but none of the painstaking and small details that go into these transformations. That's the phase we're in now.

Stanchion bases: this is what we took off the boat and John is replicating them in stainless, so we won't have to worry about lines and shackles rubbing and deteriorating the paint, causing rust spots. We spent a great deal of time tracking down the specific dimensions of stainless, pipe, plate, and rod, not to mention the welding wire he'll need to fabricate each. It has been an adventure in doing-it-ourselves, but above is a picture of the new base in progress.

Welded

2008-05-05T21:49:00.001-04:00

Welded
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon

It's been a mighty long time since we've had any changes to report on our boat, but here we are finally working on her again. John was laid off from his job, we sold our other boat, and rather than stick around here looking for a reason to stay, we've decided to concentrate on the Ebbtide and get sailing again. With two very small girls.

On the list for projects to complete before splashing: relocating several thru-hulls that are now below the waterline. We would like to keep our systems as simple as possible and avoid using check valves. Easy solution? Move everything that doesn't absolutely need to be below the waterline, up a foot or two. Cockpit drains, bilge and sink discharge, etc. So we've been cutting and plugging and welding away. Pictures on our Flickr link!

Alianco

2008-01-04T08:09:00.001-05:00

Alianco
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon

This clipping was sent to us by Chris Smith, whose parents knew the builder of Alianco, Ebbtide 36. Pretty wonderful stuff- here is Alianco in her present configuration. Thanks so much, Chris!

World Sailor

2007-12-27T08:51:00.001-05:00

World Sailor
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon

An update on the Ebbtide Shipyard- big things are happening!

The official site is ready and you can visit it at
World Sailor.

We have more pictures and Ebbtide technical information. We scanned original drawings (study plans and calculations) and that's available as free download. The video's from Alan are now linked with my YouTube channel, and can be viewed on the website
or on YouTube.

Reinier and our digital designer changed the Ebbtide 39 into a 40, with flushdeck. A few weeks ago the build of the first Ebbtide 40, has started.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, for you and the family.

Kind Regards from Reinier IJben and Hans Struiksma.

Kamita

2007-12-27T08:42:00.001-05:00

Kamita
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon

From Bill from Jenain, an email exchange that may be of interest to all Ebbtiders-

I am fowarding to you, a mail that I recieved from Alasdair Musselwhite, who owns a 36ft Ebbtide called Kamita, and my reply to him. It may be of interest to other Ebbtide owners.

Regards and compliments of the season from "Jenain" in Dar es Salaam , Tanzania.
Bill Robinson.

Ebbtide Query Response

Here are the answers to your questions. E-mail is rather difficult while cruising. There are only e-mail facilities in Hellville,(very slow), and we tend to avoid the place as much as possible! I will take the liberty of copying this mail to the Ebbtide blog, as it may be of interest to others.

Regards,
Bill.

So sorry i missed your departure (?) from False Bay but i have both been travelling and sailing in Turkey on Kamita so kept away from the marina far too much. for good reason all the same.

Had a great ten days sailing in S Turkey with gentle autumnal weather and F2-4 average on 26degree days which isnt too bad. Kamita loved it and we had a fair bit of Cruising chute and poled out Genoa days which worked the Hydrovane but not too much....As ever with me not living aboard there were little glitches that showed she had sat some time waiting for us to sail but nothing untoward.

Couple of things struck me all the same and i thought i would glean from you whilst i could.....

1. Pics, Drawings, spec of steel rudder you had DDix draw for you - any chance of details?

Unfortunately, I no longer have the drawings. Dudley Dix may still have them though, you could ask him. The rudder is hollow, it has a 6mm flat front , and the sides are 3mm. There are 3 SS lugs, about 50mm x 50mm x 55mm ,with Vesconite bushes, welded to the front of the rudder, and similar ones on the transom. The pintles are 12mm SS . The section where the tiller fits in, is also SS. to prevent rust. The rudder is very strong, and withstood a grounding in coral which I am sure would have destroyed a wooden one. I have a100mm dia. saucer anode on either side. See photos.

2. Fully battened main : Any details photos on batten cars, system and Mainsail measurements appreciated?

Yes, the main has 4 full battens and is loose footed. I do not like the weight, cost and complexity of batten cars, so I just have normal slides. As Jenain is a cruising boat, it is no hassle to head a bit upwind when hoisting or lowering the sail. Even reefing with the wind aft is not too difficult. I may try some Dutchman batten cars in the future, they run in the standard track, and have wheels or balls that run on the aft face of the mast. They are not too expensive either. The mainsail was made by North in Cape Town, as was my Genoa. They are both quite a bit heavier than is normal, but ideal for long distance cruising. See attached specs, but bear in mind that I have the “larger rig” with a 15’05m long mast.

3. Jenain - Galley layout and cooker/fridge location pics appreciated (see my pic with diesel cooker and gas plate athwartships ungimballed - i want to move diesel Dickinson cooker out and position gas cooker where drawers are like you have done)

My galley layout is very close to the original design, I only eliminated the small drawers next to the cooker, to get a larger fridge/freezer. It now has a capacity of 90 liters. The “food locker” houses the 12 volt refrigeration unit, most of the engine driven refrigeration system, and the raw water strainer. Food is stowed elsewhere! See my earlier comments re galley worktop height . Photos attached.

4. Spray hood and dodger installation. Mine whilst ok is not sturdy and build as yours is and i would really appreciate learnings and layouts design from yours (photos drawings and commentary appreciated)

My spray hood is very sturdy, but a bit narrow, to allow for the aft cabin/galley/engine compartment Dorade vent. It attaches with an aluminum track to a teak breakwater that in turn, is glued with Sika flex to the steel cabin top. It is made of a fabric called Stamoid. The front clear panel can be opened for ventilation, by means of a zipper. The clear panels have removable mesh covers to filter out about 50% of the sunlight. There are pockets on each side to stow small items. See photos . I am, however thinking of a hard dodger, maybe someone has a good design?

5. 3 Bladed prop size and HP of your engine. I am running 36hp on my Bukh with i think too big a prop as i cannot get full revs and indeed show a lot of smoke (unburnt fuel) on my engine. What is your prop arrangement and would you consider folding prop on this hull worth the investment - Kiwi prop - Stg 750?

I have a 450mm, 3 bladed Max prop, pitched at 14 degrees. My engine is a 34 HP Perkins with a 2:1 Hurth gearbox. I definitely consider a feathering prop worth while, for two main reasons. 1. You can set the pitch to match the engine, and 2. I estimate that I get at least 0,5 of a knot more speed with the prop feathered. That is 12 miles per day on passage! It also eliminates a shaft brake, or a noisy turning prop! If I were building again, I would put in a larger engine, about 50 HP, and a 3 bladed feathering prop who’s pitch can be altered without hauling the boat, such as the Sea Hawk, or the J Prop.

6. Any details or pics of your aft cabin cockpit hatch - size and location (see pics of my aft cabin and possible location?)

I do not have a hatch, only an opening port .The port is in the forward side of the cockpit foot well. The opening is 190mm X 460mm. See photo.

7. Pics and spec of your highfield lever arrangement for the inner fore stay sail - spent my life winding the Genoa through the gap between inner and outer stays - not to mention the wear and tear??

I use a 3/8 inch “ABI” highfield lever on my inner forestay, (they were available from West Marine). If we are doing a lot of tacking, or sailing on any point of sail other than upwind, I move the inner forestay to the stowed position near the starboarg chainplates , and sail her as a sloop. It is not necessary to remove the staysail, it simple moves with the stay.See photos.

8. Presume you have Furled Genoa (120%?) but wondered what you used for downwind ocean running - i appear to have a double foil on my Genoa furler but only a hanked jib - might put a luff rope into it to fly to windward downwind.

I have a 9-70s Reef Rite furler. This is great, it has a pawl to prevent it unfurling, (operated by a small highfield lever). All my headsails, except those flown on the inner forestay, have “Kiwi Slides”, which allow them to be dropped just like hanked on sails. There are 2 slots in the foil. Check out their web site , www.reef-rite@xtra.co.nz . I use a poled out Genoa and main, or my asymmetrical spinnaker downwind. I am, however busy rigging for a “Twistle Rig”. This uses 2 free floating poles,(not attached to the mast), and two headsails, or a two ply special sail. In Thailand, I intend to have a double ply headsail with one luff rope (and Kiwi Slides) , made from heavy spinnaker material. I made the necessary fitting in Simon’s Town, but could not find a reasonably priced pole, and did not have time to have the sail made.

9. Did you have a single line reefing arrangement to the cockpit or still at mast?

No , I much prefer to reef at the mast, where I can attend to any snags. I have “granny bars”, which make this easy and safe. This also reduces the clutter in the cockpit.

Two further things:-
I now have at last found a decent anchor. It is a 25kg Rocna and is so much better than anything else I have ever used. I have tried the CQR, Delta, Bruce and Danforth, none are much good! The Rocna sets immediately and , with it’s large fluke area and shape, holds in all conditions.

My new Beaufort Orion windvane is great, a big improvement on the previous Aries.

As ever the list is of ideas and questions is endless but appreciate the forethought and insight of your practical applications learnt over time and with good hands on experience.

Cheers and thanks
Alasdair____

P.S. It is just too difficult to send the photos and attachments from Madagascar, I will try and send them from Mayotte when we get there.

Ebbtide Shipyard

2007-07-12T12:39:00.001-04:00

Ebbtide Shipyard
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon

Hans and Reinier, proprieters and planners of a new Ebbtide shipyard in the Netherlands, have launched a new blog, World-Sailor.com, with pictures and information about the Ebbtide 39s they are hoping to build. There is also a short piece about Alan Pape and some excellent pictures. Please visit their site and pass the link on to anyone interested in steel yacht construction.

We have a Boat!!

2007-05-28T12:12:00.001-04:00

We have a Boat!!
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon

Our Ebbtide is finally painted and nearly ready for launch. We are busy making preparations to sell our Alberg 30 and make room in our slip for the new boat (then it's on to work on the interior). Meanwhile, Bill from Jenain sent along an email ful of interesting cruising tips. The mosquito tip was our favorite. Enjoy, and happy sailing!

HANDY HINTS FOR THE CRUISING SAILOR
Put together by Fellow Cruiser on S/Y CATHOUSE

BRIGHTER ANCHOR LIGHT
Some of us place a small lamp in a glass bottle for the anchor light. Magnify the brightness by filling the bottle with a transparent oil like BABY OIL.

BRUSH CLEANING
Clean resin from brushes by washing with vinegar.

SHAVING
Get months of comfortable use out of a disposable razor. When not in use keep the razor in a cup of water. Keep oxygen from that sharp edge. Vegetable oil works better but you have to keep a lid on it because dead bugs will collect on the surface. Instead of shaving cream, usually made by a blade mfr. and suspect to contain ingredient to promote blade wear, use BABY SHAMPOO. The clear stuff seems to work better than the yellow. Once opened, a package of disposable razors will go dull without use. Put those unused disposable razors in a zip-loc bag with a blast of WD40. Mystery solved, some folks report blade life no better stored in water.

In every case they were using shore water with chlorine. Rain water, well water, watermaker water all seem to work just fine.

OUTBOARD OIL
For many years I have been using old crankcase oil from my diesels mixed in the usual 50:1 ratio. What's wrong with used oil? Well the reason you changed it in the diesel is due to acid buildup. This can be a problem when your engine is imersed in oil but not true in your
outboard, there is no oil sump, oil just passes thru and is not stored in the engine. It's stored in a plastic fuel tank. What about that black dirty look to used oil? First, that black is carbon. Sometimes called graphite, the absolute best of lubricants. This black has another advantage, it colors your fuel. How many times have you wondered if you had mixed the fuel or not? Most commercial 2T oils do not change the fuel color, used oil sure does. The advantage of 2T oil is that the specific gravity is identical to gasoline. It will not separate sitting in your garage awaiting the once a year fishing trip. Separation is not a problem on a rocking sailboat.

The other advantage is less ash to foul plugs. This also need not be a problem if you use a proper 2 stroke plug. But, sorry to say, no longer made by plug manufacturers. I have not seen one since the 50's. More profit in conditioning you to change plugs every few hours and go nowhere without a spare. Well friends there is an alternative, NGK makes a surface gap plug that
will not go bad. The one I have now is NGK BUHW. This plug does not have the impossible to clean cavity under the gap but an exposed ceramic insulator easily cleaned with a wire brush. Be aware that plugs do not wear out, only the insulator gets a carbon coating that provides a resistive path reducing spark voltage. I no longer carry spare plugs only a tooth size brass brush in my dinghy tool kit. Measuring that 50:1 fuel/oil ratio. I use a 35mm film can. Three (3)
film cans of oil into one of those 5 liter plastic oil jugs is very close to 50:1. Put the oil in before the fuel for a good mix. Replace that lid to keep the film can clean for next use. I usually have more used crankcase oil than my outboard needs. I dispose of the access by mixing with my diesel fuel. Have never noted exhaust smoke. Of course I mix 5 liters into a 200 liter tank.

LOW HP YAMAHA OUTBOARDS
A wonderfully reliable engine with a few faults easily fixed. Comes with a stainless sheer pin guaranteed to chew the prop hub and sell lots of replacement props. I use a piece of 1/8" brazing rod. Of course they break easily when hitting rocks and fish nets but that's what a sheer pin is for, to save your prop. Just carry a lot of them in your dinghy tool kit. The fuel filter is located inside the fuel tank and removed for cleaning by loosening the clamp holding the fuel shut off valve. Problem: the clamp is stainless steel but screw is iron and impossible to remove
without a hacksaw. Replace with a stainless screw even on new engine. Also on that new engine pull the 4 big stainless screws on the sides of the engine cover and coat the threads with anti-seize compound. After a year or so they are impossible to remove from the aluminum block.

Ever try to remove the carburetor drain screw without removing engine from the transom? Then, after you have the engine up-side-down in your lap, try getting that screw back in. Solve this by cutting off the lower section of the plastic case, that covers the lower carburetor, and
there's that screw easily removed with your tool kit pliers, and reinstalled with your fingers, without lifting from the transom. If you groove the threaded end of the screw with a small triangular file you need not fully remove the screw to drain. Be aware that Yamaha, and others, are sold with the fuel mixture set rich for break-in. Performance and fuel economy are improved by moving the mixture 'C' ring up one notch.

THOSE NEW RUBBER HUB PROPS
When they start slipping simply screw a couple of stainless sheet metal screws into the rubber on the back side to further compress the rubber.

"V" BELTS
Problem with short belt life? First it is well worth the additional cost of a belt with inside notches. This greatly reduces the friction going around the small alternator pulley.
The following is what I do after a period being a marina queen:
1) Polish inside the pulleys with sandpaper.
2) Lubricate the belt: take a #2 pencil and somewhere in about the middle cut away the wood lengthwise to expose about an inch of graphite. Then just hold this exposed graphite against the sides of the belt with the engine running.

HOT BATTERIES
My batteries are automotive size and sited in a box side by side. I noted that the batteries in the center seemed to have a shorter life and the center cells of the center batteries required far more water than the outside cells. Apparently there was just no way for the trapped heat to
dissipate. Solved the problem by placing flat black painted sheet aluminum between the batteries with about 3" on 2 sides of the sheet exposed to free air. Now water added is about the same for all cells.

BATTERY WATER
Why pay for bottled water that you think is distilled. In the Philippines I put ohm meter probes into 'distilled' water and readconductivity. Distilled water is supposed to be an insulator. Better to let nature distill your water. I keep a large dishpan purged with rainwater stored in a giant plastic bag. After the beginning of rain has cleaned the air I put the pan out on deck to collect water. Be sure this water is direct from the sky and not roof or tarp runoff. I then dip, with a purged dedicated dipper, into battery water bottles I've saved. Not recommended down wind from power plant or other belching stacks. I've been told 'I don't use water, I buy battery solution'. Well folks this is a water/acid solution for filling a new 'dry charge' battery.
Under charge your battery only loses water, not acid, so continued use of solution will only increase acid content until the battery is destroyed.

NOISY FANS
Instead of those noisy, short life 12 volt automotive type fans, use 24 volt truck (lorry to you Brits) fans and operate them on 12 volts. They are available in an 8 inch size and will move adequate air quietly. Lifeexpectancy? Don't know, I've had one running all night, every night for
over three years with no indication of bearing wear.
(AFTER 4 YEARS) One of my fans is getting noisy. I took it apart and found that the front bearing was a bronze sleeve w/o a felt pad (oil reservoir). Suggest that when you remove the blades to clean you also add a drop of oil down the shaft into the front bearing.

MOSQUITOS
You won't get this information from your doctor or pharmacist. I found it in General MacArthur's reports of So. West Pacific operations of WWII.
While treating nerve damaged wounded on Guadalcanal with vitamin B's a corpsman noted that they were bite free while the patient in the next bed was covered with bites. This enterprising guy went further to determine that it was vitamin B1 that the insects hated. An overdose of B1 is dissipated by sweat and this keeps you bite free. It really works, just buy B1 as 100mg pills and take one with each meal. Sometimes B1 is marketed as Thiamin Hydrochloride.
I'm told this will also work on other blood sucking parasites except for attorneys and ex-wives.

HF RADIO (sometimes called SSB by the uninformed)
Many of you folks faithfully disconnect the antenna from your radio every time lightning starts flashing. Waste of time, it's that expensive automatic antenna tuner that gets converted to charcoal. Automatic antenna tuners are damned expensive and easily zapped by one close
lightning strike. To save your investment simply disconnect the backstay wire from the tuner terminal and install a link of solder. About 6 inches of that small solder used for electronic work will do. Even a close strike will blow open the solder link. Also NEVER use coaxial cable between your antenna tuner and the antenna. This should be just plain insulated wire. I often get the response, "what if someone touches the wire?" If it is touched they will only get an RF burn (not an electric shock) at that instant of a voice peak when transmitting. A whistle in your mic may cause a pin prick size burn that you will actually feel. If this is a big concern use automotive spark plug wire. The kind with real wire in the center, not carbon. Solder the end of that wire before clamping to the backstay, black copper oxide is not a conductor. Another common error is grounding the radio. Not necessary, it's the antenna tuner that needs the ground, make that a good low impedance (copper foil) path to the sea.
While on this subject, a painted Dynaplate will not work. Actually there is no real need to pierce your fiberglass hull to connect direct to the sea, bilge water is a great radio ground capacitivly coupled to the sea thru your fiberglass hull. I commonly find the large coax (RG-8) being used on the HF radio and small stuff (RG-59) on the VHF. Thinking that the more powerful HF
needs to be big. WRONG, VHF needs the lower high frequency loss of the big coax while the coax size has little influence on HF performance. NEVER connect to raw copper without flowing a barrier of solder. When connecting to copper foil be sure to flow a ring of solder around the
hole. Don't forget the connection to the backstay, tin the end of the wire before clamping. Copper oxide, when copper turns black, is no longer a conductor.

SOLAR PANELS
Panel degradation is usually due to excessive heat. For long life and greater output keep those panels as cool as possible. Do not mount flat on the roof, let air circulate under the panel.
DO NOT use shunt regulation, this only dissipates the power as heat in the panel reducing life. Solar panels are current generators, not voltage generators therefore any voltage regulation is a terrible waste of panel power and money. If you are concerned about overcharge from
solar panels get a contactor type controller. This type of device opens a contact when battery voltage nears gassing.

REFRIGERATION
Does your electrical powered ref run too often draining your batteries?
I reduced my battery drain by putting a bunch of those small, rectangular shaped for easy stacking, plastic drinking water bottles full of brine in the freezer compartment. To start measure the salt you add to a pan of seawater until a potato floats. Then add that same amount of salt again, stir until dissolved then fill your bottles. The bottle should not freeze, a slush is just right. Now you have a poor sailors eutectic ref system. We also use small plastic medicine bottles with brine in place of ice cubes. Ice in your freezer continuously absorbs energy, ice will
never be colder that its freezing temperature (zero C). Better than ice, the super cold brine bottle does not dilute the beer.

FLASHLIGHTS (TORCH TO YOU BRITS)
When that bottom spring starts to rust and you are constantly banging your flashlight to stimulate operation. Easy to fix, just shove some aluminum foil down the tube so it makes contact between the bottom of the bottom cell and the brass strip coming up the side. Even aluminum foil will eventually oxidize so replace it when you drop in new batteries.

CORDLESS DRILLS
Don't throw that cordless drill away when charger and battery dies.
They work even better on 12 volts. Direct wire to the internal battery contacts or, what I did, make a wooden fake battery with contacts just like the real thing. This way I retained the cordless feature if I ever get rich enough to afford another battery.

MORE ON BATTERIES
Are you bothered with that green/white gunge that collects around battery terminals. This is the stuff that causes poor contact to the post. This is caused by gas leaking out of the seal at the post. Not the greatest seal after you've wrenched, twisted, and hammered on it to install the
connecting clamp. Solve this problem by putting a tight fitting piece of plastic under the connector that is big enough to divert venting gas away from the terminal. Those red and green things that come with your battery are just not big enough to protect the connector. Many plastic lids will do, like the lid from a Pringles potato chip can, then punch a neat 1/2" hole on center and slip over the terminal under the connector.

POLYPROPYLENE ROPE
That white stuff with the red/blue trace does looks nautical enough to be called a line. BUT, the truth is, it will rot after only a year under a tropical sun. Whereas the dark green and black rope commonly found on fishing boats still looks good after 5 years.

BRUSHING URETHANE PAINT
No fun watching that expensive paint blowing in the wind as you try for that sprayed gloss finish. Urethanes can be brushed without tell-tale brush streaks by simply floating a layer of urethane reducer on top of the paint (don't stir) and dip the brush through the reducer layer into the paint. The result will pass most inspections except for the club know-it-all with the blue blazer, yachting cap, and magnifying glass.

ELECTRIC WATER PUMPS
Ever try to get one apart to clean a fouled suction valve? After a few years the stainless screws will break before unscrewing from the cast aluminum pump body. Before installing that new pump (because you broke the screws in the old one), remove each screw and coat with an
anti-seize compound.

GENERAL PURPOSE EPOXY
The thick stuff, not laminating epoxies, can be molded like your kids modeling clay by simply wetting your fingers in water.

ANTI-FOUL PAINT ON METALS
Use a 2 part urethane primer on clean metals then anti-fouling paint will stay. Cathouse just came out of the water after motoring 3000mi and anti-fouling was still on the prop.

LEAK DETECTION
The tried and true detergent bubble method is fine for the big leaks, but what about the slow leaks in your refrigeration or LPG system? Your detergent/water solution dries long before a bubble forms. Ever wonder how that soap bubble fluid your kids buy in the toy store can last so
long? The secret ingredient is a little glycerin from the drug store (chemist to you Brits). This puts a film over the bubble to protect it from drying. I keep the solution in an old Windex spray bottle. You can actually see bubbles forming hours after spraying.

ELECTRONIC INVERTERS
These are those things that make AC power from your 12V batteries without starting a noisy gen-set. Electronic inverters are not all the same, there are two basic types on the market.
SQUARE WAVE INVERTERS are by far the cheapest, most rugged, efficient, and repairable. On the down side, this type is not well voltage regulated nor is it's operating frequency very stable but many modern AC powered devices just don't care. For example: power tools, sewing
machines with brush motors (not the processor controlled types), computers, TVs and other multi-volt electronic equipment will operate very well. Square wave inverters Will NOT work with induction or capacitor start motors like a household fans and refrigerators (motors
with brushes, like your power tools, are ok). Also on the down side this type generates HF radio noise, has higher idle (no load) current and is not load sensing to automatically turn on, you must manually switch to power up AC when you need it.
The MODIFIED SINE WAVE type inverter is a sophisticated, expensive, and irreparable (the mfrs. will not provide a schematic and active components have the identification erased) piece of equipment that is easily zapped by near-miss lightning. The advantages of most of this type is that it will sense you plugging-in or turning on your appliance to power itself up and provide accurate regulated frequency and voltage.
Combined INVERTER/CHARGERS for marina queens, a lot of money for that charger function and they radiate HF radio noise that screws up your radio and everybody else's on your dock.
I started boat life with two expensive Heart inverters, 120V and 240V so my power intensive American life style would not suffer living on a boat. After 5 years we no longer use the 120V inverter and the 240V inverter powers only the microwave, blender, and power tools. All of our other appliances are now efficient direct 12V operating. The last to go were the 19" TV, the computer monitor, and the amplified speakers. All replaced with a Samsung 15" LCD video/TV/PC monitor, does it all for only 2.2amps at 12V and a picture quality that must be seen to believe. The LCD in your laptop fades only a few degrees off axis, this thing is
still viewable 80 degrees off axis. You won't find square wave inverters at West Marine. Try looking for USA made TRIPP LITE on the net. Or, if you're in Thailand, SPECTRUM has a
line of VERY affordable square wave inverters.

ABOUT ALTERNATORS
When you buy a replacement alternator be sure to check those fins on the shaft behind the pulley. The alternator can operate either direction but many fans are designed for one direction only. If the fins are exactly perpendicular to the shaft as on Hitachi's you can operate either
direction but if the fins are at an angle the fan is unidirectional. Just be aware that the fan is a centrifugal blower that draws air from the rear of the alternator and throws it out the front. So when buying a new alternator, look at the fan to make sure it will work with your
engine rotation. I agree that internal regulation is not going to work well in thestagnant air of a yacht engine room. Also be aware that internal regulation regulates the voltage at the alternator, not at your battery. No problem in a car where the battery is only a couple of feet away but this usually is not the case in your boat where your battery box may not
be located next to your engine. You may even have a battery isolator in line that will further drop the charge voltage by 0.7V. Manual control using a rheostat is not a fix I'd recommend unless you carefully monitor during charge with a calibrated digital voltmeter wired directly to the battery terminals. Using an analog voltmeter is just not going to tell you the information you need. The external digital (switching) regulator, that senses voltage at the battery, is the way to go. This type will provide full alternator current right up to the regulating voltage, then hold that voltage. Two main things will cause the failure of alternator diodes, over temperature and overvoltage. Overvoltage will occur when a connection from alternator to battery fails and the unloaded alternator output voltage goes above the PIV rating of the diodes. Overtemp can happen with restricted airflow, wrong direction fan, or fast charging beyond rating. Reliability will halve for every 10deg rise above 85deg C. Problem is that diodes fail short so there goes your batteries, alternator, and wiring in smoke and warped plates. FAIL-SAFE FIX is to fuse the alternator output with a fusible link consisting of an inch or so of solid copper wire. Here's a few wire sizes and the fusing current (sorry my table only gives the wire size as
AWG not MM): #20=58amps, #18=83amps, #16=117amps, #14=166amps, #12=235amps.
To stir the air a bit in Cathouse engine room, I bolted a plastic auto fan to the engine water pump just like in your car. Easily available hanging on wall of auto supply store.

ABOUT BATTERY CHARGERS
Reading all the claims by charger manufacturers will leave you very confused and you will probably end up buying the wrong thing. First what do you want your charger to do? Charge or float your batteries while in a marina? Floating means to support your loads while maintaining a
charge without loss of water. Whereas charging is a job best performed by your diesel.
What should be the current rating of the charger? Add up your 24hr average loads, let the battery smooth out the peaks and dips, and buy a charger that claims to do at least twice that. I've repaired many chargers that have operated at advertised current. Most were turned off
when the DC terminals or fuse holder melts. If you could read the fine print it probably reads "based on operation above 50 deg of latitude in a shaded 25 knot breeze". When you shop for a charger take some kind of continuity tester with you. An ohm meter, if you have one, or battery and buzzer or light. Check for continuity between the AC plug and both DC terminals. Be sure to
reverse your test leads, the diode may block one test polarity. If continuity is indicated, that's a reject because in a marina you are asking for a galvanic nightmare. You want complete isolation from shore power. If you plan to operate from your gen-set there is something else you
must check. Are the rectifiers full wave or half wave? If half wave your gen-set charging will be a disappointment, it won't charge the same as when you are plugged in to shore power. The rectifiers must be full wave. How do you tell if it's full wave? Not easy, you will have to
take a screw driver with you to the store and open the case. Half wave will have only one diode and if a big charger maybe two connected a common transformer lead. Full wave will have two or more diodes connected to separate transformer leads.

WIRING
After a few years have you noted your crimp lugs and screw connectors getting hot enough to melt the plastic insulation? This happens because the wire strands oxidize in our corrosive environment and no longer conduct to the adjacent strand. As time goes on the oxidation
penetrates further up the cable until all the power is being carried by only a few strands. On a new cable solder after crimping. If a screw connector, solder the wire end before clamping. On your old melted cable cut back as far as possible. Then fray the end and sand the black oxidation back to a copper color then twist back to proper wire size and solder.

BODY ODOR
For the last 13 years here in tropical South East Asia I've been embarrassed by body odor, trying never to expose my left side to others. Seems it's virtually impossible to find LEFT GUARD in this part of the world. Well folks I'm embarrassed no longer, I've found that RIGHT GUARD will actually work under the left arm.

Kamita

2007-04-16T14:26:00.001-04:00

Kamita
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

Hello there and Congratulations!

My name is Alasdair owner of "Kamita" an Ebbtide 36 - Lloyds Registered Hull no. 361- 1983 (I presume hull no.1 of the 36's?).

"Kamita" was originally built as "Blue Mallard" by OceanCraft Cornwall and fitted out by Curtiss and Pape with the original interior and hard chines spec drawn by Pape. ( She has correspondence and documents covering the build plus line drawings)

I am her third owner in 24 yrs of years of commission. She has voyaged far judging by her her logs and charts and left England for S. America, Caribbean, Eastern USA in the 80's with her first owners. After some return crossings of the Atlantic she cruised the Med before settling in the Eastern Med under new ownership and then in Turkey where i now keep her.

It is truly a delight to stumble upon this growing treasure trove of pics, dreams, voyages and most of all Ebbtide facts. I attach one pic of "Kamita" in Southern Turkey. As I live in Cape Town i would be very keen to locate and contact Bill on "Jenain" as it appears he is in South Africa. Any help in doing this appreciated.

I will follow up with more info and pics about "Kamita"

Fair winds
Alasdair

Cape Town

Windhorse

2007-03-07T12:09:00.001-05:00

Windhorse
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

Another sister ship, for sale:

Windhorse, an Ebbtide 33 with some modifications, alongside at Weymouth, UK, and on the wind off Studland Bay in Dorset. Now currently for sale, contact John at windhorse42@tiscali.co.uk

Ebbtide Shipyard- call for photos!!

2007-03-07T12:01:00.000-05:00

Ebbtide Owners- we received this email from Reinier IJben and Hans Struiksma, two gentlemen in Holland starting an Ebbtide Shipyard. They just visited with Ms. Pape to acquire some design plans. They need images of Ebbtide for their blog. Please email them directly with photos, or email us with permission to pass your boat along. Let's support the growing Ebbtide family!

Dear Ellen and John,
Thank you very much for the effort. I will try to contact Craig Carlson. The information that Bill has given is great, and we will take them all in mind during the design process.

Reinier and his wife have been to England and visited Ms. Pape. Ms.Pape was extremely helpful, although she had a difficult time to find all the right information. We bought an almost complete set for the Ebbtide 39. Last week we went through the drawings, and were both impressed by
the design skills of Alan Pape. The amount of details is great. Reinier allso got a video copy of a lecture that Alan Pape has given. We are allowed to use it, and parts will be on the website.
Together with background information on Alan.

We're now in the process of putting the drawings in the computer. Our aim is to work with a integral digital design. Cost estimate and delivery time estimate, are under te way.

At this moment we have enough information to finish the website design. So in the coming weeks we will focus on that.

Kind regards from Reinier and Hans.
hstruik@tiscali.nl

Jenain anchored in Rio Rosario Uruguay 087

2007-02-09T12:04:00.001-05:00

Jenain anchored in Rio Rosario Uruguay 087
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

We received this email from Bill on Jenain, just as he landed in South Africa (see below for the story of his crossing):

Herewith follow some of my observations and comments on Alan Pape's Ebbtides. Some of these points I discussed with him, while I was building . Up front, let me say that it is a great design, my comments follow a 4 year building program, 10 years, and 60,000 miles of full-time cruising. My yacht , Jenain, a round bilge 36, follows his design very closely, this includes the interior layout. Over time, I have made some modifications, mostly fairly minor, to reduce maintenance, and increase comfort.

1. The bow anchor roller cheeks, as drawn, are too small. A CQR or
Delta anchor chips paint off the bow. My new cheeks are made of 12mm stainless steel, and extend further forward and higher.
2. The samson post needs to be stainless steel. The anchor chain soon removes the galvanizing from a hot dip galvanized one, and then it starts to rust.
3. Alan designed a wooden rudder, my rudder is hollow steel, with a stainless steel top section where the tiller fits in. It was designed by Dudley Dix . It has survived groundings that would have destroyed or seriously damaged a wooden rudder.
4. The drawings show a rounded section for the base of the keel. I used a 25mm flat steel plate, easier to make and much stronger.
5. The toe rail is shown as wood. Wood onto steel always results in rust. I made my toe rail from 25mm stainless steel pipe. It is painted, but if/when it gets chipped, there is no rust.
6. I insulated my boat with 50mm of sprayed on foam, followed by a lining of 5mm ply wood. I have a quiet boat with no condensation, she is consistently warmer in winter, and cooler in summer than other boats.
7. Weld stainless steel bases for all deck fittings, stanchions, pulpit, pushpit, boom gallows etc directly to the boat. This avoids both rust and leaks.
8. Avoid teak decks, they are expensive, too hot to walk on in the tropics and there will always be rust underneath. My decks are painted white, this shows the dirt, but they are cool.
9. With the long, low boom, a unexpected gybe would be very dangerous. I have a Walder boom brake to control gybes.
10. I have running backstays, instead of diamond stays. In really heavy weather, the extra security is great, and they take only a minute to set up on the genoa winches.
11. I fitted a stainless steel opening port to the front of the doghouse, and another in the forward end of the cockpit. This improves ventilation in the galley and the aft cabin.
12. I fitted a locker into the aft end of the cockpit, this gives access to a lot of storage space.
13. My mainsheet horse is a 25mm stainless steel round bar, and is removable. I made a traveler for it with 3 sheaves , 2 below and 1 above, between 2 triangular plates. This works very well.

Here follow some of the things I wish I had done when building, or plan to do some time in the future;

1. The hull ports are too small, they could easily be 50% larger.
2. I would like stainless steel tops and pipe fittings for the fuel tanks. I do not have much rust, but access is so difficult that it not easy to paint there.
3. I would build the cockpit locker lids from 5mm aluminum. It is difficult to keep paint on the steel ones, and they are heavy. Mine are 4mm steel , hot dip galvanized, and painted.
4. I would like a small hatch in the doghouse roof over the galley, for additional ventilation.
5. I have a Perkins Perama M35 diesel, and a 450mm , 3 blade Max Prop. The engine is too small. For a boat displacing 12 tons, 50 hp would be much better. I hate motoring, but when you have to, it is nice to have enough horses!
6. The Port saloon seat is a bit too narrow for sleeping , unless healed to port. It could have been 100mm wider without restricting the walkway.
7. I would have liked stainless steel chain plates. Alan was against them structurally, so I ended up with steel ones with stainless steel inserts, they rust!

I have Taylors kerosene (paraffin) stove and heater. I am very happy with kerosene as a fuel, it is cheap, economical and safe. The 70 liter tank lasts nearly 2 years.

I have a 90L fridge/ freezer. It operates from a 12volt Danfoss compressor with a water cooled condenser, and also from an engine driven compressor with a holdover plate. We use the 12 volt system mainly when we have shore power, and the holdover plate other times. We spent 5 months in Chagos, and 30 to 45 minutes of engine time every second day, was enough to keep the beer and fish cold, and the batteries charged. We have no solar panels or wind generator!

I have a 130 Amp Balmar alternator and four 235 Ahr 6 volt “golf cart” batteries. The first set of batteries lasted 8 years, and where only really replaced because I got a great deal on new ones in Thailand.

I now have LED navigation and anchor lights, we also have 8 LED lamps below for the galley and reading. This results in a huge power saving.

PS. A few further thoughts.

1. Another problem is the galley sink height of only 760mm. This may be OK for little Cornishmen, but it is much too low for the rest of us! I am not very tall, but I almost always get backache when of working in the galley.(This is a great excuse for not doing any cooking or washing up!)
2. The sheet winch bases, as designed, are real toe breakers, and difficult to paint underneath. I have totally enclosed bases, which not only look better, but are stronger, and simple to paint.
3. I had a lot of problems with the rail around the base of the cockpit to support the grating. It was impossible to paint properly and was always a bit rusty. Eventually I cut it out, and now the grating is supported by a few wooden blocks , screwed underneath.
4. I made the cockpit drains from 70mm stainless steel pipe. The original steel ones were always rusting, and had 4 hose joints in each one, (an elbow was needed as there was no room to bend the hose).
5. I have been using a very old Aries wind vane since I launched. I have now ordered a Orion wind vane from Asmer in France. It is similar to the Monitor, which works very well on an Ebbtide. I will report on it’s performance in due course.

Jenain's Passage to South Africa!!

2007-02-09T10:43:00.000-05:00

Conmgratulations to Bill and Marlyse (and Jenain), on crossing from South America to South Africa, safely:

Well we crossed from Piriapolis in Uruguay, to Simon’s Town in South Africa, non stop in 27 days and 7 hours.(Average speed 6 knots. We had lots of problems with the mainsail, which is
simply rotten. We used it mainly with 3 reefs in, as it tore so easily.) As a result we sailed much more conservatively than is usual for us, and also spent many hours either sewing the sail or later using contact cement to glue patches on. This was more successful than sewing, but could only be attempted when the sail was dry. Given the weather that we had, this was not easy, but the few calm, windless days were utilized for mainsail repairs.

Jenain as usual was just great. We had three gales in the first 11 days, and put in a lot of 150 plus mile days. Besides the mainsail, the main halyard broke once, necessitating a trip up the mast. We also broke a few steering lines on the Aries, but that was all.

New Ebbtide Shipyard

2007-01-10T21:48:00.000-05:00

Hello from John and Ellen, the "administrators" of the blog-

We are nearly the final coats of paint on our Ebbtide and are so pleased to have made so many contacts through this blog. We received an email a few days ago from Hans Struiksma in Holland. He and his partner, Rienier, are planning to start a shipyard building Ebbtides. They are building a website and would like permission to use images from this website. If you would like us to send along any of the images you have sent to the Owner's Group, let us know and we will forward them on.

Email us anytime- Erlandrum@gmail.com.

Almost there . . .

2007-01-03T12:47:00.000-05:00

Almost there . . .
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

We're asking our Ebbtide owner friends for some help. Our new boat, Betty, is nearly primed and painted. But before we can do any sailing, we have to re-rig her. Her boom was somehow lost in the yard shuffle and we must order a new one. Therefore we're trying to gather as many measurements as possible, in order to compare and make the right choice for the size of our boom. If you're able to send us info about your boom- length, width/diameter, manufacturer, any changes you'd make, even pictures- we'd sure be appreciative. Email us at Erlandrum@gmail.com. Thank you all in advance!

Jenain in Chagos 020

2006-12-05T10:09:00.000-05:00

Jenain in Chagos 020
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

A little cross-promotion for our new Flickr group, Steel Sailboats- a place for posting photos of steel boats and discussing travels, repairs, maintenance, anything.

Pictured is Jenain, anchored in Chagos, with full shade protection.

Alianco

2006-12-03T20:12:00.001-05:00

Alianco
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

Alianco, a junk-rigged Ebbtide 36, on the canals. Read more about her below.

Stripped Interior

2006-12-03T20:12:00.000-05:00

Stripped Interior
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

Dermot Doyle's Ebbtide 36, Alianco, stripped and painted below. A beautiful sight, I'm sure, after all the rust he contended with. Read more below.

Jenain in Rio 027

2006-12-03T20:11:00.000-05:00

Jenain in Rio 027
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

A great shot of Jenain on a still day in Rio. Ebbtide 36- read Bill's account below.

Haul out in Piriapolis, Uruguay 013

2006-12-03T20:10:00.000-05:00

Haul out in Piriapolis, Uruguay 013
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

Jenain, Ebbtide 36, cruising in South America and headed to South Africa. Read more below.

Jenain, Ebbtide 36

2006-11-20T12:53:00.000-05:00

We received this from Bill, who is about to make an exciting crossing with his Ebbtide 36, "Jenain."

Hi, my name is Bill, and I own an Ebbtide 36 called Jenain. I launched her in 1996, and have lived aboard and cruised full time since then, covering over 60,000 miles. Jenain is round bilged, the steelwork was profesionally done in Cape Town, I then spent 4 years finishing
her. She follows Alan,s plans closely with a few changes. Over the years, I have made many improvements, and other changes to make a great yacht even better. She is fast, seaworthy and strong. We weathered a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal and a 3 day 80 knot storm off the East
coast of Africa, with only very minor damage, only weather cloths, and a broken sail batten! I will be glad to answer any questions re Jenain, I also have hundreds of photos. I am about to cross from Argentina to Africa, leaving early December.

Safe Passage!!

s/v Alianco

2006-11-20T12:51:00.000-05:00

From Dermot, owner of "Alianco"-

I bought a 36' Ebbtide in 2003 rigged as a junk schooner. She was built by a retired engineer in Cornwall in 1986 with some modifications (including the junk rig) designed with the help of a naval architect. I have never seen an original ebbtide to compare mine to, but I think the non-original parts would be:

The coach roof only drops 3 inches or so in front of the companionway entrance and continues well forward up to the foremast, giving plenty of headroom through the boat and space for 7 traditional portholes on each side. The side decks are around 12 inches wide. As a permanent liveaboard,the extra standing height and general space is excellent.

The keel extends further forward comapred to the line drawings I have seen on the internet, probably another 25% or so and she had bilge keels as well so she could dry out up the south of England river estuaries where the owner/builder planned to sail. I left these monstrous pieces of steel plate off when I bought her and sailed her perfectly happily from Cornawall round the south of England to Kent. Her draught is 1.4 metres which I asume is standard

In the rear, starboard side of the engine compartment he built a steel well around 9 inches square with a removeable, suposedly watertight lid which allows for clearing the prop of anything wrapped round it. Very useful in the French Canals where she is now.

She was built with a big perkins (not sure of the size) but when I bought her had an old, raw water cooled Yanmar fitted. This died in the canals and I fitted a new, freshwater cooled Yanmar of 27 bhp (29 in an emergency) which seems powerful enough as an auxiliary engine. The supplier in the UK has fitted these to a few Ebbtides in his time and matched a new propeller to the boat as well.

The rudder looks similar to the ones on photos of Ebbtides I have seen, but I wonder with the increased underwater area of the larger keel whether it is a bit too small and contributes to the weather helm I experienced. I know that a bit of increased weather helm is a feature of the particular junk rig I have on the boat, but John Teale's book on boat design gives a formular for the surface area of a rudder to hull and mine is on the small side of that. I will probably play with the rig until I can get no further and then look at the rudder.

She had a homemade wheel steering system which was ingenious, but was thrown away in favour of the steel emergency tiller and then a timber one.

I don't know if the Ebbtide was designed with integral, steel tanks, but mine has two stainless water tanks in the bilges and a polypropelene diesel tank in the lazarette, between two lockers for two 13 kilo gas bottles.

The cockpit floor comes up to allow access to the rear of the engine and the drive train.

Over last winter, among curing surface rust on the entire inside surface of the boat, welding in new steel in the bilges, fitting a new engine and fitting an entrely new interior including rewiring and plumbing (everything working but needs finishing) I built a deck mounted chain locker to keep mud out of the bilges.

Having seen every last square milimeter of the boat I think she is beatifully designed and being essentially a monocoque, can be customised inside with ease (in design if not execution). The three weeks I sailed her before entering the canals gave me a lot of confidence in her sea keeping abilities and I very much like her traditional looks.

I'd appreciate any feedback from anyone on anything I've said. Has anyone felt the weather helm to be a slight concern or is it just my rig? (I don't understand the junk rig yet having trained on bermudan sloops, but I like it and will enjoy trying to work it all out). I'd love to see some internal photos of the Ebbtide hull being built to see how they are going about the fit out.

I have many photos of 'Alianco' in the canals and more work photos than anyone could wish for. If you've never seen the inside of an Ebbtide completely naked, I'm your man. Also, if you've found a bit of rust and are daunted by the prospects of getting rid of it, I can show you some photos that will make you laugh and think that things are not that bad.

Tikki and Sherman, Finland

2006-10-24T10:59:00.000-04:00

Tikki and Sherman, Finland
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

From Antero, in Finland:

It was a pleasant suprise to see photos of other Ebbtides. There are two Ebbtide 33s in Finland. “Sherman” has been cruising in Northern Atlantic, around Iceland etc. In Aug we happened to meet in Hanko, Finland. I bought my Ebbtide 33 from England (ex. “Lady G”) last spring and renamed her “Tikki”.

Best regards,

Antero, s/y Tikki

helming conachair

2006-09-27T20:30:00.000-04:00

helming conachair
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

From the Moss's original site for Conachair.

There is a new set of photos on Flickr, all of Ebbtides, sent to us by folks who have found this site in their web searches. We've posted three Ebbtide stories below. Thanks to all for such a great initial response to the site. Much, much more to come!!

Ebbtide in Norway

2006-09-27T20:27:00.000-04:00

Ebbtide
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

The Carlson's "Ebbtide" sailing the Norwegian coast this past summer.

"Ebbtide"

2006-09-27T20:26:00.000-04:00

Ebbtide
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

From owner Craig Carlson-

I was looking on the Net for Ebbtides and I found your nice site. I have an Ebbtide 33 that I purchased in the US and now have it home in Stavavnger Norway. This is my second Ebbtide as we bought our first in 1987 in Brighton England and spent 7 months fixing it up and then over 2 years living onboard while sailing in the Mediterranean. We sailed back to Southampton in 1990 and sold it to a doctor in Scotland who is a good friend. We missed our Ebbtide and so purchased our present Yacht in Rockport Texas and sailed in to the NE of Florida. I was hoping sail it home but I could not take the time off so I sent it to Sweden by cargo vessel. I now have it home.

Both of my Ebbtides were made by Oceancraft and I have visited the place and met Les Savage the builder, Our first Yacht was partly complete when we bought it and I spent 7 hard months completing it before taking off for about 2.5 years of sailing.

The new one we have was completed by the yard. I got it from a broker in Rockport Texas and sailed in to the NE of Florida. I have a bit of work to do on it. I also bought a lot of new equipment while in the US so I have to mount a new Monitor windvane and 2 Fulex roller reefing for the staysail and jib and some other items. This winter I also will be sanding off the one component paint the previously owner used when recoating and I will be applying 3 coats of 2 component epoxy and polyurethane paint. I am in the process of ordering a new engine to replace the huge 49hp Perkins someone in States installed.

Our first was Ebbtide is called Airedale The new one was originally name was Odin but we renamed and registered it as "Ebbtide".

Airedale

2006-09-27T20:25:00.000-04:00

Airedale
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

Craig Carlson's original Ebbtide33, "Airedale," which he sold to a friend in Scotland.

Whimbrel's Song

2006-09-27T20:23:00.000-04:00

Whimbrel's Song
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

We have been the proud owners of the 1989 Ebbtide 33 "WHIMBREL'S SONG", (see attached photo of us on passage from Oostende to Ipswich), for just over a year and have logged 1300 miles so far. She has proved to be very comfortable and safe, giving us the confidence to plan longer passages for next season.We have carried out quite a lot of work on the boat during the year, including fitting a Monitor wind vane. You can see details of the installation at www.self-steer.com/boats and go to Ebbtide 33.

We have only encountered one significant problem so far, and would be interested if anyone else has had a similar problem, namely that the fuel extraction dip tube has rusted through about an inch above the top of the fuel tank. This has been caused by a small amount of bilge water sitting on top of the tank and this water has also corroded the top of the tank. The design is such that any water entering through the stern tube, or any other small leaks in the engine area, collects on top the fuel tank. The solution I am considering is to remove the engine, cut the rusty lid off the fuel tank and have a stainless tank made to fit in the original fuel tank cavity, but would be pleased to hear of any alternatives!

Peter and Pam, owners

Callisto’s Story, from Bob Allen, owner

2006-09-27T20:21:00.000-04:00

Callisto
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

As far as what led us to the boat, she was in a boat yard in Annapolis when we first saw her. It was not love at first sight but we kept coming back to her. Once we looked at the interior we decided to make a low offer, and it was accepted. We were very fortunate as our boat was in great shape. She'd been lovingly maintained be her previous owner.

Callisto had been listed for over two years before we found her and suffered from the lack of use. We removed everything piece of equipment from the water line down and replaced the shaft, prop, and dismantled, inspected cleaned and greased all the sea-cocks.

The original builders, Oceancraft, Cornwall, England, did a wonderfull job of building and coating the boat to prevent rust.

We painted Callisto an off white, mainly to keep her cool. Metal boats are generally not as fair as fiberglass boats so dark colors tend to highlight any plating deformity however small. The nonskid on deck is a light grey and in sunlight gets very hot.There is a paint scheme on the original drawings that most Ebbtide owners seem to adhere to. It tends to minimize the appearance of the chines. We chose a different scheme as we don't mind the hard chines. Callisto receives many complements on her lines and appearance. The Ebbtides are very good looking boats.

We sailed Callisto to the Bahamas for the winter. She's been a good boat. She has manners under sail and the Ted Brewer comfort index for the boat is a very high 41, by comparison our previous boat, a C&C was 19.

She doesn't rock or roll much with sail up. Her slack bilges and lack of form stability make her a very comfortable boat in a seaway.

Our boat came with a Perkins 4108. Ours is the 3k RPM model and is rated somewhere in the area of 38 hp.

We're dealing with the rust with the Correseal and paint. Although we don't have much.

We have added a solar panel (85 watt Kyocera) that we are very pleased with. We just received our Campbell Sailor Prop to replace our Michigan MP prop which had a lot of drag. A feathering prop was not in our budget and the Campbell seemed an acceptable compromise.

We are adding a Bimini Top but that's about the only changes we're making. The previous owners of our boat sailed her around the world and equipped her much the way we would have.

We are currently out of the water for annual bottom painting and maintenance in Annapolis, MD. We are retired live aboards. We sold everything and moved aboard in August of last year.

Callisto-

2006-08-26T12:34:00.000-04:00

Callisto-
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

An Ebbtide 33 based in the Chesapeake. Beautifully restored and sailing. We're headed in this direction . . . . thnx to Bob and Bobbi for the emails and pictures, we're glad to have a sister ship out there.

Getting Closer

2006-08-26T11:11:00.000-04:00

Getting Closer
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

Our Ebbtide sporting her Epoxy primer. Getting closer . . . we are busy removing thru-hulls, grinding the keel, and doing other small welding jobs before finishing her paint and getting her back in the water.

Bettred/Rubicon, our Ebbtide 33

2006-08-26T11:10:00.000-04:00

HPIM1623
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

Our Ebbtide 33, the hull sandblasted to bare metal on the port side. We purchased her last September and have been working to get her floating again. We estimate she's been on the hard for at least 5 years, left behind by her previous owner who passed away years ago. We fell in love with her lines, her gorgeous interior, her outboard rudder, and her potential.

Bare metal will be covered with an Ameron zinc primer, and then Ameron 235 Epoxy primer, with a topcoat yet-to-be-decided.

ebbtide 33 line drawing

2006-08-17T21:17:00.000-04:00

ebbtide 33 line drawing
Originally uploaded by ellenjohnrubicon.

Ebbtide 33 line drawing

Welcome !

2006-08-17T18:30:00.000-04:00

As new owners of a 1983 Ebbtide 33 we are starting this blog to gather and share info on all Alan Pape-designed Ebbtides. Ours is a steel 33 footer but I am aware of some 36's. At this time I am pretty much in the learning stage and would welcome anyone interested in this great design to feel free to contribute to this blog. I would eventually like to have a comprehensive list of all of the boats out there and use this site as a clearing house for all things Ebbtide. Please email us with your stories and we will post them here. Ideas include: improvements you have done, repairs, maintenance, painting, places you have gone . . . whatever! Contact us at Erlandrum@gmail.com