Civil Service Sailing Association - Channel Sailing Division
SKIPPERS NEWSLETTER – Yacht Sea Essay of Hamble
Newsletter No 03/12
February 2012
Introduction
This is an occasional document issued by the Yacht Secretary, which will be placed on the
CSD website and/or sent to all CSSA approved Skippers in CSD when there is new and/or
important operational information to promulgate. There is no intention to produce
newsletters on a regular basis. Each one is numbered in sequence every year so recipients
can identify if any are missing.
Items for this issue of the Skippers Newsletter are as follows:
Heads Cleaning Materials
The manufacturer advises that regular flushing with sea water is one of the most effective
methods of keeping the toilet clean and sweet smelling. Specifically:
1. For cleaning the bowl use any liquid or cream ceramic cleaner.
2. For the remainder of the toilet use a non-abrasive cleaner. Polish with a dry cloth
only.
3. To disinfect the toilet use a liquid disinfectant diluted in accordance with the
manufacturers instructions (e.g. Dettol)
CAUTION - Bleach or any thick liquid toilet cleaners should not be used as it has
adverse effects on both the rubber and plastic parts of the heads system. Do not use
abrasive pads on any part of the toilet.
Cleaning of cabin upholstery
Both the blue outer and white inner covers of the cabin bunk cushions have been
professionally laundered this winter
Fuel usage
The Volvo engine of the D405 is significantly larger than previous boats and hence its fuel
consumption is higher than we, CSD, have experienced before. Fuel consumption rises as
rpm and boat speed increases. However this is not linear and a big increase in rpm above
about 2400 rpm has little effect on boat speed but a big increase in fuel consumption.
Therefore we recommend that the rpm is limited to 2400rpm except in emergency. As a
reminder a yellow coloured arc has been painted around the tachometer scale above this
figure.
Ventilation
We had reports last season of dampness in the boat. As a result we have fitted a SmartVent
300 solar powered ventilator in place of the static one in the saloon overhead deck hatch.
This is rechargeable and should be switched on at all times. When the boat is berthed the
forward ventilator should be opened so as to allow a free flow of air.
SmartVent 300 The SmartVent 300 has 3 switches, on/off, in/out and boost (battery). The on/off switch
selects the unit on and in/out switches work to change the direction of airflow in or out. The
boost (battery) switch enables you to operate the ventilator at night or during overcast
conditions. The SmartVent 300 diverts some of the power generated during daylight to
charge an internal battery. The power stored in this battery is then used to operate the boost
function. When the boost switch is pressed the ventilator operates for approximately 10
minutes, if the switch is pressed again within the 10 minute operation time the ventilator will
turn off. The number of boost operations possible depends on the amount of power stored
during the day. When the on/off switch is in the off position power generated by the solar
cell is used to charge the battery. This can be useful if you want to ensure the battery is fully
charged for night time or weekend use and you do not need the SmartVent working during
the day.
Operation The SmartVent should normally be left in the open position however you can close the
SmartVent to waterproof the product in severe weather conditions. To fully close the
SmartVent hold the centre ellipse area, twist anticlockwise and pull towards you until it locks
into position. To open again, twist clockwise and push in until it locks into position. The
SmartVent is operated using the switches as described below.
The unit on Sea Essay should be off during the day so as to charge the battery and on
boost (battery) during the night or when the boat is left unoccupied.
Troubleshooting If the SmartVent is not functioning properly, make sure you have followed the above
instructions. If the unit is still not operating after that then take the following steps:
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Ensure that the top surface of the unit, above the solar cell, is clean. We recommend
that you periodically clean the top surface to ensure optimum performance of your
SmartVent.
Ensure that all switches are in the correct positions as described in the operation
instructions.
Ensure that there is no debris or obstructions in the SmartVent that prevent the
impeller from rotating. If necessary the finger guard can be removed by unscrewing
the 2 screws either side of the ellipse and pulling the guard towards you. The guard
is held in by 4 flexible location tabs, take care not to damage or break these tabs
when removing or replacing the finger guard.
If the boost function does not operate ensure the battery is working and securely in
place in the battery holder (300 only), replace if necessary.
Close Down Checklist
The procedures for the Close Down Checklists are being revised as follows:
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Blank Close Down Checklists will available on board instead of being issued with
Charter Agreements
The checklists will be kept in the same chart table folder as the Handover Clearance
Note book
Three clear plastic wallets are provided in the folder –
o Wallet 1 holds blank forms
o Wallet 2 holds forms completed by outgoing skipper and awaiting signature of
incoming skipper
o Wallet 3 holds completed forms which will be collected by the Yacht Husband
and sent to the Yacht Secretary after each maintenance day
Skippers will no longer be required to send the Close Down Checklist to the Yacht Secretary
after each trip as before.
However, the white copy of the Handover Clearance Note must still be sent to the
Yacht Husband as normal.
Martin Bellamy
CSD Yacht Secretary
February 2012