Captain’s log
Dateline: 22.12.2022

3D design: Hatch trim and fly screen kit

Coming into the wonderful world of boating I had one idea: keep my favorite 3D printer aboard the vessel so that in case if something breaks, I could get it fixed without having to order a replacement that costs lots and lots of paper money. Patiently waiting until it arrives to some marina or boatyard to be picked up and finally installed is no big fun either.

Be it FDM or SLA 3D printer, the material is usually some kind of resin. Although not structurally strong (ABS and carbon fiber-infused materials are as strong as it gets when it comes to consumer-grade printers), it usually does a decent job for the interior, or if glassed over in non-structural spots. Some folks even 3D print rudders, but you do have to glass those over many times and just overbuild like crazy — the boat sits on them when bottoms out, after all.

My first design is a set of three pieces that make up locking mechanism for hatch trim and fly screen kit, fits Lewmar hatches. Probably looks very cool at night if printed using glow-in-the-dark filament. Printing them in anything but white should be a good choice — mine are all yellow and dirty after sitting on the boat for almost 25 years, and cleaning those little parts isn't too entertaining.

Last but not least, the original parts made by Lewmar sink. Yes, it's meant for marine use, and it sinks. If you print out these replacement parts even with 80% infill (I wouldn't go below 50% for something as small — could break), it should float.

Hope it saves time and money for whoever finds these designs useful.

References

  • https://www.printables.com/model/274127-hatch-trim-and-fly-screen-kit
  • https://github.com/svcuriouscat/3d-designs

Captain’s log
Dateline: 25.12.2022

Inverter and new electrical system

Currently I have no way to continiously power my Starlink RV directly from the boat’s electrical system. That’s mostly due to not having an inverter aboard, and partially because my battery bank is only 12V, Starlink needs 48.

Since I need to get an inverter for my boat anyway, Multi RS Solar seems like a good choice. At only 11 kgs of weight, it will act as: battery charger, inverter, solar charge controller. 3-in-1. I’ll be able to get rid of small 12V Victron MPPT charge controllers that I currently use, which will save space and reduce amount of wiring.

Once 5KW of 230VAC is here, it’ll power: Starlink, washer/dryer, things that can’t be charged from 12VDC, microwave, and many other cool devices. By wiring four lead-acid batteries in series, I’ll be able to provide enough juice for onboard climate control, water heater, and other fun gizmos.

I couldn’t care less about starting my diesel engine, all that will get gutted anyway the moment I replace hydraulics with 10KW IP67 electric motors. Powering those will require LiFePo4 batteries, at least $12K worth of. But the motors are 48VDC so the same battery bank should be able to power both my boat’t electronics and propulsion system. Having one battery bank to do it all is not ideal, but will do for the time being. I’ll likely get two banks later and might even get two Multi RS Solar to completely separate my hulls’ circuits.

Shore power

My current ProMariner shore-to-battery charger is 12V, will have to replace it with something new, but it’s not urgent as long as my solar array and wind turbines pull the weight. There’s Skylla-TG from Victron that could charge a 48V bank, but it’s like 10 kg of weight and requires 230VAC input, I might just get rid of shore input altogether — it only adds weight and creates additional fire and electrolysis hazard below water line.

12V

This change will require a 48-to-12 DC-DC converter to power my lights and other electronics. Victron’s Orion-Tr 48/12-30 looks great. 430W of continious output ought to be enough for anybody.

Solar

I’ll need at least two more 100W Sunpower flexible solar panels. As I add more and more panels, the setup will likely require additional charge controllers, but that’s a good problem to have.

How much it’s gonna cost

Syntax Price
Multi RS Solar $2,335.00
Orion-Tr 48/12-30 $222.70
12V jump box $172.46
2 x 100W SunPower solar panel $310.00
Deep cycle 12V marine battery $89.80
Total $(a lot).00

References

Captain’s log
Dateline: 02.02.2023

Florida fishing license

I think it's beyond stupid that people need to pay $54 every year to be able to fish in Florida, but here we are.

How to get it:

  1. Go to license.gooutdoorsflorida.com
  2. Click on a barely visible button that says "Create Account"
  3. Fill out the sign up form that looks exactly like the login form
  4. Click on "Yes, create account" button
  5. Fill out the full sign up form, that looks like a real sign up form (*)
  6. Click on "Create Customer"
  7. Purchase saltwater fishing license for 1 year ($47 + tax at the time of writing)

* - The SSN field was a total disaster. Tried to register as an intl customer, but the problem turned out to be in the field getting masked. Use "Inspect HTML" in your browser, and change the "value" attribute of that input to your SSN before submitting the form.