I made quite afew of these modifications on Eleanor. Before you jump into reading what I have done, I want you to know that these modifications work for me and I show them here for your reference. Every change that a boat owner makes is a very personal thing, and has resulted in many bitter arguements. I hope that you read with a open mind and if you dont like what you see, its okay because its done on my boat, not yours.
Nicro Solar Air vent on foredeck
Air circulation: Installed Nicro solar powered air vent on foredeck. I was getting alot of mold in the cabin and was hoping the ventilation will help kerb the growth rate of these unsightly black spots. Honestly, I dont think it made alot of difference. The small solar panel dont seem to charge the Ni-Cd battery at all. So there is really no fan when there is no sun. Replacing the battery is a option, but it doesnt even last a month. The best solution is to open up and ventilated whenever possible. For me, that is every weekend. Regular cleaning with lots of Clorox helps to keep it down too.
Boot access:
Boot access hatch! Was a really good thing to have.
“Boot” space access while sailing- Installed a “Boot” hatch for easy access to a big storage space from the cockpit. Great for stowing away bulky light stuff like lifejacket, fenders, sailcovers and bags. For doing that, I had to remove the mainsheet traveller, which I wasnt using that much anyway.
Bilge access: Installed a 8″ access hole. That made pumping the bilge a little easier with a 18″ shaft hand pump. I could get a little more out of the bilge and only need a few hand sponging to completely dry out the bilge. Hand access to the bilge is still done through the original access. With the large access hole in the back, I had been able to store some things in the bilge.. like plastic bottled water, glass bottled wine. .. I will not store canned food or drinks in there because it may get corroded, but plastic and glass ok.
New 1.5" cockpit drain. 8" bilge access.
1.5″ through holes: A very important modification. The original through hole and valves installation was a problem. The holes were bent, easily clogged and maintenance for free flowing was a pain. So I decided to go with no valves, straight down 1.5″ through holes. I know that failure on this modification is serious trouble, so was extra careful on materials. 2 stainless hose clamps on each fitting, best quality radiator hose that I can get, and marlon plastic through hole fittings. Notice the green bronze thing behind the tubes? Those were the original location of the old through holes. I had no problems with cockpit draining since making this change in late 2005.
Dodger: A little relief from the relentless tropical sun and occasional heavy downpour. (Pictures and more details on this coming up next. )
Motor mount: Shifted the mounting base plate inward by 1.5″. I thought the O/B hung out too much and Eleanor was always too stern heavy… Shifting the OB in helps a little bit and it is easier for me to operate the O/B… I have short arms..
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