April 6, 2010

Logs of Fleet Members

From the log of Casey Brennan's Patriot:

April 5, 2010

2010 Annual Alerion Factory Rendezvous

On a rainy Saturday, on March 13th, over 150 Alerion Express customers consisting of both owners and prospective owners gathered at the Pearson Composites factory in Warren, Rhode Island to learn more about the beloved Alerion Express. Pearson Marine Group employees, various vendors and others taught a variety of informational seminars related to our boats at the event.

The day began with a welcome breakfast and informal reception allowing the opportunity to meet and talk directly with Pearson employees. One of the highlights was meeting and talking with Tiberio (Mr. Alerion as they call him), the lead who built many of our boats throughout the years. The first thing Tiberio wanted to know was my hull number. He immediately told me when she was built and that they remembered building the boat. Tiberio and his team were just as excited to meet the owners. The guys wanted to know where the boat had gone to live as well as what she had been named. They were also keenly interested in learning if I had experienced any problems and if I had any recommendations about either its design or construction. It felt as though each worker had a special pride in their craftsmanship and enjoyed that connection with its owner. One gentleman commented that it was their goal at Pearson to make every boat leaving the factory better in some way than any of its predecessors. Even if that was only a small improvement, it was nonetheless an improvement and over time each of these improvements paid off.

Following the breakfast-reception there was the opportunity to tour the factory. This was very interesting as our guide was one of the designers and fielded many interesting questions from the group. You could see that as a marine manufacturing group Pearson is constantly looking at improving their processes with an aim of removing as much as possible any potential for mistakes while increasing efficiencies and quality throughout each phase of construction. The remainder of the morning offered a variety of seminars and opportunities to learn more on topics such as: tuning your Alerion’s rig, or how to maximize its sail trim under various conditions. Yanmar’s seminar was on the care and maintenance of your engine. There additional seminars from Mastervolt on its new lithium Ion powered AE-33; Cay Electronics talked about the latest in marine electronics and one of the best seminars of the day was given by Pearson Marine Group employees on the “care and service of your Alerion.” You could also see a variety of projects that were currently underway. There was an older Alerion with a very early hull number who was in for a complete refurbishment. In addition to new Awlgrip on the topsides and complete refurbishment of her bright work along with upgrading the rig, the owner had new teak decking installed. In comparison a new Alerion 28 (hull-427) sat directly across from her. You had to look carefully to notice the differences between the boats and the teak decking looked awesome on the 28.

The CEO of Pearson Composites, Mr. Patrick Burke discussed Pearson’s commitment to weathering the recent economic downturn, as well as his confidence and excitement about the company’s future and continued growth. The highlight was the unveiling of the new Alerion Sport 33. The boat launches in June and already the first 3 hulls have sold! The AS-33 is impressive as it has tiller steering and manual winches much like our AE-28’s. It can be rigged for either a symmetrical or asymmetrical spinnaker and has the advantages of a larger boat while still retaining the classic good looks of our 28. Click here for a link to the AS-33 web page.

After all the earlier excitement, the factory served up a great lunch which was followed by more seminars and tours throughout the afternoon. The day ended with a wine and cheese reception which once again afforded time to meet and talk with Pearson Marine Group employees as well as fellow Alerion owners. As an Alerion owner at one time or another you may have had the opportunity to speak with Mark Dauplaise. Mark is the Customer Service Manager who I can tell you is just as committed to our customer satisfaction as you are to the care of your Alerion. There were many other owners, prospective owners and Pearson Marine Group employees I had the opportunity to meet and talk with throughout the day. Attending the Alerion Factory Rendezvous was not only informational but was well worth the time and effort. A great way to spend a Saturday talking and learning more about the boat we all love! Give some thought to keeping your calendar clear next year for sometime around the 2nd or 3rd weekend in March. Several of us from the Cheaspeake area might even wish to attend as a group.

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From the log of David Cochran's Ergo:

June 20, 2009

Improvement Ideas for Alerions

I have found that the storage in the Alerion Express 28 is inadequate and where it does exist, it is somewhat unusable.  I made a shelf to fit under the chart table that increases the storage capabilities there and makes for storage that is not susceptible to getting wet from water from the bilge when heeling seriously – Photo #1.  I next made a shelf under the sink as shown in Photo #2.  Finally, I made a cover for the sink such that it is now used as a storage bin and has a useable surface on the top – Photo #3. Costs on these were essentially nothing as I used scrap materials.

Photo #1  Storage shelf installed under the chart table

Photo #2  Storage shelf installed under the sink.

Photo #3  Cover installed over the sink.

I have had trouble sailing wing and wing because the jib refuses to stay out.  This is especially true in light air because of the tendency of the boom to center itself.  I installed a ring on the track on the mast and bought an extendable whisker pole.  These can be seen in Photos #5 and #6.  The pole is a Forespar FOR406100 ADJ 6-12 with latch fittings on both ends.  The total cost on this was about $200.  I have just installed this and have not tested it.

Photo #5

Photo #6

I had a dodger made by Galesville Yacht Canvas located in West River Yacht Harbor.  It comes in 6 pieces – top, center front, left and right front, and left and right side.  I am adding a seventh piece that will extend the top aft.  This is a great dodger that you can have any combination of the panels up.  It really helps keep the sun and rain out. 

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From the log of Jim Luke's Rampant:

June 21, 2008

Survey of Alerion Express 28 Hull Number 82

I have learned that boats, like people, can be both a blessing and a challenge.  To enhance the blessing part, I thought it might be helpful to share a few of my maintenance and other routine boat ownership surprises and confusions, plus the findings of a recent survey.  While the latter may be most applicable to older model Alerions, like mine, some of the survey findings would seem to apply across the vintage board. 

I first sailed an Alerion Express in the early 90’s after the Annapolis Sailboat Show where it was introduced.  In 1997, when the bulb keel and jib boom became available, I took the plunge, hoping a more stable platform than what I found in the original version would result.  I haven’t been disappointed.    

Aside from a few details and the sail drive, I’m told my boat is much like the Alerions produced today.  It’s been professionally maintained.  I dote on her relentlessly. 

She has not always returned the favor.  Here are a few issues that have gotten my attention over the years.

... not an auspicious beginning ...

It was not an auspicious beginning, that’s for sure.  The first time I used the boat, the idea was to familiarize myself with the inboard motor.  The sails were still in their bags.  I was motoring out of Back Creek and attempted to change gears, when I heard what sounded like nuts and bolts falling down underneath the gear shift, which was now stuck in neutral.  The connection between the gear shift and the transmission had come apart.  Sculling with the rudder (think pushing water back rapidly) was all I could come up with at the time.  Who knew?  It worked amazingly well and got me back to the marina. 

Perhaps a year later, on a windy day off Thomas Point Lighthouse, the boom came off the mast during a controlled jibe.  Once again, there was the clatter of falling hardware, most of which ended up on the bottom of the Bay.  Fortunately, the boom remained more or less in place and caused no additional damage.  Even with diligence, Murphy’s Law (whatever can go wrong, will go wrong) still applies. 

I was by myself in both of these instances.  I bought the boat for singlehanded sailing and have not felt unsafe in using it that way.  The mantra I repeat is think safety, watch the weather.  So far, so good.

During my first several months of ownership, it was very difficult to get the mainsail up completely, with heavy winching needed for the final couple of feet.  At the same time, the rope cover at the halyard splice was becoming increasingly frayed.  It took a rigger up the mast to discover the screws attaching the anchor light were impacting the halyard splice as it came over the sheave.  Shorter screws solved the problem.

Getting the mainsail hoisted continues to be a workout, an issue first mentioned in the early 1990s Practical Sailor review of the boat.  To this end, I changed from full length battens to ¾ length, thinking batten bowing and the resulting tension on the mast might impede hoisting.  Later, I added a Strong Track system, and, more recently, a 2:1 purchase from a block mounted on the masthead crane.  I can now manually hoist the sail.  The trade off, of course, is double the length of halyard tail.

This spring, I attended the Chesapeake Alerion rendezvous hosted by Annapolis Yacht Sales and Garth Hichens, the Alerion dealer for this area.  Gale Browning, an experienced singlehanded long distance sailor and marine surveyor (Hartoft Marine Survey, Ltd., Annapolis, MD), gave a talk about boat maintenance as it relates to safety on the water.  She had surveyed other Alerions, and, given my quality control questions and the age of the boat, I decided an independent survey might be a good idea.  It was.  I highly recommend it. 

... an independent survey ...

The survey resulted in a seven page narrative and summary report.  What follows is a brief synopsis of Gale’s findings and recommendations; the latter subcategorized by her as either essential, required or desirable.

ESSENTIAL REPAIRS AND CORRECTIONS:

Moisture was found at the right front of the cabin top, the right handrail being the suspected culprit.  For good measure, both handrails were rebedded. 

Moisture was also found in the deck extending radially from both chain plates.  I had never considered the chain plates a problem.  With water in the bilge and under the stuffing box after virtually every rain, the occasional drop or two below the chain plates, and only with torrential rain at that, seemed a non issue.  However, during the survey, both sides of the bulkhead showed elevated moisture content, and there was probable separation of the Formica from the underlying plywood at the outer port side in an area measuring roughly 12”x36”.  A core sample subsequently taken from that area revealed delamination. 

The delamination was corrected by removing a section of Formica at the forward aspect of the port bulkhead and allowing the plywood to dry.  A number of small holes were then drilled into the delaminated area.  A thin epoxy was placed into the holes to percolate downwards between layers.  New ¼” plywood was epoxied in place at the outer portion where more of the old plywood had to be removed, and the whole area was clamped until curing had taken place.  Fresh Formica had been applied prior to clamping.  The vertical gap between the old and new Formica was trimmed with a strip of teak.  The repair looks great and seems solid.

Both chain plates were rebedded.  Comment: the yard worker who did the job said he was surprised at the minimal amount of bedding compound present at the base of the port chain plate compared to the other side. 

Pearson Composites (ex-TPI) indicates they have not heard of another bulkhead problem like mine and recommends chain plate rebedding at least every other year.  I plan to do it annually.

Other ESSENTIAL survey recommendations:

Ensure water intake and other hoses that might rub against themselves or some part of the boat are protected from chafe.

The fuel vent line should have been attached to mounting blocks, not directly to the hull with self-tapping screws. 

Replace cockpit drain hoses (exterior crazing found). 

Inspect rigging aloft at least once a year, before any major voyage and after any suspected damage.

REQUIRED REPAIRS AND CORRECTIONS:

Install hardware to secure cockpit hatches in open position.  Comment: a good idea, easily done. 

Correct installation of vent line to above the level of the fuel tank.

Improve access to thru-hull fittings for scupper drains and bilge pump discharge hoses.  Comment: Not easily done, given the aft cockpit panel. 

Install in-line fuse or circuit breaker in positive battery cable and in positive wire for battery charger. 

Install in-line fuse or circuit breaker in positive battery cable between battery and vapor tight switch.

Install chafe protection on wires exiting base of mast. 

Install master breaker for AC electric system.

Install polarity indicator or carry portable polarity indicator to test polarity when connecting to shore power. 

DESIRABLE REPAIRS AND CORRECTIONS:

Through bolt handrails and toe rails. 

Acquire foredeck hatch cover to protect Lexan against UV.

Service winches.

Label rope stops.

Remove excess oil from transmission. 

Install raised loop with antisiphon valve to engine exhaust line in order to reduce potential for back siphoning.

Replace wing nut connectors on battery cables with lug type connectors.

ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE SUGGESTIONS MADE (BY J. GORDON & CO.,INC., ANNAPOLIS, MD) DURING THE SURVEY REPAIRS:

1. Rebed the cockpit main sheet post base as a possible source of water penetration.

2. Reinstall and seal mast boot as a possible source of water penetration.

3. Shorten and reattach the lightning ground cables at the forward sides of the cabin bulkhead to the bottom chain plate lug nut, to make a straighter course from cable to ground.  I understand lightning tends to go in a straight line and might jump the designated 90 degree turn as the cables were originally configured.

Obviously, this is a work in progress.  A number of the suggested changes have already been implemented.  Others are pending.  If there are questions or comments, I can be reached at jllbeans@aol.com.

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From the log of Bob Spann's Resilient:

October 25, 2007

Cruising the Alerion Express 28

 I regularly take my Alerion Express 28 for two to three day (one to two nights) cruises on the Chesapeake Bay.  The Alerion Express 28 can be an excellent cruising boat for the solo sailor that is willing to “rough it” a little bit.

There is a certain joy in the peace, quiet and solitude of solo cruising.  There is also the satisfaction that comes from applying some ingenuity to utilize a boat designed for day sailing as a cruiser.

The first problem that needs to be solved is the lack of a refrigerator.  I have found that by putting one block of ice, plus one bag of ice cubes in the cooler, one can keep bottles of water cool for up to 48 hours. After 48 hours in summer heat one still has a cooler full of ice water that will keep food in water tight containers chilled.

Although there are one burner butane stoves on the market, I feel safer not cruising with butane or propane aboard.  I like fresh fruits and vegetables (as well as genuine smoked Virginia ham) so not having a stove doesn't present any problems.  When I first started solo cruising my AE 28, I asked the produce manager at my local grocery store what fruits and vegetables would keep well without refrigeration.  He stated what I then realized was the obvious – buy the fruits and vegetables that are sold unrefrigerated.  Carrots, cherry tomatoes, and green beans all taste great raw.

Resilient moored in Annapolis harbor

An autopilot is obviously a great aid to single handed cruising.  It can be used to hold the boat into the wind when raising or lowering the main sail as well as for any other times that you need to be away from the tiller.  The standard Alerion sail plan with the 95% self tacking jib does not perform well in light winds – a condition all too common on the Chesapeake Bay. I use a 155% Genoa (purchased for racing) when cruising.  The 155 is still small enough that it can be tacked easily by a solo sailor.  My autopilot can tack the boat through 100 degrees while I handle the genoa sheets.

... solo anchoring is fairly simple ...

Finally, the Alerion Express 28 is small enough that solo anchoring is fairly simple.  Since the boat is light and doesn't have much free board, I have found that a Fortress anchor with only about 6 feet of chain and 150’ of nylon rope is sufficient.  I store the anchor in a cockpit locker.  When anchoring, I first cleat off the bitter end on the mid-ship cleat.  Next I wrap the rode around the self-tailing winch on the cabin top at a point such that if I drop the anchor off the bow, the end of the chain would be at or below the bow chock  After dropping the anchor off the bow, through the bow chock, I can remain at the bow playing out the rode or can return to the cockpit and can let out rode from the cockpit.  That way, if there is a wind gust or shift after I have dropped the hook, I can still use the engine to maneuver the boat.  Once I have set the anchor, I can cleat off the rode at the bow cleat as well. 

This same system works in reverse when breaking anchor.  Simply uncleat the rode from the bow cleat, but keep the rode running through the bow chock.  Pull the rode into the cockpit until the chain is nearing the bow chock.  Then go forward to pull in the chain and the anchor.  This approach works better than casting and pulling in the anchor over the side.  I used to set and retrieve the anchor over the side – until I was pulling the anchor up and got hit with a wind gust that was 45 degrees off the bow.  Because the bow is higher than the stern, this caused the boat to spin and I found myself with the stern (not the bow) facing the anchor with a slackened rode.  This created a real risk that the rode could get fouled in the keel, rudder, or prop – not good outcomes.

Many of the ideas contained I this log were given to me by fellow cruisers, so I am always interested in how other sailors have solved various problems while sailing and cruising.

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From the log of David Cochran's Ergo:

October 7, 2005

The "New" Boat

I recently bought a "new to me" boat. My "old" boat was an Alerion 19 Catboat. The "new" boat is an Alerion Express 28. Both were made in 1999, so "new" or even "old" do not apply but I will use them anyway. The catboat had been a great boat for me for 5 years but I felt that a move to a larger boat with more sails was appropriate.

After lusting and searching for several years I finally got serious when I found an AE 28 on the market in a port on the Chesapeake (Oxford, MD) that I would be sailing to anyway. I had set up an appointment with the broker and my sailing buddy, Bill, and I thought it looked great and would be the boat for me. I called my wife and told her that I had found the ideal boat. Her comments are unprintable. I persevered. Eventually we came to a financial arrangement - I had to find the money somewhere else. Loan companies can be a godsend but my insurance company offered the best deal. I made an offer and it was accepted.

After the survey and closing, I needed to get to the AE 28 and sail/motor it across and up the Bay to Galesville on the West River. I checked into taxis and friendships. I found it better to pay a friend - Roger. I got another friend, Paul, to agree to help moving the boat to my home port.

... the boat was not in the water ...

This AE 28 had had some cosmetic problems and was shipped back to the factory for refurbishing. This meant that it had been almost decommissioned - mast removed, etc. Therefore, it had to be re-commissioned or reassembled. The AE 28 has a self tacking Hoyt boom that is unfamiliar to most yards. I had called the yard and asked that the old name be removed and that it be put in the water on the day of my arrival. Upon arriving, the boat was not in the water and it still had the old name on it. The yard informed me that they never put a boat in the water until the owner arrived in case there was a mix-up in days or times. Additionally, the old name had "clear coat" over it and removal would be difficult. Both were minor problems.

My friends, Roger, Paul, and Bogey (Roger's dog/son) and I looked the AE 28 over and agreed - it is a beautiful boat - everything I wanted and more. Upon examining the setup and rigging, it became obvious that this boat had not been sailed since being re-commissioned. The outhaul on the jib on the Hoyt boom was rigged completely wrong. The mainsail cars had not been inserted into the track on the mast. Other lines seemed to be out of place.

My driver friend, Roger, thought we could set out that day (at about 3:00 PM) for my home port over 30 miles away. Somewhat fortunately, wiser heads prevailed. My crew, Paul, and I would re-rig everything we could identify, stay on the boat that night, and sail home the next morning. We got everything to what we thought was ship-shape and decided to go for a short sail to get more comfortable with the newness of this boat. We had a great sail in light air and discovered what a great boat I had just gotten.

The wind began to pick up ...

Next morning the broker picked us up to finalize a few things. We picked up food and water for the trip and went back to the boat to get a morning start. The forecast was for cloudy with winds of 15 knots gusting to 20. We motored out of the marina and hoisted the sails. The wind began to pick up and we were sailing at 5 to 6 knots. I had planned a course that would take us through Knapps Narrows but the wind was so good, and sailing was preferable to motoring, we decided to sail around Tilghman Island rather than through. The course set us on a close reach.

The wind continued to pick up and by the time we had rounded the tip of the island it was blowing seriously. We turned up the bay and I took over the helm. We were on a run with the sails wing and wing. The wind was blowing well over 20 knots and the seas were following at about 4 feet.

I thought I would let out the main sheet a little. Big mistake! One of the things we had not caught was the lack of stopper knots in the lines. The main sheet left my hand, went out through the block on the barney post, and out of the first block on the boom. The boom had been out to very near the shrouds so there wasnt much movement and no damage there. I grabbed the main sheet lengths where it went back and forth between the boom and the traveler and held on to the tiller. We were stable but in a bind. We agreed we would head up and that Paul would attempt to re-lead the main sheet. On the first attempt he got it wrong and on the second attempt it was less wrong - but workable. We put in a stopper knot.

It was a glorious ride.

We headed up the bay again wing and wing and were flying. We had following seas of 4 feet or more and we hit 11.8 knots on the GPS and well over 9 knots on the boat knotmeter. It was a glorious ride.

Our next challenge came when we needed to head up into West River on a close reach. The wind was really blowing - 30 to 35 knots. We were healed over seriously but sailing steadily. The reefing line had not been rigged and we did not have ties even if we did reef. We were fearful that the small engine would not hold us into the wind when we needed to drop the sails and that we couldnt keep the sail in the boat. All of that proved to be unfounded. The final challenge was to put my new boat into a slip with a 30 knot tail wind. My new boat now has a nice ding on the bow.

All in all, it was a great trip. It certainly was a learning experience. My advice for those who want to live on the edge and flirt with danger - go to sea without preparation.

Hindsight

Read the manual in advance and make a list of things to do and check. Give yourself more time than you think you will need to get everything ready to sail.

Very thoroughly check out the rigging. Stopper knots are critical as is the ability to reef.

Take a trial sail going nowhere with no timetable.

Get the boat of your dreams. Now.

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