Fall 1999 Newsletter

Commodore’s Message Summer is over. Phoenix is in her cradle. I’ve got a whole lot of memories to get me through the winter though. We made it to SW Harbor, Rockland and Marblehead this year. I have to admit that my scrapbook opened a little earlier this year than usual. I started to day dream about sailing only two weeks after my sailing season ended. I guess it was a great summer. This year in Marblehead I had my niece Erica as captain, my niece Katie as crew and Drew Cronin as my muscle crew. My boat was full of third generation Friendship Sloop sailors. Harold had Chrissy full of slightly smaller third generation members from his family and the Plumers. I started to realize that being second generation wasn’t much of a novelty any more. I guess it’s time for me to consider what it is that my generation is going to hand down to the next. Where is the Friendship Sloop Society going in the next millennium? Our boats are spreading across the world with only Gladiator left in Friendship (and she came via New Jersey…go figure). The Society is continuing to promote Friendship Sloops, maritime history, friendships and the Pendelton Scholarship Fund. But what is the Society’s role becoming? Our website is reaching more and more interested parties. Do we need a website chairperson? Our regattas and homecoming are more fun than ever…but they too are changing. Attendance was up at Southwest Harbor, but down at Marblehead. Are the regatta’s attracting new members? I did get the chance to meet a lot of new members at Rockland. Many of their boats were over 200 miles away, but they made the trip to see the fleet. I really enjoy these new members coming. I don’t remember so many people coming without boats in years past. Maybe, now that I’m commodore, I get to meet more people but I think more people are coming via land. I think it would be a huge challenge to get 50 boats at the homecoming again. Do these factors imply we should change anything? I hope you all will share your opinions with me, either at the annual meeting or before that if you can’t make it. I want to share with you one memory from Rockland. We put the rowboat races on the schedule without much planning. I figured it would happen…somehow. At the first skippers meeting Erica and Cindy Cronin volunteered to run them. I think my head tilted a little at the thought of it. The races were going to be a bit more interesting this year. There were people out rowing who haven’t done this kind of thing in years. Our biggest turnout ever I think. But the best thing came a week (Continued to Page 3) The Last Rockland Regatta of the Millenium by Bob Rex, FSS Race Committee Chairman The weather for the first race was cloudy with a 6 knot breeze. With the breeze from the SSE both divisions beat out to the #3 Bell east of Monroe island. Division I sailed an 8.9 nm course, rounding the #4 Gong east of Owl’s Head, then to T6 off Jameson Point, then to the finish at Nun #2 in Rockland Harbor. The Division II course of 10.3 nm had them round the DG mark ENE of Owl’s Head, then to T5 off Brewster Point and on to the finish at Nun #2. Division I’s top finishers were: 1st the Westphal’s Margaret F, 2nd Gannet with Tom Miller at the helm, 3rd Betsy Holtzmann’s Endeavor. Once again Tannis showed her heels to the fleet finishing first in Division II, Phoenix second sailed by Commo- dore Tad Beck, and Liberty skippered by Peter Carter, 3rd. A 6 knot SSE breeze and a bright sunny day greeted the fleet on the second day. Both divisions sailed courses that were practically a repeat of the previous day with the addition of Mark E, the #1 Can off Spears Rock. Margaret F scored her second win in a row in Division I; perennial favorite Salatia, Miff Lauriat at the helm was 2nd; and builder Harold Burnham sailed Kim to a 3rd. Commodore Tad Beck got Phoenix cranked up to take first in Division I; arch rival Tannis was 2nd and Harold’s Dad, Charlie Burnham aboard Resolute came in 3rd. The third race was sailed in very light air. The beat out to the gong east of Owl’s Head in a decent breeze proved to be a challenge. The wind began to fade and shift and as the day wore on it became increasingly clear that the race should be shortened. One mark was eliminated from both courses so that both divisions sailed the same course. As the wind veered and died the reach down the shore of Owl’s Head became an all points of sail contest with many lead changes. The final leg of (Continued to Page 5) Volume 11 Fall 1999 Issue 3 Friendships Newsletter of the Friendship Sloop Society Annual Meeting Reminder This years’ annual meeting will be held: November 13th The New England Center University of New Hampshire

Marblehead Friendship Sloop Results by Dave Graham, Marblehead Chairman A Lot Of “Firsts” In This Year’s First-Place It was with a hint of fall weather in the air that common sense prevailed and the Sunday races of Friendship Sloops were canceled, due to a cold driving rain, stiff northeast breezes and very lumpy seas. Such conditions were more than welcomed by farmers and amateur gardeners alike but not by sailors who would have had to endure the physical punishment and unpleas- ant conditions produced that Sunday morning. Thus, the results of the planned two-day regatta were reduced to what occurred during Saturday and the sailors’ age-old lesson of “Do it today, for tomorrow may never come” was learned once again. The 36th Marblehead Friendship Sloop Regatta went into the history books with several new twists for the recipient of the 1999 Ridgway Trophy, named in memory of the late Lincoln Ridgway who did so much to promote the early days of Friend- ship Sloop racing in the local waters. While Phoenix is no newcomer to the ranks of first place winners, her skipper-of- record is and for the first time in the nearly 40 year history of the Friendship Sloop Society, a third-generation skipper became a winner when Erica Beck, granddaughter of the late Al Beck and niece of the current owner – Tad Beck, took home the top trophy. Erica also went into the record books as the first woman to win the Ridgway Trophy and, as a recent graduate who is now begin- ning her career as a sixth-grade teacher, is the youngest recipient of the trophy. Additionally, she is the final winner of this trophy within the 20th century. In an emotionally charged acceptance of the Ridgway Trophy, Erica graciously expressed her deep appreciation to her grandfa- ther and uncle, who taught her so much about racing, of Phoenix and of life in general. And while on the subject of learning experiences, Erica single-handedly and unintentionally gave the attendees of the award ceremony at Corinthian that damp Sunday, a quick lesson on the fine art of being gracious when it wasn’t easy to do so, in view of circumstances occurring earlier this year. In turn, we all thank you, Erica. Indeed, there were other trophy winners at this year’s Marble- head regatta. In Division I, the first runner-up trophy was won by our Vice Commodore, Paul Haley in Tern. With greater Division II participation in a rather low turnout event, the first runner-up trophy went to Wayne Cronin in Rights of Man, while his father – long time owner-skipper of Tannis, Jack Cronin, took home with him the second runner-up trophy in Division II. Saturday’s race was conducted in what some skippers may have called “ideal” conditions, while others would have preferred calling it “stiff breezes”. Either way, the race for Division I was 10.29 NM in length, while Division II went the distance of 14.17 NM and for the record, the winds were south- west, 14 to 18 with gusts as high as 23, as recorded aboard Messing About, our trusty Race Committee boat. FSS New London Report New London Sailfest/FSS Races – July 10-11, 1999 The New London FSS Race Committee reports that the 1999 race series was successful because eventually there were boats to race, people to see, plenty of water and great weather overall. A few of the boats arrived Friday night, 09 July, at the Thames Yacht Club in New London and some locals drove over for the annual dinner preceding the weekend activities. About 16 people had a good, relaxed meal at the new Schooners Restau- rant which used to be Chucks. It was comforting to the race committee that we could again have a good meal, fun conversa- tion, and remain in the limits of acceptable public behavior. As for the races, there was a meager turnout Saturday, and a full day Sunday. The weather and winds were just great both days, people were simply slow to arrive. No real competition on Saturday for Class A and just paired racing for Class B. All races started on time and were completed by at least one boat finishing the course. The superb Sailfest Grucci Fireworks extravaganza was just great on Saturday night following a great FSS picnic at the Thames Yacht Club. (Hint: The new club galley operator has a gourmet catering business!!! She has already committed to summer 2000!!) Saturday, 10 July Class A 1st place: Natanya (Joe Hliva) only boat in class Class B 1st place Solomon Gundy (Bill Butcher) 2nd place Muscongus (Harry Oakley) Sunday, 11 July Class A 1st place Natanya (Joe Hliva) 2nd place Good Friend ( Harvey Goodfriend) Class B 1st place Solomon Gundy (Bill Butcher) 2nd place Finast Kind (Mike Looram) 3rd place Muscongus (Harry Oakley) Your affable New London Race Committee most seriously requests your presence in July 2000 for the FSS Regatta which will be held during the festivities for OPSAIL 2000. At this writing there are about 18 Class “A” world-class sail ships involved in the New London visit. You will all be hearing more about the week-long festivities in subsequent mailings. Your very cordial New London FSS Co-Chairs, Jack “Holt” Vibber and Greg Roth – 2 –

Membership News Membership Chairman Doug Amsbary submitted the following: It’s been a very busy Summer and early Fall here at the desk of the Membership Department. An abnormally high number of sloops have changed hands and two new sail numbers have been issued since the last newsletter. #145 Yankee Lady was seen down in Annapolis, MD by Peter and Lorna Carter while they were waiting for a drawbridge to open to allow Yankee Lady through. The membership chair- man heard through the grapevine that the sloop has been sold. #156 Departure has been sold to Jerry and Penny Kriegle of Duxbury, MA. They will be keeping the boat in Marion Harbor, MA. Stephen and Julie Sell from Landenberg, PA have purchased #211 Ansa and are planning to keep the boat in Rockport for a period of time before moving it down to their home in Pennsylvania. I received a nice note from Nicholas Kingsbury informing us that #131 Noahsark has been sold to Paul Werner of Old Orchard Beach, ME. He mentioned being only “temporarily sloopless” so only time will tell. Heard from Scott Martin of Bar Harbor, ME that he has purchased #122 Eden, ex: Ray of Hope and that he has started to restore the sloop. He was able to put it back in the water last August (’98) and it stayed in for the winter. He says that she is alive and afloat in Bar Harbor once again. The “extended” Major Family of Putney, VT has joined our ranks. The family recently purchased #54 Echo and are thrilled with the prospect of owning such a vessel. It is currently under- going a survey to be done by member Paul Haley. Several new members have joined since the Rockland Homecoming: ! Brian & Sidney Leonard of Wrentham, MA ! John & Carol Simpson of Wakefield, MA ! Carol Herzog & Laurie Weitzen of Boston, MA ! Mr. & Mrs. Carl Mueller of Friendship, ME ! Jeff Cohen of Mamaroneck, NY ! Paul Werner of Old Orchard Beach, ME, new owner of #131 Noahsark We recently received pictures and plans of a 25′ wooden Friendship named Tristan. She has a 4′ 6″ draft and a beam of 8′ 8″. The sloop is owned by David & Annie Cain residing in Fayston, Vermont. The boat was built by Joe Bernier and origi- nally launched in the summer of 1980 at St. Michael P.Q. Canada. We have issued the sloop sail number 267. Another new boat has applied for issue of a sail number. The sloop name is Prydwyn of Lamorna and is a Pemaquid replica. It is owned by Brian & Judy Cross of Leeming, western Austra- lia. It was originally built in Freemantle in 1977 and its mooring location will also be Freemantle. It has been issued our most recent sail number 268. The membership department would like to extend a warm welcome to both of these two out of country new members. Rockland Homecoming 1999 Results State of Maine Trophy Best Overall Performance Margaret F. Division I Herald Jones Trophy Margaret F. Bruno & Stillman Trophy Salatia Lash Brothers Trophy William M. Rand Division II Commodore’s Trophy Phoenix Winslow Trophy Tannis Homecoming Trophy Liberty Rockland Cup Rights of Man Class A Wilbur Morse Trophy Gannet Charles Morse Trophy Tern Alexander McLain Trophy Gladiator Special Trophies Chrissy Trophy Maria Burnham Spirit of Friendship Jack Vibber Gladiator Trophy Banshee Nickerson Trophy Benjamin Zuber Owner/Builder Trophy Bill Whitney Gaivota Danforth Trophy Banshee R.W. Stanley Cup Gannet Liberty Trophy Wings of Morning Jarvis Newman Trophy Salatia Cy Hamlin Trophy Don Huston Post Office Trophy Lady M. Commodore’s Message (Continued from Page 1) later. Erica and I were talking and she told me that she finally understood the magic of the society. She finally felt a part of it. I don’t remember not being a part of it…but it got me thinking. Maybe the more we each put into the society, the more we get out. I know I feel lucky to be able to be commodore. I feel lucky to have so many wonderful people working together to make Rockland, Marblehead, New London and Southwest Harbor happen. I feel lucky that the Friendship Sloop Society is about to turn forty. Thank you all for helping out and thank you all for working on your Friendships. Dues Reminder If you haven’t mailed your annual dues for 2000, please send them to: Caroline Phillips, Society Secretary, 164 Sturbridge Road Charlton, MA 01507 – 3 –

ROCKLAND – This may not be their home, but after four years it is starting to feel that way. Although not native to Rockland waters, Friendship sloops returned to the harbor last week for the fleet’s 39th annual homecoming regatta. After 23 years, the event was moved from Friendship, where as the fleet name implies, a number of the boats have been built since the turn of the century. The move was made, for among other reasons, to accommodate the increasing number of sloops attending the regatta. In past years, the regatta has attracted as many as 50 boats. After a brief stint in Boothbay Harbor, the group appears to have settled in Rockland. Although the numbers were relatively small at this year’s regatta – there were 23 participating boats, approximately one-10th of the fleet – the camaraderie was as strong as ever. With barbecues, rowboat fun-races and endless gatherings over the course of the three days, the event is as much a dockside celebration as it is a competitive three-race regatta. Appropriate for a fleet of sailboats called Friendships, many awards were given to recognize the spirit of the participants, including the Spirit of Friendship award, the Nickerson trophy for the young- est crew member, the Chrissy trophy for “the woman who holds the crew together”, the Cy Hamlin award for the skipper return- ing after the longest absence, the Gladiator trophy for the sloop coming the greatest distance to race, and even the Post Office trophy for the sloop that made the “biggest goof” at the event. Sailors of all ages were on the water sailing boats of all ages. Many participants have grown up together and their summers have revolved around the event. For many, the regular races and meetings the Friendship Sloop Society sponsors have begun to feel like family gatherings. “This is an extended family,” Tad Beck explained. “A lot of the sailors here who are my age I’ve known since I was a baby. We dug around in the sand together and played on the rocks together as children.” “I tried to describe why this is so important for me to a friend the other day. Really, (coming to the homecoming regatta) is as important to me as showing up for my sister’s wedding.” Beck, who lives in New York, but keeps his boat on Vinal- haven, is commodore of the Friendship Sloop Society and is a second-generation sloop owner. He grew up sailing and learning the ropes on Phoenix, a 30-foot sloop that was owned by his father Al, until he died last year. Continuing in his father’s legacy, the younger Beck has taken the helm this season. During the homecoming regatta, he steered the boat to its first victory in Rockland. “I imagined my dad smiling down on us as we crossed the finish line today,” he said during the awards ceremony Thursday. Not everyone has grown up in the society, but the affection for fellow sailors and the boats is just as strong. For Gannet owner Tom Miller, the attraction to the Friendship Sloop was instantaneous. “You see one and you want it,” he said simply. “They’re a special boat.” Although he had sailed on a variety of small boats, Miller knew he wanted to own a Friendship some day, perhaps when he retired. “Some day,” however, came earlier than expected. In 1991, he and his wife Peggy Dotter, purchased Gannet, a 27-foot sloop built in 1903. Since then the couple, who live in New Boston, N.H., have commuted nearly every weekend in the summer to Harpswell, where they keep the boat. Friendship sloops were not always used as pleasure craft. Originally known only as “sloops”, they were designed in the 1890s to haul lobster traps. Their style has slowly evolved over more than 100 years, but several characteristics remain similar for all friendships, including their shallow drafts that allow them to come close to shore, wide beams that make them steady, gaff rigs with plenty of sail area for speed in even a light breeze, and bow sprits that dart through the water. Sloops registered with the Friendship Sloop Society range in length from 15 to 40 feet and have found homes all around the world. A majority of them are still in New England, however. The homecoming regatta is only one stop on the fleet’s New England tour. The New London (Connecticut) Windezvous July 9-11 and Southwest Harbor Regatta July 18 opened up the season. Following the Rockland regatta, the boats made an appearance at Friendship Day Saturday and they are scheduled to meet again in Massachusetts for the Marblehead Regatta August 14 and 15, and the Gloucester Schooner Festival Septem- ber 4 and 5. A Fine Day For Friends The following story was written by Laurie Schreiber for the July 22nd edition of the “Bar Harbor Times”. SOUTHWEST HARBOR– The sun beat down and the breeze could have been a bit stronger, but all in all, it was a beautiful day, last Saturday, for the Friendship Sloop Society’s annual rendezvous here. It was also a moment of glory for the Society’s commodore, Tad Beck of Vinalhaven, who made a triumphant return to winning form in Phoenix, which had suffered a break- down last year and limped in last. Just eight boats made their graceful appearance on the course, but even such a small number can present some exciting matches. There was the usual showdown between Mr. Beck and his old nemesis, Charles Burnham of Essex, Mass. in Resolute. Mr. Burnham gave way, however, to Albert Neilson of Manset, who skippered the Hieronymus, the first Friendship produced by wooden boatbuilder Ralph Stanley in 1962, to second place. (Continued to Page 5) – 4 – Camaraderie Rules at Gathering of Sloops This account of the Rockland Homecoming was written by Sutter Schumacher and appeared in the August 3rd edition of the “Rockland Courier-Gazette”.

.Sailing is Great, But… by Nick Kingsbury, past owner of Noahsark Give me a good engine! This summer, after 14 years of continuous ownership, (with 2 consecutive sloops), I am “sloopless.” I mean “sloopless” in a Friendship Sloop manner – I do not own a Friendship Sloop. My new membership card sent by Caroline says “Associate.” How demeaning! Lucky for me the window decal is standard, no mention of the associate word there. Oh, I’m not boatless by any means. I currently own 2 glass sloops, a 25′ fin keel, a 29′ full keel, one 18′ wood outboard skiff, 2 rowboats and an inflatable dinghy. But this summer for fun and money, I have taken a job as a hired captain sailing parties out of the Kennebunk River in (you guessed it) a Friend- ship Sloop. Yes, the good sloop Edna. She’s a Jarvis Newman Dictator model certified for 12 passengers and a smart sailor she is. As I have said, sailing is great, but… have you ever entered the Kennebunk River with the ebb tide rushing full bore through the jetties and an afternoon South Westerly blowing onshore? This is where a good engine and propeller is a pleasure. Here’s my experience with three Friendships of different sizes and power plants: My first sloop, a 24-footer by Warren P. Gannett, was powered by a 7 ½ HP diesel with a 13 X 11 propeller. A propeller aperture was cut in the rudder. This boat was a great sailor with good maneuverability under power. My second sloop, a 30-footer, Noahsark, was underpowered by a 13 ½ HP diesel with an 11 ¾ X 8 propeller. The aperture was cut in both the sternpost and rudder. Noahsark was an excellent sailor. The Dictator model I’m now sailing sports a 40 HP diesel swinging a 17 X 10 propeller. There is no aperture in the rudder. So, turn the wheel to starboard, apply some power, and this boat turns. Come to the float, into reverse, and this boat stops. No doubt about it, a large diameter propeller directing water over a solid rudder has some authority. Perhaps that 12 X 17 propeller with the two little narrow blades will help you win a sloop race, but… if you want a good all-around Friendship with excellent handling characteristics under both sail and power, the Dictator model is for you. Anyway, how come all these Friendship Sloop races are under sail? Let’s have a power race. Yes, that’s it – the 40th Annual Regatta Engines Only Race! A great way to start the new millennium. I’m searching for my next sloop now – a Dictator model. Are there any for sale? A Musical Thanks A special thanks to all the musicians who performed under the tent on Wednesday night in Rockland. Everyone enjoyed the performances by our members. Performing were the Merrill family of Julie, Nathaniel and Caleb; Matthew Rand, Ralph Stanley, Glenda Armandi, Richard Stanley, Tim Sullivan and Ruth Langton. The Last Rockland Regatta of the Millenium (Continued from Page 1) the course from Mark D to the finish at Nun #2 became a painfully slow run. This produced some of the closest finishes we’ve ever seen. The first three boats in Division II finished within 5 seconds of each other in “real” time. Liberty was 1 second ahead of Tannis with Phoenix 4 seconds later, a matter of inches! The entire fleet bunched up on this leg, resulting in more close finishes. The entire fleet finished within 33 minutes. In Division I nine boats finished in less than 6 minutes. Consistent winner over the years William M. Rand with builder John Rand at the tiller won a close race over Harold Burnham in Kim, and newsletter editors John and Carole Wojcik sailed Banshee to a third. In Division II Phoenix won her second straight race edging Liberty, with Tannis third in the most exciting finishing. I owe a debt of gratitude to the following people, without whom I’d have even less hair and many more wrinkles. Thank you, Bruce Lanning, Captain and builder of Chickadee, along with able crew Jim Besse and ex-commodore Larry Plumer who set racing marks with dispatch and precision. Also, I wish to thank Bill Zuber who once again obtained a most unusual mark set boat for us. The Record was captained by our good friend Ken Rich. Our Race Committee consisting of Dick Salter, Gerry Ross, Gene Costanza and Dave Graham are a bunch of real pros! Many, many thanks to Alice and Dick Salter for Messing About. And last, just as the trophies come last, but certainly not least, my appreciation goes to the Morang Family, Marcia the selector, aided by daughters Penny and Kelly. Hope all those who came to Rockland this year had a good time. Next year brings the new Millenium. Let’s make sure that Friendship sloops are as active, unique and elegant as they’ve been for this past century. A Fine Day for Friends (Continued from Page 4) The mainstays included Salatia, owned by Miff Lauriat of Southwest Harbor, a winner of the Jarvis Newman Award and the first fiberglass Friendship to come out of the Southwest Harbor builder’s shop 30 years ago. The nearly century- old Blackjack comes out of Northeast Harbor, with Wilson Fletcher at the helm. The 25-foot Endeavor, built by Ralph Stanley, owned by Betsy Holtzmann, of Southwest Harbor, made its appearance. Richard Dudman of Islesford sailed his boat Freedom, and Scott Martin of Bar Harbor, in Eden, cruised into last place, [just] 45 minutes after Phoenix. Many of the competitors will be making their way to the much larger Friendship Sloop Days Annual Homecoming in Rockland July 26-29, the centerpiece of a summer-long series held from Connecticut to Maine. – 5 –

Tech Tips #4 written by “The Old Salt” Well here we are again. Hope you all had a great, trouble free summer. We certainly did. Needed a few more patches on the mains’l but on the whole the annual cruise to the great State of Maine was extremely enjoyable. A major contributor to that enjoyment was the fact that nothing went seriously wrong, at least not for us, as long as you don’t include finishing dead last at Rockland a real serious matter. I was hoping to gather more material for this column by listening to folks talk about their mechanical or electrical problems. But other than a battery failure (on my boat) and an engine that wouldn’t start on another boat, things were pretty uneventful. Since I couldn’t use anyone else’s misfortune as a source for an article I guess we’ll stick to the original plan. I was hoping that someone would ask a few specific questions that I could address. Hopefully, this column will be a forum for sharing the vast range of practical experi- ence accumulated by our membership and not just my favorite topics. It is intended to be the place where you, the reader, can submit technical questions and either obtain answers or direction to appropriate reference material. Since you have not asked for specifics I’ll continue on course with the original list of topics. In case you don’t remember, the topics are: electrical wiring, alternators and regulators, batteries, grounding and bonding, radios and antennas, and instrumentation (depth, speed, GPS, LORAN, etc.). We already did wiring and alternators, so let’s look at regulators. In the last article we looked at alternators and getting them operating in the correct speed range by sizing the pulley appropriately. Now that we are producing all that electrical power, how do you control it? And what are we really trying to control? To understand things a little better let’s look at a simple system like the one in your car. It is comprised of one engine, one alternator, one battery, the starter motor, lights, radios, power seats, cell phones, etc. that collectively we can call the “load” on the electrical system. In a simple system like this the alternator has an electronic regulator built into it that senses the output voltage of the alternator. Because the battery and the devices that constitute the load are connected directly to the alternator, whatever the alternator output voltage is, is the voltage across the battery and load. The regulator will try to maintain the voltage at approximately 14 volts by increasing or decreasing the current being produced by the alternator. After you start the car, the voltage across the battery drops because you partially discharged it while turning the starter motor. In response to the drop in voltage the regulator increases the current through the rotor windings in the alternator. This in turn increases the intensity of the magnetic field of the rotor. As the engine starts to turn so does the alternator’s rotor because the pulley drives it via the V-belt to the engine’s crankshaft. The spinning magnetic field induces a current in the stator windings that are built into the outside housing of the alternator. This current “alternates” between a positive going and negative going current, hence the name “alternator”. The alternating current is then fed through six large diodes where it is rectified, or changed, into a direct current that then recharges the battery. As the battery recharges its voltage increases, and sensing this, the regulator decreases the current going to the rotor. Decreasing the rotor current decreases the alternator’s output. So by controlling the rotor current we control the output current of the alternator and the overall electrical system voltage. The regulators built into automotive alternators, and those designed for simple marine systems are quite sophisticated. They recharge the battery at the proper rate, compensate for temperature changes, and regulate the current supplied to all the electrical acces- sories of a car or boat. But this sophistication also has its disadvantages. If you add a second battery, a battery switch, or larger load you have changed the electrical system design and the regulator built into the alternator may not be able to measure up. A boat’s electrical system is usually much larger than that of an automobile, unless you have a really, really big car. As you add more wire, more of a load, the losses can start to add up. The primary problem is that the regulator is built into the alternator. As you add differ- ent components to the electrical system you need to sense the system voltage from a point closer to the battery or ideally at the battery itself. In order to accomplish this you have to have an external regulator, and an alternator that will accept it. Many of the alternators that are supplied to the marine industry have external regulators mounted on the back of the alternator case. Motorola, Lucas and Delco are among the suppliers. Normally the voltage sensing wire is attached to the ignition switch, which is usually wired to the starting battery. If your system is one of these, make sure that the wire is large enough and the connections are clean. There are also a number of after- market regulators that are designed specifically for recharging deep-cycle batteries. The beauty of using a modern, stand-alone, regula- tor is that they will do a much better job of maintaining your batteries and prolonging their life. I think they’re a good investment. Remember that battery failure I mentioned earlier? This was one of the original batteries I bought for the boat fifteen years ago. And I still have its mate that I bought with it in the battery box. I don’t get that kind of life out of my car batteries. The advantage of these new regulators is the way they control recharging. Rather than following a simple recharge curve, they follow a three-step sequence that more closely matches the electrochemical needs of the battery. The steps are: bulk, absorption and float. In the bulk step the regulator provides a recharge current of 30-40% of the batteries amp-hour capacity until the battery voltage reaches about 14.4 Volts. After that it switches to the absorption step. In this mode the regulator tapers off the charging current while holding the voltage at 14.4 Volts. When the current drops to less than 5% of the amp-hour capacity the regulator switches again. In the float mode the output voltage of the alternator is regulated at 13.5 Volts, where it will stay until a discharged condition (Continued to Page 7) – 6 –

Tech Tips #4 (Continued from Page 6) is sensed. Another nice feature that many of these regulators have is that they are adjustable. But I don’t recommend messing with the adjustments unless you have a good 4-digit digital multimeter. The factory settings are quite good for all but the most sophisti- cated electrical systems. If you really think it needs to be tweaked, a good marine electrician should be able to hook things up and adjust it in a few hours, depending of course on the condition of the system when the work starts. Balmar, Heart Interface and Aqualine are three of the manufac- turers of “smart” regulators. Most of the marine catalogs list various makes of alternators and regulators. If you decide to spend the dollars for an upgraded system I recommend that you purchase a regulator that matches the alternator. The hook-up will be much more straightforward. Good luck. Annual Meeting Notice Saturday, November 13, 1999 New England Center University of New Hampshire Noon – 4:00 PM – Pre-Meeting Events 4:00 – 5:00 PM – Business Meeting 5:00 – 5:30 PM – Auction 5:00 – 7:00 PM – Social Hour with cash bar 7:00 PM – Sit-Down Dinner 9:00 PM – ? Commodore’s Hospitality Suite Room Reservations – 603-862-2801 $85.00 Single / $95.00 / Double (Call Immediately for Reservations) Special Features of the Annual Meeting: – Extended social opportunities!! More chance to elaborate on those sea stories – Picture Swap Area – bring a picture / take a picture. We all have so many pictures of other people’s boats – why not share the wealth with everyone! – 50/50 Raffle – held during the pre-meeting social. This is a way for us to defray the cost of renting the conference room – and a lucky winner has taken home over $100 each time we have held this raffle. – Business Meeting which wll focus on the key areas of concern and interest to the membership. Gloucester Schooner Festival by Michael Costello, Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce The Pride of Baltimore II joined us for the first time this year and she really did herself proud – winning the Esperanto Cup Trophy in the Mayor’s Race on Sunday. This was a uniquely nostalgic victory as Pride of Baltimore I was tragically lost at sea in a violent squall in 1986 a short while before she was scheduled to sail in the Schooner Festival. In the closest finish of the day, Highlander Sea, (formerly Pilot – the winner of the first Schooner Festival) also enjoyed a great “homecoming”, finishing a close second to Pride of Baltimore II. Brilliant lived up to her name with an outstanding win in the race for the Ned Cameron Trophy; and Green Dragon enjoyed a convincing win in the Betty Ramsey Trophy race. USS Constitution was represented in Gloucester by Captain Bill Foster and his Captain’s Gig, with cox and twelve oarsmen. The Gig’s crew of 13 – dressed in authentic 1813 naval uniforms – joined with Gloucester’s seine boat crews Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria in a spirited rowing demonstration, much to the delight of spectators on Stacy Boulevard and Pavilion Beach. Saturday’s small craft racing, which included a fleet of eight Friendship Sloops, saw many exciting races and close finishes. Getting away from the line right after the start to work free of the chop and out into a freshening breeze was a big factor to success in the six classes racing. Despite Hurricane Dennis, which kept away the U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS Mitscher, along with the small schooners Norfolk Rebel, Phra Luang, and Eastern Passage, there was a record turnout of 60 boats for this year’s festival, topping all previous events. The enthusiasm of the crowd at the Awards Dinner Sunday evening proved to all that there were only winners on those two great days. Here are the results for the Friendship Sloop Class: Tannis Jack Cronin Rights of Man Wayne Cronin Resolute Charles Burnham Chrissy Harold Burnham Flying Jib Sara Beck Eagle Don Huston Tern Paul Haley Venture Bill Finch Auction Items Needed For the last few years, the business meeting of the Society has been concluded with an auction. The auction will be for the benefit of the scholarship fund and the operating fund of the Sloop Society. If you have any item that you think would be of interest to our members, and wish to donate it to the auction, please bring it along to the meeting, and please designate to which fund you would like the proceeds from your item to be allocated. Your donation will be greatly appreciated. – 7 –