Recent content by Tom Hruby

It is relatively easy if you are handy with working on a hydraulic brake system. First you will need two major components: a trailer brake controller and the hydraulic actuator. The actuator is the expensive part, around $850. If you go to etrailer.com they have a number of options and some...

Bob, I would like to quibble with you a little. Electric cruising is more like sailing. You cannot compare it to cruising with big outboards. Speed is comparable to that of sailing, so one has to carefully plan routes based on tides and currents. I have been cruising Puget Sound, a...

As somebody who cruises a 22' cruiser with only electric outboards I am a firm believer in electric. Before you make that decision however figure out at what speed you would like to move in emergencies and how you would deal with the battery. Some of the smaller e outboards have an internal...

The volume of the cabin in the CD 22 is quite small and I would be hesitant to use any kind of heating/cooking system that uses combustion without very good ventilation. The problem (in addition to carbon monoxide) is carbon dioxide; something most people don't consider. CO2 levels above...

As of 2023 Mr. Ruelos still had the molds and I was in contact with him about potentially building one for me before I chose the C-Dory. Although I agree that the Marinaut is a great boat, I was very dissatisfied with his business model. First, he has the molds but no shop. He would farm out...

I have found that no tape will work, in the long run, on textured surfaces in a boat in areas that are exposed to water. Water will eventually seep into the textured surfaces and loosen the glues used. There are several options I might suggest. 1) get a small can of paint and add "traction"...

I had the same problem. My solution was to buy a small sheet of galvanized flashing and attack it with tin snips until I got the right shape. Final shape was completed with a file.

I should add that all the panels are glued to 4mm corrugated plastic before attaching to the roof. This provides significant air colling under the panels, keeps the cabin cooler, and increases the efficiency of the panels (efficiency drops by 0.3% - 0.5% for every degree C above 77F). I have...

The cabin top of my 22' cruiser has about 12 square feet of space. I have been able to put two 80 watt panels on each side and one 200 watt panel on the top. All are flexible CIGS but of different brands (two Rich Solar 80watt and one Allpower 200W). The two Rich Solar panels provide power to...

I checked out the ICECO website and their model 45 claims to use only 0.4 kWh/24 hrs. To be on the safe side I would use about 0.6 kWh/24 to do the calculations. A 12V 100AH battery stores a maximum 1.2kWh of energy and a lithiumFePO4 has about 1 kWh of usable energy. So the battery would...

That is good news, but for now all of the small rv portable type refrigerators that would fit into the smaller C-Dories are out of stock. I tried to find some on the web, and all the RV sites list them as "out of stock." Does anyone know when they might be available again?

As Thataway said, a starting battery and deep discharge (house) battery should not be charged in parallel (both at the same time). So, I assume this question relates to two of the same batteries in parallel. If there is a slight difference in voltage between the two, power will flow from the...

I was just looking at the Norcold fridge options after Bob gave us his favorable review, and found out the company has gone bankrupt. If you find one for sale be aware that parts and support are probably not available.

I have two Dometics (one in the boat and in my rv trailer) that both have 12V and 120V inputs. I have never had any problems with them (one for 5 years and one for 2 years). I have found that the less expensive Chinese fridges never lasted more than one or two years. I have tried three...

With regards to the step stool: The edges are rounded and I have added corner bumpers (for tables) that are not shown in the photo. We only use the steps when docked and keep it folded and "bungeed" when underway or when not in use. I have tried a number of different step options and found...