Upgrades to Zenith in 2020

[PNW_Wesley]

Despite 2020 being horrible in many ways, my wife and I have enjoyed many cruises on the Columbia River this year.

Zenith has gotten some upgrades which add to our safety and comfort.

Next to the existing Garmin Echomap, I added a Garmin 742XS with a Fantom 18" dome. I have measured the pitch angle of the boat at various speeds, and installed the dome with a 6 degree down tilt. This makes the dome level at the speeds we typically cruise at. A one watt LED anchor light is the star on the tree.








The Lewmar pivoting bow roller and Maxwell windlass make anchoring fun. We drop the hook on most outings. The anchor safety strap is also from Lewmar.






An old cutting board now holds mounts for my Ipad, Iphone, and portable VHF. All are kept charged underway.




A new ladder makes it easier to board if someone goes overboard. We also use the ladder to board when out of the water.

Aluminum brackets were used to hard-mount the kicker, yet be easily removed if desired. No more dragging the kicker to and from the boat. Suzi stays secure going down the highway.

With only 1/3 throttle, the 2.5 Suzuki pushes us along nicely, and will come in handy if the main engine should quit. The boat steers well with the kicker locked straight, with the main acting as the rudder.

Here is a little clip of Suzi and radar in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2syhFgw6B5s







Two large cleats were added to the bow deck for handling, and 2 small cleats were added to the aft sides, dedicated for fenders.

The trailer received a substantial overhaul. New items include tongue coupler, winch strap, safety cables with clips, stern tie-down straps, side bunk boards, and tires. The entire axle was replaced, with new hubs, bearings, and disc brakes.




Karen I look forward to the day when we can get together with our C-Dory friends.

Until then, mask up and stay safe.

 

[hardee]

Wesley,

Sure looks nice. You have been busy, it shows and you are going to enjoy the upgrades.

Agree, Mask up, stay safe and looking forward to back to a regular normal. I just need a couple of shots --> (vaccine) to be able to get back to normal boating.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[clayhubler]

Hey Wesley, Zenith is really looking good. Looking forward to doing a few cruises with you guys when time allows. I'm doing some extensive repairs to Hammerhead this winter, and will top it off with a few upgrades when the dust settles.
Are you happy with the lewmar windlass? Your installation looks good. I need to replace or repair my windlass.

 

[PNW_Wesley]

Hello Harvey and Clay. It’s good to hear from you, with all that’s going on these days.

Our favorite boating season is just starting. The river is much more comfortable from December to March. The water between Vancouver and Astoria is often calm, with 5 mph winds. Fog can crop up, and my radar is always on. We have found several nice spots to drop the hook for lunch.

From Vancouver towards Bonneville, the winds can pick up fast at any time of the year, but there are winter days when we can enjoy much of that pool. We went to Cape Horn this past Friday, and cruised 55 miles.

My winch is a Maxwell HRC-FF6. I also bought a rope/chain rode from Maxwell, and it plays beautifully through the gypsy. I use a wired remote which allows me to stand on the berth and have good visibility to what the rode is doing, especially when lowering it. The windlass puts it out at 100 feet per minute, and one needs to ensure the slack rode has not drifted under the boat. I press the remote for about 10 seconds at a time, and then wait for the current to take up the slack. The remote also lets me be close to the bow roller as the anchor is coming out of the water and coming through the roller. It gives me better control of the mating process. I am very happy with the system, and it has shown to work well in these waters. I keep a logbook for each anchoring, and record lots of data for the fun of it.

We are always on the lookout for other Dory’s, so if you’re cruising through my home waters, it would be great to cross wakes with you.

 

[Jim Gibson]

Zenith:

I am interested in how you got that little Suzuki 2.5 to fit over the back transom of the C-Dory?

I also have a 2.5 Suzuki and my motor bracket does not open up enough to clear the transom width.

How did the aluminum brackets help with the mounting?

Thanks for the information. If I can figure out how to mount this small motor to the back of my C-Dory I will.

 

[tsturm]

Nice!! :thup

 

[PNW_Wesley]

Zenith:

I am interested in how you got that little Suzuki 2.5 to fit over the back transom of the C-Dory?

I also have a 2.5 Suzuki and my motor bracket does not open up enough to clear the transom width.

How did the aluminum brackets help with the mounting?

Thanks for the information. If I can figure out how to mount this small motor to the back of my C-Dory I will.

Hello Jim.

Our little Suzi works well for what we use it for. Its primary purpose is to get us to a safe anchorage should the main fail. I have let it push us many times just for fun, and 2.5 hp is plenty for me.

I used to keep Suzi in the back of my truck between outings, but it was work to mount/dismount it. I looked at alot of mounting options, and found that the simplest way was the best for me, and the system works well. I wanted to safely leave the motor installed while towing.

The metal arm that has the transom tension screw has a hole at the bottom, about 3/8". The bracket is 1x1 aluminum. A bolt joins the hole with the bracket. A bolt joins the bracket to the transom. One on each side.

The transom screws provide considereable holding power, but they can loosen and slip. With my scheme, I can confidently tow at 65 w/o fear of the motor falling off.

My transom has a thick rubber crown plate, about 1/8" wider on both sides of the transom. I had to peel away the rubber in order to get the motor's mount to slip onto the transom.

I am happy that I made this mod.

 

[Jim Gibson]

Thank you Zenith for the detailed reply. I will likely do something similar with my small Suzuki.