The Joys and Sorrows Of a Life At Sea » Monsun

Hallberg-Rassy 31 Monsun for sale

Petr Šimon — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 04:11:17 +0000

(click the picture to see more photos)

Janna under sail with reefing jib and old mainsail

Contact

Email: syjanna@gmail.com

Phone (Malaysia): +60122513997

Skype: klubkonet or syjanna

1 We call her Janna

…as in arabic al’janna, which means “garden” as in the “Garden of Eden”…

You won’t need to spend months in a boat-yard. You can go cruising immediately, because we are cruising right now on this boat. You can step aboard as we step off.

We take a good care of our little boat. She’s a lovely home and a great performer at sea.

The equipment is minimalistic, but we rarely wished for more. We’ve put a lot of thought into transforming Janna into a cozy, but utilitarian vessel.

It is our home and an office.

We are the third owners and we are selling Janna for family reasons.

1.1 Significant features

These are the most important features that make Janna what she is (see more below).

She is a perfect home for a couple, however, four people will find comfortable berths on board. Two on the V-berth and two in the cabin. The cabin settee cushions fit nicely in the cockpit and you will spend many a night there.

1.1.1 Minimized routes for water ingress

We have kept only 3 seacocks (out of 10) – one for the seawater intake, one for the galley, which doubles as a port cockpit scupper drain, and one for the second cockpit scupper drain.

1.1.2 Confortable and safe galley, lots of storage space

The galley is well designed and we have never had water coming through the galley sink, even in foul weather. Two large storage lockers are right next to the galley sink.

We have converted the quarter-berth into another locker accessible from the cockpit and made special drains which keep the lockers dry in all weather.

We have also made a heavy-duty rail guard for the stove and the pots stay put even in bad weather. In really bad weather we cook in a pressure cooker (our most useful utensil).

There are two 5kg aluminum LPG cylinders on the deck. They usually last two and half months – but we cook a lot and bake regularly. The LPG is carried via a single high-pressure hose, thus minimizing the points of failure.

1.1.3 Efficient rigging

Previous owner added a strong 3’ stainless-steel bowsprit and a roller furling genoa. This allows for extremely easy wing and wing setup for downwind passages. The genoa is a real workhorse.

There is an inner forestay for hank on sails: light genoa for light winds and short tacking and reefing jib, which doubles as a storm jib. There’s another spare jib.

The virtually frictionless Cape Horn windvane will steer the boat on any point of sail, including downwind even in light winds. Maintenance is a piece of cake.

Halyards lead to the cockpit. This is great for single-handlers or your partner who can remain in the safety and comfort of the cockpit during the sail changes.

Only hank-on jib halyard ends at the mast, which makes it easy for the crew handling the jibs to control the sail. Occasionally we have used also a downhaul for the jibs, which makes pulling the sails down in strong winds safer.

We have ordered new large mainsail, with extended roach, as well as very light hank-on genoa. Both sails provide extra power and make short tacking in light winds very enjoyable.

1.1.4 Substantial ground tackle

Since we bought a 20kg Rocna, we’ve never dragged, even on a shorter scope. The chain is of prime quality, made by Acco. There are two more CQRs, spare piece of chain and about 200m of three-strand lines.

1.1.5 Spacious and save cockpit

A folding table fits in the cockpit and six people can enjoy a dinner in reasonable comfort. The cockpit is relatively deep and you will feel save even in foul conditions.

The cockpit sole can be lifted, which provides a great access to the engine room, which makes regular maintenance so much more enjoyable. Engine can be easily lifted out of the boat using the boom.

1.1.6 Everything is well documented

You can see our adventures and most work done on Janna on our blog http://www.klubko.net/en/ (or the Czech version which is more complete).

You can also visit our Google+ albums and click through to see the details.

2 Specification

Manufactured	1974
Hull no	57
Engine	Volvo Penta, D1-30A, 1100 hours, commissioned 2006
Engine output (kW / HP)	20.9/28.4
Hull length	9.36 m / 30′ 9″ (+ cca 3’ bowsprit)
Length water line	7.50 m / 24′ 8″
Beam	2.87 m / 9′ 5″
Draft	1.40 m / 4′ 7″
Mast above waterline	~12m
Diesel tank	120 litres / 32 US gallon (+ 3x20l good quality jerry cans)
Water tank	160 litres / 43 US gallon (+ about 60l in assorted jerry cans)
Displacement	4 200 kg / 9 250 lbs
Keel weight	1 900 kg / 4 200 lbs
Thickness freeboard	~ 10mm
Thickness hull	~ 20mm
Thickness keel	~ 25mm

3 Equipment and improvements

Item	Year	Details
Boom gallows	2013	Teak timber and SS 316 tubing. Provides great holding for crew on watch and a rest for boom while at port.
Bottom paint	2014	International Primocon + Micron Extra
Bulkheads	2014	Retabbed (re-glassed) to the hull using epoxy resin and fiberglass mat
Cockpit awning	2007	Large awning made of Sunbrella Plus for use in port
Cockpit coamings	2013	New teak for cockpit coaming under the winches.
Cockpit teak	2012	Rebuilt the teak in the cockpit, created a new locker. Added scuppers under the locker lids (2013).
Depth sounder	2009	Raymarine ST40 Bidata. Mounted inside of the hull for easy maintenance. Speed log included, but not installed.
Energy – batteries	2013	N70 starter battery, 225Ah house batteries (2x Trojan T-105 Plus). Charged separately via isolator switch.
Energy – solar panel	?	2x 75 Watt with ProStar regulator, solid source of energy
Energy – wind generator	?	Air-X Marine. Great source of energy in stronger winds
Energy – wiring	2012, 2013	All tinned, marine grade wire (with very few exceptions). Bow navigation lights and wiring completely replaced in 2014
Engine	2006	Volvo Penta D1-30A, stern drive, three blade fixed propeller, 115A alternator
Engine – bed and mounts	2014	New Vetus K50 mounts and substantially reinforced engine bed
Engine – exhaust raiser	2011	SS 316, muffles sound and prevents water ingress
Engine – heat exchanger	2011	Replaced due to corrosion, caused by original faulty installation, which was resolved by the new exhaust raiser.
Engine – jerry cans		3x 20l high quality jerry cans for easy refueling
Engine – packing gland	2014	Replaced with original Volvo Penta part
Engine – prop shaft	2014	New shaft, SS304 1” and new cutlass bearing
Engine – seawater pump	2013	Replaced with original Volvo Penta part
Forward hatch	2012	New acrylic and gaskets
Galley – LPG	2009	2x 5kg Worthington horizontal aluminum cylinders mounted on the deck below the dinghy and connected with high pressure hose with only single connection bellow deck
Ground tackle new	2009	Acco Grade 40 Hot-Dip Galvanized High-Test Chain 5/16”, 65m + 35m (spare stored in the cockpit locker) Rocna 20kg. Never dragged since we got her!
Ground tackle older	?	Manual windlass Lofrans Royal Spare chain 10m 2x 15lbs CQR anchors Small Danforth for dinghy
Interior painting	2014	Ceiling, lockers, engine room
Life-line stanchions	2014	Replaced new, SS 316, more space on deck, no leaks, easy cleaning
Non-skid	2013	New non-skid on deck, International Perfection and Intergrip. Three overcoats: does not slip while kind to your bare knees.
Navigation – paper charts	Various	Mostly SE Asia
Navigation	2009	2x handheld Garmin GPS Astra IIIB Sextant
Portlights	2012	Replaced gaskets. Very easy maintenance.
Rigging – blocks	2009	Most blocks replaced with Harken, couple of spares. Mainsheet tackle 6:1 (Harken H2618 + H2604) and mainsail halyard 2:1 for easy handling
Rigging – bobstay	2014	SS 316 bobstay attachment 8mm SS 316 wire rope 1×19 Sta-lok terminals
Rigging – chainplates	2013	Replaced all (but forestay) chainplates with new made of SS 316
Rigging – cleats	2013	All six cleats replaced with SS 316 cleats and substantial backing plate added 2 Spinlock cam cleats for halyard in the cockpit (2012)
Rigging – running	2009	Cousin, mostly 10mm, all in great condition Two sets of jib sheets Genoa sheets Mainsheet Spinnaker sheets Lots of spare lines
Rigging – standing	2009	Sta-Lok terminals Sta-Lok 7mm 316 wire rope 1×19
Rigging – twin boomvang	2009	Blocks and lines. Works great as an instant preventer. Easily controlled from cockpit.
Roller reefing	?	Furlex Mk II, in great shape, wire rope checked 2014/3
Safety – harnesses	2013	2 self-inflatable life jackets with harnesses
Safety – cabin sole	2013	New mahogany-like vinyl sole that just does not slip
Safety – fire extinguishers	2009	2 Kidde extinguishers
Safety – leecloths	2013	There is no quarter berth, but off-watch crew sleeps comfortably behind a lee-cloth on either side of the saloon.
Safety – lifejackets	?	2 lifejackets
Safety – navigation lights	2009	Three navigations lights and mast top anchor and tricolor light
Sailing dinghy	2009	Walker Bay 8’ with sailing rig and oars, stowed on the coach roof under the boom. Easily lowered or hoisted with a 4:1 tackle attached to the main halyard.
Sails – new	2013	100% hank-on reefing jib, UK Halsey (commissioned 2009, rarely used)135% 5oz light wind hank-on genoa, crosscut TNF Dacron, 26.18 m2, UK HalseyMainsail – crosscut 7.2oz TNF Dacron, large roach, full battens, loose foot, 3 reefs, 22.34 m2, UK Halsey
Sails – older	cca 2005	135% Genoa – roller-reefing, Rolley Tasker, 7oz, 31sqm Spinnaker (+ spinnaker pole) Gennaker
Self-steering – electrical	2014	Simrad tiller pilot, low power consumption, very reliable
Self-steering – windvane	2012	Cape Horn, www.capehorn.com
Sewing machine	?	Old straight-stich household Singer capable of handling most canvas on Janna
Spare parts		A lot of stuff. Gusher 10 repair kit, wide range or bolts and screws, heat exchanger thermostat, belts, various propane fittings, spare hose from cylinders to the stove and more
Stove	2009	Force 10, four-burner with added heavy-duty rail guard. Not gimbaled, but with larger pot or pressure-cooker works great even in heavy weather.
Toilet		Failsafe bucket ‘n’ chuck it system. Original mounting platform has been preserved and toilet can be easily installed during a haul-out.
Toolbox(es)	2009-2014	Everything the boat needs: mechanical, electrical (including large crimper for battery cables), engine, basic woodworking, lots of nuts and bolts and miscellaneous spare parts for various repairs
Topsides	2014	International Perfection two-part polyurethane, white
VHF	?	Mounted Sailor RT2048 – with an old telephone like receiver which makes communication so much easier even in cockpit with engine on Handheld – Raymarine 101 with charger (2009) Spare new Navman VHF 7100 with DSC, not installed
VHF – AIS	?	GME GX558A, converted into an AIS receiver. Connects to a computer via USB.
Ventilation	2013	Watertight Air-onlyhttp://www.air-onlyventilators.com/air-only-dorade

Extras:

Engine shop manual and parts catalogue (both printed and digital)
Manuals for all essential equipment (printed or digital)
Lots of spare lines, new and old

We will gladly deliver the boat on reasonable terms to a reasonably distant location

Get in touch if you are interested.

Email: syjanna@gmail.com

Phone (Malaysia): +60122513997

Skype: klubkonet or syjanna

Getting a new mainsail from Hong Kong

Petr Šimon & Jana Benešová — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 01:24:04 +0000

The approaching deadline for two translations, which we accepted recently, and the weather, which is going bonkers, made us bite the bullet and once again board a plane to Hong Kong. The main goal of the trip was to bring our new mainsail, which was waiting for us at the UK Halsey loft, extend our Taiwanese visa and pick up my diploma, which was stored for a couple of months at some binder deep in the bureaucratic jungle of Hong Kong.

Jana and luggage

As always we visit some of our dear friends – poor things, both of them work in time zones set several hours apart east or west. But they managed to find some time between their calls and they took a great care of us. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to repay them soon. Thanks, guys!

For the last time, we have visited my university where at the research office I asked for my diploma.

“Diploma?” asked the lady at the counter. “Oh you mean the parchment, right?”

Yes, that’s what they call it. That piece of A3 sized paper had a respectable weight, but call it a parchment?

Anyway, the main goal of the Hong Kong trip was to pick up a new mainsail and the battens, put all that on the plane and hopefully pay nothing extra for overweight.

We flew to Hong Kong loaded with two backpacks full of books, about 40kg of Chinese and Taiwanese belle letters, the remains of Jana’s PhD research, which we sent home by sea right from the airport. Due to higher costs in Europe, Taiwanese post does not offer cheap sea transport anymore. We were hoping naively that the new mainsail will fit into one of the backpacks.

After a lovely lunch at the university restaurant (my alma mater also offers courses on catering and hotel stuff, thus we were equipped with an arsenal of three pairs of cutlery) we took an MTR to that sailmakers’. The loft is in the 21th floor of an industrial building. We opened the ordinary looking door with the label UK Sailmakers and got hit by a piercing light. A large hall paved with waxed wooden blocks opened in front of our eyes, the floor mostly covered with sails of all sized, white, red, greyish tape, black kevelar, bags, battens, coils of threads and monster sewing machines.

Before we could catch our breath, Barry, the manager of the loft, was shaking our hand. First we thought that our sails will be lying somewhere by the door, we will grab them and be gone. But Barry was a great host. Same as in our previous email communication, he was very patient with us, took us around the whole loft, explaining the whole process of making a sail from the plotters, which cut the fabric, which are then sewn together, all the way to the hand sewing at the very end of the birth process of a sail.

We put the new mainsail and our old trysail which needed re-cutting into a big bag, which I put over my shoulder. Another advantage of a small boat is that both these sails weight only about 25kg. Jana grabbed a big box with battens coiled inside. The box was bulky, but quite light. From Barry’s expression it was obvious that not many of his customers carry his products away on their back.

“I would have sent it to you if you wanted,” said Barry with a grin.

We set out to the airport, little worried about overweight and oversize of our luggage.

At the check-in counter we laid our burden down on the scale. The dial blinked and stabilized on 24.5kg. I glimpsed at the stewardess at the counter. Her expression remained unchanged and asked for our passports. She typed into her terminal for a while, leafed through our passports, which have but two or three pages left. We explained that we get a landing visa in Taiwan. She nodded and asked about our return ticket. We have none, I said. She started to look worried. I went through this process few times before. Sometimes they let it pass, twice I had to produce a credit card and once I even had to sign a paper promising that I will pay for my own ticket if the Taiwanese immigration offices won’t let me into the country. So I was about to wait what’s going to happen. But Jana didn’t even let the stewardess start to think about the procedures and overloaded her with another bit of information: we don’t need an airplane ticket, we have a boat.

“You mean you have a boat ticket? Can I see it?” Her eyes were opened real wide now.

Then we have produced our boat papers including a boatcard with Janna’s picture on it and slowly explained the situation. Soon we were surrounded by a swarm of petit Hongkongese stewardesses that were chirping uneasily. The crowd attracted also their lady boss, who said calmly:

“Sure, I know about that. They travel on a boat. Where are you heading next?” The stewardesses seemed relieved. Nodding they returned to their posts. Our stewardess was still a little bit perplexed, so she forgot to weight our second luggage. Our sail bag was too big for normal cargo so she took us to the oversized luggage counter. I was still a bit worried about extra expenses, but apparently oversized is not the same “over” are in overweight and you don’t pay anything.

Dock test of our new mainsail

Then we only had to face the labyrinth of Kaohsiung tube and a short ride on a scooter to the boat. People load a lot of things on their small scooter in Taiwan, but there are limits. Sometimes our vivid imagination has to face the confines of our three dimensional world.

Now we can’t wait to test the sail at sea!

A Dream Come True?

Petr Šimon & Jana Benešová — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:37:42 +0000