Just got my first boat, 2013 R29, looking to talk about it

[fishheadbarandgrill]

How about cutting a regular sheet to fit the berth then have the cut edges sewn on a sewing machine. The admiral of my boat cut and sewed the top cover for our v-berth, fairly easy to do.

We did the same thing on our R29. Also modified a queen size mattress cover

 

[vt97john]

I decided to splurge on just sheets for v-birth from YachtBedding.com. Will probably use regular sheet for mid-cabin birth and just fold it under. I wonder what size sheet I'll need for that. Twin?

 

[vt97john]

Have any of you cleaned and treated your Bimini canvas to make it more water resistant? Mine has a good bit of water dripping through it and its a bit dirty in spots. Someone told me I could put it in the washing machine and then treat it with some sort of product. Any recommendations?

 

[BB marine]

We always used Starbrite water proofing. Recommended by our canvas shop. Canvas that was small enough to fit in the washer was cleaned. Larger canvas I pressure washed with a wide spray nozzle to reduce pressure. Once dried I would apply a liberal amount of Starbrite product soaking canvas on one side ( side facing elements). I hang it from a cloths line and apply treatment with a 1 gallon multi-use sprayer. let it dry completely minimum of 6 hours then reinstall. This treatment would last multi-able seasons.

 

[NautiTug]

Do you know if it would also work on the cockpit seats?

 

[johnw]

congratulations on your acquisition! What a fulfilling experience running your own Ranger. I just got my 2012 R-27 last Summer and it has been a blast. Did 20+ locks on the Erie Canal and boated in Margate , NJ . Presently, I am in Fort Lauderdale for a couple of months. Did speak to one other Ranger-29 in the area.(Pourhouse). What a exceptionally nice group of Ranger owners! Anybody in S Florida, please reach out to me. I actually towed the boat from NJ to Fort L on a brand new triple axle Venture Trailer with 2 sets of brakes. A rented Ford 250 pulled at 55 mph with great control and confidence. Slept in the boat on the way down and launched it myself. Here is my list of "issues."
I can't get the how to operate my hot water heater, or my solar panels, the ac runs and sucks so much power it blew out the NJ shore power. I just run fans now. My inverter knocks off after 5 mins of operation, my outlets snap breakers on the starboard side only, port works, Refrig won't work on Shore power, It did for about 4 months,but now only works when I run the engine and I will have 10 hours of refrig before I need to start the engine and get the refrig running cold again. Also,
One bank drops to nothing and 2 stay fine and I sometimes need to rely on parallel to start the engine, my stern lights flash in and out. I run the rear deck lights at night.
Obviously, I have lots of electrical issues and I 'm hanging in there and having fun. I was a boat owner for 30 years. For those of you that attempted to address my 2 hour diesel fueling exercise and my high heating temp problem, I got those issues corrected.!!!
The fuel line had a 2 inch plastic cap stuck in the fuel line from previous owner!! My service guy removed all the lines and found it jammed in the line. Also, my cooling or intake impeller had only one fin!!
It seems like I am operating the space shuttle with all the elaborate systems. I am ready to learn more and more and have gained much knowledge since the summer. Anybody can email me with recommendations.
I wish you all the best, johnweinrich@remax.net

I wish you all the best in your experiences!

 

[Brian B]

congratulations on your acquisition! What a fulfilling experience running your own Ranger. I just got my 2012 R-27 last Summer and it has been a blast. Did 20+ locks on the Erie Canal and boated in Margate , NJ . Presently, I am in Fort Lauderdale for a couple of months. Did speak to one other Ranger-29 in the area.(Pourhouse). What a exceptionally nice group of Ranger owners! Anybody in S Florida, please reach out to me. I actually towed the boat from NJ to Fort L on a brand new triple axle Venture Trailer with 2 sets of brakes. A rented Ford 250 pulled at 55 mph with great control and confidence. Slept in the boat on the way down and launched it myself. Here is my list of "issues."
I can't get the how to operate my hot water heater, or my solar panels, the ac runs and sucks so much power it blew out the NJ shore power. I just run fans now. My inverter knocks off after 5 mins of operation, my outlets snap breakers on the starboard side only, port works, Refrig won't work on Shore power, It did for about 4 months,but now only works when I run the engine and I will have 10 hours of refrig before I need to start the engine and get the refrig running cold again. Also,
One bank drops to nothing and 2 stay fine and I sometimes need to rely on parallel to start the engine, my stern lights flash in and out. I run the rear deck lights at night.
Obviously, I have lots of electrical issues and I 'm hanging in there and having fun. I was a boat owner for 30 years. For those of you that attempted to address my 2 hour diesel fueling exercise and my high heating temp problem, I got those issues corrected.!!!
The fuel line had a 2 inch plastic cap stuck in the fuel line from previous owner!! My service guy removed all the lines and found it jammed in the line. Also, my cooling or intake impeller had only one fin!!
It seems like I am operating the space shuttle with all the elaborate systems. I am ready to learn more and more and have gained much knowledge since the summer. Anybody can email me with recommendations.
I wish you all the best, johnweinrich@remax.net

I wish you all the best in your experiences!

You may get more replies to your questions if you posted a seperate thread, they may get lost on this one as the OP regards a 29.

Unless something was changed on your boat I believe the stock refrig is only 12V. When on shore power the AC main switch needs to be on along with the battery chager to maintain the batteries. Sounds like the refrig is drawing down your 2 house batteries. The hotwater heater only heats water when connected to shorepower, again on the AC side of the panel. When underway there is an engine loop that runs through the unit that heats the water in the tank. The engine loop hoses are on the back of the hotwater tank, you can access them through the removable panel under the head sink.

 

[vt97john]

We always used Starbrite water proofing. Recommended by our canvas shop. Canvas that was small enough to fit in the washer was cleaned. Larger canvas I pressure washed with a wide spray nozzle to reduce pressure. Once dried I would apply a liberal amount of Starbrite product soaking canvas on one side ( side facing elements). I hang it from a cloths line and apply treatment with a 1 gallon multi-use sprayer. let it dry completely minimum of 6 hours then reinstall. This treatment would last multi-able seasons.

For the part where I'll wash the bimini in the washing machine ... do you think its ok to just use a bit of regular ol' laundry detergent?

 

[Brian B]

We always used Starbrite water proofing. Recommended by our canvas shop. Canvas that was small enough to fit in the washer was cleaned. Larger canvas I pressure washed with a wide spray nozzle to reduce pressure. Once dried I would apply a liberal amount of Starbrite product soaking canvas on one side ( side facing elements). I hang it from a cloths line and apply treatment with a 1 gallon multi-use sprayer. let it dry completely minimum of 6 hours then reinstall. This treatment would last multi-able seasons.

For the part where I'll wash the bimini in the washing machine ... do you think its ok to just use a bit of regular ol' laundry detergent?

I was told by a canvas shop not to put the bimini in a washing machine as it breaks down the fibers. The pressure washer as described above was recommended. I've used the 303 sealant in the past but I may try the Starbrite product, appears to be cheaper.

 

[BB marine]

We always used Starbrite water proofing. Recommended by our canvas shop. Canvas that was small enough to fit in the washer was cleaned. Larger canvas I pressure washed with a wide spray nozzle to reduce pressure. Once dried I would apply a liberal amount of Starbrite product soaking canvas on one side ( side facing elements). I hang it from a cloths line and apply treatment with a 1 gallon multi-use sprayer. let it dry completely minimum of 6 hours then reinstall. This treatment would last multi-able seasons.

For the part where I'll wash the bimini in the washing machine ... do you think its ok to just use a bit of regular ol' laundry detergent?

I was told by a canvas shop not to put the bimini in a washing machine as it breaks down the fibers. The pressure washer as described above was recommended. I've used the 303 sealant in the past but I may try the Starbrite product, appears to be cheaper.

Machine wash in cold water on the delicate cycle with normal amounts of mild laundry detergent. This is for small items that fit in the washer. Larger items are washed with a mixture of laundry detergent and the pressure washer. I agree putting the Bimini in the washer may not be a good idea, if it is to large it could damage the fabric, especially if it is an older style washer with an agitator. Using the washing machine or pressure washer isn't for regular cleaning. The only time I do washer and pressure washing is when I'm ready to treat the material with weather proofing which is every 3 or 4 years. In between this time I just scrub the material with a rag and water with boat soap while cleaning the rest of the boat.

 

[Gin]

Can't speak to the Starbrite product. But 303 is tried and true, and what Sunbella recommends (last I checked). I've redone my cockpit bimini and enclosure twice now (in five years) with excellent results. I haven't tried a washing machine. Instead, I've stretched the the pieces out over an outdoor patio table, wetted them down, and brushed them with a medium stiff brush using a cleaning solution (per Sunbrellas recommendation). Then I've rinsed them well with fresh water and let them dry. When dry, I've used the 303 to red-coat the exterior. I've been very satisfied with the results. ( I use my boat, bimini and enclosure up, extensively in winter months and they get a good workout).

For good pricing on 303, try Perfectfit (a Seattle area based wholesaler that sells via internet to the general public):https://www.perfectfit.com/15339/154503/303-Products/303-High-Tech-Fabric-Guard.html

They have brick and mortar stores in Tukwila, WA and Portland, OR. The Portland store, which I frequent, has a distinct wholesale feel, but little by little, the guys there have gotten more friendly and helpful (they usually expect you to know what you want and need). All of their prices are competitive; some are amazingly low.

Gini

 

[vt97john]

Hello All.

Is the anchor light controlled by the same helm switch as the nav lights? I've got the nav lights working but can't seem to get the anchor light working. Checked the bulb and its not blown. Maybe I'm not using the right switch. Don't see an anchor light switch anywhere. I do see a couple "accessory" switches at the helm (one of which controls the window defogger, and the other is a mystery).

Also, what does the "courtesy lights" switch on my main electric panel do?

 

[Red Raven]

Middle position on the Nav light switch.

Curt

 

[BradOwens]

John,
On my boat, the other accessory switch turns on the receiver for the thruster remote.
Also my Nav light switch is up for running lights, down for anchor light, and middle for off.
Courtesy lights are foot lights in the cockpit.