Since we're well known for our
custom rigging of C-Dory and Arima boats, we bring that same philosophy
and experience to the Rosborough boats. The primary emphasis in our
area (the Pacific Northwest in general and the Puget Sound region
specifically) is for a year-round, long-distance comfortable cruiser for a
couple and we've developed most of our outfitting around those needs.
For boats going to other areas (coastal Oregon, California, and offshore
fishing in Southern California) we've also outfitted many successful
fishing boats. As fishing has become more and more restricted in
Puget Sound waters the demand for all-out fishing boats has greatly
diminished and even those folks that like to fish as much as possible want
a multifaceted boat these days. We've had great success with optimizing the
C-Dory boats as true Pocket Cruisers (especially the C-Dory 22) and we
feel the RF-246 has even more potential.
The things that all our boat
lines share in common is that they come from relatively low-volume
builders with an emphasis on quality and simplicity. They are all
outboard powered and trailerable. Today even a relatively standard
3/4 ton pickup, van or SUV can tow an RF-246 which was not the case just a
few years ago when one would have been shopping for a 1-ton dually.
Also, a large part of the Boomer Generation (of which I'm a member) is at
or getting close to retirement and a boat like the Rosborough RF-246 meets
the needs of many who want a capable cruiser but also want to travel with
the boat on a trailer or store it on one for the winter while they head
elsewhere. With those folks in mind we've developed the options that
we feel make the RF-246 comfortable, safe, and capable.
First of all, in developing the
rigging concept for the RF-246 I've drawn on 50+ years of boating
experience. The result of which is that I desire a boat I can use,
not one I have to constantly work on; that means quality to start with and
keeping things simple. Simplicity is relative...even the most modest
cell phone or laptop computer would have been wildly complex and high-tech
20 years ago so I don't mean digressing to stone-age technology but rather
only installing those things that work, work well, and have a high return
on invested dollars. If I'm going to range far and wide I want the
tools aboard that allow me to do that with confidence; I don't like being
scared out on the water any more than the next person regardless of my
experience level.
So...we start with the base
boat from Rosborough which is built strongly and simply. To that are
added factory-installed options that enhance the boat for each owner.
The most popular being the Forward Center Opening Window, the two Aft Side
Sliding Windows, the Cockpit Hardtop (roof extension), the Cockpit Transom
Seat, and the Power Hull Extension (a.k.a. - the motor bracket). In
areas that aren't "no discharge" zones most folks opt for the 12-volt
macerator for waste pump out and not the grey water tank.
When the boat arrives here we
basically get the "shell"; that is, the hull with the interior, navigation
lights, and the options ordered from the factory; the rest is up to us.
We install the engines, the engine controls, the engine gauges, the
batteries, all electronics, air conditioning, heat, cockpit shower, custom
canvas enclosures, anchor windlass, etc. We'll spend close to 100
hours outfitting a "loaded" boat.
Some
available options
The overhead console
The first thing I wanted to
develop was an overhead console above the helm and passenger dash areas.
In the stock RF-246 as we get it there is just open space there.
There may be nothing wrong with that for some folks but I saw an
opportunity to end up with a nice cabinet to house the VHF radio, the
stereo radio, hide the factory wiring and the wiring from the radar mast,
provide a location for mounting stereo speakers and window fans, and add a
bit of storage. Plus, I think it just looks good; especially when we
add a clock, barometer, and thermometer set.
The space to the right of the radio is where I typically install the wired
remote for the stereo so the helmsperson doesn't have to jump down and
reach over to the stereo to make adjustments (especially handy when using
the VHF or when the stereo is just "too much"). The window fans
(white) are located at each outboard end of the underside of the console;
they swing down and rotate so you can use them for ventilation as well as
defrost duties. (I should mention here that the storage
holes at each end get wooden cork-lined "cubbies" installed; you don't end
up seeing "into" the console at all. This photo was taken before I
finished).
Below is how it looks before we
add the overhead console. This is a stock boat with nothing
added but the instrumentation and controls.
Here are a couple of
photos of the most recent console we've finished:
Forced-air furnace
Then, this being the Pacific
Northwest the next thing on the agenda was heat. I've tried
offerings from many manufacturers and have settled on the Wallas 30D
diesel-fired heater as an excellent choice. It's a great blend of
performance-versus-price, compact size, reasonable price, quiet operation,
and fuel efficiency.
It's difficult to get a photo
of the installation that makes sense because the unit isn't really visible
when the dinette cushions are in place. So let me explain...we're
looking at the backside of the helm seat (the forward dinette seat) and
the bow of the boat is to the upper left in this photo. The Wallas 30D
(the metal box thing just ahead of the corrugated stainless tube) is
mounted outboard of the helm seat unit under the starboard side deck.
This is space that would normally be difficult to access so it makes a
perfect place to install the Wallas since we don't lose usable storage
space in the boat. The Wallas is a direct vent unit, the corrugated
stainless tube is both the intake and exhaust for the combustion air (it's
a tube within a tube). I've been running 3 vents (heat outlets) in
the boat; one is under the dinette table and you can see the large black
vent hose and outlet in the lower part of this photo.
The next vent is just ahead
of the heater and helm seat unit and is installed in the storage box/step
under the starboard sliding side door as shown here.
In the photo above you can
also see the large diameter black tubing above the step (and under the
starboard side deck); it runs to a heater outlet that's installed in the
forward stateroom. It's located above the toilet on the bulkhead.
I installed it there to get heat into the v-berth area without it blowing
directly into one's face (shown below).
There are a couple of Wallas
30D controllers available. We've chosen the electronic controller
since it monitors temperature and has some other nice features. It's
mounted just aft of the helm seat on the outer starboard wall of the boat
and is easily accessible from the helm seat or dinette (or center
passageway since it's not a far lean across the dinette or helm seat).
Center window wiper and washers
I'll jump back to the front of
the boat and mention the forward center window wiper we installed.
Given that it rains a fair amount here, that wind blows the bow spray back
over the boat, and that there is a lot of debris (say logs) in the water
around here forward visibility is important (to say the least). I matched the AFI geared wiper motor that is standard (on the starboard side) in the
boat and installed the new one above the center window (it's housed within
the overhead console inside). I used a parallelogram wiper arm to
maximize the area cleared by the wiper blade. It works a treat. [The
silver gizmo above the wiper is the horn.]
Next up in the pursuit of
forward visibility is the windshield washer system. Seeing as how
that's a standard item on every automobile it's odd that it isn't more
common on boats. Finally AFI (the wiper motor people) are putting
out an inexpensive kit to add a washer system to boats. It consists
of a 3-liter reservoir with a built-in 12-volt pump, clear tubing to get
the washer fluid from the reservoir to the sprayers, a couple of fittings
that are installed through the front of the boat above the windshield,
sprayer fittings for the wiper arms, and some tubing to connect the
fittings to the sprayers. The end result is shown here. You
push a button on the dash, the washer fluid (we use water) sprays on the
windshield, the wiper cleans it off, and voila! What could be
easier? Or nicer when there's a layer of salt on the glass.
The radar mast
The Rosborough RF-246 has a
decidedly "workboat" look to it (hopefully in a good way to your eye).
I decided to design a mast that kept that character but with a bit of
refinement. Since this is a trailerable boat I also wanted a design
that would permit easy lowering for that purpose. In addition to the
radome I also needed to accommodate the GPS sensor (on the port wing), a
satellite radio antenna (on the starboard wing), the VHF antenna (on the
stainless mast), and the white all-round light (also on the stainless
mast) used as part of the navigation lights and for anchoring. The
following photo shows what we ended up with. The mast is white
powder-coated aluminum and all the hardware stainless.
The main plate is bolted to the
cabin top; it has hinge points welded on its forward end and the mast with
its mounting plate with opposing hinges is mated to the main plate.
There are two stainless hold-down bolts which protrude upward through the
mast plate and knurled hand-knobs are threaded on the bolts to hold the
mast in place (well, gravity does it for the most part; the knurled knobs
are there to keep the mast from bouncing really). Just at the
forward end of the cabin top in this photo you can see a "U" shaped cradle
installed for trailering. Standing on the top of the trunk cabin
(over the forward v-berth area) one can reach the knurled knobs, spin them
off, hinge the mast forward (it isn't particularly heavy), and place it in
the cradle all without having to climb onto the cabin top. Strap the
mast to the cradle and you're ready to trailer.
The height of the mast was
determined by several factors; the primary being clearance for the typical
inflatable dinghy. In addition the mast needs to mount where it
doesn't interfere with interior components and so that it misses the
forward edge of the cabin top visor when folded forward for trailering (or
clearance on a boat house or storage rack).
The
helm
We order the RF-246 with no
steering system (which is actually the "standard"). That allows us
to customize the location of the wheel and the installation of the
steering system. We always use the Teleflex SeaStar hydraulic
steering system for ease of operation, ease of maintenance, and ease of
installation (including an autopilot). Any number of wooden and
stainless steering wheels are available; with hydraulic steering one
should choose something with multiple spokes since there's never a true
center position with regard to the wheel. Here's a photo of the helm
in our RF-246 Sedan Cruiser (left); we decided we liked the look of the
traditional wooden spoke wheel but the stainless destroyer wheel looks
good too (as shown on the right).
This brings us to a discussion
relative to helm layout (ergonomics) and navigation system choices.
Some of my comments will be about physical layout and some about the
concept and instrumentation. The Rosborough dash was designed in the
era of multiple instruments serving single functions so it was likely on a
well equipped boat that one would find a separate chartplotter (and
possibly just a GPS or Loran unit), a separate depth sounder, a separate
radar, and a VHF radio all gracing the overhead (where we install our
overhead console now). While those days could be replicated there
isn't any overwhelming reason why they should be now; in fact from a
workload, ease-of-operation, and situational assessment standpoint they
shouldn't be. The argument I usually hear concerns having all of one's
electronic aids in one basket and what about a failure? It's a red
herring. Today's electronics are so much better than those of even a
few years ago meeting many more stringent requirements (such as IPX
waterproof standards) that no comparison is possible. The Raymarine
E-120 you see here in these two photos is designed to operate in the open
cockpit of a sailboat; it lives the life of Riley in the nice dry
environment of the RF-246 cabin. The most common failure by far is
that of the boat's electrical system and that failure will render all
house-powered electronics onboard useless whether it's an integrated
system or separate components. You can now wear on your wrist or
carry in your pocket more backup than most standalone nav systems were
capable of just a few years ago. A battery powered GPS, or better
yet a battery powered GPS/chartplotter, is the best backup you can
carry; it instantly gives you an exact position from which to navigate
independent of the boat's electrical system. That coupled with some
paper backup (I use cruising guides with NOAA charts) will get you anywhere you need to go. Somewhere deep in my emergency bag I also have
a mechanical compass in case I lose the handheld GPS overboard...it's the
only time I'd ever use it.
What we've done is based our
installations around a fully integrated navigation system; it could be any
brand but we use the Raymarine system most often and as an example that
one screen right in front of the helmsperson where it's most easily viewed
(you look completely over it looking out the front windows) and most
easily operated provides the chart, the vessel's position on the chart,
the ground speed, the water speed, the depth sounder, the radar, radar
overlaid on the chart, commercial and large vessel traffic in the area
(from AIS not radar), in addition to tide and current charts, and aerial
photos of harbors, passes, marinas and more. This is all presented
in an inherently understandable format within a common operating regime
(rather than learning instruments from 3 different manufacturers).
When you're in heavy fog or utter darkness (especially crossing shipping
lanes and such) there's nothing like knowing with a glance where you are,
where you are going, how deep it is and what the bottom looks like, and
where other traffic is (and how big). This is the most used piece of
equipment on board (with the exception of the wheel and engine controller)
and it ought to be easy to use, easy to understand, and return real-time
imminently usable information. Given its importance it gets a front
row seat and a place of prominence on the dash.
Below the main nav screen
(closer to the operator) we install the engine gauges. Most often
since we're typically installing twin Honda engines these gauges will be
two digital tachometers (which also show engine trim and warning
indicators) to the right and a digital speedometer to the left (which is
really the fuel management system). To the far left of the engine
gauges there is an open space for an autopilot controller; we use the
Simrad AP16VF or the Raymarine S-1000 most often. The Raymarine
wireless controller is shown above in the photo on the left and the Simrad
fixed controller in the photo on the right.
In the photo on the left you
can also see the KVH Azimuth 1000 electronic compass all the way forward
on the upper dash below the forward windows (it has a white plastic sun
cover installed in this photo). This places it where there is the
least amount of interference from other electronics and it's also visible
over the top of the nav system screen (normally you don't need to see it
anyway as the heading information it provides is repeated and presented on
the nav system display).
So that's all of the visible
electronics on the boat...the main nav system screen in front of the helm,
the autopilot controller, the electronic compass on the upper dash, and
the VHF radio in the upper console. Clean, simple, usable,
understandable, and aesthetically pleasing. Everything communicates
with each other providing GPS information to the VHF for DSC calling, fast
heading information to the nav system, an interface to the autopilot for
tracking to a waypoint and more.
Other engine and boat controls
include the shift & throttle quadrant, the trim tab controller (seen just
below the throttles), and on the left side of the helm console the house
battery switch, the windlass controller, and other ancillary items like
the autopilot remote and such in specific installations.
Another helm photo from
our most recent boat.
We utilized the Raymarine
S-1000 autopilot with wireless remote for this installation. Since
this particular boat has twin engines there are three engine gauges; two
tachometers with warning system and a fuel management/speedo gauge.
Other Goodies
Rigging boats is all about
continuous refinement and coming up with ideas to enhance what we already
do and to reduce things to their simplest form. That's actually more
difficult than coming up with complex solutions. Following are
photos and explanations of some of the "tweaks" we're utilizing.
The photo here shows the aux
input we installed near the passenger/co-pilot seat for hookup of an MP3
player to the stereo in the overhead console (the sliding door to the left
with the latch is the port side door; the MP3 player is sitting on the
companionway sliding door).
The next photo shows the "wouldja"
switch we installed on the passenger/co-pilot side of the overhead
console. The switch operates the port windshield wiper so instead of
the person occupying the port seat always having to say "wouldja turn on
my wiper" or "wouldja turn off my wiper" the co-pilot can do it for
themselves. It's a 3-way toggle switch; down is a momentary position
and the wiper only runs as long as the switch is held down, center is off,
and up is continuous run.
I might also mention the
window fans here as well. We searched a long time and tried quite a
few fans until we found these. Not only do they look pretty good but
they have 3 speeds, are quiet, and have very good mounts that allow for
positive positioning.
We use the same wiper
switches at the helm station. We deleted using the wiper switches on
the main electrical panel (they're hard to find and you have to lean over
to reach them which is sometimes "interesting" if the boat is moving
around a lot) and instead installed three of these toggle switches near
the wheel. Each switch has a momentary down position for quick
swipes and a continuous run up position. You can see them in the
photo below just above and to port of the wheel.
Our efforts to simplify and
refine also extend to evaluating factory installed systems. We
reorganize the main 12-volt panel (mostly by removing the wiper function
from two breakers and reordering the others); we install a toggle guard
over the macerator pump switch which may avoid an unintended discharge but
also serves to break the panel into an upper "boat" section and a lower
"electronics" section. That allows us to utilize the lower portion
for the autopilot, nav system, power to the upper console, power to the
trim tabs, etc.
This little gem of a battery
switch (shown below) is a recent offering of Blue Sea Systems of
Bellingham, Washington and lets us do an amazing amount with just two main
switches on the boat. The one shown here is on the lower port side
of the helm console and there's another located aft under the transom
seat. This one controls power to the boat from the house battery and
the switch aft is for the engines. The specific feature that make
these superb switches is their ability to control two unrelated circuits
at the same time. In the case of the engine switch aft when the knob
is moved from "off" to "on" both engine are independently connected to
their respective start batteries. If one battery is low the switch
knob can be turned fully to the "combine" position to parallel the two
start batteries. The house switch connects the house battery to the
main 12-volt panel and provides power for all electrical loads on the boat
other than the engines. If the house battery switch is moved to the
"combine" position it parallels the house battery with the starboard start
battery (and port too if the engine switch is in the "combine" position).
In other words, for typical operation one would come aboard and turn the
engine switch to "on" and the house switch to "on"...that would be it.
We also install Blue Sea Systems ACRs (Automatic Charge Relay) so as soon
as the start batteries are up to 13.7 volts (either one) the ACR closes
and charging current is sent to the house battery from the engine(s).
The ACR drops out at 12.8 volts so the house loads can not deplete the
start batteries.
