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Fault Tolerant ESP32 Boat Monitor
![Resource id #11](Monitor_s.jpg )
My well tested ESP32 boat monitoring system ran up against the real world and the real world won. I think I am on version 50 of the software. This article goes over some of the issues I found and solved. Some would apply to anyone using an ESP32 over WiFi and some are more unique to my boat but have relevance to any system that takes real world data, makes decisions about it, and changes its behavior based on those decisions.
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DIY Boat Monitoring System
![Resource id #11](esp32/DIY.jpg )
Every morning when I get up there is an email ready for me from my boat. I can look at that and see that the main pump did not go on (good), that the small pump ran for it's usual 5 seconds (also good), that the battery is charged, the shore power is on, and the 12 volt vent fan is on. (all good) These all come to me from the marina WiFi and a module based on the amazing ESP-32. In these few pages I am going to tell you not only how I built it, but I am going to give you information you need to build one yourself.
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Sending Email using ESP32-SIM800
The email send function on the SIM800 appears to be broken. This article tells how to send emails anyway.Read More
Low Noise Voltage Measurements with ESP32
Voltage measurements with an ESP32 are very noisy. This article shows how to make them quiet.Read More
Black Diamond Bosun's Chair Review
NOTE: The link for this article was broken when first published. Here is the corrected version.Read More
Ultimate Unassisted Mast Climbing (Updated 4/5/2024)
![https://l-36.com/image/UltimateMastClimbing_top-2.jpg](image/UltimateMastClimbing_top-2.jpg)
I have tried dozens of way to climb my mast. In the process I have accumulated 7 ascenders, three rappel devices, a GriGir, and numerous carabiners. I think this climbing system is the best. It is simple to rig, quick going up, requires very little to transition from up to down, and very fast and controlled going down. I can get down in 2 1/2 minutes including rigging the rappel device.
The article starts with a short (4 1/2 minute) video that gives an overview. Start there.
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Soft Shackle Spinnaker Y-Sheet
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No More StartLine on Google Play
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But the app is old and specifically it is targeted at a minimum Android SKD level of 11. This allows it to work on the older tablets I and users feel comfortable having in the marine environment. Now Google says any app that is not at SKD level 26 cannot post on the Google Play Store.
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Keeping this site working
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A short article on keeping L-36.com working
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My Youtube Channel
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Controlling mold growth on your boat
I saw Dave reading the electrical meters yesterday and we got to talking. He told me that some boat owners are running space heaters 24/7 to control the mold in the cabin. A few years ago I ran a series of experiments to find a way to control the mold on Papoose, my 36 foot wood sloop. The mold was so bad it was literally eating the hats I hung up below. When I opened hatches, water would be dripping from the cover. The boat was wet. This is the shortened version of what I foundRead More
Over 900 FREE Manuals
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Turn your boat Electronic projects into Professional PC Boards
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Gray Marine 4-112
Just a quick reference for owners of Gray Marine enginesRead More
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BOAT PRESERVATION & REPAIR
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40 New Manuals Added
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Papoose Dismasted
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Light List
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StartLine RaceBox Video Page
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StartLine Racing on Android
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NEW StartLine5 will now interaface to onboard instruments over Blutooth using the
L-36.com Race Box that can be easioly built with $100 to 200 in parts depending on how fancy you want to get. Contact me for details. You don't even need to know how to solder!
Overview
StartLine is a very powerful racing app, second only to Expedition. Unlike Expedition, it is free. However, I limit the number users because along with the app comes a huge amount of support both to get the full potential out of the app but also to help users improve users race results. Users must agree to contribute to the StartLine community by providing feedback on results or actually participating in the ongoing development which may just be to ask for new features. You must be serious about racing and commit to put in the time to learn the app. It will improve your race results as it has for the other users. It is a small community but already has a podium finish in a prestigious regatta. Read this somewhat outdated manual below and let me know if you are interested in joining the StartLine team.
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Custom Marine Display
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Knife Review -- one year later
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Unassisted Mast Climbing Update
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Oh the horors of having tape pull up the paint below
![](https://l-36.com/image/tape_graph.png)
Seemed like a simple enough project to paint the deck on my boat. Add some non-skid and repair several years of little cracks where the old non-skid was coming off. It turned into the project from hell when the masking tape pulled off the paint below. In spots it did not pull anything off. In spots it pulled off my fresh paint. In other spots it pulled off 10 years of paint leaving rather deep ridges. In one spot it pulled off all the paint, 60 years worth, all the way to the base cloth. This was a low stick tape. It was not as low stick as the tape I once used so I started looking for more of that tape. I could not find it but I did find a list of tapes and how sticky they are. This is not very easy to find so I thought I would share the results of the several hours I spent online finding this information.
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GoPro Fogging
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My GoPro will not Turn ON
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The solution is to update the firmware using GoPro Studio. But you must have the camera on to do this.
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Racing with a Whisker Pole
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What I am about to discuss conflicts with the instructions you will find for using a whisker pole. The conventional methods assume you are not racing and are not helpful if you are. Cursers can furl the jib, set the pole, and then unfurl the jib to the pole. To remove the pole, they can furl the jib back up. A racer would not want to do this even if they could but there is no reason a cruiser has to either if you know some of the tricks discussed in this article.
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Race Committee Timer
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Hybrid Soft Halyard Shackle
![](articles/image/HybridHalyard_HybridHalyard10.jpg )
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Block Mechanical Advantage
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High Strength Soft Shackle
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The First Bend
![](image/no_slip_knot_no_slip_knot_IMG_8458.jpg )
Both the First Knot and the Last Bend can slip at about 35% of line strength. When they don't slip, they are about 40% of line strength with the First Knot just a little above this and the Last Bend below this. There is another variation that slips at about 40% that I will show here as well. You can untie the First Knot, but not the variation. This knot can also be untied even after being loaded up near breaking. Just put a spike through the center to loosen it up and remove the tails from the knot center. The rest is easy.
I am calling this knot the First Bend because by the time I was done testing dozens of variations on knots and never wanted to hear the word bend again, I called the final knot the Last Bend. It did well but upon considering this knot, the first one I considered, I came to appreciate it more. In fact, I am declaring it the winner of my search for the best bend for Dyneema. That said, the variation is stronger.
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Automatic GPX File Marker and Route Generator
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How to Fly a Spinnaker
![Spinnaker](spinnaker/thumb.png )
I have had Papoose for 23 years and never used a spinnaker on her. Last two seasons we won the local beer can series using a free flying jib downwind sometimes along with our normal jib. But we always had to play catch up to the boats that used spinnakers. I decided to learn to fly a spinnaker so we could move to the next level.
I joined the crew of a very successful Tarten-10 for the winter series. I used a GoPro camera to document as much as I could. This training series of articles is the result.
Lazy Lightning (the T-10) uses end for end gybes which are said to be appropriate for boats up to 35 feet. It is much simpler to rig and execute than a dip pole gybe so is the preferred method for boats such as mine which fly smaller spinnakers.
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Tide Page
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This new tide page will show tide chart, table, and hourly tide or current. Search for a tide station by entering part of the name. Select from the list of possible stations. There is a list box that shows nearby stations if you want to switch locations. A map shows where the station is registered.
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7-Day Tide and Current Forecast
Improved 2/27/2013 - Graph now goes midnight to midnight. Added title to each section.Tables and graphs for selected tide or current station for the week ahead.
Table shows high and low times for tide, slack and peak for current. Also shows sun and moon events. Graph is as shown below. The final table shows the hourly values.
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GPX and CSV Waypoint Editor and File Converter
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- Input GPX or CSV Files
- Add any number of additional waypoints
- Edit any name, location, or symbol
- View location of waypoints on map
- Download as either GPX or CSV
This tool can be used to convert any Garmin gpx file to a StartLine csv file. In addition, you can use this to read your gpx files into Excel or Word processor for analysis, viewing, or editing.
GPX -> EDIT -> CSV
GPX -> EDIT -> GPX
CSV -> EDIT -> CSV
CSV -> EDIT -> GPX
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Weather Page Updates
It has been about a year since I reported on the L-36.com Marine Weather page. There have been many improvements to the page in that time that I want to share. The page has been well received and has hundreds of users. I thought it would be useful to point out some of the improvements for those of you who have not tried it recently.Read More
8:1 and 20:1 Cascade Vang Systems (and link to 16 more vang systems)
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The second vang system shown is the 20:1 vang on Papoose. This is a unique system with some advantages that are discussed.
This page also has a link to 16 standard variations on vang systems.
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GPS GPX Batch Waypoint and Route Creator
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As an added bonus, Latitude and Longitude can be entered in almost any format, even both in one input box, for ease of copy and paste entry.
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Latitude Longitude Converter
Convert between different latitude and longitude formats. Then copy and past the converted format into other programs. This program will take most any format as input and outputs the result in five different popular formats.Read More
Gross Fine Mainblock Reeving
![mainsheet_systems/mainsheet_lazy_lightning.png](image/articles_archive_mainsheet_lazy_lightning.png)
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Soft Line Shackle on a Block
![image/soft_line_shackle_2_soft_line_shackle_0.jpg](image/soft_line_shackle_2_soft_line_shackle_0.jpg)
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A Better Soft Shackle
My "Better Soft Shackle" has become the standard in soft shackle design along with the stronger soft shackle. I invented this version several yeas ago and was co inventor of the stronger soft shackle along with the late Brion Toss and Evans Starzinger. Of the two versions, I prefer this one. It is easier to tie and easier to use. If I want a stronger shackle, I start with stronger line. For example, the stronger soft shackle is 35% stronger but going up one line size gains 60% in strength. All things considered, I believe this is the superior version.
The original soft shackle is rather difficult to open and to milk closed. With age, it becomes increasingly difficult. The alternative Kohlhoff style is easy to use, but it sacrifices some security. This version incorporates the best properties of both of these versions. The eye is easy to open but can only be opened just enough to fit the stopper knot through it. Almost any slight force will close it quickly.
![ss9_3](image/ss9_3.jpg )
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Try the L-36 Weather and Tide Page Now!
Examples of valid inputs: "San Francisco, CA" "Golden Gate" "Balboa" "Cow Island" "94301"
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User comments about the Weather and Tide Page from Forums and emails
- Your site is now my primary weather information. While I really like the way NOAA provides info at their sites, yours is more comprehensive and easier to use
- Your website is approaching world class. Really Great Job.
- Keep up the great work, The 4 people I sent the link to loved it.....
- Been playing with it off and on all week. It's already replaced my usual weather info site. Excellent work.
- I just wanted to thank you for the terrific weather page. It is my daily go-to page for marine weather. I sail a pair of boats on SF Bay and out of Santa Cruz, and your web site is really extremely handy. It is far better than the "commercial" sites, which is a real tribute given their budgets and what yours probably is.
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Soft Shackles
- Using a Soft Shackle
- Soft Shackle Howto
- Soft Shackle Variations
- Soft Shackle Testing
- Diamond Knot
- Diamond knot animation
- A Better Soft Shackle
- Double Soft Shackle
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Double Soft Shackle
This double ended soft shackle is the 4th generation of a design that can attach to a pair of eye spliced jib sheets to the clew of a sail very quickly. It is also the 5th version of this generation as improvements were made to make the shackle stronger. In use, the shackle is secure around the jib sheet prior to being "clipped" to the clew. This version is easy to make and has the advantage of a non-constricting hold on the jib sheets. There are links to the previous versions at the bottom of this page
The Shackle
![s8_1](image/soft_shackle_8_s8_1.jpg )
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Main Halyard Soft Shackle Variation
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![mm2011](image/mm2011.jpg )
We were happy on Papoose to have won our class but sad that one of our fleet was so badly damaged. Eventide was damaged just before the start by a boat from another class.
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Eventide T-Boned in MM Regatta
![collision2](image/collision2.jpg )
"Eventide was badly damaged at the start of the 2011 Master Mariners. She is safe in her slip in Berkeley and I am making a plan and exploring options for repairs and replacement rigs. I am extremely grateful for the support of the L-36 and Master Mariners community. Damage appears to be limited to her planking and obviously her rig. I will keep the L-36 community updated as to her status. Any previous experience or advice on repairing a large section of an L-36's hull is welcome. I can be emailed directly at gregmilano (at) hotmail (dot) com. Thank you for all of your support."
Greg Milano, Eventide
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![](image/marina_sunrise.jpg)
My harbor early one morning
Soft Halyard or Line Shackle
![soft_halyard_and_stopper_loop](image/soft_halyard/soft_halyard_and_stopper_loop.jpg )
I am calling this a soft halyard or line shackle as it is certainly not confined to use only on halyards. It is a combined splice-shackle and is similar to a soft shackle where the opening eye is on the line and the knot is on a second piece. It is much faster to use than a soft shackle. In applications where the line is 12 strand spectra such as Amsteel, this is a perfect fit. I have tested it to destruction and the failure was similar to other tests of soft shackles which broke at the diamond knot. Based on all these tests, my conclusion is that it is 80-90% as strong as the line. I must add, the force I put on my 1/8 inch Amsteel using a hydraulic jack was huge, many times the force I got using a Barient 22 winch even with 1/8 inch line. In other words, this is a strong, easy to use shackle is integrated into a line such as a halyard. The line in all these photographs is 3/16 Amsteel Blue.
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![tp52s](image/tp52s.jpg )
Two TP-52s
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Knot Meter Calibration
In many area calibrating a Knot Meter is a simple matter of setting it to read what the GPS reads. But if your boat is in areas where there are tides, local current can make this method inaccurate. The following method can be used to calibrate a knot meter even if there are very strong currents.Read More
![](image/TP52.jpg)
Samba Pa Ti and GG Bridge
Over 200 Marine Manuals
Listed AlphabeticallyRead More
![sailboat rig dimensions](dimensions.gif)
Boat Dimensions
BOAT |
I |
J |
P |
E |
Lapworth 36 | 40.5 | 13.5 | 35.5 | 17.5 |
Click Here for other boat types
Sail Area Calculations
Mainsail = (P x E) / 2 = 311 sq ft
155% Genoa = (( J x I ) / 2) x 1.65 = 451 sq ft
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![sailing2](image/sailing2.jpg )
Two Melgeis 32's on split tacks heading to the windward mark
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