2022 Tuglet Happenings

This year we launched from Blind River and immediately had to depart for Spanish. The marina at Blind River was still in the process of rebuilding the docks and try as we might we could not secure a dock for the week we needed to commission Tuglet.


While on the hard in Blind River we did, however,  manage to install:

1.  a new 100 Ah Lithium Ion battery and DC-DC controller as our house battery setup replacing a 240 AH wet cell battery setup.
2.  a new solar controller
3.  a propane sensor and supply valve cutoff
4.  a new Jabsco head
5.  a new AM/FM radio
6.  a new primary inverter
7.  a connection to our AIS and a PC not the chart plotter. There is a mismatch between the data structure required by our chart plotter and that supplied by the AIS unit that requires a $400        converter to fix. The system works fine using the AIS, an old PC and some freeware (OpenCPN).
8.  The next iteration of our water bladder installation this one using quick disconnect fittings.
9.   replaced the bilge pump switch (again)
10. added additional wire to the solar array controller. Using 11 gauge as recommended,
11. tried to make sense of the gauge of the alternator wiring
12. replaced the exterior wash down hoses with solid hose instead of expanding hose which fails.
13. Replaced the complex air horn install with an even more complex one. At least it works
14, resealed the aft access cover. This turns out to be critical in retrospect.

All in all a busy time before splash. Once underway and at the dock in Spanish the real fun began.

1. We decided to use our  water bladder first then switch to our main tanks just to test out the system. The system leaked and the bladder could not be emptied to save whatever water was left.  We needed a total rethink on how to install the extra water storage.
2. The promise of  Lithium Ion batteries is somewhat overstated. Yes they can be discharged to max but don't you dare go below 80% otherwise getting them back to full performance can really bite,
Don't trust your AH metre unless is is calibrated and trustworthy. The Li batteries show full voltage until they die. A good AH metre is required to monitor the use of the battery unless you install one of the new Blue Tooth capable batteries that can provide data on the actual condition of the battery.
3. I wired up the shore power charger, the 40 Amp alternator, starter battery, dc-dc converter and the Li as shown in the manual. In the mix was the solar controller wired directly to the Li battery as recommended. After a week of motoring/cruising it became apparent that the starter battery was not being charged. It turns out that our alternator was not producing enough power to charge an Li and our starter battery. A quick rewire of the solar controller to the starter battery and a sunny day allowed us to start the engine. It seems that the Li presents an infinite sink and our small alternator is not able to cope. A DTDT switch will fix the problem by allowing us to select which battery the solar panels will charge.
4. The echo charger that worked with our flooded batteries did not work with the Li and had to be removed
5. Replaced our port side VHF antenna and repaired the old one for use with our AIS.
6. Spent many hours measuring voltages from the solar panels  and configuring the solar charger to produce the required voltage at the battery to maximize performance. Turns out that the wire gauge recommendation is too small for the distance covered.
7. The engine has been hard to start because the starter has been malfunctioning. I thought it was a starter solenoid issue and decided to replace the starter with our spare. Once I removed the old starter the real problem became apparent. A bit of history ... Tuglet had been stored "inside" in Michigan during the pandemic since we could not travel into the US. Turns out that "inside" did not mean out of the weather. Tuglet did not have a drain plug for some reason, the large deck opening in the aft did not have a waterproof seal, the batteries were disconnected and it rained. Water inside rose to the level of the engine starter and found its way into the flywheel area. It took a can of WD-40 to open up the drain hole in the flywheel cover. Next spring will tell if the problem is solved.

It was a wonder that we actually had some cruising time. Our voyages included visits to the following places:
All dates given are for arrival since no-one dares travel at night in the North Channel due to rocks and unlit nav aids.

Blind River  <------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------>  Little Current <---------------------->  McGregor


June 10 - Launch Blind River ,
June 10 - Spanish ,

June 12 - Hotham Island , clay bottom,  pike
June 19 - East Rous Island, clay bottom , pike
June 20 - Little Current (Spider Bay),
June 22 - Heywood Island , no fish

June 23 - McGregor Bay (East Channel),  pike
June 27 - McGregor Bay (Usual Reasons Bay),  pike
July 3 - Heywood Island, no fish
July 5 - Little Current (Spider Bay),
July 7 - McGregor Bay (Usual Reasons Bay),  bass

July 10 - Heywood Island, no fish
July 11 - East Rous Island, pike

July 13 - Hotham Island, pike, bass
July 15 - Bear Drop Island, pike bass
July 18 - Blind River ,


Toronto Trip,

A second set of changes was made after we returned from Toronto with additional parts.

1. A new 100 Ah AGM starter battery installed
2. AED battery installed
3. Water bladder reinstalled and tested (it seems to work now)
4. Propane tank refilled
5. House and Starter switches reworked
6. Galley 12 volt wiring redone to reduce voltage drop
7. VHF/AM/FM splitter removed from the starboard antenna since it did not work.
Both VHF radios and the AIS have their own VHF antenna since none of the splitters I have tried seem to work
8. DPDT switch installed on console to direct solar power between house and starter batteries
9. Solar controller parms changed to ABS - 14.6, Float - 14 due to line loss using 11 gauge wire.


July 31 - Bear Drop Island, pike, bass

August 2 - Laurier Island, no fish
August 4 - Hotham Island, pike

August 6 - Bedford Island, bass
August 7 - East Rous Island,  bass

August 9 - Little Current (Spider Bay),
August 10 - McGregor Bay (Usual Reasons Bay),  bass

August 14 - McGregor Bay (Crooked Arc Bay),  pike
August 17 - Frazer Point, no fish
August 18 - Horseshoe Bay,  bass
August 19 - Haywood Island, no fish
August 20 - Covered Portage Cove, no fish
August 22 - Haywood Island, no fish
August 23 - Little Current (Spider Bay),
August 24 - East Rous Island,  bass

August 27 - Hotham Island, pike, bass

August 29 - Laurier Island, pike

September 1 - Spanish,
September 2 - Bear Drop Island, pike, bass

September 5 - Long Point Cove, no fish
September 8 - Turnbull Island, no fish
September 11 - Blind River for Haul Out,

All in all a short summer for cruising

Once we were hauled out a garboard plug was installed as well as the usual pre-storage activities.

81.41 engine hours, 405 Nm and 82 imp gallons of fuel or 1 imp gal/hr at cruising speed  The engine was not used for charging the battery.
I fished at every possible spot and we averaged 5 fish meals per week consisting of bass and pike. Limits of season, size and number were followed.
Since we have limited refrigeration most large fish were smoked using a variety of wood chips and our on-board smoker.
Tuglet has a minimum forward speed of 4 knots which rules out the down-rigger. All fish were caught on artificial bait not even a worm was sacrificed.

Plans for 2023 include adding a windlass, additional chain, rewiring the alternator, rewiring the solar array and cleaning up from last years projects.