Xcelsior Gets Upgrades

Xcelsior gets upgrades…..


In order to make our extended journey, Xcelsior (1976 CS27) required a number of upgrades, to make living accommodations more comfortable. After all this is our home for a least the next three years. We started at the bow and worked our way aft. Ted and I built and installed a bow extension with rollers and fittings for our spinnaker sail and stow both anchors. One, twenty two pound "Danforth", with 200 feet of 5/16 chain and the second, being a "Bruce" type with 30 feet of chain and 200 feet of rode. This is required for the Caribbean waters with coral bottoms.

Showing our colours, we purchased a new “A” symmetrical spinnaker flying proudly the Canadian Maple Leaf as seen on the first photo on the first page. The spinnaker is designed for light winds and two people can handle it easily in downwind conditions. While our mainsail shows our numbers 1134 with the two full battens and two half battens. Ted rigged jiffy slab reefing, which is made easy to operate from the cockpit. For those no sailors, reefing the main means that we have reduce the sail size. This is done in heavy wind conditions, stabilizing the boat and making life more comfortable.

The stern doesn’t get away without receiving a new look. Dragging a dinghy can become hazardous; in the wrong conditions the dinghy can over run the boat. Therefore, the rubber dinghy is now lifted out of the water onto the new Davits. One can’t go cruising without the silent third crew members, auto helm and radar. The auto helm attached to the tiller, steers the boat on course, while the radar, used sparingly during fog and night sailing. It acts as an extra eye, more so for Pat while on night watches (one likes their comfort zones). In order to power all the new electronics, a new wind generator was installed. We have two 8 D Deep Cycled batteries lowered in the cockpit lockers.

In the interior of the boat, the old two burner alcohol / kerosene stove was replaced, with a three burner propane stove and oven. Although, we lost drawer space, we gained a much better comfort zone in lighting the stove and oven. Not to mention a better variety of meals offered. Up forward the “V” Berth received 2” foam on top of the existing foam during reupholstering all the cushions. The “heads” washroom facilities were converted into a holding tank. By taking out the bathroom sink and placing the holding tank we didn’t loss any storage space.