Nonsuch 33 Trivia & Taxonomy

[Rob Cohen "Soave" NS33 Westport, CT]

Hi All, 

This is my second winter with Soave and I'm doing a deep dive inspection.  I'm using the available documentation, in addition to expertise from, INA partners,  this group, and knowledgable folks elsewhere.  I am indebted to the folks who collected and published information pertaining to Nonsuch boats. 

I stumbled into a typo in the NS33 manual that I confirmed with Mike Quill, and thought I would share.  Page 67 ( Section 43.4 ) is a digram of a deck collar.  Turns out diagram is a NS30 deck collar which is similar to the collar in Soave with the exception that there are 16 wedges used in the NS33 not 12 as indicated in the diagram.  Not a big deal, but worth noting if you ever do as deep a dive into inspecting a NS33 as I am doing this winter.

Also worth passing on is that corrosion is a significant, but manageable challenge on Soave and probably all our Nonsuch boats.  There are numerous places where stainless and aluminum are interacting in a bad way ( corroding aluminum ).  Isolation of these two metals is important.  Our boats are well built, but over time many of the methods used to isolate have become ineffective due to normal wear.  They need to be replenished periodically.

Somethings I didn't know when I started, but now am aware of :

1. It would have been MUCH easier if prior stewards had NOT broken off and left stainless fasteners behind in aluminum.  This is most evident in the mast step casing.  This ( IMHO) is what you end up with if you hire help that is not adequately supervised or forced to operate under an unrealistic schedule. Soave was serviced in a top tier yard for the past 5 your prior my purchasing her yet there are good and bad outcomes.  Many of the bad was avoidable if a little more time was taken to properly resolve small problems.
2. It is very labor intensive to properly inspect a Nonsuch Mast & Wishbone.  I can not afford ( or economically justify) to pay for a proper job at prevailing marina labor rates.  For Soave about half of my stainless fasters need to be removed, inspected, cleaned, properly isolated, and re installed.  I am having to prioritize the most critical places ( like wishbone hanger pad-eyes ) this winter and make this into a continuous process. A labor of love, not an economically viable pursuit.
3. When shopping, know that there is a HUGE difference in value between a well maintained Nonsuch and one that has not been cared with an eye for detail.  I am lucky that Soave was mostly well loved.  Anyone that has meticulously maintained a NonSuch is a valuable asset when shopping.
   

Mike Quill shared that there is a new product called Marelube tef45 which has a 45% PTFE that is more effective and less expensive than TEF-GEL that is frequently recommended to isolate stainless from aluminum. Also 1/32" polycarbonate sheet ( probably good for my pad-eyes) is effective or in a pinch material cut from a soda bottle is effective ( finally something better to do with plastic than pollute the oceans ).

Also, as previously noted, I find our INA Nonsuch archive difficult to navigate.  I've found multiple documents from many sources that are useful for reference during my first year with Soave.  I've been downloading and tagging them using a basic marine taxonomy with some Nonsuch tweaks.  ( HERE ) is a link to the taxonomy I am using and will continue to evolve.  It is NOT hierarchal, tags are meant to provide "hints" for searching and browsing.  A properly tagged repository is helpful for all kinds of purposes... including informing AI.   This is a very early draft that will evolve as I continue collect and tag information useful in my care of Soave.  I'm doing it because it provides some utility for me and also because I think it would be useful in a more general way if INA decides to restructure the website and segregate the document repository from the other areas of the website.

Happy Holiday and Soave sia il vento,

Rob Cohen

s/v SOAVE

NS33 #009

Westport, CT