There is a typo in the ** NS33 manual ** that was confirmed with Mike Quill. Page 67 ( Section 43.4 ) is a diagram 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 :
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
Rob Cohen
s/v SOAVE
NS33 #009
Westport, CT