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Improving Piffen

So far so good! And the AGM engine battery, which is the original of 2003,
still functions without any problem: even after standing still for months in
winter the engine starts immediately and joyfully.
Automatic electric bilge pump
This was advised in addition to the manual Henderson pump. I chose a
Whale Supersub Smart 1212 as it fits tightly in the bilge above the propellor
shaft and I fixed it with a stainless-steel bracket to be sure it will not move.
It includes a non-return valve and has a capacity of open flow 66 ltr/min, at
1m head 47 ltrs/min. The switch unit could be mounted in good view near
the main battery switches next to the cabin steps. After some time, I no-
ticed that periodically the pump should be run for some time with fresh
water in order to prevent it clogging up with algae.

Feathering propeller

After the 3-blade propeller had been cleaned with quite aggressive stuff by
a mechanic who happened to be around, a small crack from the centre of
the prop became visible. Maybe nothing to be worried about, but I thought
it better to replace it – and took the opportunity to upgrade to a feathering
propeller. Such a propeller is supposed to make a noticeable difference in
speed under sail, especially with less than average winds. Despite reading
test reports and speaking to people who had made the same change it was
difficult to see how much difference I could expect – maybe 0.5 - 0.8 knots
depending on circumstances. I chose a 18" 3-blade Darglow Featherstream
propeller, adapted to Piffen’s engine and gear box and her cruising and
maximum speeds. Mounting the propeller requires really careful work, fol-

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