This Atom... infinitesimal Atom
has within, a colossal
power
For it marries a particle of earth
to the fecund sea
(From To Challenge a Distant Sea, biography of Jean Gau, owner of the original Atom, a 29-foot Tahiti ketch, in which he made two solo circumnavigations and whose writings of adventure inspired my own voyages.)
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1963 28-foot Pearson Triton #384 Atom. |
Atom's Main Cabin Looking Forward. |
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| Pearson Triton sail plan with original fractional rig. Atom was re-rigged in1995 in South Africa with a new mast two feet shorter than original and rigged as masthead sloop. She has a moveable inner forestay for emergency use in case the furling jib becomes disabled and to add strength to her rig. The inner forestay is supported by intermediate aft shrouds. | Atom's Specifications: LOA: 28'6" LWL: 21' Beam: 8'3" Draft: 4'3" Displ: 8,000 lbs. (approx.) empty. Ballast: 3,019 lbs Sail Area: 371 sq. ft. Rig: Masthead sloop Keel: full with cutaway forefoot and internal lead ballast. Integral water tanks - Forward: 43 gal. Aft: 30 gal Engine: Currently using a 3.5 hp Tohatsu outboard on adjustable bracket, though I have sometimes sailed without an engine. |
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Check the Links page and Larry Suter's
Triton Website for more info on Pearson Tritons.
More details on
Atom's improvement projects are found in the Q&A, Project
Photos and Articles pages.
Atom's Sail Inventory:
Mainsail with three reef
points
145% furling genoa
Spare old furling genoa
125% hank-on genoa
for use on inner forestay
#2 working jib for inner forestay
#3 working
jib for inner forestay
Storm jib for inner forestay
Storm
trysail
Spinnaker with pole
Anchoring Gear:
33 lb. Bruce - Primary anchor on
150 feet of 5/16 chain with 75 feet of 3/4-inch nylon line attached
Fortress
FX-23 (15 lb) aluminum Danforth-type
Fortress FX-37 (21 lb) storm
anchor
18 lb stainless steel Danforth-type
Extra anchors are in bags with
25 feet of 5/16-inch chain and 125 feet of 5/8-inch nylon line
attached
Lofrans Royal aluminum manual anchor windlass
Collapsible
grapnel-type dinghy anchor
Electrics and Electronics:
Replaced entire
electrical system including two switch panels.
Installed two 43-watt solar
panels and voltage regulator.
Added Volts, Amps In and Amps
Out meters.
Replaced all incandescant cabin lights with halogen and
flourescent.
Four 6-volt Trojan deep-cycle batteries wired for 400+ AH at
12-volts.
800 watt 110-volt inverter for tools, blender and various
appliances.
800 watt 220-volt inverter (for appliances bought in countries
using 220-volt)
Reversible 220 to 110-volt 1000 watt transformer (enables
each inverter to back up the other)
Magellan handheld
GPS
Kenwood TS-450 SSB transceiver, MFJ tuner, remote
speaker and dipole antennas.
Two handheld VHF radios with masthead
antenna and power booster.
Pactor PK-232 email
modem
Toshiba notebook PC, Cap'n navigation software and electronic
charts.
NASA digital depthsounder
Tillermaster
autopilot
Sony ICF-SW7600 all band radio receiver
Autohelm digital hand-bearing compass
12
volt handheld halogen spotlight
Three 12 volt cabin fans above bunks plus one
portable fan
Other Equipment:
Henderson
MK 5 manual bilge pump
Saturn
Aqua Meter bulkhead mount 3 3/4-inch cockpit compass
Suunto bulkhead mount
tell-tale compass above main cabin bunk
Astra IIIb sextant and H.O. 249
Sight Reduction Tables
Legs for standing the boat upright between
tides
The yuloh, a 16 ½-foot Chinese sampan sculling oar
Nylon
webbing mast ladder
6 ½-foot plywood/fiberglass pram dinghy with
anchor
3.5 HP Tohatsu outboard (used either as Atom's auxillary engine or on
dinghy)
16-foot Ocean Kayak
Rope swim ladder
White vinyl sun
awning
Cockpit dodger
Bimini cockpit awning
Kerosene and electric
anchor lights
Bulkhead mount barometer and clock
Below is a list of some improvements and modifications I've done to Atom over the past twenty-four years. If you're looking for a new project for your own boat I'm sure you will find something here.
Deck and Hull:
1. Installed a water can locker at
forward end of cockpit footwell.
2. Replaced all exterior wood with teak,
including adding grab rails on forward cabin top.
3. Installed a bronze port
in forward end of the cabin top for better visibility forward.
4. Replaced
rotted mahogany and oak rudder with plywood covered in fiberglass and
epoxy.
5. Installed Monitor windvane with custom mounts.
6. Installed
Lofrans Royal manual anchor windlass and bow and stern anchor rollers.
7.
Replaced bow cleat with 10 1/2-inch bronze cleat and backing plate.
8.
Installed custom adjustable outboard motor bracket.
9. Installed rigid bimini
frame over cockpit.
10. Replaced balsa deck core with polyurethane foam
sheet.
11. Installed custom stern rail incorporating two solar panel
mounts.
12. Added 1 1/4-inch wide SS jib sheet tracks extending from aft
shrouds to scuppers.
13. Added two stanchion bases and full-length
lifelines.
14. Removed propeller and filled in prop cut-out in hull.
15.
Built new forward hatch and companionway hatch with stainless steel security
bars.
16. Built wood plank hatch cover, or seahood, for sliding hatch.
17.
Installed cockpit dodger over companionway hatch.
18. Replaced cabin windows
with 8mm Lexan and through-bolted frames.
19. Fabricated a 5/10/15-watt
halogen, glass lens masthead anchor light.
20. Attached keel extension plate
to prevent lines from snagging between keel and rudder.
21. Affixed rubber
gaskets under cockpit seat lockers and installed locking latches.
22. Sealed
vertical aft cockpit locker hatch and installed new hatch in afterdeck.
23.
Attached sculling oar pin bracket to afterdeck toerail.
24. Installed stern
anchor roller on starboard corner of afterdeck.
25. Installed homemade bow
roller.
Rigging:
1. Replaced fractional rig with 34-foot
masthead rigged aluminum spar and new mast step.
2. Installed removable inner
forestay, two running backstays and related deck hardware..
3. Replaced all
chainplates with ¼-inch thick stainless steel.
4. Added forward lower shrouds
and chainplates to glassed-in knees below deck.
5. Installed Harken roller
furling jib.
6. Converted roller-reefing mainsail to slab reefing with three
reef points.
7. Installed stainless steel reinforcement plate under mast
support beams.
Interior:
1. Removed Atomic 4 inboard engine and
its accessories.
2. Built a 43 gal (165 liter) integral water tank under
v-berth connected to foot pump.
3. Built a 30 gal (115 liter) integral water
tank between cockpit floor and hull.
4. Converted icebox to storage/electrics
locker.
5. Installed valves and plumbing to divert deck drains to a
hose below for collecting rain water.
6. Removed door
between head and forward cabin and replaced it with a curtain, filled in V-berth
and raised bunk 5-inches above waterline for extra storage and watertight
integrity.
7. Made most compartments watertight for collision
protection and positive buoyancy.
8. Installed a sliding single/double bunk
on port side of main cabin.
9. Replaced all counter fiddles with 1-inch thick
x 4-inch high teak.
10. Extended ex-engine locker forward and removed
companionway ladder.
11. Replaced head with Lavac toilet placed behind a
watertight bulkhead.
12. Added second bookshelf in main cabin and full length
shelves in forward cabin.
13. Covered the plywood cabin sole with African
iroko plank strips.
14. Installed six teak handrails throughout main
cabin.
15. Installed telltale compass on bulkhead next to port main cabin
bunk.
16. Enclosed open lockers behind main cabin settee backrests with teak
locker doors.
17. Installed a shelf divider in chain locker behind watertight
hatches.
18.
Installed a Henderson MK 5 manual bilge pump in port cockpit locker accessible
on seat top.
19. Replaced entire electrical system.
20.
Installed lee-cloths on main cabin bunks.
21. Installed shut-off valve in
sink drain.
22. Built a radio locker above ex-icebox on aft port side of main
cabin.
23. Built a fold-down table attached to forward main cabin
bulkhead.
24. Installed sliding doors fronting galley shelfs.
25. Replaced
galley drawers with door access and added shelf in locker under stove.
26.
Installed two gimbaled kerosene cabin lights.
