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2013-04-22

Launch approacheth

Busy days. Aching backs. A brief update, with the half-hearted allegation that the long-winded, more detail-oriented posts that seem to find favour among the small band of nautical shut-ins that likely comprises the bulk of my readership will resume...after I finish some last-week on land jobs.

Here's the aft bilges "Metal Prepped". The Ghost Tank mentioned previously has been cleaned out (thanks to Mrs. Alchemy) for this nasty and dirty job) and has been similarly and laboriously twice coated with "Rust-Lok".
Lined with rubber, this might make a nice wine cellar.


That keel tank space has been left open (there's a 18 x 12 inch rectangle of steel cut from it now) for drying purposes. The engine's installed over it now is ready for a test fire once I rig fuel service and get my filtering sorted. While I had hoped to power away from the slings, the five days of snow, wind and freezing rain in the middle of April hurt our painting schedule, which of course had to precede the bolting-down of things.

The fate of the ghost tank will be thought of no more until the fall. I have to get lead ingots out of the forepeak and the new batteries in at the center of effort amidships before I can tell what is the best course forward.

I have, however, a sort of "compromise" idea. Next fall, I will hoist the engine again, and fully cut out that ghost tank lid. I now know, as does my leg, that it will take about three 4.5 inch cutting wheels. I will also redo the rustlok as I can see that certain spots are lifting away...it was probably too cold to apply it. After I know that I have proper "lock-up" and adhension, I will topcoat the tank with truck bed liner or whatever (maybe two-part Amercoat) will seal it up but good.

Here's the compromise solution for that space: If "static trim observations" at dock suggest it, I can get about a thousand pounds or eight lead ingots down there and still have room for a thick-walled, likely HDPE, diesel tank held down by bolted steel strapping. I estimate that could be 20-25 gallons, and it would not, being low and on the centerline, require an internal baffle.  It would sit upon and effectively confine the lead ingots, which I would NOT likely cement in, but might well epoxy in place or simply stack right-side-up and upside-down to make a nearly solid mass. I will have to do a bunch of measurements to confirm this, but that's the likely way forward. Any reader contributions would be appreciated as I am still open to suggestions...October is the next time I will do a thing about it.

Hull bottom painted and topsides Metal Prepped (too cold to top coat yet!):

The needful cove stripe cleaning and topsides touch-up will wait for warmer weather.


Ad hoc but functional bilge pump power and switching installed:

Something safer and better secured will follow. This is purely to power a single bilge pump at dock.

PSS unit supplied with relief hose and bolted in:

This hose is secured well above the waterline. Eventually, it will be "teed" into the engine cooling system.

Engine bolted down and drivetrain/Aquadrive connected (thank you, Cap'n Matt). The fuel supply, waterlift and exhaust setup will have to wait until it's warmer. That large wooden engine gantry is getting taken apart today. I will stow it in the forepeak, as it is a very awkward load of lumber to shift on even my sturdiest bike cart:

Gantries in the picture are not as bendy as they seem.



Variprop and Shaft Shark bolted on and rudder serviced and restored:
Note to self: "Lubriplate 130 AA". Yeah, it's cryptic, all right.


I have to fix one wiring issue and tighten a few hose clamps. I launch next Saturday. It's been a long time coming. For those keeping track, much of one season was lost to a bad shoulder injury, another to the decision to change engines and tanks, and another to the missus becoming a full-time student to obtain a teacher's degree, meaning Daddy having difficulty getting sufficient downtime for boat rehab. The rest of the delay is purely on me being an unhandy handyman and a nautical know-nothing. Things have somewhat improved. They could have hardly gotten worse. Now, it's about maintaining momentum, enthusiasm and cash flow, sometimes goals which are at odds with each other. But I don't need to tell you that.

6 comments:

Bill K said...

Non boat related question.

Did you make any changes to your web page ?
The reason I ask is that your web page when loading jump 3/4 of the way to the bottom of the page.
I would then have to hit the home key to bring the page back to the top.

About 2 weeks ago your page started loading normally.

Today it went back to dropping 3/4 of the way to the bottom.

Are you confused yet ? LOL

Bill Kelleher

Rhys said...

I wish I was confused...that would suggest I've located the skipper's nerve tonic. It does the same thing for me. Maybe I ticked off my Google masters by declining to monetize the thing.

It didn't used to do that, but it's been doing that for several months at least.

Hope it doesn't prove *too* discouraging!

Bill K said...

No problem with me, I just tap the home key.

What was strange was it quit doing that for a week or two.

Then again they are computers. LOL

You are going to beat me into the water as I don't have either one of mine ready yet.

Bill Kelleher

John Nyc said...

This project is coming together very nicely, Rhys.

Well done you and of course well done the missus.

Silverheels III said...

Page loading quite normally on Chrome browser. We've put a remote Sonalert buzzer and remote LED across that same Auto LED on your bilge pump controller panel from HMP. It's loud enough to be heard at the helm and to keep track of electronic bilge pump activity while sleeping or on watch outside.

Rhys said...

Thanks Bill, John and Silverheels. I have such a "hinges on the gates of hell" buzzer in my electrical bits bin. I don't know that it's immediately necessary as we will be tied to a dock, but as the PSS is supposed to be entirely dripless (that's why I got it, as water has no place on the inside of a steel boat outside of a hose or tank), I would certainly consider a bilge pump audible alarm for actual cruising, as long as I could switch it off!

Same with exhaust flow temperature (or rather what you suggested: *in*flow monitoring...great idea!) and low oil pressure (less than 20 psi, I suppose) alarms. They make good sense, particularly as the engine will be otherwise sequestered behind soundproofing.

The bit you can't yet see is the honking big Patay manual diaphragm pump I've yet to install to get the last of any water that might get down there. That may have more than one pickup.