Engine installation - prep

Debbie did the wrapping of the boat again for engine ding prevention. She bubble wrapped the whole area and put carpet padding on the steps. Hoping this time nothing happens. She put extra layers of bubble wrap in some vulnerable places also. Time consuming project but worth it if it stops one ding.
 We then took all the windows off the dodger and the separator piece. That is after Debbie washed the dodger parts and did the separator. Lots of bird droppings etc. No time for cleaning. Our noses have been in bilge work.
We un-screwed it and walked it up forward. It is a bit heavy with the solar panel on it and a bit awkward.
Bungeed it down and job well done! It took several hours to do it all.








Starting battery shelf engineered and ready! - 2011

January 2011 - San Diego, CA
The starting battery made it back into it’s spot. We cut the shelf down and removed two pieces of wood I had installed to make the shelf larger.

Navigation classes - Coast Guard Auxiliary - 2011

January 2011 - Marina Cortez San Diego, CA   
While at the Sunroad Boat Show in San Diego we saw a little remote controlled tug that was a hit with the kids, me too. There was a coastie controlling it. Well after all it was a coastie thing and a Coast Guard Auxiliary (CGA) thing.

 While there we asked about navigation classes. They offer GPS classes. We were thinking along the lines of paper charts.  Get it (along the lines) oh well guess it not a pun. So they (CGA) do not offer any paper chart type of navigation. Guess we could go back to the Mission Bay Aquatic Center  where Debbie and I took sailing classes. They taught us basic navigation. So we would like to remember how to chart a course and take bearings etc. on paper.

Vessels sink, here are some options? - 2011

We are exploring the possibility replacing our head sink with a vessel sink. 

Door Behind Toilet

 The door behind the toilet is now free from the water based varnish. At least free enough. With a good sanding and cleaning it will be ready for its first coat of varnish. Slow going but any project while the new engine is being installed is just a side project. Not much time for anything else.



Painted Control panel

Debbie was able to prep and get a coat of Interlux white paint on the engine control panel.
We wanted to get at least one coat on before the engine panel goes in.  It would have been nice to get it all painted before the panel goes in but it was just not possible. As it is we are burned out form working all and every weekend and some nights after work. Also a day or so I took off work. Got what could do done and the needed important things done. This can be painted later, just a bit more difficult.
There may be an issue with the spot the key goes in and the Plexiglas doors. We'll just need to deal with it when we get to that spot of the installation.








Sunroad Boat Show -saw our new Beta diesel engine! - 2011

 We had to go to the Boat show at San Diego Sunroad Boat Show to see our new Beta Marine diesel motor that is being displayed by Phil of San Diego Beta marine (the Marine Man). Phil left Debbie and I free tickets at will call and we thought that was a nice gesture.  While at his booth we got to meet his wife Sarah too.

Interlux Brightside bilge paint in the bilge - oops - 2011

 Of course we had to put another coat of paint in the bilge. As I am a sloppy painter and it messed me up. We have two cans of  Interlux Brightside bilge paint.

Under sink Insulation, plywood hole covers etc. - 2011

January 2011 - Marina Cortez San Diego, CA
Looking up under the cabinet that holds the sink and drawers in the galley area. Looking up from the engine room.

Faucet check valve

 We decided to put a check valve in the faucet plumbing. We were talking to our dock mate Heinze who works in the Industrial kitchen equipment industry and he said they are used to keep the cold and hot water from mixing. That the hot water is denser and will mix with the cold if two faucets are  in the same line and close to each other. We could probable use just one on the hot side or maybe even none as the galley and head sink are not that close. We do use them at the same time so it could be an issue. I put one in because I lost the other and it may be on the cold side so looks like a re-do. No big deals here.


Dumpster drill

This is the drill Heinze a dock mate gave me. He got it from the dumpster.  Works good. Debbie gave me the 90 deg drill head and I am using them both to grind off the extra epoxy that was put on the propane locker to make radiuses for ease of fiber glassing. The only drill we had in the garage was a old battery operated one, the battery would not last long.


Beta Marine 38 hp Engine installation - 2011

Our new Beta Marine 38 hp engine with duel alternators at the boat show before we installed it in our boat.
Looks like our new Beta Marine engine will begin the installation process  on February 3rd or 4th.

80 amp fuse for the T buss bar

 Took a road trip to WM and picked up the 80 amp fuse for the T buss bar. It was the last one they had. No other chandlery’s around San Diego has any or carries any. Got ours now  so some day we will get another for the head and a spare.
We are going to install a T fuse block in the head; we already have bought it but not enough time to install it. Everything is working fine so it is a do later thing.  We want to get rid of the glass fuses and make them more accessible than they are right now. So it can wait.



Engine room clean up - More screws

Went to the fastener shop and picked up 50 more screws and fender washers for the engine room insulation:

14 x 1 ½ SSPH screws
And
¼ x 1 ¼ Fender washers for the engine room insulation.

After counting them out in my head I think if we use the m on the engine room hatches then this will be enough. We still have not finished the engine room and still we need to do the starting batter compartment so fifty out to do it.
That makes a total of 100 of them! 


Food storage light - lower

The food storage light we got wired up to the T fuse block at the nav station. The wires are not secured yet.
 I went and turned it on and it did not go on. So I started to trouble shoot the wiring. Simple stuff, then remembered we need a 80 amp fuse for the T fuse block.  I had stolen it for the new buss at the nav station.


Engine room clean up -vent hose

Went to HD and picked up a 3” PVC pipe joiner. Then went to ME and tried it with their 3” black vent hose. The hose slipped over it nice. So we picked up a couple SS hose clamps to fit. We will try this on one dorad vent hose to the engine room to see if it will work out. We would like to replace them, the sections that go into the engine room.
 This could be an easy inexpensive solution.


Galley Delta one touch faucet working! - 2011

The Delta one touch faucet plumbing went well. I stopped at Home Depot and picked up a couple faucet kits for screwing the 3/8 pipe thread fitting to the ½ inch plumbing boat fitting.

Engine battery starting cable installed - ordered switch - 2011

January 2011 San Diego
We got our nine foot 4/0 AWG red battery cable for the starting batter.
3/8 on one end (switch) and 5/16 on starter end.
We got it positioned in the engine room now ready for and engine😕

Engine room LED lights installed


The engine room Led lights we installed  and they work great!  Now they are not wired to the nav station electrical panel yet but are fastened and do work great.
 We will finish wiring them to the nave station so that with a flick of a switch the Led lights will light up the engine room.
There were four strips of 20 Led lights on each. Each one draws less than 1/5 of an amp. SO will all blazing it is less than an amp draw and they do not get hot or make heat!
They can wire in a series and that is what we did. This makes it simple install. You gotta love the simple install and Led product.

The stern most light is mounted under a beam. The starboard and forward light are mounted under the wiring harness. The port light is just out there. It is not shaded but it also does not blind you. It is just not offset by a type of shade.  It will not be a problem if you want to work on the engine as it does not hurt the eyes it is just not tucked away. After the engine is installed it will be not so noticeable.  

















The Red Sails Inn on Shelter Island San Diego - 2011

January 2011 - Marina Cortez on San Diego, CA at Harbor Island
We like to go to the Red Sails Inn sometimes for breakfast on Shelter Island.

Plumbed bilge pump hoses - 2011

2011 - Marina Cortez San Diego, CA
The Y valve etc with the new hose not yet connected.

110 volt teak outlet covers

Our good intentions were to buy new 110 volt teak outlet covers and then varnish the original, that way there would be one on them at all times. As I write this it now seems like it would work again. We could replace the one in the head as it has enough room around it. The varnish it and put it on one say in the stateroom and then varnish that one and so on.
 The reason I say it seems like it would work now is the ones we bought at ME were too big to fit in most of the spots on the boat. There is some limitation in almost all the places they are. Like next to a panel or something. So We brought them back. May have to purchase them again for another try :)



Engine room insulation clean up - more screws - 2011

It seems 50 screws and washers are not enough for securing the sound insulation in the engine room. Looks like another 20 or so will be needed.

Henckels knife sheaths

San Diego CA, January 2011
All the knives that were in the knife wood block are now covered.

The last two sheaths did it. For cruising these should work great as we have all day to cook. 
The means whipping out a knife is not a big deal. At home I think this would be a pain and we would use the wood block.  While sailing or at anchor when reaching in the drawer these will help us keep our fingers. Also first aid is on us at anchor.
These covers are "LamsonSharp KnifeSafes Knife Blade Protectors" and we bought them from amazon.com.
And we also purchased "The Ultimate Edge BS6 6-Piece Steak Knife Blade Saver Set" from amazon.com.

Galley - sink drain hose replaced - 2011

Got the new sink 1 ¼ inch Trident steel re-enforced exhaust drain hose installed for the galley sink drain, not an easy thing. I think the hose is 55" long. And of course, the chandlery (Marine Exchange) gave us more than we ordered as they usually do. You know, to be nice. Only in this case it is too long and now needs cutting off under the sink. 

Aqua Signal Maputo Red / White LED food storage light - 2011

December 2011 - Marina Kona Kai Shelter Island San Diego, CA
To install the Aqua Signal Maputo Red / White LED Multipurpose Interior Light into the food storage, which is under the lower step (1978 Freeport),  we had to cut a grove into the side of the plywood veneer so the wire would go up and over the light.

Refer build - plywood hatches

Got the refer covers cut out for the galley. They work well giving us counter space until we get the real ones insulated and back in with the refer working.


Galley sink drains

We finally got the new sink drains that I have been wanting. I am the dish washer and wanted a new set of drains. The original ones we could not find a nice stopper for. We had one but that’s it. None (SS strainer) for the other side.

 Yes these are plastic but they do have built in strainers that work. The old SS drains were just plain worn out.




 The black prices next to them are adapters that will screw onto the drains when you take off the hose barbs that are currently on them. The will make the drains fit a 1 ¼ inch ID hose as is the original drain hose.



 On a side note:
 Being the dishwasher has its advantages. When your hands are all grimy from boat work and they will not come any cleaner, then a good set of dishes through the wash really helps. Shhhhhh

This we did when the sink was out which makes it much easier. I tried to get the drains in the center of the sink holes and even tried to get the stoppers to line up with each other. Neither one happened but they should function well any way :).  








Galley Delta one touch faucet in place and almost ready - 2011

Engine room clean up - hose replacements - 2011

We put the bilge pump hose in place. The new ¾ inch hose for the original bilge pump. It will be temporarily used with the Rule bilge pump till we re-build the old original one. You can see it hanging there the rubber re-enforced hose.

Engine room - new insulation - 2011

Debbie in the engine room\space.
The engine room sound insulation was not that easy of an install. It is the kind of sound insulation with the lead in the middle.