Quick Update

Lots going on with T-A at the moment but all that can be seen is chaos, so no pictures at the moment I’m afraid

The gas locker is finished. All old wiring removed from starboard side except for the cabin lights, cables in for winch and bow thruster controls and wiring in for navigation lights, tunnel lamp and horn. Unable to move the wires from switches to ceiling lights so it looks like they are pinched behind the panelling. To that end the ceiling has started to be dismantled.

I am so disgusted with the standard of wiring installed by Ben Harp that I am determined to replace every last inch of it. Kev from 4Evermore (A previous BH build) once told me he had been complimented on the quality of the wiring on his boat, so I must assume that the work was not carried out by the same person.

The winch has been removed, all the holes welded up, ground smooth and primed with Finnegans No1. While the foredeck was clear it seemed like a good time to give it another coat of paint.

New holes for winch cut to line the capstan side with the port Samson post as requested during the build. Winch remounted with new horn and socket for tunnel lamp, all cable tails made but still to be connected into the main system.

Inverter reconnected through isolation transformer and starboard side 240V rewired.

All the work has been a bit haphazard as it has been governed by the weather.

Still loads to do but at last I think we are fixing more than we are finding.

A boil in a hot bath follwed by a cold beer sounds favorite for now.

More Wiring Horrors

Slow progress over the last few days. Sunday saw me disconnecting the mains shore supply to the inverter and trip switches in preparation to install the new conduit run via the isolation transformer. Also ordered a changeover switch so that we can have a 240V pickup on either side of the boat. Monday was milling a slot into a section of RHS

and seam welding it into the gas locker to make it gas tight after drilling holes in the deck and back. Sand off the burnt paint and repaint the back of the gas locker, feed in some wire, grommets top and bottom and at last we have a stern light.

The only job left is to give the inside of the gas locker a coat of bulkhead paint.

Tuesday was the last adjustments to the wheelhouse and a  bit more work in the engine ‘ole with the wiring, While taking a break I decided to have a look in the bow thruster / winch battery box as this is one place I have not yet looked in.

Unscrewed the lid and …………

First thought – the battery’s bigger than I expected.

Second thought – how would I get it out? – You cant without removing all the fixtures

Third thought – what are those cables coming off the battery side of the switch? – They are to the bow thruster which is live at all times.

Next – why are those cables wrapped in insulation tape? – They are live feed but in blue cable.

Note also the unfused live supply off the +ve terminal. The black and red are from the battery charger.

Two of these cables should be brown ( That is of course red if the correct colour coding had been used)

Underside of the lid

Showing scorch marks from the fuse holder, not sure if this is from the current though the fuse or the fact that the fuse was only finger tight. The main battery fuse holder burnt out because the fuse was loose.

Cables to the winch through the deck with no grommet.

Decided to leave this knot for another day. Winch made safe by disconnecting from battery terminal, at least the bow thruster comes off the right side of the switch. Anyway – new job added to the list – make new battery box. Sometimes it seems like a never ending story but I will not be beaten by some scumbag numpty.

Today catching up on the gardening but may pop down to paint the inside of the gas locker.

Interior Work

Working inside today due to the weather, it was blowing well across the marina so I decided it was best not to try and remove the sheet over the wheelhouse. Completed the ducting that will carry the 12V cables across the cabin side of the engine bulkhead.

So this,

now looks like this.

The 240V cable over the top will be installed in it’s own flexible conduit run.

Started opening plugs and switches ready for the wiring replacement and am still amazed at the standard of wiring even though I should be used to it by now.

Next job is to disconnect the mains supply and route it all through the new hole in the bulkhead to keep it separate from the 12V. Decided things were too dark to work in the engine bay without lighting so lifted a bit of the oak flooring to see what it was like underneath.

Yep it has definitely warped. Spot the broken screws.

Retail Therapy and Varnishing.

Not a lot to see at the moment, T-A is sheeted down against the weather except when I’m doing bits to the wheelhouse. It’s about there now but with every little adjustment the varnishing has to take place again so that slows things down a bit. Karen has rubbed down the walls and given the bedroom the first coat of varnish, I pointed out she had missed a bit – hasty exit left J .

We have had a word with Chris from Tops Tarpaulins to see about a cover to replace the sad thing we have now. On a suggestion from Paul at Pillings we’ve contacted Bill Rosie who did the report on T-A at the beginning asking him or one of his team to drop by and advise if our work is up to scratch and planned work complies with regs. I think it should do but better to check now and get it right – don’t want to go through this lot again.

Got some welding to do in the engine bay – only simple stuff like a bracket for a fuel filter for the Hurricane, there isn’t one fitted, and some mounts for the calorifier to stop it moving about.  So decided to get longer leads for the welder, 8m of 50mm sq. should do to save me climbing into the boat carrying a heavy welder. While at the suppliers I just couldn’t resist getting one of these -

a light sensitive mask powered by a solar panel working off the arc. The way technology is forging ahead is quite scary at times.

Thinking about it now I could have got away with shorter and lighter welding leads, all I had to do was come in via the weed hatch – DOH!

A Very Busy Day

An early start yesterday with T-A on the slipway before nine,

pressure washed and on hard standing by eleven.

Karen washed down the topsides whilst I dismantled the old wheelhouse framework.

Started lifting the new framework into place while Karen popped home to exercise the dogs and refill the flasks.

On her return stated on the blacking.

By eight in the evening Karen had completed the blacking but I hadn’t finished the wheelhouse – must have been slacking.

Popped the old cover on just to see how things looked before sheeting the whole thing down and wandering over to the bar for a well deserved shandy. Still work to do but by then we had both had enough and tiredness makes for silly mistakes.

Then

Now

Today should be a lot quieter. Karen is off to her drawing class while I off load the car – any body want to buy a large cloche?

Getting Ready To Slip

Plenty of sanding and varnishing going on over the past few days. In between times, down to T-A to dismantle the large cupboard in the lounge and fit the engine sensors for the new engine panel. That was fun and games because I couldn’t find the oil pressure sensor, hunted high and low. Water temperature sensor was no problem but still no sign of the oil pressure sensor. Even considered stripping the insulation off the wiring loom so as to follow the associated wire. In desperation I contacted Beta and with their guidance found it tucked away behind the gearbox oil cooler which had to be removed to gain access. Any way it’s done now and the cocoon is back round the engine and decking back in place. Engine run up – No leaks, no alarms – a great result.

Coming out of the water for two weeks on Tuesday to fit the new wheelhouse, had hoped to have the skylight ready as well but too slow so that will have to wait for the moment. Plenty of other jobs to be done while out and it seems a shame not to give her a coat of black at the same time.

Must remember to take the camera with me.

Modern Art?

Well the woodwork on the wheelhouse is as complete as far as it can be without actually fitting it to T-A, so now the old routine of sanding and varnishing begins. Although rather tedious I do like seeing the colour and grain of the wood starting to show.

No it’s not modern art it is in fact the roof bars and the beading that holds the windows in hanging out to dry.

All the frames and parts  have all had two coats and I am confident we can manage another coat before fitting, so that’s two and a half more than the original, with a further coat applied after installation. As soon as that is done it will be a phone call to the cover makers for a new top to replace the tatty bit of plastic we have now.

One alteration to the screws holding the frames in is that I will no longer be using stainless cup washers and screws as it seemed to be too obvious, so now all the screw holes have been opened out to take recessed screw cups in brass (Couldn’t get them in stainless) and will use brass screws to match. So much for no brass on this boatJ