Wiring Continues

Well I’m still at it, the 12V wiring in the forward part of T-A is nearing completion, all that is left is the sensor for the water tank, the extractor fan in the bathroom and the reading lights in the lounge. All the overhead lighting is complete but as usual nothing was straight forward and the bedroom ceiling had to be operated on to get the cables through. Nice new reading lamps installed. 

Trim had to be removed and panels prised down. Ran a blade along the edges of the battens to stop the ash veneer pulling up as battens are glued as well as screwed and it worked a treat, only veneer under the strips lifted.  

Battening back up with just plugs to insert.

The wiring under the gunwales has been a pain – literally – in avoiding the screws that are poking out of the woodwork, but I’m pleased with the way its turning out. Gone is the cats cradle of blue and brown.

To be replaced by red and black (Yellow is the draw cord for any further additions) and the 240V is now running in its own separate conduit.

The new ceiling lights in the lounge have been installed as has the extractor fan over the hob behind a fancy new vent.

Just the panelling to replace.

As for the rest of the time it’s been cutting grass, harvesting and freezing broad beans, digging new potatoes ----- Mmmmmm nice bit of chicken served up with new potatoes and broad beans fresh out of the garden all covered in parsley sauce – can’t be beat. (Sorry Tony – delete chicken and substitute haddock)

Making Work

Well we’re back in the water as of last Monday after getting most of the jobs done on the outside. After the launch it was a case of secure up back at the pontoon and have an early day as I was about ready for a break. While doing the rewire you start thinking – “While I’m doing this I may as well do that and how about that” etc. So on Tuesday we went to Midland Chandlers at Mercia Marina to purchase two new wall/reading lights for the lounge and two more for the bedroom with two replacement ceiling lights for the lounge, along with four nice stainless steel grilles for the ceiling vents. While we were there we had a quick look across the marina for any familiar names or boats but nothing seen.

Wednesday was another quiet day catching up with jobs at home. Down to T-A again on Thursday doing a bit more of the wiring inside with the weather being so foul.

Felt really sorry for this little swallow on the TV aerial of the next boat looking dejected with the rain hammering down making no attempt to move.

The wiring continues and the inside of the boat still looks like a war zone.

This is the galley area with lights now in and working and that’s a fan dangling there.  Again, while I’ve got things in pieces the vent over the hob is getting an extractor fan installed as is the vent in the bathroom – picked them up in Maplin. Also got a load of PC case fans to be fitted in the bilges and behind the fridge/freezer to aid circulation. On top of all that there are 4.5mm cables being run down each side to take cigar lighter type sockets to be mounted to operate 12V ancillary equipment.  Not forgetting LED floor lights for the wheelhouse and steps still to be wired in.

This is the third bag full of cable recovered, about 75% of the way there now but I haven’t been able to achieve my goal of removing all old wiring as some is jammed behind panels. It will have to be left but at least it will not be connected to anything as there will be no connections to the battery but mine. To that end I have even managed to get some super flexible 70 sq. mm cable plus terminals to replace the main feeds between battery and inverter.

All a bit chaotic and boring but bear with me as this wiring/rewiring will take a while longer yet but at the same time I hope to get other jobs on the go. Popped into Nottingham last Wednesday and got some 8x4ft sheets of ash faced ply in 6mm and 3.6mm as well as 18mm birch ply, ready for making new cupboards, battery boxes and the like.

Looks like there is more work coming up with the Grantham Canal Society in the near future, Shame I missed out on the new gates going in at lock 18 which was put back and clashed with T-A being out of the water.

In The Sh*t Again

Down at T-A every day since last post but coming home too tired to do any blogging.

At the moment I am replacing the wiring for the ceiling lights and (touch wood) am being able to do so by only removing one side of the ceiling panels,

but in doing so some of the battens are coming down with it as they are only stuck in with mastic.

I don’t know if this is normal practice but it doesn’t seem very secure.

The new trip switch panel is slowly being populated and we now have a working horn and at long last a tunnel lamp.

Friday and Saturday Karen spent the days cleaning the posides and touching up the flaky paintwork, pity the inside doesn't look so tidy.

The day before T-A was slipped we went round to the pump out point and gave the system two tokens worth of sludge gulping as one of the jobs to sort was the temporary bodge done to the black water tank to get us away last summer. The Nearly Trip

I was somewhat surprised when I removed the inspection cover to find effluent only three inches from the top. This is not what I had hoped for, so set to removing all the tape and sealant from the pickup pipe.  On removing the extraction pipe top I Find that the pipe has dropped down and is resting on the bottom of the tank effectively blocking it. Had the bottom of the pipe been cut at an angle as shown in the Vetus manual it probably would have carried on working. Of the ‘O’ ring also listed there was no sign. New ‘O’ ring fitted to pipe and pipe tightened into correct position, hopefully this will cure the problem but at the same time I will see if I can obtain a new pipe and cut it as per the manual.

As is often said on the railway “We’re always in the sh*t – it’s only the depth that varies” J

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!