After thinking about it, I decided that trying to make the wind vane deck mounts work in their current location wasn't the right course of action. I had spaced the mounts on deck the exact distance the tubes needed to be apart at the upper end where the vane attaches to the tube frame (in accordance with the instructions). I ran into a problem because I hadn't considered the deck camber which makes the tubes angle outwards at the top end. What I decided to do was re-position the mounts and let the tubes rise at whatever angle they wanted so long as they were properly spaced where they attach to the vane. I used a board with two holes spaced exactly like the wind vane to position the tubes and mounts. The picture shows how the mounts sit relative to the pads I had installed a few weeks ago.
I didn't have the pad material on hand so I skipped to the interior. I fit the paneling in front of the engine, glued insulation to the back and screwed it permanently in position.
Then, with the roll of insulation on hand, I went ahead and fit the insulation that goes along the hull under the galley countertop on the port and starboard sides. The funny angles took some time to sort out and the fumes from the contact cement were pretty strong inside the cabin so that ended my Saturday.
On Sunday I started back at the wind-vane (so much for installation in one weekend...) The mounting pads were set in sealant and came up with little work. I made new pads with one minor improvement. I made the pads wider. The first pads were just wide enough for the mounts which worked fine but any minor mis-alignment was immediately visible. My hope is that the larger pads will allow 1/8- 1/4 inch mis-alignment go by without drawing too much attention. Of couse I hope for no mis-alignment but consider who's doing the work...
Anyway, I felt so confident in my new mounts and their new positions that I set them in a bed of thickened epoxy. I will drill them out next weekend for permanent mounting. I will have to drill and fill the hole in the deck core from below the deck which should be interesting; do-able but interesting.
With the epoxy setting up, I cut and fit the interior panels (ceiling?) that covered the insulation under the galley benchtop. I oiled the panels and screwed them to the strips I had installed earlier. Later, I will give the panels several coats of Bilgekote white and the whole storage areas under the galley a freshening coat.
After that I decided to have some fun. I bought a sheet of cheap pine B/C plywood and made patterns for the galley countertop. This is where the title comes from; with the interior furnishings going in, the boat is suddenly becoming much smaller; nicer but smaller. It was a really good exercise because it gave me a chance to really see how the bits and pieces will fit together and proved some ideas while disproving others. It is one thing to have a vision in your head; everything works perfectly up there. In reality issues crop up quite unexpectedly. Making the patterns allowed all the details come together. It was quite exciting to see the form taking shape.
The plan is to use the top of the countertop as the top step on the companionway stairs. (that little lip sticking up will not be part of the final installation) I was wondering if this would work and if that first step would be too big. So far, my test walks have shown that the climb out is perfectly acceptable. I might still raise that center section up a bit. The mockup allows me to play with that. I am also going to have to give more thought as to how I plan on accessing the storage areas. Squeezing lids around sinks and stoves and smaller-than-visualized spaces is going to be a challenge. Speaking of sinks, My old plan was to try to re-locate the sink to a spot directly above the engine. After thinking about it for two years I still don't have an acceptable way of doing that. I think the sink will go back near the original location. Mostly because I don't have a better idea and because I already have an un-used thru-hull and seacock right there. I am also going to avoid a nice big sink which was part of my earlier plan. The waterline is only six inches or so below the level of the galley countertop so a deep sink would require a sump tank and pump. I don't want the added complexity. At one point I considered giving up the sink altogether and just using a plastic dish tub that could be taken on deck and dumped over the side. I decided not to go that route either. So far I have tossed out the simplest and most complicated ideas for sinkage. Now, I am thinking a small sink just like the original (Alberg just might have found the perfect compromise after all!) If I want a deep sink right over the engine I can pull out the dish tub and then pour it out into my shallow sink when I am finished. The best of all worlds.
Oh, I also have been trying to solve a rain leakage problem. I thought I had it completely licked but heavy downpours this week left a small puddle on the cabin sole; nothing like it was before but not perfectly dry either. This week should be a rainy week so hopefully I can spend some time at the boat after work tracking down the last drops of leaking water. In the interim, I used my shop vac to remove the water that has been accumulating in the bilge below the bilge drain (about 3 inches ~ 2 gallons). For future reference, when 'unloading' the shop vac over the side it would be a good idea to make sure your sneakers are not directly below.
And that is how I ended my weekend.
4 comments:
Why drill and fill the core from below? Overdrill and fill from above. You'll have a solid plug of epoxy through both the deck and the plate itself, and gravity will be your friend.
I really like the galley configuration. Way jealous.
-MH
You know, I never considered it but overdrilling through the pad makes much more sense. For some reason it never occurred to me.
There are a tone of details to work out with the galley but I am liking it too. It really isn't that hard to improve on a Triton galley though. Carl Alberg obviously didn't make many meals.
Another potential sink option: I lived for quite a while on a boat that was obviously built by someone very averse to seacocks: 32-footer with only 3 below the waterline.
So anyway, the galley sink was pumped out by a manual bilge pump, to a drain above the waterline (near the transom).
There was no sump. Of course that meant that if one were using a lot of water, either the sink would start filling up or you would have to stop and pump (pump handle was right next to sink, on galley/engine room bulkhead). But, I guess because the drain was largish diameter, unless you were doing a load of dishes or something, everything drained out of sight.
I put in a 9" x 13" x 9" deep sink, and I really, really liked the additional depth. You could actually have a "layer" of dishes in the bottom of the sink and still use the top of the sink (which also pre-washed the dishes).
I moved the "dollhouse" sink over into the corner (which was hard to reach anyway), and plumbed it only to the drain (I think I used a fitting for a dishwasher drain or something - commonly available anyway), and it made a great dish-drainer or vegetable drainer or just plain "this item will not go anywhere" spot.
Maybe still more complex than you want, but there at least is no sump involved.
Jenny is looking great!
R.
Intersting idea about making the sink the sump. I do have a couple of limitations I am working with. One is that the engine start battery is 'near' where the sink will be. Maybe I should move the battery. The other issue is that the space between the galley countertop and the bottom of the storage locker directly below is about 16 inches. A sink AND drain fitting AND drain hoses all need to fit within this 16 inch limitation. There is also the problem of where to put the drain pump. Not insurmountable problems of course and I will need to look into your ideas. Thanks!
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