The New Salon Berth - Seating Reborn

As I uncovered the damage done to the galley, I noticed that the dry rot had migrated into the starboard salon furniture and berth.  This included the shelving unit above the berth below.  Fortunately, the damaged areas were essentially limited to the exposed plywood, although I found some rotted ends of the teak ceiling.

Starboard Salon Seat - shelf bottom and ceiling removed to the hull

OK, what to do?  Well, as I looked at the berth design, I was not overly impressed with the way the berth provided seating support for one's back.  If you sat on the starboard berth, you would almost fall back into a full reclined position.  Without big bulky cushions, the starboard would be total unworkable AND be a lousy sea berth.

After a few sessions of just looking and thinking, I came up with a very simple retro fit.  First the rotted shelf bottom would be removed and used as a template for a new bottom.  This shelf bottom would extend out beyond the cabinet front by a few inches to met a sloping back of the new berth back.  Within the berth back would be extra storage space.  The berth itself would be slightly reduced to form a comfortable seat, but, more importantly, a secure sea berth.

I was able to procure some sapele striped mahogany plywood from Boulter Plywood, and using some extra merranti plywood for internal supports the framework came together nicely.  I installed new insulation on the hull, and used Reflectix for that purpose:  the Reflectix obtained at either Home Depot or Lowes provides a suitable radiant heat barrier and an R factor of about 3.5 to 4.0 when doubled up.

New Starboard Salon Berth with Reflectix insulation and ceiling

With storage being provided behind the berth back, I needed to construct hatches for access.  I didn't want hinged cupboards which would be uncomfortable to lean back on.  Even though the seat back was canted back about 15 degrees for comfort, I needed the hatches to stay put.  Drawing from some traditional woodworking, I made mahogany pins for the back of the hatches.  These pins apply enough pressure on the seat back to hold the hatch panel in its space within the seat back.

The openings and hatches were made of sapele mahogany trimmed in teak .  When the final finish is applied there will be 5 coats of varnish.  However, the teak trim will be glossy with the main panels being done in either hand rubbed or satin vanish.

As it is getting into Fall, and I would like to save some travel time going back and forth from New Hampshire to Marion, MA, I need to be able to use the berth for sleeping.  I am sure I will get that chance in October.  With the sun setting earlier, I need as much working time as possible

Finished Starboard Salon Berth - access panel hatches have been removed and new seat mahogany seat front trim was added

The berth is done with the exception of plugging the screw holes and finish varnishing.  That will be a task for next year, I am sure.  I am very happy with the outcome, and it feels real good to actually build something back up rather than to continue to tear something out!

Fair Winds and Following Seas!

New Seacocks & Through Hulls - The Hole Enchilada

A crucial system on any boat is the raw water (i.e. sea water) control system.  While this s not a system per se, it is an interconnected series of valves, fittings, and hoses that allow sea water to flow into and out of the boat, but, more importantly, tat keep sea water from flowing into the boat's bilges!  As a friend once said, "those holes in the bottom of the boat are water let'er inners NOT water let'er outers"!

Various pieces of equipment use salt water or raw water to function.  Marine heads typically use sea water to flush.  Galley sinks can use sea water to help rinse dishes.  The engine uses sea water to keep it within proper operating temperatures.  Even refrigeration can use sea water to dissipate heat.  The key issue is to control the flow of that sea water:  to let it in and out when it is needed, and keep it out when not.

A hole below the waterline in a boat can emit a tremendous amount of water into the boat.  The displacement of the boat forces the boat down in the water column while an open hole under water allows the displaced water to go through that hole at a furious rate.  So, it is important to be able to close off that hole when the water is not needed.

OK, the controlling mechanisms are seacocks.  Seacocks are valves that when connected to threaded through-hull fittings create a solid unit for either letting sea water in and out, and, as important, keeping sea water out.  Without getting too technical, appropriate seacocks are designed with either tapered plugs or ball valves. 
Both work quite well and each has their share of proponents.

When Harmony was constructed, she had bronze tapered plug seacocks installed.  There were at least 7 seacocks or holes below the water line:  2 cockpit drains, 2 holes for the forward head, 1 for the forward head sink, 1 for the engine, and 1 for the aft head.  In some cases a sea cock had multiple items plumbed into it, and this presented some safety concerns.  Moreover, after years of neglect, these tapered plug seacocks had become either frozen open or closed.

In order to ensure the integrity and safety of the raw water system on Harmony, we decided to replace all seacocks with new bronze ball valve seacocks.  We also chose to eliminate unnecessary through-hulls and simplify the overall plumbing.  We chose Groco seacocks and through-hulls because of their quality and because they feature stainless steel balls rather than chromed brass ball valves.

Since we had chosen to use composting heads, we could eliminate at least 3 through-hull fittings.  GREAT!  Than meant we only had one seacock, the forward head sink, outside of the engine room.  This would narrow the search for leaks if a through-hull connection ever failed.  We could clean-up the myriad of connections on each through-hull and increase the system's integrity.

Removal promised to be quite a chore since the existing through-hull fittings and seacocks could not be easily disassembled:  you know big wrench turned by huge biceps, which I lack!  Not to mention the fact that whatever had been used to bed the fittings took its job very seriously!  So, I simple took a Dremel tool and cut quadrants through the  external mushroom head of the through-hull and, because the bronze was malleable, I pried the mushroom head off.  After that the seacock and threaded piece of the through-hull spun easily out.

The new seacocks were installed on backing blocks I had cut from 1/2 inch solid fiberglass.  This added an extra amount of strength to the assembly.  These seacock were through bolted and the through-hull screwed into the seacock.  Once I started the process and refined my technique, I was able to remove and install all of the fittings with about 2 full days of effort.

I bedded the through-hulls in 3M 4200 so that I can remove them later if necessary.  I replaced all existing hoses with new and appropriate hoses.  All that is left to do is to attach an appropriate sized plug to each seacock to use in case of failure.

Harmony's Engine Room Port Side Seacocks - clockwise from bottom of picture - 3/4" water maker supply, 1 1/2" cockpit drain, 1 1/2" engine raw water

Well, to do the right job did entail a few boat dollars of investment, and a thorough study of a great website:  www.pbase.com/mainecruising.  This site has an abundance of information and expertly diagramed techniques related to boat systems and their installation and maintenance. 

Beth and I will be able to sleep soundly knowing that all through-hulls are robust and secure.  I am sure the insurance company will be happy, too!

Fair Winds and Following Seas!

A Watermaker - Are we All Wet!

Alright, our interest in a water making system was certainly piqued at the Newport Boat Show.  The potential simplicity and ease of operation of the system offered by DIY Watermakers make our consideration very serious.  So, why would we need a water maker when our sailing plans contemplate mostly coastal voyages?

Well, one of the elements of sailing, cruising, or voyaging that we really value is the self-reliance it requires.  Additionally, we like to be relatively off the grid and independent with respect to "having" to go to the dock or "having" someone come out to us for anything.  Now, we're not "doomsday preppers" or kooks longing for solitary existence.  But we want to be able to handle most of our needs by ourselves.

Having a water making system would offer several benefits to us.  First, we would always have control over the quality of the water we have in our tanks.  Second, we would be able to generate enough water for all of our needs without having to make repeated trips to the dock to fill our 200 gallon tanks.  Third, if we were to ever be able to take a cruise to the "islands", it would be imperative to have our own clean water supply.

In normal situations, one goes to the "main" dock or marina to fill empty water tanks.  This water usually is from a relatively reliable municipal water supply, but sits in hoses until it reaches the one's deck fills.  Once in the boat's tanks, the "new" water must be sanitized with a variety of chemicals.  In outlying areas or the "islands", the water may be sourced from some very questionable sources.

For us, the process of bring Harmony into the dock involves a lot of work for 2 people.  And that is in calm conditions.  Yes, we have a bow thruster, but the Westsail 42 is a big and beamy boat with a 4+ foot bow sprit and it can be nerve wracking.  To exert the effort for a 20 minute water fill may not be the best use of time and energy.

When we move onto Harmony we will have the luxury of pressure water, hot water showers, and multiple sinks.  Our previous boat, Poetry, was fitted out with 1 manual water pump and no internal shower.  Not that we want to be wasteful, but we do want to move beyond a camping-like existence on-board.  We really want to entertain friends and family on-board without subjecting them to an overdone scarcity environment.  Being able to replenish our water supplies while either at anchor or underway makes life aboard less limiting and increases the overall comfort level.

Yes, our primary cruising voyages will be coastal.  We won't be crossing oceans.  However, we do have a desire to take at least one trip south the Caribbean Islands.  While we'll certainly have to go ashore to clear customs and enjoy the cultures, we do want to be somewhat independent from island water supplies. 

OK, we could dinghy ashore with our multitude of 5 gallon containers and make the repeated trek back and forth.  Let's see, 200 gallons divided by 5 equals 40.  Each 5 gallon container weighs about 40 pounds. It won't take long for the back and forth to get old!

So, there are a lot of advantages and "luxuries" associated with the having a water maker system.  There are also costs and complexities.  It is certainly cheaper and simpler to take a container to a well or plug a hose into the deck fill.  For us, the decision is less about the cost and more about the quality of the life we'll live aboard.  This is not to say that we are not frugal:  heck, we are New Englanders who have relatively simple tastes.

Since the Newport Boat Show, we have discussed this topic almost endlessly.  I think we have convinced ourselves of the efficacy of having a water maker.  Now, we need to invest a bit of effort researching our options, because we don't want to find ourselves all wet after having made a decision with diluted information!

Fair Winds and Following Seas!

The Newport Boat Show - Decisions Made

Boat shows are usually a mixed bag for us.  Yes, we really enjoy being among boats of all kinds, but we are not big fans of aimless wandering.  Our most anticipated boat shows are those at which we need to do either major research for a project or serious buying for a boat project.  However, as much as we gear up for getting something done, our boat shoe experiences fail to live up to the excitement we often feel to get into the detail.

Most of this disappointment involves vendors who tend to just show up at the show.  With rare exception, they have a pretty face in their booth, but have either no desire or ability to really field serious questions or transact serious business.  This is a shame, because some of us come to boat shows to do more than drool over the nautical eye candy.

For us the 2012 Newport Boat Show was targeted as a serious purchase venture.  We were in position to buy major systems and wanted to take full advantage of boat show discounts.  Our helpful counsel, Greg Flederman, The Boat Doctor, offered to help up select and negotiate system prices.

Obviously, Greg was going to really help out with our selection of navigational systems including radar, chart plotter, auto pilot, etc.  We were going to avail ourselves of his expertise regarding lighting, refrigeration, and anything else he offered.  He had other clients at the show, and we agreed to meet up at the Raymarine booth.

With Greg's counsel, we had chosen Raymarine as our suite of electronics.  While Garmin was a serious contender, the interfacing capabilities of Raymarine, as well as their quality in the autopilot category swung the deal.  However, the Raymarine booth was NOT selling at the show.  WHAT!?  Well, we were at least able to select each component with the help of their show folks.  We would purchase it all later.

We then went to Frigoboat to discuss refrigeration.  We have both a reefer and a freezer to install.  Frigoboat sent us to Kathy Groh at Great Water Marine Systems to chat about systems.  We found Kathy to be incredibly sincere and helpful.  With her help, we were able to select the components for Harmony.  She also helped us out with selecting water heaters.  She wasn't able to make any sales at the show, but she noted our needs and we scheduled a follow-up chat/meeting to finalize what we would actually purchase.  A huge advantage for us is that Kathy's facility is just 30 minutes from Harmony.

We evaluated a new rigid inflatable dinghy for Harmony, as our current inflatable is beginning to suffer from inflatile dysfunction, and may not be up to the task of shepherding us back and forth to the boat.  If we get the air leaks fixed, our current dinghy may prove to be a better dinghy dock resident:  we use our dinghy dock dinghy as an emergency access boat in case the Barden's Boat Yard launch is not available.

We were able to evaluate various LED lights for Harmony's interior.  The tough task with these lights is that is hard to really understand how much light they emit and how their light looks when on.  While we didn't buy any lights, we were able to make a clear selection of what to put where.

We were able to meet up with Mack Boring and purchase the new engine:  a Yanmar 4JH4-HTE.  This decision was covered in a prior posting, but at the show we inked the deal to buy it.  Well, one purchase made!

Our last experience at the 2012 Newport Boat Show came after Greg scurried to find us.  He had seen a very interesting water making system (i.e. reverse osmosis) that was not only very affordable, but really easy to install and operate.  We spend over a half an hour at the DIY Watermakers booth listening to Raymond and Amanda Fosdick explain their concept.

Beth and I had not considered adding a water maker to Harmony.  This was primarily due to the cost of the systems offered by the major players on the market.  However, the simplicity of the DIY Watermakers' system, the relatively low cost to install, and ease of operation made us put this consideration in the high interest column.

So, after a long day of buying, selecting, and considering, we felt we had a decent boat show experience.  While we didn't want away carrying big boxes, we did achieve a lot of what we wanted to do.  Heck, I couldn't see how we were going to carry the new engine back to the car anyway!  Yes, we had a good day at a boat show, finally!

Fair Winds and Following Seas!

The New Engine - A Powerful Choice

After much searching, head scratching, and question asking, we have finally chosen an engine for Harmony.  We looked at all possibilities for a diesel auxiliary.  The 2 primary focal points included brand and size in horse power.  We wanted to ensure that we had a reliable engine that was easy to service either by ourselves or others wherever we voyaged, and we wanted to have enough power to move the boat at hull speed and to spin a good size alternator.

When Harmony was built in 1976, she was powered by a standard Perkins 4-108 diesel which produced about 84 horse power.  This had become a standard power package for the Westsail 42.  While Perkins makes fine engines and we were experienced with our Perkins 30 HP unit on Poetry, the 4-108 has a reputation for being a bit of a hassle to work on.

Most of the engines we looked at, Beta, Perkins, Westerbeke, and Catepillar were all marinized truck engines.  As had been our experience with finding electricians, we found it frustrating to get anyone to really talk to us about what engine to choose.  Now, we're talking about spending roughly $18,000 for the new engine.  I guess I imagined that in this relatively slow economy that someone would want to do a little business.

Well, enter the Mack Boring company out of Braintree, MA, and we found someone who was willing to spend time with us.  We had huddled with Dave Winskowicz from Mack Boring at the January 2012 Boston Boat Show and he spent as much time as we needed.  He gave us two recommendations, both of which were Yanmar models:  a 75 HP model and a 110 HP model.  Yanmar engines are made purposefully for the marine market and are standard equipment on many of today's leading sailboats.

Now there will always be a point of contention between the old school guys that like the Detroit diesels and the new school folks that move with the newer innovations.  We liked that Yanmar has been installed in most of the new vessels and parts and service are found almost everywhere we were sailing.  Besides, Mack Boring had a solid working relationship with our boatyard, Barden's Boat Yard.  On top of that, Mack Boring offered 3 day instructional classes in servicing and maintaining the engine:  Oh, the sight of Beth with a torque wrench in the engine room wearing a matching ensemble of matching overalls and shoes was too much!

After much thought and continued discussion with Dave over the intervening months we were quickly reaching a decision point.  We were leaning to the 110 HP unit in order to provide the sufficient amount of power for propulsion and charging.  A quick discussion with Doug at Barden's Boat Yard and our decision was made.

Our Yanmar 4JK4-HTE - a 110 HP iron genoa

Our plan was to buy the engine at the 2012 Newport Boat Show thus enjoying the benefits of a boat show discount.  We were to meet up with Dave at Newport and do the deal.  Yep, we were going to purchase a Yanmar 4JH4-HTE:  a turbo-charged 110 HP unit that will give us the power we need to battle currents AND do healthy charging.

Great!  A major decision made and movement forward.

Fair Winds and Following Seas!