Posts

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Foam for saloon cushions / V-birth test

Got foam from Sailrite to make saloon cushions and cut it to size. Going with extra firm, 4in thick for seats and 3in thick for backs. No material (or time, really) to sew the covers yet. Used basic blankets to cover the foam and test it out. Sooooo much more comfy than sitting on bare fiberglass! I think the backs may be too high as I cut them initially. Will take them down by an inch or so when making the actual cushions.

Tested out both 4in and 3in thick pieces as mattress in the v-birth. Determined that 3 inches is totally enough for a comfortable rest so will order that thickness for all the sleeping cushions.

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Re-done propane tank locker

While working in the stern, took the opportunity to fix all the mistakes I made with the propane locker:

  • Box to deck join only had basic adhesive foam liner. The assumption was that rubber seal above it will keep moisture out. That turned out to be false and the locker had quite a bit of moisture inside and leaked water into the interior. Ripped out the liner and put in proper sealant.
  • Drain hole was drilled about 2 inches from back wall to be more accessible; however, the condensation just accumulated in those last 2 inches and there was constant standing water in there. Moved the drain hole & hose to the very edge of the box, epoxied it in, and closed off the old hold with epoxy.
  • The hole through which solenoid cable was entering the box was small so I figured it’s not really necessary to seal it. Wrong. Moisture/condensation dripped through it. Sealed it properly this time.

After all of that was done, the lid was remounted and the box was cleaned, sanded, and painted on the inside. Should keep all the moisture out from the inside of the boat now.

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Reinstalled stern cleats

After reinforcing the deck to hull joint at the stern, I made out of G10 a couple of large/oversize backing plates for the cleats and re-bedded them with sealant. Should be much stronger and more waterproof now.

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Finished wiring DC circuit

With help from my friend Viktar, the final motor wiring and remaining DC components were connected and tested. Batter charger / inverter is in place, 48V to 12V circuit for main DC panel is in place, batteries are charging, motor is hooked up. Was finally able to remove the last remaining old battery – house. Now the boat is 100% on the Victron Lithium-based system.

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Replaced DC main switch

Since my main switch now works on 48V (upstream of the 48V -> 12V converter), a new beefier version was needed. Lucky for me it fit into the same slot/hole so the swap was fairly easy.

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Mounted plaques

Mounted back the guardian of the boat and all the plaques that used to be on the bulkheads before I made the new ones. Boat’s history proudly displayed.

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Sealed rudder post

Found a few slow leaks on the rudder post and realized the cover plate was never attached after being painted in 2017. Took time to clean it up, seal it properly, and add fasteners. Should be nice and dry now.