|
22 October, '06
While all this is going
on, I am still gradually building my workshops interior,
I completed some of the electrical wiring the other
day, and now have 12 live electric power points instead
of one, and have just finished the sharpening and grinder
bench. I have a rough grinder, a slower speed fine grinder
with finer grit pink and white soft stones, and a wet
grinder for very fine edges. You can see the drill press
there, and the next job is to build shelves and a bench
at the end of the building that will be the "engineering"area
for working metals.
|
We have just been talking over the engine box layout, the fuel
tank (and the position of its filler and vent), the lockers
(and spaces all around that area) and how to bolt the engine
bearers in. This has been occupying our thoughts for a while
now, and as other jobs are completed the need to get on with
it draws nigh.
So I have a drawing job to do. Charlie is doing the panel work
in the area; making the box close to airtight so we can get
some effective reduction of the noise the little diesel will
make, and figuring out how to fit the mixture of second hand
and new equipment that will mount the motor and provide it with
all the functions that it needs to operate.
A view aft from the
galley, the between the "goalposts" is where the motor
will live. To your left a small wet weather clothes
locker, and to the right a battery box and tool storage
space. Above the engine is where the liferaft stows,
and we have chosen an RFD 4 man raft which will be custom
packed to fit the space we have ( thanks John Roberts
of RFD Auckland )
|
We have to find a through hull fitting to admit the cooling
water, a ball valve to shut that off when not required. An exhaust
which has a water trap muffler built in which not only deals
with the hot gases but carries away the hot water as well. There
is a fuel tank to find and fit, filters and fuel lines, all
located so that they can be accessed for servicing. The starter
battery and connections have to be mounted so that they are
secure if the boat gets knocked down. A toolbox where spares
and tools are stored close to the point of use must also be
built.
One of the things that we are pondering is how to get the little
engine up over the side and into the boat without dropping it.
We don’t have room for a crane inside, and that part of
the boat is not under one of the steel beams that hold the shop
roof up, so its probably going to be a straight lift from floor
to a portable bench, then in through the still open transom
onto a couple of planks on the cockpit floor framing, then a
lift onto the bridgedeck and a (much easier) lift down onto
the cabin floor. The little Bukh weighs in at 64 kg so its liftable.
The heater
has a 2 US Gal tank that should mean a refill about every
four days if used for evenings and mornings. Trying to
carry that amount of kero down below in a plastic container
and to pour it into a funnel is likely to end up with
some missing the opening so the tank will be mounted in
this quick release bracket that lives on the forward side
of B# 4, that’s the one that forms the forward side of
the galley.
|
This genuine Primus
brand pressure kerosene cooker was bought over the internet,
Trade Me and Ebay have been a very useful source of
equipment for this boat, and watching what Charlie has
been doing, and seeing the bargains that he’s bought
I’d recommend internet trading for parts if you are
building anything from a little dinghy to a small ship.
The cooker sits down
in an enclosed space ( yes there is enough ventilation
to get air to it) where it cant spill hot food on the
crew. It will be gimballed, and the opening in the galley
front will have a sliding door that allows access to
the cookers filler, pump and control valve.
click images
for larger views
|
The engine installation is quite a big job, and soon we’ll
be able to show you how we did it.
In the meantime I have been up to visit my favourite plywood
place, and have brought home 14 sheets of plywood of various
thicknesses, there is enough there to complete the interior,
build the decks and cabin sides and the cockpit. Gordon was
his usual helpful self and tells me that lots of JW Builders
have been in for plywood and glue, thanks guys.
As the voyage comes closer, we think more thoughts of route
and distance, comfort, food and such. Charlie has been building
the area around the galley, and made some changes to accommodate
the pressure kerosene heater, built a mounting for the heater
fuel tank that allows the tank to be dismounted and taken out
in the cockpit for filling, nothing as sick making as the stink
of kerosene in the cabin so avoiding spills is high on the list
of priorities.
The single burner kerosene cooker will be mounted on gimbals,
and after thinking over the time and effort required to make
them it was decided to investigate buying a set of Sea Swing
fittings which would save a lot of metalwork.
A view forward into
the heads and anchor tackle lockers. Note the steps
built into the furniture so it is possible to climb
up and out of the forward cabin through the forward
hatch without standing on things not intended as a ladder.
|
Its not far off time to start painting, at least the interior
primer. We will need about 16 litres of the low viscosity high
penetration primer that we have chosen, and fetching that is
something else to do next week.
While investigating closed cell foam for another purpose, I
came across a company that has a very soft low density 40mm
thick waterproof closed cell foam in bulk sheets. They now have
a sample coming so we can consider it for use as bunk upholstery,
the advantage being that it is good insulation, soft, can be
allowed to get wet and still just wipe dry. I’ll keep
you posted on that stuff, two layers should make a fair bed.
A job that needs to be done soon is the drilling of the keelbolts,
a job that will require a very precise hand, wish us luck!
John Welsford,
Designer. |
