Electricity
As it happens, I started on
the electrical system. I watched enough YouTube videos to confuse myself but
eventually jumped into the wiring and started pulling out everything that was
not actually hooked up to something. Then I started cutting old wiring (like to
lights) and pulling those thinking I will run new wire when I get to that
stage. I also moved the battery charger from back in the Starboard quarter
berth to the side of the new electrical panel location. I also mounted all the
panels in the door of the new location whether they were hooked up or not. This
gave me a clean location at the Navigation (Nav) station (desk) to work from. The
system is a lot simpler than I thought. My next move, before hooking anything
up, was to reconfigure the batteries. I have 4 batteries and 2 were hooked up
to the motor AND the “House” and 2 were just sitting as backups, not hooked up
to anything. So, I made one dedicated to starting the engine only and 3 together
for the house. I was now at a standstill and at the limit of my understanding. So,
I called Tom Wolf, Marine Technician and very cool dude, and he spent an hour
with me on the phone listening and directing me on what to do next and why. The
following day I followed his direction and by the end of the day, I had the
battery banks separated, the motor running off the one and the bilge pumps
running off the other. I went home a very satisfied DIYer that night. I am now
ready to replace most of the old wire that I used to accomplish all this with
new wire and, when I get there, run all the new stuff like running lights.
OLD
Now, there is really only one
electrical challenge left, the engine alternator. For those that don’t know, a
diesel engine (which is what I have) only needs power (battery) to turn the
motor over to start it. There are no spark plugs like a gas engine as it
explodes the fuel to drive the pistons simply by compressing it on one of the
up strokes of the piston. So, the alternator in your car has to create
electricity by being turned by the running motor to continually provide electrical
power but the diesel only needs to charge the battery so it will start next
time. Since I have a battery charger when plugged into the shore power at the
dock, the alternator has no actual purpose at the moment and isn’t hooked up.
It is just sitting there spinning, making electricity that isn’t going
anywhere.
Now, if and when we are away
from the dock, say off shore cruising, the batteries that start the engine and
run the boat generally will need to be charged and running the motor (and hence
the alternator) will be required. So that is now my last major electrical challenge
but for the time being, being in the slip and having shore power, I am not lacking
for battery charging capacity.
Boat wiring being off my “Anxious”
list for the time being, that brings me to the biggest and most important
project, the actual “under the waterline” structure. Again, I offer remedial explanation.
Most will know what a keel
is, the heavy timber running the length of the boat. The structure of a sailboat
is shaped like the profile of a wine glass made up of oak frames tied into the
keel. Where they join the keel and perpendicular to them are floor timbers that
are fixed to the keel and bolted to the bottom of the frames. The planks that
keep the water out run the length of the boat and are screwed and/or riveted to
the frames. The whole thing keeps itself together by being fastened to itself,
just like teeth in your mouth. One gets loose, the rest start to get loose. All
wooden boats leak, loose boats leak more.
My main problem is that the bolts
fastening the major frames (1 major, 2 minor, 1 major, etc., etc.) to the floor
timbers are 60 years old and rusted almost out of existence. Where they go through
the floor timbers the holes are not so bad but where they go through the
frames, the holes have deteriorated (rotted) the frame wood badly. Now, the
proper thing to do would be to simply replace the frames from deck to keel but
that is rebuilding the boat. That is beyond my resources to do and I propose to
replace the bottom 18 inches of the frames, scarfing into the old solid frames.
You can look up scarfing if you like. My problem is, planks are fastened to the
frames from the outside so obviously, the boat has to be hauled out to do this.
17 tons of boat with no trailer can’t be placed in your yard to work on so it
requires a crane at a boatyard ($$$$$). It also requires, not only skill to cut
or laminate the frames (curved and beveled!!!) but knowledge to do this with
structural integrity in mind so the whole thing doesn’t break apart 3 miles off
the coast of Northern California while on our way to Vancouver! Finding a
shipwright with the experience has been more than a challenge as there are only
a very few and they are so busy, even being able to afford them doesn’t get you
to the front of the line. So, I am contemplating doing this all myself BUT, I
have found a shipwright that I contacted this morning so, perhaps I am getting
a bit closer to my last real challenge (besides the fear of actually sailing a
boat as big as a school bus when finished). Will let you know how it goes.
UPdate: The shipwright I found is not interested in my project. Also I went back to the shipwright in Sausalito that I had originally hoped to have do the work but he is simply too busy, had to have his crew tested as one came up with Covid, and it would have been just too expensive so I am on my own. But he did call after I left his place and he was very nice in chatting, offered to come and see the boat and also offered some structural advice which is really what I need. So.......I am starting the "plan" to haul out, probably in November.
UPdate: September 2020 / I have decided on a structural plan. I intend to pull the old rusty bolts and remove the rotten wood around them. The main frames being made of 6 laminations of 3/8 inch bent wood strips of oak and the top 2 strips still being good, I will treat the wood with CPES (Clear "Penetrating" Epoxy) which will stabilize the wood. I will leave the screws from the planks (coming from the outside) in to support Marine epoxy putty filler which will harden in place and replace the rotten wood. I will then replace the old steel rusted bolts with Silicon Bronze. I think this will suffice in refurbishing the structure. So that is the plan at the moment. Of course following the restructure, the planks, assuming they are good, will then be caulked with cotton, sealer and then painted. Yes, I am in way over my head but, who knows, I might pull it off yet!
