Thursday 29 March 2012

I need to re-Vent.....

UPDATE 02-04-2012 : Got over to the boat and ripped this old f--king thing off. The existing hole is 5/8" oversized compared to the new unit (3 3/8"). This should be ok as the new mounting holes are far enough outward from the existing thru-hole to provide enough grab for the new unit.



Original Post...

..... Literally


The current vent is a constant leaking point (second only to the cockpit seat hole), non-functional and completely worn out. Since ownership, Santeria has always been a damp boat. I'm hoping that this addition will improve the airflow through the cabin and reduce the mustiness.








The improvement:

Solar charged, Li-ion battery powered, on sale at Rigging Shoppe for 89.99 + tax

SS outer shell, sealed solar panel and battery

View from the inside. 3 1/2" hole required

Monday 26 March 2012

Bolt Cutters....Check!...I hope I never have to use these things!

Large set, was 30$ + tax

Thru-Cockpit Seat hole

The starboard cockpit seat has a 1 1/4" hole to allow the gas line through into the cabin. The gas tank is fastened down and secure under the starboard quarter birth. This hole is very large and contributes largely to the volume of bilge water after a rain. My solution here was to use a rubber stopper that I found while browsing the isles of Active Surplus in Toronto. The stopper already came with a centre hole and I was thinking that for a dollar, it might be a good solution to this problem.

The centre hole of the rubber stopper was undersized so I continued to drill out the center hole to the size of the gas line hose (9/16). I also have a GPS cable that shares this entry point into the cabin so I drilled a second buddy hole through the rubber stopper about 3/8".

The second part of this equation was to build a backing plate that would hold the stopper in place. I didn't want someone bumping into it while underway and knocking it out. The backing plate is made from a small piece of aluminium that is hidden on the inside portion of the hole.

Top view.
The aluminium backing plate was added to this solution. A 9/16 hole down the middle of the stopper and backing plate was drilled. 2 SS screws hold the plate into the rubber.


Side View. The stopper was 1 1/2" wide, and the hole is 1 5/16", so I add more taper to the stopper.



Cost of solution was 1$

Thursday 22 March 2012

Electrical Part 4....Installation

Over the month of March, I completed the majority of the electrical install on Santeria.

I took a page out of PH Smith's book and used EMT tubing and waterproof electrical boxes to conduit the wiring around the boat.

With this in place, I was ready to run the wiring to support all electrical components on the boat. Using a fish-tape and yellow 77 made this a breeze.

I also re-routed the wind speed central control module into the area behind the electrical panels. Most of the electrical is finished, however I have a few more connections to make. Below you can see the electrical panels, as well as the roughed in wiring.


2 other additions were a USB and cigarette lighter for other electrical peripherals. Next question, does it all work. to be continued...Electrical Part 5

Installing the Hatch

As you can see here, the hatch has been installed. It need a little more engineering to support the hinges and latch. A few 3/4" pieces on the underside of this counter space should do the trick.