HighDesert Posted October 25, 2019 Report Share Posted October 25, 2019 Your boat is beautiful, Steve. And she looks great on the water. You'll have some good times with her. Well worth the time and effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted November 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2019 Any optimism of getting another sail is officially over. So I'm working on a few details. I had just laid my bunk storage lids under the cushions, but that has proven unacceptable. They mostly stayed in place, but not always. I was looking for an alternative to using piano hinge, but I couldn't figure anything else, so last night I cut piano hinge into suitable lengths and ground the sharp corners with a pedestal grinder. I bought some 1/4" long SS screws off Amazon because out local hardware store only carried 3/8 and even though I've spent a fortune weren't too keen on special ordering for me. Ever since they became and ACE hardware store it's been straight downhill. Oh well. Tonight I'll screw them all down. I got the depth sounder to install and I need to show you all the nice little drawer I put in under the companionway that holds my GPS and assorted stuff I need easy access too. Now, if Jay is reading this, I need more info on your two-way pump. You texted me pics of the install about 4 years ago which I somehow lost. I am sort of a Luddite, but I've conceded a pump would be nice for filling/un-filling the ballast tank. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jknight611 Posted November 12, 2019 Report Share Posted November 12, 2019 Hi Steve, your boat looks great, sorry you couldn’t make the Messabout, hope to see it and you at next year. The pump is a Johnson Pump F4B-11 Ski Boat Ultra Ballast Pump. It has worked fine for 4 years now. I put the inlet in the centerboard trunk, and it has worked good, except when you pinstripe with the centerboard, mud gets in the tank and it is a PIA to clean the tank out. It is terribly noisy if you mount it directly to a bulkhead, turns the boat into a sounding rod, I used some Lord brand rubber mounts on my second iteration, better. I used pvc on Southern Express, but if I were doing it again I think the PEX would flow better. A perfect time to use the ballast pump as a cockpit wash down pump and water ballon filler with a simple 3 way valve. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rattus Posted November 14, 2019 Report Share Posted November 14, 2019 On 11/12/2019 at 1:00 PM, Steve W said: Any optimism of getting another sail is officially over. You call that snow? Pfft. But gorgeous boat, nice flick, *really* nice speeds. Congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jknight611 Posted November 14, 2019 Report Share Posted November 14, 2019 Where I live, that much Sneaux would have schools closed for a week ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rattus Posted November 14, 2019 Report Share Posted November 14, 2019 To continue the slaughter of the language, it snew 4' in October by us. And our kids experienced exactly 1 snow day during their entire school careers, when the power was shut down and the heat wouldn't come up. Life at 8000'+ in a ski resort (Vail). But I grew up in upstate NY, and have been in NH the last few weeks helping my folks out, and there really is no cold like Northeast cold. In CO it's usually dry, bright and sunny even when we have many feet of snow underfoot - here it's bare at the moment but that humid, frozen wind just cuts right through you. So Steve, the end of your season makes sense. May it resume on time next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted November 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2019 I can't find my plans and I can't remember how thick the hull panels are. My mind thinks 9mm, but I'd like an official answer. You will see why soon enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Designer Posted November 17, 2019 Report Share Posted November 17, 2019 Steve, The hull panels are all 6mm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted November 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2019 Thanks Graham! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted November 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2019 Everyone have a very Happy Thanksgiving. I'm trying to add a transducer to shoot through the hull and it won't work through plywood so here is what I did:. Armed with Graham's answer, I set my little trim router to 6mm and free hand routed a hole a bit bigger than my depth sounders transducer through the hull aft of the starboard bunk . I figured this is a place where disturbance of water flow is at a minimum. I t was amazing that my router didn't hit the glass and the hull sheathing was left intact. I beveled the hole with a 45 degree bit to give more bonding area and then cut a large number of glass patches and filled the hole with resin followed by glass layer by layer. I must mention that I jacked the boat up first and got the hole "level" so the resin was captive. Once full I put a patch over the whole mess and when in the green stage trimmed it. I let the boat off the jack. I had a mizzen tube I hadn't used after I added the tabernacle so I cut it t an angle and glued it in. Not shown is me filling the tube with a bit of clear epoxy to get a level surface to glue the transducer to. I'll show you the finished project soon. I hope to heck this works! We'll know next spring unless we get a few warm days with less wind than today's 50 mph! Take Care, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reacher Posted November 28, 2019 Report Share Posted November 28, 2019 Another option is to put mineral oil in the tube and just set, not glue, the transducer in the tube with the oil. You have to cap the tube to keep the oil from sloshing out. Water works, too, but it can freeze. I suggest that you place a baggie of water in the tube, set the transducer on the baggie (no air bubbles) and see if you get a good depth reading. If you do, then proceed with either mineral oil or gluing the transducer down. The water baggie test should show you if the fiberglass you layered in gives a clear shot. I glued a transducer to the inside of the hull (solid fiberglass) of a Tartan sailboat after doing water baggie tests all over the place to find a good spot. Then I applied the epoxy per the instructions. While the epoxy was curing I got good depth readings, but once it was cured it didn't work. From then on I simply left the transducer (replacement) in a baggie of water and sailed the boat for 12 years without a problem other than to refill the baggie from time to time. Anyway, my point is to test the fiberglass patch you put in before gluing in the transducer. And, maybe you don't have to glue it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted November 28, 2019 Report Share Posted November 28, 2019 I remember when I was at the end of my Lapwing build and I mentioned that I didn't like the idea of the main mast tube drain going through the hull. I came up with a couple alternatives and still the general advice of the forum members was to stop worrying and put the drain hole through the hull. I only mention this as I find it strangely amusing, not as advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted November 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2019 I have no worries about through hulls. But what my issue here is running wire to the stern to mount a transducer and it's vulnerability in the kind of shallow water sailing and trailering I intend to do. Same with a through hull one. In the transducer instructions they mention using petroleum jelly for a test and I'm going to hold off to gluing it until I get a chance to test it. first. We had a warm spell but it didn't correspond with any free time so it might be late April until we know. I'm about to put the boat down in my barn for hibernation. My next project is to fire up my late mom's (Suzy J) sewing machine and learn how to sew. She was an amazing seamstress and the machine I inherited is a beast made by Bernina. She made drapes and upholstered furniture and she occasionally made me various cushions and other stuff. I wish she was here to help, but in some ways she is....... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reacher Posted November 29, 2019 Report Share Posted November 29, 2019 Steve, good to do the transducer test. Also, good to learn how to sew. When I built a 22' motorboat 20 years ago I was quoted $5,000 to do a full camper enclosure. That's when I bought a sewing machine. I got so much use sewing bimini tops, dodgers, cushions, rain tarps, boat covers, a screen room, bags of all sorts, and a genoa for a Tartan 34 using a high school gym floor to lay it out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted December 11, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2019 Skeena is still in my garage, but I need to get it to the barn before the snow gets deep, so I buttoned it up good last night and hopefully move it soon. A couple of pics for you all. I wired in a couple of LED lights to light the abyss that are those two storage spots aft of the bunk. I wished I'd have thought to paint these areas before gluing down the bunk tops like Alan did, but at least we have light on both sides now so I can actually find stuff. The folding step with the recessed cup-holders for my Yeti mugs is a total win. The biggest reason is that I can stand with my head out the cabin roof and put my pants on or use the P bottle when it is folded up. I know if you put a battery there this isn't possible, but I have used a AGM battery under the front bunk hatches and capacity seems ample with my 50 Watt solar panel. I put a drawer under the companionway. I found I didn't have enough storage I could easily reach. The GPS, harmonica, horn, cabin lock, etc. After all the talk about non-righting and stuff stored to high I weighed my options and decided to build it light and put it there anyway. It's handy as heck from my garage sailing test. I also added a 12V port in the cockpit. I did find when running my Samsung Galaxy 10" tablet for navigation having the GPS on significantly draws on the battery and now I can plug it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd Stein Posted December 11, 2019 Report Share Posted December 11, 2019 Steve , thanks for sharing the details down below. It provided several ideas for my build like the LED lighting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W Posted December 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2019 Merry Christmas all. Glad to have the forum back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted December 30, 2019 Report Share Posted December 30, 2019 I love your little “touches”. All those little things really add up to Skeena becoming your personal creation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighDesert Posted December 30, 2019 Report Share Posted December 30, 2019 Happy New Year, Steve. I too am glad o have the forum up and running. Thanks for the photos, you have added some very tasty amenities to Skeena. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted December 31, 2019 Report Share Posted December 31, 2019 I had an aft facing galley in my Renegade. It is very efficient in use of space. You have taken it to an all new level. Good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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