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This screen was installed in the
raw water input line to the engine to keep out leaves, seaweed and any
other debris picked up from the surrounding water. The clear housing
allows inspection without taking it apart. |
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After replacing the base
and the pump of the original head and looking at a second broken base,
I decided it was time to try a different head. After considerable
research I decided on a Lavac.
After two complete seasons, I am
impressed. No more pump problems, uses little water and no
leaks. I used the heavy duty black hose which is expensive, but
doesn't allow odors to permeate through like the other hose did.
I removed the original hand pump which was intended to be used to empty
the holding tank
while offshore and relocated it farther forward and re plumbed it as a
bilge pump in the center of the boat. I also added a thru-hull on
the starboard side for the bilge water being pumped out.
I have a new airhead toilet
on order. They have quite a backlog. In preparation I have
already removed the holding tank, head and plumbing. This has
been an excellent head but due to the problem finding a pump-out
facility every 4 days or so in the keys we decided to go the composting
route. I am not burning any bridges, I will keep the old
head around until I see how the air head performs.
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The airhead toilet was added in
October. The holding tank was removed back in July '07.
A 1" thick base was fabricated from a sheet of HDPE( high density
polyethelene). This was done becasue of the odd shape of the
floor which was designed for the original Jabsco head which was part of
the original installation.
So far everything seems to be working OK with it. We haven't
actually tested it on a Cruise but the installation went OK. The
hardest part was installing the vent. I didn't want to cut a hole
in the deck or cabin so I opted to go out the side as high as
possible. A cover is installed on the hull as high as it could
possibly go. The fan has to run all the time but it is very small
and draws a very small amount of current.
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As seen in the picture the
hand pump has been removed and replaced with a white plastic faucet
with a switch that operates an electric pump mounted under the "V"
berth. A pump is mounted to a block of wood that is glued to the hull
with liquid nails. Water is
pumped from the fresh water tank up front to the sink. An igloo
water cooler is used for drinking water.
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A hand soap bottle is installed
below the countertop.
Drinking water is provided from a 5 gallon carboy that is located
behind the refridgerator. This water is pumped though a filter
and then a UV sterilizer. When cruising up to three jugs may be
filled with drinking water. In order to keep from constantly
cycling the motor and running the UV sterilizer, drinking water can be
stored in the blue igloo cooler.
Tank water is kept clean with a small amount of bleach, therefore is
used for cleaning dishes and washing hands only.
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Battery charger was mounted
with two aluminum backing plates by sliding them up from the bottom
behind the liner. They were tapped for the mounting screws.
Tygon type tubing was used to protect the wires fed through the holes
in fiberglass below the charger. On the far left is a cigarette lighter
socket to plug the cell phone in to recharge its battery. Not
shown to the left is a holder to recharge the handheld radio.
Update: The Radio and the Battery charger have been replaced.
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This
battery switch is normally in the #1 position, so that the first
battery is used primarily for starting the engine and everything else
is run from battery number 2. I use the Interstate batteries that
were designed for starting as well as deep cycle, therefore I can
switch batteries or run them in parallel, depending on what the current
need is.(no pun intended)
The Battery switch is now located next to the battery charger.
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The newer DSC radio has replaced
the Ray 45. A more robust
charger has been added to accomodate the AGM batteries. The
inverter is mounted below the countertop along with the starting
battery and the Automatic Chargine Relay. The control panels are
mounted to the left of the radio.
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This camping barometer from
Oregon Scientific helps keep track of changing weather and gives the
cabin temperature. I still listen to NOAA weather
regularly, but this thing does help with local conditions.
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Garmin 126 is networked to
the auto pilot in the center via NMEA 0183. The depth and speed
are also
available to the auto pilot via SeaTalk. By pushing the Display
button I can watch whatever is the most important at the
time. I frequently use it to display the depth as can be seen
here. When underway the heading or cross track error may be more
significant.
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In the Spring of 2005 I upgraded
the Garmin 126 to a 152 because it was WAAS enabled. Since the mounting
and the connector are identical, the upgrade was very easy. The wind
instrument was a little bit more involved due to the wire that has to
be run up the mast. Everything is still networked together as before
with the Wind instrument added to the Seatalk network.
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This
small inverter is all we need for low power florescent lights which are
more efficient than the DC cabin lighting. I verified it with an
ammeter and we are getting a lot more light for the same or less
current draw as the DC cabin light.
It can also drive one AC fan.
This has now been replaced with a Xantrex
1000 watt inverter. We
didn't really need that much AC power but this model doesn't have a
noisey fan and can handle the surges better when the refrigerator is
used.
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This winch handle holder was
constructed of some left over downspout material and a couple of
universal rail clamps. This beats fishing around in the storage
locker for a winch handle. I always know where it is.
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I would not install these
panels the same way if I were to do it again. The outlet was
installed first and when I got the Panel I discovered there was just
barely enough room to install it between the door and the outlet.
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This outlet is just behind
the port seat and another outlet on the starboard side is also
protected by this GFI.
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The roller under the anchor was replaced after the original one wore
out.
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We have had good success
with our Fortress anchor but there were a couple of times when it just
wouldn't
hold in grassy conditions.(lower Keys) We haven't tried the CQR
in the same
conditions, but we are cautiously optimistic. We still plan to
use the fortress as a second anchor when anchoring in tidal rivers or
anytime conditions call for the use of two anchors.
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The
left side speaker is installed in the same place on the port side of
the boat. When I opt for a new radio, it will include an MP3 CD
player. This would allow me to enjoy the CDs I own while leaving
the collection at home.
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This vent pulls hot air out of
the forward part of the cabin and pulls air in from around the hatch at
the companionway. It can be switched between solar power and the
house battery. At the dock it will be switched to the house
battery.
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The old Red LED quit working so
I installed this Borel unit which was a free sample from a previous
order.
Not shown is the Borel Mfg. high temperature alarm which was added
after overheating the engine. A sensor is mounted to the exhaust
just below the mixing elbow. The alarm is mounted just below the
engine control panel in the cockpit.
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Retrofitting this Balmar
alternator was a challenge. Two drill bushings of different sizes
were used to fit the 1/2" threadstock used on the upper left
mount. Two washers were added to shim the alternator forward to
better keep the two pulleys aligned. The real benefits of the
higher output alternator will only be realized when cruising. The
3 AGM batteries will quickly charge with this addition. Sometimes
when motoring for extended periods there is a possibility of
overcharging the AGM batteries with the original alternator. The
ARS-5 three stage regulator
should prevent any damage to the batteries.
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An 18 gallon diesel fuel tank
was added this past summer to replace the portable one in the
cockpit. A fuel gauge operates when the toggle switch is
on. The other toggle switch turns a fuel pump on which circulates
fuel through the filters and back to the tank. During periods of
infrequent use the fuel can be cleaned by circulating through the
filters. The first filter is 10 micron and the second is 2
micron. Fuel to the engine does not go through this pump.
The valve to the pump has to be turned off when not in use or air will
be pulled into the line when the engine is running. The tank is
located under the starboard seat. The addition of the two vacuum
gauges(only one is visible in the picture) allow for early detection of
a clogged filter. I carry spare filters and I should be able to
identify a filter that is getting dirty and change it before it becomes
an issue.
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I fabricated 6 of these stud
mounts of various lengths to mount the fuel tank. Three of them
have tubing inserted around the stud to hold the platform up off the
floor. The plate is 1/8" thick aluminum and the stud is 1/4-20
stainless thread stock. One of the six can be seen below epoxied
to the floor. A clearance hole from the top allowed access for a
deep 7/16" socket to tighten the 1/4" nuts which support the
deck. The decking material was left over from a porch redecking
project around the house. The pieces were welded together with a
plastic welder and PVC welding rod.
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I tried two types of
epoxy. I started out with Marine-tex. Some were done with
Loctite marine grade putty type that you cut to length and knead, then
just push it around and through the mounting plate. Both seemed
to work ok, although I suspect the Marine-tex may be stronger because
it flows easier around the mounting plate. This tank will give us
better range and it moves a lot of weight down and forward which is
good for sailing as well as trailering. I used to remove the
portable tank while trailering. This is no longer necessary or an
option.
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