Since I last posted, a lot has happened to the "princess". The riggers from Keys Rigging tried to install the new Harken ESP furler. There were major parts missing from the shipment. The best thing that happened was that they got the sail down without damage. The swivel would not pass the broken extrusion. If I had tried to lower the sail myself, it would have jammed.
Since I couldn't sail the boat, I had the riggers set the boat up for motoring so I could take the boat out and calibrate the compass on the autopilot.
Micky and I had pulled all the wires for the electronics upgrades and I installed the Autopilot computer and sensor boxes in the huge port lazarette. Getting the cables from the lazarette to the pedestal and then the NavPod was not that easy. The factory had run the wiring inside the port pedestal guard tubing. That route was completely full. Going up through the pedestal itself was not going to happen since the top plate was secured with stainless screws into the aluminum pedestal. The resulting dissimilar metal corrosion had seized the screws. My solution was to create a new wire run external to the pedestal guard using woven nylon "snakeskin". This worked out very well and the new runs under the deck will last the life of the boat.
All the cushions have been cleaned using the Bissel Spot Bot. The shower hardware is new. The air conditioner is new and the strainer for the water pump has been replaced and does not leak. I previously replaced the bilge pump. The shower sump pump was not working. Put in the new pump and it would not run either. Found that the switch in the vanity was corroded along with the wiring at the switch. The switches are modular units from Italy. It took some time to research them and find a source, but an outfit named Yachtworld was able to supply them. In the mean time, I needed to test the sump pump. I managed to disassemble the switch clean the contact surfaces and put it back together. The system worked fine.
I moved the dinghy from the dock to its new home behind the boat. It's amazing how foul the motor and bottom have gotten with just a month in the water. The davits are plenty strong and the lift system is a 4-part block. The problem was they were reeved (strung with rope) all wrong and the lines were twisted. This made it very stiff and hard to pull the load. One solution is to reverse the lines so that the twisting is relieved and then reeve the lines properly so that the lines are straight and do not 'rub' against their sheaves.
With the lines straightened out, the engine swung off the boat and transferred to the motor lift easily. The dinghy itself, although large and heavy, is easy to handle.
The PO (previous owner) had only used one shore power cable although two were onboard. After reading several forum threads about overloaded circuits when using the AC and appliances on the same line, I dug out the other cables and cleaned up their plugs. Now we run two 30 amp lines and have little chance of overload.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Sunday, May 17, 2015
More stuff and fun!
This morning, we went kayaking at Geiger Key with Sally Botelho, the MWR social director, and two other couples from the park. The wind was up, but the trip was fun. We had one poor fellow out on his first kayak trip. Probably his last. His seat back wouldn't adjust and he couldn't sit up straight. Picture trying to paddle while lying halfway back. Wore the poor guy out!
The past six days have been fun for me, but ,I fear, boring for Micky. We decided to make a few upgrades while we await the repair of the furler. Some things were necessary fixes and few were surprises.
The surprise was the failure of the bilge pump and how fast a small drip at a intake strainer can put water in the bilge. It's a situation where the leak makes the interior of the boat humid and the humidity increases the condensate that drains into the bilge. The result is a lot of water!
We checked the bilge when we went aboard late one evening and the new pump switch was underwater. After finding and repairing a bad splice, the pump motor ran! The impeller didn't turn,so no water was removed. The bilge was only half full and none of the marine supply stores were open, So I decided that since the boat had a 3000 gallon per hour pump and high water alarm mounted higher in the bilge, that it would be safe overnight. Went home and crashed.
Something kept bugging me about the problem and waking me up. About 2:30 in the morning I woke up and remembered that "Island Princess" had a manual bilge pump installed. Adding that knowledge made my wakefulness worse. I had visions of the never-used upper pump being clogged or otherwise in failure and causing the boat to flood and damage the floors. At three, I woke Micky and after a small disagreement over the need to go right then, I drove to the marina and pumped a disturbing amount of water out in a really short time.
The next morning, we went to the "big" West Marine on Caroline Street in the oldest section of Key West shortly after they opened. Bigger is always better if you can get it to fit. I bought the biggest pump I could get and an automatic one to boot. The Rule-matic 2000 gph automatic unit is oblong, fits and pumps much more water.
The previous owners had obviously gone through three or four pumps before I got the boat. I base that assumption on the number of abandoned splices I found stacked into the wiring. I knew the wiring was a rat's nest, but had deferred the clean-up. Now it was a necessity.
The result was a better than factory-new wiring job with sealed wiring. Using the water hose I filled, cleaned and tested the bilge pump.
Now, the attack was against the source of the water. I'd ordered a new strainer from Jamestown Distributors earlier in the week and installation was straight-forward.
Next problem was the shower sump pump. Unlike the gravity-plumbing systems in a home or RV, the boat needs a pump to flush the gray water from the shower overboard. We don't think about it, but the water from our showers is loaded with dead skin and oils from our bodies and hair. Even with soap, the stuff we sluice off our bodies tends to ferment and stink if you mix it with salt water and let it sit in 85-degree heat. Much better to pump it all overboard. New pump on order from Amazon.
I've saved the best for last. The new Garmin 741xs is installed in the Nav Pod along with the P70 controller for the EV-100 autopilot on the wheel. I removed the cover over the steering gear and not only found the wire route, but also discovered that the previous owner's wife had long brunette hair. I discovered that last fact by the clog of hair blocking water from flowing past the wire bundle.
I will have to create a notch in the quadrant cover and a bung in the cockpit to pass wires. The Amplifier Control Unit will go in the huge lazarette along with the EV-1 Attitude Heading Reference Source. The VHF-300 Radio/AIS receiver is installed along with an auxiliary circuit breaker/switch panel. The backbone for the NMEA 2000 is neatly installed on the back wall of the radio box next to the "black box" for the VHF-300 AIS.
And along the way, I scrubbed that huge lazarette clean.
The past six days have been fun for me, but ,I fear, boring for Micky. We decided to make a few upgrades while we await the repair of the furler. Some things were necessary fixes and few were surprises.
The surprise was the failure of the bilge pump and how fast a small drip at a intake strainer can put water in the bilge. It's a situation where the leak makes the interior of the boat humid and the humidity increases the condensate that drains into the bilge. The result is a lot of water!
We checked the bilge when we went aboard late one evening and the new pump switch was underwater. After finding and repairing a bad splice, the pump motor ran! The impeller didn't turn,so no water was removed. The bilge was only half full and none of the marine supply stores were open, So I decided that since the boat had a 3000 gallon per hour pump and high water alarm mounted higher in the bilge, that it would be safe overnight. Went home and crashed.
Something kept bugging me about the problem and waking me up. About 2:30 in the morning I woke up and remembered that "Island Princess" had a manual bilge pump installed. Adding that knowledge made my wakefulness worse. I had visions of the never-used upper pump being clogged or otherwise in failure and causing the boat to flood and damage the floors. At three, I woke Micky and after a small disagreement over the need to go right then, I drove to the marina and pumped a disturbing amount of water out in a really short time.
The next morning, we went to the "big" West Marine on Caroline Street in the oldest section of Key West shortly after they opened. Bigger is always better if you can get it to fit. I bought the biggest pump I could get and an automatic one to boot. The Rule-matic 2000 gph automatic unit is oblong, fits and pumps much more water.
The previous owners had obviously gone through three or four pumps before I got the boat. I base that assumption on the number of abandoned splices I found stacked into the wiring. I knew the wiring was a rat's nest, but had deferred the clean-up. Now it was a necessity.
The result was a better than factory-new wiring job with sealed wiring. Using the water hose I filled, cleaned and tested the bilge pump.
Now, the attack was against the source of the water. I'd ordered a new strainer from Jamestown Distributors earlier in the week and installation was straight-forward.
Next problem was the shower sump pump. Unlike the gravity-plumbing systems in a home or RV, the boat needs a pump to flush the gray water from the shower overboard. We don't think about it, but the water from our showers is loaded with dead skin and oils from our bodies and hair. Even with soap, the stuff we sluice off our bodies tends to ferment and stink if you mix it with salt water and let it sit in 85-degree heat. Much better to pump it all overboard. New pump on order from Amazon.
I've saved the best for last. The new Garmin 741xs is installed in the Nav Pod along with the P70 controller for the EV-100 autopilot on the wheel. I removed the cover over the steering gear and not only found the wire route, but also discovered that the previous owner's wife had long brunette hair. I discovered that last fact by the clog of hair blocking water from flowing past the wire bundle.
I will have to create a notch in the quadrant cover and a bung in the cockpit to pass wires. The Amplifier Control Unit will go in the huge lazarette along with the EV-1 Attitude Heading Reference Source. The VHF-300 Radio/AIS receiver is installed along with an auxiliary circuit breaker/switch panel. The backbone for the NMEA 2000 is neatly installed on the back wall of the radio box next to the "black box" for the VHF-300 AIS.
And along the way, I scrubbed that huge lazarette clean.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
A good week for Fixin' Stuff!
This first week back has been a very good one for getting things done. It's hard to believe that just last Monday we were in Patrick AFB driving down to the Keys.
We set Tuesday aside for the Cinco de Mayo party at the marina with our Missouri friends Justin and Athena Albright. I guess the old saw that says it's better to be over-dressed than under-dressed is true. I was little concerned when I saw Athena dressed in a cute short frilly dress, full make-up and open-toed wedgies that she would enjoy climbing up on ISLAND PRINCESS nor wading sand for a beach party, but she's a trooper! She climbed the boarding ladder and swung over the forward rail with no squawks!
The party was huge success with Tequila Jello-Shots by Jay, Roast Pig (the whole thing), Goat on the grill, and a beef brisket. Micky made Mexican-Danish-Italian-Swedish Wedding cookies from scratch. We all had a fine time!
Wednesday was move-the-boat day. After relocating the Coach to our semi-permanent spot on the waterfront in the Rock Pile, we moved IP from the seawall to A dock and got her tied down. The windlass gearbox was the wrong part! We hooked up power, started discovering the boat, turned the AC on and left for the night.
Thursday was commissary in the morning and then out to the boat. Before leaving I emailed pictures to John in Scotland about the problem with the windlass. He replied promptly, will take the incorrect part back and recognized the part we needed. I ordered it at 0952 EST.
The boat was hot! Spent the rest of the morning reading the manual, troubleshooting and finally giving up! Called Dwight Engelhard of Safe Harbor Diesel (he's on the official list for the base) and he said he could come right then!
The Cruisair STX-16 we had was installed in 2010 and Mark Tobin had just had Dwight out to "recharge" it in March. I was not surprised when he found that the controller was bad and the unit needed refrigerant. He explained that the new unit used 410a at a much higher pressure and that the unit we had was one of the first and prone to leaks.
Micky and I think that IP will be the last boat we ever buy. That means we intend to enjoy this boat and will upgrade and fix as necessary. We had Dwight order a replacement unit. The surprise is that the new unit will be here the next day and installed in two hours. Yay!
Friday morning was spent on the internet researching and pricing new electronics and mounts. Friday afternoon, Dwight called and would meet us at the gate with the new AC! I went to the PX and checked our mailbox and the new motor/gearbox for the windlass was already there! I love Fedex! Scotland to Key West in less than 24 hours and delivered in 30 hours! The new AC went right in and started cooling the boat down. Micky and I went out that evening and made Reflectix covers for hatches and ports to cut the sun.
Saturday, the boat was cool, the parts were in hand and the windlass was cleaned and ready to install.
The windlass is a heavy-duty winch for anchor chain. Consequently, is is just plain heavy! The deck unit weighs around 25 pounds while the motor and gearbox add another 30 pounds below deck. I removed the vee berth ceiling and scoped out the wiring. I sealed the deck unit with 3M 4200 and dropped it in the holes. Micky started the nuts on the studs while I held the heavy gearbox assembly against the ceiling. Good job, Micky! Wiring was straight-forward and the testing was good! Closed the ceiling and done!
Next major job was the bilge pump switch. IP has three bilge pumps. A smallish 1100 gallons-per-hour (gph) for everyday casual water like the condensate from the AC, then a major 3000 gph unit mounted higher with a high water alarm including a remote in the cockpit and finally a Whale manual unit with a handle in the cockpit for no power situations. The 'Sure Bail' switch had failed and was running the pump constantly. Mark had clipped the ground lead to stop it ( A favorite trick of his).
I bought a new switch and reinstalled it in the bilge correctly.
I also found both CO alarms in the staterooms disabled the same way. Since the wire ends were never taped or insulated (even the freezer lugs) I'd guess that Mark thought the ground removal meant no power ever! Replaced both CO alarms with battery units and capped the wiring.
The Princess is shaping right up!
We set Tuesday aside for the Cinco de Mayo party at the marina with our Missouri friends Justin and Athena Albright. I guess the old saw that says it's better to be over-dressed than under-dressed is true. I was little concerned when I saw Athena dressed in a cute short frilly dress, full make-up and open-toed wedgies that she would enjoy climbing up on ISLAND PRINCESS nor wading sand for a beach party, but she's a trooper! She climbed the boarding ladder and swung over the forward rail with no squawks!
The party was huge success with Tequila Jello-Shots by Jay, Roast Pig (the whole thing), Goat on the grill, and a beef brisket. Micky made Mexican-Danish-Italian-Swedish Wedding cookies from scratch. We all had a fine time!
Wednesday was move-the-boat day. After relocating the Coach to our semi-permanent spot on the waterfront in the Rock Pile, we moved IP from the seawall to A dock and got her tied down. The windlass gearbox was the wrong part! We hooked up power, started discovering the boat, turned the AC on and left for the night.
Thursday was commissary in the morning and then out to the boat. Before leaving I emailed pictures to John in Scotland about the problem with the windlass. He replied promptly, will take the incorrect part back and recognized the part we needed. I ordered it at 0952 EST.
The boat was hot! Spent the rest of the morning reading the manual, troubleshooting and finally giving up! Called Dwight Engelhard of Safe Harbor Diesel (he's on the official list for the base) and he said he could come right then!
The Cruisair STX-16 we had was installed in 2010 and Mark Tobin had just had Dwight out to "recharge" it in March. I was not surprised when he found that the controller was bad and the unit needed refrigerant. He explained that the new unit used 410a at a much higher pressure and that the unit we had was one of the first and prone to leaks.
Micky and I think that IP will be the last boat we ever buy. That means we intend to enjoy this boat and will upgrade and fix as necessary. We had Dwight order a replacement unit. The surprise is that the new unit will be here the next day and installed in two hours. Yay!
Friday morning was spent on the internet researching and pricing new electronics and mounts. Friday afternoon, Dwight called and would meet us at the gate with the new AC! I went to the PX and checked our mailbox and the new motor/gearbox for the windlass was already there! I love Fedex! Scotland to Key West in less than 24 hours and delivered in 30 hours! The new AC went right in and started cooling the boat down. Micky and I went out that evening and made Reflectix covers for hatches and ports to cut the sun.
Saturday, the boat was cool, the parts were in hand and the windlass was cleaned and ready to install.
The windlass is a heavy-duty winch for anchor chain. Consequently, is is just plain heavy! The deck unit weighs around 25 pounds while the motor and gearbox add another 30 pounds below deck. I removed the vee berth ceiling and scoped out the wiring. I sealed the deck unit with 3M 4200 and dropped it in the holes. Micky started the nuts on the studs while I held the heavy gearbox assembly against the ceiling. Good job, Micky! Wiring was straight-forward and the testing was good! Closed the ceiling and done!
Next major job was the bilge pump switch. IP has three bilge pumps. A smallish 1100 gallons-per-hour (gph) for everyday casual water like the condensate from the AC, then a major 3000 gph unit mounted higher with a high water alarm including a remote in the cockpit and finally a Whale manual unit with a handle in the cockpit for no power situations. The 'Sure Bail' switch had failed and was running the pump constantly. Mark had clipped the ground lead to stop it ( A favorite trick of his).
I bought a new switch and reinstalled it in the bilge correctly.
I also found both CO alarms in the staterooms disabled the same way. Since the wire ends were never taped or insulated (even the freezer lugs) I'd guess that Mark thought the ground removal meant no power ever! Replaced both CO alarms with battery units and capped the wiring.
The Princess is shaping right up!
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