Thoughts on heating

I feel very fortunate to have this fine solid fuel stove aboard.  It is a Ratelco Cole Stove, model 130-1655-C.  As a solid fuel stove it is designed for both wood and coal.  I  have been investigating the sources for anthracite coal (hard, clean).  I have come up with very few.

Coal is more readily available to consumers in the NE USA.  The sources are generally for black-smithing or personal heating.  The UK seems to have a pretty good supply, better than the US.
One of the sources is Buy Coal Online.  Another is, believe it or not, Tractor supply.  I haven't figured out how to order it from Tractor Supply but the Buy Coal Online source ships several different sizes for prices that include shipping.
Anthracite coal is clean burning without smoke and yields the most BTU per pound of any fuel source.
I don't plan on going north in the winter, but even in the south temperatures can plummet in the winter as far south as the Everglades. Remember the fish kill in the glades in 2011.  It would be nice to have heat available.
I'll post the results when I do buy the coal and show my storage strategies. 

Winter-time upgrades

 Mechanical Projects

It's winter here it Georgia.  Chemistry such as paints and glues
just don't work now.  So it's small jobs in the shop and interior tasks which I outline below.  Here, you see a simple but effective solution for motoring.  The stick steer for the motor leaves the motor free to rotate for maximal control.  My job was to lock the motor for tiller controlled motoring "at speed."
You may remember I indicated that with the motor aft of the rudder, steerage from the rudder becomes almost completely ineffective below about 3 knots.  That is why I installed stick steering to make motor steering from the cockpit happen for maneuvering.

This slotted hinged box swings forward to simply lock the stick "amidships."

Composting toilet:

 

I

I checked out the details regarding use of the composting head.  Turns out I didn't have a handle to run the stirring rotor.  I sent away to the makers of Airhead and got what was supposed to fit the adapter.  No go.  Wrong handle.  They are sending me a current handle as this head turns out to be their latest. The pinned adapter was for using a common ratchet.  Who knew.

What we are to use in the head is two of these bricks soaked in 2 quarts of water overnight.  This gets changed is infrequently as once a month depending on demand.  Note that no urine can be introduced as it will mess up the chemistry.  The divert-er baffle sends urine to a separate container. I found a case of 24 of these bricks on Amazon for $65. That's enough to last a year under normal circumstances. The containers can be stored to "finish" the composting.  In our case we will dispose of in a dumpster or overboard if we are off-shore.

Fuse Panel 

 

The breaker panel on the left is new. I had to replace the fuse panel (4 circuit)  in place previously due to a broken rocker switch. The six switch breaker had a full set of buss bars so no forest of jumpers.  just two main connections, ground and 12 volt positive to their respective bus bars and individual circuit wires. 

12 volt and data wiring

 

 I'm starting the wiring for the GPS mapping unit and autopilot.  This includes the NMEA (0183), Seatalk bus connections.  It all starts with 12 volt power distribution.  I chose to use the MFJ version of a Powerpole RigRuner (a ham radio product).  Each circuit is unplug able and fuse protected.

NMEA and Seatalk circuit breakout is here.  The pennant autopilot steering wireless link is SeaTalk connected here.  The two GPS talker/listener circuits breakout here as well. The Raymarine remote link is an S-100.  I have the pennant mounted by the companionway for easy access. I know, what a strange place to join data circuits.  well it just happens to be directly below the items in question.  I will cover the breakout with a box before I am done.  It just works out with the minimum of redundant wiring.

Lighting

I changed the high intensity lights out for LED lights mounted in a circuit box.  This provides lighting to the book case area.

Data and 12 Volt Instrument wiring  

 

The wire exits up to the autopilot connector carrying SeaTalk, NMEA and 12 volts. SeaTalk provides wireless autopilot control from the pennant I wear around my neck.  NMEA signals provide correction signals for route following.  The Raymarine S-100 unit was rescued from another boat.
Sometime this winter the GPS unit will be bought.  I will install this near the cockpit.  The  through hull transducer will provide sonography, water speed and temperature.

The GPS Mapping Unit 

 

 I will soon purchase the Garmin Echomap 70S.  This unit represents my best compromise between price and functionality.  The transducer is separate. It is the Garmin B744V through hull with depth speed and temperature sensor elements.  The best prices I have found are at the GPS Store online. The unit comes with a fairing which can be shaped to match hull tilt so as to aim the transducer strait down. The unit has a temperature sensor and a paddle wheel for water speed.  This can greatly help with current vector (drift and set) solutions.

Budget and Planing

 

Do I have a budget and a specific set of plans for upgrades on Shallow Minded?  Yes, As a matter of fact Karen helped me build a spread sheet to track our current goals and also any unexpected new expenses. Here is  a screen shot of the Excel sheet as of right now.

The table is set to show over budget items that are added or that cost more than the estimate.
These items do not include previously purchased items such as the motor and all the modifications to make controls fully remote.  I will add those later so we can get an idea what the total cost is.  Currently, we are using this to keep us focused and help us track our progress.

It

Shallow-Minded is home!

Yes, the new trailer is done.  Shallow-Minded did fit very well.  One small booboo is that the back bunk hit 3 feet into the skeg.

Not to be outwitted, we lowered the support tubes and let the board bend a little.  Unfortunately the square tubes that support are about 6 inches off the ground.  Will need a modification for sure.

She was a dream to tow, except for the 10.5 mpg diesel guzzling mileage. 
Now I have her under a shelter and will be ready to do all those upgrades and repairs I have been planing.
PS Problem solved with saw and knife and stapler. Thank you Spencer for this great idea!

See there web site for great custom trailers

Sail Trailers LLC

Meanwhile back at the boat shop...

So I'm waiting for the trailer to be finished. Seems like a good time to dive into the keel replacement project on Embers Watch, our Michalak Mike's Boat.  Bill Moffitt should be glad to hear this.  Here we have laminated an 8:1 scarf with epoxy.

The joint turned out better than I have done in the past, really smooth and strait!

 After a trip up to West Marine for some 206A hardner (slow), we took the bull by the horns and laid her up.  It took a lot of thickened epoxy and a lot of clean up.  Looks like it's going to be a good one.  Next we'll round over and fillet and then glass it in.  I may run some Kevlar down the lowest portion of the keel in case of grounding.  Really all that is left is to build a mizzen mast and sort out the rigging.  Oh, and buy some sails:-(

And now Embers Watch is on the trailer.  As soon as the epoxy work and painting is done she will store outside upside down.  Note Zero Turn used as yard mule for trailer transport. Also, once again, the electric hoist made transport to the trailer a breeze!

The skeg gets epoxied on.

 And this is filleted and glassed in with E-glass. The middle 8 feet of the keel will be covered with Kevlar and the balance will be glassed with E-glass tape.  I expect it to stay intact well past my life expectancy:-).

There had to be more:)

Yep, if this bores you, I'll have something more fun on soon.  Much of the preparation work for anything is fraught with details and minutia.  Just because I described what it takes to convert a tiller motor over to a remote control unit, I thought, lest any important details are left out, I would let my readers know that the choke on the MFC20C Tohatsu is manual.  In order to start the motor, one has to be able to choke it remotely.
So I am waiting for the last order to arrive.  It is for the choke solenoid, bracket, link rod, spring pin and various screws.  With this and the help of my favorite old time marine repair shop down in Decatur, the job will finally be done.
I found a stick steering unit on Ebay and it is also on its way.  So happy to have these mysteries and problems solved.
By the way, my paint job on Belle, my SeaPearl 28 trailerable boat is almost done.  This has been an all summer project getting Belle ready to sell.  Did I mention I hate painting?  Especially the removing all the hardware, sanding, filling and sanding some more.  To spare you a recitation of the entire miserable process I will just say, I am happy to be nearly over it. Well, I've been over it for quite some time.
I sold several expensive pieces of ham radio gear.  I still have two boats to sell, but I'm thinking I may be able to go over and work on Shallow-Minded for a month in October.  I plan to mount the motor, finish painting the deck, do the bottom job and get the boat ready for the water in the spring.  Retirement is turning out to be a lot of work:)
As an update, the final solution was that a carburetor for a remote control unit is unique.  I had to replace the hand choke carburetor with a solenoid ready carb.
I now have everything done.  It chokes both remotely and manually which I think is quite a feat!  I'll show closeups when I get to North Carolina and start the work of installing the motor.

Converting a Tohatsu 20 HP from Tiller to Remote Control and Steering

When I bought Shallow-Minded it was clear that the motor power was not going to satisfy me.  Stories from the previous owners of poor speeds when running tidal currents made me sure I would want to move up to a larger engine. The very nice Suzuki 9.9 long shaft, power tilt with remote control just wasn’t going to suffice. I sold it on Craig’s list for what I thought was a reasonable price. 

Having enjoyed very good luck with buying marine engines online for very competitive prices, I decided to purchase another Tohatsu.  The unit I chose was the MFC20C long shaft, electric start, power trim and tilt tiller model.  Fact is no company is allowed to sell remote control units directly to the public unless they are the ones that install the motor.  Thus the purchase of the tiller model for conversion by myself.

I’d like to summarize the steps necessary for conversion on the Tohatsu MFC20C long shaft Power trim and tilt tiller model to a full remote control.  First, here are the items needed for the conversion.

First I needed a 3ACQ843300  remote control box.  I found my supplies readily available from Boats.net in Albany, GA. The price $373.00 with free shipping!  I also needed a pair of throttle and shift cables.  I made a special trip to North Carolina where the boat is to make critical measurements for the length of both these cables and the steering cable.  I found my 6 foot Hilex cables at Solution one Maritime, L.L.C in Tampa. These cables cost me $70 with $6.00 for shipping. Finally, I need a collection of parts know as remote control fitting parts, 3BJQ838803 according to Tohatsu.  This costs $134.86 plus $11.95.

 After securing a drag link steering connector (3E0849050) for the ridiculous price of $134.81 plus $11.95 shipping and handling, I reasoned that I was now ready to go.  I therefore loaded up the motor and parts and took them over to my friends at DeKalb Marine.  The following day a phone call from Bob, informed me that I still needed two adapter cables.  The remote control comes with a plug in cable.  Should be a breeze right?  Just plug it in.  Wrong!  An adapter cable is required to fit the bullet connectors of the wiring harness inside.  What’s more, even the bullet connectors on the harness need an adapter to plug into the PTT (power tilt and trim) solenoid.  Wonder how much that would be or where to find them for that matter? Well, turns out after careful study of the electrical magneto diagram that I need “extension cord PTT number 3BJ72569-0 or item 35 on the diagram.  This takes care of the power trim and tilt adapter.  Item number 88 is known as the “cord assembly EP/EPT 3BJ-76110.  These adapters for the adapters, as it were run a total of $131.76 plus shipping from Boats.net.  I verified my understanding of the needed adapters with Bob at DeKalb Marine and they are on order.

Right now my beautiful motor is sitting on a stand in the shop with the conversion mostly done.  No tiller mars the sleek look.  I can’t wait to tank test the throttle and shift levers.  In September or October I hope to make a trip over to Hampstead, North Carolina to install the motor. 

The motor was $3200.  The conversion cost me $895 for parts plus $100 labor by DeKalb Marine for a grand total or $4195.  That does not include Stick steering which I plan to use for maneuvering control in confined areas. The rudder is mostly unhelpful at slow speeds due to the fact that the motor sits behind it.

Pictures to follow

Moving forward with refitting

Shallow-Minded gets a new paint job.  I spent two weeks in June removing hardware and obstructing lines and wooden strips.
I brought home the very nice Suzuki 9.9hp long shaft and sold it.  Realizing from previous comments on motoring that she needs a larger motor to make her a good Waterway/river cruising boat.

This is my new 20 HP Tohatsu long shaft with power tilt/electric start.  I have the conversion kit ordered to install remote control.  Finding the right parts has been quite a challenge, but I have learned a great deal.
Note the motor stand I built to run this rather heavy motor in the tank. Then have for a work horse after the run.

The hoist came in handing removing the motor from the box.

I also am going to institute stick steering for close quarters control. 

The forward hatch I found to be rotten around the frame.  This is my new one.  It is built of marine grade plywood and is well saturated with epoxy and cloth.  The primer is Interlux Prime-Kote a two part epoxy.  I think it will last a bit better than the previous one. 






I am currently working very hard getting Belle ready to sell so things are going slowly with Simple-Minded during this period. I hope to have Belle's deck repainted and the hardware back on before winter so I can put her up for sale.  Progress will continue to be documented on http://seapearlboats.blogspot.com

A Change in Color

 This is the first coat of teal. The paint is Benjamen Moore alkoid and polyurethane.  It looks like a good compromise paint. 

Today it is 90 degrees out here.  Too hot to work. But I have no choice.  It has to get done by Saturday.

The new life of Shallow-minded, formerly Walkure

This is my second trip to North Carolina to see Valkure. Well that's the name she bears on her side.  It's a long story as to how I came to own this boat.  Well, maybe not long enough.  I am at the stage where one questions one's sanity.  Back at the end of May I ran into an advertisement.  Actually it was on the former owner's blog.  Because I demonstrate interests in various boating groups,  I happened to get a post regarding this boat on my Facebook feed.  Rat's, they know when to hit a guy when he's vulnerable  Having clicked on the blog URL, I was immediately transported back a few years to the time when I purchase a set of plans for the AS-29 from Phillip C Bolger (and friends).  I had every intention of building one myself as it seemed the perfect live aboard shallow drafted gunk-holer boat.  After some months of study and thought back then, and a lot of correspondence with Leo Foltz over in Germany, who was close to completion of an AS-29 I decided that it was too much of a project.  Too big and unwieldy to construct and transport. Too time consuming to build as well.  
Fast forward to now sitting there looking at the pictures with goo goo eyes.  Here was a living embodiment of my fantasies...

So a quick email to the owners netted me a phone call.  I soon was on my way to North Carolina to survey this "ready to sail" beauty. 

I knew at once when I stepped aboard that ready to sail was a relative term.  Ranging from not likely to sink at the dock to step aboard and raise the sails.
First of all she needed a complete paint job.  Boards were in need of caulk and the appearance was of a tired lady needing some serious rehab.  Perhaps my standards are higher, but one needs to do now what can only be worse if one waits until later.

After a firm email to the owners declaring my top dollar (thinking that it would be a no-go), I received, not 10 minutes later a reply with an acceptance of my offer.  Whew that was easy, too easy.  I kinda took a hard-ass approach and was pretty blunt about what I saw.  I reminded them of the monthly storage fee eating away at the bottom line, etc.  But that was just too easy.  Well, I took it.

And the rest they say is history (in the making),
Not to mention daily sweat and hard work in the broiling North Carolina coastal sun.
I've been here a week.  I have stripped off all the stuff in the way and sanded every square inch.  I've caulked and primed twice.  I have one coat of Polyurethane paint on the decks, doghouse and massive end wells.  Believe me, this is "blue collar" work if I ever saw it. No offense.  I came from blue collar, then I  College and had  a career. Now to end up with this? The things we do to "entertain ourselves" in retirement.

Now I have to "scuff," read hand sand the entire deck and repaint. This time I have to put anti-skid sand on as well.  Ditto to the sides minus the scratchy stuff.  I hope to be done this Saturday. I go home Sunday...to start work on Belle's deck.  I have to get her  ready to sell. 
                           *                                           *                                  *
I'm killing me! Why do I do these things.

She's looking better if I do say so.  Next time the bottom and the inside.

\

Here is a small video of the inside.  As you can see the storage and accommodations are impressive for a 29 foot boat especially with a draft of only 13 inches.

I'll keep you posted.  Her new name avoids the ponderous themes evoked by  Wagnerian Teutonic fantasy and sticks with the mission statement.  She's a gunkholer. She's made for the shallows. She's new to me, you see.  I  therefore have a right to rename her, don't I?  I think it's actually good luck. She'll know just what I expect of her. Wish me luck.