From a Bare Hull: Building A Westsail 42, Hull #60

Electrical Wiring Plan Update

2012-02-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

After having installed the electrical conduit and crawl spaces for the main and forward salon, I find myself staring at the electrical plan. I have not given it much serious thought till now. I have had a general idea of what electrical equipment items we would have and where they will go, but not thought much about tieing it altogether. I have been planning on some sort of digital switching, and the Mastervolt system is the likely candidate.

So, to capture these thoughts, I updated the electrical wiring diagram. These are "non-essential" switchable systems (excludes always-on systems like bilge pumps). It also excludes electronics (another diagram). It includes all devices that we'd "like to have" but may not install initially, if ever.

The purpose of the plan is to indicate the general location of the devices and their wiring drops. This will aid in choosing which remote digital switches to install, and where.

Though we have decided on a 24 volt DC as the primary system, there are some devices produced in a 12 volt version only. This presents a problem with the Mastervolt digital switching system. It can switch both voltages on the same network, but there would need to be physical switch units for 24 volts and 12 volts each. The downsides are: more switch units and the need for a second 12 volt power line running alongside the 24 volt power line. Another possibility is to place a 24v-to-12v DC converter inline with each 12v device. They are not that expensive, but it is one more item that could fail.

This problem will most likely be solved by cost. Details to come later.

Westsail 42 Electrical Plan

Wiring "Crawl Space"

2012-02-22T03:00:00.000-08:00

I use "crawl space" for lack of a better term. It is certainly too small for any normal size person to crawl into.

Space under side deck and above cabinet storage.

I am referring to the space under the side decks through which electrical and electronic wiring will be routed. This might include, but not limited to:

24v DC wiring
12v DC wiring
120VAC wiring
NMEA 2000 cable
CAT5 Ethernet (perhaps a couple runs)
control cabling for bow thruster, windlass, etc.

Bottom to top: settees, bookcase space (future), wire crawl space, side deck.

A small space has been partitioned off, between the mid section cabinet space and under the side decks, with half inch plywood. This space for the wiring, routed through up to 1 1/2 inch split loom conduit. There are three runs of conduit on both sides of the boat. The plywood panels have access doors and holes for ventilation and/or wire drops.

Looking up, trap door open, the split loom conduit.

The idea is that, if I ever need to access the wiring, say run new wire or pull a bad one, I can simply empty the contents of the cabinets and open the trap doors to get at the conduit. This idea came to me from the experience of having to run wires on our small boat. There, if a new wire needed to be run, you had to drill new holes in the bulkheads. And, getting a drill inside a small cramped place is not always possible.

Trap door closed. Ventilation/wire drop holes.

A number of the spaces and trap doors are large enough such that small electrical devices may be placed up in there, attached to the trap door face for easy access. Device examples would be ...

Control modules for digital switched distributed power such as these from Mastervolt:

Mastervolt single switch module

Mastervolt multiple switch module (this unit can switch ten devices).

NMEA 2000 cabling and multi-port boxes:

Maretron NMEA2000 multiport box

The plywood panels are not structural. They are held in with a few tapping screws for later removal if neccessary (example, the panels in the forward would need to be removed to access the chainplate nuts for chainplate removal).

Forward Salon Settees Are In!

2012-02-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

Cabinetry glued in, screwed in and painted. I wish I had a camera with a wider angle as these pictures really don't do justice.

Looking forward towards the head from the main salon.

This was a big test of patience. While I was careful to get things as close as possible during the dryfit, things went a little wonky during the final install. During the dryfit, I had screwed down the cabinet bits in a few areas to hold things during fitting. In the final install, I REALLY screwed down bits in with epoxy, with five to six screws along each edge. At this point gaps started to show. Almost a sixteenth of an inch, an eighth in one case.

Port side settees

Luckily, I had done the final fit in two phases: horizontals first (seats), then the verticals (backrests). With the horizontals in, I had a chance to do some more shimming and trimming on the backrests to close the gaps and keep things square. Most of the repairs were done out of sight BEHIND the panels. But if you look close enough you will see a couple epoxy fill areas. Though not "perfect", it is not worth "ripping out" and doing over. It will ultimately be covered with cushions and upholstery anyway.

Starboard side settees

Some of the features:

Horizontal settee surfaces have locker storage below.
Vertical backrest surfaces have locker storage behind. There is a removable floor inside the backrest storage that is tacked in with tapping screws. Remove the screws and floor and you have access to the plumbing runs that go forward.
The aft-most backrest panels have double door for easier access to plumbing. Especially the bilge pump discharge seacock on the starboard side.
Upper horizontals, towards the hull, have numerous one inch holes for ventilation and possible future wire runs.
Cabinet hardware is stainless steel hinges (mortised). The latches are flush positive locking cam latches (currently on order, yet to be installed)

Behind backrest storage lockers

Doing some post install measurements reveal the settees are pretty close to the original design. The two sides are nearly identically symmetric, (except the one settee edge on the port side approaching the head, which was planned). However, if I were to do it again, I would have cut the locker doors a little bit different, just for aesthetics. But this will all be covered by cushions and upholstery.

Up next for the settees is the bottom kick panel. But that needs to wait on the permanent floor, which is waiting on more sub-floor plumbing work. Lessons learned here will most definitely apply to the aft cabin settee install, which is coming up.

Storage Solutions: Canned Food Storage and Rotation

2012-02-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

After one cuts up a number of large sheets of plywood, over time, one inevitably ends up with a number of scrap pieces too small for anything of use structurally, but too big to throw away. I took a number of such pieces and tried to construct a canned food storage and rotator rack.

"Kitchen counter" testing

This is designed to fit inside the two middle narrow dinette risers. The goal is to maximize can storage while providing a means of rotating the cans such that "first can in" is "first can out". I took a number of designs found on the internet to try and choose an ideal slope for the rails such that the cans would freely roll downhill by gravity. Given the confines of the rack is constant (outer cabinet is already constructed), the rail slope had to be balanced with storage capacity as a steep slope means less storage. What I decided upon, I feel, is a reasonable compromise.

The interior rail structure

The rack will store fifty 4 inch tall, 3 inch diameter cans (typical vegetable can) and twenty-five 3 inch tall, 3 inch diameter cans (typical for small tomato sauce).

75 cans total capacity

Access will be from the side. The bottom can is the first out. Gravity, ideally, will cause all other cans to shift forward. Restocking is done on the same side, at the top. Technically, it is "semi-first in, first out" as there is no access to the "tail" on the top rail. The best I could achieve is stocking the top rail by pushing the cans "uphill". I figure this is ok as, if you wait to top up until the top rail is empty, you are likely stocking with cans of the same age. So, you get the same results as "first-in-first-out".

Test fitting in the dinette riser.

During testing, cans occasionally got stuck due to the shallow slope. Giving the cans a little nudge causes them to fall through due to gravity. I consider this an acceptable compromise. Who knows, maybe the motion of the boat on the water will provide enough agitation such that the cans settle by themselves.

Side access. Restock at the top, pull from the bottom.

As this was my first attempt, and considering the design constraints, I am calling this a success. When my stock of scrap plywood again builds up, a second rack will be built for the adjacent riser box. Then I will tweak things a little bit, but it will be the same design more-or-less.

More Plumbing and Ducting

2012-02-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

As domestic water service and air conditioner ducting is designed to run behind the forward salon settee backrests, now is the time to install it before the final frame in, while access is easy.

Port side water runs. Red is hot, blue is cold, white is seawater.

The port side has plumbing runs for hot, cold and raw water. Supply and return hose for the hydronic heating system also runs along here. The four inch air conditioning duct, wrapped in insulation tape (thanks Bill K for the reminder), runs along the upper side of the settee backrest.

Typical hose run behind settee backrest.

All plumbing will be accessible after the final frame in. It will just be more difficult than it is now.

Starboard side plumbing runs.

If this looks like a lot of plumbing lines, it is. This is because all forward service lines will be individually valved at a manifold underneath the forward salon floor. Every device that has a hot, cold and raw water input will have its own service hose for each. This means that each sink, shower and head service can be individually turned on or off at the manifold.

Managing Electrical Devices and Wiring During The Build

2012-02-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

One of the challenges during the build is managing and tracking things like electrical devices and how they are wired. Tracking this is important as standards bodies like ABYC have guidelines and recommendations (in the interest of safety) for electrical wiring that dictate wire and fuse sizes. A device that is wired with too small a wire presents a fire hazard. A device that has too large a fuse or breaker size reduces protection of the device in the case of a malfunction (the purpose of a fuse in the first place!).

This project does not have a pre-determined list of planned electrical items. It is constantly changing with the relatively slow pace of the build (and me changing my mind, mostly). So, designing a master plan and drawing fancy circuit diagrams at this point is somewhat of a waste of time. But I need to track which devices are installed and where to ensure wires are not undersized and breakers/fuses over-sized as the build evolves.

To help with this I have developed an online spreadsheet to act as a database for this information. By recording things like voltage, device current ratings, wire length and size, the spreadsheet is programmed to identify and warn of circuits that have undersized wiring.

While not as sophisticated as some smart circuit diagram software that is out there, it should be enough to serve my purposes. The key is to see how effective it can be without spending too much time on the documentation.

Usage of the spreadsheet goes like this:

As a new device, terminal strip, switch, fuse, etc, is added, new entries are created in the spread sheet that represent devices and terminal points. Connections between items are recorded just as they are connected by the physical wiring. As devices are added to a fuse block, circuit, panel, etc, maximum current loads and minimum wire size calculations are automatically performed by the spreadsheet. The minimum wire size is displayed in a column and compared against the actual wire size to indicate if the wire is undersized. Similar calculations are made for fuse and breaker sizes.

Should a device be changed out for a different device, or should device's wiring be changed to a different circuit, the change can be updated in the spreadsheet to identify any potential wiring or fuse problems.

Now, the real trick is to stick with this and keep it up to date.

Final Tank Monitor and Pump Control Panel

2012-02-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

In a previous post, I described the test panel I made for the bilge pump controls and tank monitors. Well, the final panel has been constructed and installed. It is constructed from plastic laminated (white) half inch plywood.

Original test panel.

Final version of pump control and tank monitor panel

Changes from the original test panel include addition of switches for the grey water discharge and fuel transfer pumps. Space has been left on the panel for a few more features that I may add later.

Here is a summary of features:

All four bilge pump switches allow automatic and manual override control of the bilge pumps
The high capacity "crash" pumps are alarmed (alarm will sound if pump runs for more than two minutes)
Manual pump switches for fuel transfer and grey water tank discharge.
Tank level gauges for all five fuel tanks, three water tanks, and grey water tank. Black water tanks will be wired in later.
Panel is hinged to drop down for easy access.
Room for future controls as needed.

E-Board is In!

2012-01-28T03:00:00.000-08:00

Last week I finished cladding the engine room with E-Board. The pictures show how the engine room now looks, plus the first bits of wiring using E-board and zip ties. Running and attaching the wiring went quick and easy. One handy feature of this stuff is that the surface is flat and smooth, making it very easy to label wire runs with a label maker.

This is how the engine room looks.

Wire run example

Galley Cabinets Are In!

2012-01-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

Well, the carcases at least. This is one of those projects that has been "sitting in the corner and ignored" for a while now. The modular frames for the drawers and behind counter storage are now installed permanently. All plumbing runs behind the frames have been installed. There should be no reason to get behind there for the rest of the build.

White painted carcases fitted and secured in place

Some features of this assembly:

accessible storage behind counters, under side decks, lower, against hull (nearly dead space)
accessible storage underneath bottom drawers, against hull (nearly dead space)
space and plumbing service for future (?) dishwasher and washer/dryer. Plumbing and fittings fully accessible
plenty of internal air vent holes to promote air circulation
accessible upper space, under the side decks, for electrical wiring runs

The drawers seen in the pictures are sample drawers. I have been testing cutting and assembly techniques for the drawer boxes. Generally the tests have gone well and I have learned a lot about which small details affect the final assembly.

Sample drawers fitted

This is also an experiment with different face frame styles. The left and right cabinets are slightly different. I think the one on the right is best.

Left and right drawers have different face frame styles

As you can see the drawers are already taken over by tools and parts used during the build. Its very handy to store fasteners, plumbing fittings, hose clamps, etc on board without going back and forth to the shop. Consider it an ongoing storage experiment!

Final drawers and face frames are next once we have decided on an interior design (wood species, colors, etc).

Cold

2012-01-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

It has been sub-freezing weather most of the past week. Mid 20s (F) for a few days. Despite space heaters in the shop and the boat, it is still chilly. I have exhausted most of the shop projects (don't talk to me about shop cleanup please). According to the forecast, warmer temperatures (mid 40s) and rain should wash away the snow soon. Can't wait.

There is a street there somewhere.

One of the boat's cockpit drains.

Various Bits

2012-01-18T07:13:00.000-08:00

Its freezing outside and there is snow on the ground, thus it is too cold to spray paint the settee bits. With that on hold I am advancing smaller projects that can be done inshop/inboat (in proximity to the space heaters!). Many of these are in-work, but are oh-so-close to being done.

Domestic Water Tubing Runs
The tubing has been routed along the sides of the boat to the forward head (both port and starboard sides) and the starboard galley cabinets for (future?) dishwasher and washer/dryer service. Also installed along the port side are the heater water hoses for the hydronic heating system.

red/white/blue water hose runs

Galley Cabinet Carcases
Up till now these have just been dry fitted. Next is making the permanent attachment. All plumbing service has been installed behind the cabinets and there should be no more reasons to get behind there. So, permanent install can commence. As they are held in mechanically with numerous bolts, they can still be removed if needed, but as far as I can see, they can stay for the remainder of the build.

One of the cabinet carcases. Note the red/blue hot/cold water hose.

Ducting for Air Conditioning
I almost forgot this one. We are designing space for future AC units. The forward salon will be cooled by a 4 inch duct running behind the settee backrests, so I need to get 4 inch holes cut to accommodate.

Four inch vent ducting.

E-Board in the Engine Room
This one has yet to be started. All engine room projects are blocked until this is done. Holding this up is finding an adhesive method compatible with the plastic. While the e-board will be held to the walls with screws, I also want to spot some adhesive behind it as well. I do not believe epoxy will work on this plastic. Some possibilities I can think of include: methacrylate (Plexus) adhesive, 3M Super-77 (or Hi-strength 90) spray adhesive, or plain double sided tape(?). I need to run some compatibility tests with the various the glues.

E-Board

Plumbing and PEX

2012-01-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

Before the forward salon settees are permanently installed, I need to give thought to the hose runs for the domestic plumbing system. For ease and flexibility of installation we have chosen PEX tubing for the hose runs. This stuff is commonly used in RVs and household radiant floor systems. The tubing is a tough polyethylene material that fits a variety of "friction" fittings for valves, elbows, couplings, reducers, etc. No barbs or hose clamps. There are many manufacturers of these fittings made from materials like polymer plastics and brass. Name brands include Watts, SharkBite, SeaTech.

250 feet of pex tubing

The galley and both heads will have hot, cold and raw water (seawater) service. There will be pressurized raw water service to the bow and stern for deck mounted washdown fittings (perhaps cold fresh water too).

Plan view of plumbing runs.

Details to come.

Instant Paint Booth and HVLP Spraying

2012-01-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

I want to paint the forward salon settee bits (masking any glue joints) before they are permanently installed. I realized that painting these bits by brush would take quite a large amount of time for both primer and color. So, I decided to take the plunge with HVLP spraying. HVLP stands for "high volume low pressure" and is a more efficient means of spraying than conventional pressure spraying. With HVLP, less paint is atomized into the air and more paint is directed to the target. We already had the HVLP equipment new stored away in a box for a couple years intended for another project that we never started.

Of course I need some sort of paint booth to contain the overspray. I sectioned off an 8 x 16 corner of the fence outside the shop with 2 x 4s and plastic sheeting. It is semi-permanent (until the next big wind storm rolls through).

Settee locker lid about to be shot.

I started shooting primer on the settee bits, experimenting with different adjustments on the gun. Lets just say I have no clue as to what I am doing (but you already knew that). I am not that concerned with how perfect the finish turns out, since the settee bits will be concealed, or covered by cushions/upholstery. This makes the bits a perfect target for practice.

The pieces are primed with Interlux Pre-Kote White primer (their general purpose primer for single part paints). They will be topcoated with Interlux bilgekote, tinted off-white.

Forward Salon Settee Dryfit

2012-01-07T03:00:00.000-08:00

Everything is all cut and dry-fitted. I stopped when I noticed I was agonizing over a couple millimeters. Not perfect, but the imperfect bits will be covered by cushions and upholstery, and thats ok, right?

Port side settee

Starboard side settee

Next comes paint, glue and screws.

E-Board

2012-01-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

Special ordered over three months ago, and just in time for the new year, my two sheets of King E-Board came in. This is from the same company that makes King Starboard (a handy, plastic material that can be cut and assembled like plywood).

E-board is designed to simplify wiring and plumbing installations. It is a 4x8 sheet of 3/16" polymer plastic that has little raised "loops" molded into it that can be threaded with a zip tie. My idea is to clad the engine room with this stuff, then run the wiring and plumbing over it using zip ties. The motive behind this is that, over time, I fully expect "redo" wire runs and plumbing as equipment is added and removed. Having this stuff on the engine room walls will make the job easy. Just snip the old zip ties, remove or re-run the wire and hoses, with new zip ties. No more chewing up the walls with tapping screws for cushion clamps or other sorts of attachment doo-dads.

More on this later.

Forward Salon Final Frame-in Has Begun

2011-12-30T07:15:00.000-08:00

I caught my second wind a little early this year (as I usually do after the holidays). This I week started the final finish frame-in of the forward salon settees. What I mean by "finish frame-in" is all the big bits that go in before any final paint, hardwood trim or veneer. This marks the first task of this type so far on the project and I have been a little apprehensive about cutting anything while thinking and re-thinking, measuring and re-measuring before proceeding.

Forward Salon Area

Parts of the settees, with storage locker door access.

So far it has been going ok, with only a few mistakes (nothing that could not be recovered). Look for a progress report with pictures next week.

Galley Counter 'Hidden' Storage

2011-12-05T07:20:00.001-08:00

The depth of the drawers in the galley is limited by the distance opposite to the galley sink cabinet. This leaves a lot of dead space behind the drawers. Of course I never want to leave space go to waste. So, the design of the "behind counter" storage includes a false floor to access this unused space underneath.

Storage "liner boxes"

Example:Large olive oil container.

Lots of room for it and other items.

False floors in place.

The split false floors mean you don't have to remove EVERYTHING from the upper storage to get at the lower storage.

The Garbage Chute

2011-11-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

On the Westsail 42, the way the center cockpit is laid out, there exists a "notch" space inside where one leg of the cockpit settee wraps around to the front on the starboard side, to the right of the companionway. This notch is normally walled off with something non-structural, and most Westsail 42s cover this up with a removable panel that holds the electrical DC distribution switches. In front of this panel is the cabinet that has counter space holds the galley sink.

Looking into the "notch" created by the cockpit settee.

Rather than wall off the notch (we are putting the DC electrical control elsewhere) we have decided to extend the galley sink countertop into this space providing more counter space area and (hopefully) "opening up" the otherwise cramped space as you move toward the tunnel. Doing this leaves somewhat wasted space in the engine room, beneath this counter extension.

Looking down into the "garbage chute". Bottom trap door for quick/easy access to seacock.

The partitioning wall in the engine room. Cockpit and sink drain plumbing in the foreground

The space could be used for some small shelf storage, but instead we are designating this the waste bin. By installing non-structural partion walls, it is big enough to hold your standard tall kitchen garbage bag.

Retaining ring for the trash bag.

Trash bag lining the retaining ring.

Ring, with bag, is slid into the rails.

Side view. Finish cabinetry will see an access door here.

Using some extruded aluminum rails and a cut-to-fit plywood, the garbage bag is held securely in place. The finish counter top over the bin will have a removable cutout to drop through the galley waste.

Household vs Marine Paint

2011-11-28T10:37:00.001-08:00

Ok, this is sort of a rant...

I had read, and been told personally, a few times, that for interior paint, don't bother with 'marine' enamels. Instead, save the money and get a good oil based household paint from a local hardware or paint store.

Well, I did just that. The base cabinets (shown here early this year) were painted with household oil paint. While the paint has stood up well to some abuse, there is one area where marine paints have an advantage: drying time.

One coat of household oil based primer or topcoat, even in 70 degree (F) temperatures, can take more than 24 hours to completely dry. Marine paints, like the Interlux enamels, can be dry in less than 12 hours.

I am not always in a hurry, but waiting on paint to dry can be really frustrating.

OPBs

2011-11-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

Other Peoples Boats
Many heartfelt thanks to our friends Larry, Diane and Ron, who invited the Admiral and I for ten days aboard Capt. Ron's sailboat in the BVI. We got a taste of the 'dark side' on Ron's spacious Robertson & Caine Leopard 4500 Catamaran.

And easy 8-9 knots in a moderate breeze. And thats without tryin'

Now you might say, what does this have to do with a building a boat? Well, you could say we 'helped' Ron give a shakedown of the newly installed Yanmar engines.

Seabbatical, a Robertson & Caine Leopard 4500

But to be honest, our contribution pretty much involved standing around with some sort of beverage in hand between snorkel, dive, restaurant and bar excursions.

The trip was essentially a circumnavigation of Tortola with most of the time spent on the outer islands. Highlights were The Baths, Bitter End and Norman Island, but the best bits were Anegada and Jost Van Dyke.

Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke

Our Track

Its always inspirational be aboard OPBs. A chance to gain new ideas and see how they did X, Y, and Z. Here are some immediate takeaways if you plan on sailing your boat down in these latitudes:

Ventilation! Ventilation Ventilation!

Opening deck hatches and dorades: With the warm humid air, even a little air moving through the boat makes things pleasant.
Cockpit Awnings and Shades- You definitely need some sort of sun protection over the cockpit. The sun eats through even the best Sunbrella canvas after a few years. So something that can be easily deployed would be good. If you can have the awning deployed even while sailing, all the better.
Fans- small DC fans strategically placed around the boat can make a big difference. Especially in the staterooms.
General dampness control - Any way you can control the dampness in cabins, lockers, etc. Do it! Everything, at some point, will get damp.

Other Things

Side Access refrigerator (separate from Icebox)- I had gone back and forth on this, but I am now convinced , the galley cook that I am, the convenience of a side door access refrigerator is a must. This would be in addition a separate top reach in ice box/freezer.
Lots of galley counter space- however you can gain it.

And now for the plug...

If you are considering a bareboat charter in the BVI, we highly recommend Seabbatical. The boats are in great condition and well equipped.

Design: Dinette Table Support

2011-11-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

Made some progress on the dinette table support bracket design. This needs to be something that will support a potentially heavy table top that will be sturdy, yet easily deployed:

up to gain access to the electronics cabinet
down to convert the dinette to a sleeping space

It is probably hard to tell by the 2D drawing below, but I will try and describe it.

There will be a flat plate that will span the width of the table and out about 12 inches. The table itself will be bolted to this plate. The plate will be supported by three cantilevered brackets that ride on rollers against extruded aluminum columns. The center bracket over-extends outward towards the edge of the hull, the centerline, and downward to provide maximum leveraged support for the table.

Construction materials will be flat plate and flat bar aluminum of 1/4 and 3/8 thickness, some aluminum angle stock and extrusions.

If it turns out sturdy enough I have an idea for motorizing the up/down movement.

I will be cutting my teeth on welding aluminum here. This may turn out to be a complete disaster (very likely).

I Have Been Vindicated!

2011-11-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

A long time ago, we re-powered the small boat. Back then, we took the opportunity to sound insulate the engine room with this SoundTec special mylar/foam/vinyl stuff that lines the walls. We had an extra sheet left over that I insisted on saving through all of the residential moves and garage cleanings.

Twelve years later, it finally gets used (and this stuff ain't cheap).

Fitting Pocket Doors

2011-11-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

I have been performing the final test fit of the pocket doors. There will be a total of four pocket doors in the boat:

fwd head/v-berth
fwd salon/fwd head
main salon/aft cabin (tunnel)
aft cabin/engine room

Pocket door closed

Pocket door open

The door mechanism is fairly simple. The pocket doors will glide on upper and lower slide bearing strips of UHMW plastic riding on slotted aluminum extrusions attached to the bulkheads. The lower UHMW bearing has a 'T' cross-section which slides within the lower aluminum slot. The upper bearing is sort of trapezoidal shape which slides captive in the upper aluminum slot. The upper slides are designed to be removed for servicing, along with the pocket door, without the need to cut or destroy anything (except possibly some trim).

Lower slide bearing

Care and patience must be taken to set the upper and lower extrusions parallel and within one eighth of an inch of the height of the door. Too short an opening and the bearings will compress giving resistance and a door difficult to slide. Too tall an opening and the lower bearing risks jumping the track and rattling loose in the pocket.

Upper slide bearing

These are temporary doors, made of 3/4 inch MDF, in order to get everything set. Final door material will likely be determined by choice of interior decor. Having these doors in will help give an accurate feel for the final interior space of the boat.

Electronics Cabinet Dryfit

2011-11-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

On our small boat, I am always getting into the electronics space to re-configure, add, replace, or try something new. It is very cramped and difficult to gain access and doing so results in cursing and swearing. I am determined that not be the case on the Westsail.

As mentioned here, a removable cabinet will house the main CPUs of whatever various electronic doo-dads we have. The cabinet will be underneath the dinette table, out of the way, against the hull.

I have test mounted the cabinet carcase on telescoping, over-extension, removable drawer slides as illustrated by the pictures.

Cabinet in 'closed' position.

Cabinet in 'open' position. Over-extension slides gives a little bit of access to the back.

Cabinet detached from drawer slides.

What needs to be done next is the engineering of the dinette table supports. Of course, I need to make the table detachable to gain full access to the cabinet below. But we also have the idea of the ability to raise and lower the table to turn the dinette into sleeping space. This function must be performed easily and quickly and it CANNOT compromise the sturdiness of the table. Whatever idea I come up with may have an affect on the dinette settees' design and construction, so I need to give this some serious thought. More on this later.

Check... Re-check... Re-re-check... Grrr.

2011-11-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

I have been chasing down air leaks in the fuel transfer system. Suspecting the fittings at the tanks, I re-tightened and re-sealed barb and pipe fittings and double clamped hoses at the tanks all to no avail. I even found a loose hose clamp that I swore I had tightened, but that was not the cause.

The mislabeled fuel valves

So, then, why is the pump sucking air? Open the tank inspection port... its empty! But the fuel gauge says full! Re-check hose and tank sender routing to discover: mislabeled ball valve and a mislabeled tank sender lead. Turns out I was pulling fuel from a wrong tank that the fuel gauge said was full that was in fact empty (hence sucking air). Dohb!

The check valve installed at the transfer pump output.

Everything all fine now. Turns out the addition of a one-way spring loaded check valve on the transfer pump output helps prevent air from being sucked back through the pump as the suction vacuum is created. This makes for smoother pump operation, but fuel transfer still takes a bit of time. I am chalking that up to the low throughput capacity of the pump.