Happiness is a Warm Spool Gun

[Panope]

Thanks Bleemus,

I do own a spray gun, but I have spayed absolutely nothing on this boat. For this winter's work, I have painted or varnished everything in the shop, lying horizontal. The white paint is applied in a single, very heavy coat (with a brush) that is literally a puddle of paint.

The varnish is also brushed while the part is horizontal. I am using 3 or 4 'normal' coats.

Steve

[Bleemus]

Well then you are a talented man with a brush! Very impressive!

[Panope]

Forward cabin trim and bunk coamings are done (enough).

Storage area under the double bunk easily swallows the 10 foot roll-up dinghy, Engel fridge, and the vacuum.

A shot looking aft, from the head.



Passageway to the head is challenge that is helped by these hand holds:

[Seaworthy Lass]

Beautiful work Steve!

[Panope]

Thanks, SW.

Got any new shots of the Bestevaer? In a way, I feel like we are engaged in a friendly boat building race

Steve

[Bleemus]

Well done as always!

[Panope]

Bilge pump upgrades.

The manual bilge pump got a new welded stand pipe in place of the old plastic thru hull. I had no problem with the plastic stuff as it was well above waterline. I changed it because the valve was un-reachable. It took a stick to open the valve and a string tied to the handle to close it.

Stand pipe is about 1.5 feet long. Valve handle is now reachable from the pilot house foot well.



Manual pump handle moves through a slot in the old metal deck



New to the boat is Panope's first ever, electric bilge pump. It is a Rule 4000 that will likely never be used. Consider it a 'de-watering' pump in case of hull or other breach. I'll wire it directly to a circuit breaker for now.

Pump is about 3 feet below the discharge. According to the Rule data sheet, the pump will deliver about 3500 gallons per hour with that head. There will be no 90 degree fittings in the plumbing - only gentle sweeps in the hose.



It uses 2 inch discharge plumbing and got it's own standpipe on the opposite side of the boat (from the manual pump). Again, I would have been satisfied with a Marelon thru hull fitting and valve if it would have been reachable.

Two schools of though on bracing these pipes: It the pipe is fixed at the 'valve end' with a bracket to, say, the bulkhead, and the hull is deflected/dented, the fixed pipe might cause more damage than if the pipe is allowed to "free float". Perhaps the best method of bracing would be to gusset the pipe directly to the hull.

In any event, these pipes are so well buried in the boat, that a human or object is very unlikely to come into contact with them.



Because these areas are completely un-reachable on the inside of the hull, I weld a flange to the pipes on the work bench, then insert the pipe from the outside and perimeter weld the flange. A firewatch person stands at the ready on the inside with a hose.

It is not as clean looking as a flush fitted pipe, welded directly to the hull. However, for this boat's somewhat utilitarian demeanor, it is just fine.

Steve

[Panope]

Progress in the head.

Hull sides do not have "flare". It is only the interior side panels are curved. This provides much needed floor space for feet and for the crapper bin in side the enclosure.

You can imagine how bad I wanted to trim the hull frames back, as I do not care for toe stubbers. Preservation of hull integrity won that battle.

Steve

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by Panope

I bought a production urine diverter and seat for a DIY composting/desiccating head.

Plywood wall and top will be 'built in' to the forepeak. Curved wooden part is a 3 layer lamination of grooved, 4 millimeter plywood.

A computer fan will mount inside the box and continuously vent overboard.

A five gallon bucket will collect the crap, and a 6 gallon portable holding tank will collect the piss.

This will be my first experience with this type of head. My hope is that this system will be an improvement over the old porta potty.

Steve



The Gorilla Glue worked perfectly for this as it expanded and filled the groves in the plywood.


Tank was a lucky find. Width and Height are PERFECT for this space.

Just spent a few nights away with my new toilet system that looks very much like yours. (Without the nice woodwork) It worked very well. Minimal smell even without the fan (though I am definitely planning on adding one.). far better than a chemical toilet.

[Panope]

Good to hear, Ben.

I am not going to miss that porta loo.

Steve

[Panope]

Head fan.

The various "step down" ridges (inside the plumbing) were smoothed to help air flow.


2" electrical conduit "duct" passes into the chain locker.


Rather than lead the vent up through the deck, I will give something different a try. Vent will discharge through the secondary anchor's hawsepipe.

I lacked confidence in my ability to properly weld this nipple in this confined location so I welded it to a saddle, on the work bench. Saddle is attached to the hawsepipe with 5200 and 8) 1/4" bolts.

The possibility exists, that seawater may "geyser" into this vent when the boat is bashing into head seas. Therefore, the valve may need to be closed in those conditions. Time will tell.

[Panope]

Head is serviceable. No time for further details like a chain locker door or a cabinet to Port (beyond the toilet paper roll).

Electrical box houses the head fan speed control module and other wiring connections.

Steve

[Panope]

With three days until launch and a long list of unfinished tasks, what is the craziest thing I could do?

Answer: Cut 4 feet off the mast.







This effectively ends the dream of flying a gaff topsail. The positive note is the 19 pounds removed from the masthead and also a reduction in windage.

Steve

[Snowpetrel]

There are some pretty clever ideas like the cornish topsails or the spritsail topsails that get by with a very short masthead. We used a windsurfer mast and its sail as a crude mizzen topsail on my folks boat when we were kids.

Topsails are lots if fun, but it hardly looks like she needs more sail now you have that nice drifter. Great to see you launching soon. Fantastic job on the refit. It will be interesting to see if she is any stiffer with the slightly lower ballast.

[Panope]

Thanks, Snow.

Topsail would be fun, but the boat is just too tender to make much use of one. I'm finding that I have more fun sailing in gales, and this change will be good for those conditions.

The ballast change is a big question mark. Yes, the ballast (and anchor chain) is a bit lower. However, there is now about 800 lbs less ballast than before (she still has more ballast than designed).

Also the interior is now about 400 lbs lighter than before.

I kept accurate records of the weight removed along with fore and aft position. However, I did not attempt to measure or record the heights. Therefore, I have no means of calculating a vertical center of gravity. It is entirely possible that the VCG of the whole boat is now higher than before.

On the plus side, the cavernous bilge areas can now be used to store heavy items that formerly were stored higher up.

I cant wait to put all these changes to the test (on the water).

Steve