Just When I Though I Was Done.....

Just when I thought I had the galley almost done, Shelley decided that the stone counters were really not what she wanted....  That meant another trip to Home Depot where we are now the proud owners of some new countertops...  The other day I spent the afternoon with a hammer and chisel removing the old counter top.

Later this week I hope that my carpenter friend, Jake can trim the new counters to the proper shape in his shop.  After that, I will have to seal the underside of the new countertops with epoxy.  Only then can they be installed and the sink and plumbing can be done....

Another Sucessful Day...

Today I got 4 speakers installed and the wires for them run.  I installed the new stereo that Shelley and I picked up at our mailbox, and worked out some of the measurements for the new sink....  Today I also finished the very last of the AC wiring!...  Now all I have to finish is the DC stuff....  It won't be too long before I can start putting some of the floor back in.....  That will be great!

The Galley is Looking Better

Today I was able to cross a few jobs off the list.  I also put most of the galley back together.  All we are waiting for is our new double sink to arrive and we can finish the galley completely. 

I have also finished about half a dozen of the wiring jobs on the list.  next week we will be going to our mailbox to pick up a bunch of stuff, including our new radio and the kitchen sink.  It was snowing all day but the propane heater seems to be working well.  I was able to work with just a t-shirt on inside today.

I Spent 10 Hours Working on the Boat Today!!

I can't wait to get back to work... A day off can really be a lot of work....
It was a long day but very productive... A few days ago I made a list of 39 wiring jobs that still needed to be finished. today I was able to cross 10 of them off the list.. yikes! that works out to 1 job per hour... At this rate it looks like I have about another 29 hours to go....

There were really strong winds but the temperature was warm. It was a beautiful day.


The closet where all the wiring comes together is getting really busy.... But hopefully life will be easier when the job is finished... I hope I will get a few more hours to get a little more done tomorrow...



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

ONLY 956 Days To Go....

That's right folks, 956 days from today we will be leaving this cold snowy crap FOREVER!! (Or at least until I have lost my mind and I don't care any more)... As I arrived at the boat today THIS is what I found!!!!! %##&**^%$$%

After my heart stopped its palpitations I was able to get on the boat and continue with the wiring project... All the work Shelley did tidying up the other day seems to have been over run by some kind of gremlin... I just can't seem to catch those rascals... Every time I turn around the boat looks like a disaster again... hmmmm... You have to hate when that happens...

Well that said, the heaters seem to be working well and I am making some progress with the wiring. today I got all the RED lights installed... This lighting system will be used when we are under way... Red lights don't seem to affect your night vision too much and it will make getting around the cabin easier and safer...

I also run a bunch more cable for the aft lighting the galley lighting and accessories, the power for the propane safety shut-off, and the mid-ship and aft fans and accessories... The Electrical cupboard is looking busier and busier...All in all, not a bad day...

Last thing... Good news.  Apparently our steering units are on their way back from wherever they were and they have been re-built and are working great I'm told... Can't wait to get them re-installed and working...

It Is Starting To Get Frustrating!

Frustrating might be an understatement...  My brother in law brought me a role of vinyl flooring, It is great industrial stuff and some glue to adhere it... The plan was to glue it to the shower ceiling...  All was going well until gravity took over...  The small piece I cut just kept falling off the ceiling.  Being a genius, I then took some plywood and 2x4's and wedged the piece to the ceiling.  24 hours later I returned to remove the braces and the whole thing fell down... grrrr. 

So, is the glue no good? Is it too cold? (it was 70 degrees when I installed it and it went down to about 40 degrees over night)...  I have replaced the braces for another 24 hours and hope it will stay in place...

Next, I tried to put some corner molding into the stall only to discover after I glued it in that I used the wrong glue... What I intended to use was construction adhesive, and what I mistakenly grabbed was mirror adhesive... BLACK!  I will wait for it to cure then, scrape it off and try again... 

Thinking that this was all a bad idea, I decided to do some wiring instead...  As I lifted the toolbox lid to get a spool of wire out, I had left a little compartment in the lid open (which was filled with about 1000 wire connectors) which dumped all over the salon floor and down into the engine compartment.....

After all of that, I just quit for the day...

Here are some pictures of projects the went better over the last few days...

Most of the watermaker is now re-installed... Somehow I lost some of the washers that seal the tubing so I hope before too long they will re-appear or I find some replacements...  The only component not yet re-installed is the compressor that will go on the engine... For that I need to find someone who can build me a bracket... any ideas?

A friend from church, Larry came on Friday and built this wonderful door in the shower stall.  I have ordered a mirror that I will glue on later...

Wow... The Shower is Starting to Come Together...

Here is where I ended up today...  I ran out of glue so I still have some vinyl to glue down...  But what I have done is going to work great...  I am really hoping my brother in law will help get the rest done next weekend when he comes down...  He installs flooring for a living... What he can do really well in an hour would take me 10 and not do as good of a job... :)

A Little More Progress...

Today I got as far as I can go before I cover the walls with something...  I think that the shower is starting to look like a shower...  As you can see I have installed the water and drain for the washing machine and the waterline for the ice maker. As soon as I cover the walls with something then I can finish installing the shower taps and move on to another project...

The Shower is Starting....

Over the last few days I started to install the shower.  There isn't a square corner or right angle anywhere in this boat so I find myself struggling along.... That said, I am making progress... I have installed the drain and the floor, framed in the wall, and roughed in the storage cabinet that will eventually hold soap and shampoo etc. Above the spot where the door will eventually go is 3 holes where I will be placing the lights for the shower...

Over the next few visits I will get the plumbing finished and the walls roughed in.  Then when it is warm enough and or my brother in law is available, I will get him to line the inside of the shower stall with King Board... This stuff is very expensive but is waterproof and incredibly durable and easy to clean...

Plodding Along....

As the weather gets cooler and the rain continues to fall, staying motivated to keep working on the boat gets much more difficult...  That said, progress is still being made...  On the weekend, I managed to get the focile (workshop at the front of the boat) painted and it is now completely re-wired. As I progress now I will start to put tools and spare parts away in this room....

I have decided to wire the boat working from the bow to the stern (front to back).  As I go along I will post pictures of my progress...  At the same time I am trying to get some of the carpentry done for the new shower and our new bed.  I have to admit, this is very difficult for me, as there are many angles and curves in a boat that add a degree of difficulty not found in square structures... 

The Engine Compartment is Done...

Here is a photo of the finished engine compartment. It is well lit with a series of LEDs. The bilge pumps are set up and working and the shower sump is connected. In the process I discovered that the engine blower isn't working. I have ordered a new one and and enough new hose to vent it out the transom.

The Engine Is Re-Wired!!!!

Yesterday and today I spend about 15 hours getting the engine re-wired. At the end of today everything is working except one temperature sensor... Not bad I would say...
The interior of the boat is a total disaster... I have been down in the engine compartment and so I have not been tidying up as I was going along... Tomorrow after work, I will take some time to get things organized.... Thanks to Greg G. For coming by today... Your help is appreciated.
My last project today was to run about 4 gallons of antifreeze through the engine so it is now ready for winter. All in all a good couple of days....
My next project will be to re-wire the two independent bilge pump systems and install a high water alarm system then get some lighting installed in the engine room. At that point, I should be able to re-install the engine compartment doors so getting around the salon of the boat will be easier.
On a financial note, I sold the old inverter/charger on eBay for $300 and sold one of the old breaker panels that I replaced to a friend a the yacht club for $100... Can you believe it, money actually went into the kitty this week!
FYI if anyone needs/wants a couple of gallons of Kiwi Grip, let me know. I will sell them both or alone for a very reasonable price... Just send me a note...
For all our Canadian friends, have an awesome thanksgiving!!! Cheers!!!
Sent from Kyle's iPad

Winter Interior

Here is the cockpit of the boat with new cover installed. Today I got some electrical done including the installation of the new Blue Sea AC/DC breaker panel... The electrical stuff is pretty slow going but we are making some progress...

 Shelley Was so sweet today... when she was finished work, she came out to the boat just to bring me some lunch... It was a nice break and a good meal...

I have cut the hole to accommodate the new panel...

Covered For The Winter...

Last weekend I framed the aft of the boat to accommodate a new tarp to make access this winter easier. I hope this holds up and makes getting into the boat easier this winter.

Progress Is Slowing Down

Being back to work and the weather changing has really put a crimp in progress on the boat.  Over the last few weeks I have been pulling out the old wiring and plumbing.  A slow process as I really want to know what I am pulling out....

On Saturday, Shelley and I cleaned up the trailer and brought all the liquids home so they won't freeze over the winter.  We are very sure now that we won't be putting the boat in the water until the spring of 2013... :(

On the bright side, while the progress is slow, we are getting some small steps accomplished.  I have run all new water lines, installed the new inverter/charger, installed the 30 amp mains, and taken apart the 7kw generator that I will be installing to run a scuba compressor.  This is what the generator looks like with all the housing and exhaust system removed.  I am now trying to figure out a way to build a new exhaust system into the boat for this air cooled diesel generator...

Over the next few weeks/months we will be plugging away at the interior jobs that need to get done, leaving any further outside work for next spring and summer...  I have to admit, when I say all of this it gets a little discouraging.  I really am working on some stuff right now that I am not feeling too confident in my abilities to resolve or fix...

Any help or expertise is always appreciated...

Windows & Hatches Are IN!!!!!

Wow! The wait was worth it.... With my father in laws help the 19 windows and hatches are now installed on the boat. They look great. Now we can start to get the boat ready for winter. I am going to cover the foredeck and make some kind of entrance to the pilot house from the transom so deck and windows remain protected from the elements...