C-27 Refit/Refurb

[philwsailz]

Okay Stu, I have never seen a shower sump setup until just now, but realize that what they are selling is a casserole dish with a lid and a pump in it....

What store-bought options might you consider from the home improvement store if you had to? Sort of a fun exercise if you ask me...

UPDATE:

I just ordered the Johnson Shower Sump and Pump. Too easy....

Paid with Amex Points. too easy...

I will let you know what headaches I have fitting it when it arrives....

 

[philwsailz]

The wetbar/galley is re-installed in the boat! Got this done Saturday. Despite the weight, I was able to get it up the ladder and into the cockpt fairly easily.

It is currently just sitting there un-fastened, but everything lines up fairly tight, so it is not going anywhere. A little tweaking to get it lined up with all registration marks and a few stainless screws will hold it in place.

As a result of getting the wetbar/galey installed, I was able to finish up the supply plumbing, fill the water tank and test it out! Thank goodness I had the foresight to install some valves on the sink faucet supply lines... the pump I have wil go 65 PSI, and that is quite the stream coming out at the sinks wide-open. Choking the valves down a little provides a more comfortable and splash-resistant flow.

Stu, the sumop is on itws way, but I have to say that if I knew it was jsut ice and sink water, draining it under the motor sure worked well for my initial testing. I realize though that a little introduced heel while on the water, (as opposed to trailer testing) might make that much less than desireable, so the sump will go in the port lazz, as shared earlier.

Bonus: Shortly after installation, it started raiining, and it has rained a lot here since. Should have put the thing in a month earlier; somehow my superstitious side says the two things are intertwined...

 

[philwsailz]

I have the companionway hatch off for gel coat maintenance and decided it was an appropriate time to beef up the guide slides.

This is really pretty easy work.....

My shower sump was delivered yesterday, so I will be installing it and the vented loop to complete the drain side of the water system at the galley / wet-bar. Pics hopefully to follow, if I can contort myself AND the phone down there in order to show the installation..

I am going to go ahead and connect the sink and icebox drain to the new sump which will be mounted UNDER the port lazz. Then the outlet side will go up and over a vented loop mounted inboard and hign, up inside the port lazz, and then out through the seacock that is under the galley / wet bar.

More to follow, enjoy the pics:

 

[philwsailz]

The shower sump is in! It is not wired, but it is mounted....

Digging around in that port lazarette, with me stuffed down in there is so much fun... :Liar:

So, here is what I did. I was fiddling and fumbling around in the volume just below the lazz floor. Trying to figure out how to best create a level surface for the sump. Then I realized the lid was level... Why not just use it? I went to my saw and with a little thought cut a square hole. I want to be able to monitor the thing, and I wanted access to the plumbing, so I cut a rectangular hole that would allow both. Then I marked and drilled some thru-holes to hit the stock lid attachment screw holes. Swapping out fasteners for slightly longer and I had a subassembly.

From there it was pretty straightforward. Pull hoses to sump location, install vented loop, attach everything. Easy right? Well, pretty much it went without hitch except for the fact that I had to work around myself down in there. I was giggling, but had it not gone quickly the giggling would have turned to colorful words.

I still have to wire it up, and I have a Rule switch on the way, (same as the bilge pump switch) fror that purpose. The Johnson sump pump comes pre-wired for a two-wire installation, but I am going to revert it back to 3-wire with auto AND manual control, just like on a bilge pump. The switch will mount at the galley / wetbar, so it is not confused with the real bilge pump.

Here are the pics, including one that sort of shows the tight fit of the pump and myself...

Enjoy!

 

[philwsailz]

More work this weekend on the sliding hatch... I got to the piece of wood on the front of the hatch, the piece of wood I forgot was there when I stained and finished all the other wood on the sliding hatch... Got it sanded stained and a first coat of varnish on it.

A tip for those dealing with a similar situation to mine. The old front hatch board had been refinished previously and the numerous sandings had left the wood much thinner than when the boat was new; the screw tips exposed when installed were poking through the varnish. It was obvious that this was a finish failure point so I said I was not going to repeat history. I drilled the old wood screw holes fully throught and then countersunk them from the exterior. When the front trim wood goes back on the sliding hatch, it will be fastened with #10 countersink machine screws, bedded with Maine's butyl bedding tape. The screw heads will be visible, but it will be better to see a nice finished screw installation as opossed to the alternative of trying to again blind fasten it from the interior. It will be a much more durable method with regards to the varnish as well.

I also FINALLY got to re-hang the finished cabinet over the wetbar/galley. Recall this cabinet is primarily just to hide the back of the knot meter and depth finder display, but it will be welcome storage for something. I still maintain I need to keep a bottle of port in there; you know, in a storm any port is a welcome port. Something like that....

I am debating trim at the galley / wetbar... I think I want a little more wood, just to set it off. I am considering grabbing a piece of mahogany to set at the back of the countertop, to hide the seam between the back and the counter surface. I am considering either a simple backsplash, taller than deep, or I will cut some rounds out of the wood and lay it flat to hold some tumblers. Which look seems better to you guys?

I am also looking a some sort of trim piece up high just in front of the LED lighting over the galley/wetbar. When seated you can see the lighting and I don't want to be able to see it directly. Part of me says to go get a stock teak wineglass rack and use that.... It might be pretty cool to have the lightplaying through somt acrylic wine glasses hanging there. Ant part of me says to just put a neat clean simple strip of finished teak across the front to hide the lighting. Thoughts?

Saturday saw me pulling wiring for the sump and pump. The wire is all there now; just waiting for the switch to arrive to finalize that wiring and then I can tidy up the wiring in the port lazz. About all I need to do to finish up the interior is to permanently mount the speakers and then give it a VERY thorough cleaning.

So there you have it, basically the updates for the weekend. It is raining here, so hopefully some of that hits the lake, (none of the last rain seemed to make it into the lake). I am ready to quit working and start sailing. We still need about 4 feet of water back in the lake...

On a good note, I have an appointment this coming Thursday to show my C-22 that is for sale. With any luck, she will find a new home and she will be able to share all the joy she has shown me to the new sailors who hopefully will take her home. She has beena good boat, and I will hate to see her go, but I don't need two...

See pics

 

[philwsailz]

Still need rain. Had to move the C-22 out to the end of the dock to keep it floating. The C-25 next door has its keel about a foot down in the mud, but now the water is receding below the waterline and she is starting to lean. I hope she doesn't dry totally out, since if the falls over, she falls on my dock...

With the boat getting close to being done, yet with no place to put her, I have been working on other projects out at the lake, including some much needed deck maintenance. Here are a few pics.

 

[philwsailz]

Quick update:

Been busy with weekend activities, graduation parties, and a nasty tornado that gave me some minor work on the shop for a few days. I also have a nice pile of limbs, and about two ricks of firewood now... We were very lucky!

Below is a pic showing the start to the boat polishing. From foreward to aft, (left to right) you can see the untouched, chalky gel-coat, followed by an area that was wet-sanded, 600 grit. The next area bordered by both tape strips was coumpounded with a liqud 3M buffing compound, followed by Meguiar's Fine Cut Cleaner. With these two products you can get a mirror finish pretty quickly. The last section aft has 2 coats of Meguiar's Hard Yellow Carnauba wax, machine buffed and burnished. Notice all the shine comes from the Fine Cut Cleaner, not the wax... This is the right way to do it; get the shine from your cleaning work, then the wax only has to protect...

I have continued to work on the sliding hatch. I have ott to a mirror shine, and the non-skid areas are roughed up. I have a gallon and a half of KiwiGrip arriving today, in the light cream/tan color. I will try it a little on the non-skid areas of the sliding hatch first so I can get a learning curve going. Pics maybe tomorrow!

Here is the port hull, with the polishing ...

Happy Wednesday everyone!

 

[shipwreck66]

Phil, since you are in the creative stage, "Good Old Boat" magazine has an article where a guy made swinging doors attached to a frame that just drops in to fit where your hatchboards are. Kind of a cool idea as you can change back to regular anytime without placing mounting screws into your existing teak. I mean, you've done everything else, why not. By the way, the evaporative AC I'm trying out does work better than a fan, but not cold. Filled with ice, then water it does blow cold for a few hours though, and only draws .75 amps at 110v, so easily runs on an inverter while sailing for my wife's comfort

 

[philwsailz]

Phil, since you are in the creative stage, "Good Old Boat" magazine has an article where a guy made swinging doors attached to a frame that just drops in to fit where your hatchboards are. Kind of a cool idea as you can change back to regular anytime without placing mounting screws into your existing teak. I mean, you've done everything else, why not. By the way, the evaporative AC I'm trying out does work better than a fan, but not cold. Filled with ice, then water it does blow cold for a few hours though, and only draws .75 amps at 110v, so easily runs on an inverter while sailing for my wife's comfort

I have seriously considered doors in place of hatch boards... I LOVE how they look, and they can be out of the way closed while sailing, yet easy to open and shut behind you as well. A u-shaped frame supporting two doors has been my plan all along, as it can be easily lifted out just as you say. I have put that project on hold, pending work actually required to get the boat out of the shop and on the water.

On the cooler, I still think I want to go higher-tech. Specifically I want to develop a heat exchanger where antifreeze passes through a coil of copper tubing submerged in ice and hyper-chilled water and then goes up to an automotive heater core. The goal is to provide enough cooling energy at the heat exchanger core that I can knock some moisture out of the air going through. I would not be blowing air past water directly picking up moisture, I would be blowing air past an exchanger that only chilled the air, without adding moisture from the cooling liquid. In effect, I am exactly re-creating an automotive heater system, only using chilled water to cool the air, rather than warm engine coolant water to heat the air. I believe many industrial and large buildings use chilled water pumped through heat exchangers to cool the building, rather than pumping refrigerant or other evaporative gas. If I can get the antifreeze cold enough at the heat exchanger core, I should be able to acheive true air chilling, with condensation from the air as a result.


Okay back to work from yesterday. I am learinign KiwiGrip application. Yesterday I managed to get the two small non-skid ares of the sliding hatch coated. This stuff is very easy to work with, but know you gotta move quick, especially when it is warm. I was working in 90 deg. temps, and while the humidity slowed cure some, the stuff was ready for the tape to be pulled within 10 minutes of rolling. After pulling the tape, I took some pics and walked away to do some more tree trimming from my tornado, but I am quite pleased with what I see so far.

I am nervous about how far this stuff will go... My concern is that I may have to put it on rather thick to get enough material to completely hide the light blue non-skid underneath. We will see...

Take a look:

 

[philwsailz]

Life continues to be busier and busier than ever. Progress is slowed, especially in light of the heat of summer, and Oklahoma has parts expecting 108 - 112 today...

Still, creeping along. Wanted to share pics of my ongoing KiwiGrip project. Started the decks the other might. Going for one section at a time. I was quite intimidated by the stuff, and still am for some parts, but I am finding it can be touched up quite easily, so mistakes can be rectified. Gaining confidence quickly. My biggest concern is making sure that as my skill grows, I still manage to get a coating on each section that is similar in appearance to the previous one(s).

See pics below.

 

[philwsailz]

I also have started a McGyver project of sorts. At the very first of this forum thread, it was alluded that I wanted to goof around and see if I could successfully build an air conditioner system that was not evaporative, (i.e. swamp cooler ) in nature. I want to be able to use a closed loop of refrigerant that would be pumped through a heat exchanger that I could blow air over to cool. The device would hopefully chill the air enough to dry the air, resulting in the need for a condensation drain, just like a modern AC. The cold source would be simple ice.

Yesterday I started..... *bwaaaa haaa haaaa haaaa*, (mad scientist laugh)

Here is the bill of materials so far:
1 plastic battery box
1 copper automotive heater core
some scrap sheet ABS, (.250" thickness)
Spare sanitary plumbing hose, 3/4"
1 spare bilge pump
1 spare big cube ice chest
1 spare bilge blower from parts donor boat
bilge blower tubing from parts donor boat.

My plan so far:

What I am doing first is to create a heat exchanger box from the battery box, scrap ABS, and heater core. Once I have that built, I will plumb it with a supply and a return line. I will also install a small fitting in a low spot in the battery box for the condensation drain. The drain will go to the shower sum installed in the boat previously.

I will use the donated exhaust blower hose to plumb the boat for air duct and return. I will keep these runs as short as possible. The heat exchanger will sit in the port lazz, on the shelf created by the installation of my modified galley/wetbar. It will be connected to the boat interior by a very short length of hose, or I might just cut a hole through the galley/wetbar back splash and pull the heat exchanger up tight to it, with a vent grill of some sorts for a finished cosmetic.

The cold source, (ice in an ice chest) will be mounted just aft of the heat exchanger in the port lazz. The donated bilge pump will sit in the bottom of the ice chest, and wil be connected up to the heat exchanger core by a short length of the sanitray hose, (you don't need sanitary hose, but that is what I have), and the return from the heat exchanger core will simply return to the ice chest.

I will fit a ball valve drain on the ice chest drain plug, and it will drain into the shower sump, either with a separate fitting, or combined with the heat exchanger's condensation line.

A simple switch will energize the pump and the fan, turning the system on. I may find that either a thermostatic switch or a rheostat might come in handy to control the amount of cooling, allowing the ice to last longer than if left running full time.

I have attached pics off my start on building the heat exchanger. As you can see it is simple, but I believe it is no more simple than any heat exchanger. Hot side, exchanger, cold side....

A bonus benefit I perceive is that if this works, I have an opportunity to extend the plumbing and be able to tap the engine cooling line for winter sailing and be able to provide heating to the cabin in wintertime. Granted it will requrie running the motor, but there are other ways to heat water too...

Anyway, enjoy, and we can start a new thread to keep status updates going elsewhewre if folks deem there is merit.

Enjoy!

 

[philwsailz]

So.... Man it is hot. I just wanted to drop a quick post and say we haven't stopped for good, just for the summer. 140F in the shop is just too hot to work. So... Waiting for cooler weather to return so I can get back to the boat.

Gonna be juggling diapers too; my first is due in September so it will be a busy fall.

 

[shipwreck66]

Congrats Phil, and good luck. We too have abandoned ship till temp goes back below 100. Boat gets pulled this week for first time in 4 years for bottom paint, this is gonna cost me big. Incidentally, an unattended Hunter 41 left with Marine AC going for 4 months is currently sitting in marina with bilge pumps on max, and ac is no longer discharging, HUMH! And the discharge is from engine compartment, which means entire cabin has at least a foot of standing water in it. Owner sealed boat up tight, no one could get in or get a hold of him. We predict a salvage auction soon.

 

[philwsailz]

Hey, on somewhat a related note. A boddy of mine, (Catalina 25 sailor, not a forum frequenter) has constructed one of the air conditioners like we have been discussing, using ice water through a heater core, witha 12v fan on it. He sent me a picture last night and what I see looks kinda frankenstein, but it should work. I am going to go by this afternoon after work with two bags of ice to check it out...

 

[Merlin Clark]

I think you have come up with a great idea with the no-freon (whatever it's called now) AC system Phil.
About a dozen years ago the cooling fan on my fridge system went out on my (then) boat. It was old and drew a lot of power. I replaced it with a pancake fan like used for a computer power supply but a little larger and made a cowl out of some soft plastic sheet. These fans move a good amount of air, are 12v and use almost no power. Thought this might work for you.

 

[philwsailz]

I think you have come up with a great idea with the no-freon (whatever it's called now) AC system Phil.
About a dozen years ago the cooling fan on my fridge system went out on my (then) boat. It was old and drew a lot of power. I replaced it with a pancake fan like used for a computer power supply but a little larger and made a cowl out of some soft plastic sheet. These fans move a good amount of air, are 12v and use almost no power. Thought this might work for you.

My buddy beat me to it. Here is a picture of his Air Conditioner. Ice chest, automotive heater core, bilge pump, a squirrel-cage fan, and a plastic storage tote, all done up with some simple braided hose.

I will post this up in the AC-specific thread in the ASK A CATALINA OWNER section, but I thought it worthwhile to show a pic here.

 

[philwsailz]

I haven't posted anything in a long time. Our water is still gone for the moment, as we are down about 8 feet now at our local lake. The rush to get the boat put together has slowed in light of this.

I should also mention that mid September I had an added responsibility joyously come into my life. Here is a picture of my new son. Enjoy!

The boat will probaly get some attention again after the first of the year hopefully... If my boy will let me get out there and work...

 

[shipwreck66]

Wondered when you were coming back up for air. Congrats on the new crewman and sounds like you have plenty of time to work on the boat as I see no appreciable rain in th future.

 

[philwsailz]

Got some time last Saturday and Sunday to start blowing the shop back out, tucking boats into corners as they will be unused through the winter months, cleaning, etc. I have had the C27 mast on dollies in the middle of the floor for the last year and I was getting tired of walking around it, so I hung it!

I also picked up this little go-fast rocket. Both hulls need a layer of 'glass and gel on bottom, (gravel beach with previous owner) and the starboard hull has a slow leak; probably in the daggerboard pockets, but the fixes will be easy. This one is fun on those really hot days where a monohull cockpit seat is a little too high and dry.

Also, have you guys seen that insurance commercial where the white dog just worries and worries and worries about his bone? Sleepless and dreaming that it was gone... Well I had a similar anxiety about my sails with the approaching cold weather. Mice... I took my main sheet off the boom and rigged it up from a rafter and hung all my sails including my new Hyde main... I find it incredibly hard to believe the mice will be able to get to them now... Sleeping better.

A guy just has to stop and take some time to clean up around his work. I am not the guy who cleans up every evening, but sometimes it gets overbearing. A couple more evenings of cleanup and re-setup and I will be able to get back to the Kiwi-Grip non-skid job... Stay tuned.

The brain is starting to get back on the boat... looking forward to more progress and pics! In the meantime, let this top-og-mind aimless rambling suffice as evidence I still plan to get busy...

 

[shipwreck66]

Start a new thread, this is already at the bottom of page 6, getting difficult to navigate to.