Well, things are moving along. Today I completed the install of the new switches/circuit breakers panel. When I first started last weekend, I just plugged it in, hanging out of the wall to investigate lighting. To get it mounted, I had to cut out a larger rectangle in the bulkhead behind it to fit he switches an backs of the breakers into the wall. The configuration was slightly different because this was not an exact match with the old one
because I upgraded from glass fuses to push button breakers. I am not at all a woodworker but have friends who are, one gave me a nifty oscillating saw, I could neatly enlarge the rectangle while working very closely to embedded wires in the opening. Another friend made up a box for me that I had sketched up, just a 1/2 inch deep frame I used to shim the box partially out of the wall because the backs of the breakers were hitting hard against the sloping fiberglass in the back of the the hole.
I had to extend 3 wires coming out of the hole, (heat shrink butt connectors and Dielectric grease used here). I put a few coats of varnish on the frame and finished mounting it today.
All outside lights new bulbs, lenses, cleaned all the contacts. I feel I got lucky here on the lights just as in the other boat.
While working on the forward running light, I looked into the base of the mast. The bottom 3 ft. of mast was 1 large bird nest complete with 2 bees or wasp nests about 5 ft. in. They could fly in and out through the small holes in the side of the mast where the halyards exit the mast at the base. Long shop vac. mission here cleaned them out. On my 18 I always secure a plastic freezer bag over the end of the mast to keep critters out over the winter, this was "Exhibit A" as to why do that.!
While cleaning out the boat I removed wires that powered up the vhf radio (direct from battery to the radio, no fuse, and another run that powered a 12 volt lighter style plug in and to a small 12 fan in the cabin, no fuses here either!
Mast stuff caught up for now, (but new Halyards are on the list), now to the bottom.
Reseal cockpit drains next and motor tomorrow. New gas is in the tank, changing oil in the bottom and fuel filter tomorrow.
I usually place my water barrel in a place in the yard where draining water is not in the working /walking area when I tip it over to empty. Now, I have to do it close to the boat because I can`t get the fuel hose out of the tube it runs through the transom in without cutting one of the fittings off. This is ridiculous. The 3 gallon can is in an open locker same as My P18, no reason the hose could not have just run out and over the transom as on that boat.
As Dave Condon suggested, I did talk to Bart at Precision in Fla. He was very helpful talking about the electric wiring and other details of the boat, seems to be a good go -to guy for this..Dave Coughlin
because I upgraded from glass fuses to push button breakers. I am not at all a woodworker but have friends who are, one gave me a nifty oscillating saw, I could neatly enlarge the rectangle while working very closely to embedded wires in the opening. Another friend made up a box for me that I had sketched up, just a 1/2 inch deep frame I used to shim the box partially out of the wall because the backs of the breakers were hitting hard against the sloping fiberglass in the back of the the hole.
I had to extend 3 wires coming out of the hole, (heat shrink butt connectors and Dielectric grease used here). I put a few coats of varnish on the frame and finished mounting it today.
All outside lights new bulbs, lenses, cleaned all the contacts. I feel I got lucky here on the lights just as in the other boat.
While working on the forward running light, I looked into the base of the mast. The bottom 3 ft. of mast was 1 large bird nest complete with 2 bees or wasp nests about 5 ft. in. They could fly in and out through the small holes in the side of the mast where the halyards exit the mast at the base. Long shop vac. mission here cleaned them out. On my 18 I always secure a plastic freezer bag over the end of the mast to keep critters out over the winter, this was "Exhibit A" as to why do that.!
While cleaning out the boat I removed wires that powered up the vhf radio (direct from battery to the radio, no fuse, and another run that powered a 12 volt lighter style plug in and to a small 12 fan in the cabin, no fuses here either!
Mast stuff caught up for now, (but new Halyards are on the list), now to the bottom.
Reseal cockpit drains next and motor tomorrow. New gas is in the tank, changing oil in the bottom and fuel filter tomorrow.
I usually place my water barrel in a place in the yard where draining water is not in the working /walking area when I tip it over to empty. Now, I have to do it close to the boat because I can`t get the fuel hose out of the tube it runs through the transom in without cutting one of the fittings off. This is ridiculous. The 3 gallon can is in an open locker same as My P18, no reason the hose could not have just run out and over the transom as on that boat.
As Dave Condon suggested, I did talk to Bart at Precision in Fla. He was very helpful talking about the electric wiring and other details of the boat, seems to be a good go -to guy for this..Dave Coughlin
