Construction: Week 27 - Hydraulics

The photos arrived while I was giving a talk on fiberglass boat construction to a group of 14 eight year olds who were attending a one week camp on sailboat construction.  When my talk ended, I showed the photos to my friend, Becky, and my first reaction was - - not much happened last week.  Well turns out I was wrong. 

As mentioned several articles ago the Friday photos are like a treasure hunt where the question is always did I find the treasure?  Not this week.  I needed my friend Mike at Outer Reef to put the pieces together.  So here we go.

1. View of the hull - No change.  Just let's us know the boat's still here.

2. House with two lifting straps attach to the port side

This portends a significant development.  I hope to see either the house mated with the hull or the house flipped over in preparation for mating.

3. Hardtop layup completed

Week 26.  Hardtop mold for comparison

4. VIP showing steps on port side of berth along with teak veneer

5. VIP showing wenge veneer on horizontal surfaces

The teak and wenge (a dark wood) will have a satin finish applied once the all the veneer is in place and the "dust has settled."  Then it will look pretty.

6. guest stateroom showing lower bunk with drawer and storage locker

7. Lower bunk with newly cut cover hatch with finger hole and chilled water lines (top right)

At the top right of the photo you can see two black flexible pipes.  These come from the engine room and go to the air handler in the 3rd stateroom hanging locker.  The boat, as mentioned in earlier articles, will have a central HVAC system called a chilled water AC system.  The air handlers allow us to control the temperature in each room.

8. Master SR showing new shelves in the storage locker and teak veneer on the headboard

Now to the engine room.

9. Hydraulic system mounted on the forward bulkhead starboard side

If you expand the photo you will notice two significant pieces of equipment related to the hydraulic system.  The larger item is the ABT TRAC hydraulic reservoir.  Note the filter on the right-hand side.  The smaller item is the hydraulic system's directional control valves.  This system controls the bow thruster, stern thruster, stabilizers and windless.  The pumps for the system will be mounted on the engines.

Also in this photo are the newly installed through hull fittings for the raw water that will cool the engine.  These are located on either side of the door adjacent to the stringers along the catwalk.

Explanatory Note: Diesel engines are water cooled with an internal closed system containing antifreeze.  Mounted on each engine is a heat exchanger.  Sea water is pumped into the heat exchanger by a raw water pump on the engine.  The raw water passes through the heat exchanger cooling the antifreeze and then out through the exhaust. 

10. Engine Room looking aft.

Photo 10 shows:

• Generator exhaust uplift water separators on mounted on either side of the aft bulkhead.  You can see a white pipe coming off the one on the starboard side and running toward the hull.
• Permanent mounts for the Northern Lights 16KW & 12 KW generators. (Note the vacuum cleaner sitting on the starboard mount)
• Driveshaft mounts fiberglassed

  

  12. Lazarette looking forward.  Auxiliary tanks partially enclosed

13. Overview showing teak veneer in the VIP and auxiliary tanks enclose

Last week we were visited by my daughter, Lesley, who celebrated here 30th birthday and my just turned 8 month old granddaughter, Amelia Myrna.

Amelia Myrna at 8 months

During the week the question arose as to where Amelia would sleep when she visits the boat next January.  We quickly determined that the lovely Pack-n-Play that we used in Sarasota and now in Chicago will not fit in the accommodations (as the footprint is too big).

Amelia Myrna in her Pack-n-Play

Outer Reef to the rescue.  They proposed a nifty solution which the call a "leeboard with mesh" to enclose the lower bunk in the guest stateroom.  This is a hinged board that sits under the mattress.  One half pulls out and creates a 6" barrier between the hanging locker bulkhead and the counter.  (Note: See photos 6-7.  The hanging locker bulkhead and counter create a natural enclosure)  A mesh screen locks into pad eyes on the frame of the top bunk preventing "escape."  Absolutely elegant.

Final note: It's taken five days to post last weeks photos.  The only excuse is I seem to be busy all of the time.  Diana constantly asks how did I find time for work.  At this point I honestly do not know.  Good news.  Friday photos (i.e., week 28) are 1 day away.  Stay tuned.

Written by Les.