Keel stability

On our bigger new boat i was hoping her deeper keel at 2m draft would give her a sense of stability and good resistance to yawling underway. So far she has felt very steady underway and comfortable almost with out having to reduce canvas when it blows. Just seen here from afar next to her modern neighbours, with a strong cross wind this morning in the marina, it is quite plain to see, her mast is near vertical hardly yawled over by the wind and her less robustly keeled company are swaying about quite noticeably more. Nice! Can not wait to get all this refitting done and get back out on the water.

Heads in opperaration

At last it took for ever, the diverter valve was not easy to fit! But we made it.

Insulation!

While we were at it stripping out the internal lining of the fore cabin to run the new heads pipework we thought we might as well insulate the area to try and reduce the condensation that forms on all the surfaces when sleeping there. Took the ceiling panels too, time consuming it turns out just hope it works.

Holding tank solid

We thought we might be able to reuse most of the old loo hose but no it was so calcified it defo needs replacing. The tank was gooood in place and screwed up to the hull and feels very solid and immovable. And the hole through the deck for the pump out connection was reinforced having removed some of the end grain balsa wood, we squeezed it into the recess and shape with a strip of tape coved cardboard, came out set very neat and tidy after hack sawing the squeeze flush.

Nearly there

The admiralty are making disaproving grumbalings over the length of time and rising costs and additional extra the holding tank job are proving. Doing things for real, is never how you imagined it to be. Yes extra jobs (insulating forepeak and fixing the vanity heads cupboards) get noticed and picked up to make the big job all the more worth while, as the place is deconstructed might as well make the most of it and do the extra mile that will never get done if its not done now. The added benefit of going the whole distance is you get to the bottom of it. Like the heads had too short an out pipe it was not routed high enough and had no antisyphon valve to provent flooding the boat, to fit one even find this out would not happen without a full deconstruction. Anyway this week will have been full 5 days effort on boat! Having missed my allocated two days a week on boat in the last week i am still 'due' A DAY. So screw the admiralty they never get there hands dirty anyway (well ok they do sometimes but is the kind of show willing unskilled kind (not in a committed to find out how to do the job right kind of way (more just a display) (well so my effort is just a display too)))so what do they know about getting the job done right anyway!

The admiralty are not that interested in the finer details of constructing a tank that holds three days worth of a whole families shit! Know idea why, when they are suppose to be aspiring to being so eco. Putting to much nutrients (human shit) into the delicate coastal ecosystem is not good, the science tells us not to do it. Well i am loving this job it will be most satisfying to relieve ones self in the most beautiful locations non holding tank boat can not in with a clean conscious. Puerile, i know!

Anyway, this is where i was yestarday, this is the lay out to all the plumbing on top of the tank, carefully thought out to be serviceable and to get all four pipe through a small hole in the bulkhead and to the various places. There is the big shit pump to empty the tank when out offshore, with its lined up 38mm 90 deg bend, next to it is the 38mm pump out to the waste deck fitting to EU standard to be pumped out by water ways authorities, the big round see through inspection hatch to get access for dirty jobs should they arise, goimg anti clockwise the next 38mm 90 deg pipe connection for the shit going in, the wee 90 is the breather pipe to allow air in to aid helpful anaerobic bacteria and let air in when the tank is emptied, it breather end will be fed to the bulk head of anchor locker, finding a very excuse to keep the anchor locker drain holes from blocking. Dear reader you do indulge me so.

New tap!

The tide of deconstruction finally turns

After completely deconstructing the forepeak ready for fitting some insulation to hopefully diminish condensation forming on the lining when we sleep in colder weather, we are now ready to start fitting the blackwater (toilet waste) holding tank and fittings. Big job. After two days of pulling things apart it was good make a positive end to the day and fit the new taps and refit the kitchen sink in a servicable way.

Total destruction

Well not quite destruction more de-construction-carefully. That the heads vanity shelves and sink out well sink slides back to get behind. Removed a big old waste pipe not doing anything and discover there is no anti syphon loop in the heads out pipe, that was a major flooding waiting to happen. The domestic water pump now has an expansion tank fitted so it does not pump constantly the taps a touched and the sink with a considerable amount of patients has come out so i can fit new taps. Busy day!

It fits

Now i just have to weld the top on and plumb it in, and wire the pump.