Plumbing Work

Forward Head: 

I have been wanting to reinstall the forward head in ECHO but painting the shower pan needed to be done first.  Well that is complete so I started working on the forward head and other plumping work.

I started by putting things where they belonged and then added hoses.  I am no longer amazed by how longs things take working on boats.  They just do and no amount of planning is enough.  I find it best to focus on one or two things at a time, while also assembling other parts and materials.

Finding the right size toilet seat was an issue.  18.5" is too big, and 16.5" is too small.  I tried three different seats before I found a 16 5/8" seat that was actually a little bigger than that.  It fits fairly well so I need to pick up another one for the other head. 

I could not find screws the right length for the anti-siphon on the waste line, so I used over-sized nuts as spacers.  It worked out rather well.

I lucked out, guess what parts I needed to mate up the sink lines to the supply hoses.  I noticed there did not seem to be any rubber washers inside the sink so I grabbed an assortment and hope those will work OK.  The faucet went in a few days ago.  My only regret is that I did not order a second one for the aft head.  I like it a lot.

I pulled PEX hose, in blue for cold and red for hot water lines, to the forward head and aft to the cockpit shower.  Tomorrow I will use the last of what I have to supply the aft head, even though that is not going in yet, I'll have the hose run and ready to hook up.  Actually hooking up the PEX is second work.  Just slip the hose on the barb, with a clamp on it, and crimp it down. 

I still need to secure the hose to the under side of the deck with straps--that should go fast, and drill a few holes to route the hose through a few bulkheads with a hole saw.

I have two manifold for water distribution.  I planned to put those under the sink, but changed my mind and plan to put these near the water heater as I think that will be easier to hook up.  I want to add a set of valves for water tank selection under the sink instead of at the tanks--the lower tanks are a pain to reach.  I'd like to be able to switch tanks easily without lifting floor boards.  My idea is to build a small manifold out of copper parts and use either PEX or barbed fittings depending on what I'm hooking up to.

Here is the sink and faucet.  The sink is not bedded in yet.  The faucet is bolted down tight and just needs a simple crimp to connect the PEX tubing that that end.

I will still need to install some teak trim around the shower pan and cabinet faces.  I may leave that to a cabinet maker, or else defer that for a while.  For the short term I will apply some caulk and glue on a cover plate on the unused port in the shower pan.

I was glad to find a Kohler seat to fit my Groco head.  It was slightly larger than the other brands and fit fairly well.  The head is all rebuilt and clean except for a bit of dust in the bowl.

Water Heater:

The water heater has had one leg sawed off for clearance purposes and the other three and screwed down.  It is firmly attached to it's permanent location.  I also used two pairs of adapters and 3/4" PEX barbs to the water heater inlet and outlet.  I want to use 3/4" hose on the feed from the water tanks to the cold water manifold and hot water heater, and from the hot water heater to the hot water manifold.  All hose from the manifolds is 1/2" and color coded.  I have an assortment of T's and Elbows to connect the two manifolds and water heater.

I connected the wire to the heater and just need to measure and cut it and wire it to the AC panel--an easy job.

A bit more work is running hoses from the Yanmar engine to the water tank.  I deferred that work, but I'm starting to think about connecting that now, so I'll pull off the engine cover and figure out where to run these hoses, and what sizes to use.  It should be easy to do once I determine the specfics of this tanks.

I am close to completing Phase II which is what I can Partial Mission Capability.  ECHO will be functional on a limited basis.  I can use it, with ice instead of refrigeration, with one head working, and basic navigational equipment.

Phase I was completing various deck upgrades--new boom and reefing system, fairing and painting the hull, however, I've back slid on these and until I bolt in new track and some deck hardware that I removed, I have deck leaks.  I also need to install new running lights, which is a minor amount of re-work.  So, I am hoping to report Phase I and II will be complete by the end of next week, somewhat dependent on my friend Carlton the welder.