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.

Pictures of Recent Work

I don't have much time to put these in order, so I'll just post them.

Storm damage repair--Here it is in primer.  This is all repainted white now, but I need to touch up the gray cove stripe still.

Barient Coffee Grinder stripped down to bare metal.

Storm damage on the port side--this side got a little fiberglass repair also. I try to always use a little glass.  In this case my help Marco did the work.

More of Marco's fine work.  The forward head show pan has been painted.  This is after the first coat.  It could have used one more application of fairing before painting, but then again better is the enemy of good enough.  I'm happy to have it painted so I can install the rebuilt head this week.

Marco also cut off one leg of this water heater so it fits closer to the hull.  There will be a settee built on top of this.  I wanted to the hot water working first.

Inside details of the coffee grinder.  It needs to be cleaned and greased.  I am debating rechroming the winch handles.  I may wait on that.

More parts during the disassembly of the coffee grinder.

Lots of Progress

I have gotten lots of work done in the last few weeks. And have not had much time to document it.  I have some pictures and will update this post later on with pictures.

Recent Jobs Completed:

1. The topsides have been repaired and repainted.
2. The shower pan has been repainted and I'm getting ready to mount the rebuilt head.
3. The back half of the boat has been caulked around the toe rail to match the front.
4. The main water tanks have been cleaned and resealed.  One tanks showed a sign of leaking at the resealed overplate.  I plan to reseal that, but will wait while I finish off some other projects.
5. Removed the bow CT use decals, and the US documentation number on the boom--which was installed slightly crooked.
6.  Cut off one leg of my water heater, so it will tuck in closer and take up less space on the starboard side.
7. The primary, Barient coffee grinder, winch has been stripped of paint, and is partially disassembled.  I plan to finish taking it apart and it will be primed and painted.  I will be trying  spray painting this time due to the complicated curves on this piece.
8. I decided to rebed all the deck gear and stanchions, starting with the deck tracks have been removed and one track deck area showed some core damage, so I plan to fill those holes with epoxy and re-drill them.  

I have lots of gear to be installed, and the best way to clear some space is to simply mount it and that solves two problems--getting it installed and getting it out of the way.  The first thing I want to do is mount my power winch.  There are a few snags.  I need a different flange to mate the two pieces together. While the two parts will mate up as is, that won't work as access to the screws need to be on the bottom not the top.   I am hoping I can order a different flange from Lewmar, or if not, then I'll get one made up by Carl at my friendly neighborhood machine shop.

A Key Point:  The powered winch will be a big help in sending people up the mast. Suddenly it will be an easy two man job.  I can use it to a) remove both the forestay--to install a Roller Furler, and b) to remove the backstay (screwed up by a reputable rigger who is not so reputable).  And c) I also need to retrieve a halyard by my other boat, that is rafted up next to it. With my primary winch out of commission, this is my best option to send someone up the mast--Although I may have the primary back in commission first.  In any case, I will make a big push to get this done.


My near term priorities:


Foreward Head:

• Installing the forward head.
• Plumbing in the sink and shower.
• Installing trim around the shower pan.
• Designing and building a holding tank.
• Installing new stainless deck pump-out ports for both heads.

Coffee Grinder:  

• Finish breaking it down so it can be moved.
• Priming and painting it.
• Cleaning and lubricated the gears and bearings.
• Reinstalling it.

Deck Gear Re-bedding

• Rebedding the deck tracks.
• Rebedding and the bow pulpit.
• Rebedding the spinnaker deck chocks.

Power Winch:

• Buying or building a new mating flange.
• Cutting the access hole to mount it.
• Mounting the power winch
• Mouinting the gearbox.
• Mounting the deck switch.
• Mounting the Contactor (Relay)
• Buying and mounting a breaker
• Wiring this together.
• Fabricating a cover for the gearbox (deferred until later). 

Roller Furler:

• Remove Forestay
• Build new forestay
• Attach Roller furling
• Modify #2 Sail for luff groove.

Update

I have been prepping my 30' Etchells for the last couple of weeks, doing fiberglass fabrication and some minor repairs at the keel stub.  So I am well stocked up on material be begin work on two topside repairs--storm damage to my hull.  That will be easy enough to repair.  To prevent this from happening again, I finally sources some parts to build a rub rail.

I have also sources two welders to do some welding for me.  I want to get my running lights working.  One of them has a portable rig and the other works out of a shop, which requires a lot of work removing things and putting them back on.  I'd rather do what I can in place.  I need to learn to weld stainless steel and aluminum. 

I have also sources a free marine head like what I have.  A friend will be shipping it to me, so I will pay him for packing and shipping, plus the cost of the rebuild kit he just bought.  It is a $1000 head for a few hundred.  I'm pleased about that. 

I want to get my new roller furler installed, but I will need help for that.  At least three other people, more would be better, just to walk it down the dock.  I still need to purchase new wire for my headstay.

My new starter has proven to be reliable. I have been unable to find anyone who will repair my old starter for a spare.  The solinoid is good so I may just pull that off and toss the rest.
 

Modest Update

I have been busy painting my bedroom and sanding the hardwood floors the last few days.  So I have not done much on ECHO except I did buy a new seat for my Groco head.  The old one worked but being made of compressed wood was scratched up some.  I am replacing it with a plastic, no-slam seat.

The weather continues to be warm.  I need to start plumbing soon.  I have debated using copper instead of PEX tubing. I've decided to keep the PEX as it is more resistant to freezing.  I am not sure how important that is given that the hot water heater and other places are vulnerable to freezing.  My big concern is ensuring the tubing is not stressed or vulnerable to other sorts of damage.

Not much of an update, but I am still moving forward.

Lots of new stuff done.

Overflow Tank:  I discovered my engine overflow tank was not installed (?) so I quickly mounted it in a convenient spot.  It doesn't matter if it is higher than the engine.  This spot will be easier to monitor.  However I may have to move it as this is where my fuel tank manifold was located so I may have to move it again.

AC Panel:  I also repaired a damaged neutral bus on my AC panel.  The top left terminal was not tight and that caused high resistance and heat--so it melted.  So I replaced it and rechecked all my terminations.

This is what it should look like.  Fortunately, the manufacturer sent me a replacement pair which I installed today.

Groco Head:  I also finished repainting and rebuilding my Groco Head.  This was fairly involved as I needed a 5/16 threaded rod to put it back together.  I won't go into the details but it was a big job and I'm glad I did it, so next time I'll know exactly what to do.  I tested it and it seems to work well. This is a very reliable marine head.  There is a foot pedal to let water in, and an easy to use long handle to cycle the piston to flush.  With a 2.5" piston you could almost flush a raincoat through it.  Unfortunately, this head is designed to be used with sea water.  In Long Island Sound, that means pumping a lot of silt heavy water which is dirty, smelly and collects in the bottom of the bronze pump. 

Next I have to repaint the shower pan, cut an access port and bolt it in place.  I still won't be done as I have to plumb it, and even that is complicated.

Fresh Flush:  I investigated how to modify the head to use fresh water.  There is a product called Fresh Flush (below) that makes your marine head act like a home toilet with a tank.  Unfortunately, this relatively simple product is expensive. 

Compass Rebuild:  My Ritchie Globemaster compass is now rebuilt ($90). It has a new lens and dual green LED lamps.  Unfortunately, when I wiring it up, I discovered the wire feeding it power has an open circuit.  It must have gotten tangled and cut on the steering gear.  So I will need to trace that and fix that. 

The Ritchie tag on the front is new and while the stainless cover looks pretty good as it is,  more polishing to brighten it to perfection.  The white bracket show above will be replaced with a stainless piece. 

I will be thrilled to have the compass light working.  Since I have to rewire the compass light circuit, I plan to run a 15 amp circuit to the cockpit.  I have a four switch panel that can service 1) the compass light, 2) a bright cockpit light for dining, 3) some dim low power red LED lights to illuminate cockpit foot well, and 4) can be for a "Hey I Need Help!" alarm down below.  The question is where will I put the switch panel?  I can probably mount in on a pod off the binnacle, which makes wiring difficult, or I can choose and easier to mount more vulnerable location. 

And this is not all I've done in the last few days.  As long as I keep making forward progress I am happy.

More Bilge Pump Thoughts

I spent the whole day hooking up one of the two Rule 3700 bilge pumps.

Float Sensors:  One issue was attaching the float sensor.  I tried using extra large hose clamps, and this popped the bilge pump off it's mount.  The solution was to go back to using tie-wraps.  I tested the automatic switch in a bucket of water.  I still need to test it in place to validate that it is working. 

Ring Terminal Block:  The ring terminal bock worked well.  I attached it to a stainless angle bracket used to support the anti-siphon loop in the exhaust system. 

Pig Tail Wiring and Corrosion:  While the wire splices were working, I cut these out and re-spliced them with new shrink wrap.  I found two of the wires somewhat corroded.  I cut them back a bit more--still corroded, so I brushed the wire to clean them as much as possible.

The lower pump I just installed was formerly in the upper position and suffered less corrosion than the lower one.  I ordered a new plastic mounting bracket for the upper bilge pump. I plan to cut these wires back substantially farther.  I have yet to test the float switch. 

Submersible Bilge Pumps:  Submersible pumps just don't seem to last very long.  And these fail because of the wiring gets wet.    I was tempted to buy a new Rule 3700 bilge pump.  Each of these pumps should put out about 2500 gallons per hour although the check valves might inhibit flow to a lesser flow.  So you would think there are good pumps.  They are not.  I think they are junk because they sit in the water and water gets into the wiring--every time.

The normal price for this pump is $150. Should I replace a bilge pump if I can make it work another year or two--in particular since I have a second back up pump?  I decided not to, but I'll keep an eye on both.  The new more flexible hose and the terminal block make it easy for me to remove these pumps for maintenance.

Thinking back on all the failed bilge pumps I've repaired, all of them were submersible type pumps and each had corrosion on the wire supplying them with electricity.  So it seems the best solution is to mount a non submersible bilge pump well  above the bilge as the primary bilge pump.  And of course an engine driven high volume bilge pump is still the solution for a serious leak.

In any event, I now have an easy to pull and maintain bilge pump.  The new flex hose was a smart upgrade.  The terminal block makes it possible to remove the entire assembly for test and service. 

Wiring Improvements:  I have been running my pump off the main panel. Some people prefer to run it straight from the battery as anyone who shuts off the main panel breaker would interrupt power to the bilge pumps.  I leave that breaker on all the time.  Still someone might not know that switching it off shuts off the bilge pumps.  My plan is to move the bilge wiring power connector to the plus side of the switch, or the battery, and install two bilge pump toggles to override the automatic setting to manual.  I am undecided about fusing this circuit or not.  A failed fuse would be a bad reason to sink the boat, and submersible pumps don't cause fires.  On the other hand a over sized fuse would not be likely to fail and I do have two pumps.  

Wet Bilge:  I always have 3" of water in my bilge.  It  bugs me.  Some people use wet/dry vacuums for this purpose. My bilge is too deep for that.  I'd like to add a non-submersible pump on a manual switch located in a handy spot to suck all this out.
 For the time being I have a small oil change pump with a long copper tube that I can use to suck out the last of the bilge water, and then pump it the other way into a larger container for disposal at an auto service station--just like I do for oil changes.  Later on, I'll install a more permanent system to dry out my bilge manually.

Still To Do:

1) Test the automatic switch in the bilge by pouring water down there.
2) Rewire both bilge pump controls from an un-switched 12V DC source to the terminal block. (I need two toggle switches for this)
3) Rewire the #2 bilge pump pigtail.  (Need liquid electrical sealant)
4) Install the #2 upper bilge pump with new flex hose when the new base comes in.
5) Measure the riser loop--making sure there is 18" of rise above discharge--I probably have at least 12" now.
6) Replace the flex hose on the manual bilge pump with smooth wall hose except for the last four feet in the bilge.  Check for anti-siphon loop.  (When the weather gets warmer mount this in the cockpit).