On Board with Mark Corke

Best boat carpet

As part of the overall refurbishment of the interior of Seaglass, Rita and I wanted to make the interior more 'homey.' Although we love the abundance of teak in our Grand Banks, it can be a little overwhelming, plus taking care of it also takes considerable time to keep it looking fresh and new. This is especially true of parquet flooring, which gets a lot of wear during the year. Although we take our shoes off when we enter the salon, the cabin sole can take a bit of a beating. There can't be many GB owners out there that don't have some rug, mat, or runner to add a splash 0f color and make the cabin sole easier on bare feet.

Uncertain as to precisely what we should do to the boat's interior, we called in Kate Seremeth, who runs Tack Studios in Maine. She has extensive experience working on yacht interiors and was a delight to work with; and would heartily recommend her services if you are thinking of sprucing up your boat's interior or going for a complete do-over. 

Amongst the other thing,  Kate suggested the use of a fitted rug. She also suggested working with Colonial Mills,s who weave rugs out of Sunbrella material. Ubiquitous with yachts, there can't be many boat owners who have not used or at least come in contact with, Sunbrella at some time. Most known for fabrics for awnings, covers, and cushions, the Sunbrella material that the rugs are woven from is far softer and has a look, somewhat, of woven sisal but feels so much better underfoot. 

Rather than buy a rectangular rug that fit the space, the lovely folks at Colonial Mills offered to make a bespoke one that would fit the space perfectly -- all I had to do was make the templates. 

 

As you can see in the picture,s I made the template from stiff building paper,r and this was later transferred to Tyvek so that I knew that the template would not tear or distort, leaving me with the wrong size carpet or worse. If you look closely at the images above and below,w you will see a line drawn in black Sharpie a half inch from the edge. This is an important step and makes completing an accurate temple much easier. Basically,y the technique is this; you cut the template almost the right size but deliberately undersized by a small amount. This saves your time and your temper, as you are not trying to cut it accurately at this stage. With the paper pattern then taped in position,n you use a straight edge of known width and, as in this case with the spacer pressed against the woodwork at the floor's edge,e mark a line, which is the one you see above.

 

Here's a close-up shot of the technique in action. Then when I got home,e I laid out a large sheet of Tyvek, taped the brown paper template on it,p and once again lined my spacer along the black lines I made when I was on the boat, and voila, a perfect facsimile of the wooden sole. Even s,o as it was,s I spent several hours making the templates -- first the brown paper and then the Tyvek that I sent to Colonial Mills. Rita and I chose an aqua colo,r but there are almost a limitless amount of colors to choose from, so if you are not replacing the upholstery I was we were,e then you are sure to be able to get something to coordinate.

 

Overall I think the carpet looks great; it's hardwearing and has stood up well. Best of all,l it is somewhat unique,e and it draws admiring glances from jealous owners when we have attended Grand Bank's get-together. You will also notice the edges are whipped to prevent unraveling,g and this,s plus the overall weight of the carpet, keeps it lying flat on the floor. If I have one regret,t it is that I had some cutouts put in the carpet to allow the two table legs to make contact with the floor. If I did it again,n I think that I would have gotten four holes cut to allow the removable bolts that hold the table in place to pass through and allowed the table to sit on top of the carpet; the bolts would have helped hold the carpet in place and it may have looked a little neater. But then, I may be being overcritical of my choice. But judge for yourself and let me know what you think.

 

Teak Swim Platform

Below is a video that I very recently posted. Only when I was editing it did I realize I did not mention that I used Gorilla glue. Available from Home Depot and other hardware stores, I really like this glue, but with some caveats. Where you really need something never to come apart, there is no substitute for epoxy with some thickening or filler powder depending on the application. But as in the video here, Gorilla glue is ideal as it can be squirted out of the bottle and, depending on the temperature, will set up in relatively short order allowing work to continue without waiting overnight for the glue to set up, as would be the case with epoxy. 

It is essential to read and heed the instructions on the bottle regarding the correct application technique and safety instructions. I have found that it is tough to remove if you get glue on your fingers or skin. Washing your hand under the tap only makes the glue set up faster as it is a moisture activated. It is always best to wear disposable gloves. Finally, never put your fingers close to your face when using; I suffered severe eye irritation that was very painful even though I never actually got any glue into my eye. Just being close was enough to cause problems. A

Anyhow, I do hope that you enjoy the video and that you will comment either here or in the comments section below the video. More videos are coming soon.

 

 

How to install underwater lights

 

Seaglass, all decked out with her new Aqualuma underwater lights.

Let's face it; there is no need to install underwater lights. They won't make your boat go any faster or handle better … but boy, do they look cool! I confess that I had shied away from putting underwater lights on my boat, thinking them a frivolous waste of time and money. I'd seen the large yachts at boat shows with the waterline all lit up, but thought that look wasn't for me — until someone gave me a couple as a gift. So I bit the bullet and installed them while my boat was hauled for some routine maintenance.

 Things you'll need (apart from the lights, of course!)

Tools:

• Pencil
• Tape measure
• Holesaw
• Electric drill
• Scraper
• Respirator

Materials:

• Lights
• Adhesive sealant or mastic
• Rags
• Sandpaper

Time: Two hours per light

Cost: $450 per light

Some transoms have a slight curvature. A generous bead of manufacturer-recommend mastic behind the mounting flange should care for any discrepancy between the two mounting surfaces.

When choosing underwater lights, you have many options— LED or tungsten. LED lights have a longer life than tungsten, don't get hot, and have lower power draw. These are all good reasons for picking LED. You'll also need to decide on the color of the emitted light: Generally, blue, green, or white are your options. Blue travels farthest in saltwater, green is best for freshwater, and white is best for attracting fish. Note that blue underwater lights are illegal in some places, so check local ordinances for your boating area.

My boat is solid fiberglass below the waterline, but your boat may not be. In that case, you will need to seal the core to prevent water intrusion (see "Cored Hull Care" below). Even if you have solid fiberglass, you'll need to seal the open edges of the hull cut with epoxy or another impervious coating to prevent possible water migration into unprotected glass should water seep past the light's seal.

Cored Hull Care

Fitting underwater lights in a cored hull presents some unique challenges and requires a little additional work. Although it may be tempting to simply drill a hole through the boat and fit the lights, water can find its way into the coring, eventually damaging the boat's structure.

If your boat has a cored hull, drill through as outlined in the step-by-step instructions in this article, then use a sharp instrument to dig out the coring material about an inch back all around from the edge of the hole. Vacuum and clean out the hole thoroughly. Mix up some epoxy and colloidal silica to a peanut butter consistency and force this into the void you created until it is even with the edge of the hole. Leave it overnight to cure, trim if needed, and finish the installation as outlined in this article.

Note, too, that normally you would install a backing pad behind any hull penetrations. In this case, the light manufacturer said this was unnecessary because the retaining nut is only hand-tight. Therefore pressure against the hull is minimal, and the light is effectively held in place with the special adhesive sealant mastic recommended in the instructions.

Follow The Rules

Don't let your boat's underwater lights confuse other boaters. The U.S. Coast Guard COLREGS (also known as the "Rules of the Road" for boaters) require that a boat avoid displaying any light that could be confused as another navigation light or another vessel. And remember, flashing blue lights are reserved for law enforcement. At a distance, wave action combined with the steady rocking of below-the-waterline high-intensity blue lights can give the appearance of a police vessel.

In addition to the steps below, a large portion of the work time will be taken up with the wiring. Be sure to follow the recommendations with your lights concerning wire- and circuit breaker sizing.

 

1. Carefully measure and mark the light's center position on the outside of the boat with a pencil. Placement is likely to be a compromise between the ideal and the possible. Go inside the boat and check the inside of the hull to ensure that there are no structural members or wiring or anything else in the way that could impact the placement. Recheck it to make sure. Consider, too, that you will have to be able to reach the back of the lamp for installation and service. Don't position lights too close to exhaust outlets or other existing penetrations.

2. After double-checking your measurements, chuck a 1/8-inch drill bit into an electric drill and drill through the hull on the marks you made in the previous step. Remove the drill bit from the chuck, but leave it in the hole so you can easily see on the inside of the boat where the final larger hole will be. If you measured correctly, carry on. If not, remember that it's much easier to repair a small hole than a larger one!

3. Use a hole saw of the correct diameter to cut the hole, using the smaller hole as a guide for the drill bit. Use a slow speed and apply firm pressure to the drill. My lights needed a 2-3/8-inch hole, but other lights may require a different size. Again, refer to the instructions that came with your lights.

4. Clean up any rough spots around the hole with sandpaper. Then, after wiping the hole and the inside of the transom with acetone to remove any residual dirt and grease, brush on some epoxy resin to seal the edge. Once the epoxy has dried, feed the cables into the hole and test fit the light. Draw around the circumference of the light fitting with a pencil.

5. Remove the light, then use a scraper to remove any antifouling inside the line back to the original gelcoat. Use a clean rag to wipe the scraped area with acetone to remove surface contaminants.

6. Feed the cables back through the hole. Apply a generous bead of adhesive sealant — according to manufacturer recommendations — around the flange of the light and press it into position. Scrape or wipe off excess sealant.

7. On the inside of the boat, screw on the retaining nut, then route the wires and connect them to a suitable switch or breaker. (The correct size will be given in the instructions.) Double check all your work before turning on the light.

Before Drilling That Hole, Stop And Think!

No one likes drilling holes in their boat — especially below the waterline — but sometimes it's necessary. Before you crank up the drill, ensure you know exactly where you want the hole (measure twice, drill once), and be certain that you know what's behind where you're drilling. In one case, an owner was drilling a hole to install a battery box and accidentally drilled into a diesel fuel tank, spilling a couple of gallons of smelly fuel into the bilge (consider if it had been a gasoline tank!). 

Top Boating Videos of 2021

I'm happy to report that a couple of my videos came top of the list of  BoatUS' most-watched in 2021 and are embedded below for your viewing pleasure. Repairing gelcoat is a common boat owner task, but it requires more than just filling in small spider cracks. “How to Spray Gelcoat on a Boat Using a Preval Sprayer,” which shows how to make professional gelcoat repairs over a larger area, was the most-watched new BoatUS video of 2021, from BoatUS Magazine. The second most-watched video on the list, “Bilge Pump Not Working? Here’s How To Troubleshoot the Problem” proves that even in this technological era, boaters continue to be vexed with the age-old issue of keeping water out of the boat.

 

 

 

 

Cheap and effective spray booth

I have recently been working on some upgrades for the boat's headliner. A full video will be coming soon but in the meantime I thought that I would share the process that I have been using to spray the wooden strips.

The original headliner for the Grand Banks series of classic yachts was a sort of perforated vinyl material of the sort that might be found on a 1950's vintage Chevvy. Over the years this had suffered from rips and discoloration and I decided that it was well due for replacement. Apart from the general wear and tear I also wanted to upgrade the lights and add speakers for the stereo, neither of which would be possible without changing out the headliner. In short, I have gone for a painted wooden headliner which allows easy installation of the new lights and speakers. 

I wanted to paint the tongue and groove strips I had machined up before I installed them as painting them in place would be next to impossible. I could have painted them with a brush I suppose but spraying gives a far better finish and is faster once the necessary spray equipment is set up. Initially I did think about setting up some sort of poly tent in the garage but then by chance came across an 8 man tent for $100 in Walmart, far easier and almost cheaper than any home made contraption. The end farthest from the opening door has a ready made mesh winder which is perfect for a box fan. A  furnace filter stops the overspray from going everywhere and in all the tent works better than I could have hoped. The strips are more that 12 feet long and they fit easily inside the tent, plus once the job is complete I can pack up the tent into its bag and save it for next time. The pictures and video below give a flavor of just how capable the whole system is. For the actual spraying I'm using a Groco airless sprayer which, when correctly set up, produces almost perfect results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to varnish boat handrails

Following on from my last blog post, which you can see here, with Rita's help I made a short video today. I think this gives a better overall idea of the poor state that the varnish is currently in and how I am approaching the job. The side handrails were stripped and revarnished a couple of years back, and then I got sick and was unable to finish the job and instead of getting any maintenance coats the varnish suffered from UV damage bringing it to the poor state that it is in right now. The back end of the boat has suffered badly in the sun – but that's the beauty of teak you can bring it back good as new. Be sure to check back often as I'll bring regular updates on the progress and give you some helpful hints and tips.

Feel free to leave a comment or question, either on this blog or below the video.

 

How to get the perfect varnish finish

Because of illness and other issues this past year I let the varnish go somewhat. Poor varnish makes the boat look terrible and a cracked and flaking finish allows water to get to the underlying wood where it will turn black and further add to, what I call, "the handrail of shame."

Because I retired from BoatU.S. at the end of last year I'm hoping that I have more time to spend not just using the boat but catching up with some much needed maintenance. The engine and mechanical systems are all well cared for but some of the external surfaces could do with a freshening up, hence the varnishing job.

Ideally, it's a good idea to add a refresher coat mid-season to build up the surface finish that is lost to UV degradation. But for the reason outlined above plus the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 crisis, that did not happen, so I now find myself with a rather large job on my hands. Initially I had thought that I would be able to get away with taking the bad sections down to bare wood and recoating the other parts but no sooner had I made a start I realized that this was not going to cut it – all the existing varnish has to be removed and taken to bare wood so I can make a fresh start.

Removing varnish is best achieved with a scraper. My prefered tools are those by Sandvik, they have carbide blades and remove many layers of varnish swiftly without damaging the underlying wood. If you are doing this job yourself don't be tempted to think you can sand off the finish, it takes too long, uses tons of abrasive paper, creates clouds of dust which will annoy your boat neighbors in the ajoining slips, and is liable to damage the wood. Please invest in some scrapers, it will be both cheaper and way faster in the long run.

 

I removed all the varnish from the handrails (75 linear feet in all) in an afternoon and as you can see in the picture this comes off as a satisfying shaving rather than clouds of dust.

 

So, you may ask. Once I have got all the old coating off what do I do next?

Varnish, simply put, is paint without the pigment. It protects wood from sun, sea, wear and tear and if it makes the wood look good in the process, that’s a bonus. My first attempts at varnishing were embarrassing but they did the job of protecting the wood and each application gave me the opportunity to do it better than last time.

Varnish is a mix of resins, oils and solvents, although newer varnishes often have synthetic materials blended in to improve flow characteristics. Choose one type of varnish and stick with it. Don’t dismiss a varnish too quickly just because you’re not getting the finish you desire; it could be down to temperature, high humidity or dust.

Tools For The Job

The one essential tool is a decent brush. While modern varnishes are forgiving in terms of technique, they’re very unforgiving of the wrong brush. Never use an inexpensive synthetic brush for varnishing: the bristles will come out and it’s unlikely to have sufficient body to hold enough varnish. Many professionals use high-quality badger- hair brushes; these have excellent flow characteristics and can produce spectacular results. However, I’ve become a big fan of foam brushes and I know some pros who use them almost exclusively. They don’t shed hairs to mar the finish, and they seem to hold just the right amount of varnish. Most beginners lay on varnish too thickly, and in warm weather, this leads to 'alligatoring', when wrinkles appear in the varnish and make the results look like alligator hide. Foam brushes tend to prevent this. Avoid cheap foam brushes because the shanks often break. The biggest advantage of foam brushes is that you can just toss them at the end of the job. Pure bristle brushes require meticulous cleaning, before and after use and should be wrapped in foil to keep the bristles straight.

You’ll need plenty of clean, lint-free rags for wiping down the woodwork and cleaning up. A vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment is perfect for sucking up sanding dust.

You’ll also need abrasive paper. Lots! Cheap sandpaper is a waste of money: the grit falls off as soon as you look at it, and it wears out very quickly. I favour an aluminum oxide paper that cuts fast, lasts a long time, and comes in all grits. Buy 80 grit for sanding bare wood, 120 for sanding the initial thinned coats and 320 grit for sanding between full-strength coats.

Tack rags are valuable for picking up those last bits that get missed by the vacuum cleaner and solvent wipe. Keep them in a resealable bag to prevent them from drying out and getting dirty.

 

Never use vanish straight from the can. Decant what you can use in about 15 minutes into a clean container – Solo cups are a good choice – through a disposable paint strainer.

Preparation

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of work that lies ahead. If you break the job into manageable tasks, it's less daunting. You might varnish the toerails one day, then move on to the handrails the next.

Working outdoors is often not the best place to do brightwork, especially if the guy next door is pressure washing. If you can, remove parts from the boat so that you can varnish under cover in a controlled environment, such as a garage or workshop. Hatch covers, washboards and cockpit tables can all be worked on indoors when
the weather is less than ideal. Try to varnish on a warm day with little wind and plan to have few interruptions.

Read the instructions on the can, which will give important safety information and tell you which solvent to use. Don’t use any old paint thinner; use only the solvent recommended by the manufacturer. Never use varnish straight from the can. Decant the amount you’ll use in about 15 minutes into a clean container, pouring it through a fine-mesh paint strainer.

A deep gloss finish is achieved by filling the pores of the wood, so the initial coats need to penetrate and seal the wood. The recommended method is to thin the first coat to a 50/50 ratio with thinner. Add thinner to your decanted varnish and stir very gently with a clean stick. Allow the varnish
to rest for any bubbles to disperse. Dip your brush about one third of the way into the varnish, then tap it lightly on the inside of the container to knock off the excess before brushing onto the wood. Keep the brush moving, and don’t overbrush the varnish, a mistake known as 'worrying'. Three or four stokes should be all that’s needed before you move onto the next section. Make sure the wood is coated fully but not dripping wet; the extra solvent you added will ensure that it’s absorbed into the wood. Leave it overnight. The next day, sand the surface lightly with 120 grit paper, then repeat the varnishing procedure but this time, thin the varnish by 25%; it will be noticeably thicker, and less will soak into the wood.

Leave these two initial coats to sit at least 48 hours before laying on the first full-strength coat. This gives time for the solvents to evaporate and the varnish to harden. You can apply additional coats without sanding, but I don’t recommend it; imperfections will be magnified by each subsequent coat.

Sanding knocks off any rough spots, smooths raised grain, and allows the third coat to go on without a hitch. Sand lightly with 120-grit paper. Don’t rub too hard or you’ll go right back to bare wood. If the varnish rolls up into a gummy mess, it needs longer to harden.

After sanding, it’s essential to remove all the sanding dust. Use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment on the work and adjacent areas to remove as much dirt as possible, then wipe down everything with a rag lightly dampened with solvent. Turn the rag often to avoid spreading dirt from one area to the next. Decant some fresh varnish into a clean pot through a strainer but before starting to apply the varnish, lightly wipe the surface with a tack rag to remove the last remaining specks. Wipe an area just ahead of where you’ll be varnishing. For example, I’ll wipe about 3' (1m) of toerail, then leave my tack rag at the point that I stopped wiping. Working toward the tack rag, it’s easy to pick it up and give the next length a quick wipe as I progress along the boat.

Good quality foam brushes are an excellent choice and I like them. You simply toss them out at the end of the job.

Brush Technique

Think of laying on the varnish rather than brushing it on. We’re not painting a fence here: we’re on a journey to a smooth, mirror-like gloss. Varnish should be applied with a slow, deliberate stroke. Grip the brush like a pen and draw it across the wood, laying down a uniform coat. If needed, you can use two or three extra sweeps of the brush to distribute the varnish. Finish by drawing the brush from the wet area to the dry along the grain. Reload the brush and apply varnish to the next section of wood, 'landing' the brush just into the end of the wet edge. Repeat the process until you reach the end of whatever you’re varnishing. Occasionally sight along the work with your head almost touching the surface. If you spot areas you’ve missed or you see runs, make a note of them for touch-up with the next coat. Don’t try to fix things now, because varnish starts to skin up remarkably quickly; trying to touch up at this stage will only make things worse. Five or six full-strength coats is the minimum to provide UV and wear protection, though eight or nine is better for that deep, luxurious gloss.

 

I use 320 grit paper for inter-coat sanding.

Sanding And More Sanding

For the perfect finish, you must sand between each coat to improve the glossiness; omit the sanding and each coat gets progressively rougher in both look and feel. Sand between coats with 320-grit paper backed with a cork sanding block for large flat surfaces, changing the paper as soon as it starts to lose its cut or become clogged. After sanding, remember to dust, wipe with solvent and then go over with the tack rag before applying the next coat.

 

The results after 8 coats of varnish using the techniques described. (Click on the image to make it larger)

 

Installing an automatic fire extinguisher

 

Of all the things that scare boat owners the most, sinking is probably at the top of the list. But fire is no less of a threat. Indeed, a fire, even if you manage to put it out, can easily lead to a sinking. The first line of defense when it comes to preventing a fire on board is to make sure that all systems are correctly installed and that there is nothing that can turn a small problem into a large one. Normally a single factor alone will not cause a fire; they are most often started by a combination of factors.

Should the worst happen you need to slant the odds in your favor of putting a fire out. The best fire extinguisher is probably a frightened sailor with a bucket, but after that, it usually comes down to genuine fire extinguishers. Most boats have a few of these on board. There should be one in each cabin, visible and easily accessible so that it can be grabbed and used in a hurry; speed is of the essence here.

But what if the fire is in the engine space? You may not even realize you have a fire there until it is too late. Worse yet, opening the engine cover to see what’s going on is often a bad idea, as it feeds additional oxygen to the fire and may cause a flare-up. The ABYC recommends that engine fires be tackled without opening the engine cover or—in larger vessels—the door to the engine room. The cover or door maintains a physical barrier between you and the fire and restricts the amount of oxygen that can reach the flames. Often, sailboat builders thoughtfully install fire ports in the front of their engine boxes; a small plastic disc pops out, allowing you to deploy the nozzle of a fire extinguisher through the hole. This is very sensible, but is not necessarily the best solution.

Top of the tree is an automatic fire extinguisher system. In its simplest form, this senses the engine room temperature, and when it rises above a preset limit, deploys an inert gas to deprive the engine room of oxygen, thus putting out the fire. Halon used to be the gas of choice, but environmental concerns have resulted in it being outlawed. New systems use another gas called heptafluoropropane, although halon is still acceptable for existing systems. (If you do own a boat with a halon system, be aware that it cannot be refilled with halon when serviced; the same holds true for older refrigeration units that use halon as a refrigerant.)

Installing an automatic fire extinguisher in the engine room is well within the capabilities of a competent DIY owner, but it is necessary to do a little research first. I contacted Sea Fire, who supplied me with the necessary parts to complete the installation that you see here after sending me a worksheet that asked some questions about the boat, engine size, location and most important, the size of the space that the system would protect.

In theory, it is possible to install an automatic extinguisher that employs a vial on a sprinkler head at the top of the extinguisher cylinder, which bursts at a certain temperature and smothers the fire. The advantage to this approach is that you don’t have to make any extraneous connections to your engine room. Most owners, though, will opt for a slightly more sophisticated system, which is what I did. Connected to the top of the cylinder in my system is a cable release controlled by a handle next to the helm that can be pulled to deploy the extinguishing agent manually. Because the boat in which I was making the installation had a large electronically controlled engine, I also installed an automatic shut-down system. With this, if the extinguisher is deployed either manually or automatically a relay trips and shuts down the engine. Shutting down the engine if it is running ensures that the extinguishing agent will not be sucked into the engine and ejected out of the exhaust before it has the chance to do its job and put the fire out.

 

Here’s How I Did It

 

Tools required:

Drill, screwdrivers, pliers, tape measure, crimpers, wrenches

 

Skill level:

Advanced amateur

1 Decide where the extinguisher will go. In many cases the decision is made for you, as there is not much space in the average engine room. Bear in mind that you will have to make a connection to the top of the cylinder and that, depending on the type of system you have, the cylinder will either need to be mounted horizontally or vertically. This will be made clear in the installation instructions.

2 Measure carefully, then bolt the mounting bracket into position. I had a nice clear space on the aft bulkhead, which was just perfect. You may not be so lucky and may have to reroute wires or hoses if they are in the way.     

3 Mount the extinguisher as outlined in the instructions. The Sea Fire I’m mounting has stainless steel worm-drive clips that pass through the bracket and around the cylinder. Make sure they are tight.

 
 

Install the manual release cable. Bear in mind that it is stiff, like a throttle or gear shift cable, and will not bend in a tight radius. Cables are supplied in almost any length, so measure the run of the cable before ordering. An old piece of 6mm 1x19 rigging wire is handy for this, as it has the same bend characteristics as the release cable.

 

4A. After deciding where the cable will go, install the plate for the manual release, which should be near the helm. You will also need to drill a hole for the cable attachment; I was lucky to be able to use the plate to cover an unwanted hole where a gauge used to be mounted  

4B.Install the brass nut and washer before passing the end of the cable through the hole.

4C.Then install the other components on the other side: barrel nut, O ring, T handle, and safety clip.        Connect the other end of the cable to the cylinder, which is retained by a spring clip. It is also worth noting that the cylinder has a safety pin in place that has to be removed, but leave that until you have completed the installation to avoid a possible accidental discharge.    

 

5 Use a hole saw to drill a mounting hole for the monitor panel.

6 The panel is passed through the hole and secured by a straddle clip on the back.

 

7 Wiring is likely to be the most time-consuming part of the job, as it must be neat and well ordered. First mount the relay/control box. I put mine behind the breaker panel. Use cable of the correct gauge; Sea Fire recommends no smaller than 16 AWG.

1. The wiring is fairly easy to follow, but requires connections from the top of the cylinder, a power feed and connections to the electrical engine shut-down solenoid. When connecting a shut-down solenoid, be aware that the contacts will either be normally open or normally closed. You may need to refer to the engine wiring diagram to identify your specific application and which wire you need to splice into.
2. Install the CAT 5 Ethernet cable between the monitor panel and control box.
3. Make the power connections to the fuse box, which must be protected with the correct amperage fuse. Don’t forget to mark up the fuse for identification later.

Finally, clip back the cables for a neat and orderly appearance.

With thanks to Brewer South Freeport and Matt Durkin.

 

How to make stiff shelves and panels

 

On a boat, generally speaking, anything that you can do to save weight is a good thing. Many high-end powerboats have granite counters, big generators, and plenty of other stuff that has to be lugged about, all increasing the work that engines have to do and thus leading to decreased fuel economy. Obviously, things such as shelves ideally should be stiff, lightweight, and strong. One way of doing this is to use cored material which can be both light and strong, but things like foam cored plywood are very expensive. Looking for a cheaper alternative, I now make shelves and other components as shown in the sketch above. Essentially a torsion box, panels are cheap and quick to make and far, far cheaper than having to buy cored ply at over $400 per sheet.

The sketch shows how I built some shelves for the boat which were almost one and a half inches thick with a teak lipping on the front. The strength comes from the method of construction rather than from the material itself, so I use western red cedar for the solid wood strips. The strips themselves are a half inch thick by whatever the width needs to be, which in my case, was just over an inch. Spaced three inches apart, with the ribs glued in place with epoxy, the panels are super strong and won't flex under the weight of pilot books and other equipment. There is a little bit of work in it to make the panels, but I can swallow that given that I saved myself hundreds of dollars and a ton of weight into the bargain.

Replacing a boat fridge

 

Until now I’ve never owned a boat with a refrigerator, all my past boats have had an icebox. This was not necessarily by choice, my electrical system has been for the most part pretty minimal and I’ve not had sufficient electrical capacity to operate a fridge, but this changed when I got Seaglass my Grand banks 32. By comparison to my other boats, electricity is profligate, not only do I have a huge battery bank but additionally I have a generator, able to supply 120 volts AC at the push of a button.

Like many marine and RV refrigerators the unit fitted to Seaglass is able to operate from either AC or DC. When the boat is connected to shore power, or the generator is operating, the unit runs from this supply, but disconnect or interrupt the AC and the fridge defaults to 12 volts. Up until now I been manually selecting AC or DC on the breaker panel and it was only after I spoke to the good folks at Thetford that I found out you can leave both breakers turned on.

The fridge on the boat was, I think, original and although it had soldiered on for 25 years it was showing its age. The old fridge didn’t look too bad but after 25 years time was up.

The door seals were worn, the flap to the freezer compartment was missing, and it ran almost all the time in an effort to maintain its temperature – it had to go.

When the boat was built the buyer had two options, have a meat locker cold plate style fridge replete with solid teak door and stainless steel interior or a standalone marine fridge. Frankly I wished my boat had come with the former option and although I could have had one built, the cost, along with the siting and mounting of the separate compressor/evaporator was more than I was prepared to tackle. The simpler option then was to replace the fridge that was there with a complete new unit. I had assumed that this would be a fairly simple matter of unbolting and sliding out the old unit and replacing it with new fridge of identical dimensions. Sadly it was little more complicated than that, as a direct replacement is no longer available. So after looking at all the available options I decided on the Norcold 0788, the closest in size to the original.

Here’s how I did it.

1. The first step after turning off the power was to get the old unit out. To make this easier I first removed the door.

2. Screws through a flange around the fridge secured the fridge to the surrounding woodwork. With the screws removed the fridge could finally be pulled forward to reveal a quarter century of dirt and crud.

    3. After double-checking that the power was off I disconnected the power connections, both 12 volt DC and 120 volts AC were hard wired through separate terminal blocks.

4. With the old fridge off the boat I measured the opening, as I knew that I would have to make some adjustments to ensure a neat and tidy installation of the new unit. Because the new fridge was slightly smaller in both width and height compared to the old one it was necessary to make up a new teak surround to blend seamlessly with the existing teak joiner work.

5. To promote good air circulation and give the fridge a firm base on which to sit two half-inch marine plywood skids were screwed into the base of the cabinet.

        6.The new fridge came with a right hand hanging door so I had to swap the hinges to the other side – an easy job – so that it swung the other way to make it more convenient for the         cook.

7. Before I bolted the fridge in position I had to connect up the power cables. I’ve said it many times before but don’t be tempted to use wire nuts, which should never be used on a boat at any time. I used proper crimped connections and cable of the correct gauge to extend the wiring that was then reconnected to the terminal blocks.

8. One final check before turning the fridge on is to make sure the door seals correctly. The instructions that came with the unit explain how to do this but a dollar bill should just be pinched between the seal and door edge. If the bill slides out too easily, or not at all, then the hinges need adjustment.

9. The completed job after the fridge was bolted in place through its feet into the ply skids installed earlier. An added bonus was being able to repurpose the space above the slighter shorter new refrigerator with a new cutlery drawer, which is made of teak then varnished to match the existing joiner work.

Many thanks to the good folks at Thetford for help with this project.