Monday, July 15, 2013

What's That Saying?

Busier than a one legged man at a butt kicking contest? Yeah. That would be Mark. A butt kicking contest in Sub Sahara Africa with 80% humidity. The man deserves accolades not just for keeping the refit moving forward, but doing it in extreme weather conditions. Man, it has just been stupid hot and poor Northern European Mark has been sweltering in the belly of the boat making daily progress, though that progress can be measured in inches a day. Did I mention it has been really hot? Ok, there is my yearly complaining about the heat done.

After our mini-cruise last summer, Mark decided to rip out the plumbing and rectify what can only be described as a huge freaking mess topped with a bit of random chaos. So you want to check the fuel level in the tanks? Grab that handy dowel rod, maneuver your way through THIS :

open an inspection port, thread dowel into the opening and guess. Even better, try to do it while the boat rolls and pitches. Seems a something a bit less like "yachting" and more like something from Bobby Ray's Redneck Yacht Club*. ( I am from the South. My Dad actually has a cousin named Bobby Ray and while he is not a Redneck he comes from a long line of them. It is my heritage, I know Redneck Engineering when I see it and this is a fine example of it).

Its not just trying to discern the fuel levels that was a challenge. Doing any kind of troubleshooting or maintenance was just about impossible. We had no schematics, 12 diesel lines for each supply configuration from the 2 tanks to the engine and generator, 4 selector valves for engine and generator supply and return, unidentified and unsecured lines running here and there, multiple electrical cables running every which way, an water drain line with a gate valve whose purpose was a mystery, water and drain lines and air conditioning tubing just sort of shoved in there and even better, the condensation line from the ac was allowed to just drain into the boat interior which caused water to pool in various low lying areas as it meandered to the bilge which caused the teak and holly sole to swell and bow. Seriously. A HUGE FREAKING MESS.

Nice labeling, huh? So yes, it has taken almost an entire year to get this sorted. To be fair, we had other projects (such as the master cabin) that distracted a bit but finally, finally it looks as if we are ready to hook the diesel lines up to the fuel filter system Mark completed at Christmas. Christmas. The man deserves a medal.

No Mark project would be complete with out a schematic. I tease him about his obsession with them, but honestly I do not know how people manage to troubleshoot systems without them. If it all goes pear shaped and I need to track down an electrical or plumbing problem, even I- a bear of little brain can do it. All I need to do is open up the handy boat book and voila! There is the schematic I need for whatever system needs attention. We are never going to sell Ceol Mor but if we did, I would tack on another 5k just for the schematics. :) A first time boat buyer would scoff, an experienced one would say "What a bargain!".
And so after months and months of careful and painstaking work. This is what the under sole area now looks like.

Everything is labeled and has a diagram to show which direction is open, which is closed. The 12 diesel lines have been reduced to 7 and are labeled. 4 valves have been replaced with one 6 port valve. We have added a fuel pump. The dowel rod has been retired and we now have THESE tank level sensors installed. All the water lines have been replaced and secured as well as the AC lines. The electrical runs have been routed through ducting.The diesel fill and vent lines have been rerouted to give greater access and for the finishing touch, a light has been mounted so that when you need to work in this area, you can actually see what you are doing/ Phew.

Let us once again admire Mark's handywork. Its not just a refit, its ART.


Now if you will excuse me, I think I really owe Mark a beer. Or 3. Seriously.

21 comments:

  1. Wow! Nice Job! I hope my tank replacement I plan on starting in a few years goes so well.

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    1. Psst, Dan! We haven't even gotten to the tanks yet. We are going to clean them when we haul out next but here's hoping there are no surprises there..

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    2. Well, I just got my boat in the water and went to the fuel dock to fill up then I find out there's a leak on the sides of the tank that can't be accessed and will require removal of the engine and some seacocks to get to (maybe part of cabin floor). That was my surprise with the fuel tank.

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    3. Ugh. Just ugh. Sympathies man, nothing but sympathies.

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  2. I love seeing a job done right, and yes a job done right takes way longer than the "let's just get this thing running" method. Great job on the job and the beautiful diagram.

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    1. Thank you for getting it! We have a couple of friends who prefer the slapdash method (nothing wrong if that's your thing, it's not our thing)of refitting who give us a hard time about how long its taking. We figure the time we spend now will be made up on theb ack end by not having to redo it over and over.

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  3. WOW- night and day! Maybe 4 beers.
    Or something. :-)

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    1. I think a whole 6 pack. By the way, your photos of Borneo and the Orangs has made Mark put Borneo and Indonesia on the itinerary. I could not be hapier about this development. I owe you one. ;)

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  4. Dayum, nicely done Mark! I seriously wish we could rub some of his Perfecto DNA in a cheek swab and stick it in one of Doug's beers. Thankful also though that we have had 9 years to work on our boat. :)

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    1. I am seriously amazed at how many boats- even really high end boats have a similar mess under the beautiful interiors. I am hopeful that everything is done in the next year because I could not take 9 years. Just. Couldn't. Do. It.

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  5. We just bought an Alden 44 and have found similar tangled messes under the floor boards and behind partitions. And you're right about schematics; they are priceless! We are presently sweating through an engine service and doing the work ourselves in 100 degree temps. But we are learning where things are, cleaning out piles of gunk and lost hardware, and photographing everything so we will know exactly where valves, hoses, and control panels are located. Keep up the good work,
    Laura

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    1. Ooh! Good luck on the refit. I think many people skip schematics because they are embarrassed by their craftsmanship. Such as the water line on our boat that was clogged so rather than remove the clog, a PO just cut the line to allow it to drain to the bilge! ARGH!

      Hopefully you find no gate valves on your plumbing because that means the entire system is suspect. Hang in there, fall is coming!

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  6. That's awesome! Using a wooden dowel to check the fuel level while underway...ha, no way! This is great:D For all the aggravation perfection can cause, there are some benefits to it. Never having to redo items is one.

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    1. I seriously can not believe how many "high quality" boats come with no fuel gauges. Seriously. WTH?

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  7. Yeah, about those fuel gauges... we might use an old chopstick that lost it's mate. Just speaking hypthetically. I had another comment but looks like the ether ate it...or it was too racy for the mother in law. Either way, nice work Mark!

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    1. Aww I wouldn't delete a racy comment. I am 100% in favor of racy. ;)

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  8. Ha! Oh, I just figured the internet failed me, as happens here from time to time. Oh hey and re: Borneo. It's fantastic. Pity the rigs are shallow water. I think this would be a FAR more interesting place to refill the kitty than Australia... not to mention, you'd be able to pack away more / faster than in Oz, which is crazy expensive. Let me know if you need any more fodder. :-)

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  9. OH, what a man! That is seriously beautiful. Seriously.

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  10. On fuel lines; beaded steel with AN fittings, or 'rubber' lines with the same fittings, does away with hose clamps which tend to leak, find them through any 'hot rod' supplier such as jegs, summit, or earl's supply, they make the stuff. very impressed with the plumbing, always wondered why the builders didn't do this, it's not rocket science, and home builders have been doing it for ages. there are a lot of lottle fittings and other stuff from the 'hot rod' and auto racing industry that could work nicely on a boat.

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