My Whitby 42 Blog

New battery box

April 16, 2013
The battery situation has finally been resolved.  We calculated our estimated needs......based on experiences we have never had, with equipment we have never used before, on a boat we have never been on, in a situation we have never experienced.

Ok, so we really don't have much to go on.  But in the end, we found our selves between 4 6 volt golf cart batteries for a total of about 400-440 amp hours depending on how much we spend on batteries, to six batteries for a total of 600-680 amp hours.  We estimate we will need about 200 amp hours a day.  If we got 4 expensive batteries, for a total of 440 amp hours, that could work.  Keeping us above 1/2 drain, and not needing to completely top all the way up.  However if our super exacting calculations, based on mostly unknowns if off, we would need more.  So getting 6 slightly cheaper batteries isn't a huge difference, but gives us a good cushion. It will allow us to leave the boat a bit longer and not worry so much.

So 6 batteries means another battery box.  Devon and I made this one.  Looks horrible on the inside.  We fiber glassed the inside of the box, but first we filleted the corners with a pre-thickened fiberglass......WHICH WAS GREEN!!!  Didn't know that.  So the black/green coloring is from the filleting of the corners.  We will paint it tomorrow with epoxy paint and hopefully it will never be scene again.  

This one holds 2 batteries.  The other holds 4.  It will close getting these all below the steps/galley area.  Along with the hot water tank.  I'll take a picture when it is all in. It should fit.  I have measured 10 times.....which isn't a guarantee.

Posted by Bryan. Posted In : Battery 

 

Varnishing ending???

April 16, 2013
NEVER.  Just when you think you have it all done, more shows up, more is created, something is scratched, etc....

It will never finish.  But we are almost to the point where we have varnished everything the first time.  Tara has been doing an amazing job at the varnishing.  She has gotten really good at it.  For only $200 an hour will she ever varnish again after this project.
 

Posted by Bryan. Posted In : Varnish 

 

New Table Top

April 16, 2013
The original table had some sort of tile embedded in the wood.  It was cracked and broken.  So I removed it.  Left us with a 6 by 6 inch square hold in the wood.  I took the hold down deeper, and set into it a 1/8 inch birch piece of plywood.  We would never match the old wood, so we went with a contrast.  We are going to get the boat info burned into the wood, then varnish it all over smooth.  Should look nice.......nicer???

Posted by Bryan. Posted In : Wood work 

 

Wood work

April 16, 2013
I have been rebuilding the wood part that mounts above the forward hatch from the cockpit.  The old one had a bunch of holes drilled in it for various electronics I don't have anymore, or where broken.  The wood was a mess.  I took an old piece of teak plywood and made the face plate.  The top is a solid piece of 1/8 inch teach wood.  The sides are solid 1/2 inch teak.  The holes are for the the 8 water proof cockpit fuses/switches.  Will control all outside lights.  The three squares are for the wind, depth, and speed displays.

The old one:

Posted by Bryan. Posted In : Wood work 

 

Ice in All the wrong places

April 15, 2013
Ice should be found in your drinks, the Freezer, and the Rink.  Not everywhere else.

 Only in Canada do you get weather like this in Mid April.
Almost had to wear ice skates to make it to the boat, and the steps were really bad.
For all of you Florida people, this is known as freezing rain.  Bet you didn't know it could freeze after it landed. 
At least we only got 1/3 of what they weather was actually calling for.
   This is my vacuum bucket for sucking out liquids. It shows the ice build up on the black pipe.
 

Posted by Bryan. Posted In : Rant 

 

Deck Shower

April 3, 2013
Set up a hot/cold water deck shower on the aft section of the deck.  One is the valve, and one is the actual nozzle.
With the swim platform going in, the shower will be right there for a nice shower.  The other valve is the salt water wash down.  So when we catch the big fish, or crabs, or shrimp in the dinghy, we can wash it all down.  Good to plan on messes.  I like to blame the kids, but I am the messiest.


Posted by Bryan. Posted In : deck hardware 

 

plumbing conduit

April 2, 2013
I have been running conduit for various wires that have to go in in hard to reach places.

I ran a 1 inch diameter heavy duty tube, that is usually used in wells, to connect the well pump to the house (I had to replace mine and they come in 100 foot rolls....only needed 45 feet!).  It will house the generator AC wire.  3 strands of 8 gauge wire.  This photo is showing the conduit that will feed wires up to the cockpit circuit breaker switch.  I chose it because it is white and will blend in, and because it is flexible.  Once installed it will be tight into the corner.

From the cockpit you will be able to control all running lights, the salt water pump (or the nav station), the deck lights, the cockpit lights, anchor light, and the aft mast lights.

Posted by Bryan. Posted In : Electrical 

 

Plumbing Sink Faucets

April 2, 2013
It always seems like it will only take a few minutes to make the connections.  But then, you have to make a hole bigger, or move a different pipe to get to the first pipe.  Or perhaps the engine exhaust is in the way, or the sound insulation, etc....

My dad came up and helped me a great deal getting the fresh water all finished.  Only the outside shower is left, just waiting for warm weather to do that.

New faucets in the heads, and the kitchen sink.  All the sinks are used, but polished up.  The double sink for the kitchen was a used sink from an RV.  All pex pipe is run.  There are shut offs for everything under the stove area.
The faucet does not have the final neck on yet.

The two head sinks:
 
Plumbing under the aft sink ran into the engine exhaust.  I found a sink drain extender that is all metal, that goes down past the exhaust.  It is hard to tell perspective in the picture.  I can put 1 finger between the exhaust insulation and the pipe, the exhaust to the right is farther away, but you can not tell from the picture.
 The cockpit drain is just hanging there.  It  It was in the way when doing the other plumbing.  It will get pulled up and I will attach  the pex to the drain hose to keep them together.

Plumbing manifold under stove:

Posted by Bryan. Posted In : Fresh water plumbing 

 

Growing electrical

April 2, 2013
The electrical is growing and growing.  I am about 80% done.  It is an evolving process as I learn more and more.  And I add more and more new things I did not plan on.

Here is what behind the scenes of the electrical panel looks like at the moment.  I have not tidied up the wires, I am waiting until most are in.  I have enough the keep them out of the way.
 

Posted by Bryan. Posted In : Electrical 

 

Engine Room Plumbing

March 26, 2013
I have been tackling the engine room plumbing.  I was waiting for my dry riser and now that I have installed that, things are starting to progress.
 

I now have all the exhaust for the main engine run.
The cockpit drains have now been run.  I needed to get some stainless steel pipes to make elbows and T fittings.
From Unified Alloys in Milton Ontario.  They were great to work with and helped me find the parts I needed with the smallest budget.  Quick and very helpful.  Ask for Frank.
  .

The T fitting is where a bilge pump will go into the cockpit drain. 

Posted by Bryan. Posted In : Exhaust 

 
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Bryan Haas


Please feel free to contact me! I grew up on the waters of the Chesapeake sailing and fishing. I was paid to work, sail, race, and sometimes live on a 51' Hinkley (they didn't really need to pay me but they offered!). I am a high school science teacher who likes to learn by doing. Used to teach at "The Sound School" in New Haven Ct. Check it out, the most amazing on- the- water school there is. I have rebuilt smaller boats from scratch, but nothing on this scale. This is an adventure. All help is greatly appreciated.

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Bahama's Weather

Just as a reminder to my self why I am doing all of this.  There is nice weather at the end of the tunnel.

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