While the cat's away - again

Very happy to get back home after an abortive attempt at bringing a boat back from Vanuatu. We made it to New Caledonia but with a broken forestay fitting and a fried gearbox, we weren't going much further. I needed to get back and ensure my project was on track so took the 400-knot-to-windward option. Very heartened to get home and see the progress that Bill has made in my absence. The bones of the aft cabin are all now present and we have spent the last few days developing the plans for the remaining work.

The steering department is becoming more and more complete, just waiting for Sam the stainless guy to finish a couple of turning blocks. We plan to use pvc pipes to run the steering lines (8mm Vectran) between the aft and forward turning blocks, it will keep things very tidy. The old aft head teak grating will be altered and re-used in the shower.

Starboard Tank

The bulkhead aft of the engine room is now in and Bill is finishing off the starboard fuel tank. We have left a channel of 150mm at the front of the tank to allow us to run wiring and fuel pipes, hopefully we will have enough space.

The port fuel tank is finished and Bill has built the floor for the cockpit locker. I am hoping we can fit the watermaker membranes between the tank and the locker floor, I have been fitting some PVC pipe for ventilation (in and out) but I have also been spending some time just staring and working out where everything will run. It would be really good if it all looked like it was planned!

I collected the engine from the dealer who was holding it for me, it was a real job getting it off the trailer without killing ourselves, but it now has pride of place in the corner of the garage. It makes it much earier to size plumbing and to plan wiring and piping runs.

I have been busy sorting out the fuel transfer system. As we will have the engines feeding from and returning to the center tank, I have worked out a system where we can fill the side tanks, and transfer from them to the main tank. It all sounds complicated but I like the idea of a "day tank", where I can monitor fuel consumption etc. I have built in some ability to create a fuel polishing system in the future.

It makes the center tank access plate a little more complex, but the payoff should be a simplicity of use - i.e. no valves to change and no chances of a misdirected return overfilling a tank.