And then?

Work on the electrical system continues and Geoff is making great progress. The main areas are finished - the main distribution area under the stairs, the main engine panel and the 12-switch panel etc. I have been pretty happy as all the work we have done during the build has paid off, with regards to adding wiring access and gluing in conduit. I think I have most of the switches, lights, fans and sockets that we need so hopefully I don't need to shop around as I have been doing. It has been hard to find attractive (to my eyes) and practical light fittings, in the end we just said "whatever" and went with our first choice.





Bill has started on the forward cockpit coaming. There has been quite a lot of standing round talking about it, working out some parameters and different ideas. It is a difficult thing to build with no drawings so hopefully our discussions are worthwhile. It looks quite high so far but I think that is because I am so used to nothing there - I keep needing to put the old teak boards in place so I can remember the scale. We decided to centralise the instrument panel and leave the hatch looking offset, time will tell if that is the best look.

I have had the backstay chainplates made and polished. They are pretty chunky as it is what Sam had lying around in his workshop, but I don't think they will disintegrate! The photo shows I have drilled the holes and they are sitting in place. I was on my friend Cedric's KP44 over the weekend and I ran a line to see how much room it created on the aft deck. I believe it will be really good, with a lot more headroom and space than the existing central backstay. I might not have guessed the angle correctly but we are able to bend them around a bit if they are not close enough.

Go Sparky, Go!

Geoff the electrician has joined the crew and it is amazing what is visible after only a couple of days on the boat. I hope that all the effort we (well mostly Geoff) put in with the design work pays off as the actual implementation goes ahead. So far so good, only a couple of questions that we have had to make up answers for as we progress. The whole thrust of the electrical install is simplicity, with no main switch panel and only a couple of minor distribution panels. I have taken delivery of the second alternator which will be attached to the main engine. This is 150A which matches the generator output and has made the system design easier. I will get an electronic version of the wiring diagram at some stage, I need to convert from Autocad to PDF.

Elsewhere, Bill has finished the gas bottle/storage locker on the aft deck, it looks very cool - photo doesn't do it justice. He has also built all the doors and has fitted the first one in the forepeak, unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to snap a photo before it was removed for painting. It is very weird, after all this time, to see a door at the forward end of the saloon!

Engineering work has slowed as I have been occupied in helping Geoff, but we are pretty close to being finished in the engine room. The main engine needs a fuel return, but once that is connected - and the fuel tank filled - it should be a runner. The generator is nearly there too, just fuel to and fro and the rest of the exhaust connected. Watermaker plumbing has progressed as well, the next stage there is to plumb in the RO filters and connect it all to the paner.

We've been scuppered!

So, Bill has started on the gas locker and very exciting that is too. We will build the surround from foam and glass, the lid will be 12mm ply, glassed over for strength and hopefully stability. I have not had any experience with building with foam but it seems quite good, at least Bill makes it look easy!

Otherwise, when not in bed recovering from the early winter round of flu, I have been punishing myself with plumbing in the generator and main engine. I took this photo a few days ago, every day I try and get something added, although by the time I have a) worked out what I need to do, b) shopped for the parts and c) taken them all back at least once and got the right size, progress can be a little uneven.

The scuppers are all in and glassed, not a major job but interrupted by Christmas so it is great to have them all finished off. They look excellent and will look perfect when painted. Bill also tidied up the 2 original ones as they had not been done that well - who would have thought!

What?

3 weeks flash by in the blink of an eye. What I have been trying to focus on is getting some painting finished, I managed to do the head but will wait for a day or so when Bill isn't around and then knock off the rest of the stuff in the saloon. Then I need to get cracking on the walkway and the aft cabin/shower. Bill has almost finished this area, we should be able to glue in the last 4 portlight surrounds in the next few days and then it is done. This shot shows the under-deck ply finished and the Kauri trim - above the bendy-ply coachroof sides -glued on.

The locker under the companionway continues to have stuff added. I have had some stainless brackets made to support the engine start battery off the floor, and fitted the universal voltage A/C battery charger. When connected to shore power we will run an extension cord to the battery charger and that will keep all systems topped up.

This final photo shows the bracket built to support the generator at the aft end of the engine room. This will have a plywood sheet at its aft end, to both stiffen the bracket up and to enable pumps etc to be bolted on for the generator and watermaker systems. Did I mention how much I don't love plumbing? The other day I came to the realisation that all my watermaker plumbing has been supplied in NPT - WTF? As the rest of the boat is all BSP threads I will replace what I can. I guess plumbing was the reason that bad language was invented - the first incident of a swear word was a plumber realising that his 3/4 hose barb won't screw into a 3/4 female elbow because it's not %$&^%$ tapered....