Home
Spring Upgrades
July 4, 2010
Our spring has been quite busy and not just in the maritime sense. So much so that we have let our web site sit idle for some time and it is already into the summer! It's now time to play catch up.
This spring we initiated a series of upgrades to some of Makara's existing systems and started installation of some new systems. A few unfinished item from Annapolis were also dealt with. Most of our work was a result of experience gained in coming downt the coast. As we got into June we had Makara hauled to paint the bottom and deal with some of the bigger changes that needed to be done while here feet were "dry". Makara is still "on the hard" and work progressing along nicely.
One of the major upgrades we are currently working on is installing a stem to stern NMEA 2000 bus and converting virtually all our instrumentation to NMEA 2000 ones. This includes the tank sensor system as well. This later bit allows us to remove a mess of wiring in favor of a more compact single cable circuit. So far we have the water tanks on the new sensor system with the fuel tanks to follow later this summer. We have also added an engine sensor module to allow better diagnostics of the engine operation and visibility of all engine parameters on any screen in our system. Works too! We have upgraded the Maretron GPS to the newer model that allows programming via the bus for updates to the firmware. This is more handy than you think since, for example, the older ones variation correction packed it when the model date range ran out and the only way to fix that was send it back. We need to keep some of the Raymarine stuff, the E-Series displays are just fine working with this upgrade and the autopilot will remain the same for the time being. The wind sensor will also remain until we take the mast down for inspection (prior to full time cruising) at which time an NMEA 2000 wind sensor goes on. We are replacing the Raymarine depth and speed sensors with NMEA 2000 ones as well. As with most sensors Airmar makes them. The old Raymarine ones were no exception. We will now have NMEA 2000 depth/temp and speed/temp sensors. During the haul out the old plastic thru hulls for the original sensors are being replaced with nice shiny new bronze ones. We feel much more comfortable with that material than the plastic ones, especially along the centerline forward of the keel. We will also add an NMEA 2000 alarm module that allows us to place alarms on various NMEA 2000 string values each with its own distinctive tone.
Another major project which is coming up is installing a FilterBoss Commander on the boat. The old plain vanilla dual Racors come off and the FilterBoss goes in. Having a boost pump available for priming the filters, light fuel polishing and system tests will be handy. We added a water sensor to the primary filter and will have remote pressure and water warning indicators at the nav station. The fuel system work will begin in earnest when Makara is relaunched.
Another really important upgrade is to integrate our grill to the main propane system. I like to grill and this is a must have for me. When at the dock you can’t use the one on the boat, but they have nice ones on each dock finger so I get by. But at anchor I am hosed, until now. A dual tank regulator, a tee valve for the grill line and the low pressure line to the grill are now in place. A deck fitting for the getting the propane line above deck is being installed along with some other glass work during the haul out. I am sure that I am quite close to a nice rib eye steak at an anchorage nearby once Makara is back in the water. Stay tuned for a report on the conclusion of this quest!
As we mentioned in a previous posting, when we finally got our diesel fired hot water system working we opted to go with a heat exhanger (Everhot) that did not have an AC heater element. At sea we do not have major AC available anyway other than our modest inverter so when not connected to shore there is no need to worry with it. Works great but we have found that we did miss using the AC option to heat water when at docks, especially in the hotter weather when running the Wabasto just to heat water was not a happy thought. Our solution to this dilemma came in the form of a relative small 6 gallon AC water heater that we could use standalone when plugged in, effectively bypassing the Everhot. We even found the space to put it and are glassing in a support board while hauled out. Should be straighforward to plumb in and connect to the AC (we left the AC cable in place, disconnected at both ends, when we removed the other water heater).
Before we moved south from Annapolis we managed to complete our water maker install to the point where we could test it (it worked just fine). There were two issues, there was a small oozing leak at the accumulator ahead of the Clark pump and we did not have time to plumb the lines to the water tanks. The plumbing to the water tanks is now complete, including tank selction, shutoffs and bypas drain.
Our deck shower has always been problematic is both placement and design. It was the usual affair with a capped access to the shower head and another capped access to the contol. They were placed on the aft deck just aft of the cockpit. Needless to say the were always under foot and the design allowed water (read salt water) to collect in the controls with nowhere to go. Messy to say the least and worse yet the shower head was almost directly above the pump for our diesel heating system, which meant there was a channel for drips to go below deck onto stuff you would rather not get wet! Well, these where removed and the deck glassed in. A new Whate single hole shower head has been installed a bit more out of the way and in such a position that any water than does make it below deck goes into the aft anchor locker which feed directly to the bilge without first hitting any crical machinary!
I could go on, as there are a number of “small” things being done, but as always by the time the haul out is completed and we finish these tasks Makara will be more “Bristol” than ever.