Heater installation

This week I have made a start on the prep work for the heater installation, the first task was to seal up a number of redundant openings between the void space and the engine space, the largest being about 32mm diameter I cut out a plywood disk with a hole saw and sealed it in place with some thickened epoxy the remaining couple of holes were only small so they were filled with thickened epoxy. The plan is to take the air supply to the heater from the void space which has a direct connection to the saloon above the head lining in the quarter berth, this should hopefully give a re-circulatory air flow with sufficient fresh air make up via the dorade vents in the saloon to prevent condensation. I then moved on to cutting the openings in the various bulkheads for the hot air duct work using a 92mm hole saw, there are several of these openings that had to be cut blind particularly those behind the up stand in the quarter berth and the one to the aft cabin.

Two openings formed under the galley sink

I have shown a couple of the openings these are the ones that can be seen. That will be about all until after Christmas and I have obtained the necessary kit for the installation so I wish you all the seasons greetings, or bah humbug, depending on your views on the festivities.

Further thoughts on the heater

The first job this week was to finish off the cable duct in the quarter berth I cut some 12mm plywood, I used 12mm as I had some available, and then after fitting it between the two bulkheads I covered it with lining carpet and screwed it into place.

Cable duct through quarter berth

Now that I have more or less decided on the heater installation I spent today finalising the route for the hot air duct work. As previously noted the heater will be installed in the void space at the aft end of the quarter berth in a port/starboard orientation the hot air outlet will connect to a tee so that the duct work can be led aft to the aft cabin and forward to the saloon, heads and forward cabin. The duct to the aft cabin will go through an opening to be formed in the aft bulkhead of the void space through into the under bunk space and then connect to the air terminal fitted in the redundant engine exhaust opening.

Redundant exhaust opening

The duct will come through the bulkhead in the space between the inner moulding and the hull approximately in the centre of the photograph below

The duct work going forward will be installed behind the up stand in the quarter berth inner moulding which can be accessed from the void space, I used a piece of 90mm diameter HDPE to check that the duct will fit. This will conveniently take the duct clear of the water tanks installed in the two aft under bunk spaces.

Up stand in quarter berth below the timber panel

Access to space behind the up stand

A branch will run to the saloon hot air outlet terminal through the forward under bunk space in the quarter berth, the terminal will be just above sole level

Forward under bunk space

The duct will then continue through the space below the cooker into the locker area under the galley sink, I spent quite some time checking on the positions of the openings to ensure that there was adequate clearance from the gas pipe and other fittings in these areas.

Forward under bunk area the cross marks the position of the opening for the duct

Space under the cooker duct will run outboard of the timber gas pipe protector

Once in the under sink locker the duct will run forward and through to the under sink locker in the heads.

The cross marks the position of the opening for the duct

Cross marks the position of the opening through to the heads locker

The duct will then run through the heads locker with a branch to connect to the hot air terminal mounted just above the sole.

Access to the heads locker will be below the shower drain pump

The cross marks the position of the opening through to the forward cabin

From the heads locker the duct will run forward into the under bunk area on the port side of the forward cabin where it will terminate with a hot air terminal just above the cabin sole. At the moment the timber support will take a plastic storage box and a case of beer one of these may have to go to allow the duct through. This post is a bit of a ramble but it is a convenient way of recording my thoughts. Now that I have an installation plan it's just a case of ordering the heater and all the ancillaries and installing it probably after Christmas.

Further thoughts on the heater

I made up and fitted the edge trim for the door to the void space at the aft end of the quarter berth and during the week I completed the varnishing of the trim and applied a second coat of gloss paint to the bulkhead.

Door completed

Bulkhead painted

The next task was to attach the door and then fit and adjust the latch.

Door complete

I spent some time carrying out further investigation into the heater installation, I spoke to Planar's British branch re the length of duct required to heat all spaces throughout the boat bearing in mind the 5 metre limit on duct length. The person that I spoke to seemed to think that there will not be a problem he was apparently well acquainted with the Moody 33. I then went through and measured the duct work required for the installation of the heater in the steering gear space, this would require approximately 10 metres of 90mm flexible duct in all to get right through to the forward cabin. This was well in excess of the stated 5 metre maximum length so I started to look at plan 'B' which is to install the heater in the void space at the aft end of the quarter berth, after carefully measuring I found that only 7.5 metres of flexible duct will be required which is a considerable saving in length as well as saving some money. My only concern is that the heater exhaust will exit through the side of the boat and I have heard of cases of melted fenders or fender lines hence the original plan to install the heater aft and exhaust through the transom. I will probably go with plan 'B' I will just need to be careful when placing fenders and rafting up.

I finished up the week by starting to make cable duct through the quarter berth to cover up the cables that run through it, it should also cover a bit of a gap between the aft bulkhead and the cockpit side it will be nothing more than some plywood covered in the lining carpet to match the existing lining.

Cable to be enclosed note the gap between bulkhead and cockpit side

The final door

The first task this week was a bit of housekeeping now that work in the aft cabin is complete for the time being I brought the hoover down and gave it a good clean to get rid of all the dust etc emanating from the previous weeks woodwork.

Last weekend I sanded and primed the door for the void space around the gas locker and during the week I managed to get two coats of gloss paint on each side it just needs the edge trim to be made and fitted together with the hinges and latch.

Door awaiting trim

The paint was peeling badly from the bulkhead at the aft end of the quarter berth I think that it had been applied directly to the original veneered finish I don't know what the said veneer was finished with so I gave it a good sanding before applying primer/undercoat and then the first coat of gloss white paint.

Bulkhead after first coat of gloss

The aim this weekend is to make up and fit the edge trim to the door, so that once I have applied a second coat of gloss to the bulkhead next week, it should be ready to fit, this has been door number nine. Leyland white high gloss trade paint has been used for all the internal gloss work a 2.5 litre tin can be had from Screwfix for about fifteen quid and it is nice paint to use and seems to cope with the current spell of chilly weather, I think that the recent problem with the aft cabin doors was more due to old dregs of paint at the bottom of the tin, since then I have bought a fresh tin and it has gone on with no problems.

Aft cabin almost done

The main aim this week was to get as far as possible with the aft cabin using materials that I had in stock. Over the weekend I had sorted the paint finish on the two remaining doors  by sanding them back and applying a further coat which has made them much more presentable and also cleaned up the bulkhead piece for the lockers. I began on Monday by fitting the two shelves and the bulkhead. I then finished up the day by looking into the installation of a diesel fired heater, it looks as though the heater will go into the steering gear space with the hot air duct running down the port side, my only concern is the length of duct, I am planning to use one of those Russian Planar units possibly their 4 KW model and apparently the maximum duct length is 5 meters I shall contact them for confirmation next week. For the remainder of the week I have been finishing off the starboard side lockers by fitting the forward front panel and the hardwood cover strip over the join between the two panels and then once this was complete I cut out and fitted the laminate corner trim pieces for the forward bulkhead in a similar manner as those for the saloon. forward cabin and the heads

Port side corner trim

Starboard side 

That is about is about as far as I can go in the aft cabin until I can sort the rest of the trim and find a suitable mirror.

Trip to the sailmaker

The first task on Monday morning was to pick up the sails from the boat and deliver them to Wilkinsons sailmakers in Faversham to have them washed, the UV strip on the genoa renewed and any minor repairs carried out as necessary. over the weekend I had cut out the piywood for the shelves in the aft cabin lockers so on return from the sailmakers I set to and started shaping the shelves  for the port side, as I had already secured the aft locker front panel it meant removing the forward panel and working in from the end which turned out to be fairly easy. Also I had repainted the doors over the weekend and six of them turned out to be satisfactory leaving two that I will have to sand back again and repaint. Once the two shelves had been fitted to the port side I inserted the doors into the aft panel and then fitted the bulkhead between the forward and aft panels.

Shelves and doors to aft panel in place

Then I inserted the doors into the forward panel and then secured it into position followed by the cover strip over the join between the two panels to finally complete the port side some hardwood trim will be required, I have some but probably not enough to complete the job I will probably need to obtain some more I will wait and see what is left of my dwindling stock.

Port side

To finish off the week I made a start on the starboard side, I managed to mark out the aft shelf but then along came the wind and the rain which brought a halt to the proceedings for the day. Over the weekend I will try and sort out the paint finish on the remaining two doors and clean up the bulkhead for the starboard side.

Aft cabin continued

There is not a lot to write about this week the main aim has been to finish sanding and then painting the locker doors I have got as far as the second coat of gloss paint, however the second coat is anything but gloss whether or not the weather was too cold overnight or not I don't know I shall give the doors a sanding and try again. I have masked up and varnished the door opening trim on the two forward front panels I had done the aft panels some time ago but then run out of varnish.

Door trim masked and varnished

I finished up this week by taken the sails off ready to go to the sailmakers for laundering and servicing, the UV sacrificial strip on the genoa is falling apart and requires replacing. The sails are getting on in years particularly the mainsail but it should have another season or two in it. I have ordered some more plywood so the plan this weekend is to rough out the shelves for the aft cabin so that I can fit them next week.