Engine Installation on the Far Reach

[Frenchy]

Thanks for taking the time to post, John. It's a very interesting project, requiring a lot of fore thought. - Jean

[John Stone]

Nice work John ...

Will you be fitting a PSS shaft seal ? We did on Jerezana, as well as plumbing the hose barb from the cooling water circuit.

Where will the set screws for the cutlass bearing go ?

It will be interesting to see the steering dynamics in reverse (I know that is not your primary motivation) because there will be "some" prop wash in reverse over the very top portion of your rudder ...

thanks for your posts as always

Fred

Hi Fred. No plans for a PSS. While I have met some people happy with the PSS I have run across too many that had trouble with them. The biggest issue for me is expense and you can’t repair them in the water. And foe the type of sailing I do I think there is too much risk and potential for hassle. So, I opted for the a simple tried and true bronze stuffing box. Because the shaft log exits above the narrow spot in 5 back of the keel on sock CDs I should have easy access. I’m thinking of packing it with GFO packing material. Though I have no experience with GFO, what I have read is very good. Installed correctly (same as regular packing) it is virtually dripless. But, I’ll also build a water drip tray and divert any drips it into a container.

http://gfopacking.com/

Two set screws will be installed in the G10 tube.

I have no idea about handling under power. I’m sure it will be compromised vs a conventional arrangement. It'll be a learning experience.

[John Stone]

Very impressed with the planning and execution so far. Looks rock solid and to your usual high standards.

Thanks Jim. I’m confident about my ability to do a respectable job but still a little anxious about if it was the right thing to do. The whole thing seems like such a big complication to what was for four years a wonderfully simple boat. Having said that, I definitely thought about it long enough and so I am fully committed. Once I have it completed I’ll probably be thinking “why did I wait so long!”

It’s a lot more difficult doing a project like this with the boat 35 miles from our home (vice the 35 feet when she was in the boat shed) but I am actually enjoying the work and all the challenges it entails....

Thanks for taking the time to post, John. It's a very interesting project, requiring a lot of fore thought. - Jean

Thanks Jean.

[John Danicic]

John Stone Wrote

I’m thinking of packing it with GFO packing material. Though I have no experience with GFO, what I have read is very good. Installed correctly (same as regular packing) it is virtually dripless. But, I’ll also build a water drip tray and divert any drips it into a container.

John:

Glad you decided to tackle the project as well as documenting it for us. Very interesting.

As a user of the GFO packing material for the last 12 years or so I can attest to its qualities. It doesn't leak much at all and the one time it did, a simple tightening of the packing nut was all it took to stop it. I replaced it only twice in all those years and only because of the guilt of not paying attention to it. I found the old stuff almost new in both cases. I average about 100 hours on the engine (original Perkins 4-108) a season.

[John Stone]

John Stone Wrote

I’m thinking of packing it with GFO packing material. Though I have no experience with GFO, what I have read is very good. Installed correctly (same as regular packing) it is virtually dripless. But, I’ll also build a water drip tray and divert any drips it into a container.

John:

Glad you decided to tackle the project as well as documenting it for us. Very interesting.

As a user of the GFO packing material for the last 12 years or so I can attest to its qualities. It doesn't leak much at all and the one time it did, a simple tightening of the packing nut was all it took to stop it. I replaced it only twice in all those years and only because of the guilt of not paying attention to it. I found the old stuff almost new in both cases. I average about 100 hours on the engine (original Perkins 4-108) a season.

That’s good to know John D. Thanks.

More progress today. Pulled the peel ply. Looks pretty good. Then after I took the pictures posted below I added two more layers of biaxial, this time under the skeg and wrapped them up around each side.

For the last two layers I used lighter 10oz biaxial because of the tight turn at the corners under the skeg. I also added another layer of 1708 on the shaft log inside the boat where it emerges into the engine compartment. I covered all the work today with peel ply release fabric.

Next step is to start fairing and get as much done as I can before the temps drop. Then I’ll turn to fabricating and installing the engine beds.

[John Stone]

Steady progress. Got the first round of fairing applied yesterday. Sanded it today. With sanding complete I vacuumed and performed an acetone wipe down. Next, I added two layers of biaxial to the top of the rudder and covered it with peel-ply. Then, I troweled on the second layer of fairing compound.

About ready to start on the engine beds. Still need to decide which engine—the 20hp or 25 hp Beta.

[tjr818]

John,
Great work as always, and thank you so much for posting the steps along the way. Your work is always interesting.

It is a bit off topic but one of your last photos shows what seems to be an interesting boat off to the port side of Far Reach. Can you tell us anything about your neighbor?

[John Stone]

John,
Great work as always, and thank you so much for posting the steps along the way. Your work is always interesting.

It is a bit off topic but one of your last photos shows what seems to be an interesting boat off to the port side of Far Reach. Can you tell us anything about your neighbor?

Which boat you asking about? The wood boat?

[tjr818]

Yes, This one, it sure looks unusual:

7C3A8EBD-EA61-4835-B5A8-D192437EA851.jpeg (3.45 MiB) Viewed 750 times

[fmueller]

wow John - looking great !

does not directly apply but you might find this interesting ...

https://www.offcenterharbor.com/videos/ ... ment-11899

Fred

[John Stone]

wow John - looking great !

does not directly apply but you might find this interesting ...

https://www.offcenterharbor.com/videos/ ... ment-11899

Fred

Hi Fred, thanks for the link. I’ll take a look at it. I’m a life member of Off Center Harbor. It’s a great site.

[John Stone]

Yes, This one, it sure looks unusual:

The attachment 7C3A8EBD-EA61-4835-B5A8-D192437EA851.jpeg is no longer available

Hi Tim
That is a 60’ Trumpy motor yacht. A 1961 I believe. She’s mahogany on oak. Pretty cool boat. She is a bit down on her luck I think. I am told she is deserving of a complete restoration which she is not getting. Takes deep pockets to care for a boat like that. I’m partial to the pre WWII Trumpys. But you have to be very wealthy to own a boat like that and keep up with her maintenance.

[tjr818]

Thanks John,
Maybe your level of craftsmanship will shame the owner into investing a few more dollars. I have owned too many wooden boats. I think fiberglass is the way to go, especially for common folk like me.

[John Stone]

Thanks John,
Maybe your level of craftsmanship will shame the owner into investing a few more dollars. I have owned too many wooden boats. I think fiberglass is the way to go, especially for common folk like me.

Tim
I appreciate the kind words....I’m humbled.

We are in a small sub contracted boat yard inside of a large marine industrial complex. In an nearby boatyard inside this complex are two cool boats (pictures below) 75’ from one another. The Trumpy is a 1947. I think it’s the one previously owned by Greta Van Susteren and her husband. She is having a lot of work done (the Trumpy, not Greta ). The aluminum FPB is Cochise, designed and owned by Steve and Linda Dashew. Gayle and I met them in June 2018 out at Cape Lookout Bight when they anchored near us and came by in their dinghy to chat with us. Very cool boat...and they were as nice as could be. He was very complimentary of the Far Reach, so of course I liked him. Hahahahaha. Anyway, both of those boats are on the opposite end of the spectrum from one another but are very neat in their own way.

[Steve Laume]

Those are some pretty cool boats and the Trumpy is very pretty.