Engine Installation on the Far Reach

[John Stone]

Just about have the routing of wires complete. Had to cut two holes and install a little 12” length of PVC conduit. Filled the end grain with epoxy.

I have two right angle attachments for my drill. The first was pretty poor. The photo below is the most recent. Fairly inexpensive but it has worked great. A more expensive dedicated right angle drill would get into a smaller space but this one has performed well. Nice to have the right tools for the right job.

[John Stone]

More progress but in a slightly different direction. I didn’t want to wire up the electrical panel when I knew I had to cut and router what will be the starboard side of the engine compartment. There was going to be a fair amount of sawdust. I needed to cut the angled part of that bulkhead back square so I can add a plywood and mahogany staving extension. I’ll tell ya, the plan turned out to be simple and easy but it took me months of thinking and pondering about it while working on other projects before the lightbulb came on. So, two days ago, with a freshly lit 100 watt bulb going on in my head, I cut some plywood strips to use as guide bars and drew lines with a sharpie. I rough cut the angled section out with my Bosch jig saw staying well clear of the cut lines then used the large router and a flush-cut bit with bottom guide bearing which allowed me to get a smooth clean cut. Then I repositioned the jig guides to the opposite side of the bulkhead and switched to a small laminate router which I shimmed so I could use a smaller bit with a top guide bearing. This approach allowed me to create a tongue for locking the extension to the existing bulkhead. I’ll include mahogany staving so it should end up seamless with the existing design. It will be varnished to match and mostly unseen as most of it will be in the engine room. The extension will be trimmed with bare walnut consistent with the rest of the interior. It will be more clear when I post pictures of the completed work.

Since I made all the dust and my mermaid was helping me I went ahead and cut the hole for the Raymarine depth-sounder. It was painful and hurt a little but that’s the way forward. So get over it mister and keep going. The sounder comes with two trim rings. I’ll have to decide which to use and whether I want to mount it direct onto the fiberglass or on a teak spacer. I’ll seal the endgrain with epoxy tomorrow and start working on the engine compartment extension, the cover box for the back of the sounder, and wiring the panel at the same time.

Once this is complete we will install the soundproofing/insulation and then install the engine. Or something close to that.

[John Stone]

Some pictures of the depthsounder project.

[Jim Walsh]

I went with the square bezel because I have my wind instrument mounted just above it and using the square bezels on both complimented one another. The alternate bezels looked too modern to me.
(My wind instrument uses a Garmin GMI 20 display and my i50 Tridata display is a Raymarine unit.)

[John Stone]

I went with the square bezel because I have my wind instrument mounted just above it and using the square bezels on both complimented one another. The alternate bezels looked too modern to me.
(My wind instrument uses a Garmin GMI 20 display and my i50 Tridata display is a Raymarine unit.)

I’m leaning towards the black square....

[wikakaru]

Since I made all the dust and my mermaid was helping me I went ahead and cut the hole for the Raymarine depth-sounder. It was painful and hurt a little but that’s the way forward. So get over it mister and keep going.

Ouch. I know that hurt. I like putting holes in my boat about as much as I like putting them in myself, that is to say, not at all.

Smooth sailing,

--Jim

[John Stone]

I spent a little time at the boat today. On the way I stopped by Jim Bircher’s machine shop to discuss the propeller shaft. We have a plan.

Flex o fold came back from our latest email exchange recommending a 16x12 two blade folding propeller. I need to get it ordered.

At the boat I used a hot glue gun and some doorskin strips to make a template for the bulkhead extension. I also made a template for the cover box for the back of the depth sounder. Then, I applied west epoxy to the plywood grain for the hole I cut yesterday. Finally, I made some drawings for the mahogany framing for the bulkhead extension. I just did t have the desire to working on the wiring. One of those days....

[John Stone]

Tonight I cut and milled the mahogany framing to connect the bulkhead extension. I dadoed both sides. The tongue of the existing bulkhead will fit into one slot and the ply of the extension will fit into the other. The staving will be epoxied to both sides the ply duplicating the existing bulkhead.

You can see from the construction of the bulkhead I cut off exactly how it goes together. I built almost all the bulkheads in the Far Reach the same way. They are about 1 3/8” thick. It’s one of the reasons the boat is so solid, strong, and quiet offshore. With the glassed over hull-deck joint and very stiff and strong bulkheads double and triple tabbed on both sides there is very little flex.

It will be interesting to see how the dadoed framing looks with the staving on both sides butted up to the existing bulkhead. Of course, as previously mentioned, almost all of this will be hidden behind the forward face of the engine box.

I’m looking forward to getting this behind me and getting the panel wired up and the engine in the boat.

[John Stone]

Spent some time milling the mahogany framing to fit the cut out. I radiused the outside corner of the mahogany lower frame block with a cabinet maker’s file. Once satisfied I cut the ply to fit. Then I taped off the existing bulkhead and applied neat and thickened epoxy to the ply and frame block dado and fit it into place. I’ll leave it overnight. If I did it right, I should be able to remove the mahogany frame with epoxied ply extension. I’ll take it home and epoxy the staving to both sides of the ply. I’ll test fit and then return home and apply the varnish. Once complete I’ll trim the top and vertical sides and epoxy in place. Add the walnut trim and declare victory. Then move on to the engine. At least that’s the plan.

[John Stone]

This picture would only load sideways with the above post. So, I uploaded it separately.

[John Stone]

I partially milled the staving a few months ago. Today, I planed them down another 32nd of an inch and then cut the half-laps and the V grooves. Then, I cut them to fit leaving them just a little long. Last, I epoxied them to the plywood core with T88 epoxy. I used home made screw clamps to apply pressure. I basically applied the staving the same way I did to the bulkheads in the boat 7-8 years years ago.

You can’t see them in the photos below but I have large and small cyclone dust collectors plus a good size air filtration system hung from the ceiling in the shop. I did not produce much sawdust today making such small cuts. If I am producing serious sawdust I’ll wear a particulate half respirator too. I always wear hearing protection.

In the photos you can see the feather-boards I clamped to the work surfaces. They not only hold the wood flat to the fences helping to get a more accurate and consistent cut, they also help prevent kickbacks. Just like sailing or any other potentially dangerous activities I have participated in throughout my life I am careful, confident, and generally conservative with regards to risk-taking. In the Marines I learned Operational Risk Management and I try to apply it to activities that can cause serious injury or death. If there is a lot of danger and multiple things that can go wrong I’ll write out the plan to include steps I can take to mitigate the risk. But for everyday stuff I usually just take a minute to think through the steps mentally and make sure I am being safe.

Does anyone actually read this stuff? Is it useful...? I normally post a full write up on my website when complete. Looking for some feedback....

[Jim Walsh]

I’m in the positive feedback category. I enjoy the posts and the details on the logic behind the choices made.

[Jerry Hammernik]

The day I don't want to learn more things is the day I'll shoot myself.

[tjr818]

Please keep them coming John. Your posts help me through the days when we cannot be at our boat.

[wikakaru]

Does anyone actually read this stuff? Is it useful...? I normally post a full write up on my website when complete. Looking for some feedback....

Yes, you have an avid following! I've learned a lot reading about the way you do things. Plus the projects you post here will likely benefit someone later on who is contemplating a similar task.

--Jim