Engine Installation on the Far Reach

[John Stone]

Nice work. 1 3/4” vs 2”........you got hosed.....

You don’t say.... Clearly spring is taking a peek in New England.

And so what are your sailing plans this summer Mr. Walsh?

[Jim Walsh]

Nice work. 1 3/4” vs 2”........you got hosed.....

You don’t say.... Clearly spring is taking a peek in New England.

And so what are your sailing plans this summer Mr. Walsh?

I’m scheduled for the COVID vaccine Monday....that will put me well on the way toward a run down to Bermuda......wahoo taco’s.....my nirvana.

[John Stone]

finished off installing the exhaust hose with the ball valve. Couple days ago I epoxied in some Iroko wood brackets that I could use to secure rubber coated hose clamps to. I also installed a 2” ID stuffing box hose to the bottom of the ball valves to make it very secure to the hose barbed exhaust flange.

Today I installed the diesel tank vent line. I picked a place to drill in the transom (up high and in-line with the tank). What I didn’t count on is a hull nearly 1” thick that close to the deck! There was not enough threads exposed to secure the nut to the vent fitting. What to do? Took a while to come up with a plan. I considered various options but the best one was to counter sink a recess deep snd wide enough to accommodate the nut from the inside of the lazarette. But I had drilled the hole so high I couldn’t get a drill in the space between the transom snd the deck. Just not enough room in there. Then I remembered I had my dremel with the flex cable in my truck. I put it together and selected a small wedge shape grinding stone. I wedged myself down in the lazarette locker with the hose end of the big vacuum and just ground it out. Nothing to it. I recessed about 1/2” deep. I epoxied in a 1/4” thick fiberglass washer to create a dead flat surface then wrapped the vent with packing tape and pushed it in the hole. I faired in around the hole on the inside with thickened epoxy. Tomorrow I’ll put the fitting out, wash off the amine blush and paint it grey. In a couple days I’ll bed the fitting with 3M 4000 or butyl.

I also ordered the batteries today. I ordered two Trojan T 105 6v deep cycle golf cart batteries. Total of 225 ah when wired together to give me 12 volts. They were $159 each with free shipping. The best I could find for Lifeline Group 27 100 ah AGMs was $330 each. So essentially the AGMs were twice as expensive for a little less capacity. There are some trade offs but that’s what I decided. Need to keep moving forward.

[John Stone]

Couple pictures showing the recess I created for the nut.

[John Stone]

Completed the installation of the exhaust hose and the diesel fuel tank vent lines which you can see at top of photo. Just noticed the bottom paint dust on hose. That stuff sticks to everything but the bottom of the boat.

Trojan T105s arrived. Ordered the low profile terminals and got the standard height. Sigh. Will have to see if they will fit with Blue Seas terminal fuse fuse block.

Start on building the battery box next. Couple days of rain forecasted.

[John Stone]

Been working on the battery boxes. Made the sides out of 1/2” BS 1088 Okume and the bottom from 1/4” manufactured FRP I had in my stash pile.

I used simple stitch and glue method. I cut 1/16” deep rabbets and wired them together with copper wire. Made sure they were square. Then, I filleted the outsides with thickened epoxy and then applied a strip of 1708 to the corners where the rabbets were so the biaxial is flush. The idea is the solid glass bottoms with fillets will contain any acid if it spills.

I made them with about 3/16 gap all around. I’ll add inside fillets tomorrow. Then the cleats to secure them tightly in place.

The house bank is T105s which I got on-line from Battery USA for $159 each so $320 total for 225ah which is exactly the same price as the Lifeline Group 27 100ah. I added a Diehard group 24 marine starting battery with 850 CCA. The Beta Manual called for min 550 CCA.

The idea is the house bank should last for the long haul 7-10 years(?) and I just replace the starting battery when required. The engine will charge both banks but the solar charges only the house.

Tomorrow I’ll cut the boxes down in height just a little then apply fairing compound to smooth out the finish. I’ll eventually paint them grey. Need to sort out the retention system to keep the batteries in the box during a knock down. I have a plan....

[Jim Walsh]

Nice battery boxes, nothing can ever be too strong and batteries must stay in place under the worst scenarios.
I always found this article interesting concerning the optimal orientation of flooded batteries. https://marinehowto.com/installation-or ... -on-boats/

[John Stone]

Nice battery boxes, nothing can ever be too strong and batteries must stay in place under the worst scenarios.
I always found this article interesting concerning the optimal orientation of flooded batteries. https://marinehowto.com/installation-or ... -on-boats/

Concur. "Nothing too strong ever broke." I have read that article too. And while it makes sense to me I have a highly experienced friend who scoffs at it.

As it stands the T105 will be oriented as Rod Collins suggests but the starting battery orientation is a bit more problematic. I am more concerned about acid spillage than plates being uncovered (especially on the start battery as it will only get charged or be under load when the engine is running which suggests the boat will be mostly level) but I am headed back to the boat shortly to see what I can manage regarding its orientation. Then, hopefully I can get back to work on the boxes. Oh and while there I will scrape some more paint. Got started on the port side yesterday but the wind was honking and paint was blowing so I stopped after 30 min....

[JD-MDR]

Thanks Jim.. Wow there is so much to learn. Now I have another project to work on. I don't think I will get to this for a while. My rebuilt steering gear is being shipped today. 5 months wait for 5 hours labor.

[John Stone]

I test fit the battery box’s. The closest in the photo holds the two T105s. ‘thwartship. As recommended. The starting battery is further aft—where the old single AGM was located. It fits easiest fore and aft. See the photo. But if I build a small frame to raise it 1.5 inches to clear the hull it will fit ‘thwartship. The only caveat is sufficient overhead clearance with it raised up. Find out when I get home and measure the battery.

[John Stone]

Not much to report. I fabricated the ash brackets that retain the batteries in the boxes. I used a
paddle bit to recess the underside of the cleats and epoxied nuts and washers in place. The 5/16” bolts thread into the nuts so I only need a wrench on top to loosen or tighten the bolts. I drilled the holes to
mount the Trojan box yesterday. It’s held down by four 5/16 hex bolts with over sized washers and nyloc nuts. Seems very secure. I had to fabricate some wood blocks to better position the starting battery box so I have a little more work to do there. Might paint the boxes today. Second Moderna shot yesterday so a little under the wx.

[gonesail]

Have you considered putting in Lithium LiFePO4 batteries? True they cost about 3 or 4 times as much as the Trojans which for me is too much. But they only weigh 30 lbs each which is nice. Never mind I see you already have your batteries. Sure wish I had that kind of room under my quarter birth

[John Stone]

Have you considered putting in Lithium LiFePO4 batteries? True they cost about 3 or 4 times as much as the Trojans which for me is too much. But they only weigh 30 lbs each which is nice. Never mind I see you already have your batteries. Sure wish I had that kind of room under my quarter birth

No. Never considered them. I’m not an expert on batteries. But I am definitely a keep it simply kind of sailor. I don’t really have any measurable power demands. I just doubled my battery capacity which is way way more than I needed with my current configuration. I actually tripled it if you count the starting battery. There is just no value to the lithium’s that I can see. You’re right—3 to 4 times the cost. But I am not going to get 3-4 times the life span from them. I never had my single AGM down more than 10 amps. And, truth be told I have already over complicated my boat with an inboard, though that is a different story.

But there is more, all the lithiums I have read about require special chargers and monitors. Some battery makers have to approve the charger you use or your warranty is voided. They need to be handled and charged in a very specific way. You can’t mix the different batteries for example a wet cell for starting and Lithium’s for house...of course that’s true for all batteries. If one battery goes bad you typically have to replace all of them. I’m sure there are experts out there that can make all kinds of arguments for them but my eyes just glaze over as soon as they start talking. But, as you pointed out, no matter what they say, they are expensive to buy, to install, and to operate. I have read a number of horror stories. I picked the simplest system I could come up with. If I get 6-8 years out of the trojans for $320 I’d have to get 18-24 years out of the lithium’s. I just don’t believe that’s possible. Anything goes wrong with the “smart charger” and you can ruin those batteries. I try to be totally self sufficient and who wants to read about battery maintenance and charging and equalizing and all that crap anyway?

Seems there are plenty of people that seem determined to complicate their boat. And I guess if you have all kinds of electronics and computers and you enjoy or feel you need to be configured that way etc then maybe complex battery systems makes sense. But for me, I don’t want anything on my boat invented by a guy in a lab coat.

Let’s see how battery technology continues to evolve. Maybe one day it will make sense to power long range voyaging boats with electric engines etc. We are just not there yet.

[John Stone]

Completes the installation of both battery boxes. Through bolted bottom and side to Q berth bulkhead. Painted two coats of paint. Very pleased to get this behind me. Tomorrow start working on the battery cable, Blue Seas Add A Battery Relay, Vetus throttle controls for the engine.

[John Stone]

I did not physically get much done today but I learned a ton.

The batteries are installed and bolted down. That did not take long. The rest of the day was spent reading through the Blue Seas add a battery directions, figuring out how it all fits together, determining where to locate the relay, the bus bar etc. I also finally figured out how to access the starter solenoid and blah blah blah. I got a plan. Next is to install the relay and measure and purchase #2 AWG battery cable and terminal connectors.