Engine Installation on the Far Reach

[John Stone]

Thanks Jean. So far so good. I epoxied the platform to the hull two days ago. Have not made it back.

Working on the single step that will be attached to the front engine cover. Glued up some teak remnants from two of the steps I cut from the old companionway ladder. I’ll start with 7.25” deep. Built a template for the gussets that are necessary to support the step. I’ll test fit the templates tomorrow and see how it works.

Spent a little time this afternoon performing some minor maintenance on my Veritas bullnose and Stanley low angle block planes. Nothing exciting but important to their performance. The Veritas are nice mid range tools. I‘d love a nice Veritas low angle block plane but it’s too expensive. And truth be told, the inexpensive Stanley has performed yeoman’s service for more than 10 years. I have tuned it up a fair amount since I bought it but it could use some more tuning. Still, it’s been very reliable. I also have a Stanley smoothing plane that works well and of course a Veritas spoke shave. I have a no name drawknife that is amazing...I used it on the bowsprit and sculling and dinghy oars. The old timers must have been a joy to watch work with hand tools.

[John Stone]

Working several small projects at the same time.
1. Refining the battery plan. The current plan looks like all three batteries (two T105s and a starting battery) positioned under the Q berth in the two aft compartments. Starting battery where the old AGM was located and the two T 105s in the middle compartment about where the vise is located in the photo below. I’ll lose about 40 percent of the middle compartment and none in the aft compartment. Of the options I could come up with this location positions the batteries in the coolest temperature and closest to the engine. It allows reasonable access for watering. Not as low down as I would liked but a lot lower than the outboard in the up position on the port quarter.

2. Removed epoxy and biaxial from the center section of ‘thwartship bulkhead that I had to cut out to get access for the removable engine drip pan. This panel reinstalls in its original location but now it will be quickly removable. I used a heat gun, putty knife, and pull scraper and it was removed in a couple minutes.

3. I added a cove bead strip on the top of the engine front face cover. The bead provides a nice visual break between the vertical V grooves of the staving and the horizontal drawer front above it. Very simple to make but as a more elegant finish. Same method I used around the raised panel cabinet doors. Taught to me by Larry Pardey.

4. Tomorrow I will cut down the teak step after test fitting revealed 7.25” is too wide. Six inches will be about right. Maybe even 5.75”. I’ll also build the two support gussets and test fit the whole thing. Then sand and varnish.

[John Stone]

A little work today on the single step that will be fixed to the front engine box cover. I’ll test fit tomorrow to confirm the location of the step. Then I’ll secure with glue and screw. Then, sand and start varnishing. The teak step will be left bare. The step will have to be offset to port just a bit so it won’t be in perfect alignment with the other steps. This is necessary to maintain the ergonomics of the watch seat immediately to starboard of the companionway ladder.

The watch seat is a wonderful place to sit and read when sailing offshore especially went you want to be right at the companionway. There is a little bit of a compromise required to maintain the ergonomics of the seat yet still have the step positioned so that it looks and feels naturally positioned.

Tomorrow I’ll also build a template for the bottom step that will be hinged to allow access to the engine seacock and allow removal of the engine drip pan.

[John Stone]

Working on the walnut cabin sole under the cockpit behind the engine. I have to modify it some to accommodate the waterlock muffler.

Glued and screwed the step support gussets on the engine front panel tonight. Start varnishing tomorrow.

Still musing on the battery plan. Fred’s single battery bank recommendation threw a wrench in my plans....

[Steve Laume]

What supports the door when you use the step? it seems to be hinged and unless the bottom of the door is supported that might not be enough. Some little plastic ramps on the bottom would work. Boat building and design is not easy, Steve.

[John Stone]

What supports the door when you use the step? it seems to be hinged and unless the bottom of the door is supported that might not be enough. Some little plastic ramps on the bottom would work. Boat building and design is not easy, Steve.

Steve, it’s not hinged. Way back in the early phase of the design that was the plan. But there wasn’t a reasonable way I could come up with to make it work so that it would be strong enough to stand on while sailing offshore yet still open smoothly. Because it incorporates a step (I spend a lot of time standing on it with my arms on top of the cabin top while sailing) hinges that look like they belong there are not strong enough. The panel is heavy. It’s about 18”x 26” dimensionally, 1/2” ply with 3/8” thick mahogany staving, backed by two full length 1”x1” ash cleats, and teak supports and step on the front. The bottom of the panel has to rest on a support. So being able to swing open was not practicable. The support the panel rests on is about 2.5” thick black walnut. There is a small sacrificial walnut strip on the bottom of the panel to protect the bottom edge.

After I gave up on the hinge idea, I thought I might be able to install it with two bronze pins in the bottom edge and two sliding bolts on the top outside corners. But, in reality I think it will take four sliding bronze bolts, one in each corner to properly secure it. The sliding bolts will be largely covered by bare teak trim.

You’re certainly correct that boat cabinetry has its own unique challenges.

[John Stone]

Today I cut 5/16” off the bottom of the panel and installed a same thickness walnut rub strip. The removable rub strip will sit on top of the walnut ‘thwartship beam. When the panel is removed and stood up on the cabin sole leaning against walnut bulkhead trim it will be bare wood against bare wood. So the varnished mahogany edge grain of the staving will be protected. I test fit the panel today. I am pleased with the results so far. Tonight, I lay on the first coat of varnish cut 50 percent.

You can see the step is offset a small amount. It does not interfere with the usability of the watch seat at all. I centered it in the panel. Even though it’s not aligned with the top step it appears balanced. Your eye is not drawn to it. It is a small but important detail that helps the interior feel natural and pleasing to the eye.

Tomorrow I’ll start work on the bottom hinged step also made of bare walnut.

[John Stone]

Reinforced the half of the walnut sole that sits behind the engine on port side and cut 7.3” diameter hole that fits around the waterlock muffler. Cut a full length spline and glued up two pieces of walnut for the step at fits at bottom of the companionway ladder. Applied fifth coat of varnish the engine box front panel.

[Steve Laume]

Good plan for the door attachment. I saw the mortise and green tape and assumed it was going to be hinged. I should have known you would have come up with a better solution, Steve.

[John Stone]

Thanks. Let’s see how it turns out.

I used some scrap 1/4” silicon bronze to make two latches for the removable center section below what will be the bottom step. It’s the section I cut out last year to gain access to stowage below the engine and to access the removable drip tray. I could have used ipe or even 1/4” G10 for the tabs. But I had the small pieces of bronze in a little off-box just for bronze. Cut them down with a jig saw then used grinder and files to smooth them out. Let’s try it out. See how it works.

I applied the last coat of varnish to the engine front panel. Getting close to wrapping up the cabinetry mods for the engine box.

Keep moving forward.

[John Stone]

Continued progress. Shaped bottom step. Installed butt hinges. Installed rubber 3M gasket on front engine panel. Installed four brass sliding bolts. Fabricated and installed teak trim over sliding bolts.

Test fit all tomorrow. Pleasant work. Our little work shop is heated. Long play list. Coffee. There is chaos out there in the world right now. Short of sailing 1000 miles offshore, this is as close as i can get to my little happy space.

[John Stone]

More photos.

[Keith]

Beautiful work as alway John. I wish I had a shop like yours so I could try to approach your level. My level with hand tools is functional yours is beautifully functional.

Keith

[John Stone]

Beautiful work as alway John. I wish I had a shop like yours so I could try to approach your level. My level with hand tools is functional yours is beautifully functional.

Keith

Thanks Keith. It’s not much a shop really but at least it’s a dedicated space. I’m grateful to have it.

[John Stone]

Nice day at the boat Saturday. All the parts went to getter well. I drilled the holes for the 5/16” sliding bolts. The boat yard chandlery had 11/32 bits so a 32nd over 5/16”. It’s a good snug fit. You can feel the gasket compression.

Secured the teak step with four FH slotted bronze wood screws so I can easily remove it.

Hinged bottom step works perfectly. very secure.

The ergonomics of the steps and watch seat all feel very good. What a pleasure to be able to step up out of the boat comfortably again vice having to climb up like a construction worker for the last 14 months.

Still some small trim needs final fishing like securing the trim on the outside of the bottom step—they are just sitting in there. Need to varnish the bottom step support gussets.

I’m pleased. Next project is to install water lock muffler then it’s on to prop shaft installation and engine alignment.