Boat Projects Galore

2/4/2014

This morning, we searched a number of stores for ISO 46 hydraulic fluid to top up the level for the stabilizers. We finally found it at the NAPA Auto Parts store. The only problem ... the only size they sell is 5 gallons for $80. We need something more like a quart!  After all our searching,  we came back empty-handed and ordered a bottle online for $15.

Since we hit a number of stores on our hunt, that took a big chunk of the day. Shortly after we returned to the boat, Jim from Third Degree came to visit, and Clark gave him the full boat tour including details of all our repairs that are needed. I ate my lunch in the salon while listening to them talk in the pilot house. After a while I began to wonder if Jim was enjoying the conversation, or if he was being held against his will.

After Jim left and Clark had eaten his late lunch, we started on our second big project of the day ... measuring the distance from the top of the mast to the guest state room,  which also serves as our den, via the path we would need to follow to run wires for a WiFi booster.

To do this Clark had to remove a number of access panels in several places, and I assisted by being the "go for" and by emptying a very full closet,  so Clark could remove sections of the walls inside to see where the wire would run. Along the route, Clark discovered a few more projects to add to his work list.

Since he had to climb up on the very top of the boat to reach the very highest point on the boat (the existing WiFi antenna), he decided to take a look at the weather vane up there to see why it stopped displaying wind direction and speed. When he took it down to look, he found the plastic cover broken and the connections inside corroded. Contact cleaner to the rescue!

He cleaned the contacts, and since it was difficult for him to climb down, he gave me the directions to perform the system test. The test passed successfully as I could see the displays on both the lower and upper helms.  After the test he disassembled it again so he can glue the broken pieces together that are allowing moisture to get to the contacts.

Then, to begin our original measurement project, he took down the existing WiFi antenna to have a look. Inside he found a connector, but when he pulled it out to examine the wires attached, no wires appeared! He doubts the existing WiFi antenna ever worked! How could it with the wires detached!?

Leaning over the radar dome, Clark  blindly groped around inside the antenna mount with needle-nosed pliers. He could feel the wire and latch on, but he could not pull any length out to examine it. He decided to leave the antenna off and put electrical tape over the resultant opening in the antenna mount for now.

That exercise took a chunk of time with little-to-no rewards except an answer to the WiFi mystery. Numerous tools had been fetched by me and had to be handed back down. By the time we were done, I wondered if Clark would remember to take his measurements before climbing down. Sure enough, he almost forgot but remembered just before he started to climb down!

After measuring the mast, we made our way through the upper helm, down to and then across the ceiling of the pilot house, through the lower helm into the guest stateroom closet, around the walls of the stateroom into the bilge access, and up to the desk. Phew! When we finally had all our measurements from around the boat, I had 19 numbers to add up to get the total length of wire needed. 76 feet.

During this exercise , when Clark climbed down into the bilge access area in the second stateroom, he found another issue to look into. He found water had sprayed up to the underside of the stateroom floor as everything was wet up there. The question then became ... do we have a leaky hot water heater like we thought or do we just have a rust stain from the hot water heater sitting in water from a leaky hose?

While I was writing my blog update, Clark diagnosed the root cause of the water in the bilge. The answer is in. The hot water heater is still an issue plus we found a new problem.

The clamp on a hose connected to the air conditioning unit was loose allowing the salt water flowing through a hose to spray out into the compartment. Clark suspects that the salt water from the hose rusted out the bottom of the hot water heater causing it to fail prematurely. Bottom line, we still need a new hot water heater.

After Clark tightened the clamp, we did a leak test on the hose repair. He left me watching  to see if water sprayed out when he turned on the air conditioner. I told him I'd start screaming if I saw water coming in. No spray! Another successful test!

Because salt water had obviously sprayed on everything in that hold, Clark took a hose and washed it all down with fresh water and then wiped out with a sponge what the bilge pump left behind. Temporarily, it looks good, but since the hot water heater still needs to be replaced, Clark says that the improvement in looks won't last.

As I conclude my blog entry for the day, Clark is gluing the broken cover on the weather vane. By the time he's done with it, I'm sure it won't break again! Now I am for bed. It's been a hard day's work for both of us!