Finishing the ensuite glass in

February 25, 2011July 15, 2014

With only the one weekend this month there is not a lot to show for it. I drilled the through hull for the ensuite holding tank evacuation. Now that is a tough psychological hurdle. I dont know if other boat builders feel it, but I find it really tough to drill or cut holes in the hull. You go to all that trouble to make them water tight only to have to cut holes through. I felt it when I glassed the daggercases and I felt it again here. Oh well only about 6 more to go!

I had a bit of luck with the ensuite evacuation through hull. I have a position inside the boat where I wanted the pipes to exit the boat, because they do so through a stop cock so that the tanks can be closed for zero discharge areas (to remind everyone, I have pump up to holding tanks from the toilets or sumps and gravity out via underwater through hulls) and the stop cock is inside the ensuite vanity unit. And its tight in there, so the through hull hole was drilled exactly where it fitted to the 90 degree bend that comes out of the end of the stop cock, which sits tightly in its place in the vanity. When I went outside the boat to push the bronze through hull into the hole for dry fit I realized just how luck I had been. The through hull just sits above a chine line. Now if I had of got to close to or right on the chine line I would have had to build out a fairing block so that I maintained a flat surface for the through hull to bed onto and try to get it as hydrodynamic as possible so as not to disturb the underwater flow over the hulls too much, causing drag. As it was I am clear by 25mm but that was dumb luck, I had not even checked.

I am unsure if you can get electrolysis from dissimilar metals of the copper coat and bronze through hull so I cleared a section away for the sika to bed to. Once sikaflexed in I will repaint the copper epoxy, the sika should be barrier enough provided I do not go over the sika to ground back to the copper. There is copper in bronze and I think they are similar enough that electrolysis wont occur but it pays to take such precautions. I was tempted to use plastic but in the end I could not go past the strength of bronze.

As you can see there was not much room inside the vanity to move the through hull so it worked out well in the end. I will reverse the 2 hoses so that the black water has the straight run and grey the bend into the T join before the tap. Solids should pass as close to unimpeded as possible and if I ever have to dive into the water with a pipe brush it is unlikely to be the grey water that is blocking it. Having said that, it is possible that soapy water will create a build up of some sort (lime scale?) and every now and then I may need to flush a calcium compound through to clear it. I think I have that right. Will have to research it, but I know it does get build up of something and there is something that clears it. Draino? Anyway all the plumbing is set up.

The front to the curved vanity cupboard that hides that spaghetti junction is in place and glassed in. All that has to be done is for the top to be glued down. But there is yet still plumbing to go into that cabinet before I do that. I still have to plumb the hot and cold water in. But with the top and door on, its all very neat and functional. Tap easy to get to, and easy to show to inspectors should I ever get asked.

Not a great month for progress but some of the loose ends are starting to be tied off. Only a very few to go and a few cabinets to be made and fitted and that will be it for internal fitout and I move on to mechanicals for steering and outboards so that the rear steps can finally go in. But that is a couple of months off yet.