Too many projects.....

[Shawn]

Too many projects and too much feature creep this year.

I started off with the aim of simply replacing my nasty water tank and all hoses. This led to a huge amount of feature creep...

Since my hand pump faucet is basically shot (leaks and takes forever to prime) I decided to pressurize the system with a ShurFlo pump.

This, of course, meant I needed to expand my electrical panel to be able to put the pump on its own circuit. Bought a small switch panel to add on next to existing panel under the companionway. Panel didn't fit. Cut panel down to fit and rewired it with different switches.

Went to replace the old hand pump faucet with the folding tap I bought. Since the old tap was in a lowered well the new folding tap couldn't fit in that and fold down to clear. I would need to build a new sliding panel for the new tap. As such I decided to try zimco's galley mod of combining a single burner stove with the sink. This turned out to be pretty easy to do as I just needed to cut a new counter top and I re-used all the sliding/mounting hardware from my old setup.



I think this turned out well, the main downside is the stove bottom blocks the rear storage hatch from opening all the way. Opens enough to get in but I may replace this with pull apart hinges at some point in the future. The sink has considerably more usable room then the round one that was replaced. I also added a hose bib above the battery on the bulkhead for cockpit showers or washdowns. Haven't pressure test this yet but I'm liking it so far. I removed the dual burner stove from the other side which gives considerably more storage room on that side as well as more foot room height when sleeping.

Next up... adding V berth reading lights. A fairly simple mod but it took time to keep the wiring hidden. I added LED reading lights to each side of the V berth.



For the port side I had to take the base apart and flip it so the switch pointed out away from the teak trim panel.

After that I put a larger hawsepipe on the bow. I used a rotozip to enlarge the existing hole from the tiny original to a new one that is about 4x2 oval. Now the thimble on my 1/2" rode fits in and it is much easier to feed the rode back into the locker.

Shawn

[Shawn]

Continued from above....

The aim of these changes has been to extend the comfort and usability of the boat to hopefully get the family going on longer 'adventures.'

This is the biggie which I hope will extend the sleep over season on both ends.

After spending months thinking and planing it was time to commit to this project. Since the gooseneck and hawsepipe holes went so well I decided to go for it.

First, after measuring dozens of times and sweating bullets I cut a *big* hole....



5" holesaw, run backwards. Scared, very scared... but it went perfectly. I taped a bag under the location of the hole to catch most of the dust and mess.

Then we sand the non-skip away, drill mounting holes and countersink them.



While doing this I hear my neighbor wishing this fudging day would end, apparently nothing had gone well for him that day. I smile as I have been there but so far today everything has been going well and I'm in the home stretch.

Pride comes before the fall.

I put the butyl tape on an 8" canted teak winch pad that I have drilled a 5" hole through and locate it over the hole on deck. From below I am drilling the pilot holes up into the teak. As I am screwing the second screw into the teak I hear a pop... that can't be good. Didn't drill the pilot hole large enough and I split the pad.

Sailors language fills the air.

On the plus side that butyl tape is great, pull the busted pad up and consider my options. I end up cutting a piece of plexi and pushing it into the butyl to cover the hole until I receive another teak winch pad. From below this looks like a skylight, and would actually be a really nice mod.

Several days pass and the new, new pad arrives. I have to drill a 5" hole through the pad (again). This time I drill the pilot holes of the proper size and I have no problems mounting the Charlie Noble to the pad or the pad to the boat.



Yes, it tilts but not quite as bad as that picture looks. The pad is angled to help compensate for the curve of the deck but it isn't enough.

Now that I have the Charlie Noble in place it lets me work out the final details of the inside mounting. This actually comes together quite well.



I positioned the heat shield and drilled the mounting holes for it and hung it. Then I estimated where I would position the stove on the shield. From that location I cut down the 3' long 3" diameter flue (from the bottom, not the side with the crimp on it) to fit that position. Put the flue and stove together and got them into position using several throwable PFDs to hold it in place while I marked the holes positions on the shield. Removed the shield and drilled the holes. Then I positioned the stove on the shield and bolted it in from the back side of the shield. The bolts to hold the shield in place come in from behind as well. This let me push the shield/stove/flue up into place and then just push the bolts into place to hold it all while I got a nut on.





That porthole still opens and latches up. I pushed this as far forward as possible to keep that port usable.

Now that everything is installed on that I had to try it. It was a cold damp rainy day today.

One piece of firestarter and about 8 briquettes....



Viewing window open, air damper open...



Viewing window closed, air damper open...



In about 20 minutes the cockpit went from a damp 60 degrees to a dry cozy 80 degrees up near the ceiling.

I was very back and forth on this project but after that I am already loving it. The flue is very hot when running, the outer body of the stove can still be touched. The door gets hot as do the top and bottom. The Charlie Noble itself gets hot but down where it is bolted into the teak it was only warm to the touch.

The stove does make you loose a little sitting room. Two can still sit on that side though, you do loose that one bulkhead as a backrest for reading which is its biggest negative IMO. It also reduces the length of that berth for sleeping. If it is not running my 3 year old will fit fine on that side. When it is running he will likely be on an inflatable camping pad on the cabin sole.

Shawn

[Shawn]

Next up is cleaning and treating the teak, cleaning and waxing the hull and painting the bottom. I also want to swap out the bunk board mounts as they are pretty rusty.

Hopefully after that I will be about ready to launch.....

Shawn (Who should have started these projects earlier.....)

[capt_nemo]

Shawn,

As one who enjoys designing and executing projects that make boats more efficient, comfortable, or safer to sail, I fully appreciate all the thought and work involved in accomplishing your improvements. Very nicely done indeed!

I'm sure they will bring you many hours of comfort and pleasure in their use.

capt_nemo

[mrb]

Shawn

Nice job, many cozy evenings and mornings to come.   Do you have a plug so you can put charlie to bed for summer or is he going to stay in place.  I have an Aunt and Uncle who use one of those stoves on their boat for their summer cruises from Washington to Alaska.  They stop and gather small pieces of wood from shore when needed, gives a good excuse for some exploring on land.
Again Nice work
mrb

[Shawn]

Thanks guys, I'm really looking forward to trying this on the water.

Of course it is raining again today so I can't work on the bottom. Gives me time to make a swing out GPS/Windmeter though and run the wiring for the meter inside the boat.

The Charlie Noble will most likely stay in place. I bought the stove/flue/deck pass-through and Charlie Noble used and the prior owner used some kind of sealant between the Charlie Noble and the deck pass-through. I don't think it will come off without a fight.

If I wanted to I can pull the stove out during the summer. That would just be the four bolts that hold the shield in place then pull down to disconnect the flue from the pass-through. Probably won't bother though as I'm sure if I do that the next night on the water the temps would plummet.

Shawn

[brackish]

Great projects Shawn.  Think you will like the pressure water.  It made a big difference on a recent cruise.  I copied someone else and put a tee in the line, added a hose bib accessible from the starboard cockpit hatch and have a washdown/shower hose.  Had to go through all the steps though, including a new dedicated breaker/switch.

Of course with regard to the heater, I plan to move to an area where it would never be necessary.

[Shawn]

My sink has been non-functional since I bought the boat so I expect to really like this setup. Regarding the hose bib I copied you from the pictures you posted awhile back. I have an older Zodi stainless steel hot tap camp shower which I might try running from that hose bib, kids would probably enjoy it.

Moving south would be another way of dealing with the cold weather.

Shawn

[capt_nemo]

Shawn,

Since you can't plug the Charlie Noble...

If, for some reason, you want to close off the Charlie Noble stack in Summer, 12 Volt AC perhaps, a nice snug fitting canvas cover matching the other boat canvas would be my solution. Not only would it seal the opening and look neat, it might serve as a conversation starter for those unfamiliar with stove stacks. Just some thoughts...

capt_nemo

[Shawn]

I was thinking the same thing. I can probably find a winch cover that will be pretty close to the proper size. I've bought a few canvas products from a lady on ebay, I bet she could make a custom fitted cover easily. I will check in with her and see.

Thanks,

Shawn

[Bob23]

Shawn:
  As a self-professed gadgeteer, I can fully appreciate what you've done with your 23. I've been looking for an excuse to put a Navigator woodstove in mine but we really don't get the lower temps that you do. Plus, I've already got enough to do. The pressurized water was sorta on the list but never made to the real list. I would like to replace the bladder with a plastic tank for fresh water washdown and cockpit showers. Drinkable water comes on board via blue 5 gallon jugs from Wallyworld.
   Great jobs and great photos, too. Have a great sailing season!
Bob23

[skip1930]

Boy I sure like that heater project. . Your going to cook yourself out on a cold winter's night.
I saw those in a booth at the All Sail Boat Show in Navy Pier, Chicago a few years ago. Nice!

Is that stack insulated? Or will one burn themselves if they touch it?

skip.

[Shawn]

Bob,

Those Navigator stoves are really nice looking. They would seriously heat up a 23, I think they have 2 or 3 times the heat output. Might be tough to get the proper clearances without adding a bunch of extra insulation (including the ceiling).

Shawn

[Shawn]

Skip,

Thanks. The stack is single wall, and it gets hot. Dickinson makes a heat shield that will fit over the stack to help protect against burns. I will probably add that in the future or work something else out for less money. I'm also going to add a cast iron damper in the flue, that will hold more heat in the stove.

I need to add a little more metal to extend the heat shield up over the trim piece behind the flue as it gets a little warmer then I'd like. Other then that the cutout in the bulkhead worked out great to give more clearance for the stack and it helps radiate more heat forward.

I've been out working on the boat the last couple of nights. Temps have been dropping down into the 50s and having the stove burning while I'm in the boat has been great.

Shawn

[zimco]

SHAWN,
GREAT JOB ON THOSE PROJECTS.  I HAVE BEEN HAPPY WITH THE COMBINED SINK/STOVE COUNTER SLIDE OUT ALSO. 

THOUGHT ABOUT A HEATER FOR MY BOAT, BUT COULD NOT DECIDE ON A SPOT FOR IT.  YOUR INSTALL OF THE DICKINSON
SOLID FUEL HEATER LOOKS NICE AND DOES NOT SEEM TO BE IN THE WAY. 

GOOD JOB.

zimco