Repowering ORCA...David's progress report...

[Amgine]

Cool head points! I *know* I wouldn't have been thinking clearly enough to take photos.

Of course, I also know there's more to this story... are you sure you don't write kids novels on the side? ending every post on a cliff-hanger? :: Congratulations anyway!

[Spin_Drift]

Originally Posted by Amgine

Cool head points! I *know* I wouldn't have been thinking clearly enough to take photos.

Of course, I also know there's more to this story... are you sure you don't write kids novels on the side? ending every post on a cliff-hanger? :: Congratulations anyway!

Thanks...

Yes, there will be more to the story as soon as Kalevala has the time to sit down long enough to write.

I love those cliff-hangers, don't you?


I'd also like to let you know that when I was calling my Husband every two hours, I was calling from Finland... -the other side of the world... We work well together, even at a great distance...


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[Amgine]

It makes sure the readers come back for the next installment. Not that abandoning the thread was at all likely for me...

Finland, eh?

[jrd22]

Great post, beautiful boat. Thanks for sharing it with us, always fun to see how other peoples projects go. Seems pretty normal for the unexpected stuff to become the biggest part of the job, at least for me anyway. Loved the "team" effort on the bilge pumps. Will you be taking her to Alaska when completed?

John

[Spin_Drift]

Hi John.

The unexpected things made the days to be much longer and the time shorter.

We'll be Motoring/Sailing her to Alaska.

[Spin_Drift]

Originally Posted by Amgine

It makes sure the readers come back for the next installment. Not that abandoning the thread was at all likely for me...

Finland, eh?

Yeah, Finland for now. Soon back to USA. January the moving company will be here. Will fly to the East Coast and drive to the West Cost and then North to Alaska from there.

[jrd22]

If you are planning to go up the inside of Vancouver Island, stop by and say hi, we can give you a meal, shower, bed if you like. Blakely Island borders Rosario St. so not far out of the way.

[Spin_Drift]

Originally Posted by jrd22

If you are planning to go up the inside of Vancouver Island, stop by and say hi, we can give you a meal, shower, bed if you like. Blakely Island borders Rosario St. so not far out of the way.

Thank you very much John. That's a very nice offer.

Won't you PM your contact info to me so we can keep in touch.


-Spinner & Kalevala


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[jrd22]

Sent you a PM. John

[Kalevala]

Finally Saturday morning.

First order of business, off to West Marine for some 3/4” and 1” bilge pump hose, new check valves, proper reducers for the hose and a lot of hose clamps. I spent most of the day reconstructing the bilge pump system. Manufacturing a manifold to plumb all three bilge pumps and the 110v sump pump into. 1 ¼ “discharge hose all the way overboard.

I found that the drain holes through the bilge compartments were all plugged with crap! Wine corks, pieces of old wiring, tails from zip ties, etc... I all ready had lot of water in the bilge, so I might as well give it a good scrubbing. This little unexpected detour ate up a lot of time.


Saturday afternoon, visited with Ethan and Shane a bit while collecting parts. New muffler, anti-siphon valve, throttle controls, sea strainer, wet exhaust hose, raw water hose, instrument panel and wiring harness. I had my work cut out for me this afternoon/evening.

Started in on the raw water system. Installed the new sea strainer and routed all the hoses so that they would not chaff. Made sure to double clamp every thing below the water line. It's looking like only a slight modification will be needed on the engine cover to accommodate the raw water inlet hose to the pump.

Moving on to the muffler installation now. It was not as easy as one would think. I had to relocate the muffler to get the proper distance and drop from the riser. It had to be moved down at least 12” from the riser. I got 14” -and the muffler is almost sitting on the shaft.

Manufactured a new mounting bracket, screwed it in place and attached the muffler. The muffler had one advantage that I really liked. I could rotate the top half of the muffler and rotate the inlet and
outlet ports. This made the placement of the muffler a little bit easier, and also routing the exhaust inlet to the muffler, -and outlet hoses from the muffler to the overboard discharge easier.

After getting the muffler in its place and connected, I found a space to relocate the batteries to. All of this time the batteries had been located under the companionway ladder. So in the past, to have done anything behind the engine, one would have had to lay over top of the engine or over top of the batteries.

(Good thing I brought work clothes with me. I don't imagine they will look like much after they go through the wash.)

I built a shelf over the stern tube, leaving enough space to adjust the packing gland. Installed acid proof battery boxes and their tie downs.

I had my head stuck in this compartment for so long that I lost the track of time. When I emerged I found it to be 1:30 am. I was hungry so I went to the 7-11 for another beef and bean burrito. I was too tired to do all the shuffling of the engine compartment pieces when I returned. I just grabbed my sleeping bag and pillow. The cabin sole looked as good a spot as any....


The sea strainer and raw water intake




Muffler



New battery shelf and tie downs



Batteries before moving them to their new shelf



.

[Spin_Drift]

Originally Posted by jrd22

Sent you a PM. John

Got it...

[psteele235]

Wonderful story and pictures as to how to restore order from confusion Wish I was half as handy as you....(sighs).

[Kalevala]

Originally Posted by psteele235

Wonderful story and pictures as to how to restore order from confusion Wish I was half as handy as you....(sighs).

Thanks.

[Kalevala]

Working on the seams. Only one leaking seam, but we reefed out anything that looked questionable. Don't really want a repeat of Friday night.


























To be continued.


.

[Spin_Drift]

Originally Posted by JD

Spinner Here's how she looked as of 12/22/08. Floating high and plenty of good chafing gear on all dock lines.

JD