Future Brown Water Cruiser: 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit

[q240z]

I'm still working toward a resolution on the windshield frame. Since the fabricator clown damaged the paint on the cabin top and hardtop that has to be repaired anyway, I've decided to break open the paint even more and change the shape of the fiberglass to meet the aluminum frame he built. The problem with that approach is that summer has arrived and daytime temps near the top of the tent go way over 100F. But while I've been thinking that through, I've also be wailing away on getting ready to spray foam insulation, which includes installing African mahogany plywood panels overhead in the aft stateroom.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Cutting and Installing Overhead Mahogany Plywood

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

I got the V-berth ready for the spray foam insulation...this kinda progress I can live with.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Prepping the V-berth for Foam Insulation

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

It's been a while since I posted. First, the painter/fiberglass pro I've got helping me on the boat got sick and was in the hospital. Then my computer died, and it's taken a while to get that sorted out. And then...well...the pic below sort of tells the tale. That big white thing next to the world's largest hand grenade is Tent Model X. So I'm not splashing in 2015, but all's not lost. It's just another kick in the teeth in a long string of kicks in the teeth.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Not Splashing in 2015

crikey

Cheers,
Q

[zeehag]

ouch. but it'll buff right out.....
guess i wont ask if yer gettin anywhere with da Z.... you have plenty too much to tend to at roamer... hate it when that happens.
be well be safe and ...
and i wont ask how many beers it took before you could get out the chair ye was watchin the news in and change yer britches....

[q240z]

Thanks, ZH. The biggest problem now is that the owner of the company that was cleaning the gas tanks has gone silent for a week. Not a good sign with two men in the hospital, one uninsured boat destroyed, and mine damaged.

In other news, I got my spray foam insulation done a while back. Check it out!

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Spray Foam Insulation

Cheers,
Q

[zeehag]

ok Q can you clean the tanks??

i hate it when the plans do not come together...

[q240z]

Tell me about it...

That said, I got some plywood installed in the galley. I've been anxious to see how my insulation plan would work out. Turns out it's very time consuming. Hopefully, it will be worth it in the end.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: 1st Galley Plywood Install

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

Since the insulation worked out well on some ugly douglas fir marine ply, I decided to give a slightly modified approach to some pretty African mahogany ply for the aft stateroom.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Stateroom Wall Panel Install

Cheers,
Q

[Warby12]

Looking good Nice ti get some shiny interior up I bet!

[q240z]

Thanks, Warby! It is indeed nice to get shiny stuff done. But it's getting so hot in the tent, I'm shifting gears and heading toward the engine room.

Over the winter I posted about a gantry I designed that I intended to use to install the engines. Well, I finally got around to making that bad boy. Professional welders will want to avert their gaze from the amateur welds, but I think it turned out good 'nuff.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Gantry Time II!

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

I got that beast of a gantry onto the boat and set up. My amateur welds...are holding up perfectly! Nobody's dead yet!

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Cummins Engine Installation I

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

Getting the gear and prop shaft couplers to line up is proving to be a challenge. Having never done this sort of thing before, I'm finding that many of my assumptions were wrong. Also, I don't know if I've been distracted or if I'm just dumb, but things I haven't seen until late in the game are complicating things even further. That said, the gantry is slick as heck and I am making progress. Even on the hottest days we've had this summer, it's nice and cool in the engine room with just a fan running.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Cummins Engine Install — Spacers

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

I got the spacers for the vibration isolators pretty much worked out, but then I discovered another problem that's been staring me in the face forever: the rear-most bolts in the rear vibration isolators land pretty much right on top of one of the transverse frames. I must be freakin' blind. Either that, or terminally distracted.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Cummins Engine Install — Spacers II

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

Well, the DriveSavers showed up and solved the problem I had with vibration isolator bolt clearance. I also got the vibration isolator spacers done and installed, just requiring primer and paint.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Cummins Engine Install – DriveSavers & Spacers

Cheers,
Q

[neptunesjester]

You're right about the second engine going quicker. I took about 4 solid weekends and some re-engineering during the weeks to get my Starboard motor installed. As I learned what should have been done first, I made notes and bought double of all needed parts as I went.

I installed the Port motor in one weekend with notes and parts in hand.

Like yourself, I rigged a gantry for moving the beasts. I found a 2.5 ton chainfall indispensable for fine movements. I could pick up most the weight with the chainfall then move the motors by hand.


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