Happiness is a Warm Spool Gun

[Andrew Troup]

Sounds great to me, Steve

(anyone who could think that notion crude simply doesn't get it, I reckon)

In the context of inshore sailing, and the drawer's situation at a compact location where it's easy to wedge yourself in, I can well understand that using both hands to defeat the latch would be fine, particularly if the contents are not the sorts of items you'd need access to in extreme conditions.

[Panope]

Here is the drawer catch/latch.

[Andrew Troup]

Steve, it seems to me you aren't so much refitting a boat as making floating gallery of practical nautical art, combined with a masterclass in just how well simple ideas can work.

I think the qualifier is that they need to be implemented with not just with creative artistry, but also with a deep understanding of potential practical fish-hooks.

I'm thinking particularly of the fish-hooks which unexpected factors, abundant at sea, tend to throw in the soup.

That is SUCH an impressive implementation: You can hang on to the substantial fiddle with the same hand which retracts the latch, so you still have the other hand free to open the drawer.

In rough conditions, even if the drawer does manage to jump up, the latch follows it up, but with retention force actually increased, and then follows/presses it back down (or in the direction which would normally be down) so that it stays firmly shut.

I'd be entirely happy with that offshore in horrible conditions. I'd venture to guess it's better than 90% of the usual solutions, and ergonomically much nicer.

[Panope]

A handle

[Panope]

Hand holds

These are fun to make. I could litter the whole interior with these things, but I have a launch date to meet. These will have to do for now.

Screws into handle are #14 X 3 1/2 inch.

Steve

[Panope]

There seems to be a problem with downloaded images. Here they are in a different format.

Steve

[Andrew Troup]

Steve

It might be a browser issue with the website - I recently have noticed images I just posted not displaying correctly on Firefox. When I switched browsers they became viewable.

I could see your handrails fine from the previous post using any browser - I wonder if the problem is specific to the poster, or the computer used to post, or the browser session which posted, somehow?

[Panope]

I am not sure what is going on Andrew. As of a day or two ago the vast majority (but not all) of DOWNLOADED images on this and every other thread do not appear. Only the words "rotate image" in place where the image would normally be located.

I noticed that Boatman61 mentioned that he was having the same issue.

The images that are not downloaded to the CF but are instead directed here from another site (like the last three I posted) work fine.

?????

Steve

[Panope]

Finally got around to trimming the table edge/fiddle. I was waiting to see if I would come up with a nicer piece of wood. This worked out fine.

It is done in two pieces. The first was easy - it bent around no problem and was glued all at once. The second half was a bit more trouble because on the first two attempts, the wood split while bending (dry, room temp). Also, I needed to overlap the final joint until the glue dried - then trimmed in place with a file and sandpaper. Twisted rope was instrumental in getting things snug without the use of mechanical fasteners (screws or nails).

The fiddle is only half an inch tall. Should be O.K. for my "find a flat anchorage by 5:00 p.m. every night" modus operandi.

Steve

[Tbrad]

Great job Steve! Thanks for posting. Any Idee on when she'll be on the water or is she already splashed. I'll be back out in Oak Harbor May 16. Would really like to see her.

[Panope]

Thanks, Tbrad

She still on the hard but will be launched May 1st give or take a day or two. I'll immediately head for hood canal for the sport shrimp season. I'll probably birth at pleasant harbor for the month of May and possibly June as well. After that she will be birthed in P.T. for the rest of the summer. I will likely be out pretending Panope is some old wooden thing during the boat festival (I'm sure no one will be fooled, but at least it will blend in with all the other gaffers).

You (and any other CF'er) are more than welcome to have a look when you are in the area.

Steve

[q240z]

Very nice! I like the fastener-free approach!

[Andrew Troup]

Man, that is SO beautiful !

(hey, Steve, you got me sounding like a seventies trippy hippy!)

It seems a shame to eat off it. (Maybe you should use plates, after all ;-)

Last lap or two, eh !

Are you in sprint mode yet, or does it still feel like a marathon?

[Panope]

Originally Posted by Andrew Troup

Last lap or two, eh !

Are you in sprint mode yet, or does it still feel like a marathon?

No sprint yet. I'll keep puttering along for another month before I hit the afterburner. Typically, I am only good for a month of the midnight oil stuff.

There will certainly be some loose ends to tie up after launching. In fact, I'm pretty sure I would suffer some sort of mental collapse if I ever totaly finished her.

Just this afternoon I was up in the forepeak conjuring up a plan to get the mast out of the V-birth so a proper double bunk can be built. It will be one hell of a project with some fun structural metalwork and a compete rebuild of the forepeak woodwork. I'll stew on that one for couple years before anything serious happens.

Steve

[Panope]

I have joined the dark side.

Well, not really. Panope will still be primarily an "ice box boat" but I will now have the ability to make my own ice during longer motor passages or when the sun is shining bright. We freeze most of the shrimp that we catch and now we wont have to scramble back to the house before they start to rot. The ice cream will also be appreciated.

I will also use the Fridge to transfer food from the house to the boat so everything starts out "pre-chilled" on a typical weekend getaway. The thing will see some use on our annual road trip to the in-laws (Alberta).

The unit lives up to the great reputation that follows Engel products. Nicely built. Not a power hog. Nice and quiet to.

Now for the ick factor. I can hear it now "Ewww gross, you put your fridge next to the shitter? Are you crazy? Perhaps.

I chose that location because it would no fit anywhere else, it stays cooler in the head than the rest of the boat (with door closed) and it also keeps weight forward (to counterbalance all the weight I added aft). Lastly, the small amount of audible noise that it generates is just about eliminated once the head's door is closed.

Pic #1 - Whale foot pump partially visible under fridge shelf. Adult foot reaches under no problem.

Steve