PNW - Skookum 53 Re-Fit

[captain58sailin]

Hey Bill, All of my discharge ports are going overboard above my fuel tanks right under my deck so I do not anticipate any problems with that. There is a manifold in the bottom of the bilge that has hoses running to all of my compartments and it is set up for running off of my 2" jabsco, I also have a rule 2000 in my lower bilge section and I have ordered a Johnson 4000 for the upper section so I don't think I'll have any problem with dewatering, of course I hope that I don't need any of it. I have just finished draining the hydraulic system, got about 30 USG of dirty (filthy) fluid out of the reservoir, I am going to cry when I go to replace that. I have a question regarding this transformer, do you recognize it? The plate on it appears to list the cycles as 50, which seems strange to me. The damn thing weighs 130 lbs. It is active, at least it hums, when I have the 110 hooked up to shore power. Of course if I don't need it I would like to remove it. There used to be an old school desalination unit in the same corner, but I don't think one had anything to do with the other. Anyway if you have any idea of what that transformer's purpose in life is, I would very much like to hear about it.

[billr]

Brad, is your 2" Jabsco electric or run by the engine? In regards to the 50 Hz transformer, I could not read the label, but am not surprised by it being very heavy. No doubt it is an isolation transformer compatible with the European 50 HZ power systems. I guy I do a lot of engineering work with wrote a book on transformer design, so I asked him about it. As you drop in frequency from 60 hz to 50 hz, you need either more steel or more expensive ferromagnetic properties in the core laminations to get the magnetic flux density you need to transfer the power from the primary winding to the secondary winding. So, in general it costs more to build a transformer for 50 Hz than it does for 60 Hz. Because of other factors, your 50 Hz transformer may run a bit warmer than a 60 Hz transformer. Other than that, definitely keep it. An isolation transformer is on my list to get for Skookum John. It is by far the best solution to avoiding many grounding and galvanic corrosion problems caused by problems at the marina.
Bill

[captain58sailin]

Hey Bill, the 2 rules are electric, in addition I have a manifold that runs to all compartments and is plumbed for the 2" jabsco attached to and run by the engine via magnetic clutch and belts. I am going to replace one of the 2000 gph rules with a 4000 gph Johnson and a new type of float switch. All of the overboard discharges are exiting the vessel above the top of the fuel tanks and just below the rub rails, I am going to have to test them now that you have brought the possibility of water coming back in to my attention, one of the rule pump discharge lines had a ball valve installed and that might have been what that was for, I might look at installing a check valve. Thank you for the info regarding the transformer, I was thinking of getting a galvanic isolator for the vessel, and I am bonding the fittings. I wonder why they used a 50 hertz unit? As far as I know this vessel never came in contact with Europe or Africa. Well anyway it is good to know and I will keep it dry and love it well.

[captain58sailin]

Hey Bill, just checking in, spent the last 2 months in the engine room. Finally got the engine hanging in the compartment, waiting on parts and the mechanic to finish the install. Glassman is working on finishing up the troll pit, and if everything goes well, should be setting off come mid-July. Electrician says he has 3 days of hard work to get me straightened out there, after that all that's left is refrigeration, oh and going out to catch a load of fish to pay for all this fun. I hope you are doing okay. I'll post some photos later when I get time to edit.

[billr]

Hi Brad, I'm getting ready to head for the boatyard next week. I'm going to laminate some 1/16" G10 to make some curved baffle plates in the 2 tanks I worked n last summer. Also will pull off the heat exchanger on the Gardiner diesel and rod it out. My wife will be on "deck patrol" again to take care of the exterior problems. Last year we tried a moderate fix on a staunchen base on the the cap rail. The original installation was messed up with 2 intersecting screws that caused rot in the iron wood. The first fix did not work, so it will be a bigger project. I also need to do some work on the steering pump in the fishing cockpit. It needs a rebuild but the plumbing connections are really frozen up. Its one of those things that requires a lot of patience if you don't want to mess things up.
Bill

[captain58sailin]

Patience is my middle name, I wanted to be fishing a month ago. Good news, new engine install is complete, engine bolted down and coupled to the prop shaft, now I'm going to hook up fuel and batteries today, troll pit is done. So things are coming together, not as fast as I would like, but I guess that goes with the territory. Good luck on your projects, I haven't even looked at the plumbing yet.

[billr]

Hi Brad,
Finally at boatyard. We took a diversion to go on a commercial sailing trip on a130' wood schooner to Desolation Sound in BC. It was a step-back in time, so to speak. 7000 square feet of sail, gaff-rigged, and not a single winch on the running rigging. The mainsail and gaff weighed 1500 pounds. With a few blocks on the halyard, they used used 2 lines of passengers and crew to raise the sails. At one point with full main, foresail, stay sail, and jib they got surprised by a blast of wind coming down East Sound on Orcas Island. No chance to reduce sail, so that boat was really charging along. Pretty invigorating; glad it wasn't my rig.
I only have 4 weeks here, so part of my time will be trying to organize my remaining projects so that I can kit them up back in Tucson.
I noticed that Rick, the guy who worked for Skookum for about 10 years, is doing some glassing here in the boatyard. I'll have to chat with him some more about Skookum 53's.
Bill

[captain58sailin]

Sounds like a fun adventure. We still haven't left yet, working on wiring and hydraulics now, got the troll pit roof bolted up. Things are coming together, I still don't know where I am going to put the jigging machines.

[captain58sailin]

Hey Bill, just a quick update, on 9/2 we fired the new to the boat main engine up and she went zoom, just like she was supposed to Sweet! Just finished up plumbing in the 2" Jabsco, that was a nightmare and a half, but she looks good and neat, come Monday will be running the wires for the electric clutches on the hydraulics and the jabsco, I'm going to run her at the dock in gear for a couple of hours on Monday, then sea trials with the mechanic either Tuesday or Wednesday, after the finishing touches on some of the electrical installations, off we go to sea! I am really getting stoked about going back out to sea. I hope things are going well for you and I hope you are not having to fight too many gremilns.

[billr]

Hi Brad, all,
Am back at boatyard for this summer, kind of shot-gunning all things that need to get done (a lot).
We just had one of the prism deck lights start to leak with the glass cracked. These are 7.5" x 3", maybe made by ABI,which went out of business. Davy & company makes larger ones, but not the size I need. So, I will get some automotive windshield cement and put it in the cracked glass using a vacuum pump.
Wife and I played tourist on a kayaking boat for a week out of Port McNeil on Vancouver Island. The 58' wood boat (ex- BC "mission boat" called Columbia III) had a Gardner L?3 (not sure of whole designation), but big! Its 8 cylinder, about 250 hp, and was about twice as big as my 6LXB, which is 127 Hp and weighs about 3000 lb with the twin disk. Columbia III cruises at hull speed at 740 rpm. Most impressive. By comparison, Skookum John cruises at hull speed (about 7 knots) at 1000 rpm.

More later,
Bill

[SF Bay Dude]

How are things going with the rebuild Bill? Hopefully the new engine is treating you nicely

I can't wait to get back down to my Skookum 47 around January. She's down in Mexico. Going to pull the mast and re-rig the standing rig. It's original from 1992. Even though it doesn't have much mileage on it, it's time. Will be nice to check things out on the ground and give in an in-depth once over. Of course the list is long, but hopefully I can splash in June 2017 and get her back up to SF.

Anyway, always good to keep in touch with another Skookum owner.

Be well!

[captain58sailin]

Just a quick update, spent the summer running around the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula, and the northern end of Discoverer Isl. in search of cod and rockfish, turned out to be a bust, headed south in mid-August, got to Sitka, spent a few days and then started south again. Arrived in Astoria 10 days later, trolling for Albacore along the way started catching 3 days out of Sitka and caught a couple of fish every day around sun set. Fished on down to Newport, OR, met some great people. Just hauled the boat out in Port Angeles before the big blow came. All the systems we rebuilt worked without a hitch other than the wiring for the float switches in the main engine bilge. It taught my mate a lesson about making sure your wiring is solid, he had to redo it. Back in Homer for the rest of the winter, will try to post some photos.

[Gordan]

Bill, can you get me a picture of just the isolation transformer? I have one in my Skookum 53 and had to reconnect the cores for 120V in and out application. The label should show me what the transformer configure is. I like transformers over isolators. They are best way to completely isolate your shore power. I have schematic showing how my system is set up with two generators, one inverter/converter, isolation transformer and three battery banks. I am in Brinnon WA so not to far from you.

[Curtis L Dean]

Hello,
My name is Curtis and I am looking at a Skookum 53, currently it is lying in Ilwaco Wash.
It is in need of some deck work and I am wondering if the plywood deck runs under the house walls or do the decks terminate at the house walls?
Any information would help.
Thank you all in advance.
CLD

[dsiddens]

Curtis,
We re-decked our 47' Skookum. The construction of our boat had two laterals (probably old growth doug fir) orientated at 90* to each other, encased in glass and bonded to the top of the hull. This created a ledge upon which laminated athwart beams are bronze carriage bolted. Then the first layer of deck (marine 1/2" ply with formica epoxied to the inner cabin side) is screwed every 6". Then two layers of 1708 glass and epoxy. Then another layer of 1/2 ply, this time consisting of 8"X8" "tiles" set into the wet layers of 1708. The as described deck came flush to the hull glass. This was then wrapped around the edge from hull to deck with with glass and epoxy. Then the weather surface of the deck was completed with 1/4" 1708 and epoxy.


Hope this helps. If you need more, just pm me. Doug