Update: Progress Report - Nov. 14

 Eric using patterns to build the walls for the shop

Another work trip in progress! Insulating of the the wood shop is now complete except for the overhead section where future welding repairs will need to be done. Building the walls is very tedious and slow as nothing is square (very common in boats) and everything needs a custom pattern for accurate measurements and fits. After the walls are fitted, they are removed and a coat of Kilz primer is painted on the backs. Once the primer is dry, they are screwed into place.

Eric:
"Finally cutting something besides R Board insulation! Fitting up the walls in the forward area. 1/2" Douglas Fir plywood. Being marine work nothing is square. You can't use a level and many "straight" edges are actually curved. Makes for slow going fits. That's why we generally have to build accurate patterns for each panel. Once a wall is fit it all comes off to be painted on the back side and edges before permanent installation. I only want to do this once for as long as we run her.
Install is with stainless screws on wood to wood. On the aluminum frames we drill, tap and install stainless machine screws coated with Teflon anti seize. The idea on a vessel is everything needs to be removable."

Most of the outside of the ship was scrubbed and cleaned while the weather was still warm and Mary continues to clean the forward stateroom in-between other projects. DJ is getting a much needed break for several weeks in the Caribbean helping a friend move their boat.

Each piece of insulation had to be custom cut and fit. Each section for the overhead had three layers and the walls had two.

 Building patterns for the walls

The cuts in the deck made by the firemen when they were first trying to put out the fire below decks. We have them covered with gorilla tape right now and will be getting welding equipment after the first of the year to do the repairs. 

Cuts in the overhead of the wood shop

DJ working in the engine room before he left for his trip

Cleaning the outside of the ship one section at a time.

*Starboard side (right)

 *Port side (left)

*Fore-deck

*Cockpit

The New name of the ship is 'Far Horizons' and will be registered out of Fl. Once we get to the ship yard sometime next year, we will put the new name and home port where the other name is now. 

Cleaning and organizing in the forward stateroom

Unloading the truck and trailer

 Eric at the crane with Penny supervising

Loading a very heavy air compressor. This will go in the engine room.

Update: Progress Report (October 25th)

Eric has just returned from a week on the boat where he and DJ were working up forward building the future shop. They accomplished a lot considering that all the aluminum had to be prepped and every piece of insulation and plywood flooring had to be cut to size. Some of the overhead and upper walls still have to be insulated and skinned but will have to wait until the welder repairs the cuts in the forward deck from where the firemen tried to get through. The plywood flooring will have many access points to storage areas underneath. 

At this point in the project, DJ is going to be taking a very needed three week break. He should be back sometime after Thanksgiving. During the Month of September he made a lot of progress on the electrical system and is now wiring systems up under the helm. He was also able to paint several areas as he worked along. One of these areas was under the bunk in the captains' quarters. He's putting in hundreds of hours on work that will be little seen but vital to the function of the ship!

 From This!!!

To This...

To This.... 

To This...

 To the current work shop progress...

What a beautiful transformation!!

DJ painting in the future shop!

Eric cutting plywood flooring for the wood shop!

The main salon is now temporary lumber yard and tool room! 

 More and more piles of pulled, old wire

Behind and under the fridge.

All cleaned up and newly wired.

 Pile of wire pulled from underneath the helm!

 Under the helm.

Newly cleaned and painted

 Ten feet of wire pulled from underneath the helm 

that was wired to the shifters.

Newly shortened shifter cables

 Newly wired shifter

Coat of kilz primer and paint under the bunk!

 

Update: Progress Report Sept. 26th

DJ is making excellent progress on the electrical system. 

The galley/salon and stateroom sub-panels. 

Currently live but nothing hooked up yet.

The old  32v ac transformer and battery charger. 

DJ has now completely removed the old 32v system.

 This is where the 32v DC system was in the engine room. 

The new bilge pump control panel will go here.

 This is where the 32v battery bank used to be.

 The old 32v battery bank removed from the boat

 and ready for recycling.

 Another pile of old wire, speakers and battery boxes. 

Eric posted this comment on Facebook about the old wiring and why it has been removed:
"Much was so old it had cracked insulation or heavily oxidized copper. Some was house grade not marine grade and not safe to use. Some was just very old, original stuff that had been disconnected and left years ago. On an aluminum boat you don't take chances with electricity.

Update: Progress Report Sept.14th

DJ has spent the month of August and the first two weeks of September pulling more old wire and creating new wire runs and wiring up the new panels in the helm and at the stairwell. He's also been moving water heaters around, inspecting future plumbing projects, removing equipment and getting it off the boat. 
And the most irksome task was a war with fire ants! There had been massive amounts of rain and they decided to invade the boat. He finally won the war but it took about a week or so of spraying. The pictures show dead ants piled up where they kept literally coming out of the wood work. Ugh!!

This was in the galley. DJ pulled the fridge out of the way for a few days so he could work.

Once He is through with this panel he will begin hooking up all the systems.

Beautiful Wiring job! 

 Eric built this panel box the day before we left at the end of our month long work trip in July.

 Everything pictured has now been moved off the boat 

and DJ gave the deck a good scrubbing.

 Fire Ants! Horrible things. 

So glad he got to them before they made it inside.

Progress Report: Update August 2

The stairwell is transformed! The small locker doors are varnished and will be installed at a later date. Everything has been coated with 2 layers of Kilz primer. We will not be painting this area until after the wood shop is built. We will be having to carry a lot of wood, supplies and tools through here and do not want to risk scraping the final paint job. 



Eric and Mary are now back in Florida and hope to return to the boat soon. DJ is remaining with the boat and will continue with the electrical system and other jobs. 

This was the entrance to the stairwell when we first began working on the boat in March. It was known as 'The Black Hole' and had a powerful smoke smell from the fire damage.

What a difference!

Under the bunk in the captains' cabin has been cleaned and is ready for Kilz primer. The walls still need to be cleaned and scraped, 'cubby' lockers built in, a bench seat added under the window and a few more modifications in the head. 

 The cleaning under the counter and the floor have been finished in the bathroom up forward. Ready for kilz and paint. The flooring is granite tile. The two photos below show the bathroom and head before we started working on the boat in March. Incredible difference!

 DJ's new electrical panel in the lower helm. 

All ready to begin wire connections.

2 A/C units that were in the engine room. They have been removed and sold for funds toward supplies.

DJ pulled the fridge away from the wall in the galley and pulled up more flooring to get to the wiring and plumbing. A lot of this will be removed and simplified. There is a lot of heavy copper tubing under the flooring that will be recycled and the funds used for supplies.