Winter Improvement Projects

I know some of you guys are tucking your boats away for the winter and planning your winter improvement projects.

I'm starting to think about my plans, like upgrading one alternator to a Balmar 120A with smart regulator and installing a hot battery buss with proper fusing. But I don't want to take the boat out of service just as the fishing season arrives, so the big jobs will have to wait until the spring.

Do you have plans for winter improvements?

Putting it away for the winter? Bite your tongue. No here in PNW we won't be putting her away, Don't even have to winterize. They just announced a winter Dungeness crab fishery that goes on till Dec 31st, So I won't even be taking the crab pots home this year.

After praying for rain the last 81 days, now I'm just waiting for the rain to stop. Raining steady for the last three days and 30-40 mph winds tonight. As I write this my DirecTV dish is locking up, it's raining that hard!! I guess, we're making up for all the rain we missed this summer.

Actually my winter project is replacing all my flybridge canvas. My old stuff is eleven years old and shot. I paid around $2500 for it eleven years ago, I'll bet it's going to be $6000 this time.

Larry B.

While we will continue to use the boat through the winter the main projects will be to lube and adjust some of the seacocks, remove the next set of exterior teak grabrails to strip and refinish at home, put a rebuild kit in one of the toilets, and investigate replacing the knotmeter/ depth finder/log/timer system.

Last year I replaced the fwd cabin roof.

This winter I get to knock holes in it.

2 hatces , 4 opening ports , 2 Dorades , a water deck irion and a solar vent.

Need a sale on Dolphinite!

I think we have a few things planned.

One is to refresh the head. The walls are yellow and the whole things just looks old. We are hoping to pull off all the Formica and add a new counter top.

I want to re-do the upper helm and bring the engine gauges up there do I can monitor oil pressure and water temp.

Flush the heat exchanger.

Add an autopilot.

That's about it.

Tom-

I am also going to do the Balmaralternator and smart regulator. We just got a quote for a new enclosure, not sure if we'll pull the trigger this year or not.
Other projects are just fixing what broke this summer.

Alfton said:

New galley including stove, refrigerator, solid surface countertops. that should get me through the winter

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What kind of stove and refrigerator are you going to install?

Marin,
Funny you shoud ask:
Vitrifrigo America

Alfton said:

Marin,
Funny you shoud ask:
Vitrifrigo America

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Very interesting. I've not heard of this company before. My wife and I selected an Isotherm unit to replace our Norcold when we thought the Norcold was failing. But it revived itself and has been running fine the last three years. But Isothern had a drawer unit that we really liked but it was smaller than the undercounter space we have and so we'd lose storage volume. We selected a conventional door refrigerator/freezer instead. But the drawer unit you've selected looks pretty neat. We'll have to compare the measurements to the space we have.

The Norcold won't last forever so we'll have to deal with a replacement at some point, I'm sure.

What prompted you to select this company? Do they use Danfoss compressors?

Thanks,

This unit is slightly larger than our Norcold under counter model we have now.
Not sure of the compressor.
What prompted me to select this unit over what else is out there is the fact that we chartered a boat this past year and it had one of these on board and it was just a dream to use, and it was holding up to the abuse associated with the charter fleets in the Caribbean.

Gonzo,
The walls in your head are yellow? Perhaps improving your aim would help.

bnoft said:

Gonzo,
The walls in your head are yellow? Perhaps improving your aim would help.

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Funny... But PO's were smokers.

Well, no wonder...they were only using one hand!!

Whew now that I stopped laughing...

We plan to FINALLY refinish the sole. We don't have an off season but will have the boat at our old marina in December, which is much nearer our home, so we will stay at the docks for a few weekends to get this project done at long last!

Our boat's PO was a smoker and I am all too famliar with the hideous yellowing. YUCK. I'm curious to see how your update works out Tom.

The reefer repair person who worked on our ice maker recommended the Vitrifrigo for when our NorCold fridge croaks. hasn't happened yet.

When we have teenage grankids 2 girls,2 boys) on the boat for a week, the instructions are that everyone sits to pee. Well, sometimes there is evidence to the contrary. I will then call them all to the helm deck for a meeting. Last trip I told them that I had told the boys to sit to pee. That there was evidence that someone was not. I told them that I knew my boys would never disobey me, so the girls will have to start sitting to pee also. That brought some incredulous looks, but it did not happen again. Sometimes you have to use the indirect approach.

Finally will be finishing a re-skinning of the pilothouse roof which has taken forever (that happens when you can't find a reliable yard in Miami). Then the focus will be on sealing everything for water-tightness, maybe changing a few windows. Then replacing the original white wall panels in the salon, which have suffered over the years from occasional moisture. By the time I get through these, I'm sure there will be an equal number of other things waiting.

Just secured a new (take out) Stidd helm seat, so we are finally able to finish the design and upholstery colors of the pilothouse interior, including some additional teak trim. I might even go for a new back-up chart plotter/radar if the Lauderdale or Miami Boat Show prices drop enough.

My winter improvement project is to locate a new owner for Budds' Outlet. That's the best improvement I think I can make for her this winter.

Am doing maintenance on boat such as new bellows on the PYY dripless shaft seal, stripping and refinishing cabin sole and one water damaged panel under settee, new windscreen on flybridge, trying to get fiberglass guy to do some gelcoat repairs but he never appears.

Building new swim platform at home during darkest winter. Decided to make it out of white PlasTeak rather than real teak due to cost and maintenance

After crawling around in the aft head to work on the plumbing (see http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s31/too-snake-not-snake-6315-3.html ) and seeing Gonzo/Tom's suggestions, I think there is more work to do back there. Wall laminate is tired (still sorta white) and the deck needs paint. The original 40 yr-old sink might go too. If I feel really ambitious, I may even convert to fresh water for the head... any recommendations on a good source for detailed instructions on backflow preventers, anti-siphon needs, etc if I tackle this? We never use the on-board water for drinking, but still want to be sure I am not about to contaminate it. Maybe a separate water tank?

ARoss said:

Maybe a separate water tank?

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That's a good idea, Al. I had not thought of that. Maybe a rubber flexible water tank for each head would do the trick. It shouldn't take but about a quart per flush. Easy to install.

GonzoF1 said:

Funny... But PO's were smokers.

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Ammonia, right out of the container, poured on a rag is good for getting nicotine stains off surfaces where it can be used without harm. I know this from playing music in smoky bars years ago.

I bought an old Singer sewing machine from ebay to sew canvas and it was brown with cigarette residue. I cleaned it up with ammonia.

ARoss said:

............. If I feel really ambitious, I may even convert to fresh water for the head... any recommendations on a good source for detailed instructions on backflow preventers, anti-siphon needs, etc if I tackle this? We never use the on-board water for drinking, but still want to be sure I am not about to contaminate it. Maybe a separate water tank?

Click to expand...

DO NOT try to convert a raw water flush head to a potable water flush head. There is too much risk of a crossconnection and contaminating the potable water system. Even if you never use the on-board water for drinking, you can't be sure that someone will forget and do so. Or you might use it for cooking, washing hands or dishes, or showering. Backflow preventers, check valves, etc. are not good enough.

If you want to install a seperate water tank just for the head, that's fine as long as there are no connections between the two systems.

You can, of course, just fill a container from the potable water system and pour it into the head for flushing or just use the shower hose if you have one.

Budds Outlet said:

My winter improvement project is to locate a new owner for Budds' Outlet. That's the best improvement I think I can make for her this winter.

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What are you looking for in your next boat?

rwidman said:

DO NOT try to convert a raw water flush head to a potable water flush head. There is too much risk of a crossconnection and contaminating the potable water system. Even if you never use the on-board water for drinking, you can't be sure that someone will forget and do so. Or you might use it for cooking, washing hands or dishes, or showering. Backflow preventers, check valves, etc. are not good enough.

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Yes it can be done. I installed a new freshwater head in my aft "bathroom" and used all the components that came with the Raritan Sea Era unit per their install manual. I then converted the forward head using the same components and instructions.

Perhaps not appropriate for the grand kids....

captrigney said:

Perhaps not appropriate for the grand kids....

View attachment 13633

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Priceless, Captrigney. Thanks for posting. Do you know where I can get one of those signs?

jleonard said:

Yes it can be done. I installed a new freshwater head in my aft "bathroom" and used all the components that came with the Raritan Sea Era unit per their install manual. I then converted the forward head using the same components and instructions.

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Exactly...

The only part added to most of these toilets to prevent contamination is a vacuum breaker where the fresh water enters the bowl. I searched dozens of models and parts lists...it's not rocket science to convert one, but some seem to think so.

Edelweiss, Thanks for the crab season heads up

FlyWright said:

What are you looking for in your next boat?

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We are looking for a 40'ish footer, semi-displacement aft cabin cruiser. Quite a step up in cruising comfort and a change of pace for us. I think I'll enjoy the view at a slower speed.