Conalls boat

I fired up the engine the other day. My power is a John Deere 6068TFM. The control cables for the throttle and transmission are in the boat, but not yet installed. It was a good day to finally hear the engine, but I'm more happy as to how quiet the boat sounds. I'd like to find a decibel meter just to see how loud it is.

One of the best things about firing up the engine was finally getting to operate the steering. My steering is the same as one would find on a heavy duty dump truck with a hydraulic pump operating off of a gear on the cam shaft, and a robust twin cylinder quadrant working the rudder. It was nice to fire the engine and instantly have steering without having to bleed anything. Hard over to hard over is 3.5 turns of the wheel.

There's more detail on the blog with a lame video of the engine.

Conall
Conall's Boat Build

Conall-the boat continues to look good. Two questions though (1) have you thought about a hole in the rudder so you can pull the shaft without removing the rudder? and (2) what size is your shaft? It looks small in the photo.

Nice work as always, Conall. Is the rudder hollow and do you plan to fill it with oil. I was surprised at the difference in feel on Delfin's rudder once I filled it. Seemed smoother.

The shaft is 2".

I had thought about having a shaft removal hole in the rudder, but chose not to. With having the rudder flanged, it's a fairly easy to remove it , although it's pretty heavy.

I air tested the rudder when I built it, but until now had sort of forgotten about filling with oil until you mentioned it. Do you fill with vegetable based oil? How was the difference in feel? Now that you mentioned it, filling it is going to be bouncing around my head. I know it's early in the game, but I do like my steering system.

Conall
Conall's Boat Build

Conall63 said:

Thanks all.

What would be a good thickness of insulation for wrapping a dry exhaust system?

Xsbank, have you installed yet, if so how was the DIY factor and have you worked the engine with the wrap? Rolls or blanket? How thick of a material

Don, wet exhaust? Did they send a tech to do your wrap or DIY? Risers to the injection point? Turbo?

My exhaust stack/chimney, rises 9' from the engine room through the salon roof. The stack is insulated on the living space side, and will have 1/8" of high performance material on inside of the stack on the exhaust side. Once the 4" exhaust pipe enters the exhaust stack ( chimney), I was planning on not wrapping/blanketing the pipe for the run up the stack. There's a blower pushing air up the stack, and my thought was the pipe would loose some heat in the 9' tall stack before it hits the top of the funnel where the pipe will exit the stack. I'm trying to not melt the paint on the funnel top where the pipe exits the funnel. I guess if that's not possible, I could use some high temperature paint for this area only, or re design the exit point to keep things cool at this point.

I don't have any pictures of the exhaust work as I've not started it yet. It's made it on to the list I keep in my head , which means it's still a couple of weeks away. My typical MO on this build has me kicking around ideas for a few weeks, deciding on which direction I'm heading, sourcing and locating parts, then putting the design together on board.

Conall
Conall's Boat Build

Conall

Click to expand...

Conall, on Delfin, I built a 16" square aluminum raceway up through the saloon that I insulated with 1" thick Johns Manville Duct insulation board good for 450 degrees. The 4" stack is wrapped with DEI titanium exhaust wrap good for 2500 degrees. I have no clue what the temp of air inside the raceway, but I doubt it is very hot. Like you, the combustion air pumped into the ER from outside via a blower goes either into the engine or up the stack. The pipe then goes through a Cowl muffler in the 'stackhouse' before exiting through a metal collar that separates the stack from the top of the stackhouse, then it enters a faux 6" stack of polished stainless. I've attached an image of that detail.

Conall63 said:

The shaft is 2".

I had thought about having a shaft removal hole in the rudder, but chose not to. With having the rudder flanged, it's a fairly easy to remove it , although it's pretty heavy.

I air tested the rudder when I built it, but until now had sort of forgotten about filling with oil until you mentioned it. Do you fill with vegetable based oil? How was the difference in feel? Now that you mentioned it, filling it is going to be bouncing around my head. I know it's early in the game, but I do like my steering system.

Conall
Conall's Boat Build

Click to expand...

I filled it with soybean oil. Cheap, although God knows what I'll find growing in there if I ever need to drain it. It just increased the weight of the rudder so seemed less 'lively' in the prop wash. Delfin's rudder is huge and she turns 90 degrees over a very short distance, and I think that killing the buoyancy with the oil just made it seem more solid. Hard to describe, and probably 90% is in my head.

Here's a gratuitous tip, Conall.... If you haven't already buried them, wrap your flexible sanitary lines with Denso tape. Keeps them from smelling for a very long time.

I had a new turbo-to-exhaust pipe welded up, used a 4" bellows then a Donaldson truck muffler, then an adapter to bring the 4" pipe up to 6" and reused the old stack, 'polished' up the old stainless outlet, the bit that comes out of the funnel. I wrapped the entire system, turbo to the top of the inside of the funnel, lowering the wrapped muffler into the funnel. The noise is so much better, normal conversation is now possible in the wheelhouse with all the windows open and the engine room temperature is half of what it was. The wrapping process is a pita compared to the manufactured blankets you just stitch in place, but the cost was about 15% of custom wraps. My only complaint was the box contained one roll of tape which was not enough. An extra roll was necessary whereas I had plenty of wrap. I recommend this method.

Forgot to mention, the only part I am still lacking is a witch's hat, the so-called storm collar that wraps around the exhaust pipe and prevents water from running back down the exhaust pipe. I also need a clever way to cover the end of the pipe when I'm not using the boat. I am thinking a bucket on a handle so I don't have to climb to place and remove it. My friend says to use those large coffee cans and just leave it on there, to see what sort of trajectory you can get when you start up! I think Delfin's design where there is an outer exhaust pipe is a good one as any water would not get inside the actual exhaust pipe. Should have thought of that.

The pipe:

My exhaust side of the stack is 12" x 24". I lined it with some high performance heat shield material to help with radiant heat and sound. I bought a custom blanket for my turbo, and for the rest of the exhaust pipe, I'm wrapping it with ceramic insulation and a an exhaust blanket. For sure not as nice as a custom made exhaust blanket, but I've got to stay in my non existent budget. Once the pipe enters the exhaust stack, it will be unwrapped to try to get some of the heat out of the pipe before it hits the funnel.

I'm going to have a 4" blower in the stack forcing air on to the pipe, along with an 11" DC axial fan pulling air in to the ER. The ER is an air tight room with the doors shut.

I welded a 4" stainless exhaust pipe in to the funnel top, and used a flapper type rain cap. Removing the louvre on the exhaust side of the funnel gives me access to the welded in stainless pipe to clamp on the removable exhaust pipe. I'm hoping I'll be able to cool the pipe enough in the funnel as to not burn paint of the funnel top. I think the welded in 4" pipe is too short and needs to be extended. I could see a situation where exhaust could possibly make/pulled back in to the ER.

This is one of my biggest guesses I've made on the build, but I've left myself room for expansion if more air is needed. This is going to be one of the more closely watched systems once she's in the water later this summer and being pushed.

Conall
Conall's Boat Build

Thanks Carl.

I was able to use schedule 40 rigid pvc for all my waste lines. I had to get most of it in place early in the build and plan for what pressure fittings I had to use. I'll have a few small pieces of flexible waste line where I turn to fit down in to the holding tank, but those won't be holding effluent as they're vertical. I doubt I'll have more than 3' total flexible pipe.

I have two toilets on board. The lower toilet is a composter, and the salon toilet is a fresh water macerator. The composting toilet is working well, but my wife's not a big fan of it. I like it because it works and is idiot proof. In case it becomes a big issue with the wife, and does not perform as expected once it starts seeing more usage, I had installed an 1 1/2" rigid schedule 40 transport line from the lower toilet to the holding tank early in the build... just in case.

I'm venting the holding tank with 1 1/2" through the roof.

Conall

Conall, if you wrap the pipe to the top of the funnel you will not have to worry about heat in the funnel. The wrap I used, even the muffler is cool enough to lay your hand on.

Where did you get your louvres? I need to replace mine on the funnel and the engine intakes (they are the same size).

Xsbank, I found my louvers from this outfit in Fl.:

Aluminum Louvers | Architectural Louvers and Louver Vents

Fast service, good quality.

Wrapping the pipe at the funnel sounds good. The place that sold me my turbo blanket also carries 2" exhaust wrap which I bought a role of to make the transition from the turbo to the flange. I'll have plenty left over for a wrap elsewhere.

Conall
Conall's Boat Build

Thanks Conall, that louvre place is the bee's knees! My engine intakes are all corroded and look like cr@p, these replacements will be excellent.

It looks like you have welded the exhaust pipe to the funnel top, is that the actual pipe or an extension of the funnel? Welding the pipe to the funnel would be a mistake as it would transmit too much noise and vibration to the hull.

I have a 12" piece welded to the funnel top. I'd not thought about vibration.

Thanks for the insight. That's going to be one of the wait and see items and adjust as needed.

Conall
Conall's Boat Build

I spent this weekend welding on anode studs, and scuffing the bottom for anti foul, then coating her with two coats of anti foul.

Tough way to spend two days, but at least it's off my list.

Conall
Conall's Boat Build

Fine work, Conall! I'm a little confused about your steering. Does it only work when the engine is running? If it does, I can't determine if that is a bad thing or not.

I've not tried to operate the rudder with the engine off. I don't think it will work as the pump is run by the engine unlike some boats where the pump is run by the steering wheel. If we do loose steering, with the engine operating, the top of the rudder is squared off for an emergency tiller.

Conall
Conall's Boat Build

Why not try a piece of silicone rubber flexible coupler in your exhaust pipe to reduce vibration. It will save you some work, and will be relatively easy to cut a section of pipe out and do the insert. Worth looking into

With a launch date in late July fast approaching I had to get the finish flooring down in the salon and wheel house. I've held off as long as I could, but had to get it done. Below deck, in the cabins, will be carpet, and I'm going to wait until after we launch before I even think about installing that flooring ( wife wants something other than carpet, so that's in negotiation). The salon and wheel house got a Cork floor with a foam underlayment. It's sure nice to see more finish work starting to come together.

My heavy soled work boots with the accompanying mud and gravel are probably a thing of the past.

Conall

Conall63 said:

With a launch date in late July fast approaching I had to get the finish flooring down in the salon and wheel house. I've held off as long as I could, but had to get it done. Below deck, in the cabins, will be carpet, and I'm going to wait until after we launch before I even think about installing that flooring ( wife wants something other than carpet, so that's in negotiation). The salon and wheel house got a Cork floor with a foam underlayment. It's sure nice to see more finish work starting to come together.

My heavy soled work boots with the accompanying mud and gravel are probably a thing of the past.

Conall

Click to expand...

Exciting time, Conall. Congratulations!

Conall,you are my boat building hee row.I am planning to build Spira International Sitka to 30' with a vee entry bow.It will be my first scratch built big boat from plans.I've built a few knock together canoes and dinghies.The boat in my avatar is a 27' foot light built with minimal gear and creature comforts.

You sir are my hero!

Sweet looking Ben2go.

I started melting lead for my ballast ( nothing like waiting until the last minute). The design calls for about 4300 lbs, but due to either me not checking the weight of my purchase of some of it walking off of my property, I'm about 1300 lbs lite. I had dreams of my build ending up like the Northern Marine incident, so a rush has been on to get ingots poured. The Naval architect of my build suggests launching without ballast, and having water and fuel half full, then send measurements and photos on to him and he'll suggest ballast amount. For the pure logistics of loading the ballast, I'd like to have some of it on board while I have access to a fork truck at the boat yard vs moving it down a wooden finger dock.

I made a melting pot out of 12" pipe and am using a back pack blower to force feed the fire. My two molds produce six ingots each, and when the molds are full, they each weigh about 100 lbs. The lead came from the sheathing of an MRI machine. It's one of those jobs that you really can't stop once you start. I should have done this over the winter.

Conall

Thanks Conall.

I have watched from afar as a group of guys poured a lead keel for a sail boat.It was formed up in the proper shape with with long keel bolt welded or brazed to a long rod to hold them from turning during install.That was a big job.They were using old steel heating oil tanks to melt lead and a huge air compressor with a diesel engine to fan the flames.I'm not sure of the weight but a crane was brought in to set the boat onto the keel.So I see where the ingots would pay off.Easier to get the balance spot on.

We launched her on Wednesday, and I for sure could not be more happy.

The wheel house sits forward and the yard could not get the sling where they wanted. The sling was more on the curve of the bow vs the flat, and the operator did not like it. They had the slings positioned wrong, and when they lifted, she swung in to the travel lift and smashed the air horn and bent the bill over the wheel house. It looked worse than it was, and a little persuasion with a rubber mallet will fix her up. The air horns are still working although one is facing south/southwest...cheap $80 horns off of Ebay... I'm not going to raise stink with the boat yard as they've helped me tremendously through my work.

As the designer told me, she sits a little down in the rear. I'm off the water line by two inches aft and looks pretty good forward being 5" above the water line. We loose the water line about 3/4 aft. The swim platform is about 12" above the water line, so that looks good. She has 2300 lbs of the 4000lbs of ballast, about 1/2 her 400 gallon water capacity, and 350 gallons of fuel. The designed fuel capacity is 600 gallons.

The only major issue we have is the engine is running hot. The keel cooling pump is not recirculating. I think the system has an air lock in it. The boat yard guys say our circulating pump on the engine is not big enough and can't overcome the lift. I made no provisions to easily get the air out of the system, so it's going to require a little plumbing. I found a source for an affordable electric coolant pump that I can install inline which should solve the problem. The electric pump will force the air out of the system along with dealing with any lift issues I might have. If this solves the problem, I'll probably end up making a bracket for an engine driven pump to boost the existing engine pump. I'm using the raw water pump gear off of the engine to drive my power steering. I do recall I might be able to buy another housing to piggy back a raw water pump in that location, so I do have some options.

Another guy I get advice from suggested getting a cheap air powered vacuum pump from Harbor Freight and pull a vacuum from my expansion tank to purge out any air. This would be quick and easy way see if it is indeed air locked, but might not solve the problem and put a crimp in our plans for a four day shake down cruise late next week. The boat's finish is more than ready for a shake down cruise, and other than the coolant circulating issue, she has no major issues to correct.

By keeping the rpm's at about 1200, we were able to maintain 190 degree engine temperature, while making about 5 knots, so wed decided to head to our harbor vs returning to the boat yard. It turned out to be a nice two hour cruise on a beautiful late afternoon summer day.

Cheers,

Conall

Congratulations Conall. Well done despite the few lil' boo boo's! I'm sure she'll server you proudly for many many years! Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Cheers!!

Quite an achievement, Conall. A great looking boat.

Congrats!! I'm sure after all that work, see her afloat must be quite a feeling!!