Well, like all adventures, WINTER IS FINALLY ENDING! It has been the worst winter in years here in Hampton, VA. I started a few projects, and it just got miserable cold - so I've left everything until the spring.
My two major projects were replacing the ports and the water tank.
Ports:
The ports are all complete - I am very happy with the result. I used some clear and tinted based on where the ports were located, and I'm happy to say that the interior of the boat is now very inviting and much less cave-like. What a difference a little light makes!
Water Tanks:
The water tank took a lot longer than I had intended. Tearing out the old tank was easy (it was a plastic Plastimo tank which just lives underneath one of my settees. The tank had just degraded and was leaking, so it had to go. While I did that job, I also replaced the hoses connecting the deck to the tank to the water pump.
I tore out the old hose from the deck to the water tank - they were gray, and I found out that it was probably not a hose meant for drinking water (which is white). I bought new hose from West Marine, but I bought it on the spool. There wasn't a lot on the spool to begin with, so it had a tight roll. The hose was also impregnated with a spiral wire inside for strength. Little did I know, that it also gave the hose a wicked memory.
The hose run wasn't absurd, but there was about four feet straight down to a tight curve, then a long run of about five feet to the new tank location. Because of the memory, the hose wanted nothing to do with being straight. I ended up having to leave the hose in the boat under heat for a few days to get it just to straighten out.
I finally finished the project. Once the hose was relaxed, I was able to fight with it until I got where I wanted it. I did have to reorganize some of the plumbing under the head sink to accommodate the new hose, but that all went without issue.
So, at last we have a new, clean tank for water, which will make gunkholing a distinct possibility this summer. We're really excited!
But first, we need to visit the shipyard...
My two major projects were replacing the ports and the water tank.
Ports:
The ports are all complete - I am very happy with the result. I used some clear and tinted based on where the ports were located, and I'm happy to say that the interior of the boat is now very inviting and much less cave-like. What a difference a little light makes!
Water Tanks:
The water tank took a lot longer than I had intended. Tearing out the old tank was easy (it was a plastic Plastimo tank which just lives underneath one of my settees. The tank had just degraded and was leaking, so it had to go. While I did that job, I also replaced the hoses connecting the deck to the tank to the water pump.
I tore out the old hose from the deck to the water tank - they were gray, and I found out that it was probably not a hose meant for drinking water (which is white). I bought new hose from West Marine, but I bought it on the spool. There wasn't a lot on the spool to begin with, so it had a tight roll. The hose was also impregnated with a spiral wire inside for strength. Little did I know, that it also gave the hose a wicked memory.
The hose run wasn't absurd, but there was about four feet straight down to a tight curve, then a long run of about five feet to the new tank location. Because of the memory, the hose wanted nothing to do with being straight. I ended up having to leave the hose in the boat under heat for a few days to get it just to straighten out.
I finally finished the project. Once the hose was relaxed, I was able to fight with it until I got where I wanted it. I did have to reorganize some of the plumbing under the head sink to accommodate the new hose, but that all went without issue.
So, at last we have a new, clean tank for water, which will make gunkholing a distinct possibility this summer. We're really excited!
But first, we need to visit the shipyard...