I enjoy sailing and tinkering...own a Mac 26 classic in a slip at the lake and am in the process of restoring an Ericson 29, hull #8.
Ericson 29
Ericson 29
This girl needed a real new lease on life. It needed a new backbone..err mast compression post step. It needed a new sole. We could rebuild her... we do have the technology. She could be more than just 'no problem.' She could be spectacular.
I'm a big fan of electric motors, and with a high capacity 48v propulsion bank we could go to electric cooking...remove the explosives from the boat. My risk-adverse nature likes that.
I had a plan. It was a systems oriented plan, that could be deployed in stages to build on a foundation. I don't need range out the gate, I sail in a reservoir at the moment. I need range when I take her to the ocean...
The vision is only two thru hulls to start -- one for diesel genset cooling water (Not necessary and will be capped until the boat meets the ocean) and the other for the 12k btu AC cooling water (Necessary for being at the lake just outside Phoenix.) In the future a third thru hull will be installed for gravity dump of the holding tank offshore. The fewer the number of below-waterline thru hulls, the less likely it will sink at the dock, right? And let's use those over built trudesign marelon thruhulls and valves. That way it will simplify the bonding and galvanic protection requirements.
A whale gray water tank and diaphragm pump would handle the sinks and ac condensate safely discharging above the waterline.
A whale gulper nuisance pump will keep standing water low in the sump, and a 4K rule centrifugal pump will provide high water/backup bilge pumping.
Victron's 5kw, 48v Quattro inverter-charger would make a great core to this system, with a Thunderstruck-EV 10kw sailboat motor kit as the prime mover and 10kwh of LiFePO4 as the propulsion bank.
A below deck autopilot would make for a clean cockpit and safe single handing.
Two say, 100ah 12v LiFePO4 batteries and dc-dc converters would supply the needs of the on board electronics and a couple of powered winches and a windless -- because we aren't getting any younger.
The galley layout would change, with two sinks in a new U-shaped galley, like a Cat 30, but not as deep -- I see a two hob induction cooktop over an inverter microwave/convection oven combo. The ice box is getting canned due to rot, but let's replace it with one of those modern, relatively inexpensive self contained portable top loading refrigerator/freezers that companies like Whynter sell. We can build out the area so that when it dies, we can just replace it for half of what a new marine refrigeration device costs. Some really nice lighted shelving like on the new Beneteau First 53, but deeper and with the bottom level level extending below the counter top, could make a gorgeous and functional backdrop to a small galley. The First 53's take, by the way, which I think is inspirational and would be very easy to pull off:
The head on the '71 e29 is to starboard, but it seemed like it would be better to $#@!can the hanging locker to port and build it out into a head. The additional bulkhead would make for a stronger boat anyway. The area to starboard could be turned into the AC return location down low, registers forward into the v-birth and salon at midlevel, and storage shelves midlevel to up high. Putting the propulsion bank to starboard under the settee would help even up the weight distribution as well. Locating a 30-40 gallon water tank just port of centerline under a new settee extension (let's call it a chaise lounge) with a small foldup desk for laptop use would drastically alter the space but I think it would work well for a couple. Let's add a builtin small coffee table/tv try like table to starboard in the middle of the settee that folds out over the now narrowed walkway for meals, and I think we may have a cozy working space with a lot of handholds for transiting in a seaway. Replacing the irretrievable portlights with opening portlights would really increase ventilation. Lewmar's 4L and 4R fit the forward large ports, but it would take some glasssing to fit the aft lights. No bother, it's a new boat!
Finally, this boat came to me wrecked because of the huge water collecting-cockpit with one tiny little scupper drain. Let's open the transom, a-la the E27's outboard cutout, and never worry about a full cockpit downflooding the companionway again. No more checking the scupper before a storm. Tying the cockpit sides into the transom might actually make for a stronger boat, as the current transom is tied to the deck with what looks like a a single layer of 6 ounce tabbing, causing that damn crack all along the transom. We'll explore that in future chapters but for now..
For now, we have a plan.
I needed a way to work more efficiently though. The third of a year I spent sitting at a desk had really taken an unexpected toll on my now 41 year old frame. I am noticeably and embarrassingly slower, creakier, clumsier. I can't even run anymore, something impinges on my right ankle and it gives out. I almost fell off the damn ladder lugging up a mini split AC into the boat to get more working time out of the year. I needed to work smarter, not harder.
There is a lot of stuff i need to haul up into this boat, and the trips up and down were killing me.
I needed an elevator...
I'm a big fan of electric motors, and with a high capacity 48v propulsion bank we could go to electric cooking...remove the explosives from the boat. My risk-adverse nature likes that.
I had a plan. It was a systems oriented plan, that could be deployed in stages to build on a foundation. I don't need range out the gate, I sail in a reservoir at the moment. I need range when I take her to the ocean...
The vision is only two thru hulls to start -- one for diesel genset cooling water (Not necessary and will be capped until the boat meets the ocean) and the other for the 12k btu AC cooling water (Necessary for being at the lake just outside Phoenix.) In the future a third thru hull will be installed for gravity dump of the holding tank offshore. The fewer the number of below-waterline thru hulls, the less likely it will sink at the dock, right? And let's use those over built trudesign marelon thruhulls and valves. That way it will simplify the bonding and galvanic protection requirements.
A whale gray water tank and diaphragm pump would handle the sinks and ac condensate safely discharging above the waterline.
A whale gulper nuisance pump will keep standing water low in the sump, and a 4K rule centrifugal pump will provide high water/backup bilge pumping.
Victron's 5kw, 48v Quattro inverter-charger would make a great core to this system, with a Thunderstruck-EV 10kw sailboat motor kit as the prime mover and 10kwh of LiFePO4 as the propulsion bank.
A below deck autopilot would make for a clean cockpit and safe single handing.
Two say, 100ah 12v LiFePO4 batteries and dc-dc converters would supply the needs of the on board electronics and a couple of powered winches and a windless -- because we aren't getting any younger.
The galley layout would change, with two sinks in a new U-shaped galley, like a Cat 30, but not as deep -- I see a two hob induction cooktop over an inverter microwave/convection oven combo. The ice box is getting canned due to rot, but let's replace it with one of those modern, relatively inexpensive self contained portable top loading refrigerator/freezers that companies like Whynter sell. We can build out the area so that when it dies, we can just replace it for half of what a new marine refrigeration device costs. Some really nice lighted shelving like on the new Beneteau First 53, but deeper and with the bottom level level extending below the counter top, could make a gorgeous and functional backdrop to a small galley. The First 53's take, by the way, which I think is inspirational and would be very easy to pull off:
The head on the '71 e29 is to starboard, but it seemed like it would be better to $#@!can the hanging locker to port and build it out into a head. The additional bulkhead would make for a stronger boat anyway. The area to starboard could be turned into the AC return location down low, registers forward into the v-birth and salon at midlevel, and storage shelves midlevel to up high. Putting the propulsion bank to starboard under the settee would help even up the weight distribution as well. Locating a 30-40 gallon water tank just port of centerline under a new settee extension (let's call it a chaise lounge) with a small foldup desk for laptop use would drastically alter the space but I think it would work well for a couple. Let's add a builtin small coffee table/tv try like table to starboard in the middle of the settee that folds out over the now narrowed walkway for meals, and I think we may have a cozy working space with a lot of handholds for transiting in a seaway. Replacing the irretrievable portlights with opening portlights would really increase ventilation. Lewmar's 4L and 4R fit the forward large ports, but it would take some glasssing to fit the aft lights. No bother, it's a new boat!
Finally, this boat came to me wrecked because of the huge water collecting-cockpit with one tiny little scupper drain. Let's open the transom, a-la the E27's outboard cutout, and never worry about a full cockpit downflooding the companionway again. No more checking the scupper before a storm. Tying the cockpit sides into the transom might actually make for a stronger boat, as the current transom is tied to the deck with what looks like a a single layer of 6 ounce tabbing, causing that damn crack all along the transom. We'll explore that in future chapters but for now..
For now, we have a plan.
I needed a way to work more efficiently though. The third of a year I spent sitting at a desk had really taken an unexpected toll on my now 41 year old frame. I am noticeably and embarrassingly slower, creakier, clumsier. I can't even run anymore, something impinges on my right ankle and it gives out. I almost fell off the damn ladder lugging up a mini split AC into the boat to get more working time out of the year. I needed to work smarter, not harder.
There is a lot of stuff i need to haul up into this boat, and the trips up and down were killing me.
I needed an elevator...
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