Chilly on the Piscataqua, warm down below

Recently, I have had plenty of opportunity to put Creeky's insulation to the test. On most days I am able to keep the inside temp in the mid 50's with a single 15 amp space heater on the low setting, and up above 60 with it on high. Not too shabby. When the temps get closer to zero, however, and the wind picks up, it's not quite as cozy down below. Last night the outside temp got down to about 5 degrees. That brought the inside temp down into the 40's, despite the heater being on full blast and me and Jennilee being curled up under a heated blanket. Not quite cutting it. 

Enter the Webasto Air Top Evo 5500 diesel forced hot air heater that I bought several months ago. I finally had some time to install it after returning from Vietnam jobless. These next few days should help me to either justify or regret the investment. Hopefully I should at least be able to stay warm, whether I can afford to put food on the table or not. 

More pics to be added, but here are a few to get you started

Drilled a hole to realize that where I planned to put the heater controls there was an oak counter support. Oops...

After cutting the hole a bit lower the controls are in. 

This should do until I have time to replace  the plywood behind it. 

This is my temporary fuel bottle. 

A little hole for a tube. 

Poof!

A hole for a duct. 

Some duct work. 

Heating vent. 

Vietnam

Check out the blog I set up for the Slagle family Vietnam trip

http://slagleadventure.blogspot.com/2013/11/mui-ne-etc.html 

Creeky's Maiden Voyage!

There is no way to describe the progress that I've made since the last post with words, so I'm just going to explain it with pictures and video (credit to Nikolas and Brian).

In short, Nikolas, Brian, and I initially tried to set out for Portsmouth on Saturday morning, but once we got out of Boston Harbor and into some bigger than expected seas the engine started overheating.  After spending 6-8 hours working on the raw water and fresh water cooling systems I was confident that the overheating was caused by an air bubble and that I had solved the problem.

After a successful cooling system test at the dock on Sunday morning we left Boston in 5-6 ft seas and headed north to Gloucester.  At full throttle (~2950 RPM) she made about 9 kts, and a steady 8 kts at 2500 RPM for the cruise.  We made Gloucester in about 3 hours and spent the night on a mooring in the harbor.  The next morning we picked up my dad, headed up the canal to bypass Cape Ann, and then on to Portsmouth in about 5 hours.  Everything ran great and I had a hard time wiping the grin off my face.

Leaving Chelsea

Goodbye Chelsea!

Cautiously navigating through Boston Harbor

Suited up for some decent swells in the distance

Goodbye Boston!

A taste of the seas on Sunday

Very nervously pushing all my belongings and a couple of close friends into the open seas while relying on an antique engine that has never been run extensively

These are the Sunday seas, and the milder ones at that.  Everything that wasn't already on the floor in the boat was there within minutes of hitting the first swell.  Everything is still such a mess...  We were too busy hanging on and trying to tie things down during the bigger seas to get pictures and video.

Clear skies

Land Ho!

Sunset in Gloucester Harbor

Sunrise in Gloucester Harbor

Ayuh

Brian at the helm

Salty sea dog

A successful arrival in Portsmouth where Big Tom met us at the dock

So many updates, so much progress, so little time!

Well it seems that I am having difficulty making more than one post per month despite my best intentions.  It truly is because I have been logging several hours of work on 'ol Creeky daily and just haven't had a chance to write about it.  Long story short, it's almost boat ride time.  With a little luck I'll be doing some cruising in Boston Harbor next week (after I get back from Serbia)!

I am also working on creating individual pages for each project now that they are growing in number and scope.  Links to each of them will be contained here:

Projects

There is also a link to this page in the sidebar to the right.

I have made so much headway in the past several weeks that I don't know where to start explaining.  For now, here's a little montage in pictures (in no particular order because I don't have time to organize them right now).  Check out the projects page over the next few weeks to make some more sense of them.  Play "Eye of the Tiger" when looking through them.

Risin' up, back on the street

Various components in Webasto Air Top Evo 5500 DIY kit from Defender

Did my time, took my chances

Webasto Air Top Evo 5500 diesel heater unit

Went the distance now I'm back on my feet

Exhaust elbow and riser after sealing threads, painting, and wrapping with heat tape

Just a man and his will to survive

Sweet cover I built for exhaust elbow and riser

So many times it happens too fast

Hole in deck originally created for installing bulkhead heater chimney

You trade your passion for glory

What the bulkhead heater chimney hole looked like

Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past

I bored out the holes to expose some fresh wood core

You must fight just to keep them alive

After drilling out the bolt holes, dremeling out the chimney hole, and grinding down the surface to bare fiberglass

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

After wiping with acetone I used a lightly thickened epoxy to seal bolt holes and chimney hole.  The mixture was thin enough to allow it to be soaked up by the wood core.

Risin' up to the challenge of our rival

The holes were then filled by a very thick epoxy and colloidal silica mixture to fill the voids and then covered with a few layers of woven roving.  That should be enough to keep the moisture out and permanently fill the holes.  I'll go back and make everything pretty at a later date. 

And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night

There is no way to describe how absolutely covered in fiberglass dust and epoxy I am in this picture

And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger

Staging for the diesel tank installation

Face to face, out in the heat

More staging

Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry

Even more staging...

They stack the odds, still we take to the street

The compartment the diesel tank went into prior to grinding and fiberglassing.  I sealed it off from the rest of the boat with vinyl dropcloth material.

For the kill with the skill to survive

The main hatch to the diesel tank compartment were completely sealed off from the rest of the boat.

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

The work space

Risin' up to the challenge of our rival

Staging...

And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night

The "out" fan

And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger

The "in" fan

Risin' up, straight to the top

The work space again

Had the guts, got the glory

Epoxy 

Went the distance now I'm not gonna stop

These plastic booties worked great for about 5 minutes, then my feet just got coated with epoxy

Just a man and his will to survive

It was a good idea...

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

The supports for the diesel tank

Risin' up to the challenge of our rival

The fully installed diesel fill deck plate

And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night

Diesel filter mount construction

And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger

Mounted diesel filter

The eye of the tiger

Test fit of tank on supports

The eye of the tiger

Rubber vibration dampening/chafing protection

The eye of the tiger

Start of "glove box"

The eye of the tiger 

I guess at this point it's probably a good idea to start listening to "You're the Best" from the Karate Kid as you scroll through the rest of these, since you're already pumped up.

Try to be best

Viewing window for "glove box"

‘Cause you’re only a man

"Glove Box" in action.  Not too comfortable, but effective at keeping dust from getting EVERYWHERE from some additional grinding that was needed

And a man's gotta learn to take it

Another shot of the "glove box"

Try to believe

Modifying straps for tank hold down

Though the going gets rough

Old V-Drive plate

That you gotta hang tough to make it

Spare prop shaft coupling?

History repeats itself

Fore deck patio covering bulkhead heater chimney hole

Try and you’ll succeed

Improvised temporary cover for chimney hole with epoxy coated plywood and butyl tape

Never doubt that you’re the one

Modified strap

And you can have your dreams!

Now slow down the scrolling a little bit as the montage wraps up, but stay PUMPED cause there's an inspiring guitar solo around the corner!

You’re the best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down

These were on clearance at my local hardware store and a perfect fit for diesel tank anti-chafing

You’re the Best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down

This is what is under the diesel tank

You’re the Best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you dow-ow-ow-ow-own 

Diesel tank installed!

Fight ‘til the end
Cause your life will depend
On the strength that you have inside you

Diesel tank hoses

Ah you gotta be proud
starin’ out in the cloud
When the odds in the game defy you

Steering conduit hole

Try your best to win them all
and one day time will tell
when you’re the one that’s standing there
you’ll reach the final bell!

Mahogany steering box in progress

You’re the best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down

Mahogany steering box upside down

You’re the Best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down

Adding some long lag bolts for extra sturdiness

You’re the Best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you dow-ow-ow-ho-how-ho-own

Incredibly sweaty and covered in epoxy and fiberglass dust again

INSPIRING GUITAR SOLO

Additional steering support blocks in place

You’re the best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down

Getting ready to install steering support frame

You’re the Best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down

Clamping steering support frame into place

You’re the Best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you dow-ow-ow-ow-own

Shimming the crap out of either side of the frame for additional clamping power

Fight ‘til you drop
never stop
can’t give up

A nice thickened epoxy and colloidal silica filler below steering support frame

Til you reach the top (FIGHT!)

you’re the best in town (FIGHT!)

Clamping bottom of steering support frame into place

Listen to that sound
A little bit of all you got
Can never bring you down

Propshaft with old #25 coupling

You’re the best!
Around!

Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down

Propshaft

You’re the Best!

Around!

Old Water RV-20 V-Drive removed

Fade out...