Water Tanks Installed in Settee

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Port Settee Before Water TankThe water tanks on both the port and starboard side had been removed prior to my purchasing the boat. Rather than have them molded and fit to the go under the settee, I ordered the closest fit possible from Ronco Plastics. Everybody at Ronco was super helpful and they gave me a great deal on two 22 gallon tanks – $300 for both. The model number of the tanks is B145 and they fit relatively well. I used pourable foam to cushion them against the hull and from the sides of the settee.  On the bottom, I put neoprene down to cushion the tank, due to the fact the bottom is a “v” and not flat. I also poured pourable foam and filled in the spaces between the supports. I built two stringers along the hull to weave straps through as tie downs. Between the foam and the stringers, the water tanks in the settee aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Continue reading →

Building an Engine Bed

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The engine was bough and rested on the hard while I installed the engine mounts. The whole process made me nervous due to the exact angle required by the prop shaft. The angle I had to work with was 18 degrees. A friend in the blogosphere had just installed the same engine in a Baba 35 and had a 15 degree angle. I measured and remeasured and could get nothing but 18 degrees so that I what I went with. And yes, after a few adjustments, the end result was 18 degrees. Below you can see how I went about determining the angle. Continue reading →

Repower or Rebuild? The Yanmar 3JH5E Won Out

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When Penelope was purchased, the former owner had removed the Perkins 4-108 diesel engine. The Perkins was said to run well but it was an undetermined age and I had no experience with any Perkins engines. The engine was to first of many large expenses to show up on the spreadsheet that I hadn’t planned for. I spent a week debating over the merits of rebuilding the Perkins or buying a new Yanmar 3JH5E. The Perkins was a 50hp engine while the Yanmar is only a 39hp. Not really a factor since I’m not a fan of the noise of the iron beasts and only use them in and out of the harbor, theoretically at least. Continue reading →

Installing Diesel Tank

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Foam Finish for tank

Bed for Diesel Tank

Installing the diesel tank seemed straight forward enough but upon further investigation on the possibilities, the process got complicated. I had originally wanted to make an integral tank, using the sides of the keel and then making two walls fore and aft. However, I chickened out and went in search of a pre-made tank that would fit the narrow 12 to 16 inches of keel space I had. The time spent researching and debating how to install the diesel tank I bought could have easily surpassed 50 hours. Between conflicting internet advice and terrifying warnings regarding boats blowing up due to the inexperience and idiocy of diesel tank placemen, I was thoroughly spooked. Continue reading →