Putting In the Bilge Tanks - Episode 205 - Acorn to Arabella: Journey of a Wooden Boat
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- Опубликовано: 17 мар 2022
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The head might be a small space, but there are a lot of details that have required a great deal of planning and critical decision-making. Steve discusses and installs the AirHead, the sink that will work with a foot pump, and the watermaker components and where they'll go.
Foregoing a hot water system and pressurized water, but opting into a reverse osmosis/desalination system, while installing a desiccating head over a water-fed head with a 15-gallon black water holding tank results in a good mix of simplicity and amenity that will serve well for long-term cruising. Steve's philosophy is to be as self-sufficient as possible and to keep things simple, maintenance-wise.
The bilge tanks are installed. One is a gray water holding tank for the sinks and shower pan. The other is a pickup tank for freshwater that will serve the foot pumps and sinks in both the head and galley.
And the freshwater tank inside the settee is installed permanently and snugly into its home. It's exciting to see the first piece of PEX piping in place that will feed into the pickup tank.
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Acorn to Arabella is a boat building project taking place in Granby, Massachusetts. Steve started as an amateur boat builder building a 38' wooden boat in his backyard: designer William Atkin's Ingrid with a Stormy Petrel's gaff rig. These videos follow the journey from tree felling, to lumber milling, to lofting, to the lead keel pour and beyond-sharing details of the woodworking, carpentry, metal smithing, tool building, and tool maintenance that wooden boats command. This ultimate DIY project will continue well past launch, when he and the crew will travel and learn to cruise aboard the boat that they've built. Just kidding about all that, this channel is about a Siberian Laika named Akiva.
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You wont regret the watermaker. Moreso than a fridge or any other luxury item we've added over the years to our "once" simple boat, it's a total gamechanger and opens the flexibility and self sufficiency as a cruiser more than anything else. We have a spectra cape horn extreme with dual feed pumps, as well as a little manual watermaker in our ditch bag. Even on a 27' with only 50 gallons of tankage, all that redundancy, as well as the ability for the watermaker to run solely off the solar we have onboard, gives us the same range and comfort as any other much larger boat out there. You can get lost for months in a unhabitated area and still shower, wash the boat, and just generally not ever have to be a water nazi. Your placement of everything is very similar to ours, with all the pumps and gauges above the wash basin in the head. We built an enclosure which opens to reveal everything. Our membrane housing is below our settee, which we like because it's heavy and a bit obtrusive and makes an audible knocking sound with every cycle of the HP clark pump energy recovery mechanism. I'm assuming based on your fine taste in boat parts, that you'll probably go with a Spectra 12v WM.. if so, it was advised to us even in our wee little 27' to try and make room for the Cape Horn. Dual feed pumps over the Ventura and more manual than the Catalina, thus more bulletproof. We made it fit and haven't regretted it..have had onboard for 7 years now and the only parts that have gone are one feed pump head and a small leak in the product flow gauge. We also don't hesitate to run in silty water, it just burns thru pre-filters faster. We definitely don't run in polluted harbors tho, which is generally where it's easiest to find potable water onshore. If you can, make the call about which WM you get sooner rather than later so you can mock up as best you can. They end up taking a lot of room and the different makes and models and can change how everything will want to fit in there. You will want to have a generally good idea of how all the modules work before install for ease of servicing. BTW, don't be so quick to outright disregard a pressure water system onboard. Definitely the foot pumps for everything you will use on a daily basis, but there are many times when having a simple pressure water system to the main galley sink, preferably with an extendable faucet, will make your life easier..say when trying to fill up a 5 gallon bucket or your wonderful Helio LX shower (get a spare gasket or two for the lid). We have showered in the cockpit for years with our Helio and it's great. You will also need a pressure water system if you want to operate a watermaker, which requires pressure water plumbed in to flush the membrane after each usage. All it takes is a 12v water pump and a little more hose. Cheers!
I love how the work bench drawers are already filled with "stuff!" As a sailor, cleaning out the drawers is what I like to call "anchorage entertainment!" I love the head grates! DD
Future Steve will thank you for those little touches that add an element of comfort. Future Steve will be a little older and more appreciative of the things you do today!
In these crazy times of wars and pestilence, famines and heartbreak, I thank you for your honesty and truth. Your creation is so inspirational against the destruction I see everywhere. Thank you again TEAM. Beautiful job all 🕊️❤️
We live in the "land of Liveoak" and lost a huge (30" butt) Liveoak during hurricane Harvey. I couldn't bring myself to just hack it up. I've been making things out of my 'fallen lumber yard' and immediately thought of it as you shared the fate of your hickory mallet. Great choice of wood. I expect it will be a treasured daily user in your grandchildren's toolbox.
It’s very interesting how complicated a “keep it as simple as it can be” is. Your doing an amazing job balancing. It’s fascinating watching you find room for everything. Can’t get over craftsmen of your work
Thanks for saying so, Steven!
Einstein once remarked: make things as simple as possible but no simpler. I attended a mathematics conference titled Simplicity. As it turns out getting to simple solutions is a very complicated process. Cantor’s continuum hypothesis is an example of this. So much so no one has been able to mathematically solve it. Along the road to simplicity many things are reconciled.
Terrific episode! Love the details and the way Arabella is coming together. Thanks for explaining how the "composting" head works. The kerf-curved sink cabinet really turned out beautifully, especially for a "first effort". Thanks for sharing; you make my week!
You and the people helping you have such great talent.
Thank you, Keven!
As always I love all the woodworking! But the selfies with Akiva are priceless. Direct depositing feces off the side is frowned upon in marinas! You killed me! I'm dead!
HAHAHHA happy Friday, Kathy!
Steve; I continue to be impressed by your craftsmanship. The quality of your builds are amazing and unspringing.
Thank you!
Some of the most time consuming things about building a boat from scratch are all the decisions, decisions.... Lookin' good, Steve.
Hoo boy! That’s so true. Thanks!
Watching Anne transform the wood for the head was so satisfying! Great work!
Excellent video. Really liked the explanation of the decision making process for the water maker and the heads.
Steve, you're a better man than me. I don't think I could go that long without an endless hot shower and a flushing toilet. I just imagine being sick 🤢 and trying to use that stuff, or working hard all day and just wanting to be relaxed and clean.
watching the tanks fitting into their slots is just so satisfying 😩
I've been re-watching the older episodes and it's amazing to see the progress from where you started. Great work guys!. BTW Steve, it's a water heater, not a hot water heater. Love you guys!
Is that like saying cheese quesadilla?
Yeah, if it's already hot, why heat it?
@@forthwithtx5852 from the " Department of Redundancy Department."
The sink assembly, by itself, is an incredible work of art!
Thank you, Curtis.
Dude, you have arrived! You are officially a "Mastermind"! Nice work.
😁
I never realized that there are an amazing amount of details that go into building a liveaboard sailing boat.
Shower debris caught between wood grates and a waterproof pan is a real maintenance thing , hair, skin , poo. Good disinfectant solution a must, especially in a confined space.
Keep in mind maintainability; You have to be able to switch membrane (you'd need double the length of a membrane), clean the strainer/pre-filter and service the pump. I would have tried to place the control panel somewhere where your head is in this video, so that you don't have to reach in every time you have to tamper with the system.
i get a kick out of seeing steve's job description each week ! sympathies to anne for the loss of her little one.
for securing the tanks, wide velcro strap with a memory foam kind of pad glued to the tank. velcro is really strong and the pads will want to spring back and buffer it. also, you may want to look into silver pieces for the water tanks, its a natural antimicrobial and growth inhibitor.
It’s. a pleasant alternative to watch all your videos these days…..with all that’s going on . Nice work Steve and Co.!!!!
Happy Friday, James!
With all that fancy plumbing it reminds me of my dads fishing boat and my sailboat. All we had for water was a tank and a Whale Gusher foot pump, forget warm showers.
That's a refreshing reality check amongst all this vicarious insistence on trivial comforts.
I've sailed like that all my life, and very much enjoy the simplicity and economy. In fact I've come to view warm showers as an unnecessary and less healthy option, even on land and even in winter in snow country. Everything is relative, not absolute.
Good thinking on the water usage. One thing to think about is that water makers need to be run pretty consistently to keep the membranes working. You may want to put in the pressure water system and shower a bit more often than you think.
Okay as much as I am enjoying the build. I am LOVING the detail to finish on the wood. I personally think natural wood these days is very UNDER RATED for its natural beauty. Great job on the finishing touches showing it off. Stay safe
Thanks, Paul!
I'm with the "don't make a camping trip" folks. You're going to want comfort for a home.
I definitely foresee a water heater and electric pump for at least a real shower in this boats future.
I enjoy this kind of video where important systems are discussed, including pros/cons. Also, I enjoyed Ben's music for the build montage and the end title. Catchy!
Thanks for the feedback!
As always, this is the best part of my Friday mornings. Thank you so much.
I honestly like your thinking process on how you approach things like the water/shower. Nothing is permanent as long as you know that going into the process then it makes the build that much easier.
Hey, there is always soap on a rope and jump over board...
Don't forget the PTFE thread tape when you do the final fitting of plastic to cast iron connectors. Love the reasoning behind all the head fittings and toilet. On a sunny deck that shower container will get lovely and hot.
That live oak mallet will last as long as Arabella, and I doubt you'll ever get a splinter from it. What a beautiful tool, can't wait to see it put to good use.
It's broken already. There's a chunk missing from the end of the handle.
As always, a great video and the explanations for the desiccant toilet and shower unit make absolute sense!!
It's really nice when people are able to explain a system clearly and concisely. It's one of the things that has me really looking forward to the next A2A video every Friday.
Steve, regarding hot water, I have what theoretically is a simple idea. You could run a loop of pipe in and out of the head from the heater, and connect it to a custom heat exchanger (could just be copper pipe coiled up in an appropriate shape to collect the heat). The heat exchanger might fit between the heater and the tile surround, but the closer to the flame, the better for instant hot water. You could connect the top end of the loop to the top of a tank sized similar to your foot pump shower and possibly hang it up, using a foot pump to fill it from your water source. Then use another foot pump connected to the bottom of the heat exchanger to recirculate the water through the loop until it is warm enough in the small tank. Put a diverter valve between the foot pump and the heat exchanger with a second outlet going to the shower head. Use this diverter to switch between heating and showering so you can use one foot pump. Just turn on the heater when you want a hot shower, and pump for a little bit to build up the heat in the shower tank. You may be able to set the valve to flow the tank water through the diverter and get thermal pumping action automatically, but I think it would take a lot more time for the heat to accumulate.
Great idea!
Your wood work and the way your fit thing shows a lot of thought. On water use for showers. We used to use one of those hanging bags that held 3 gallons of water. Three people could shower on 3 gallons of water. Does not take much water.
Used one of those hang-up bags in Alaska when the weather was too cold to wash in the river. A half-gallon bag was enough for one person's complete wash; just heated up part of the water on a little Coleman stove and mixed it beforehand to wash temperature before pouring it in the bag. Have also used a small battery-run electric shower pump that feeds from a bucket; doesn't need a foot pump, runs for several showers worth on one charge and charges from a USB charger.
The fact that human poop just magically disappears for most people is one of the great accomplishments of modern plumbing and civil engineering. Having to replicate it on a boat really brings the awareness of the accomplishment back into focus.
Well put.
Great to hear about the design process and all the choices that are made. I can feel the breeze starting to rise and ruffle the sails! :-)
You guys are inspirational! Keep it up!
More progress!! Keep rolling along Arabella crew!! 👍👍👌👌👏👏 Great episode!
🙌🏼
I really like your minimalistic and practical approach.
There should only be “composting toilets” and foot pumps for water. Saves tons of energy, resources and makes ppl appreciate resources.
Coming along well can’t wait to see her in the water finally.
Feels like it’s right around the corner, but with a whole lot of stuff to do in the middle.
I'm impressed with the entire enterprise, including the effort put into the video and audio recording.
Congratulations to all!
That toilet is very interesting. I can see Steve has really done his research before deciding on the system best for Arabella.
Yup, still starting to look like a boat!
Yeah, love the all around vise/anvil/3rd hand!
Noted and appreciated the extra minutes of this episode. I was almost able to finish my coffee! #a2acoffeeclub
I cannot wait to see that water-maker. 800 psi? Oh, yeah.
I haven't watched a video in a couple of years and it's incredible how much you've gotten done in that time!
Thanks for that perspective!
Another very enjoyable AA video.
We have been following the building of AA from the beginning. Getting to this stag of the build was easy, can’t believe the thought that is given to the smallest of details to conserve space and it has to work in so many different conditions, underway, at anchorage or in a marina. It only takes 90% of the time to finish the last 10% of this type of project.
Enjoy listening to Steve explain his thought process for the many many tasks to be completed on AA
From Missouri
Steve's explanations really shows how much reading and research he's done when planning this build. His lecture answered all of my questions, as I thought of them to ask. As always, I learned a lot.
It's not like I'm ever gonna build a boat or anything like that, but if I ever go camping deep in the wilderness, I now know there is a portable foot pump powered shower that I can take with me...
We’re glad you’re finding some useful and interesting stuff here! Thanks!
Great show, thanks for sharing.
Interesting discussion on the desiccant head. Hopefully it will work for you. Nice finish to all the wood work, thanks Anne. Hope, your new ship wright works out for you. I thought in a previous video the helper was a guy. I was wrong. Thanks for the video.
I like your ethos. You are a lot more hardcore than me and i guess a lot of people but given that you are i think your approach is a good one. You are keeping it simple, robust and as energy light as possible. As you say you can always add these comfort options at a later date and as you get older and softer.
The older I get, the more I find that comfort and luxury are dispensable. Even at home I don't bother washing or showering myself with hot water (or soap), I sleep on a padded plank, and I'm in better shape that forty years ago, when I was actually physically very fit, but had back and hip and knee problems and felt prematurely old.
I've been able to solve those problems by changing the way I use and look after my body -- which is a separate issue, but related, in a way, to doing without "comfort" items. I don't go in for chairs, for instance.
I love watching the woodworking! I also love the handheld camera work. It makes watching so much more interesting.
Thanks, Pat!
Things are getting done, areas of the boat are coming together….great to see….my Friday is complete.
On another matter, my t-shirt arrived yesterday so thank you for that. Loving the design. Keep up the great work guys 👌
Thanks for the support!
that boat is a work of art. the combination of fine woodworking and doing what you love. your eye for detail is amazing.
Thanks, Luc!
Beautiful new mallet!!
Thanks again folks.
Trying to keep things simple can be a challenge at times. Enjoyed the video Steve
Very thorough - good job
I love watching the actual work in progress. The time lapse clips are great. You guys should do a long video of just the actual work in progress from start to finish. No talking, except voice over.
It is surreal seeing final appliances being installed on what Steve and Alix fell and milled just the other episode! In these hellish times with no part of our normal routines left unaffected it is not only interesting and amazing but reassuring and important to see a project moving along more than less on schedule and the original plan coming to glorious fruition. Steve has proven to be a giant among men, navigating his vision through uncharted passages with laser focus and unyielding determination that are not common today. It is my hope that the book chronicling this adventure will provide a comfortable future for Arrabella and her company. Thanks to all of you for allowing me to share your journey but ultimate gratitude to Steve for a lesson in life.
Extremely kind words there, thank you.
Great progress.👍
A little suggestion: suspend the high pressure pump under the deck, then prefilter and control panel under it, that will clear some flat surface on the counter.
Shift that to the left and you can push the main filter further back.
👍🏼👍🏼
I think the dog wants to play in the boat with you guys, he looks in on your work thinking "why can't I get down there with you " . I'm jealous because I only get to look over your shoulder online. Happy dog haha. I love this channel
Aw thanks, William!
Nice work. Really nice work. Amazing.
Wow. My last comment was before the poo and shower story. Great segment.
Great video. Very wise with fitting tanks into place. Nice PVC plumbing work looks pro. No nice way to talk about poo. We all have to go & this system looks like a good one. You put a lot of thought into everything before jumping on to something.
I'm putting three-way valves on my deck drains to catch rain water. Rainwater is delicious.
Similar to your camp shower pump, I use a garden sprayer in the shower, about a tenner each, pressurised, clear, and the mist can be set really fine so I can have a shower on 2-3L of water! No foot pumping required 😁
Looking forward to these videos every week!
🙌🏼thanks for being here, Eddie!
@@AcornToArabella thanks for the reply!! Wow! I'm here every week, try to never miss it.
Great progress. Well done.
Thanks, Rick!
Checking space for the “technicolour chunders”. Now that’s planning ahead!
Looking sharp.
Great episode! I enjoyed learning about how your watermaker will work. So many things to consider, especially for ease of access. I have a reverse osmosis system at home for aquariums. One issue I ran into a few times was with changing the pre-filters. The filters were in plastic housings that you use a little plastic hexagon-shaped wrench to unscrew. I didn't leave good access for removing those so I waited a while to change the filters...and then couldn't unscrew the lids anymore even adding a pipe to the handle for leverage. If your pre filter housings are similar the answer is to get some food grade silicone lube on the o-ring that goes between the bowl and lid of the filter. I wish I knew that earlier so I didn't have to take apart the mounting to get the filters into a vice to open them.
Thanks for these great tips!
Just to give you guys a little perspective on water. First, I think you are making good decisions for a number of reasons. First, simpler is better (and cheaper), second energy, energy, energy, and lastly, for your size boat your tankage is ample. So, back in the day (1970's) three of us did a 30-day bluewater passage with 60 gallons of water. We were fine, if a little rank, and had water to spare. It really depends on your ability to conserve and you seem to be on board with that program.
Thanks for sharing your story, Steven!
Steve, great job on planning and fitting your water supply and discharge system in the boat. I do have one suggestion though. The composting toilet that you have chosen has a container for your solid waste and a separate container for urine. I saw a guy install one of these in a small camper van. Instead of using a urine container he plumbed it straight into the larger grey water tank under the van. I would suggest the same to you, figure out how to connect the urine port from your toilet and send it down into your bilge grey water tank. Then you wouldn't have to empty and clean that little tank on a daily basis.
If you chose not to plumb it in, and go with that tank than I would recommend you attaching a float to that little tank (incase you drop it overboard). Or have a spare urine tank on board.
Thanks!
Interesting… not sure if that works for what we’re doing but we’ll have a look. Thanks for the recommendation.
I have used an Airhead on SVSosiego for 7 years with one year full time. I think it is the best system for boat head! I’ve tried them all. No real detectable odor. Like any system there is a learning curve. Number one is don’t let any liquid get in to solids tank results are unspeakable. We use coffee filters for number two and one got caught between the two tanks and acted like a wick. Enough said. I do subscribe to the keep it simple stupid philosophy because every system will eventually break down and repair is much easier in remote locals the simpler they system. So you are definitely on the right path! We enjoy your work. Keep on keeping on!
Thanks for relaying your experience, Joseph!
Incredible amount of custom building to make Arabella. Incredible amount of skill also shown in each episode.
Thank you, Sonya! Happy Friday.
Exquisite woodwork in the head, and great choices with the toilet and foot-powered water!
I have a pressurized water system, but guess what? The pump has started to leak again, so it's back to good old-fashioned canisters and jugs. They work too. I only use the pump for showers and switch it all off again after.
As for black water holding tanks, a couple I knew in the marina had a complete fail, had to cut open the top of the tank and shovel it out into buckets for transportation to the Elsan for disposal. Need I say more?
Yikes! Thanks for sharing that, Malcolm!
That all sounds great! I've used a similar (but smaller) portable shower rig when camping, and it's amazing how warm (and how fast) you can get it on a sunny day, even in the comparatively cold climes of a UK summer - sounds like a fantastic solution for you to have, and totally what I was expecting you'd put in!
Great teaser for "what KP's been working on", looking forward to seeing them at work next week!
Thanks for watching, Tom!
Great episode!
Thanks!
For the vent of the desiccant bucket, right before the fan, you should put a organic fumes filter. It will really help with the odors.
2:07 - You been here as long as me.
11:48 - Respect; complex system, good pre-planning.
24:19 - Not dealt with that outside of ski trips in a long while' not unhappy about it.
Great detail re the water tank mounts, the various uses of the head and the fresh water generating plant. Given the probably value of the Arabella upon launch, I fully agree with the advice you received, re 'avoid finishing as if on a camping trip - design functions for comfort where you can'. The decisions you've made are on the lower end of the comfort curve, in my view. And not much above camping. But they are not as primitive as you typically endure on our land adventures. Overall, a fair balance. Noted that several j-boxes have no covers - yet. Really enjoy these Friday morning updates - great organization of each episode. Each are of commercial quality; far above most YT videos. This sets you apart and above 95% of what I see there.
Thanks for the kind words, Bill! It feels good to know you see our hard work. Glad you’re on the journey with us.
I really like the way you can use the work station in Arabella. I’m thinking it saves you having to go out of the boat to get tools and use a vice
It’s an amazing time-saver for sure!
I plumbed my entire house with those stainless PEX crimp fittings, and I've come to regret it. I've had a number of them corrode and let go, causing major leaks inside wall and ceiling cavities, which are a real pain to fix. And mine aren't in a marine environment! I would highly recommend getting an expander + sleeve type system (Uponor or equivalent) as they seem to be a lot more reliable and should completely avoid the corrosion issue.
1000000% THIS. Wirsbo collars are the original (and correct) way to terminate PEX. Those crimp connectors don't generate remotely enough force, and are too fragile/thin for anything more than a temporary repair.
Completely agree. It's not IF they fail, it's WHEN. Change them now.
In the early 90's when I was building Megayachts we did some tests with different plumbing systems for potable water. when I started we were using CPVC but freezing has started to be a problem so we explored the, then brand new, Upnor PEX as well as a couple of other systems. None of the other systems that we tested were both economical to install sturdy enough and resistant to freezing enough to meet our needs. the crimp systems, which were common at the time, would fail if they froze and couldn't handle the movement and vibration that the marine environment presented. Upnor cold freeze solid with no damage, responded well to heat, was physically very resilient (we stretched it 200%, and with the application of heat returned to its original dimensions.) In short we were unable to find any products that were superior. There is a reason that the crimped version is the system of choice for manufactured homes and RV's.
Try the shark bites they meat code and you just push the pipe into them and your good to go theirs a little 10 dollar tool used to take them off and they work with pex and copper
It's not only frowned on you're not supposed to dump your tank unless you're 3 Mi or more offshore
Hi Anne and Steve,
We’re always keen to see how detailed you’re working with the build of Arabella and we thought we’ve seen a glimp of Katie in this vlog. With her help the process of the building might be going a bit faster. We wish you both as well as Aaron of course lots of success and happiness and we send you love from the Netherlands.
Best regards,
Willeke and Dick de Graaff
Hello Dick and Willeke! Thank you!
While I may not agree with some of Steve’s design decisions, I have to say he is an excellent craftsman. Beautiful job Steve!!!
Thanks!
That's a cool shower system! Ideal for a traveling sailboat! Realistically with good grooming one needs to bathe once every 3 days or so, especially if you have access to a bidet. Good choice with the toilet system as well, it's probably what I would've picked
A bidet is out of the question with a desiccating head, unfortunately. Too much water in a system built to dewater. But, yes, the shower is cool! Thanks for watching!
@@AcornToArabella its something that can be done on deck anyway :) especially if you're out in the middle of open water. Not to mention you can always bathe by taking a quick swim, if the water isn't too cold haha
Great vid thanks, I have been trying to decide on some form of saltwater spray to clean the anchor/mooring line as it comes onto the fordeck . The camping shower is the perfect solution .
The grating the toilet is on needs to be bolted down but the other one in the head could easily be secured using some good magnets. Epoxying a few magnets into the grates & the pan would give you anywhere between 20lb & 200lb of holding force more than enough to keep it in place while making a drain underneath easily accessible.
We used 'Sun Showers' on our sailboat. Just a thick, black plastic bag with a hose and nozzle. You had to check before using as the water could get really hot in the summer sun. There was no need for pressure as gravity from a three foot drop was enough for a nice spray, and the bag held enough water for a nice long shower. (intermittent use, of course)...
Happy Arabella day everyone!
To secure those tanks in the bilge you might consider drilling some holes through the cross beams, tapping them, and fitting a sort of large set screw with a wooden pad on the underside that exerts some pressure on the tanks to hold them secure. That would help with the up and down motion. For the lateral motion you can always fit some chocks in place to secure them.
One thing I used to do for water is to trough the sail during rain and collect the rain water. Great way to collect some extra water.
Only able to go sailing three times since I was a teenager in the 60's. Our Sea Explorer Troup had a 24 ft. gaff riged sail boat with cabin that would sleep 4 and we could put a canvase over the boom to sleep 2 more in the cockpit. Sailed once with the spinnaker and I had the tiller. Amazed how fast we made it back to Mystic boat yard in CT.
Thanks for sharing this memory!
Greetings from Land Locked South Dakota. Dig your work and videos. Come to the Black Hills and climb our rocks.
As I worried, in the previous tanks video, and was told in the comments otherwise, you seem to have simply tapped thread into that very thin stainless sheet metal, in order to screw down your inspection port lids. You will have to be incredibly careful with those bolts and the threads, especially after a life and time in a marine environment. Small gauge stainless on stainless thread will love to misbehave there-as I’m sure you know it is incredibly easy to gall and strip threads and/or sheer bolts with such stainless. Because it is a top horizontal surface, you will quickly accumulate salts on the top surfaces which will find their way (in small amounts, but enough to help corrosion and pitting) into your threads-it won’t be enough to contaminate your water by any means, but it will be enough to accelerate ‘stainless’ doings it’s thing it likes to do in damp low oxygen places like your threads there.
Aside from being very careful whenever removing and screwing down your inspection ports, I think it would pay to apply the best food safe anti-seize grease to the threads (and even on the rubber gasket) you can come up with. For a hatch that is actually used, I would have preferred a welded on flange and tri clamp fitting as I said in previous comment. I’m sure yours will work, I’m just trying to worry years into the future, and I have had tapped stainless like this gall and shear and cause big headaches. Also, what’s the plan B when you DO strip a thread or shear a bolt-it is your essential drinking water after all?
Thank you. Thought i was the only one who noticed this.
Sealing threaded machine screw inserts would have been a no brainer.
Two things, I think it would be a good idea to have a salt water flush for the gray water tank. I also feel it is a mistake to not have hot water. To be able to take a consistent hot water shower after swimming in cold water is a moral boost more than a convince. And with infinite water heaters, you won't have a huge tank taking up space, and energy usage is minimal as the system is on demand.
Yeah, but the energy/fuel usage of "on-demand" water heaters is relatively high compared to the energy availability on a small boat.
When it comes to the morals of using hot water, there is no right or wrong.
Be sure to bring a plug to close up the hole for the soap dispenser after it's broken and been replaced however many times per month you're willing to tolerate.
For a shower Dan & Kika from Sailing Uma used a garden sprayer tank which is similar to your camping foot pump set up. They would boil some hot water and add it to the spray bottle to get nice warm rinse off the soap showers. Great content. Looking good & thanks for sharing
Those work great.