Sabre 28 - Cruiser - Project

[JawsOrca]

Todays update.

 

Rain stopped sanding... although we still did amazingly well yesterday and I'm paying for it today. So I didn't really spend much time over there. I got a bit of sanding done.. bit on the front deck and most of the starboard side. 

 

Unfortunately with the rain we noticed theres a couple of leaks still.. Its impossible to seal this boat..Jessica the woodern sailboat was far easier!!.. We know what to do though so when it dries up again we will do this.

 

I measured up and an ikea kitchen is going in.. (Hireboat style!).. it will just save a lot of time and they will do a better a job than me plus their stuff is neat and tidy .. I'll probably go for oak doors though. (I like the black carcasses too.. I know its not proper but we can always take it out at a later date and do properly but for now Ikea here we come!).

 

Dave done well again though. He plumbed the water system in; so tank in, water pump, accumulator, calli and neatly ran all the pipework... the taps just need to go in when that stuffs built. He also ran copper pipe for the gas stuff and also made up the pipework for the engine fuel system. He also reinstalled the dashboard and put back in the steering cable. He also started on the electric system putting in the fuse panels and busbars etc. Finally he said he primed the dashboard. I was going to clad the dashboard in timber but we think now it will look a bit dark in there so we will probably paint the dash and put a nice woodern insert where the panels and switches will go.

 

So a lot has happened this weekend and hopefully if we can get more weekends like this we will be sorted.

 

Picture attached showing the dash back on and primed.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

She`s coming along nicely Alan.

[JawsOrca]

Progress report..

 

Tad late this weekend.. I overdid it tad in the sun and passed out pretty much last night!

 

Externally the boat is about 70% sanded, it has been a very hard task, even considering we have this professional random orbital sander and I'm down to 40grit sandpaper (which is basically like chunks of glass!), the boat has been painted in two pack (car paint) so its as tough as concrete in places.. although this paint, albeit thick, hasn't stuck well to the layer below so it has to come off. I'm almost there, just a couple of bits left and a few bits where I can't get this big sander in.. although we have other neat sanders which will do the job.

 

We had some really nice comments from fellow members in the club here, along the lines of "Wow Alan polished the hull up well", "What do you mean that's primer, you can't see the brush marks.. (Until they get withing 5cms) .. oh yeah".. "how the ducks do you do that?!" People have even asked how much to paint their boat (£5k if anyones reading!).. To be honest the primers come up OK considering we didn't really plan to do it we just had a gap in the weather so did it.. it will need a light rub down before the second coat goes on.. 

 

Hopefully I can get the rest of the boat sanded down this week depending on the weather (and my energy levels!).

 

Internally, Dave put the final gloss coat (he didn't hang about!) on the dashboard area and the lower wheelhouse walls, He's already started mounting some lighting and a gas (convection if that's the type) heater in the wheelhouse wall (so we can use the boat in the winter months and stay warm in the wheelhouse He's also mounted the battery master switch on the wheelhouse wall and I understand he made up the battery cables.

 

A few parts arrived, more lights and a new Vetus engine thermostat from ebay that I got for 99p (including postage!).

 

Yesterday morning we had a morning off and went to a boat jumble in essex, we had been to this before and it wasn't good, but a lovely sunny weekend brought lots of stalls but hardly no buyers so it was really nice to walk easily around. We done really well, my obsession for anything Vetus is still going strong and I completed my vetus gauge collection. (We now have new, Rev gauge with electronic engine hours, voltmeter, (key, lights panel), Engine temp, Oil pressure, fuel gauge and exhaust alarm) we brought some other bits but I've forgotten already (Oh vetus engine cables) and we even had a sunday lunch for the first time in months.. 

 

 

So coming week, Vetus engine wiring loom is expected to be delivered so that can all go in and the engine can be fired up for the first time. I'll be (hopefully), sanding, filling and painting and sanding filling and paint.. joy..

[MBA Marine]

when paint is really thick and hard to sand, try a heat gun, soften the paint and peel it of with a scraper (but dont set fire to the boat!), then a buz over with sander once the worst is off.

[Guest]

You need to be very careful when using such a course grit power sander to not remove the gelcoat as well as the two pack paint. If you go down to the bare layup, you'll really degrade the structure.

 

The gelcoat is usually only a around a couple of millimetres thick, so very easy to sand right through, especially on curved surfaces.

 

It's very expensive to re-apply gelcoat other than very small areas, and quite impractical on a DIY basis because of the Pro gear needed.

[JawsOrca]

That's a good tip there Mark. I've not thought of that. I was thinking of using stripper but can't now as we primed the bloody hull.. I guess the gel coat is quite heat resistant though and it would be hard to melt?

 

Thanks Strowager. I'm doing it very carefully considering the pads quickly get blunt. 

[Dan]

Here's a couple of brochure extracts.

 

The Richardsons one from 1991 doesn't imply there was more than one though?

 

The Harvey Eastwood's were all Santa Something - but the Santa Elena's were the ones with the hard top...

 

Dan

[MBA Marine]

That's a good tip there Mark. I've not thought of that. I was thinking of using stripper but can't now as we primed the bloody hull.. I guess the gel coat is quite heat resistant though and it would be hard to melt?

 

Thanks Strowager. I'm doing it very carefully considering the pads quickly get blunt. 

Gel blisters up fairly quickly if you hold the heat on too long, but its not difficult to find the balance.

[JawsOrca]

Here's a couple of brochure extracts.

 

The Richardsons one from 1991 doesn't imply there was more than one though?

 

The Harvey Eastwood's were all Santa Something - but the Santa Elena's were the ones with the hard top...

 

Dan

 

Wow thanks for this Dan. Although this isn't an old boat it's still nice to see a little bit of its history considering so far I've found noting. All I know is that these where Built (or designed) by Stirling (or Sterling) marine in Cambridge, Harvey Eastwood appeared to use some one the broads although they have a planning hull they appear to be intended as a coastal cruiser. Considering the minimal damage to the jel coat on the hull and no signs of a name anywhere we came to the conclusion that the boat was private from new, although overcovering that name add confusion.  Looking at these pictures though there's no signs of these colours (there's no blue anywhere and from sanding the first colour was creme then yellow then white all the way), ours also has an extended hardtop. I'm thinking it probably was in norfolk for a time and inherited that name but then left (maybe in an unfinished state) and we know it spent a bit of time on the isle of wight then the medway.. 

 

But thanks for publishing these clippings for us, it's deepened the mystery.. I may just give up though and say shes ex-hire boat! I doubt I'll be able to identify its full history. 

 

, Alan

[JawsOrca]

Just back from an hour sanding.. 

 

Couple of pictures attached.

 

Wheelhouse wall all glossed (I'd say final coat but dave will scratch it before the end of the build).

 

A backend view from our roof terraced garden (on the houseboat) showing a sanded and primed hull and a semi cleaned canopy (We have a dinghy but the waters hardly in!)..

[diesel falcon]

hi,

can i ask you what sort of heater that is??, canister or piped?

[JawsOrca]

Hello, Its Piped... but it does have a FFD so should be OK.. I've seen these (still) on hireboats? (Worrying now!!)..

[JawsOrca]

I'm sure I saw one but I could have been imagining that! I know we had one on Alpha firefly but that was erm a few years back!!

 

Worst case we can use for the build then remove if the BSC fails it.. We are putting a eberspacer in so can just run a vent to the wheelhouse if that's the case too.  I admit though we didnt think too much on this though considering its technically outside but the BSC can be a bit "weird".. 

[diesel falcon]

Which make and model meant to add, ie is flueless, or room sealed flue, and do the manufacturers advise use in a marine enviroment? it,s going to get rather damp in winter,

[diesel falcon]

The flue may be a sticking point......if its room sealed it,s ok

8.10.3 Do all appliance flues and exhausts terminate directly to outside air? A 

Check the location of all flue and exhaust terminals. 

Check for the presence of a canopy or canopy fixings where a 

flue/exhaust terminates at any part of the vessel which could 

be enclosed by a canopy. 

Appliance flue and exhaust terminals must 

be located outside the interior of the 

vessel and outside of any areas which may 

be enclosed by a canopy. 

Applicability – in the event a fault is determined take the actions described in Appendix A. 

[JawsOrca]

Thanks appreciate this. I know we may come unstuck a tad on the BSC bits because all the last boats have been sea boats so we haven't had to stick to this (although we did try and follow it as best as we could but we was never examined).

 

I'm no BSC expert (I think you need a Phd to understand parts of it) But I think the catalytic heater section overrules that which basically states:

 

The provisions of this section of Part 8 in the 2002 BSS Standards are mandatory for non-private boats where applicable.

Catalytic heaters must conform to BS 5258-11 or BS EN 449. This will ensure that the heater is provided with suitable safety devices to prevent unburned gas from being released into the cabin. [8.2]

 

http://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/boat-examination/non-private-boats/part-8-appliances,-flueing-ventilation/catalytic-heaters/

 

We need to get the BSC done before we launch though so can easily make changes here or there.. 

[BroadScot]

I wonder if the heater is still on Pacific Moonlight. Sorry cannot show pic.

 

Iain.

[JawsOrca]

Thanks Iain.. I just googled and found a picture with one on that boat. I'm sure I saw one on a HW boat when I was up there last (The canopy was down I wasn't peeping through the windows lol).  Thanks again. 

[diesel falcon]

Ahh a cat, you might get away with that ,bss is a minefield! bet everybody now looks up catalitic heaters for boats now!!,they do sell them openly for use on boats still

[JawsOrca]

Ahh a cat, you might get away with that ,bss is a minefield! bet everybody now looks up catalitic heaters for boats now!!,they do sell them openly for use on boats still

 

lol phrew! Thanks for mentioning though.. Really do appreciate the second eyes! 

[BroadScot]

Many years ago Alan, lots of the bath tubs had them. It was my first job when I got up on a chilly morning on a bath tub, to click the switch, hold it down for 20 secs then go back to bed for 10 mins lol. Downside, extra condensation to clear off the windows sometimes. Hope you get cumfy heating, no matter what type. 

 

Iain.

[JawsOrca]

Lol.. I remember that.  Alpha firefly was our favourite boat and she had these, they had one right on the helm so it made sense to turn it on and stand there lol.  In fact I don't think we ever had a hireboat with these flash modern diesel heating! 

[MBA Marine]

The quote from boat safety is basically stating the appliance must have a flame failure device to shut of the gas if the flame was accidentally extinguished (like a gust of wind if heater is on and you open a exterior door), in other terms if you have to hold the gas control in for a few seconds as the flame warms up the thermocouple then it has a flame failure device.  But the appliance must also be in good condition and the flame not burning yellow, wild or erratic.     

[diesel falcon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRPlxqgLJAwIf it,s a true cat, there arn,t any flames to blow out , ?  catalytic heaters work by infra read heat , don,t produce any carbon, but do produse water and co 2. 
Here,s an industrial setting but has a good educational video of how they work:wave
 

[JawsOrca]

Quick update...

 

Its still sanding sanding sanding... I'm almost there. We are  hoping to call it quits on sanding tomorrow.. As mentioned I'm a perfectionist and struggle to stop.. But I think we are there..

 

The engine cables are here and dave's spent the week and today getting the on the engine..  We've had a bit of fun with the engine electrics.. Vetus no longer supply the plug from our new engine panel to the engine wiring loom and I didn't want to cut off the plug on the panel.. So vetus suggested that we replace the wiring loom on the engine which will allow us to make use of their new waterproof plugs.. So we did .. £200 later! But these are all in and means that the engine wiring is all new and the connections are waterproof.. Bit overkill but I want to be able to trust the engine.   All other engine systems are installed.. Oils new and impeller looks good etc.

 

We just need to put diesel in the tank and temporary connect up the engine panel and fire the engine up! Which we will do tomorrow! Can't wait..

 

So Sanding sanding sanding and engine test start tomorrow.. its all coming together.