37 DAY COUNTDOWN ? - POST # 7 - 21 FEBRUARY 2017
OK, this is it, the last 37 days of renovation in preparation to traveling and moving in to A-10 on 1 April.
We have changed So fea from a sleeps six to a sleeps two, a cruiser to a dock sitter, a convertible dock tie-up to a Starboard side only, a 30 Amp to a 60 Amp (with 100 amp coming), added dock water, and redesigned/refitted/upgraded/refreshed almost everything - system by system that Tollycraft laid out in 1979 to 2017 applicability. Some of that was simply new technology upgrading, but "most" of it has been better marine practice, safer-simpler, and for a "two" person functioning operation of the boat, and ... use as a Liveaboard "first" design, rather than as the originally intended week-ender party cruiser for six people..
The only true "compromise" we left in place was the stupidity and waste-of-space of having "two" heads, but, we left that "as is" for the ease of having both a MSD 1 and a MSD 3 need while in port, we removed the aft MSD 1 and installed a port-a-potty (MSD 3) for visitors and "Clean Harbor" in-port use, but left the forward head as a Coast Guard approved MSD 1 for other port use, and/or at-sea overboarding. (the obsoleted/illegal, holding tanks are now removed).
The convenience of the forward (tiny) head in the old V bunk area (now a queen sized bed) at night is simply too great to make a washer/dryer, cat box, broom closet out of . . . so all of that has been moved aft to the old main berthing area (now a utility space), along with the tool storage, and office. The main shower and MSD 3 large head simply were too convenient to the 'daytime" part of the boat, and was easier to wrestle the MSD out for dumping.
A very big rethinking needs to be done about this design "era" of boat building, especially with twin four barreled 454 Chevy engines ! a 15 ton boat going 25 + knots/hr has an extremely short-expensive-worthless here in the mid pacific coast area range of travel. A single diesel and 12-15 knots would have been great ! Only if you are on the Great Lakes, Puget sound, a river somewhere, or So. Cal. and like to water ski could these 660 HP monsters ever be fun.
For us, as a liveaboard, it really does not matter what is down below, and as a hobbyist "week-ender" user who would care ? but, for 2017, and practicality, sensible sailing/cruising, safety, and ease/costs of repair, single diesel would have been preferred on So fea. (I would swap these out if affordable-which it is not).
As a surveyor-brained potential buyer, the first time I went into the engine room I asked the owner "where is the waterline ?" . . . he did not know. Which is why no anti-siphon devices were aboard !
The toilet "out" connections and the ER piping is all "below" the water line, the many insane hull penetrations for salt water pumps this guy had installed (bottom bilge), and the four "at" waterline 1/2 split overboard through hulls .... all of which are potential "sinkers" ! plus the fact that all 16 sea access valves aboard were "open" (crusted up with barnacles from not stroking- and uncloseable !), made this a scary boat to walk away from, or sleep aboard with any kind of peace of mind.
This drydock period, any gate valves aboard, and many hull penetrations are going away, along with a garbage can full of salt water pumps ! (I am keeping the anchor wash and fantail wash pumps only).
Which is now where we are (about three weeks away from a haul-out), followed by a sea trial and then the sea trial trip to Florence, the next three weeks are all we have to finish up loose ends, and put things back together. and, the list is pretty huge !
Another really huge-to-me error on the Tollycraft design is the concentrated effort for a cabin mounted skiff/dory/punk and a crane to onload/offload it with ! really ? If you are cruising and anchoring out a skiff is great to get to shore with (not so much returning after dark drunk with), but, as a life boat, this is the stupidist most dangerous item aboard . . . if anyone has ever tried to ride out a surging 12 plus foot sea, or unboard from a 25 degree list up on the rocks, in a gale, with a bilge full of water (batteries submerged) into a "life boat" by using an electric crane to raise and drop (starboard side only) while trying to hail for help and get the passengers and pets off ... remember the titanic -- if you have any kind of deck angle, or dead batteries, meet King Neptune.
I am installing a self launch/float-off canister life raft onto the swim platform, and replacing the skiff with a huge badly needed deck box. If I cannot tie up in port, go elsewhere, this is a motor vessel not a sailboat, I am over 70 not over 20, I would not want to try and survive in a 12 foot lifeboat at sea.
Target date 13 March haul-out....survey, clean and paint, sea chest block-off, re-zinc, fuel up, trial.
The rear hatch /entry is being held for summer work at Fkorence, along with all exterior refreshing and A/C - Pellet stove install.
EXPLAINER: Many-many readers mistake my comments for anger, disatisfaction, disappointment, or feel that I somehow am sorry for purchasing this vessel . . . nothing could be further from the truth, and you are wrong !
I simply am so familiar with boats and boat repairs that I “knew” what I was purchasing, and also knew that (most likely) that I would be surprised with the condition once in . . . so, do not misconstrue my comments . . . So...fea cost $94,376.00 new, and her sister-ships are today still all on the market for $ 50-125,000.00, we paid far less for a specific reason, and "expected" hidden faults).
)One has to be very careful analyzing people involved with harbors or boats, and with the definition of "live-aboard" . . . there are lots of different types of live-aboard people, with many different agendas and lifestyles ... live-aboards come in many varieties and sub-cultures . . "know" what and who you speak of and perceive.
We have changed So fea from a sleeps six to a sleeps two, a cruiser to a dock sitter, a convertible dock tie-up to a Starboard side only, a 30 Amp to a 60 Amp (with 100 amp coming), added dock water, and redesigned/refitted/upgraded/refreshed almost everything - system by system that Tollycraft laid out in 1979 to 2017 applicability. Some of that was simply new technology upgrading, but "most" of it has been better marine practice, safer-simpler, and for a "two" person functioning operation of the boat, and ... use as a Liveaboard "first" design, rather than as the originally intended week-ender party cruiser for six people..
The only true "compromise" we left in place was the stupidity and waste-of-space of having "two" heads, but, we left that "as is" for the ease of having both a MSD 1 and a MSD 3 need while in port, we removed the aft MSD 1 and installed a port-a-potty (MSD 3) for visitors and "Clean Harbor" in-port use, but left the forward head as a Coast Guard approved MSD 1 for other port use, and/or at-sea overboarding. (the obsoleted/illegal, holding tanks are now removed).
The convenience of the forward (tiny) head in the old V bunk area (now a queen sized bed) at night is simply too great to make a washer/dryer, cat box, broom closet out of . . . so all of that has been moved aft to the old main berthing area (now a utility space), along with the tool storage, and office. The main shower and MSD 3 large head simply were too convenient to the 'daytime" part of the boat, and was easier to wrestle the MSD out for dumping.
A very big rethinking needs to be done about this design "era" of boat building, especially with twin four barreled 454 Chevy engines ! a 15 ton boat going 25 + knots/hr has an extremely short-expensive-worthless here in the mid pacific coast area range of travel. A single diesel and 12-15 knots would have been great ! Only if you are on the Great Lakes, Puget sound, a river somewhere, or So. Cal. and like to water ski could these 660 HP monsters ever be fun.
For us, as a liveaboard, it really does not matter what is down below, and as a hobbyist "week-ender" user who would care ? but, for 2017, and practicality, sensible sailing/cruising, safety, and ease/costs of repair, single diesel would have been preferred on So fea. (I would swap these out if affordable-which it is not).
As a surveyor-brained potential buyer, the first time I went into the engine room I asked the owner "where is the waterline ?" . . . he did not know. Which is why no anti-siphon devices were aboard !
The toilet "out" connections and the ER piping is all "below" the water line, the many insane hull penetrations for salt water pumps this guy had installed (bottom bilge), and the four "at" waterline 1/2 split overboard through hulls .... all of which are potential "sinkers" ! plus the fact that all 16 sea access valves aboard were "open" (crusted up with barnacles from not stroking- and uncloseable !), made this a scary boat to walk away from, or sleep aboard with any kind of peace of mind.
This drydock period, any gate valves aboard, and many hull penetrations are going away, along with a garbage can full of salt water pumps ! (I am keeping the anchor wash and fantail wash pumps only).
Which is now where we are (about three weeks away from a haul-out), followed by a sea trial and then the sea trial trip to Florence, the next three weeks are all we have to finish up loose ends, and put things back together. and, the list is pretty huge !
Another really huge-to-me error on the Tollycraft design is the concentrated effort for a cabin mounted skiff/dory/punk and a crane to onload/offload it with ! really ? If you are cruising and anchoring out a skiff is great to get to shore with (not so much returning after dark drunk with), but, as a life boat, this is the stupidist most dangerous item aboard . . . if anyone has ever tried to ride out a surging 12 plus foot sea, or unboard from a 25 degree list up on the rocks, in a gale, with a bilge full of water (batteries submerged) into a "life boat" by using an electric crane to raise and drop (starboard side only) while trying to hail for help and get the passengers and pets off ... remember the titanic -- if you have any kind of deck angle, or dead batteries, meet King Neptune.
I am installing a self launch/float-off canister life raft onto the swim platform, and replacing the skiff with a huge badly needed deck box. If I cannot tie up in port, go elsewhere, this is a motor vessel not a sailboat, I am over 70 not over 20, I would not want to try and survive in a 12 foot lifeboat at sea.
Target date 13 March haul-out....survey, clean and paint, sea chest block-off, re-zinc, fuel up, trial.
The rear hatch /entry is being held for summer work at Fkorence, along with all exterior refreshing and A/C - Pellet stove install.
EXPLAINER: Many-many readers mistake my comments for anger, disatisfaction, disappointment, or feel that I somehow am sorry for purchasing this vessel . . . nothing could be further from the truth, and you are wrong !
I simply am so familiar with boats and boat repairs that I “knew” what I was purchasing, and also knew that (most likely) that I would be surprised with the condition once in . . . so, do not misconstrue my comments . . . So...fea cost $94,376.00 new, and her sister-ships are today still all on the market for $ 50-125,000.00, we paid far less for a specific reason, and "expected" hidden faults).
)One has to be very careful analyzing people involved with harbors or boats, and with the definition of "live-aboard" . . . there are lots of different types of live-aboard people, with many different agendas and lifestyles ... live-aboards come in many varieties and sub-cultures . . "know" what and who you speak of and perceive.