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Project Log:  Thursday, June 4, 2015

After weeks of delays, some new windlass parts finally arrived, with only the main breaker missing.  The shipment included a new, reversing motor, 5/16" wildcat, and reversing solenoid.

Installing the wildcat was simple:  remove the handwheel and outer friction pad, slide on the new wildcat, and reinstall the other parts.   I added a cotter pin at the end of the shaft to prevent the wheel from ever being spin off unintentionally.


To install the new motor, I began with liquid gasket material on the flanges, then bolted the new motor into place.  I filled the reservoir with oil as per the manufacturer's specifications.

    

To locate the windlass, I temporarily installed the owner's choice of anchor with a short length of 5/16" G4 chain to properly align the windlass wildcat with the anchor roller and otherwise determine the best location.  Mindful of various potential interferences nearby, plus the location of the after end of the anchor locker, I eventually determined the best place for the windlass and chain stripper, and made reference marks as needed.  Before proceeding with hole preparation, I decided to cogitate on the whole setup overnight, as I couldn't proceed with installation anyway till I had the proper bolts in hand.

         


A new steering wheel arrived, and I installed it.


The propane stove required a special regulator for proper operation.  This meant reconfiguring the stock regulator setup in the propane locker.  To begin, I disassembled the various components from their corner bracket, and removed the fittings from the original regulator.


The new regulator--the smaller one seen above--featured a 90° configuration rather than inline, and no means of securing it to anything, so this obviated installation with the metal corner bracket.  I reassembled the inlet (with gauge) and solenoid to the new regulator, and determined a mounting situation in the box that worked successfully, with the arrangement held in place with a single clamp to a block already in place within the locker.  This allowed the gauge to be visible, and left room for the hoses as needed. 


With the hoses connected, and the wiring to the solenoid complete, I performed the simplest of all propabe tests by turning on the valve at the tank, noting the pressure on the gauge, then turning it off and reviewing the pressure reading 10 minutes later.  This was unchanged, denoting a leak-free system.

    

I'd do a soap test later, followed by testing the stove, but for now I moved on to the water system once again.  I made up a valve tee system that would allow me to introduce water into the system for priming, and would also allow for ease of winterizing in the future.  The leg of the tee featured a garden hose connection.


I installed this just upstream of the pump, and connected a hose.  The two valves in the water line allowed me to direct the flow either towards the nearby pump, or backwards through the water filter, manifold, and to any or all of the three tanks, allowing priming of all the lines and even filling all the tanks if so desired. 


In this way, I primed the lines successfully.  I did note immediately that the water filter housing was not tight, so it leaked.  It had been hand tight, but not cranked down with the wrench.  I tightened it and all was well, but this made me wonder if this had something to do with the problems I'd had in self-priming the system earlier.

This short video shows the pump running, then both hot and cold operation from the galley sink.  I also tested the shower, but I didn't tape this.  Everything seemed to work properly, and I didn't note any leaks in the system.  I primed the lines to each of the three tanks, added some water to all tanks, and tested from each of the three.


No player visible above?  Click here to go to the video.

This was a hard-won end to what should have been a simpler chore.  To finish up, I resecured the pump to its shelf with its vibration-damping mounts, and resecured wiring and other hose runs within the locker that I'd removed for the work I'd had to do on the water system.

 

Total Time Today:  5 Hours

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