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Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2023 23:38:00 GMT
Sticky Bottom
Exhaust still not finished.
Hi all,
So why are we still here? Because this harbor has a sticky bottom. Every
time you try to leave something get's in the way. So We've gone back and
fourth to Dania beach twice a week for the last 3 weeks with the exhaust.
We went back today hopefully for the last round. Sections 1-2-3 are in
and complete with the exhaust elbow. The muffler is in and we are waiting
on the final weld of the muffler end of section 4. It's a piece of art
and US Metal Fabricators in Dania beach has done a wonderful job. But
they are not fast.
Sam and I got the prototype back 2 weeks ago and did a test fitting. So
that meant taking everything apart and putting in the exhaust. Then we
made sure it fit and marked the last end for changes. We did that at
10pm-3am when it was cool. Then we took pictures and measurements and
took it back the next morning. The next week we got it all back but the
last piece tack welded with adjustment made. The last piece still didn't
fit so we took more measurements and took the last piece back again. A few days later
we got it back with changes made in the wrong direction. So we put it
back together again measured it and broke the welds on section 4 with a
dremmel, ground it all smooth, put it in and placed the last piece in
position and marked it with a sharpie. Then today returned to drop it for
the final weld and hopefully in a day or two we will have it all done. I
an finally see the light at the end of the tunnel with this project.
I hurt myself during the process grinding down some of section 2 so I was
unable to help Sam much with the near final assembly. We have the
crossover hoses all cut and in place and the output exhaust hose ready to
go as well. Hopefully we can get it all assembled before Friday of this
week.
Two days ago Anamashi took us sailing on their boat and we went snorkeling
at the lighthouse reef. Hannah had a wonderful time snorkeling and the
water was clear down 15 feet. She swam for over an hour.
4 days ago the Generator quit working all of a sudden in the morning. That
changed the entire day and Sam and I spent the next 8 hours fixing it.
Here is the run down. It quit because it overheated. So we started to
diagnose the problem. We were outputting plenty of raw water. But we
decided to check the heat exchanger. In checking the heat exchanger,
which is nearly impossible to reach, I found a broken automotive hose
clamp rusted apart. on the input side of the coolant section. Also
there was lots of coolant on the floor pan of the generator which we
started sopping up. It took me a couple hours to get a new hose clamp
on the hose one handed because only one hand would fit. Then we
continued to try to figure out what had happend and opened up the input
of the raw water side and found quite literally years and 5-6 impellers
worth of rubber pieces. Sam suggested flushing it from the other side
so we disconnected the anti siphon side of the hose and flushed it with
fresh water... even more pieces came out. So we cleaned it all out and
sealed it up and refilled the coolant. Then everything worked again...
oh my. We were so worried because the generator is so central to
everything on this boat.
Two days ago while grinding off some of the exhaust I cut two of my fingers.
This is sooo weird. I've NEVER in my life hurt myself with a power
tool but I cut two of my fingers really badly and probably should
have had 8 stitches total. I cleaned out everything with a razor,
stopped the bleeding put silver into the wounds and superglooed the
skin on the top. Then I put a pressure bandage on the wound and
splinted it so that it wont open up again. So far no signs of
infection and the pain has stopped.
Last night we spent the evening on Anamashi and today It was He who drove
use to Dania beach to drop off the Final piece of the exhaust to be welded.
It has been very hot and and have been using the air conditioner more now
that the generator is working again. When Sam put in the exhaust during thd
day on Sunday, we kept the air conditioner running and the ice maker going
all day so that we could come in every 1/2 hour or so to cool off. It does
not keep the boat cold as it can't keep up but we could come and stand under
it for a bit to cool off.
There will be lots of video on the youtube channel about the work on the
generator and the engine/exhaust. The new exhaust actually looks better
than the original and instead of brazing with copper this is welded with
copper nickle. Sam spent time with a Scotch Bright pad polishing it and it
looks wonderful. I know it's a lot to spend and many people feel that what
we are doing is not best or cheapest, but I believe it is best for this boat
and we are making it better than original with better welding, better
materials and improved water flow. The old one lasted 50 years and properly
taken care of, I believe that this exhaust will last the life of the boat.
It's a piece of art that this Hinckley deserves. As a matter of note, this
exhaust if converted to a waterlift would have to lift nearly 7 feet and
travel 15 feet to the back of the boat. The exhaust snakes under the floor
through bulkheads and lockers where there is no room to do anything else and
then rises nearly twice the typical waterlift design height with a huge volume of water to travel 1
1/2 inch diameter for 15 feet. This copper nickle solid exhaust is the best
method for this design. I'm not cutting new holes in the hull, I'm not
removing or moving exhaust through cabins or cutting new holes in wooden
panels. I'm not sending the exhaust through the side of the boat or going
out below the water line. And more importantly I'm not testing a new design
on a classic boat. I'm not going to have anyone say to me... "what the heck
did you do this beautiful old boat!!!??", I'm restoring it.