Engine Ready etc

It was a week of slower pace because Bruce was tied up for several days attending to a catamaran in urgent need of attention and I used my time doing small but useful jobs.

I started the week by installing the boat's gas cylinders.  Dominic had told me that rigid straps must be used because the elastic ones were illegal so I used a rigid strap as required, although I will later add elastic straps as a backup.

Gas cylinders in position

I then did a lot of painting.  Painting the section behind the mast was a must-do project because once the mast is back in place access to that area for painting will be impossible. After considering the use of one-part enamel paint I decided keep using 2-part paint because it is so much  stronger and durable than the easier to use 1-part paint, and once I laid a coat of 1-part it would be very difficult to go back to 2-part.

Then there was the inevitable mission creep.  I took Bruce's advice to paint the entire bulkhead rather than just the section behind the mast. Then there was the opportunity to fill in the many holes around the solar and wind controllers aft then paint that bulkhead.  After laying down the second coat of paint I had a lot of the expensive mix remaining so I hurriedly emptied, sanded, and cleaned one of the galley shelf compartments then laid its first coat of paint.  By the end of the week the mast and controller bulkheads as well as the two galley storage compartments had been painted with two coats.

Newly painted galley shelf compartments

For the record  I used: Northane 2-pack linear polyurethane paint, with 5% Northane brush thinner added.  I laid the bulk of the paint down with mohair rollers, 100 mm long with 5 mm naps and used throw-away brushes to trim along the edges.  It all worked very well.

Greg the marine electrician visited on Friday and we discussed the problem of the fuel gauge reporting 1/2 tank full when it is in fact full to the brim.  Either the sender has not been installed properly or, more likely, the gauge has not been calibrated.  We could not find the instructions in the boat so my task this weekend is to find the document in my crammed and disorderly garage.  Greg also took away the new LED light in the steerage compartment that failed after only a few hours of use.

Newly painted cabin bulkhead

Aft bulkhead repaired and painted

Muffler

Mark the mechanic also showed up.  His brief was to connect the engine exhaust hose to the recently repaired muffler (aka "pong box") then bleed the fuel system.  He used some sort of vacuum tool to speed the bleeding process, then the engine burst into smooth life on the first crank.  That was remarkable given that it had been idle with empty fuel lines for about 6 months.  The engine is in superb condition partly because I have been fastidious about maintaining it.  My big fault has been to not use it enough -  only 550 hours in 7 years.  In future I will push aside my purist aversion to motoring when there is any useful wind available and use the iron sail more, while proclaiming loudly that I am doing it for the sake of the engine.