Ressurection of the "Pepper"

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » May 21st, '23, 12:00

Now for some bad news.

As I've posted before, my Lithium batteries were planned to live in the engine boxes, outboard of each engine. I had several initial concerns about this location. The first was the temperature of boxes. Most Battery BMS's shuts the battery down between 130F and 140F. Also the higher temps can cause slower charging. But I added two fans pushing and pulling air through the boxes which would solve the problem on hot Summer days.

Second concern is that I am using a Victron Multiplus 3000 watt 125 VAC (Invertor Charger) unit to charge my batteries at the dock and provide AC power when away from the dock. All the batteries are connected to the unswitched buss (House Bank) bar as is the Multiplus which is located on the Port side behind my fridge/freezer. I also located the main power distribution buss bar panel behind the fridge. Not an ideal location as its a PITA to work on. For this configuration all battery cables must be the same length to insure even charging of all batteries. In my situation my longest run was 16' which is a long way. As a second point of information my alternator cables are also connected directly to the house bank unswitched buss bar.

So last Wednesday, I called the folks at Battleborn regarding a question about the Mutliplus. During the conversation they told me the Multiplus would not work located so far from the batteries. The max distance recommended is just 7' and that was with 4/0 battery cables. 2/0 is the smallest recommended cable size. Now this was a shock to me! I'd discussed my arrangement with several very knowledgeable folks and while we all shared the concerns mentioned above we all though the system would function properly. Further none of this information is mentioned in the Victron Install manual for this equipment. I sized all cables according to Victron specs. This was now a huge problem.

So I explored several options including subdividing he house bank into two banks of two batteries each one for invertor power and one bank for DC needs, which IMO would cause me to run short of power for the Air Conditioner and fridge. I would also have to buy another charger at $800. This option was just going to cause an already complex system to become too complex. The other options were equally as bad.

So I had to relocate the batteries. Since I had ditched the tool box idea due to weight, I moved the fridge freezer to the STB side and moved the 4 lithium batteries to the location where the freezer was located on the port side. This put them 2' from the Multiplus. It also got the batteries out of the hot engine boxes. Lastly since I was making this move, I decide to reverse the main power buss bar panel to face towards the cabin which would make it much more accessible for an old guy. It was a lot of frigging work. So the last three days have been spent undoing electrical work already completed and building more coosa/fiberglass boxes. My guess is that I've got another two days before I can start building back the electrical work which should take me a full day to complete

All in all lets call it a week delay in my project. I've moved my launch from this upcoming weekend to the first week in June. I guess I'll break in my engines on the way to south Florida.

Yannis · Post by **Yannis** » May 21st, '23, 17:45

Any addition should have a purpose, and has its aesthetics.

A pulpit can serve as an anchor holder, as an entrance corridor, as a point that reaches further outwards, etc.

Depending on what exactly you want your pulpit to serve, you design and build it.

If you care about aesthetics in general, you may consider to modify your design. But utility pulls the trigger, and if you are not a purist, any logical size pulpit should be ok.
Especially when there are far more important deviations from the original aesthetics already accepted by the community.

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » May 21st, '23, 18:12

Yannis,

I'm definitely not a purist. I'm building an expedition fishing boat. Having rebuilt a Bertram 31 there are a number of things in the original design that needed to be modified. I had always planned on a windlass. The pulpit facilitates that goal. Aesthetically, I'm indifferent

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » May 21st, '23, 22:07

Rick

The pulpit looks fine. Looks like you have it so it fits perfectly over the toe rail. That is the difficult part.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » May 22nd, '23, 08:12

As you kind of need a pulpit for the windless it settles the issue of whether it fits or not. That said, I think it looks good too.

Your bad news is lousy without a doubt. Still, I think it would have been worse when you went to use and found yourself with charging issues. Yes it was a bunch of needless work you had to redo now and suck as it may, it's better to tackle this project in your home, work port with all the tools and hands for the project. As an upside, your batteries should like being away from those motors. Yes, fans and fresh air when running would help, but those motors are a ton of cast iron (literally) and throw off heat for a long time after shutting down. Looking forward to the splash and updates on your systems and performance.

Geebert · Post by **Geebert** » May 22nd, '23, 09:25

Ironworker wrote: ↑May 21st, '23, 12:00 The max distance recommended is just 7' and that was with 4/0 battery cables. 2/0 is the smallest recommended cable size. Now this was a shock to me! I'd discussed my arrangement with several very knowledgeable folks and while we all shared the concerns mentioned above we all though the system would function properly. Further none of this information is mentioned in the Victron Install manual for this equipment. I sized all cables according to Victron specs.

If that info is not from victron, than who came up with it, and what problems will it cause?

Im curious because im also planing on running air conditioning with battery power only. My planing is based on the manufacturer's manuals, and if they're missing info, that can cause a problem, as you've already encountered.
Thanks for posting, its a resource for everyone after you to benefit from.

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » May 22nd, '23, 17:11

Todd,

There is a lots of info available on the INET and also from the manufacturers. Most of the manufacturers are not selling to the marine industry. The battery people are selling to anyone that will buy their products. Its been my experience that tech support sucks for all products. There have been a couple of folks who have tried to put together a plug and play system but they are selling into a very small market and they just aren't capitalized enough to hang on. They you have AYBC who are changing the rules (actually recommendations) for Lithium on boats.

In my particular case I suspect I got some suspect info from Battleborn initially and later, but....I already knew that I had some issues with my previous plan. Regardless, I'm cleaning up the install. I made alot of progress today and tomorrow, hopefully I'll finish up the new fiberglass work and get back on track to getting this boat in the water.

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Jun 4th, '23, 19:50

I apologize for not posting progress but I will get caught up. I've got a hard deadline in the boatyard in N. Palm Beach on the 12th and its been more 7 days a weed and 10 hour days to make that date.

Hopefully, I'll launch the boat on June 6th, which should give me a couple of days to test out the new engines and boat systems before heading to Florida. There is a lot of complicated stuff on this boat so I'm hoping for a number of small miracles.

Stay tuned.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jun 5th, '23, 06:15

You have to make that big push, so get er done and catch us up after. I think we all know there are only so many hours in the day with so many days in the week so prioritizing is a necessity.

Hoping a few miracles go your way. Those that slip by will be dealt with in time and perseverance.

Snipe · Post by **Snipe** » Jun 6th, '23, 12:03

Keep getting after it the day seem to all blend together when your trying to get done. Best of luck can’t wait to see some finished product.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jun 6th, '23, 12:19

I remember hearing the travel lift making its way over as I was trimming my motor boxes down to get them to fit. Need those, I stand on 'em to drive.

And of course, put the plug in. "Carl, put the plug in, put the plug in" I kept saying as the lift got closer n closer.

not enough hours...

it works out in the end.

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Jun 6th, '23, 19:48

Well we made the launch on high tide today. Ran her for about 15 minutes and had to work out some bugs with the Smartcraft system. I've gots lots of equipment to setup and configure before we head to Florida on Friday morning. But I thought you'd like to see a pic of the Carolina Reaper in the water.

I'll get caught up on the pics the middle of next week. Still more miracles have to happen to get a new boat to S. Florida before Monday. We are just too tuckered out to post more tonight.

Snipe · Post by **Snipe** » Jun 6th, '23, 20:04

Looks great!

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Jun 6th, '23, 20:57

Rick

Looking good. You can't even tell the bridge size was increased. Came out great.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jun 7th, '23, 06:10

Looks REAL Sharp !

In the water on Tuesday, leaving for Florida on Friday morning after a total restoration and refit of all systems with some "cough" complexity...No pressure there. But I think it would be safe to say you have some work ahead of you.

Side thought-
The hull doesn't leak, bilge pumps work, motors run, the depth finder and compass work... you'll get to Florida.

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Jun 7th, '23, 07:11

She looks great. When you have some time down the line, I may bug you for some pics of your pulpit/windlass set up. It looks really clean and I've been thinking about doing something like that to Crows Nest.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Jun 7th, '23, 20:48

I am with John on the windless and pulpit. Since you said you built it, I have been toying with the idea of trying to make one out of some left over Coosa board.

Yannis · Post by **Yannis** » Jun 7th, '23, 23:39

John,

If you pick a stainless roller long enough, you don't need to construct a pulpit.
You need to make sure,however, that the roller sits on a flat surface.
You center the capstan, not the body of the windlass.
Then, you may wish to....decorate with teak.
In my case, this teak is not just decorative, it also serves as a step when you enter the boat from the bow.
Refer to the old thread "Windless B 28" by Capt Rex.

http://i869.photobucket.com/albums/ab25 ... lhe3q3.jpg
http://i869.photobucket.com/albums/ab25 ... u9lmv3.jpg
http://i869.photobucket.com/albums/ab25 ... zwft2d.jpg

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Jun 8th, '23, 18:19

Still ironing out bugs and we have pushed the departure to Florida to Saturday at daybreak. I want to run the engines at least 5 hours before we head off, which we will do in the morning. Good news is the weather looks good for the trip. My new Furuno Autopilot was defective out of the box but that is not a big deal as everybody wants a turn at the helm. My plan is to make the trip in two days. We will be running offshore.

I'm planning on uploading a bunch of pics and happy to provide any specific info that anyone may want. I'll certainly post pics after the we get her out of paint and the mahogany wood trim is installed.

I will say that widening the Flybridge made the electrical install a breeze.

Amberjack · Post by **Amberjack** » Jun 9th, '23, 13:30

Yannis wrote: ↑Jun 7th, '23, 23:39
If you pick a stainless roller long enough, you don't need to construct a pulpit.
You need to make sure,however, that the roller sits on a flat surface.
You center the capstan, not the body of the windlass.

There is plenty of structural strength below the foredeck to do it the way Yannis describes but you need a sturdy bow roller. I looked at several that were pretty flimsy and probably designed to mount on top of a pulpit.

Yannis · Post by **Yannis** » Jun 9th, '23, 21:47

Doug,

My first remark is: Beautiful!

Then,

Although this roller looks similar, I have never seen anything like it! I have never seen two forward rollers and the anchor stem passing between them. The top one is probably stopping the anchor from jumping over and out of the track.

You chose a Fortress anchor. This is the best "soft bottom" anchor money can buy. However, in the rocky Med, this is a recipe for problems. I have an identical one but only use it in ports and marinas, where it is guaranteed there is a sandy bottom.

Your rope security harness has to be checked periodically so as to make sure it has not chaffed at the anchor angles. I also have a similar safety rope, but looking at your pics I believe that the best configuration in YOUR case (anchor length and placement) would be to drill a through hole at the roller body, right at the anchor eye, and put a shaft with a dropping tip through roller and anchor.

How is the shackle at the chain end secured? Did you hammer the shaft's tip so it doesn't unscrew with the vibrations? Alternatively, you could slide a tier-up through the shackle's eye and around the shackle body so that it secures the bolt from unwinding. Use a red one, so that you can easily check from the bridge if it's always there, or else replace it with a new one.

I'm so glad you are not using a twister (either straight or kinked) between anchor and chain. It does only create issues.

I like this little rubber saver where the cable turns 90o below-decks. I also admire the meticulous contour of the anti-skid around the roller's rear support.

Two questions:

How many watts is your windlass?

When you have removed the safety rope and the anchor is ready to launch, is it balanced so that when you push the "down" button the anchor just leans forward and drops, or, do you have to give it a hand push to fall? When you're shorthanded this "auto drop" feature is very important.

Amberjack · Post by **Amberjack** » Jun 10th, '23, 14:17

Yannis wrote: ↑Jun 9th, '23, 21:47
Although this roller looks similar, I have never seen anything like it! I have never seen two forward rollers and the anchor stem passing between them. The top one is probably stopping the anchor from jumping over and out of the track.

Your rope security harness has to be checked periodically so as to make sure it has not chaffed at the anchor angles. I also have a similar safety rope, but looking at your pics I believe that the best configuration in YOUR case (anchor length and placement) would be to drill a through hole at the roller body, right at the anchor eye, and put a shaft with a dropping tip through roller and anchor.

How is the shackle at the chain end secured? Did you hammer the shaft's tip so it doesn't unscrew with the vibrations? Alternatively, you could slide a tier-up through the shackle's eye and around the shackle body so that it secures the bolt from unwinding.

Two questions:

How many watts is your windlass?

When you have removed the safety rope and the anchor is ready to launch, is it balanced so that when you push the "down" button the anchor just leans forward and drops, or, do you have to give it a hand push to fall? When you're shorthanded this "auto drop" feature is very important.

Yannis, that's more like three questions plus two comments.

There originally was a bail where the upper forward roller is now. It looked vulnerable to jamming when the anchor is being raised so I installed the upper roller for more control. The anchor leaps a bit coming over the roller when making the transition from chain to the rigid anchor stock.

The lightweight security line is for winter storage when I take tension off the windlass bearings. When underway the chain is tight to the windlass and the harness runs from a cleat. In winter moorage I use the cleats for doubled up lines.

The shackle is secured with minimum 4 turns stainless wire through the eye in the pin and around one of the legs of the shackle. It is checked every spring and glanced at when up on the bow to anchor.

1,000 watts, just enough to break the anchor loose, not enough to tear the windlass from the deck.

The anchor will not self deploy, it needs a hand shove. This works out fine as my wife runs the boat from the bridge while I work the ground tackle. If I ever found myself anchoring alone it would only be because I'm in big trouble at home. I keep a set of heavy gloves and always use them when working with ground tackle.

Yannis · Post by **Yannis** » Jun 10th, '23, 20:53

Fair enough! Thanks.

Good tip with the SS wire at the shackle!
As for the self deploying anchor, you certainly know better about the mooring conditions in your area.

Here, however, where the anchor is deployed everyday in every mooring at the dock, no wife I know can, or want, be at the helm during mooring.
Almost always the captain has to pick a VERY precise spot to drop, in a tight space between two boats with already deployed anchor chains without crossing over them, while serious wind gusts push you where you usually don't want to be pushed, while another crew member has to fend off the adjacent boats with a fender in hand... then, run aft to throw the rear mooring line to the harbor master waiting at the dock; when there is one, because most of the times there isn't, so that very crew member has to jump out and tie up while you hold the boat too close so they can jump out.

When you are shorthanded, you make sure your engine noise alerts crews of the adjacent boats who, out of pure necessity, assume the fending off job for you ! they even help with the tying up task, only someone still has to send the mooring rope over...
Generally a very tight situation where a self deploying anchor is a benefit.

Geebert · Post by **Geebert** » Jun 12th, '23, 06:39

Ironworker wrote: ↑May 22nd, '23, 17:11 Todd,

There is a lots of info available on the INET and also from the manufacturers. Most of the manufacturers are not selling to the marine industry. The battery people are selling to anyone that will buy their products. Its been my experience that tech support sucks for all products. There have been a couple of folks who have tried to put together a plug and play system but they are selling into a very small market and they just aren't capitalized enough to hang on. They you have AYBC who are changing the rules (actually recommendations) for Lithium on boats.

In my particular case I suspect I got some suspect info from Battleborn initially and later, but....I already knew that I had some issues with my previous plan. Regardless, I'm cleaning up the install. I made alot of progress today and tomorrow, hopefully I'll finish up the new fiberglass work and get back on track to getting this boat in the water.

Congratulations for getting her in the water, i know it's been a journey to get there, and i appreciate your allowing us to follow along.

I know you've already reconfigured to address this issue, but I'm curious why you were told you had to shorten your wire run. I was reading through the Victron manual for the multipus 12/3000/120, and the minimum spec listed for 12v battery power connection is from 0-5 meters.

Its a double run of 50mm, which i think is 4/0, but that is the spec for any connection up to 5 meters. should have been good for the distance you had. 5m =16.4ft.

Is this known to be incorrect by the people you talked to?
Dont want to beat a dead horse, but if the Victron info is incorrect, than who has the correct info ?

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Jun 13th, '23, 07:22

Good morning from sunny south Florida. The boat is in the boatyard waiting on the painter. We launched last Tuesday, installed the floors and engine boxes and finished up some remaining fiberglass and electrical issues on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday we ran the boat for a couple of hours which went well. We ran from Bennett's Point out the S. Edisto River Inlet 6 or 7 miles out then back into the St. Helena Inlet. Returned to BP, fueled the boat with 360 gallon of fuel and 36 gallons of H2O.

We departed Saturday morning at 6:30 am and ran to New Smyrna Beach, FL in wonderful seas. The new Cummins purred like kittens and the boat handled great. We stayed at the New Smyrna Beach Marina which is a great place for an overnight. There is a restaurant and Bar at the Marina. We got a late start departing from NSB but made N. Palm Beach around 3:30 pm on Sunday. Again good seas except for the last 40 NM. We burned a total of 327.4 gallons of fuel.

Now for the stuff you guys are interested in, i.e. the spray rails. The last 40 NM the wind picked up and we got 3 to 4' confused seas with an occasional 5 footer thrown in. This was a quartering head sea with the winds kicking up to 20 kts The spray rails performed outstanding! During the entire trip we never took one drop of water onto the flybridge. I don't have an enclosure on the boat so I was a little concerned that it was going to be a wet trip given the reputation of the 31 being a wet boat.

I can say with spray rails that reputation is no longer true! This was a relatively easy mod and they performed great. I could not see any negative performance related issues although, we did not have any extended time running the boat at slow or trolling speeds. At cruising speed of 23 kts they were great!

The battery system also worked great although I don't have all the display equipment installed. But it was nice pulling into the marina and saying "no hook ups required" Once I get the boat out of the boat yard, I plan on giving a much more detailed report on the battery and power system.

I will say probably the best mod was widening the flybridge. Its nice to have the room for 3 seats and the real estate available for electronics, however it made wiring the boat dramatically easier that fighting with the old constricted pilasters. Simply I installed a two way pull cord in both pilasters and pulling wires is a one man job. The bulk of my electrical equipment is installed under the flybridge which makes access easy. Again, I'll give a detailed report once I get all the stuff finished.

I also owe you guys a bunch of pictures which I hope to get to later this week.

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Jun 13th, '23, 07:32

Geebert wrote: ↑Jun 12th, '23, 06:39 Congratulations for getting her in the water, i know it's been a journey to get there, and i appreciate your allowing us to follow along.

I know you've already reconfigured to address this issue, but I'm curious why you were told you had to shorten your wire run. I was reading through the Victron manual for the multipus 12/3000/120, and the minimum spec listed for 12v battery power connection is from 0-5 meters.

Its a double run of 50mm, which i think is 4/0, but that is the spec for any connection up to 5 meters. should have been good for the distance you had. 5m =16.4ft.

Is this known to be incorrect by the people you talked to?
Dont want to beat a dead horse, but if the Victron info is incorrect, than who has the correct info ?

Thats an excellent point. I have read those manuals and saw the same info when originally planning the system. I spoke with a number of folks about my plans and none raised any concerns other than the ones that I already had until virtually the end of the project. I made the same comment when I first heard this from the guy at Dragonfly. I will say from an efficiency point the guy is correct! I think the voltage drop over this distance would have been too much. Although the system would have worked, it wouldn't have worked very efficiently. While revamping the system cost me two weeks, in the end it was worth it. Some pics coming up shortly

BTW, I have several more Lithium Battery installs lined up over the next couple of months and I think there will be some incremental improvements.

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Jun 13th, '23, 07:42

Here are a couple of pics of the new battery location and distribution system. Access is much easier and the 2/0 battery cables are roughly all 6' in length so they are all charged evenly.

neil · Post by **neil** » Jun 13th, '23, 19:20

Rick,my neighbor is bringing his boat home from fla this week ,his capt and crew saw the old pepper on there way up.small world we live in he and his crew are dear friends of the mattews family may you catch half the fish they did,,your boat looks great

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Jun 14th, '23, 10:26

We met those guys at the fuel dock. I've run into 4 or 5 different people who knew the "Pepper". We have more people from NJ in Florida than we have Floridians. I'm looking forward to getting her painted and finished up. I probably have 3 weeks of work finishing up some loose ends after I get the boat back in the water.

I'm likely going to need some larger props or at least more pitch. I'm only pushing about 75% load at 3000 rpms.

neil · Post by **neil** » Jun 14th, '23, 13:57

The pepper was and still is a legend in these parts we are all glad it gets another chance to catch more fish .Be safe

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Jun 14th, '23, 14:03

My only regret is not making the fish box larger!

Just got back from Bobby Soles propellor and his numbers match Jimmy's. I need 20 x 26 #4 cup props. Anyone know of a good deal on some?

His numbers say that I'll hit 40.9 kts at 3000 rpm and cruise of 24 kts at 1995 rpm. I'm not fully buying the numbers but if I get 24 kts at 1995, I'll be a happy camper.

Snipe · Post by **Snipe** » Jun 15th, '23, 07:47

Rick I do 25 knots at 2000 rpm’s cruise 30 knots at 2400. 38.7 was the best I saw wot at 3050rpm I know your engines are QSB but I believe they are close in Horse power. My props are 21x24 L CUP Michigan hytrque. I will prob loose a little when I put the enclosure up. But for now it’s solid.

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Jun 15th, '23, 08:10

Those are pretty good numbers Jason. My boat has a half tower which will cost me some speed but after many years of offshore fishing in CCs, and a bad back as a result of it, I'm just not into speed.

25 kts is about as fast as I want to go in the ocean these days. Fuel is expensive in the Bahamas so my thing is fuel efficiency. Of course we don't have to go very far. I'm 1 mile from great deep dropping and 6 miles from the tuna and wahoo.

I am going to have to do a little rearranging to get my CG a little more balanced. I'm thinking of moving the fresh water tank off the main fuel tank and relocating water storage forward. I just need to run her a little more in various conditions before making any big weight shifts. But that water tank if roughly 350#s, She is sitting a little low in the stern currently.

dognduck · Post by **dognduck** » Jun 15th, '23, 15:55

Snipe and Ironworker,

What is your fuel burn rate (gph) at 30 knots?

I am curious to see the difference between 6bta and qsb.

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Jun 15th, '23, 16:43

dognduck wrote: ↑Jun 15th, '23, 15:55 Snipe and Ironworker,

What is your fuel burn rate (gph) at 30 knots?

I am curious to see the difference between 6bta and qsb.

My numbers won't do you much good as my current props are woefully undersized. However on my test run It was 16 gph per side. With the larger props, I should be able to add 8 or 9 kts at the same fuel flow.

My new props are the same as Jimmy G's. I should be getting 30 kts at 13 gph per side. 30 kts is a little fast for most sea state conditions.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jun 16th, '23, 09:15

I'm a total loss on Facebook, if it's not in a direct feed I won't see it...but skipping along looking at pictures I saw this shot and said, this has to be a close runner-up with Rick for the most impressive electrical system in a 31.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10 ... 4391590044

JeremyD · Post by **JeremyD** » Jun 16th, '23, 12:44

Carl wrote: ↑Jun 16th, '23, 09:15 I'm a total loss on Facebook, if it's not in a direct feed I won't see it...but skipping along looking at pictures I saw this shot and said, this has to be a close runner-up with Rick for the most impressive electrical system in a 31.

I agree with this statement - impressive

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Jun 16th, '23, 14:43

That is nice electrical work. I'm curious about the four DC/DC chargers. I used two of the18 amp DC/DC chargers and two of the IP67 chargers for my starting batteries.

Then the Multiplus II inverter/charger along with the Alternators to charge the lithium house bank.

It looks like this guy put all of his DC circuits and AC circuits in the same area. I move all this up underneath the Flybridge.

These boats are compromises when it comes to space. Rod storage, fish box, Fridge/Freezer, AC and storage all took priority over electrical distribution for the prime real estate in the cabin.

devinfox · Post by **devinfox** » Jul 14th, '23, 09:32

Hey Rick,

Did you have a chance to check your draft depth? Were you able to run your AC on your trip down? I love the idea of the 12v AC, I hope it works great as I'd like to copy it in some fashion one day.

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Jul 14th, '23, 19:58

Devin,

We ran the fridge/freezer with no problems but I did not get the Air conditioning completely installed due to a time crunch and also I would have to remove most of the components while the boat was getting painted.

Based on everything I've researched I should have plenty of Battery capacity to run the AC all night. I should have the boat out of the boat yard in 2 to 3 weeks and will have an opportunity to get her put back together for a real shakedown.

I owe everyone some pics and a full accounting which I will certainly provide shortly.

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Aug 24th, '23, 16:41

Well after some equipment delays, I got the boat home. The painter did a pretty decent job, IMO. There is still a lot of clean up that I need to do and I still have to trim out the boat and finish the wood work in the cabin but here are a couple of photos. I was in the boat yard for 64 days. I expected to be out in 30. The marine services industry is whole nother topic. The guy working the lift says she weighs in at 14,000 with full fuel which is 350 gallons.

But I'm happy she is home.

Snipe · Post by **Snipe** » Aug 24th, '23, 19:44

Looks great!!! Congratulations on getting her home.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Aug 24th, '23, 20:23

Rick

Nice. I like the color. She really looks great. I see you made the chine wider. Would love to know if that knocks down some of the roll and spray.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Aug 25th, '23, 07:13

Two big thumbs up !!

Alot of work went into that boat, but boy does she look great! I hope it performs even better than it looks!!

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Aug 25th, '23, 16:14

Tony Meola wrote: ↑Aug 24th, '23, 20:23 Rick

Nice. I like the color. She really looks great. I see you made the chine wider. Would love to know if that knocks down some of the roll and spray.

Tony,
I did increase it by 1 1/2" approximately. I believe that I've posted pics on exactly how we did it. It was two pieces of coosa cut on two different angles that formed the base of the spray rail and then we used fairing to form the radius along with two layers of 1708, then more fairing to get it just right.

On the trip to Florida which was just 500 miles not one drop off water came over the flybridge. It makes a big difference in the spray IMO. I have a Bertram 20 that has a wider chine and it does a great job of keeping down the spray. That was what convinced me to add mine. I saw something similar on "Reel Cowboy" and decided to duplicate it.

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Aug 25th, '23, 16:16

Carl wrote: ↑Aug 25th, '23, 07:13 Two big thumbs up !!

Alot of work went into that boat, but boy does she look great! I hope it performs even better than it looks!!

Thanks Carl, there was a lot of work put into it and I've got another month to make her into a real fishing boat. I too hope she performs! I hope to get some numbers soon.

neil · Post by **neil** » Aug 25th, '23, 17:13

Wow ,you did a great job

DanielM · Post by **DanielM** » Aug 27th, '23, 17:38

She's a beautiful boat, nice work.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Aug 28th, '23, 21:14

Rick

I have to give you a lot of credit. The bridge, everything, all looks like it is in perfect proportion. I would be long gone before I could do what you did.

Now, it's time to let us know how all that High Tech stuff works.

Ironworker · Post by **Ironworker** » Sep 11th, '23, 11:54

Tony,

You could if you had the perseverance. No doubt it was a big project. Before I started this project, I'd never had any experience with fiberglass.

Regarding the high tech stuff, I've had a little test on the systems even though is was not on the boat. While the boat was in the yard, I built an enclosed cargo camper conversion. I started with a 14 x 7 Legend aluminum trailer. Installed a mini split AC/heat pump, 100 gallons of fresh water, 36"x36" shower, toilet, queen size bed with a 14" memory foam mattress and there is room for two motorcycles. It also contains a 70 qt Iceco freezer unit and a 50 qt, Bodega fridge. Both have worked perfectly.

Power wise, I installed a Victron 3K Inverter/Charger, a 30amp alternator charger and a solar charger with 1200 watts of solar on top. The trailer contains four 270 amphour Lithium batteries (Battleborn GC3), The camper has been use now for 16 days with the AC/heat running, water systems, fridge/freezers and other normal power usage. During those 16, the trailer has never been plugged into a electrical receptacle! The lowest the batteries have dropped after each day of use is 79% and that was after 2 days of cloudy skies. Its an off the grid rig except for fresh water. So far the I think the 100 gallons of fresh water will last roughly two weeks with some conservation measures.

Based on the camper project, I'd say the boat will perform similarly although it will not have solar.