Friday, November 01, 2013

Something Done on ‘Minnow’


 
Chipboard particles

 
No need for a navigation table

 
17.0 kilo concrete casting containing lead

 
8.5 kilo casting in place

 
Trim piece to headlining

Before I could do anything on ‘Minnow’ I had to sweep the garage floor and clear her decks and cabin of tiny particles of chipboard that had fallen from the underside of the garage roof. During a recent storm, wind pummelled the roof, causing the chipboard supporting the exterior sheathing to shed minute chippings of wood.

Having tidied the boat I sat in her cabin, and I thought a lot about how to make a navigation table that could be attached to the stove unit. I came to the conclusion that I could do without it, because I could spread charts on the cabin floor where they would be secure and handy.

After that decision I set about refitting ballast I had removed. There were two concrete castings equal in size; one was almost twice as heavy as the other. The lighter one weighed 8.5 kilos, and the heavier one, probably containing lead, weighed 17.0 kilos. I fitted the lighter one under the floorboards at the forward end of the cabin and kept the other for trimming the boat. The 17.0 kilo casting will probably end up in the forecastle under the floorboards, but further forward than the battery.

I took measurements of the battery box prior to searching for an appropriate 12 volt battery for powering GPS units and my mobile phone.

I also made a plastic trim piece for the headlining at the forward end of the cabin on the port side to make it look smarter.

I was pleased that I had done a few small jobs restoring ‘Minnow’.

6 comments:

Steve Carey said...

< I was pleased that I had done a few small jobs restoring ‘Minnow’.

You're back IN!

I'd find at a few mins to even just sit in Minnow daily.

Steve

Steve-the-Wargamer said...

Bill - be interested in your findings on battery choice - I have the same job this winter, and by the sound of it the same needs...

William Serjeant said...

Steve C.
Sometimes I sit and thinks; sometimes I just sit!

William Serjeant said...

Steve-t-W,
I'm considering a Lucas XV Supreme 86 AH Ultra Deep Cycle Leisure Battery. This will fit the built-in box.
Cheers,
Bill.

Steve-the-Wargamer said...

Thanks Bill..

Desert Rat said...

I'm just considering micro-cruisers, so this may be a foolish question. The weight of those two concrete blocks is only about 1/3 that of the water ballast that you had in Faith. Does that cause you any concern?