~ Idea Sharing Page (for D.I.Y. enthusiasts who can't stop tinkering with their boats...) ~
Below are some of the customizations I've done for Angel to make cruising more comfortable in a smaller vessel. These ideas are not new, but many have been radically changed from the original concept to fit Angel's own needs. Cruising does not have to be like camping and if you're on a budget (like me), being resourceful and building your own customizations is a satisfying thing. Our friends in larger boats aren't the only ones who can enjoy a pleasant trip with hot showers, air conditioning and such. Us small boat enthusiasts can have it made too. Please feel free to take these ideas and apply them in your own way. If you have any questions, feel free to email: angel @ artoffshore.com
This page is under construction and more photos/info will be added in time...
Simple Rain Catching Adding gutters to the bimini to channel water into canvas funnels (which are stuffed with cotton pre-filters). Hoses attached to the funnels direct water into jerry cans. From there, the water is sterilized and as it goes through Angel's tanks, it's filtered with her own built in system.
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Filling Freshwater Tanks For anchored and moored cruisers, hefting full freshwater jerry cans can be hard on one's back. Why not let the boat do all the work? What's needed: some basic plumbing, a good water pump and some space for the inlet hose. I got a bit carried away and made the system into something that could pump water into my tanks as well as pump water out of those tanks (for freshwater cockpit rinses- cleaning the boat, rinsing after diving, rinsing dive gear, etc.) Photo 1 shows the hose's weather-protected hiding place. 2- The hose is pulled out (it's conveniently stored in the "dead" space inside the coaming). 3- A protected switch activates the pump. 4- The hose is inserted inside the jerry jug and water is drawn into the tank. While the hose is deliberately too short to reach sea level, it's a good idea to keep an eye on it while it's sucking. 5- The 3.5 gpm pump, shown in a system only allowing water to be drawn into the tank. 6- The same pump, shown in a system that allows water to be drawn into the tank or be drawn out of the tank for deckwash mode. 7- The hose attachment when using deckwash mode. 8- Labels to keep track of this Medusa-like project.
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No Rubrails? No Problem! Some Bayfield29/31 owners have installed rubrails and they look excellent on these boats. I haven't, yet. Not satisfied with the standard fenders or fender boards, I made a simple removable rubrail/fender system. Angel spends little time at the dock, so there's not much incentive to install "real" rubrails, but this removable one sure comes in handy. It's made from fire hose stuffed with those cheap foam swim noodles. 1. Here are the 2-1/2 inch I.D. fire hose and swim noodles with an O.D. of about 2-1/2 inches. 2. Obviously, the close-fitting swim noodles needed a bit of help (baby powder) sliding into the fire hose! 3. PVC and sturdy line help put it all together. The PVC acts as a spacer and also keeps the entire rubrail from sliding upwards. 4. It's just long enough to cover where Angel's hull may contact pilings. 5. Bronze clips attach to the slotted toe rail. Here, Angel models her new toy (it was new 3 years ago anyway). 6. Rubrail folds in half when not in use. 7. The ends snugly tied. It's a bit bulky and, yes, takes up space, but it has been a very useful alternative since I don't have the real thing. Yet. Also, it's soft on the hull.
Air Chiller Rudimentary air conditioning without the huge price tag or electrical draw. No noisy generators are needed to run this simple little unit. It uses cube ice and about 2 amps of electricity. Versions of this air chiller have been in use for a long time with truck drivers and other motorists in hot climates. Great for anchored boaters who remember to pick up a few bags of ice before leaving land.
1. I found a plastic container that conveniently fit inside the bilge. Here you can see the circular cut-out to fit a 4" fan. A second, rectangular cut-out was made below the first one. 2. The container was lined, inside and out, with insulation. Shown mounted inside is the first fan I tried- it didn't work well! A 4" moisture proofed marine blower fan was installed instead and worked much better. It has about a 2 to 21/5 amp draw. 3. I had a bunch of copper tubing laying around (can't remember why) and used that to build an exchanger to facilitate the heat exchange process between the ice and the warm air. Via the intake port cut into the container, the blower sucks air around and through these copper tubes. Surrounded by cube ice, the tubes help chill the air, fast. 4. The assembled unit, which fits into the bilge and can easily be disconnected and pulled out quickly if needed. A rubber plug connects the 12V fan's wiring and the 4" ducting has a quick-disconnect. Cube Ice is poured into here, all the way to the top. Melt water drains through a hole just below the warm air intake port. There is also a plug in the bottom of the unit that's attached to a dowel rod so I can be lazy and not reach all the way in there and not see what I'm doing. 5. 4" flexible ducting was run under the floor board and I made a port near the bed. Here's the ducting when not in use with its protective dust (and anti-kick) cover. 6. The ducting with dust cover removed. 7. The flexible ducting can be pulled and secured over the bed so one can fall asleep under chilled air. A switch to turn the blower on/off is located within reach of the bed (the lazy part again).
8 and on: The chiller in action. Before adding ice, after adding ice and temperature readings over time.
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Power Shower A portable hot water shower tank, hose and nozzle. unit/pump/switch/curtain
1. A storage space in Angel's head was measured and I found a cooler that just fit it. The cooler, already being insulated, made a nice warm water tank. Water heated on the stove is poured into here. 2. A small self-priming 1/5 gpm pump with internal pressure switch was installed. I assured that its electronics were well moisture proofed. In this case, a low gpm rating on the pump is a good thing. The pump's outlet is attached to a 3/8" I.D. hose, which is long enough to use as a shower hose. A garden hose spray nozzle is attached to the business end. 3. The pump's lighted power switch has a protective cover. 4. A fold-away-when-dry shower curtain fits over a removable plastic tub so all shower water is contained. Angel has a big head for her size and the whole thing is akin to a shower on an RV. Note: the internal pressure switch on the pump failed a year later (cheap pump, my fault for trusting in it!). Until I get off my butt and find a replacement pump- with a warranty this time, I bypassed the switch and installed a waterproof push button under the spray nozzle's handle. Squeeze handle- pump turns on, let go of handle- pump turns off.
The cons to this project is that you do have to heat the water "manually", so it takes a few minutes to get it ready. Also, I don't let the water in the bilge, but use a shallow plastic tub. After showering, the tub has to be picked up and drained in the sink, so there's a little work involved. No biggie really.
Another Shower Idea: Fixed on-deck solar headed hot water tank. Article with details of this project in Good Old Boat Magazine, Nov./Dec 2007 issue, "Shower Solution".
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Folding, Rust-free Dolly Cart. After the wheels fell off my last dolly and was the source of far too much dock humor (Hmmph! I wasn't laughing), I made my own. Cruisers frequently use these simple items for land errands- laundry, groceries and the like. This one cost far less to make than to buy another and have it break or rust all over the place. All materials found in one small hardware store.
It folds into a square. When unfolded, it looks a bit spindly, but has proven sturdy enough for a good load of groceries (which are put in a huge duffel) and laundry. It can hold only one full jerry can at a time, but I don't use it for that so it doesn't matter.
Materials: 1/2" pvc, aluminum & stainless hardware, plastic wheels. The axle is 1/4" aluminum rod & I tapped the ends to fit stainless locknuts to hold the wheels in place. ***The stainless and aluminum- anywhere these two dissimilar metals touch each other- must be isolated with TEF-GEL or similar.*** Plastic bushings made from bic pen bodies fit over the axle and in the wheels.
Folding "Wing" Sunshade.
Angel needed a sunshade that didn't shadow her forward solar panel or self-destruct in higher winds, so I made one. This attaches to her mainsail cover and folds back when not in use. It has a "skeleton" for rigidity- I used those long, light plastic coated metal tubes found in the hardware store's gardening section. These tubes can be easily removed. To get underway, I pull off the sail cover and the sunshade comes with it, tubes and all. The long, skinny bundle of fabric and tubes is tied and set aside. I cooler climes, when the shade isn't in use, it can be completely removed from the sail cover and stored.
It's made from Sunbrella and Capt. Bill from Defiant let me use his treasured Sailrite Ultrafeed sewing machine.
