Current To Do List

1. Finish roughng-in interior cabinetry in forward compartment.
2. Build a spreadsheet showing DC powered equipment and lighting plan.
3. Go out for bids on building the spars.
4. Buy inverter/charger, battery, SSB and VHF radio and add to other components on the testing bench. ( Move test bench from dining room to the yard) 
5. Detail clean interior and prep for insulation and paint.
6. Finish plumbing fuel tank.
7. Dry fit gammon iron and anchor rollers, deck sampson posts,bow sprit and anchor windlass
8. Complete the engine install.
9. Dry fit Lavac head and have Juan tab in the shelf. 
10. Beef up deck under anchor windlass and sampson posts. 
11. Install Wallas cooktop, Climma air conditioner, Cool Blue refrigerator compressor, Muir anchor windlass.
12.    

Progess

Sucks, actually. I thought furniture would be finished by the end of this month. Looks like mid February now. Juan is great carpenter and fiber glass hand but I should stop telling everyone how good he is. The goal is to keep him on my boat not send him more work. I'll sing his praises after he finishes. Anyway, he only lacks main shelves in the forward cabin to have all the furniture structure roughed-in. Then I can power wash, detail clean and wipe dry the entire interior. Once that project is complete we will declare a two month moratorium on all below deck sanding so we can paint hull interior and inside of cabinetry. Then wiring and plumbing can start in earnest.

I hope I will be splashing the boat by September but I don't want to leave the shed early. I want to get as much done as possible before going in the water. Once in the water I will take her to Lakewood (floating docks!). I estimate another three months getting her dressed up for a christening party.

Onboard Computer

The computer that will crunch Rose Point GPS and a Maretron NMEA 2000 calculations and display data is from "Small PC Company". This baby computer is a fanless shelf mounted 12 volt DC model SC 240 with Intel Atom 1.6GHz CPU, 512MB DDR2, 32G Solid State Drive, WinXP-PRO, external AC Adapter (12V DC), 10/100 LAN, 3 USB 2.0 Ports, VGA Port and dual HD15-VGA and HDMI video connectors. The Dimensions are 10.5" x 7.5" x 3.75".

There are other mini pcs on the market with similar features and capabilities but this one appears to be the most energy efficient. While bench testing systems I am operating through an AC adaptor but onboard the computer will be run directly off the dc side. I assume that a dc dc converter will be required.

The mini pc will drive two monitors one permanently installed on the nav station forward bulkhead. This monitor is a Viewsonic model VX1932wm-LED. The Led backlights keep the power draw down to a minimum........advertised to be 15 watts in a typical operating mode. The second monitor will serve in the cockpit as required and then down below mounted on the overhead above the pilot berth. This monitor will be a bit more high tech given that it will mount in the cockpit while underway, albeit under the dodger. The most promising candidate for this service is the new Argonaut 10 inch Tflex-G610LED with optional touch screen which appears to be feature laden and is advertised to be a power miser. We shall see once on the bench.

Roughing Out Interior

I think it will be another 30 days before the interior construction is finished.  Once the furniture rough out is done we can start machinery installation, plumbing and wiring.  Photos I took last week show the current state of affairs down below.

The freezer space is on the forward end of the box and is as big as the fridge compartment in order to accept the Cool Blue Technautics cold plate. The freezer side has a bottom that conforms to the shape of  the hull while the fridge side bottom is level.  I think I can get a drawer under the fridge side.

The navigation station with chart table and fridge/freezer under is positioned at the forward end of the main cabin on the starboard side.  The space is 53 inches long and will contain a small bank of 10 inch wide 3 high drawers at the far forward end in addition to the 36" long and 18" deep refrigerator freezer box.

The 25 inch high cold plate mounts in the freezer side of the box on the bulkhead facing the centerline of the vessel.

The Nav station faces the port side galley on the forward end of the main cabin.  The doorway leading to the forward cabin is offset to starboard so that the 8" diameter mast does not block the access.

From the companion way  we get a feel for the overall main cabin layout......port settee aft of the galley and to starboard, a facing settee (yet to be built) with pilot berth behind and nav station forward.

Looking dead astern from forward cabin.

The port quarter berth is 76 inches long and has storage below and beside.

The starboard pilot berth is 27 inches wide at the top and 33 inches wide half way down.  Total length is 93 inches.  The pilot berth does not convert to a double..... one mattress without insert. (Sleep two, eat four and drink 6)  The area due south of the pilot berth will be dedicated to machinery space and storage.  The only access will be from down below.  There will be no starboard cockpit locker to get to this space.  Based on our recent track record down flooding opportunities will be kept to a bare minimum.

The Sail Plan

The Burnett sail plan differs from the original Lyle Hess gaff plan primarily in the fore triangle configuaration.  The jib head is more conservatively poistioned just above the hounds.

Interior

Starboard bulkheads and fridge box construction is underway. Once furniture is roughed in machinery installation, plumbing and wiring can begin.

Progress Photos

Port Townsend delivered anchor rollers and lifeline stanchions.

Forward Cabin Configuration

Also changing is the forward cabin layout.  The new design will allow the anchor locker, sail locker and head areas to work more closely as one cabin for machinery installation, toilet (but not shower) and storage of sails, tools, spare parts and ground tackle I willl also take out the existing portside cabinetry and move the toilet off centerline and over to the port side.  The bulkhead opening between the head area and sail locker will be enlarged.  The holding tank will mount on the port side of the sail locker, the AC compressor in a portside cabinet just aft of the head and the refrigeration compressor on the starboard side.

In contrast to the main salon and galley the cabin before the mast will be workboat like in style with exposed plumbing, easy access to machinery and open shelves for spares and tools.  And if I can get this Dell "all-in-one" to scan as advertised I will post a couple of drawings describing the new layout.

OK let's try this:

A bit rough but approximately to scale (no such thing).  A few labels would also help. Anyway, she will have a port side quarter berth for a crewmen not longer than 6 ft 1"; the pilot gets a 7 ft. starboard berth; the third crewman gets the sole and the fourth, if any, will be a daysailor who can hot sheet with the quarter berth occupant should he or she require a catnap. The Galley will remain to port with the nav station/fridge box opposite. The head will shift from centerline to the port side and face a storage cabinet cum workbench.

Tweaking the Sail Handling

Ed Burnett should soon have the numbers crunched on the revised gaff sail plan.  His plan will emphasize the  stays'l instead of the jib.  The jib, genoa and yankee will be set free flying with a Colligio luff line furler offering an alternative method to strike sail. The forestay responsibilities will be confined to staying the top of the mast in opposition to the running backstays.

Changed my Mind

I should have been a politician.  I have become the king of the flip flop lately.  I have now decided to stick with the previous plan (actually I think it was the prior previous plan) and restore Sea Star as a gaffer. "Is that your final anwser?"  As a sailing friend of mine recently reminded me, "it's about the journey not the destination".  I think the sail plan will be a bit different than Dilkara and Precipice ( the only two gaff rigged BCCs that I have come across thus far).