tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44184172427705941392024-03-06T00:29:48.052+00:00Mishaps and MemoriesPhoenix of Hamble's blogNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.comBlogger948125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-80569903700979655732015-05-26T12:04:00.001+01:002015-05-26T12:04:18.838+01:00glassed upAfter a short trip to Foxes to fetch some fibreglass, and a bit more expoxy resin, I set too in finishing the bulkhead.Actually, I was up early before Foxes opened, so spent a pleasant hour first, scraping some more blue gunk from the cockpit.... its an endless task.Anyway.... 4 strips of 100mm woven cloth, and a top layer of 300gsm chopped strand to neaten it all up, and the wood is in place... Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-47369471898660104182015-05-25T22:52:00.001+01:002015-05-25T22:52:54.393+01:00a few more tasksI forgot to mention earlier the joy of removing the gearbox coupling from the prop shaft.... The flexible coupling came off easily enough, but I had to take the propshaft to the old gearbox on the floor outside and bolt the flange on the coupling back to the one on the gearbox, but with a large nut inbetween... tightening the bolts then pressed the shaft out of the coupling... at least far Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-58377238938019688072015-05-25T17:30:00.001+01:002015-05-25T17:30:08.229+01:00bulkheadWith the engine room painted up nicely, and the aquadrive having arrived, it was time to fit the bulkhead to mount it.basically, it fixes to a new bulkhead to take the thrust from the prop, that is normally taken by the engine and gearbox and through the engine mounts into the hull. ait also has a constant velocity shaft so that engine alignment to the propshaft is less critical.So.... I made up Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-39631103456208979182015-05-17T13:50:00.001+01:002015-05-17T13:50:41.757+01:00before and afterIt's just struck me that it would be good to do a before and after picture, to show how much the engine compartment has improved, and as some motivation for me!Would it help to label them 'before' and 'after'? :)Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-87565116534416643182015-05-17T13:40:00.001+01:002015-05-17T13:44:50.720+01:00engine bay done...Final bit of engine bay now painted. It looks great, and is now ready for the bulkhead to be fitted to mount the aquadrive.As the picture also shows, quite a bit of work needed tidying up the wiring and mounting it neatly to be done yet....And finally, a bit of additional tidying up more generally around the boat... looks so much better when you've wandered around filling a bin bag!.... and then Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-16284043920185330052015-05-16T20:14:00.001+01:002015-05-16T20:14:04.532+01:00some good progressI've made some decent steps forward in the last 24 hours... after arriving last night, I got the sander out and finished the sole board in the forepeak, and then cleared the dust up.... This left me clear today for a feee run on finishing the engine room clean up.... connecting a hose pipe with a tap on the end allowed me to run water and clean without having to lug water up and down the Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-67784605867741711862015-05-15T11:30:00.001+01:002015-05-15T12:06:26.012+01:00more bits orderedI've ordered a few more bits to get towards the finish line!Today, a nice shiny alloy expansion tank is on its way to me.I need an expansion tank, as the addition of a calorifier to the colling circuit adds a lot of additional fluid into the system, so the risk of too much water being chucked out of the overflow is quite high as the system gets hot... so a simple expansion bottle is needed, so Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-45260179084647772222015-05-14T17:14:00.001+01:002015-05-14T17:14:43.014+01:00prop offYard have been in touch.... prop is off!That means I can get the shaft out this weekend, and finish cleaning up.... I may even be able to get a little of the paint on, up to roughly where the new bulkhead will be for the aquadrive.The shaft can be pulled out inside, as there is a lot of room forwards, certainly enough to clear the cutlass bearing... which is good, as the shaft coupling is still Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-40043821592874370792015-05-12T20:13:00.001+01:002015-05-12T20:13:19.784+01:00AquadriveI figured it would be of interest to some readers to discuss the aquadrive I've ordered, and why.Firstly, what are the reasons?I have a set of engine bearers in the engine bay that will certainly be in the wrong place... they were put in for a large and heavy old engine. They will be too far apart and too low for the new engine. I will address this via some new feet, but these will need careful Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-75552739573724255902015-05-11T18:27:00.001+01:002015-05-11T18:27:00.603+01:0010 years of drivelAnother weekend of cleaning the engine compartment behind me..... its getting closer.... which is good as I am sick of having filthy hands that won't come quite clean! :)I've also taken the opportunity to start ordering the bits neccessary to finish the engine bay.... all bar the engine!... that's in hand, but not quite done yet... I have however, confirmed the gearbox type, so that I can order Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-9027015893611196012015-03-29T16:47:00.001+01:002015-03-29T16:47:35.319+01:00well, that was fun.After removing the engine, the yard put the tarpaulin I had over the cockpit back. Only they didn't put it back very well. So with high winds and heavy rain forecast, I spent the first hour of this morning putting it only properly. Then, I got stuck back into the engine bay.A further 3 hours of cleaning, and its looking a lot better.Still lots of cleaning to be done though.As I got further Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-3342588291775863472015-03-28T19:26:00.001+00:002015-03-28T19:26:47.651+00:00Filthy, filthy, filthy work!I've spent 9 hours today cleaning the engine compartment, and still loads to goIt's been messy beyond belief.The second photo shows the area behind the engine... This gets progressively narrower, down to about 3" at the end, and is the lowest point, so it's where all the crap gathers.What I removed can only be described as like porridge, but made with old engine oil. Revolting.I started the day Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-25803728653781598762015-03-27T22:30:00.001+00:002015-03-27T22:30:58.678+00:00Engine's outJust arrived onboard, and pleased to see engine has been removed... I'm 'looking forward' to cleaning that out' 8o)Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-67373561948557938082015-03-21T13:30:00.001+00:002015-03-21T13:30:08.840+00:00it's going to look great!After finishing the second of the two headlining panels in the forepeak, I couldn't resist laying them out, with the freshly varnished wooden trim pieces to see what it would look like...Very nice is my opinion!Besides getting the engine compartment sorted, I am now very keen to get the sole board in the forepeak finished, so that I can get the headlining up in there. I will also need to get the Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-84895878488396421922015-03-21T10:32:00.001+00:002015-03-21T10:32:23.443+00:00more panel workThe first panel is finished, and I'm rather pleased with the result, even if I do say so myself!Motivated by the outcome, I've started the second.Again, the material cut to size, the corners prepped, and then any foam not under the wood trimmed off.... its a slow and tedious job, but one that should be worthwhileHere's what the prepared material looks likeThat's now been glued to the wood panel..Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-42683964730509515582015-03-20T15:48:00.001+00:002015-03-20T15:48:44.431+00:00brakes yesterday, clutch todayAfter the delight of a boom brake yesterday, I've maintained the automotive theme.... today, on the way to work, my clutch failed.This has messed up my whole weekend's plans. Firstly, no car to get to the boat, and secondly, all my tools and boat bits are in the boot, at the garage waiting for a new clutch to be fitted.Instead I'll tackle the headlining at home instead. This works well, as the Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-56033234988200406022015-03-18T19:21:00.001+00:002015-03-18T19:21:31.500+00:00headlining and brakesMaterial arrived safely... very happy with the colour we've chosen. Its Ivory, and is still very light, but with enough colour that it will contrast nicely with the varnished wood, yet not look too 'white'.So, this evening, I've started the first panel to see how I get on.The material is cut slightly larger than the wooden panel, and then (the tricky bit), the foam that isn't to be under the woodNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-59369953039890208572015-03-14T14:49:00.001+00:002015-03-14T14:49:30.827+00:00scraping foam instead!Bored of scraping paint, I thought i'd find something else to do instead.... so I have spent the morning scraping foam instead!Its a mark that I am getting towards the end of this project, that I have just ordered the new headlining material. 10m of ivory, foam backed headlining material to stick onto the wooden panels that I removed as one of my first jobs upon buying Phoenix all that time ago.&Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-5191843886315243012015-03-13T20:53:00.001+00:002015-03-13T20:53:52.351+00:00Engine still in the boat....Despite my best efforts, the engine remains in the boat!It's not however the end of the world, and it should be out on Monday.Upin trying to lift the engine, it soon became very obvious that with the long Borg Warner gearbox, the engine would need to be tilted nearly on end to get it out of the engine compartment, let alone through the hole in the cockpit floor.The yard, understandably weren't Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-66467251201553518912015-03-10T21:21:00.001+00:002015-03-10T21:31:02.810+00:00engine jigThis evening, following a good idea stolen from Myron and his own Explorer 45 rebuild (http://svdiscovery.blogspot.co.uk), I've started making up a jig for the engine, so that I can measure up the new engine mounts accurately.... Myron used plastic tubing, but I've gone with wooden dowel and plumbing fittings.... once its assembled, I'll brace it to make it secure.measuring was challenging, as I Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-79305769233719539932015-03-09T22:10:00.001+00:002015-03-09T22:16:21.215+00:00engine lift and shiny thingsEngine lift confirmed for 08:30 Friday morning.... gulp!Also, have ordered a full set of new door handles and catches.... 4 lots of them, for the two heads, the forepeak door and the door for the aft cabin.I've ordered them from the USA, as that was the only place I could find that did the right sort.They are just like ordinary door handles, but the catches themselves are much smaller, as the Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-92079022871160762292015-03-08T14:55:00.001+00:002015-03-08T14:55:37.239+00:00you win some, you lose someProp shaft now suitably disconnected from the gearbox.The shaft has a flexible coupling, and I ended up undoing the gearbox end.... so will have fun once I can get in the engine compartment undoing the other side..... it was a tough nut to crack... and ended up with a large adjustable on one side to wedge against the hull, and a spanner on the other side with 'substantial' application of a hammerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-91593580163352869132015-03-07T19:16:00.001+00:002015-03-07T19:16:07.212+00:00A riveting readI was getting on with my jobs by 08:30... serves me right for going to bed the night before at 21:00!I had been pleased to see the night before, as I drove into the marina, that my mast had been moved as requested, so I would be able to get on with the work.It however, proved easier to think about doing the work, than actually doing it!The rivets were bastards to remove.... most had still got theNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-70529995078177828802015-03-04T21:34:00.001+00:002015-03-04T21:34:34.036+00:00engine lift plannedEngine comes out in just over a weeks time.... then the big bilge clean up commences!Must order the bilge paint soon.I've been pointed at garage floor paint as much cheaper, and the same stuff!Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418417242770594139.post-1333991348383550432015-03-02T19:19:00.001+00:002015-03-02T19:19:33.293+00:00sole boardsI've (after my usual amount of prevaricating) have settled on the finish for the sole boards.... I've ordered Liberon Hard Wax Oil, which is a simple satin finish oil that can brushed on, withe the brushes cleaned in just water..... and yet is designed for wet and hunid environments like kitchens and bathrooms... so should be pefect. Its also very strong and hardwearing, so shouldn't get Neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00575027203221555080noreply@blogger.com0