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Projects and Upgrades

Valkyr is a 1979 boat. As a thirty year old boat she is in good shape but there are systems that no longer work or work right and also a lot of really dated stuff that the modern version of it is more functional/faster/safer etc… Obviously being a boat we could spend a hundred thousand dollars on her without even blinking an eye if we got crazy.. Except for one fact, we don’t have a hundred thousand dollars.. Actually we don’t have much money at all to upgrade her. So there will be a lot of compromises made and a lot of sweat equity put into her.

The list so far includes

The decks
When Angela bought Valkyr there were some soft spots in the deck near the bow and a big one in the cockpit on starboard. This year Angela started actually repairing the soft spots and found a couple more small areas. They have all been repaired so far with just the decks needing paint and the non skid added back in. So we will be looking at re-painting the decks and putting new nonskid down. All the teak needs to be sanded down and varnished. I’m lazy so I have been looking at slightly more expensive but longer lasting solutions and think that I will try a 2 part urethane varnish such as Bristol. I have found a supplier for a version at about 90 dollars a gallon which is about 40% of what Bristol Finish costs. Bought Tequa oil for the wood on deck at 130 for a gallon. Should do the whole boat a couple times over. Looking at durabak non skid and 2part urethane paint such as brightsides or perfection for the rest of the deck and cabin sides. Duraback is about 120 a gallon and I think it would need 6 or 7 gallons. So maybe or maybe not for it.. pretty pricey.

Interior Fans
6 Sirocco fans from west marine. about $ 414

Composting Head
natures head 850 + 40 for extra bottle + shipping + solar vent approx $1050
here are some reviews I have read

another page of a different composting head on a boat

Cushions and Vberth Mattress
Looking at between 1200 and 850 for the foam. maybe 300 more for the  fabric.

Traveler and Mainsheet
The traveler is just forward of the transom flat on the deck. It is very old and doesn’t move very easily, also the lines are awkward to use. We would like to replace the traveler with a newer more modern one.  The mainsheet and mainsheet winch are dead behind the helm seat, with the winch being so close that you can’t turn the winch handle in a complete circle without hitting the helm seat. We would like to move the traveler this to a arch over the cockpit like a hunter or forward to the coach roof.  I am leaning more torward over the cabin with a painted mild steel arch integrated to the hard doger that the solar panels will be mounted to with a boomkin and water collection built in. glass forward windows with wiper.

Staysail
The stay sail is hanked on and the lines for it are at the mast. We would like to put a roller furling unit on the staysail and bring the furling back to the cockpit. A friend has offered us a used CDI furling unit and foil that he has sitting around. I’m really stoked about this as it is a big savings and something that we can probably do much sooner than we had planned that will have a major impact on ease of use in sailing. US Spars wants 300 including shipping for a new staysail boom.

Instruments
The anemometer on the wind indicator no longer works.. I need to find the model of this and see if I can get a new/used replacement part. The knot meter no longer works either, I would like to get that fixed also. The garmin gps unit sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t, I’m not sure wether to replace it or get it fixed.Their is a nice newer VHF radio with a wireless remote so that is good.

Electrical
The electrical is in pretty good shape.  I would like to get a battery management system that I could monitor the health of the batteries and some solar panels and a charge controller.  I have a 3000 watt inverter that I will be installing on the boat also. Other than that I don’t know of any issues. It is all upgrades and no fixing.
solar charge controller Outback model flex 60 or 80.. plus remote for it.. about 700 for both.. two solar panels of about 210 watts about 610 each.. so about 1800 for solar charging.
shore charger is a xantrex.. 500 dollars. new cables about 400 dollars.

Engine
Dual filter setup for the fuel so that you can change from one filter to another at the turn of a valve. maybe a secondary fuel pump as a backup.
Products I’m looking at here are the only 4 dual products I have been able to find that are specific to the marine industry. Actually they are pretty much the only vendors I can find even in non marine applications.

Griffin GTB228DM-MA dual filter/water seperator http://www.griffinfilter.com/s…..INE+SERIES you can purchase from http://www.filtrationdepotonline.com

Racor RAC75500DMx2 dual filter water seperator http://www.parker.com/portal/s…..&Wtky= you can purchase from http://www.jamestowndistributo…..o?pid=6432

Separ Filter SWK-2000/5 & /5U dual filter water seperator http://www.separfilter.com/ind…..separ5.php call the number on the website

Filter boss system that uses racor filters http://www.ktisystems.com/cate…..y-s/25.htm

my criteria has been cheap replaceable filters, vacume gauge and a simple on lever ability to switch between filters.

Separ and Racor seem to be supported products. I got someone on the phone at both companies quickly who was helpful. Griffin is a Chinese company and the only US distributer that I can find is hard to communicate with. They only have email on their website. Though when emailed they did send me a phone number. However the phone number goes to an anonymous voicemail and I haven’t gotten a call back yet. Griffin filter unit is a knock off of the racor one and can use standard racor 2010 filters. He did call me back and give me a phone number to contact him with.

Separ price is about $1300

Racor prices is about $800

Griffin price is about $500 actually i am guesstimating as the same product in the non marine version.. no heat sheild under the unit is $455

Kti with the filterboss is a deluxe system with built in electronic fuel pump but is pricey in the $1400 range.

Bought two griffen 500FGAMMA filters. Chinees knockoffs of the racor 500MA filters Cost for 2 filter units with filters and 6 replacement filters +shipping was 263.00

Measurements and specifications

Staysail Stay 30ft 6in long
17in from deck to boom pin
Staysail boom 12’1″ long with fittings
6’10” side deck to side deck for traveler.

Main boom is 17’3″ long with a cross section of 6 1/4 inchs X 3 1/2 inchs and a wall thickness of 1/8 inch

main boom is 5’2″ high at the aft cockpit deck
5’5″ high at cockpit aft of cabin
3’6″ at the mast on deck
3′ high on aft coach roof

8 bulbs in the interior
1004 12v 15CP
3/4 ” wide 1 1/2? length

Housing has 2 inchs diameter and 2 1/8th ” length

I tested LED Bulb and it was brighter than stock filament bulbs and nice warm white/yellow color.
G4-WHP10-D White LED lamp $ 14.95 (each)
Options: Warm White G4-WWHP10-D
153.00$ for 8 bulbs and mounts. + shipping

Universal Diesel engine
Model: 5432
Serial: 315067
2298 hours on meter

Engine opening dimensions for filters and panel
space between entrance is 24″ wide and 17″ deep. It is another 10 inches to the exhaust elbow.
the lip that the stairs rest on comes out 2 inches on either side
There is 17 inches width to mount fuel filter system.

Port Visor from www.seaworthygoods.com
Port size 15.25″x8.75 it will take 6 of the 18R port visor 28.98 each measured from inside they will cost $188.00 including shipping

Head space measurements
9 ” Deep forward 11″ deep aft  21″ wide

Hiller Range

Marinetics LPG Control (company is out of business)

Ordered a  Xintex S-1A 2″ Square Bezel Propane Detector W/ Plug-In Sensor And Solenoid Valve (S-1A) 171.09 dollars

misc measurements

3.5 feet from back of transom caprail to end of main boom

80″ from one side of transom to other side
130″ from side to side of cockpit even with cabin in cockpit
112″ for and aft from cabin to transom on each side of cockpit along cap rail

doger overhangs the cabin by 24″ into the cockpit

area for nonskid

  • aft coach roof (7’6″x7’9″) -(44″x54″) aprox 60 sqft-16.5 =43.5 sq ft
  • forward coach roof 91″x131″x131x44″ approx 8640 sqin = 60 sqft
  • Bow 81″x90″x81″=aprox 3150 square inches /144 to get 21.85 sqft
  • Side Decks 1’x20’x2 = 40 sqft
  • forward cockpit 65″x39″x2 =35.2 sqft
  • aft cockpit 72″x41 =20.5 sqft

all non skid areas = 221.5 sqft
this would need 5 gallons of durabak or grizzely non skid coating

Grizzley would cost 415 plus shipping so say about 450
durabak would cost 600 plus shipping  for a total of 662.75

just saw a product that might be a good washing machine for living on a boat.

http://www.simplygoodstuff.com/wonderwash.html