October 2020

This month we returned to find the Fir covered in ash from the California wildfires. The fires never came within 10 miles of the boat, but ash and the smell of smoke are everywhere.

During each work session, we spend some amount of time evaluating, restoring, or replacing various engine room equipment. Getting parts is often an issue, so these projects tend to stretch out for several weeks. We have been lucky that the Coast Guard did a great job mothballing the boat and previous owners made few modifications. All the existing equipment appeared to work, yet some did not fit in our plans to return Fir to service. For example, the oily water separator was manufactured by a company that still exists, but they have not manufactured separators in more than 25 years. Replacement parts, manuals, and technical support are no longer available, rendering the equipment is unreliable. The diesel fired steam boiler, just by the way it looked, was too sketchy to test.

Our two generators work well, are still supported by the manufacturer, but are not up to date with current technology. We want to replace one of the generators with a modern system that is more fuel-efficient and far less noisy. Moreover, we want a contemporary system that can be controlled from the Wheelhouse.

Re-working the engine room has resulted in a pile of old equipment that is either too large to pass through a 23-inch door and/or too heavy to move safely. This month, we brought in a crane to lift off the engine room hatch and move the old equipment to the buoy deck. We also took this opportunity to get one of the crane motors off the boat and into Joe’s truck so that it could be re-wound. When finished we loaded our tender back on the boat.

The original diesel fired boiler. We decided not to test the unit for fear of fire or CO poisoning.

The original oily water separator. No longer supported by the manufacturer.

Next month we hope to finalize our plans with the generator and install a modern generator in place of the DD 671 that we removed this trip.

August 2020 (Part C)

Alarms and Monitoring

We have made good progress on the alarms and monitoring systems and will be the sole topic of a lengthy blog in the coming months. While Chris has been busy pulling wires and mounting sensors, Joe has been running the main N2K trunk lines. Each time we install a new N2K node, we ensure that it is visible to the network. We have tried to program some of the “black boxes” that interpret the sensor signals, but our temporary electrical connection with Aurora is not consistent. If someone hits an angle grinder or welder, that spike can scramble the programing. It is fairly demoralizing to spend an hour on setup just to have it eliminated when the electrical supply spikes. We manage to make some progress in the middle of the night but it is slow going. Fortunately, this will no longer be a problem when we get our permanent electrical power, which seems just around the corner.

The center column of the engine room shows a combination of new and old monitors and sensors. Starting from the bottom of the photo, the orange boxes are the original lube oil alarms for the reduction gears. These alarms have been tested and work well. Chris added a circuit such that the Wheelhouse is alerted when the alarm buzzer is energized. In other words, the original alarm system now reports on the N2K network.

The grey box is a temperature sensor from Maretron. Based on its position, it essentially measures the temperature of air entering the intake of the main engines.

The white box is a motion detector from Maretron. One unfortunate surprise was that all the other Maretron sensors run on 24VDC. The motion detectors max at 12VDC. So, we inadvertently fried the first motion detector installed.

Above the motion detector is a carbon monoxide detector provided by Maretron. All the internal combustion motors and devices are located in the main engine room to should pick up any issue with an exhaust problem. Separately, there will be other CO sensors in the common living areas.

Not visible in the photograph is a smoke/heat detector from Maretron. This sensor is mounted to the ceiling a few feet from the column and will be on its circuit. Other smoke detectors will be daisy-chained through the living areas.

Also, not pictured is a bilge alarm that runs down the column. There is an existing bilge alarm in this area based on a float switch. It has been tested and works. Chris has tied this into the new N2K network by putting a sensor on the previously existing alarm annunciator. Therefore, when the existing bilge alarm trips, a new system picks up the signal and sends the signal to the Wheelhouse. The new bilge sensor is a conductivity sensor that is placed just below the existing sensor and reports directly to the N2K network.   

Joe sets the “black boxes.” Six individual sensors plug into each black box. The black boxes convert the sensor signals in network messages that are available anywhere the network signal is provided.

A Sample of the programming screen. Each line represents a separate “black box". Clicking on a line allows you to label and calibrate each sensor.

Once the sensors are assigned identifiers on the network, they are associated with individual “virtual” gauges. Screens like the one above are built for all the sensors available on the boat. The system allows for an unlimited number of screens tailored to each boat activity.

Obviously, this is a complex subject. We will go through the details once we install a dependable power supply and start programming the system.

August 2020 (Part B)

Generator Exhaust

The existing generator exhaust is a dry stack. The exhaust runs are fairly long. They start on the port side of the lowest level of the engine room and run to the centerline of the engine room and up to the stack. The exhaust pipes are 4-5 inches in diameter and are in good shape. The existing 100KW generators running at 75% load produce a high enough gas temperature and volume to keep the pipes dry. A smaller system using the same pipes and/or a system running at 30% load is likely to result in a case where the exhaust gases cool in the exhaust pipe and produce a corrosive condensate that could make its way back to the engine.

Also, noise is an issue. The idea is to repurpose Fir for events and charter. As part of this effort, we need to greatly reduce the noise of the generators and vibrations transmitted through the superstructure. 

See the June Blog for more information about the secondary generator isolation mounts. See the July Blog for information on our proposed configuration for the new generators.

The exhaust pipes are in red. Fresh air supply lines are in yellow. This picture is taken from stern to bow.

In our repurposing, Fir requires a little more than 30KW to run the pilothouse electronics, lights, ventilation fans, galley refrigeration, and pumps for potable water. We need this to anchor in a location that does not require air conditioning and intend to use a battery management system to shift load as needed. That said, we have decided that the base generator unit ought to supply no less than 40KW. 

Our system should keep the primary generator running at a 75% load (which will keep the diesel motor at temperature). This will supply our required systems and excess power will be utilized to charge the batteries. Should a spike in demand last for more than a few seconds, an additional generator will engage. 

The new generators have what is called a “wet” exhaust system. Cooling water exiting the heat exchanger is sprayed into the exhaust pipe near the point where the exhaust exits the generator. So, what leaves the generator is something of a slurry. The temperature of the exhaust gas is greatly reduced and the water deadens the sound to a large extent. 

One problem with a wet exhaust, where the exhaust header is below the waterline, is that it creates a way for seawater to back into the engine. A second issue is that lifting the exhaust slurry to a point above the waterline increases back pressure on the exhaust which can exceed the parameters of the motor.

We worked with Dan at Soundown to engineer and build a wet exhaust system for our particular setup. See the July Blog for drawings. This trip began with efforts to expose the port hull below the water line so we could install the thru-hull fittings. See the August 2020 (Part A) Blog to see how this went.

The area at the waterline is Fir’s ice belt and is 7/16th inch steel. The thru-hulls that Joe fabricated are made of 1/2 inch steel plate. So, there is nearly an inch of material around each new thru-hull.

Joe cut back the interior insulation which is mineral wool held in place by a galvanized steel mesh. He then drilled some small pilot holes through the hull to locate the proposed new fittings. The initial holes were cut with a torch from the exterior. The new plates were welded from the outside. Joe then welded the fittings from the interior. The interior area was covered with welding blankets and Marcy watched over with extinguishers in-hand.

The new exhaust separator after installation. This unit sits above the waterline. Cool exhaust gas exits the top of the unit and leaves the boat via a thru-hull. Cooling water and soot leave below the waterline.

One advantage of the wet exhaust system is the ability to use rubber hoses to handle the exhaust instead of hard pipes. Of course, the hose is ridiculously expensive while proper hose clamps, 2 per connection, are even more absurd in price.

We needed 2", 3” and 3.5” hoses for the install. The hose is USCG certified Novaflex.

Yokohama Fenders

We began restoring two Yokohama fenders that we purchased from the Aurora. We started by getting the fenders on deck, cleaning them, and evaluating the issues.

August 2020 (Part A)

Three Steps Forward …… Two Steps Back

Some trips are more productive than others. Some are easy. Some are hard-fought. This was a tough trip.

When we left in July, we had a problem with the existing Detroit Diesel 100KW generator. Under the original system, the DD generator(s) are controlled by a Woodward paralleling controller. When the controller fails, the Woodward pushes the throttle to the floorboards which blows the speed control protection on the Detroit Diesel. This happens from time to time because someone unplugs the extension cord from a temporary generator to the battery system that supplies 24VDC to the Woodward controller. The batteries eventually die. The voltage drops to the Woodward controller and the main generator fails. When we left in July, it seemed obvious that there was a short somewhere in the control circuit.

This time the problem was more elusive. We started by asking Chris to change out a worn terminal block feeding the Woodward controller that appeared to have some loose connections. No change. Chris then swapped out the Woodward controller with one of several spares we have on board. No change so we reinstalled the original controller (because it is “dialed in” to the system). No change.

Joe then disconnected the linkage between the Detroit Diesel and the Woodward actuator. We started the motor and controlled the throttle by hand. Under normal circumstances, the Woodward actuator should have moved to regulate the RPMs. It did not. So, either the RPM sensor or the actuator was bad. We changed out the actuator lid. No change.

In checking the actuator, Chris found that one of two pins in the wiring harness was completely corroded. Chris made the connection with a pair of alligator clips. The system was back up and running, but at the cost of more than a day of trial and error. Having said this, we are getting better at troubleshooting problems relating to the main bus bar.

Getting the main generator working was a priority because our goal for the trip was to install a thru-hull fitting below the waterline. The idea was to use the boom of the crane to cause Fir to list to starboard so we could get below the waterline on the port side.

Recall that Fir currently has about 4,000 of fuel in her center-mounted day tank and 3,000 gallons of water in her potable water supply tank. (which happens to be starboard of the centerline). Otherwise, she is empty. So, she is proud in the water and has far less ballast than usual.

After getting the main generator squared, we moved the boom hard to starboard. This created a 10° list, which was not enough. We then hooked on to the tow bar of the USS Mazapeta and gave it a lift. We managed to raise the Mazapeta’s bow 5-6 inches. This produced a 23° list on Fir which translates to 4-5 feet of hull exposed on the port side.

Our operation ended when the degree of listing set off the level alarms on the Detroit Diesel generator and shut the unit down. The heavy list caused some unsecured equipment in the wheelhouse to tumble which ended in broken glass. Ugh — a step back.

Joe and Chris are attaching the main hoist on the Fir to the tow equipment on the bow of the USS Mazapeta. When we lift the boom, the Fir should list more than the boom alone will produce. This will expose more of the underwater portion of the port hull.

Fir listing at about 23 degrees to expose the port underwater hull.

Note the distance between the bottom of the stairs and floating dock where Joe (in orange) stands. The 23° list produced 4-5 feet of below DWL hull exposure. This is probably 6 feet below the waterline once the tanks are filled.

Looking at the condition of the hull just below the waterline. Note that this is the ice belt which is 7/16th steel. Also, note the distance between the bottom of the stairs and the water. The stairs were about 6 inches above the waterline when this operation began.

In keeping with the three steps forward and two steps back theme of our trip, during the lift of the Mazapeta, the main boom cable jumped the drum and sheared off the bitter end. We were able to get the cable realigned but the cable is kinked in a couple of places and lightly frayed in one area. So, add this to the list.

With all this done, we were able to start making progress. Check out Part B of our August trip.

July 2020

GENERATORS

Installing our new generators continues to be the most significant project. Fir was initially equipped with two 100KW generators powered by Detroit Diesel 6-71 motors. The sound and low harmonic vibrations are maddening — its difficult to hear anything else in the engine room. Further, this is an older style of power distribution scheme. We are keeping one of the DD generators to operate the boom and act as a backup to the entire system. This is generator #1.

We are replacing the other DD generator with a more scalable system. 40KW (3 phase 450VAC) is sufficient to cover the wheelhouse electronics, lights, ventilation, refrigeration, small appliances, waste vacuum system, and the intermittent draw from air compressors, domestic water pumps, etc. However, it will not cover the larger cooking equipment, waring drives, air conditioning, or the systems required to start the mains. So, the idea is to install two, perhaps three, generators to run automatically in parallel. 

Generator #2 will cover the base draw. When the load increases above 40KW, the next generator (generator #3) automatically starts. Ultimately, these feeds will be directed to a battery management system that will smooth out the changes in load and provide a backup in the event the generator system fails. In addition, the digital system will produce a clean sine wave which should extend the longevity of the equipment. Consequently, we intend to replace one of the DD 100 KW generators with a stack of two modern, auto paralleling generators with a total output of 80KW. We may eventually add a small generator for anchoring but we will first see how well we can tune the battery management system to pick up minor loads.

In the June blog, we described how we built new mounts for the generator. Joe fabricated 1/2” steel cross members (with welded angle iron stiffeners) to accept the new generators which are much smaller than the existing system. He created mounting holes for a secondary set of isolation mounts. The modern units will ship with isolation mounts between the generator motor and the generator frame.  Soundown designed a secondary set of isolation mounts to fit between the generator frame and the boat. These secondary mounts are much larger and the rubber is softer. The hope is that this will block transmission of vibrations between the generator and the boat frame.

The next major issue relates to generator exhaust. The DD 6-71s had a dry exhaust system vented through the stack which is neither clean nor quiet. This is a problem because the area of the ship designated for recreation/events happens to be on the same deck as the stack. Modern marine generators ship with a wet exhaust system. The issue in our case is that the lower generator is well below the water line such that one must consider the maximum backpressure allowed by the engine. In our generator range, the maximum lift is around 40 inches. This is a close call based on our measurements.

We called Soundown to discuss and they recommended this configuration;

In every system under consideration the exhaust manifold runs along the top of the motor. It then turns down. At the top of the turn, seawater exiting the heat exchanger is sprayed into the exhaust system. The exhaust is now a mixture of seawater and exhaust gases. The seawater spray deadens the sound and cools the exhaust to the point where it can be run through rubber hoses. At this point, the slurry of water and exhaust gases leave the generator and are introduced to a water-lift muffler.

The pressure of the exhaust pushes both water and gases to a separator mounted above the waterline. The water is then dumped below the waterline and the now cooled gases are expelled through the hull above the waterline.

All of this dampening ought to greatly reduce exhaust noise. This plan entails creating a number of thru-hull fittings. So, we decided to start with 1/2” plate and schedule 80 nipples. We need 1 two-inch fitting for below the waterline and 2 three-inch fittings above the waterline.

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Joe welds the schedule 80 nipples to a 1/2 inch plate that will be used to create thru-hull for the new generator exhaust.

Joe preps the new thru-hull fittings. The welds are ground on both sides of the 1/2" plate. Any voids found by the grinding are re-welded and ground a second time.

The finished product. These will be welded to the 7/16” hull midship on the port side.

MAKING SPACE

Fir maintained several lube oil tanks that were suspended from the ceiling of the lower engine room. One tank was suspended over the old generator #2 bay. A previous owner converted this LO tank to a fuel tank for the generators — probably because they did not want to invest $10,000 in fuel to get enough static pressure from Tank 4 (the original Day Tank) to run the generators.

Note in the above picture a tank in the upper right of the frame. We could squeeze the new generators into the area, but the limited space would make getting around the units extremely difficult. Specifically, the new wet exhaust system would be a bitch to install. Most of the thru-hulls must be placed behind the tank.

So, we decided to remove the tank. This is a 300-gallon tank, and we plan to move it to the buoy deck and use it to fuel tenders. We have working cargo pumps as a part of Fir’s original setup. But, they are high pressure/high volume pumps making it difficult to top up a tender tank with this system. Therefore, we will fill the tank with the cargo pump and use then use a gravity feed to fill smaller tanks.

GETTING ORGANIZED

Fir came with a great number of tools and mechanical supplies. The specialty tools and larger tools (over 1”) were in good, useable condition. The smaller tools (1/4” to 1”) were not organized, repetitive, and rusted. We had to purchase a few tools for this project, but most of what we needed was supplied by J&J Mobile Welding (Joe) and the Aurora (Chris Willson).

As a supplemental endeavor, we have started to build a set of tools and supplies for use while Fir is in operation. On the main deck of the engine room, we have boxes designated specifically for small tools, common supplies, and wearable parts (like filters). This collection will be separate from those currently in use for the restoration and repair portion of our project.

Box A (freshly painted) holds hose clamps, cable ties, warning lamps, ER light bulbs, gauges, sensors, lubricants, cleaners, sealants, gloves, and earplugs.

Fir originally had a large stick welder with enough cord to reach the buoy deck. We think we can handle the job with portable welders. We took out the large welder and put a toolbox from Dewalt in its place. This is where we intend to store most of our small tools. 

Tools

Since these tools are not for the repair/restoration part of the project, there is time for us to pick and choose exactly what to buy. We have a long way to go but here are some of our first purchases;

Milton 3/8” V Style Hi-Flo Brass Air Quick Couplers

Dewalt 60 Volt Cordless Angle Grinder (DCG4148)

Aircat 805-HT 3/8” Air Ratchet

Dewalt 20V 1/4” Cordless Impact Driver (DCF887BR)

Dewalt 20/60 Volt battery 6AH (DCB606)

Tektron 3/8” Ratchet 18” in length (SRH01118)

Tektron 3/8” Flex Head Ratchet 8” in length (SRH21108)

Tekton 3/8” 6-point SAE Shallow Impact Sockets (47910)

Tekton 3/8” 6-point SAE Deep Impact Sockets (47920)

ABN 1/2” Deep and Shallow SAE Impact Socket Set

ELECTRONICS

On this trip, Chris spent most of his time installing sensors. We have restored most of the Fir’s existing alarms. We are now layering modern sensors that communicate through a network. Our goal is to have all alarms and sensors report to the wheelhouse. This will be discussed in detail in future posts. But, for now, here is an image of one screen reporting to the wheelhouse.

This is a tough picture to take because of the glare.

PAINTING

Gin and Marcy continued to paint the vestibule on the upper deck. This interior entry hall provides access to the wheelhouse, wardroom, and aft saloons. More on this progress in future posts.

June 2020

We are going to try a new method for posting updates. At first, we started with Shaman, our Social Media correspondent, reporting on each trip. Shaman comes from Virginia several times a month to work with us on FIR. Next, we wrote about individual projects, attempting to document a task from beginning to end. But, this has proven difficult due to the delays associated with each undertaking. In addition, COVID19 has affected our supply chains. Many of the products necessary for our ongoing projects are either back-ordered or limited supply. With this in mind, Shaman will go back to reporting the activities of each trip.

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Generators

Fir was equipped with two 100KW generators. One was dedicated to the crane, the other ran the house systems. Though you could run the generators in parallel and/or direct each generator to different uses. 

The generators are powered by 6-71 Detroit Diesel motors. They are very reliable beasts however they are incredibly loud. So loud that it is impossible to hear the mains and lesser motors required to run the boat. This becomes a dangerous situation when we can't listen to other equipment.

Our idea is to replace one of the Detroit Diesels with a modern, fairly quiet generator that will handle most of the house functions. We are still making final deliberations on the system. However, ways to reduce noise and increase efficiency are clear. First, we can scale the system with different sized generators such that we are only bringing on as much power as we required at any given time. Second, every modern generator has an optional sound enclosure that deadens the engine noise. Third, noise can be reduced further by going with a wet exhaust system as opposed to the existing dry stack. Finally, we can add a secondary set of isolation mounts to reduce the vibrations conveyed to the boat frame.

We are working with Soundown to design the isolation systems. All of the generators that we are considering ship on a frame. There is an isolation mount between the motor and the skid. We plan to add a softer mount between the frame and the boat stringers. The first step is to get these mounts installed so we can take exact measurements for the exhaust system.

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Secondary isolation mounts for the new generator. Mounts provided by Soundown.

Joe measures the location where the new generators will be mounted.

Joe uses a chalk marker to indicate the location of the mounting bolts. The base material is 1/2" mild steel.

Joe sets up the mag drill to drill the exact location of the mounting bolts for the secondary isolation mounts. The holes are 1/2". The material is 1/2" mild...

Joe welds 1/4" angle iron to the underside on the new generator mounting plates. The plates are 1/2" mild steel.

Joe adapts the old generator bay for the new generators.

Chris marks out the locations of the generators relative to the DWL (waterline). The black tape marks the current waterline.

Brass and such

Fir has a lot of bare metals that deserve a good presentation. Getting to this was always on the list. But, it was not a priority. COVID-19 changed our priorities. To keep the project moving forward while maintaining a small crew and proper social distance, we have elevated the restoration of brass items. Polishing and protecting the brass and copper is a separate job that we can do without having a lot of people in tight quarters. Also, we have wanted to get our security system beefed up before broadcasting what metals are on the boat.

Fir’s wheel at the time of purchase. The original wheel is on display in a museum. This current wheel is a good approximation for what previously existed.

We like the look of aged brass which is what we started with. But, areas of use like handles and handrails tend to get polished by wear. The surfaces become blotchy. We decided to go with a full polish, starting with Rolite Pre-Polish and an angle grinder with polishing pads. We then moved to Rolite Metal Polish.

Constantly polishing brass is not realistic for our business model. Therefore finding a sealant is essential. Traditionally, metals were sealed with many thin layers of clear lacquer. Lacquer goes on clear as glass and can last 5 years, but usually not. General wear and UV light will gradually diminish the protective coating.

It does not help that the ambient temperature in the delta varies by 40° on most days. With the temperature fluctuation and wind in our area, mixing paint is a real challenge. In any case, we continue to experiment with products and application techniques. Only time will tell which will work best for our needs.

PPG makes a clear coat version of its PSX700 product. We have been very pleased with the PPG line of coatings. The clear PSX700 is far thinner than ordinary paints, but not as thin as lacquer, even when severely reduced. However, getting the "clear as glass" look on bare metal is a little more difficult.

Engine controls mounted on the mains.

External piping on the main engines. The copper and brass were polished and a clear coat off PSX700 was applied.

Fir has a lot of small bits made of brass like switch plate covers, door handles, and junction box covers. We setup a polishing station in the galley.

Scuppers

Scuppers have been a nagging problem since we purchased the boat. We cleared the drains several times with a jetter attachment on our pressure washer. One problem is that the decks are delaminating such that older paint flakes and aggregate embedded in the coating are released. The rainy season in Northern California puts a lot of water on the decks and the paint chips and aggregate eventually end up in the deck drains. The scupper drain pipes use a number of 90° turns. The pipes tend to clog at the first 90• going into a horizontal run. The fantail scuppers are particularly difficult because the piping below the deck has a lot of tight turns.

The second issue is that Fir is stationary so rainwater and paint chips on the deck tends to pool rather than finding a drain with the pitch and roll of the boat. So, large rains or a washdown send a bunch of debris toward the drains at one time.

Upper decks of FIR when we purchase the boat. There are a few weak spots about the size of a quarter. These are usually under stairs and equipment where the rain water drips on the deck. But, most of what you see is surface rust.

The drain pipes are galvanized steel 1.5” and 2” in diameter. With water sitting just above each 90°, for most of the last several decades, fittings rusted from the inside out. The cleanouts were impossible to open — even with high heat. So, we decided to replace much of the scupper piping while adding a little grease on the threads of the new cleanouts.

We bought a manual pipe threader instead of trying to piece together a bunch of nipples and unions. I am not sure how the cost/benefit analysis worked out. Cutting straight 2” pipe and manually threading it is a lot of work. But, it looks much better than a bunch of fittings and short nipples. We chose products from RIGID. They are priced a little heavier than the competition. But, the build quality is noticeably better. I use RIGID on my farm. I have changed the cutting teeth a couple of times, but I have used the Ratchet and Dies for more than 15 years.

The fantail scupper drain piping included a number of tight turns. Instead of trying to assemble the pipes in place, Joe located the first good threads on each side of the existing run and installed unions. He then built the pipe assembly in the shop and installed the entire assembly at one time.

The new assembly after installation.

Several of the upper deck drains were tied together with a horizontal run of 1.5” pipe which created a bottle neck. We decided to upgrade these to 2” pipe (same as the verticals). We have a few clogs since the improvements, but they clean with a garden hose. We have not had to use the jetter.

Testing the scuppers and drain pipes by opening the fire hydrants on the upper decks