October 20, 2016
Acadia 20
Thursday
I started the day with the next steps on the engine foundation: water wash and lightly sand by hand the new tabbing, removing sharp edges and any material that extended above the top of the foundation.
Getting the engine room painted out was fast becoming a priority so I could advance the engine installation, but there was more I could do before essentially making the space off limits for the day. The owner provided a blower to install in order to evacuate excess heat from the space, and now I worked to find a place to install it. To begin, I installed a new pull switch in the engine panel, finding an open space next to the stop switch that could accommodate the blower switch. Then, because I found that the blower required larger wire than I’d run earlier, I led in a new, larger wire pair to the switch and made up the connections.
At the other end of the wire harness, I installed a 15A fuse near the terminal block from which the blower was powered, and, having chosen the blower location in the engine room, led the power and negative wires to the appropriate spot at the aft starboard corner. There were various specifics and complications and space restrictions in the blower configuration and applicable spaces in the boat that eventually led me to this location; during the process I considered, and rejected, several other possibilities and even other blower types, eventually settling on a workable plan that fit the needs of the situation. Because occasional removal might be handy for increasing access to the after part of the engine room, I chose to make the wiring connections to the blower motor with removable spade connectors.
To secure the blower, I cut a plywood bracket to fit as needed; this had the added benefit of spanning a cutout in the original bulkhead where I’d removed some hoses earlier. I bolted the bracket to the bulkhead (temporarily for now), then secured the blower with additional bolts, testing the fit for now. During the selection of this space, I’d reviewed photos of the engine room with the transmission in place to ensure that there was ample clearance for the blower to hang down in this way. With the basic part of the installation complete, I removed the bracket and blower so I could secure a mounting flange for the outlet hose to the aft side of the bracket; I’d ordered this piece and expected its arrival presently.
With work in the engine room complete for now, I masked off the foundation as necessary for the new paint in the engine room, then applied a light coat of epoxy-based primer to the new fiberglass to prepare it for the final paint next time.
Total time billed on this job today: 6 hours
0600 Weather Observation:
37°, clear. Forecast for the day: Sun to clouds, 60.