October 31, 2023

Calliope Girl 4

Tuesday

Using a level, I transferred the general position of the through-hull propane locker vent on the starboard side to the inside of the cockpit locker opening, where I could get a measurement that I could easily transfer to the port side for planning purposes.  The vent was 13.5″ down from the edge of the locker, so I transferred that mark across the cockpit to the port side and made a note for later reference.  While the vent could technically be located closer to the waterline, for practical purposes it’s about as low as one would want, so this would drive the potential new locker design and tank availability.  There was ample space in the quarterberth below the port cockpit molding (no locker opening in this side).

Given the ideal depth constraints, a horizontal propane tank seemed to be the choice that would fit.  The specifications for a 20# horizontal tank showed it to be 13″ tall, which would fit in a potential locker on the port side given the drain position constraints.  To show the overall dimensions of the tank (21″ length and 12″width), I made a mark with tape on the top of the port side; the inside edge of the tape represents the overall opening size required for the tank to fit in from straight above.  So in theory, a locker designed with propane in mind would work in the space.  I briefly looked at the possibility of using an aluminum hatch to create the opening and streamline construction, but the dimensions didn’t work, either too small for the tank to fit through, or too large to fit the available space.  There were other possibilities and as the owner and I finalized the ideas the plan would come together in the near future.

I took the opportunity to remove the existing galley stove, which was not secured to the countertop at all and therefore easy to remove once I’d unscrewed the flexible propane hose.  I documented the wiring for the propane solenoid switch and alarm behind the galley panel while access was good.

The existing wiring and various panels had recently been redone by the owner, and the plan was to keep as much of this intact as possible, whatever the course of the interior project ended up being.  To this end, I removed some cover panels from the forward end of the cockpit and nearby, and opened up the electrical locker outboard of the navigation station.  I had from the owner a wiring list and schematic, and for now documented as much of the wiring as possible for future use should any minor reconfiguration be necessary.

For now, though, I decided to remove the batteries from their current locations under the port and starboard settees, as they’d have to come out at some point.   The batteries were installed in two parallel banks. I labeled all the relevant wires as I disconnected the batteries.

The owner hoped to reposition the batteries in a new locker just aft of the main bulkhead and mast step.  There were a couple interior panels that hid the mast when it was installed, so in theory the new cabinet could extend out as far as the mast step.  For now, while the batteries were here, I arranged them roughly in a few different possible configurations to get a sense of the space they would require.

Total time billed on this job today: 4 hours

0600 Weather Observation: 31°. clear. Forecast for the day: Sunny, 42°