January 23, 2020

Scupper 226

Thursday

Using the supplied template, I located the new GPS display unit in the bridgedeck next to the electric motor monitor, set about 2″ to port from the existing installation.  After double-checking the position of the template for level and to ensure the cutout would end up where I wanted it from inside the boat (as there was limited space in the access opening), I drilled the four holes to demark the corners of the cutout, then removed the rest with a saw.

I dry-fit the display to check its fit:  all OK.  So after cleaning up and removing the masking tape, I proceeded with final installation.  I applied the foam gaskets to the back side of the display, and added bits of butyl tape at the screw locations (which weren’t covered by the gaskets) before installing the display with four bolts.

Inside, I set to work on the final connections, including the plug-in power wiring harness, which I connected to the circuit I’d run in earlier for this purpose.  The network backbone cable leading from the wind instrument network box in the bow required a T-connector and drop cable to connect to the display unit (these cables had been supplied with the wind instrument), but to my dismay I found that the depth  transducer cable featured a different pin pattern from the back of the display:  8 pins vs. 12 pins.    This was rather frustrating since the in-hull transducer the owner purchased along with the GPS was specifically sold as compatible with this display, and I might have had a thing or two to say about electronics companies before I regrouped and headed for my office to look at my manuals and online for a solution.

Fortunately, I found and ordered an adapter cable to solve the problem, but it certainly seemed an unnecessary and ridiculous requirement.   For now, I awaited final cleanup and securing of the cables till the new adapter arrived and I could connect the transducer to the back of the display, but to prepare I installed a few additional wire mounts for the purpose.

I needed to leave the shop for an appointment in a few minutes, but I had enough time before departure to finish up the masthead wind instrument bracket installation.  The bracket featured three bolt holes, the after two of which were wider than the masthead, so to begin I could bolt the bracket to my fiberglass plate at these locations, and from there I drilled and tapped two additional mounting holes through the top of the masthead casting itself to secure the whole bracket assembly.  I temporarily installed the anemometer for illustrative purposes.

Back at the shop in the afternoon, I turned to the manual bilge pump installation.  This was relatively simple, but somehow several aspects of the installation just fought me at various times, mainly aligning and securing the four blind bolt holes in the pump housing while juggling the fussy plastic outer cover, but eventually I prevailed.

With the pump mounted, I installed the suction and discharge hoses, running the suction into the bilge sump aft of the engine after securing a bronze strainer to the end.  I’d need to add a wire mount to the inside of the cockpit locker to finish securing the suction hose near the pump later.  The discharge line was short and sweet to the nearby through hull, and I secured the hose to a deck structural member above.

Total time billed on this job today:  6 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  5°, clear. Forecast for the day:  Mostly sunny, 38°