Houseboat restoration - Update July '06

[Dunaruna]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Originally posted by Boomyal:<br /> Do ya have to go swimmin' to grease the pillow blocks??

Yep, but only once a year. Middle of summer job <br /><br />What are you doing up so late? Midnight yet?<br /><br />Aldo

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

It's only 9:15 pm PDT. This is what I do when I have tons of other stuff I should be doing but don't want to. Kind of like staring at the flame. I'm desperately waiting for a couple of back to back dry days so I can get some momentum up on getting my floor down. The new salvage motor is getting close to being ready and I need the floor finished so I don't have to leave it lie around for someone to steal it again.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Excuse my ignorance but you're west coast right? You're about 14 hrs behind Melbourne time.<br /><br />I know what you mean about 'staring at the flame', I should be working but i-boats keeps calling...................

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Originally posted by Dunaruna:<br /> Excuse my ignorance but you're west coast right? You're about 14 hrs behind Melbourne time.<br />

Yep!

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Just completed another part of the project, a sun canopy.<br /><br />Built from 30mm x 1.5mm sq gal tube, migged and zinced. Had to make it in two halves and assemble it onsite. It measures 4m x 4m (13'2" x 13'2").<br /><br />Next project is a front and rear roof extention!<br /><br /> One half<br /><br /> assembled and fitted

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

great scenery, what a beautiful place to work. with that you have to do good work..

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Oh what I'd give for some of that sun and heat right now. Takes me back to my So Cal days. <br /><br />Oops, looks like I had the same sentiment a year ago. Must be a perpetual problem here in the not so great PNW.<br /><br />Neat job Aldo. How'd ya get a frame like that zinced? and what will you use for a cover?

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

The steel is gal dipped, the welds are zinced. Ever tried 'weld through' zinc?<br /><br />Haven't decided on the covering yet, still debating colors .

 

[rottenray6402]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

What a fantastic project! That country there looks just like parts of Montana where I grew up. The houseboat project is beautiful and now you can have a water front house where ever you like.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

[colour=blue]Another project, another roof. This time it's a sunroof for the rear deck area.

Built the same as the sunshade on the top deck - square gal tube migged and primed, then covered with polycarbonate roofing sheets. I was trying to avoid having to weld the frame onto the back of the boat, I eventually found some 5/8 self taper screws that did the job perfectly - that are made by hayman reece and are designed to bolt anti-sway bars onto horse floats and caravans.

Not quite finished yet, but close!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Dunaruna/P07-01-06_14-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Dunaruna/P07-14-06_16-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/Dunaruna/P07-14-06_16.jpg

Eventually, there will be two small bench seats on either side of the motor and a table over the motor. It will be the perfect place to troll from and down a few long necks!

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update July '06

Impressive undertaking Aldo. Is that fog I see in the land of sunshine? What is that roof paneling made of?

Those appear to be impressive photovoltaic cells. How much juice do you get from them when it is not FOGGY? Looks like you could just about power the Queen Mary with those.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update July '06

[colour=blue]Yeah, a bit of morning fog - this IS the middle of winter after all.

The roofing sheets are polycarbonate, a very flexible and EXTREMELY tough plastic (supposed to be unbreakable). I have the same stuff on my back porch at home - 22 years and counting, still looks as good as the day I installed it. It is also 100% UV blockout.

There are two 10amp panels of the monocrystalline variety (one single crystal sheet). Even on a cloudy day (winter aspect) I get 6 or 7 amps, double that in summer. 6 hours of sun per day, 7 days per week, 365 days a year. 8)
I am considering installing a suntracker which should give me an extra 4 or 5 amps per hour.
Add to that an 18 amp alt on the motor. The whole system runs through a computerised controller & a VSR feeding one motor battery and six house batteries. The house batteries feed all the lights and stereo plus a 1200w inverter which in turn runs the TV/DVD, vacuum cleaner, coffee maker, antenna rotator etc.

I have never run out of juice.

I carry a small generator (2kv) for large power tools but rarely use it.

I prefer peace and quiet.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

Re: Houseboat restoration - Update May '06

This is going to be a bit hard to describe so please bear with me.<br /><br />From the motor to the helm is 39ft, there is a landcruiser steering box (i'm not joking!) mounted about 3 ft to the right of the motor, a 3/4" steering rod with rose joints join the motor to the steering box. From the steering box to the helm (3ft below the helm) is a 3/4" solid rod shaft - it's 39ft long!!. It is mounted every 3 ft through a greasable bearing carrier. The steering wheel is directly above the termination of the rod, a push bike cog and chain join the two. Can you picture it?<br /><br />This boat was built back in the sixties, obviously they used whatever bits and pieces were available and it is so over engineered that I didn't want to mess with it. It works as smooth as silk.<br /><br />Aldo

For decades the old inboards used a automotive type steering colum and arm attached to a piece of water pipe long enough to reach the rudder arm at the stern.
the water pipe simply pushed and pulled the rudder arm.Transmission was the same a shift lever at helm attached to a water pipe that pushed and pulled the arm at the transmission.You could bend an offset and add an extension with a coupling and a piece of pipe.Simple effective and cheap.