Bright Work Progress Report

The face of the cabin perfectly matches the sides as though it were original.

The bench to the bow pulpit can now be removed by lifting it out for easy maintenance or even to keep it out of the sun

A new hatch (below)is being created as the old one was not square.

The windows were removed to better refinish them.

       

New handrails to replace unsafe rickety ones

The cockpit comb is also part of the deal.     

Boot Stripe Is Done

AND it's actual paint, not tape. Now, they are going to paint the bottom while they are at it.

The Genset is installed!

Generator fits quite nicely in the aft compartment AND there is still room for the extra anchor, life vests, and emergency ladder.

The control goes right where the weird connector was next to the manual bilge pump.

More From Cleaning Out The "Toybox"

Going through all the photos on Facebook before deleting them, I found this photo I took from taking off the layers of upholstery on the berth benches that Larry D (owner of "Good Woman")gave me. You can see all the layers of fabric over 91 years of maintenance. The diamond pattern looks like the original. It was all too gross to keep, but I kept all the hardware including the spring frame so I can remake the upper berths and install them next year.

Larry is restoring his 1930 Elco Marinette, but reconfiguring much of it below, so I am benefitting by receiving his original hardware, etc. Most of it is hand sand-casted bronze.

Looking forward to the day we can get Ruby, Good Woman, and Volta all together for a mini flotilla.

Look what I found!

Going through and deleting stuff on FB and came across a link:

2017 Reedville Boat Show. (Hit the back button to come back here)

BACK TO WEBSITE

The Photo Gallery is LIVE!

The photos (and the old brochure) have all been downloaded and renamed from Facebook and is now live at Volta's Website. Enjoy!

BACK TO WEBSITE

Oh yeah, and we're getting a new boot stripe

Mike is also doing a new boot stripe. We replaced the heavy (160 pounds each) AGM batteries with the much lighter (80 pounds each)LiFeP0(lithium Iron Phosphate) ones. This change had Volta sitting about seven inches higher on theh water than before. So, "we" needed to redo the bootstripe. My tacky tape is already THANKFULLY gone and the bottom paint removed where it was too far above the water line. Mike put primer on the fiberglas and ten used the hull paint (Fine Paints of Europe) primer, then brilliant, then 3 coats of satin finish. It was all ready for the final coat of satin when we visited yesterday. Can't wait to see her with a REAL bootstripe. Here are the before pictures.

NEW GENSET--HOORAY!

The guys at Yankee Point Marina found a Mase genset that will fit in the aft locker. Volta is becoming a "plug-in hybrid."  Well, sort of.  We still have to manually switch to generator charging, but it's an easy process with only a couple of steps.  

Now we will have better than the 6-hour range than just the new(ish) LiFeP0 batteries will take us on one charge.  Roger has calculated that we can keep going, as long as the FIFTY GALLON [diesel] tank will last--as long as we draw only 30 amps (about 4.5 knots in calm water/winds).  If we want to go faster, (all the way to the hull speed of 6 knots) the charging "on the fly" won't keep up.  But we can anchor & charge the batteries back up and be on our way again in silence. 

The locker is so large, we will still have room for storage of the extra anchor, swim ladder, life vests, and tarps, on either side of the generator.  Storage has never been an issue on Volta.

In Roger's research, he also looked at a couple of DC generators (NextGen, Fischer-Panda, & Polar) that would automatically come on when the batteries were discharged to a preset percentage, but they were all too big for the locker, so no go.

Mike is showing Roger where the control panel for the generator will go.  We are replacing it where she has a  strange receptacle that goes to nothing we have, so no loss.

Mike enlarged the hatch to install, and later access, the new generator.

The new generator Mase IS 4.04 - 60Hz - 36RPM

We can use the existing exhaust, water [cooling] intake, & fuel tank. The house batteries will power the starter.

 

BACK TO WEBSITE

TODAY'S VISIT TO THE YARD

Looks like they are really moving right along.  They are estimating to be done by the end of this week.  I am skeptical, but open-minded.  I am so excited about her getting new "varnish". (although they say it's "not a varnish") and say it will last for years.  (https://www.awlgrip.com/products/varnishes/awlwood-multi-climate-gloss)

I am in awe of Jeremiah, Wayne, & Mike at Yankee Point Marina.  

BACK TO WEBSITE

FIRST POST:

Welcome to the new blog for Volta! 

Feel free to leave comments--or not. Watch this space as we will be archiving some photos as well as posting current work being done and (hopefully) ships logs for our trips as well.

BACK TO WEBSITE