Sunday, December 2, 2012
On Plane...
This post used to be about selling the 340, and moving on to another project. But, after a lot of analysis and soul searching, my wife and I decided to keep the 340. It's a perfect size for us, considering our geographic location and boating style, at this time in our lives. The pic below was taken on one of our final runs in the fall of 2012, just south of West Point, NY.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Final Davit Update
It's been a while since I posted, but that 's what happens in the summer. So many things to do, and I would rather be on the boat than writing about it. But, I did promise to explain the final davit layout, so here it is. Once the boat comes out of the water next week, I'll begin another round of posts, explaining the latest in the restoration.
The davits, as designed, worked extremely well, with one notable exception: in a following sea, or when coming off plane, the stern wave would lift the dinghy off the rails, and push it towards the stern. After watching this occur several times, two possible solutions came to mind. The first, which is what I usually see, is to simply change the strapping arrangement to provide for more downforce - crossing the straps under the dinghy, strapping in an "X" configuration, etc. However, these arrangements all put a lot of stress on the dinghy bottom and davits, and use strap tension to maintain the dinghy position. It works, but it's not good for the dinghy, and places a lot of stress on the strap mounting points.
The other solution was to re-shape or add to the existing davits, to provide a degree of restraint to the dinghy motion. This is the solution I used:
The curved plastic rails are 1" thick HDPE, carefully shaped to match the dinghy, and thru bolted to the davit rails. Now, the dinghy is well secured, and positively located, with very little strap tension. Also, I don't have to cross the straps, so it is very easy to load and unload the dinghy. I can launch in less than 2 minutes, and retrieve almost as quickly. It's done - next project.
The davits, as designed, worked extremely well, with one notable exception: in a following sea, or when coming off plane, the stern wave would lift the dinghy off the rails, and push it towards the stern. After watching this occur several times, two possible solutions came to mind. The first, which is what I usually see, is to simply change the strapping arrangement to provide for more downforce - crossing the straps under the dinghy, strapping in an "X" configuration, etc. However, these arrangements all put a lot of stress on the dinghy bottom and davits, and use strap tension to maintain the dinghy position. It works, but it's not good for the dinghy, and places a lot of stress on the strap mounting points.
The other solution was to re-shape or add to the existing davits, to provide a degree of restraint to the dinghy motion. This is the solution I used:
The curved plastic rails are 1" thick HDPE, carefully shaped to match the dinghy, and thru bolted to the davit rails. Now, the dinghy is well secured, and positively located, with very little strap tension. Also, I don't have to cross the straps, so it is very easy to load and unload the dinghy. I can launch in less than 2 minutes, and retrieve almost as quickly. It's done - next project.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Davits.....Part 2
As the design process unfolded, one of my goals was a very robust and rigid dinghy support system. I did not want something hanging off the back of my boat that would come loose in the first storm. Most of the davit systems I see on smaller boats are retained with 4 screws and a small bracket, mounted right at the trailing edge of the swim platform.
In place of these thin, stamped brackets, I machined my own pair out of a 3 inch diameter piece of 316 stainless steel bar stock. I cut it into 2 half cylinders, and machined the resulting pieces to through-bolt to the swim platform, from the trailing edge. On top of each bracket, I drilled and tapped a 3/8" - 16 through hole, to secure the trailing edge of the new davit assemblies.
To mount the forward sections of the davits, I decided that I did not want to penetrate the swim platform in any way. Every penetration is just one more area for water to intrude into coring, and it adds to the maintenance load too, since core penetrations should be re-bedded every 5 years or so. Fortunately, there are several openings in the swim platform already, where the 4 elliptical drains are screwed down. I made up a couple 316 stainless steel backing plates, out of 1" x 1/2" x 12" 316 stainless, and along with some 3.5" long flat head stainless cap screws, screwed the davit arms down. The swim platform is effectively sandwiched between the davit arms and the backing plates, making for a very strong structure that required drilling no holes in the top of the swim platform. The finished davit system looks like this:
This is a mock-up assembly, before final sanding and polishing of the stainless. Once the dinghy enters the picture.....
One person can load and unload the dinghy, although it is easier with two people. In the next post, I will show the final elements of the davits, and a modification I made, to help keep the dinghy in place.
In place of these thin, stamped brackets, I machined my own pair out of a 3 inch diameter piece of 316 stainless steel bar stock. I cut it into 2 half cylinders, and machined the resulting pieces to through-bolt to the swim platform, from the trailing edge. On top of each bracket, I drilled and tapped a 3/8" - 16 through hole, to secure the trailing edge of the new davit assemblies.
To mount the forward sections of the davits, I decided that I did not want to penetrate the swim platform in any way. Every penetration is just one more area for water to intrude into coring, and it adds to the maintenance load too, since core penetrations should be re-bedded every 5 years or so. Fortunately, there are several openings in the swim platform already, where the 4 elliptical drains are screwed down. I made up a couple 316 stainless steel backing plates, out of 1" x 1/2" x 12" 316 stainless, and along with some 3.5" long flat head stainless cap screws, screwed the davit arms down. The swim platform is effectively sandwiched between the davit arms and the backing plates, making for a very strong structure that required drilling no holes in the top of the swim platform. The finished davit system looks like this:
This is a mock-up assembly, before final sanding and polishing of the stainless. Once the dinghy enters the picture.....
One person can load and unload the dinghy, although it is easier with two people. In the next post, I will show the final elements of the davits, and a modification I made, to help keep the dinghy in place.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Davits....Part 1
My wife and I went on vacation recently, and before we left, we had decided that we wanted to spend more time anchored in less crowded areas, instead of spending each night at a marina. I did considerable research concerning dinghy davit systems, and came to the conclusion that I really didn't like any of them.
Weaver style davits are a pain, since the dinghy has to be tipped up at a 90 degree angle, so the outboard has to be either removed, or pivoted on Weaver's special transom bracket, which costs more than their davit system. This dinghy placement also reduces rearward visibility, and adds considerable aerodynamic drag. However, it does have the advantage of tipping the dinghy up away from the water, which is an advantage in rough seas.
Hurley and Nautley make systems that support the dinghy in the horizontal position, which is convenient, as the outboard can be left on the dinghy, and the drag and visibility issues are solved. However, in rough seas, or at certain running angles, this placement can become problematical. I also feel their systems are overpriced, and not as robust as I would like.
In the end, I decided to fabricate my own system from scratch. The dinghy I picked up is an Achilles LSI 260, with a 4' 9" beam. Since my swim platform is only about 33" long, and I wanted to be able to walk on it when the dinghy was mounted, I knew I would have to extend the davit pivot point beyond the trailing edge of the platform. So, I used 316 stainless steel box tubing, in a 1" x 11/2" x 1/8" size, to get the extra length I needed. In the pictures below, you can see the progression, as the pieces were machined, and then TIG welded into the final assembly:
These are the arms that will support the dinghy, and act as the pivot point for the plastic cradles. Note that ALL components are machined from 316 stainless steel, and all the nuts, cap screws, and washers are 316 as well.
The cradles themselves are made from 1" thick HDPE, and are custom contoured to fit the bottom of the Achilles dinghy:
In the next post, I will show how the davits are mounted to the swim platform, and how the dinghy is supported.
Weaver style davits are a pain, since the dinghy has to be tipped up at a 90 degree angle, so the outboard has to be either removed, or pivoted on Weaver's special transom bracket, which costs more than their davit system. This dinghy placement also reduces rearward visibility, and adds considerable aerodynamic drag. However, it does have the advantage of tipping the dinghy up away from the water, which is an advantage in rough seas.
Hurley and Nautley make systems that support the dinghy in the horizontal position, which is convenient, as the outboard can be left on the dinghy, and the drag and visibility issues are solved. However, in rough seas, or at certain running angles, this placement can become problematical. I also feel their systems are overpriced, and not as robust as I would like.
In the end, I decided to fabricate my own system from scratch. The dinghy I picked up is an Achilles LSI 260, with a 4' 9" beam. Since my swim platform is only about 33" long, and I wanted to be able to walk on it when the dinghy was mounted, I knew I would have to extend the davit pivot point beyond the trailing edge of the platform. So, I used 316 stainless steel box tubing, in a 1" x 11/2" x 1/8" size, to get the extra length I needed. In the pictures below, you can see the progression, as the pieces were machined, and then TIG welded into the final assembly:
These are the arms that will support the dinghy, and act as the pivot point for the plastic cradles. Note that ALL components are machined from 316 stainless steel, and all the nuts, cap screws, and washers are 316 as well.
The cradles themselves are made from 1" thick HDPE, and are custom contoured to fit the bottom of the Achilles dinghy:
In the next post, I will show how the davits are mounted to the swim platform, and how the dinghy is supported.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Blender / Food Processor
From previous posts, you can see that I removed the old CRT TV, and hung a flat screen on the helm bulkhead. Of course, this leaves a rather large open space in the galley, where the old TV was, so my wife and I had to decide what to do with the space:
1 - Make it into storage, by simply enclosing it with a door.
2 - Remove the old TV from the slide it was mounted to, and perform some lengthy modifications to that slide, so it no longer rotates, but still comes in and out. Then, painstakingly drill out a custom piece of granite to mount a combination food processor / blender, along with both glass carafes and the blades, such that the whole assembly can be slid out and used at a moments notice. Then, machine and finish some custom teak bases for the carafes, along with 4 custom machined bases to secure retaining straps for the carafes to hold them firmly in position while underway.
We went with #2.
The whole thing slides right out for use, and the blender is plugged into the old TV outlet, so I didn't have to do any re-wiring (for once). There is a carafe for blending, and another for food processing. One food processor blade is in the carafe, while the other is on a custom pedestal, behind the base. The carafes fit tightly over the wood bases, and are retained by the nylon straps. The whole rig slides back into the opening when not in use, and looks damn fine, I might add. I think we'll be adding some glass holders above it, so it will become an integrated marine-rated drink mixing station, but I need a bit more time for that.
More soon.....
1 - Make it into storage, by simply enclosing it with a door.
2 - Remove the old TV from the slide it was mounted to, and perform some lengthy modifications to that slide, so it no longer rotates, but still comes in and out. Then, painstakingly drill out a custom piece of granite to mount a combination food processor / blender, along with both glass carafes and the blades, such that the whole assembly can be slid out and used at a moments notice. Then, machine and finish some custom teak bases for the carafes, along with 4 custom machined bases to secure retaining straps for the carafes to hold them firmly in position while underway.
We went with #2.
The whole thing slides right out for use, and the blender is plugged into the old TV outlet, so I didn't have to do any re-wiring (for once). There is a carafe for blending, and another for food processing. One food processor blade is in the carafe, while the other is on a custom pedestal, behind the base. The carafes fit tightly over the wood bases, and are retained by the nylon straps. The whole rig slides back into the opening when not in use, and looks damn fine, I might add. I think we'll be adding some glass holders above it, so it will become an integrated marine-rated drink mixing station, but I need a bit more time for that.
More soon.....
Sunday, June 10, 2012
More Audio.....
As a source unit, I found the original Clarion controller and 6 disc changer inadequate. It did not incorporate modern controls (such as for an Ipod, or Sirius satellite radio), nor did it play DVDs. I pulled both the head unit and changer, and sold them on Ebay.
For a replacement, I wanted a unit that had a certain mix of features:
1 - The new unit had to play CDs as well as DVDs
2 - I wanted the ability to control an Ipod, which I would use as a music server. I am normally dead set against compressing music files, due to the loss of audio quality. But, on a boat, where the utmost fidelity cannot be appreciated anyway (due to background noises, machinery noise, engine noise, etc.), an Ipod makes an ideal source.
3 - The head unit had to accept at least one audio input, such as from a TV. This way, I could disable the TV speakers, and use the audio system while watching TV.
4 - I wanted a wired remote control at the helm.
So, after a bit of research, I came back to the same head unit I had installed on my previous boat. It still does all the things I want, perfectly - the MB Quart MWD-1 DVD head unit. It mates beautifully with my Jensen 12 volt marine LED TV, providing a complete audio/visual source and display that runs exclusively on 12 volts. I don't need to run the generator, or plug in to shore power, or use an inverter, to watch a movie or enjoy clean sound. All 12 volts...
For the Ipod source, I picked up an Ipod docking station, and hard wired it to the head unit. Now, when I arrive at the boat, I just plug in the Ipod, and I have compete control of it form the helm or cabin.
I mounted the head and docking station in a piece of leftover teak, sized to cover the factory cutout.
My previous post discussed the MB Quart Amp, which is now wired and mounted in the hanging locker for the mid stateroom. In the cockpit, I replaced the factory speakers with the 7.7 inch units from JL Audio - model M770-CCX-CG-WH. These are a bit larger and deeper than the original speakers, so i had to space them out 1/2". I used some 1/2" plastic starboard, and spun the spacers out on my lathe, using a faceplate.
I only needed the spacers for the speakers in the arch. The other two speakers did not require spacers. All 4 speakers do require that the holes be opened up a bit, and new screw holes have to be drilled. It's well worth doing - there is no comparison in sound quality between the JLs and the originals. Next, I'll be taking advantage of the fifth amplifier channel - the one dedicated to a subwoofer.....
For a replacement, I wanted a unit that had a certain mix of features:
1 - The new unit had to play CDs as well as DVDs
2 - I wanted the ability to control an Ipod, which I would use as a music server. I am normally dead set against compressing music files, due to the loss of audio quality. But, on a boat, where the utmost fidelity cannot be appreciated anyway (due to background noises, machinery noise, engine noise, etc.), an Ipod makes an ideal source.
3 - The head unit had to accept at least one audio input, such as from a TV. This way, I could disable the TV speakers, and use the audio system while watching TV.
4 - I wanted a wired remote control at the helm.
So, after a bit of research, I came back to the same head unit I had installed on my previous boat. It still does all the things I want, perfectly - the MB Quart MWD-1 DVD head unit. It mates beautifully with my Jensen 12 volt marine LED TV, providing a complete audio/visual source and display that runs exclusively on 12 volts. I don't need to run the generator, or plug in to shore power, or use an inverter, to watch a movie or enjoy clean sound. All 12 volts...
For the Ipod source, I picked up an Ipod docking station, and hard wired it to the head unit. Now, when I arrive at the boat, I just plug in the Ipod, and I have compete control of it form the helm or cabin.
My previous post discussed the MB Quart Amp, which is now wired and mounted in the hanging locker for the mid stateroom. In the cockpit, I replaced the factory speakers with the 7.7 inch units from JL Audio - model M770-CCX-CG-WH. These are a bit larger and deeper than the original speakers, so i had to space them out 1/2". I used some 1/2" plastic starboard, and spun the spacers out on my lathe, using a faceplate.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Audio Upgrades
My boat was not equipped with the upgraded, optional sound system from the factory. The standard sound system consisted of 4 cabin speakers, and 4 cockpit speakers, all of mediocre quality.
So, my first step was to remove the Clarion head unit and 6 disc changer, and sell them on Ebay. Located behind these components, the factory mounted two small 2 channel amplifiers. The four cabin speakers were paralleled on one amp, with the four cockpit speakers on the other. So, I rewired both amps to turn on via the cabin switch, and used each one to power a pair of the cabin speakers. This doubled the available power in the cabin, reduced the loads on these amps, and cleaned up the sound inside the boat. It also left me with no amplifier for the cockpit.
After considerable research and amplifier evaluation, I chose to power the cockpit sound system with an amplifier from MB Quart.
This amp is quite robust, has 4 channels for the cockpit speakers, and a fifth channel for a subwoofer. The 4 channel amps run in class AB (analog), which I prefer over class D (digital switching), for a smooth, musical sound. The fifth channel runs in class D, which is quite appropriate for a high powered, low frequency sub amp. Best use of power and efficiency, in my view. This amp was powered with a dedicated, fuse protected circuit, and is now located in the hanging locker, adjacent to the mid stateroom.
My next post will detail the new head unit, remote control, Ipod docking station, and new speakers and enclosures.
So, my first step was to remove the Clarion head unit and 6 disc changer, and sell them on Ebay. Located behind these components, the factory mounted two small 2 channel amplifiers. The four cabin speakers were paralleled on one amp, with the four cockpit speakers on the other. So, I rewired both amps to turn on via the cabin switch, and used each one to power a pair of the cabin speakers. This doubled the available power in the cabin, reduced the loads on these amps, and cleaned up the sound inside the boat. It also left me with no amplifier for the cockpit.
After considerable research and amplifier evaluation, I chose to power the cockpit sound system with an amplifier from MB Quart.
This amp is quite robust, has 4 channels for the cockpit speakers, and a fifth channel for a subwoofer. The 4 channel amps run in class AB (analog), which I prefer over class D (digital switching), for a smooth, musical sound. The fifth channel runs in class D, which is quite appropriate for a high powered, low frequency sub amp. Best use of power and efficiency, in my view. This amp was powered with a dedicated, fuse protected circuit, and is now located in the hanging locker, adjacent to the mid stateroom.
My next post will detail the new head unit, remote control, Ipod docking station, and new speakers and enclosures.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Hatch Bedding & Deck Hardware
This post is a bit out of order, but I am trying to catch up on the backlog I created over the winter. During the cold season, I did complete quite a few maintenance tasks, and I'll try to get some of them up here for viewing.
If you own a boat, you should know that all the hardware mounted on deck needs to be re-bedded periodically. How you decide to schedule the work is up to you, but, since the recommended interval is about 5 years, I recommend that you re-bed 1/5 of your deck hardware each year. That way, it never gets away from you, and it's not such an overwhelming job when the time comes.
This year, I decided to re-bed all three deck hatches, both deck rails (the stainless rails on deck, between the hatches), and the windlass foot switches. The first step is the easiest - just pull all the screws, and remove the pieces....
The pictures above show the deck coring, after the hatches are removed. It is very important to carefully inspect and evaluate these areas, once they are exposed. Water intrusion will slowly soften and rot the balsa coring, resulting in delamination and subsequent weakening, or failure, of the deck structure. Once you have access, take a screwdriver or pick, and probe the balsa, and see if there are any soft spots. Also, look for any telltale signs of water staining, discoloration, etc. If the coring is clean and dry, you can move on. If it is wet, it must be dried before proceeding further. If it is softened, or rotted, then the damaged sections will have to be removed, and the deck re-cored.
Fortunately, as you can see, the coring below these hatches is unstained and dry. The factory applies a coat of gray paint as a sealant, but as the years go by, continued deck flexing cracks the paint. To further protect the balsa, I mixed up some West System #105 Epoxy, and applied 2 coats to all the exposed coring, then let it cure for a couple days. However, I did not apply the epoxy until a couple weeks had gone by, after I removed the hatches. That way, any residual moisture in the coring has time to dry out.
After the epoxy has cured, the next step in preparation is to chamfer all the screw holes in the fiberglass. This is done for two reasons - first, a small chamfer holds a bit of sealant around the fasteners, and allows for a bit of flexure without compromising the seal. Second, the chamfer prevents gel coat cracking when the screws are tightened, and that also improves the seal and deck integrity.
Now, once the deck and hatches have been cleaned and prepared for installation, I place the hatch in position, ,and start a couple screws to hold it in place. Then, apply tape to the deck, all around the hatch, as shown below:
Around the corners, I use striping tape, because it can be contoured so easily. Once taped, pull the hatch, apply a large bead of sealant to the deck, and place the hatch back in position. Make sure there is sealant around and in every screw hole. Tighten the screws evenly, then remove any excess sealant, and finally, pull the tape. You should be left with a perfectly sealed component...
If you own a boat, you should know that all the hardware mounted on deck needs to be re-bedded periodically. How you decide to schedule the work is up to you, but, since the recommended interval is about 5 years, I recommend that you re-bed 1/5 of your deck hardware each year. That way, it never gets away from you, and it's not such an overwhelming job when the time comes.
This year, I decided to re-bed all three deck hatches, both deck rails (the stainless rails on deck, between the hatches), and the windlass foot switches. The first step is the easiest - just pull all the screws, and remove the pieces....
Fortunately, as you can see, the coring below these hatches is unstained and dry. The factory applies a coat of gray paint as a sealant, but as the years go by, continued deck flexing cracks the paint. To further protect the balsa, I mixed up some West System #105 Epoxy, and applied 2 coats to all the exposed coring, then let it cure for a couple days. However, I did not apply the epoxy until a couple weeks had gone by, after I removed the hatches. That way, any residual moisture in the coring has time to dry out.
After the epoxy has cured, the next step in preparation is to chamfer all the screw holes in the fiberglass. This is done for two reasons - first, a small chamfer holds a bit of sealant around the fasteners, and allows for a bit of flexure without compromising the seal. Second, the chamfer prevents gel coat cracking when the screws are tightened, and that also improves the seal and deck integrity.
Now, once the deck and hatches have been cleaned and prepared for installation, I place the hatch in position, ,and start a couple screws to hold it in place. Then, apply tape to the deck, all around the hatch, as shown below:
Around the corners, I use striping tape, because it can be contoured so easily. Once taped, pull the hatch, apply a large bead of sealant to the deck, and place the hatch back in position. Make sure there is sealant around and in every screw hole. Tighten the screws evenly, then remove any excess sealant, and finally, pull the tape. You should be left with a perfectly sealed component...
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Decking
As I mentioned in a previous post, the templates for the decking were sent to TTcustommarine for manufacturing. They came back last month, and looked great:
There are very detailed instructions on their website, so I am not going to print it all again here. I will say that my wife and I were able to do the entire installation in less than one day, so it's not so bad. Here is the finished install:
There are very detailed instructions on their website, so I am not going to print it all again here. I will say that my wife and I were able to do the entire installation in less than one day, so it's not so bad. Here is the finished install:
Saturday, May 12, 2012
TV Upgrade
This was a tough one. My boat, as a 2002, was never designed with flat screen TVs in mind. The original TV was a Cathode Ray Tube design - you know, the old tube style TVs that are as deep as they are wide. It was mounted in a large opening on the port side, adjacent to the galley. The TV sat atop a fairly rugged slide and pivot assembly, so the TV could be pulled out, then rotated for viewing.
I have seen many upgrades where the owners remove the original TV, and mount a modern flat screen on this same bracket. The new TV covers the opening, but the space behind the TV is wasted, and I feel the installation does not have an "original" look. So, of course, I decided on a much more difficult installation (seems to be a habit).
There is a rather large bulkhead in the 1999 - 2002 340s, opposite the helm station, that would be ideal for mounting a large flat screen TV. In fact, on the later model 340s (2003 - 2008), this is precisely what the factory does. The problem is, the later 340s have a vertical bulkhead here, while mine is sloped considerably. If I mount a TV here, the viewing angle would be horrible.
I had thought to place an actuator behind the TV, such that when the TV was turned on, it would drop to a vertical viewing angle. Then, when turned off, it would retract. And, I may still do that. But I was running out of time this year, and my wife and I want to enjoy the boat, so I built the first part of the system - a pivot mechanism - and I will operate it manually for the time being.
The bracket is a piece of 1/4" x 5" aluminum, milled and bent to fit the bulkhead shape. The first couple pics show it being machined in the mill:
The bend allows the bracket to fit tightly up against the bulkhead, while the hinge allows for the TV to swing down into viewing position. The TV mounting pattern is a standard 100mm x 100mm, so the bracket will work with a variety of TVs on the market. The cutout you see in the bracket allows for a swinging arm to pivot down, and hold the TV in the viewing position. It pivots back into the bracket, when the TV is "up". The finished machined parts can be seen below, before and after painting, and after assembly:
I mounted the bracket to the bulkhead with button head fasteners and nuts, then mounted the TV with the factory supplied machine screws. In the "up" position, it looks like this:
Here is a close up of the latch, which holds the TV to the bulkhead, when the TV is not in use:
Finally, for viewing, the arm swings down, and holds the TV precisely vertical, like this:
When the TV is up, full access to the hanging locked is retained. Electrically, everything had to be re-routed. The coaxial cables from the antenna ans shore connections were both rerouted to the starboard side, along with a new power wires and video/sound cables. This TV is a 12 volt, 26 inch model from Jensen, with LED backlighting and HD resolution. It also has audio out capability, so all sound is routed through the boats sound system - I turned the TV speakers off. The original Clarion head unit and CD changer were removed, and I replaced them with an MB Quart WM1-DVD head unit and Ipod docking station. Now, I can play CDs and DVDs through the head unit, and also plug in an ipod, and use it as a music server. The head unit has an optional wired remote, and this was mounted at the helm station, so I have complete system control from there. I'll do another post soon, and detail more of the audio/visual system.
I have seen many upgrades where the owners remove the original TV, and mount a modern flat screen on this same bracket. The new TV covers the opening, but the space behind the TV is wasted, and I feel the installation does not have an "original" look. So, of course, I decided on a much more difficult installation (seems to be a habit).
There is a rather large bulkhead in the 1999 - 2002 340s, opposite the helm station, that would be ideal for mounting a large flat screen TV. In fact, on the later model 340s (2003 - 2008), this is precisely what the factory does. The problem is, the later 340s have a vertical bulkhead here, while mine is sloped considerably. If I mount a TV here, the viewing angle would be horrible.
I had thought to place an actuator behind the TV, such that when the TV was turned on, it would drop to a vertical viewing angle. Then, when turned off, it would retract. And, I may still do that. But I was running out of time this year, and my wife and I want to enjoy the boat, so I built the first part of the system - a pivot mechanism - and I will operate it manually for the time being.
The bracket is a piece of 1/4" x 5" aluminum, milled and bent to fit the bulkhead shape. The first couple pics show it being machined in the mill:
The bend allows the bracket to fit tightly up against the bulkhead, while the hinge allows for the TV to swing down into viewing position. The TV mounting pattern is a standard 100mm x 100mm, so the bracket will work with a variety of TVs on the market. The cutout you see in the bracket allows for a swinging arm to pivot down, and hold the TV in the viewing position. It pivots back into the bracket, when the TV is "up". The finished machined parts can be seen below, before and after painting, and after assembly:
I mounted the bracket to the bulkhead with button head fasteners and nuts, then mounted the TV with the factory supplied machine screws. In the "up" position, it looks like this:
Here is a close up of the latch, which holds the TV to the bulkhead, when the TV is not in use:
Finally, for viewing, the arm swings down, and holds the TV precisely vertical, like this:
When the TV is up, full access to the hanging locked is retained. Electrically, everything had to be re-routed. The coaxial cables from the antenna ans shore connections were both rerouted to the starboard side, along with a new power wires and video/sound cables. This TV is a 12 volt, 26 inch model from Jensen, with LED backlighting and HD resolution. It also has audio out capability, so all sound is routed through the boats sound system - I turned the TV speakers off. The original Clarion head unit and CD changer were removed, and I replaced them with an MB Quart WM1-DVD head unit and Ipod docking station. Now, I can play CDs and DVDs through the head unit, and also plug in an ipod, and use it as a music server. The head unit has an optional wired remote, and this was mounted at the helm station, so I have complete system control from there. I'll do another post soon, and detail more of the audio/visual system.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Flooring - Part 2
The floors are complete, finally. I have about 3 weeks into this project, with a total time investment of about 60-80 hours. There are a total of 13 teak trim pieces, each custom fitted. Before they were installed, I leveled the floor with an epoxy compound. The cabin floors on boats are not usually very flat, since the factory installs a carpet when they are done, and that can hide a variety of ills. Fiberglass tabbing, variations in laminate thickness, and other factors all contribute to uneven flooring. Since grinding the high spots can potentially weaken the structure, I decided to fill the low spots instead. It's a painstaking process, but the results are worth it.
Once the deck is prepared for the new flooring, I used a low strength adhesive, and bonded down each piece. The flooring is custom fitted - one section at a time. There are no straight lines or 90 degree corners on a boat, so it makes for a slow fitment. The adhesive is flexible, and if I ever need to get the floor up, it will lift, with a bit of persuasion. Hopefully, that day will never come.
These pics were taken just after the flooring was complete, so the rest of the interior is a bit of a mess. I wish I had a better camera - the pictures don't do the floor justice at all.
Once the deck is prepared for the new flooring, I used a low strength adhesive, and bonded down each piece. The flooring is custom fitted - one section at a time. There are no straight lines or 90 degree corners on a boat, so it makes for a slow fitment. The adhesive is flexible, and if I ever need to get the floor up, it will lift, with a bit of persuasion. Hopefully, that day will never come.
These pics were taken just after the flooring was complete, so the rest of the interior is a bit of a mess. I wish I had a better camera - the pictures don't do the floor justice at all.
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