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Hi Dana,
Thought I’d weigh in from the wilds of New Hampshire. I’ve got a “73” aft cockpit ketch “IRIS” – a bit different than the center cockpit ketch, but here we go…..We had no holding tank on the boat when we bought it, so we installed a complete holding system from scratch….
I had read about “gravity” drain systems for off shore work & wanted to minimize the runs or hose to minimize leaks & smell in hose & complexity of valves & pumps. So I mounted a 22 gallon tank just aft of the bulkhead between the head and the main cabin. The tank is a hard heavy gauge polyethelene waste tank & sits behind the sette backs. It takes about 1/2 of the space.. Hose drains into the top direct from head – no y valve in line. Drain hose out of bottom to deck pump out. Another drain out of the bottom direct to thru-hull fitting for overboard drain when offshore. The offshore drain works via “suction” – open the valve while moving & everything drains. Oh…a 3/4 inch air vent out of the top. The whole set up has been in place for 5 years ..no issues. Simple & easy.
Dave Heminway has a “composting: head theat he just loves on “tenacity”. Might be worth a look since it would cost less to install & no aggravation of holding tanks. Hmmmmmmm
MikeNo “Y” valves. Minimal hose runs ;drain
Hey Barry,
Bilges don’t get ice in New Hampshire……..Nothing to check……The whole boat just freezes up solid!I see you folks south have seen a bit of our “classic New England weather”. Havin’ fun yet?
It would be nice if all the “lurkers” who have a Dickerson Joined The DOA – More conversation; better participation; new ideas….the list is a long one. & we need more folks at The New England gathering this summer!!! Oh, & fun …. I almost forgot the we have FUN part!
Just got back from a little trip to the warmer “tropical” climes. 86 degrees ….sunny…..light breezes…….After I shovel some more snow I think it’s time to start thinkin’ about summer again!
All the best from Central NH!
Mikehi Dana,
I think the wheel is about 28 inches side to side – I suspect u.s. mail costs are reasonable….perhaps $15.
mikeHi Joe,
Al says replace…Not a bad idea.I’ve got the old tapered wilcox crittenden valves on Iris. The same one is stuck – will not turn. I’ll probably heat it up with a torch ’till its Very warm, but not hot enought to melt sealant, ect and use a large crescent wrench on it….Then when I break it I’ll follow Al’s advice and replace it. But i’m hoping for a bit of luck….
I Lubed all of the tapered seacocks a couple years ago with waterproof grease & they all work great – of course I did not do the “outflow” from the holding tank, since it’s a “crummy” job. So of course it’s frozen…..live and learn.
mikeHi Andrew….Tag me an e-mail at BOATSNH@yahoo.com and come on down. We just sailed IRIS up from Westport Ma to Kittery Maine this weekend. A fun couple days of sailing! Will be on anchor ’till the 20th then we get pulled for the year….Iris is a good “in progress” project……always something to do. The sailing makes it all worth it.
mikeHi Andrew…
Our boat has this brownish plastic stuff over plywood that is supposed to look like wood – I keep thinking I ought to replace it, but heck, It’s been there for 35 years and it is the floor (or cabin sole) ….a couple swipes with a rag & it’s clean….I just replaced all countertops with formica & corian in the sink area last year – I refinished the table “bright” mahoghany – our table drops down from the port bulkhead. The inside cabin trunk sides are painted off white with mahogh. trim varnished & the bulkheads are mahoghany plywood varnished…. Nice clean & airy.
Paint in the inside…Hmmm, fiberglass on the wood hull….presents some issues wooden boat folks will debate endlessly. I suspect that if you can get it dry and good quality paint to stick, that may be a good thing – the edge glued/fiberglassed hull does not really need to “swell” like other wood construction style hulls – I’d suspect it’s a good thing to minimize water migrating into the wood from the interior….. BUT, that said, You say “bare wood?? is there no paint at all on the inside?? If so, it might allow moisture to move in/out of the wood with out being “trapped” between a waterproof paint (that will probably allow some moisture in) and a fiberglass skin on the outside. I suspect that having the chance to “dry out” over the winter is perhaps a good thing. i Know there are lots of posts on the wooden boat forum RE: fiberglassing wood hulls….I Know Southern Cross (Wood Dickerson 41) has epoxy/glass on the outside. I wonder what they have on the inside??? Anyone else on the forum care to add???
just my 1$ worth….
MikeHi Andrew,
Castine maine…Nice crusing grounds. Did not know there was a 36 up there…I remember a wood 36 advertised a couple years ago for sale in Maine – Jeff Thompson has a Dickerson 35 (wood mid 1960’s) in west bath – all Mahoghany trim.We have a 1973 glass hull ketch – Teak Trim. How you refinish kinda’ depends on how you want the boat to look….Natural, cetol or varnish…….We have gone the “varnish” route. Still have to finish toe rails – most of the rest is getting close to done. I found a small hand plane to be real helpfun on some of the old teak that looked like weathered shingles – the plane cut thru fast and left a nice surface – still plenty of teak left…..
I also rebuilt the westerbeke 4-107 3 years ago – TAD diesel in Virginia has best prices for gaskets, valves, ect. I found Hanson marine (westerbeke master distributor in Mass.) to be high priced on most things – remember, the Westerbeke 4-107/8 is the Perkins 4-107/8, but marinized by Westerbeke – Mechanical fuel injection pump on Westerbeke, Hydraulic on Perkins. The Coolant system is a bit different & Perkins uses a Jabsco salt water pump where Westerbeke uses a Sherwood 65/85. Major engine stuff (valves, gaskets, pistons, ect) are Perkins…….We rebuilt the injection system and tore the entire engine apart – a fun winter project. A good local injection shop ought to be able to bench test the pump & injectors for little $.We re-did the engine room too – High pressure wash & lots of de-greaser. Painted everything in the engine room/bilge with light grey Bar-Rust 235 from Devoe – a great paint that is much better than bilge Kote – 100% fuel and water proof. Many Aubuchon stores have it in their commercial paint dept.
My Dickerson will winter in Elliot Maine (Kittery). Some good stuff in old posts on this site….tag a note if I can help….r/e Interiors…what are you trying to end up with??
Have Fun!
MikeDepending on the “problem”, a hand pump on a tube is good, a priming bulb also works on a hose – need a pipe on the end to prevent “curls” in the hose – If the tank has sat for lots of time, had water condensation in it, or is prone to water problems/gunk in the tank a removal might be in order. I had to remove the tank (Allcraft monel round tank) in our D36 when we bought it ’cause it had sat for a long time & condensation allowed the “little yeasties” to grow in the tank. Tank removal is not that big a deal – remove the wires/turnbuckles holding the tank in the saddles, and pass it up thru the engine hatch – good idea to remove as much fuel as possible to keep the mess down & keep the tank lighter. I “brushed” the inside of the tank using a large “bottle”brush taped to a piece of wire (coat hanger). Got lots of sludge off the sides of the tank – rinsed with a little gasoline/naptha & the inside looked like new – lots of “crud” attached to the tank sides after 30 odd years. The AllCRAFT Monel tanks have no baffles in them & will clean up great and last a long time. If you do not trust your current fuel tank set up, it’s worth the effort. Takes about 2 hours to remove the tank (including removal of fuel) – cheap insurance for peace of mind on a boat that’s new to you.
I also have installed a larger “sludge/water” filter in front of my Racor to eliminate any issues with future junk – acts as a large water seperator – bulk junk filter. I run a #0 micron in this & a 10 micron in the Racor – the Racor bowl stays very clear/clean – works great.
MikeHey Dominic,
Yep, we sail out of Westport Harbor – Lake Tashmoo is an easy 5 hour sail in reasonable winds. We usually go for a 4 day “visit” the weekend after labor day – tourists are pretty much gone & the sailing on the sound is lovely. When you get your masts back, head to Westport…..I’ve varnished most of the exterior teak on our 36. It’s a pain to get it back to “nice” from the mess it was, but it’s pretty easy to keep up now. I do a refresher coat every couple years & it’s manageable. I remember watching some one teak oil teak a few years back – runny & had to tape it off. I don’t know…not for me…..I’ve seen Cetol that looked decent – uniform color & seems to hold up well. I guess it’s “pick a poison” and run with it….We also made canvas covers for the 3 opening hatches & the main hatch – helps a lot with keeping things looking good.
Inside I use Kirby’s paint from New Bedford – a nice satin sheen & easy to clean. The pettit or “brightside” paints in gloss just don’t look right to me inside a nice old boat. Kirby will ccustom mix paint & send it to you via ups – I use their “C4” custom color that they suggested for “classic” wood boat interiors. It’s white with just a touch of yellow to make a off white – It’s very easy on the eye.
I’ve found that on the mahoghany interior I like the satin finish Epiphanes varnish – a nice look that is easy to use. You can use any spar varnish under the epifanes for build and the last 2 coats satin. I’ve got the front cabin almost done, the head & some of the cabinet doors in the main cabin done. & 2 years ago I redid the fold down table – Next year perhaps main bulkheads………
Next time we are in your neck of the woods I’ll try to look you up.
mike
Hi Dominic,
Is your dickerson the Black one sitting this spring on a mooring with no mast??
I Was in Lake Tashmoo on my way to Westport & saw the Dickerson on a mooring – it was there last year too.
MikeHi Barry,
Sorry to hear about the engine issues…..argh…. The board has been quiet – boat is in the water….
You might be able to find a head (if it’s a 4-107 108) at TAD Diesel in Virginia – they seem to have a pretty good collection of Westerbeke parts. They do a lot of rebuild work of the perkins – same engine. I Know a fellow here in NH that has a 4-107 that ran a few years ago – he might be willing to sell the head for reasonable…Do you want me to check??
When I rebuilt my 4-107 I got all the gasket kits from TAD.Repower to another “brand” of engine opens up Pandora’s box – My brother repowered a Cal 39. Had a VW Pathfinder – in the process of dropping in a Yanmar 54 hp. New engine beds, new exhaust, new shaft/coupling, new prop……new filters ….$$$$
Mike
I’ d love to se photos of the triangle bases….I was looking at the same issue, but not this year. Thought about fiberglass plate from McMaster carr – then just paint it. Glad to see other folks keep boatyards chuckling. I think this year I’ll put new oil in the engine and go sailing……
Hi Joe!
Weeping seacocks….gee I thought if you ignored them long enough they would harden into a mess of bronze that did not move or leak….just kidding. I find the only thing that keeps “weeping” away is to pull the seacock apart prior to launch & very lightly wetsand any irregularities down & grease with a good waterproof grease – it’s a pain, and your post reminded me I ought to look at these this spring. I always wondered if there was any way to do anything in the water, but I suspect the design of these W/C seacocks (or any of this style) is such that the barrel needs grease over all of it. I guess the good thing is that they last for years if given even a bit of care.Una & I might make the rendezvous “sans” Iris – We will not be heading south this season and still waiting for our mooring arrangements to be finalized for this season – we have been on a “wait list” and are not too sure our “anticipated” mooring is opening up. In the Portsmouth NH area there are mooring fields that take many years to get a spot – perhaps we ought to move south to the Chesapeake! Or back to Westport Ma.
Have fun! Mike