First boat and attempt at light refurbishment / NB Hedgehog...

[piedaterre]

I posted here a few months ago asking over various bits of advice on boat I'd just bought so thought it was worth a quick update.

 

A long story short is I bought my first boat a couple of months ago having been searching for something 30ft or less for a good for months.  After viewing a good few, I bought NB Hedgehog, a Midway 235 with a Vetus engine.  All's well with the boat but the intention always was to give the interior a bit of a lift.  I'd spent a good number of evenings and weekends on it, in the boiling heat, and now it's pretty much done.  

 

Having never sailed a boat before I managed to take it single-handedly back from Great Haywood to Barbridge last week.  Apologies to those I held up doing locks on my own.

 

I took on a fair bit of the advice give on the forum and the following work took place...

 

The old mix of laminate and carpet flooring, including the carpet covering the steps, was removed

An engineered oak floor fitted and solid oak Scotia fitted

All surfaces were sanded with the fairly heavy dark varnish removed

The old poles, fixings, vents, handles, curtains and upholstery were removed and all holes filled

Two coats of shellac BIN primer and a light sanding

Interior painted in a mixture of F&B and Little Greene paint

New curtains and seat upholstery fitted

New vents, poles, door knobs etc fitted

 

I know the interior's not traditional but I'm happy with it, other than a few small bits still in need of finishing.  Most seem to like it - other than one commenting 'it's too white... like a public toilet'.

 

I'd like to say I cut and fitted the flooring and Scotia boards but it was carried out by Steve who's based at Great Haywood.  The flooring looks great and I'm happy to recommend  him to others.  He can be reached on 07415 070591.  Steve was also accommodating and good enough to let me have use of a boat he's in the progress of building to lay the doors and panels down for paining when they were off the hinges which was a massive help.

 

Old Vs new..

 

 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2018 by piedaterre

[Alan de Enfield]

Looks like you have done a good job - well done.

 

However I must agree on the 'Public Toilets' it looks like its had it coat of 'London White' and is on the way to the city as a new liveaboard.

 

SWMBO says I am 'odd', but if we were all the same it would be a sad world - it doesn't stop me recognising the effort and achievement someone has put into a job, again, good job !

[piedaterre]

Thank you.

 

The last time I picked up a paint brush was for GCSE Art.  I've never done any DIY before even at home and so the whole thing took a lot longer than it should have.  I had a lot of guidance from others though after they could see where I was going wrong, i.e. using the wrong type of rollers and having to re-sand and start again, which was helpful.

 

I've just realised some of the photos make the paint look a bit rubbish below the roof ply - it's actually masking tape and not paint.

 

The paint is maybe a bit too stark - F&B Wimborne white - but the hardest work's done in respect of the sanding and priming, so if I want to change colour in the future it won't be too bad.  The photos don't show the contrast of the kitchen being French grey too well unfortunately.

[Tony Brooks]

Well done, if you like it that should be fine for others.

 

A potential very dangerous hazard that might need investigating. It looks to me as if the tile surround by the stove may be direct onto the plywood lining/bulkhead. If it is then be aware that a number of fires have been caused by long periods of stove use passing sufficient heat through the tiles to start the wood behind smouldering. This is a hazard if you run the stove hard or it runs away.

 

Ideally the tiles would be stuck to some form of fire board with a vented to the cabin air gap between the fire board and any wood. That way air can convect up the air gap and thereby help cool the wood and if the wood does start to char you should see smoke or smell it. 

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Well done, if you like it that should be fine for others.

 

A potential very dangerous hazard that might need investigating. It looks to me as if the tile surround by the stove may be direct onto the plywood lining/bulkhead. If it is then be aware that a number of fires have been caused by long periods of stove use passing sufficient heat through the tiles to start the wood behind smouldering. This is a hazard if you run the stove hard or it runs away.

 

Ideally the tiles would be stuck to some form of fire board with a vented to the cabin air gap between the fire board and any wood. That way air can convect up the air gap and thereby help cool the wood and if the wood does start to char you should see smoke or smell it. 

 

 

Excellent point :

 

Below is the recommendation for 'how to do it'

 

 

Boat Stoves Fitting Guidance.pdf

[Tony Brooks]

47 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Excellent point :

 

Below is the recommendation for 'how to do it'

 

 

Boat Stoves Fitting Guidance.pdf

I know that is what they say but as long  as there is a sufficient gap between the flue and any combustible materiel I am far from convinced of the need for an insulated flue. Indeed it may well reduce the heat input to the cabin. The BS, which the guide is based on, is only best practice, not mandatory. The BSS says nothing about air gaps, insulation etc as long a t he stove is secure and there is no visual heat damage around it.

[Alan de Enfield]

10 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I know that is what they say but as long  as there is a sufficient gap between the flue and any combustible materiel I am far from convinced of the need for an insulated flue. Indeed it may well reduce the heat input to the cabin. The BS, which the guide is based on, is only best practice, not mandatory. The BSS says nothing about air gaps, insulation etc as long a t he stove is secure and there is no visual heat damage around it.

I agree.

 

On one of my stoves I worked out the surface area of the flue, and the surface area of the stove - they were very similar.

I have argued that by using an insulated flue you lose 50% of your radiated heat, and so need to burn twice as much fuel to get the same amount of heat output.

 

It has been argued, by others, that in fact the heat output is effectively the same as the stove burns more efficiently and uses less fuel, so for the same amount of fuel you get the same amount of heat.

 

I remain to be convinced - my version of science tells me I'm better having a single flue and getting the radiated heat into the cabin, than I am sending half of it up and out of the boat.

 

Other opinions are available.

[ditchcrawler]

39 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I agree.

 

On one of my stoves I worked out the surface area of the flue, and the surface area of the stove - they were very similar.

I have argued that by using an insulated flue you lose 50% of your radiated heat, and so need to burn twice as much fuel to get the same amount of heat output.

 

It has been argued, by others, that in fact the heat output is effectively the same as the stove burns more efficiently and uses less fuel, so for the same amount of fuel you get the same amount of heat.

 

I remain to be convinced - my version of science tells me I'm better having a single flue and getting the radiated heat into the cabin, than I am sending half of it up and out of the boat.

 

Other opinions are available.

It would be nice to see a controlled experiment to prove it ether way, Not difficult, a shed with a stove and thermometer with interchangable flues

[Nut]

great work OP nice and  bright on those winter nights a few pictures hanging up will break it so yes well done

[piedaterre]

Thanks a lot for the feedback.

 

I'm still in touch with the guy who fitted the fire so will check on what's beneath the tiles.

 

I'm going to post a thread for some advice on sound deadening from the engine.  With it being a 2 cylinder Vetus it's not massively refined and pretty noisy even at fairly low load.  I'm told there's insulation and baffling that can be added inside the engine bay (if that's the right word?).

[Tony Brooks]

2 minutes ago, piedaterre said:

Thanks a lot for the feedback.

 

I'm still in touch with the guy who fitted the fire so will check on what's beneath the tiles.

 

I'm going to post a thread for some advice on sound deadening from the engine.  With it being a 2 cylinder Vetus it's not massively refined and pretty noisy even at fairly low load.  I'm told there's insulation and baffling that can be added inside the engine bay (if that's the right word?).

It will be cheaper overall if you construct an easily removable  plywood box around the engine and apply fire resistant sound insulation to the inside face. Just make sure you have a large enough vent to allow the engine to breath. Its this vent tat people baffle but with a near hospital silencer I have not  felt the need to baffle.

 

Trying to stick sound insulation to the metal surfaces of the engine bay usually requires rather more insulation and unless the metal is rust free & very clean there can be adhesion problems. With a wooden box in the worst case you can secure any insulation that falls off by screw and penny washer.

[manxmike]

I think you've made a cracking job of the interior, the white is nice and bright and as Nut says, a few pictures will break it up nicely. How about some pics of the exterior?

[Neil2]

On 18/07/2018 at 10:28, piedaterre said:

Thanks a lot for the feedback.

 

I'm still in touch with the guy who fitted the fire so will check on what's beneath the tiles.

 

I'm going to post a thread for some advice on sound deadening from the engine.  With it being a 2 cylinder Vetus it's not massively refined and pretty noisy even at fairly low load.  I'm told there's insulation and baffling that can be added inside the engine bay (if that's the right word?).

 

On 18/07/2018 at 10:36, Tony Brooks said:

It will be cheaper overall if you construct an easily removable  plywood box around the engine and apply fire resistant sound insulation to the inside face. Just make sure you have a large enough vent to allow the engine to breath. Its this vent tat people baffle but with a near hospital silencer I have not  felt the need to baffle.

 

Trying to stick sound insulation to the metal surfaces of the engine bay usually requires rather more insulation and unless the metal is rust free & very clean there can be adhesion problems. With a wooden box in the worst case you can secure any insulation that falls off by screw and penny washer.

 

IIRC with those Midway boats the engine is pretty much in the cabin, under the step, so it's already sort of boxed in.  There isn't a lot of room around the engine to fit sound deadening and I suspect fitting a bigger silencer comes up against the same problem ie lack of space.   You could try adding extra boarding on the outside, but first off making sure the gaps between the deck boards/steps are sealed would help. 

 

 

[piedaterre]

Sorry for the delayed reply re. the sound deadening, and thanks for the positive comments.

 

After a lot of thought I've decided I'd like something a bit bigger - ideally 35ft - and so the boat's just about to go into brokerage at Midway Boats, Barbridge.  It's been valued at £15950...