Yep! That's what I thought, that's the manual I downloaded. Thanks for the confirmation.
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Yep! That's what I thought, that's the manual I downloaded. Thanks for the confirmation.
Gregg,
So what have you been up to? A couple of weeks ago, I visitied McCotters Marina again and saw your Ariel still there. I was hoping you might have been there working on her.
I walked the docks and met a fellow (Branch) with a beautiful Cape Dory 25D. I like Little Washington and try to make it down there a couple times a summer.
Hey Chance, I am able to come to the Marina every other weekend, (I get paid every other weekend and manage to overspend each time). Sorry I missed you. As I am sure you know, when you decide on making a repair, you look at it and say, oh that's going to take around 2 hours or that's going to take around 4 hours and it ALWAYS takes exponentially longer! So far, I've not gotten much accomplished. I've started snatching out old wiring, I've cleaned up alot although I can't tell it when I get back to her after a 2 week vacation from her HA!!!! I've replaced the hose on both sides of the manual bilge pump, removed the electric bilge pump and checked it, still works but have to replace the discharge line to it. I've removed all the trim and carried it home (the PO painted part of the cabin white while leaving the trim on therefore some of the trim has white paint all over it and needs to be redone anyway) and have started sanding down alot of it. Two weekends ago, the holding tank for the head was full so I removed it from the head and capped it and carried it down to the pumping station and dumped it (I've not used the head so I have no idea it's been like that). Last night I made a screen for the companionway hatch (mosquitoes around here are horrendous) and just tied screen around the v-berth hatch until I can get some framing for it.
So here I sit, coffee made (and currently drinking a cup) contemplating when I'm going to start waking everybody up here with the electric sander. On this weekend's agenda, sanding and working on the seacocks to get them operational and anything else that side tracks me.
Hello Gregg,
Thanks for the update. Have you thought about just doing away with the regular head, holding tank and associated plumbing and go for simplicity and a little porta pottie? Speaking of which, where was the holding tank located anyways? I know the potable water tank in under the vee birth. As far as I'm aware Pearson did not put in a CHT (Collection Holding Tanks) for black water (sewage), that was done by some previous owner of your Ariel. They did put in heads, but it was for direct overboard discharge, which we know now, is illegal, unless of course your more than 3 NM off shore.
So do you sleep on the boat when you come work on her? How far away is your home to McCotters? Where do you plan to keep her berthed at?
Oh, how I know exactly what your talking about when you say projects grow in scope, time and the all consuming dollar. I'm on my third year of stewardship with Ceili and have yet to splash her.
You are exactly right! The original head had two hoses, one from the sea and one to the sea, a plastic tri-valve was installed on the bulkhead behind the toilet and discharge from the toilet went to one of the fittings on that valve to feed, one fitting went to the sea and the other was to a portable holding tank that was supposed to fit around 1/2 of the toilet to comply with discharge regulations.
I was trying to get this vessel on the water as soon as possible meaning conserving as much money as possible and finish out in between using it but your suggestion is now one of importance. The plastic knob on the toilet that opens and closes for pumping is broken off and that valve can no longer be operated. Either a toilet valve rebuild kit (including broken part if I could find such kit) or head replacement or porta-pottie or airhead. Now I have to consider this option like I had not planned on originally (or just not carry women on the vessel for a while HA!)
Just unbolt that sucker and put in a porta-potti. A porta-potti is great for day sails and weekends. I think that's your quickest and cheapest path to getting your baby back in the water.
Thanx Mike,
I'll probably be using that suggestion!
Well, I don't know about where you guys Ariels and Commanders are moored but where mine sits up, mosquitoes have become a major issue. While attempting to work, I had to stop what I was doing and go to walmart and work on screening.
I got some nylon screen and a framing kit and pics are posted, not bad looking if I must say so myself!Attachment 7744
The hatch in the v-berth, I just cut some screen and secured around the base with a bunji cord. Attachment 7745
Removed the head, hoses and holding tank, so I can sand that area and while I was at it, removed the hose fittings from the seacocks and the seacock feeding the head is secure and tight, it won't budge using penetrating oil and hammer taps, the discharge seacock is somewhat open to the sea, penatrating oil can be seen running down the through-hull and down the keel which is what I was afraid of and it won't budge either. Neither seacock has nuts and bolts so apparently they unscrew from the through-hull (which is a two man job). I found out the through-hull draining the cockpit floor and the sink does not have a seacock, it's open to the sea.
If you look at the right side of the valve in the discharge seacock, you can see where the valve is slightly open allowing flowAttachment 7746
This one is the intake and is almost as good as sealed.Attachment 7747
After removing the hoses, I figured out how this worked so far as discharge to the sea or discharge to the holding tank.Attachment 7749
It appears to me (I don't have the Ariel manual yet) that the thru-hull the cockpit drains and sink attach to has no valve so it's open to the sea? It appears to be glassed, not a very good shot here....Attachment 7750
I hate work :( I guess if I loved it, I wouldn't call it work but it's keeping me from finding out what I need to know.
Gregg, not exactly sure what it is you have here,
but if any underwater fitting fails the boat will sink.
I would upgrade to better than standard practice.
There is a SEACOCK thread in the forums here that might help
with planning your next step.
I have a well known prejudice against valves connected solely to a thru-hull. Dangerous.
If you are a metal seacock kind of owner then Groco may have the answer for you.
Pearson no valve thru hull cockpit drains should be changed immediately.
Some owners have posted here great photos of gorgeous jobs of upgraded drain systems.
I can't agree with you more ebb, I cannot believe someone would head for blue water with an open through hull to the sink and cock pit drains (can you imagine hearing water gurgling in the sink while heeled over port?), but apparently they made it through because the boat's on dry land (or was before the hurricane). The through hull fitting I'm worried about most is the discharge port for the head since it's partially open, the hose connected to the through hull that was connected to the sink is plugged with a wooden bung at this time. During the hurricane (according to one of the local papers found online) many sail craft were lifted off their stands and sat back down again (I am sure not back on the stands) and so if it floated, i am sure it didn't sink (or sink far). Where my craft sat, in order for it to get to the Broad Creek free floating, it would have had to pass under a powerline (which is not tall enough for the mast) unless that line is down. You might can see the power line through the trees in the picture below but that picture was taken before the hurricane.Attachment 7767
Well guys, quick update.
Went by the Marina Saturday night, it was a busy Labor Day weekend for my family and that was the only time I could fit the trip in, and there were more vessels in the boat yard than I could fathom. There was one clear spot and that's where my Ariel was supposed to be... it was dark, I was in someone else's car and we had no flashlight and there was a hole in the yard. She had been moved but she was there, inspection inside the cabin interior revealed bone dry conditions which I didn't expect due to the partially opened seacock, apparently if she floated, little water entered that port. I was EXTREMELY lucky. She was sitting under 2 dozen pine trees.
I believe most owners will say that Ariel/Commanders have a rep for being lucky boats.
Of course that may be because A/Cs attract lucky owners!
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Question everything. Every stripe, every star, every spoken word. Everything.
Ernest Gaines
[Every hole in a boat:rolleyes:]