More design changes... Most of them set in stone (or wood)

Changes...

I thought that since a lot of the design modifications that are taking shape right now haven't been posted, it would be a good idea to stop for a second and post updated plans and pictures.  I am currently working off of a CAD file named "Rev 18" and that was only after 6 months of continual changes that I didn't track.  To say the least, this project has gone through a metamorphosis that has changed as I learned more through reading (thanks Brad for the boat building library loan), through lengthy discussion with my Dad on our long commute into Atlanta, and through a thought process that tried to keep focus on our eventual use of this vessel.
Some of these changes have been driven by a copy of the ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council) standards that are the standard code used in the industry for boat manufacturers (A thanks to my buddy Sanford who worked in the luxury yacht business in Taiwan).  As I am building this for myself, I don't necessarily have to follow these guidelines but, would be a fool not to.  Seeking insurance coverage and registering the vessel will require an inspection and safety factors must be met.


Note offset pilothouse door to accommodate shower width.  Also sink behind helm and room for small butane stove
which can be packed on and off the beach (shown as a small rectangle on the bottom countertop). Red rectangle in forepeak is the
water heater and blue ones are water tanks.

From an aesthetic (or practical) viewpoint, there have also been some changes based on choices of our eventual use of the boat.  Like I stated before, we plan on this being a coastal cruiser for short stints (week or less) with routine access to facilities.  We aren't packing for weeks at sea.  I'll go through some of the major points and detail our decisions...

Plenty of room for thoughtful reflection...

Propulsion...

The last posting showed an outboard mounted on a motor bracket.  There were real practical considerations to do this and those are still valid, however, in this design I began to think that it may detract from the overall look and function (vessel trim). I have moved the outboard back to the transom.  A much more traditional look and not nearly as much stress on the transom itself.  To accommodate the outboard tilting/pivoting and improve the seaworthiness in the event of a following wave, I followed the ABYC standard for the motorwell construction.  Now, if that following wave decides to crash over, our cockpit is much better protected. I also plan to go with an outboard in the 20hp to 25hp range.  I want that extra power in bad conditions although a 9.9hp would push us to hull speed in ideal conditions.


Cooking...

This is one that kept running out of control for me on the drawing board.  I had planned for a drop in LP oven or stove.  I had also, for a time, considered an LP converted inverter generator like a Yamaha 2400 or Honda 2000 for axillary power for AC, hot water and battery charging.  I thought it would pull double duty and I wouldn't have to carry gas cans.  I lost sight of the fact that we weren't doing extended cruising on this boat and were giving up a lot of storage (and deck space), and adding a lot of complexity, to this design by trying to incorporate this LP stove.  Didn't make sense.  My final solution was to modify our onboard meals (like camping) to suit our cooking capability.  We will use a grill in the cockpit for most of our meat and use a small butane portable stove that can be stored in a drawer for whatever needs boiling.  We will stay away from frying because of the mess and smell.  This frees up work space on the countertops and there is no need for a propane locker on the already small cockpit.  The real point to stress is that LP gas can be installed safely; however, it adds complexity and cost.

Refrigeration...

Even comes in Seafoam Green

Refrigeration was also a consideration that kept eating up a lot of cabinet space in the pilothouse. Not much bang for the buck.  Again, a practical examination of this boat's intended purpose helped us to decide that all we truly need is a good cooler with possible dry ice use and pre-freezing our perishables.  The other consideration in planning meals requiring less perishable food than one may normally use. We can also incorporate the use of canned or foil packed protein for our meals. Again, think camping. 
So our plan is to forego the tiny, expensive refrigerators that are prone to breakdown and reserve a small area of the cockpit for a YETI cooler with a pad on top to serve double duty as a seat.  When I spent several seasons as a guide wrangling folks in and out of remote wilderness in southern Colorado, we carried neoprene insulated panniers packed full of frozen meat and dry ice.  Our meals were planned accordingly so there was no digging through the panniers and we kept things frozen for a solid week easily.  I truly believe that good planning is the answer, not appliances in this application. My wife is the planning queen and I'll let her handle this.






Hygiene and Sanitation...

Big deal for us as a couple. Heck, big deal for anyone if you gotta go!  I think that this subject gets glossed over a lot since we (as boaters) are on the water and most people just dismiss this as an after though.  Gotta crap?  Do it in a bucket and throw it over... Need a shower?  Right outside your cabin is the world's largest bathtub.  This is all doable of course. 
Again, when outfitting, a shower wasn't a daily ritual, hell, could be a few days before it got so bad that we braved those liquid ice creeks to take one. But...
I have a wife and I'm not twenty something any more.  We would like to have the opportunity to wash the salt off and not turn my berth into a high school locker room smell-fest.  So, with that said I sought ways to squeeze a shower in.  Just couldn't do it in the pilot house as designed so I stretched it just a little fore and aft.  I also slide the Traveler Toilet in a niche inside the shower. This gives us a self contained chemical toilet that can be pumped out like a traditional marine head and holding tank system.  We will limit our number ones to the deep blue (or to a bucket then the blue), when duty calls, if at all possible.
This isn't to say that the occasional number two couldn't be performed on deck, then dragged behind the boat by a rope tied to the handle till sparkly clean.  Not a snob, just need the option.
Shower... In the forepeak of the boat, under the berth, sits a 6 gallon electric water heater.  This is an AC electrical device and will be powered up either by the dockside connection or by a generator run in the evening when bath time nears. We'll use a water saver shower wand which will serve double duty for rinsing the toilet.  The fresh water is for showers and washing only.  Bottled water will be for cooking and drinking. For dish washing and tooth brushing, a small sink sits behind the helm.

Creature Comforts...

This was another teeth gnashing decision that has worked itself out through a lot of reading and practical consideration regarding costs vs. function.  I grew up in the south and as a kid, we didn't have air.  We had box fans and slept on the sheets, flipping the pillow over to the "cool "side until exhaustion took over. Somewhere in my early teens we got central air and it's never been the same.  I have to admit that summer camping has never appealed to me because of waking up in a full out, malarial sweat.  I knew very early on that ventilation and air conditioning was a must if I would ever get my wife back on the boat for trip #2. For ventilation I have tried to incorporate opening side windows, Nicro vents in the shower and Dorade vents in the cabin.  I'll also wire for fans in the berth and one at each helm seat. Most importantly, we need AC!
Initially, I had decided on a Marine Air AC unit to help cool us off and make sleeping bearable.  This would require ducting and the installation of a pump to circulate sea water.  They would work better if the supply duct could be installed high in the pilot house and cabin and the return low and unobstructed.  It also seemed to occupy a great deal of room and was not cheap.  There is the old "window unit" option.  Not for this build.  I am opting for a low inrush current, low profile rooftop RV unit, probably a Coleman Penguin II. It may not last forever but trawler cruisers use rooftop AC units all the time. 
It will require AC, so I will be relegated to running a generator on the hook or plugged in at the dock. 
If running a "genny", I will try to make my anchorage remote and not piss off the neighbors.

General Notes on wall treatment and finishing...

So you have noticed a lot of Yellow Pine Ply bead used in the construction on the interior surfaces of the boat.  I purchased this through 84 Lumber locally and decided that painted white and trimmed out in clear finished Mahogany, I would end up with a great interior finish that looked traditional.  All wood is covered in a coat or two of epoxy. We have used 26 gallons so far and we still have the exterior to cover with Xynole fabric. 
Back to the Ply bead... I worried about the durability (even epoxy covered) so I did my own test to make sure that the glue was exterior grade.  I soaked a 4" strip in a bucket of water for two days, tried to peel it off wet... No good.  I let it dry completely and tried again...  No go.  Soaked then tried, then dried, then tried.  I finally snapped a piece off and the wood fibers failed.  The glue did not separate.  Seems to be a good phenolic glue and the pine didn't look worse for wear. 
I actually believe the species is a western pine species called Radiata Pine.  It looks a lot like yellow pine but I'll make sure to soak it in epoxy before marine paint is applied.  The paneling is listed for both exterior and interior use. Its a clear faced panel that seems absent of core voids although I don't rely on its strength alone and back it up in laminations that are rated structural.