I have had some problems in updating the site, I have
learned more now and it seems to work fine.
The interior plan has changed and the
electric installation is reviewed and new ideas have developed.
During the winter we have not done a lot on Sea-Otter, only
completely emptied the interior, it's just bare hull now. We have had a real
cleanout inside with sandblasting and washing. The major issue for the moment
is how and where we are going to install the holding tank(s) and gray water
tank. Further which of the old water tanks shall we
keep for t he intended purpose.
From the interior layout we have
decided to block off the most forward cabin with a watertight bulkhead and no
door. The head will be moved to where a closet was planned just behind the
mast. We will also make the bulkhead between the owners
cabin and the salon watertight with a ditto door. The stern storage (cockpit
locker) will be sealed off from the salon and guest cabin making it all to 4
separate watertight compartments.
The most interesting thing was to abandon the AC genset in
favour of a DC genset. We have altered the plans a bit and will now use a
12/24 volt system with a larger battery bank and larger inverters to get our
220 volt system working. The power demand on the AC system will not be as
great as we first estimated so an AC genset will not pay off but rather run
idle most of the time, which will reduce the gensets engine life. The new
thing that we are contemplating is to use a DC genset built around the
The refrigeration will also be altered a bit. The new ideas
are based on 12 volts. The freezer will most probably be from Isotherm
and a spill over to the fridge via a thermostat regulated little fan.
Water maker? Well, reading about
these things makes my hair more gray every day. There
are so many products on the market and not one is outstanding, they all seem to
have their various problems. What to choose? A 12 volt
type, an engine mounted type or one fed from the 220 volt system? What
manufacturer shall we trust? It looks like Spectra and Pure
are the most discussed at the moment, but they also have their problems.
The heating system can change from the planned Webasto
diesel heater to a system that is incorporated in the cooling system of the
As we always point out, if anybody has good information about these subjects, please submit your comments or ideas by e-mail to us. That's all for now but as the summer approaches there will be a lot happening on Sea-Otter, so keep in touch and sail well.
