After weeks of delays, some new windlass parts finally
arrived, with only the main breaker missing. The
shipment included a new, reversing motor, 5/16" wildcat,
and reversing solenoid.
Installing the wildcat was simple: remove the
handwheel and outer friction pad, slide on the new
wildcat, and reinstall the other parts. I
added a cotter pin at the end of the shaft to prevent
the wheel from ever being spin off unintentionally.
To install the new motor, I began with liquid gasket
material on the flanges, then bolted the new motor into
place. I filled the reservoir with oil as per the
manufacturer's specifications.
To locate the windlass, I temporarily installed the
owner's choice of anchor with a short length of 5/16" G4
chain to properly align the windlass wildcat with the
anchor roller and otherwise determine the best location.
Mindful of various potential interferences nearby, plus
the location of the after end of the anchor locker, I
eventually determined the best place for the windlass
and chain stripper, and made reference marks as needed.
Before proceeding with hole preparation, I decided to
cogitate on the whole setup overnight, as I couldn't
proceed with installation anyway till I had the proper
bolts in hand.
A new steering wheel arrived, and I installed it.
The propane stove required a special regulator for
proper operation. This meant reconfiguring the
stock regulator setup in the propane locker. To
begin, I disassembled the various components from their
corner bracket, and removed the fittings from the
original regulator.
The new regulator--the smaller one seen above--featured
a 90° configuration rather than inline, and no means of
securing it to anything, so this obviated installation
with the metal corner bracket. I reassembled the
inlet (with gauge) and solenoid to the new regulator,
and determined a mounting situation in the box that
worked successfully, with the arrangement held in place
with a single clamp to a block already in place within
the locker. This allowed the gauge to be visible,
and left room for the hoses as needed.
With the hoses connected, and the wiring to the solenoid
complete, I performed the simplest of all propabe tests
by turning on the valve at the tank, noting the pressure
on the gauge, then turning it off and reviewing the
pressure reading 10 minutes later. This was
unchanged, denoting a leak-free system.
I'd do a soap test later, followed by testing the stove,
but for now I moved on to the water system once again.
I made up a valve tee system that would allow me to
introduce water into the system for priming, and would
also allow for ease of winterizing in the future.
The leg of the tee featured a garden hose connection.
I installed this just upstream of the pump, and
connected a hose. The two valves in the water line
allowed me to direct the flow either towards the nearby
pump, or backwards through the water filter, manifold,
and to any or all of the three tanks, allowing priming
of all the lines and even filling all the tanks if so
desired.
In this way, I primed the lines successfully. I
did note immediately that the water filter housing was
not tight, so it leaked. It had been hand tight,
but not cranked down with the wrench. I tightened
it and all was well, but this made me wonder if this had
something to do with the problems I'd had in
self-priming the system earlier.
This short video shows the pump running, then both hot
and cold operation from the galley sink. I also
tested the shower, but I didn't tape this.
Everything seemed to work properly, and I didn't note
any leaks in the system. I primed the lines to
each of the three tanks, added some water to all tanks,
and tested from each of the three.
This was a hard-won end to what should have been a
simpler chore. To finish up, I resecured the pump
to its shelf with its vibration-damping mounts, and
resecured wiring and other hose runs within the locker
that I'd removed for the work I'd had to do on the water
system.
