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.