It’s raining off and on today, and supposed to for the next couple. Guess I’ll go mop out and sanitize the bilge. Now that the bulk of the “livability” re-fit had been addressed (y’know, running water, flushing toilet, cooking stove, etc.), it’s time to wrap up loose ends. With all these half-done boat projects lately, Jeni and I sat down the other day and started prioritizing.
Galley and electrical both ranked high at the top of the “need to do” list. I haven’t finished the Corian tops with teak fiddles, and the refer/fridge lids still need a second gasket and the gas-lift shocks installed. More importantly (in concert with that other “safety” post a couple weeks ago), the boat has no GFCI outlets. I’m talking about the kind of outlets that keep you from getting killed if you happen to be standing in a puddle of water when you plug a cord into the wall. Seems like that should come standard on a boat, right?
Pretty much every T37 I’ve seen has an unprotected outlet right below the galley sink and ours was no exception Not to mention, the old copper wiring is turning green and the terminals are corroding. I had to pull the sink to get to the wires, but it went pretty easy, and had it all buttoned up by dinner time. I also added a 2nd protected outlet complete with new 14-3 marine grade triplex wire next to the stove so we can run the crock pot without blocking the refer lids.
Eventually, when I finally move the panel to the nav station, I plan to split the circuits to port and starboard on separate 15 amp breakers. Right now the single 15A circuit runs up starboard and back down port, dead ending at the galley plug. These new outlets (and marine grade wire) are just the tip of the iceberg, but one more step toward a “safe” live-aboard vessel. And speaking of safe, I also managed to get the gas struts installed on the fridge and freezer lids. Now they won’t smack us in the head when we’re ass-over-elbows digging around inside for something to eat…..