Plumbing, gas and electrics

Plumbing

The first thing we fitted was a tap for making tea!

I decided to use Speedfit plastic pipe and fittings for the plumbing. This is much quicker and easier than copper and does not crack if it freezes. The pipe is flexible so you need far fewer joints.

The water tank lives under the front deck. This I connected to a pump and accumulator unit to bring it up to mains pressure. This pump kept breaking and was one of the biggest headaches of the project, I should have bought a more expensive one.

Next it tees off to the instant gas water heater, a second-hand Morco DB1E that I got a bargain on. The hot and cold feeds go to the kitchen sink then all the way along the boat behind the lining to the bathroom. I fitted a thermostatic shower mixer and a small sink.

TIP: fit plenty of service valves to your pipe work so you can isolate the main supply, water heater, kitchen and bathroom separately. Slope it all slightly downhill and remember to fit drain-off cocks at the lowest point.

Waste water from the kitchen sink goes straight out of a skin fitting in the side of the boat under gravity. For the bathroom, I fitted a sump pump in the bilge. This is just a large box with an automatic bilge fitted to lift the waste water above the water line and out of the hull.

Gas

The refurbished gas locker

I was a little apprehensive about doing my own gas fitting, but really there is nothing difficult about it. I used 10mm OD copper pipe and brass compression fittings supplied by BES. I chose to use propane as it's better in cold weather.

There are a lot of rules about the gas system on a boat. The gas bottle(s) must be housed in a gas-tight top-opening locker that has a drain leading outside the hull. The bottle(s) must be well secured and the regulator must also be in the locker, with a clearly labelled shut-off valve.

Use the minimum possible number of fittings. Where the line passes out the locker or through a wall, fit a proper bulkhead fitting to prevent abrasion. Fit at least one test point. Finally, firmly support the pipe at regular intervals and make sure the entire length can be inspected by your BSS examiner. If this is not feasible, take photos before sealing up the pipe.

Testing for leaks the old-fashioned way

My locker is on the back deck and holds two bottles. It was a horrific rusty mess and needed lots of work including a new concrete floor to make it drain properly.

The gas line goes under the gunwale all the way to the bow, where there are tee-offs for the cooker, fridge and water heater. Each has its own isolation valve.

Electrics

Iron Maiden circuit diagram

The electrics on a boat are complicated! You basically have a car and a house added together, with the complication of dual voltage in the cabin and negative returns on the 12v system.

By laying out the electrical cupboard sensibly I was able to add circuits as I went along. Most run in an duct the starboard gunwale for easy access.

These are the main components of the system:

The BSS requirements mean you must have a labelled master switches) to shut off all power. All circuits must have fuses or circuit breakers fitted. Batteries must be secured, and preferably boxed in.

12v wiring is different to the 240v systems you have at home. The wires must be far thicker, as at low voltage the current is far greater and will heat up the wires. Also, you have to consider voltage drop on long wire runs which necessitates even thicker wires. I used 4mm2 for the main circuits and 1.5mm2 for the spurs to the less demanding equipment. See the electrical notes on the superb TB Training web site for more information.

TIP: You should not use the hull as a negative connection, but you can save on copper by fitting one big fat negative wire the length of the boat for all circuits to share.

Check out the circuit diagram (click on the thumbnail). I'm very proud of this diagram, it probably took longer than the actual wiring! I have since added an extra lighting circuit, a voltmeter, an Sterling alternator controller and the 240V system.

Lighting: I recommend using recessed MR16 fittings for the main lights, which are incredibly cheap. Fit LED bulbs. These are expensive but use so much less power than halogen. Look for 3 - 5W single LED units. Two good sources are Ultra LEDs and Your Welcome.

Patio LED lights make good 'mood' lighting when fitted under the gunwales.

The solar panel is fantastic, I never have to run the engine except in winter. It's a real fit-and-forget system. I made an aluminium frame for it so you can align it south and tilt it at 50° to the horizontal, which makes a big difference to power output.

I bought a really nice Sony DAB/MP3 car stereo so I can listen to radio 4 and 6 all day. Car stereos are perfect for boat fitouts.

TIP: Make the wires between the alternator, split charge relay and batteries as short and fat as you can. Avoid in-line ammeters, use a good shunt ammeter if you must. Fit and alternator controller for MUCH faster battery charging.

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