1965 41 DCMY Refit

[DCMY #92]

Here's and update on the refit work.

Wood work on the new settee and storage areas behind are complete. Also complete is the new port saloon lower wall aft of the settee. The original book case built into the aft port saloon wall had to be eliminated to make room for the new soundproof engine air trunks, but we were able to fit two drawers into the upper portion of the new port side lower saloon wall to recover some storage space. The drawers are not very deep (about the width of the side deck), but each is about 24 inches long and 7" high.

Installation of the soundproof engine air trunks on the starboard side required relocating the saloon A/C evaporator to the lower aft galley cabinet (starboard of the refrigerator). It's a tight fit, but we managed to make a sufficiently large return air plenum, make room for a 7" flexible duct running behind the starboard saloon wall, and provide adequate access for maintenance. As usual, relocating the evaporator resulted in allot more modification of the galley cabinets than originally planned. The 26 year old microwave/convection oven was replaced with a new smaller microwave with a new separate and smaller convection oven below. This was required to make room for the air plenums.

Since the refrigerator was also over 20 years old (but working and looking fine) I decided to replace it also. I learned that no one makes a 14 cu in box this size anymore. The closest I can find is a 14.8 with the same width and height, but 3 inches deeper. This requires extending the bar over the box and the bulkhead to port of the box forward so the box doesn't extend into the galley beyond these structures. I'm glad I discovered this so we can make these changes before the other galley modifications were completed. At least the new box can be had with a stainless steel door so it should look good when all is done.

Mahogany trim around the interior of the new saloon side windows are being fabricated now. These will be held in place by little nylon snaps embedded in the trim and wall. This will allow them to be removed for refinishing without damage, visible screws or bungs. The wall adjacent to this trim will be covered with vinyl or ultra-leather. I didn't want to have to try and refinish them in place in future years and risk damaging the fabric.

Yesterday the A/C technician visited the boat to confirm that the A/C relocation details were OK. He blessed the evaporator location and return air plenum, but suggested a different approach for the cold air grill. My plan was to located a single rectangular grill on the upper/aft starboard saloon wall. The technician said this would not provide good air circulation and suggested instead that we mill long slots in the horizontal mahogany covering board at the top of the saloon wall just below the windows. It turns out there is just enough room to build two long and narrow insulated plenums on the back side of the saloon wall. These will be connected to the evaporator with flex duct and appropriate sized splitter. This plenum will deliver the air to the bottom of the covering board where it can exit upwards along almost the full length of the saloon. A 3" flex duct from the aft plenum will provide a small about of A/C to the aft head (that never had any). The air slots in the covering board will be milled at a 45 degree angle so the air doesn't exit straight up and onto the windows, but upwards towards the ceiling inboard of the windows. It should look pretty good too since there will be no grill work needed - just varnished mahogany. I'll post some photos when this work is farther along.

[Freeebird]

Glad to hear you are still making progress. No doubt she will be something special when you are finished. Once she is finished, look for a big guy with a Southern accent, coming soon to a marina near you.

[DCMY #92]

Freebird and others: The only thing I like better than running Loose Change is showing her off. You can be sure you guys and gals will be the first to know when she splashes. Each of the three years she has been undergoing the refit I thought she would be finished "sometime this year". To date I have been mistaken, but I'm hoping 2011 will be the year.

I've offered that she could be available to Rivolta for boat shows to demonstrate what their service department can do - any excuse to take a boat trip and show off our favorite family member.

[akintosyali]

Looks great! Wonderful to see another 1965 41 DCMY being restored!

[DCMY #92]

Update:

The admiral didn't like the idea of milling slots in the mahogany covering board under the saloon windows to make and A/C vent. So - the plan now is to install a long narrow discharge grill just below the covering board. I'm working with folks at Marine Systems to configure a long-narrow mahogany grill that will direct the air upwards at a sufficient angle while mounted on the vertical sidewall. I'll report the results later.

The refrigeration issue also got more complicated. The SS door 15 cu-ft unit I found on line is not listed in any local dealer's catalogue. I'm hesitant to order a unit sight unseen on line when local dealers don't list it. Today I visited two custom kitchen showrooms that carry Sub-zero, Kitchen Aid, U-line, Jenn-Air, etc. I'm now considering installing a pair of 24" wide x 34" high under-counter drawer units. One a combination frig/freezer and the other all frig. The combination unit would go in the galley where the existing frig is. We would build a new pantry above it - the additional galley storage would be a good thing. The second unit would go in the forward head (adjacent to the galley) where the combination washer/dryer has been removed. The big downside of this arrangement (beyond the insane pricing) is that each of these drawer units weights more than the standard 14 cu-ft frig.

Nothing is as simple, lower weight, or less expensive than you had hoped! If the admiral ever discovers what this refit is costing I'm one dead dude.

[Freeebird]

If the admiral ever discovers what this refit is costing I'm one dead dude.

The truth finally comes out as to why you've been able to keep this project alive all this time! LOL

[DCMY #92]

A few months ago I left a Rivolta Yachts monthly invoice on the kitchen counter. That led to a discussion I don't wish to repeat too soon.

[DCMY #92]

Another update:

The refrigeration saga continues. I have been unable to find a combination of residential or marine refrigerator and freezer that will fit the available space and have sufficient capacity. On the bright side I did find a local source for the SS version of the 15 cu.ft. residential unit that can replace my existing box with only slight cabinetry modifications. I have spent the last couple of days investigating building custom refrigerator and freezer boxes with remote compressors, but it is getting way too complicated. It's no problem to find sources for reliable compressors, evaporators and holding plates. However, I have been unable to find a source of components to build professional looking boxes (doors, liners, etc.). Unless someone here can put me on a different track, I'm about ready to order the new SS residential unit and move on.

I have posted a few photos of some of the other progress being made. The new galley cabinet is temporarily assembled pending a final decision on the refrigerator. The photo shows the saloon A/C evap unit in its new home, the garage for the small convection oven and the upper shelf for the new microwave. The bar top will go on later above the microwave and refrigerator. The convection oven garage will have an air circulation fan at the rear as a precaution. It will discharge the air into A/C return duct just aft of the garage.

Construction of interior mahogany frames to cover the new aluminum saloon window frames is almost done. This photo is of the forward port window. It also shows the new couch and the forward of two drawers installed in the port sidewall.

The final photo is the starboard side engine air intake trunk. There are two separate trunks on the port side (photos in previous post), but this one runs almost the length of the saloon because it also contains the discharge tubes for two bilge blowers.

[DCMY #92]

I have to report a re-group on the saloon A/C modifications. The Admiral didn't like the idea of putting the return grill facing aft under the bar. It's a good think I hadn't already cut the hole.

The new plan is to put the saloon evaporator in the upper portion of the V-berth closet. The return grill will go at the top of the companionway wall (port side) as you enter the V-berth. The cold air will exit up just behind the front saloon wall (where the front windows used to be).

Since the forward and corner saloon windows have been eliminated we need to install upholstered boards across the front of the saloon. Rather than installing these on the front wall, we will install them aft about 11 inches - leaving a void space where we will construct air plenums to supply two aft facing 4"x18" grills located right under the headliner. In addition to making the Admiral happier, this arrangement meets the A/C technician's suggestions for better performance (introduce the cold air as high as possible, direct it away from the return grill, and locate the return grill as high as possible).

I've attached a sketch of the new arrangement.

We are now reworking the port side galley counter a second time without the space for the saloon evaporator. Fortunately, the rework is minimal. While at it we are replacing the cabinet above the galley sink with a slightly larger one than Hatteras originally installed (not so minimal). I'll post photos when this work is a little farther along.

[DCMY #92]

Relocation of the saloon A/C evaporator to the V-berth closet leaves us with the original problem that the storage area under the galley cabinet is far too deep to retrieve objects stored at the aft end of the area. We have come up with an arrangement to mitigate this problem (photos attached).

We built a sliding surface on each shelf. When you pull the sliding portion forward, it brings the items stored at the aft end forward so you they can be reached.