43DC Upgrades and renovations?

[43DoubleCabin]

There seems to be a handful of us on here that own 43DC’s. Mine is a ‘79 Hull #510. She seems to be mainly original other than electronics and aft deck enclosure.

I would like to do some galley and head renovations. Maybe even the salon.

I do have the forward day head with dinette.

What have you enjoyed most from your upgrades?

 

[brettportzer]

I’m one of those.

I have done a few things, going to do some more.

Removed flybridge

Replaced entire sanitation system with Raritan Elegance freshwater heads plumbed with a single hose directly to the holding tank

Removed battery boxes and installed a CG approved plastic box that holds two 8ds. Makes removing them much easier. Also redid all 4/0 12v wiring with busses and modular wiring

Removed carpet and original linoleum and replaced with Nautikflor

Further updates and mods might be replumbing freshwater system with manifold and pex home run setup with shut offs at manifold

modern generator

modern AC system

inverter set up

updated bilge pumps/locations

It is such a great platform for these types of updates/corrections to “fixes”.

 

[edward]

Wow ! That is impressive,any pictures ?

 

[rob71]

The most appreciated changes on ours are…
Synthetic teak decking in the wheelhouse.
Real wood flooring in salon and master.
Inverter system for quiet anchoring.
Updated toilets, one connected to Elcatra Scan the other freshwater to holding tank.

X2 on relocating pumps, batteries and any other hard to reach systems.
Good luck with yours,
Capt Rob

 

[brettportzer]

Yea, most of the stuff I am working on is basically stuff you can't really see.

When these boats were built, they were obviously built very well, but after 50 years there are lots of things that need some attention...

Trying to get as much stuff as I can back to say 10-20 yrs old vs 50!

Lots of stuff was put in place and then the boat was built around it and some of that stuff I think should be done a different way, now.

The battery box thing is an example of that. Having removed the fiberglass battery boxes, I can now pull the wiring, the batteries and the battery boxes to get way more access to that side of the engine for instance.

In general I am not trying to re engineer too much, just replace with new stuff that is worthy of the boat!

 

[Jims43DC]

The most rewarding change we have made to our 43 is the boarding ladder off the swim platform. As we are always docked stern in the only way onto the boat is that ladder, I changed it from the straight up configuration that was original to the boat to a angled one of about 30 degrees much easier for getting on and off the boat.

 

[UNIQUE_NAME]

brett
i may be wrong but i would think our engine room layouts are similar.
mine has a battery box in front of the stb eng and 1 centerline. where did you position yours?

 

[brettportzer]

My batteries were outboard of the engines, there was a small shelf glassed onto the hull and then the battery boxes were on top of that.

I had 4 battery boxes originally, one 8D in each box.

 

[Jims43DC]

My batteries were outboard of the engines, there was a small shelf glassed onto the hull and then the battery boxes were on top of that.

I had 4 battery boxes originally, one 8D in each box.

Our batteries are in 4 battery boxes between the engines, standard 8d batteries and boxes, they were extremely hard to work off of and there is no way you can do anything to the engines without having to step onto and then kneel or sit on the batteries, The covers on the boxes always are moving around giving a very unstable surface. I made a nice plywood cover that has a raised edge top and bottom all the way around that I place on top of the batteries and it makes it so much easier to work off of them. The raised edge on the bottom keeps the top centered on top of the batteries and the raise edge on top keeps thing from rolling off if I have anything there.

 

[UNIQUE_NAME]

Our batteries are in 4 battery boxes between the engines, standard 8d batteries and boxes, they were extremely hard to work off of and there is no way you can do anything to the engines without having to step onto and then kneel or sit on the batteries, The covers on the boxes always are moving around giving a very unstable surface. I made a nice plywood cover that has a raised edge top and bottom all the way around that I place on top of the batteries and it makes it so much easier to work off of them. The raised edge on the bottom keeps the top centered on top of the batteries and the raise edge on top keeps thing from rolling off if I have anything there.

where is your centerline bilgepump ?

 

[Jims43DC]

there is a centerline fuel tank under under the batteries between the engines, forward of that is the centerline water tank under the Vee berth sole is a center line bilge pump as well as a pump under the shafts on either side aft of the gears, also a bilge pump in the center at the stern between the rudder posts.

 

[brettportzer]

The bilge pump upgrade that I mentioned in my original post is because my boat only has those three pumps.

Center line in the bow, centerline just aft of the rear engine room bulkhead, and all the way aft at the transom.

Water comes in from the shaft packings, and runs forward to a bilge area with no pumps. And this is the factory setup according to my drawings.

It's lasted 50 years, I guess, but, it is less than ideal, I end up shop vac'ing water out most every week...

 

[Jims43DC]

The bilge pump upgrade that I mentioned in my original post is because my boat only has those three pumps.

Center line in the bow, centerline just aft of the rear engine room bulkhead, and all the way aft at the transom.

Water comes in from the shaft packings, and runs forward to a bilge area with no pumps. And this is the factory setup according to my drawings.

It's lasted 50 years, I guess, but, it is less than ideal, I end up shop vac'ing water out most every week...

Also on our boat there are "traps" where water gathers that doesn't get to a pump, I also use a shop vac for those areas that I use about once a month, our bilges are pretty dry for the most part. I have never had one of the bilge pumps have to run (yes they are operable) This year from May 12th until Oct. 28th I only vacuumed out around 4 or 5 gallons of water total.

 

[UNIQUE_NAME]

there is a centerline fuel tank under under the batteries between the engines, forward of that is the centerline water tank under the Vee berth sole is a center line bilge pump as well as a pump under the shafts on either side aft of the gears, also a bilge pump in the center at the stern between the rudder posts.

engine room fwd to aft between the stringers ive got the holding tank, 1 starting battery, the well with the pump and then the watertank.
just aft of the pump well i built a platform where i installed the inverter batteries. i toyed with your idea of building a platform between the stringers for the same reasons.
just never pulled the trigger. how is getting the platform out to access everything under it?

 

[UNIQUE_NAME]

Also on our boat there are "traps" where water gathers that doesn't get to a pump, I also use a shop vac for those areas that I use about once a month, our bilges are pretty dry for the most part. I have never had one of the bilge pumps have to run (yes they are operable) This year from May 12th until Oct. 28th I only vacuumed out around 4 or 5 gallons of water total.

my "traps" are outboard of the engines, any water out there just goes back and forth till i get rid of it..
i have small limber holes from the engine beds to the centerline valley.
they get clogged easily but they are there.

 

[Jims43DC]

engine room fwd to aft between the stringers ive got the holding tank, 1 starting battery, the well with the pump and then the watertank.
just aft of the pump well i built a platform where i installed the inverter batteries. i toyed with your idea of building a platform between the stringers for the same reasons.
just never pulled the trigger. how is getting the platform out to access everything under it?

If your referring to the platform on top of the battery boxes it is very simple to get out, just have to lift it by one side and it comes up through the access in the salon floor. only time I need to pull it out is to check the batteries and add distilled water to them.

 

[UNIQUE_NAME]

If your referring to the platform on top of the battery boxes it is very simple to get out, just have to lift it by one side and it comes up through the access in the salon floor. only time I need to pull it out is to check the batteries and add distilled water to them.

thanks for the info. something to add to my spring list.