Rainy Day, Rudder Quadrant and ROV Work.

DougROV, Rudder, Steel Boat

vs151128-005I got to the shop this morning to find Dave carefully tapping 16, 3/8″ holes into the rudder post.  Those will be able to take over 30 tons of torke.   The maximum load for the 4 by 6 foot rudder is about 20 tons.  Water is amazing stuff.  It’s easy to forget how heavy it is.

 

 

 

 

 

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We came up with the great idea of using a stud tapped into the center of the rudder post.  This will allow us to easily position the quadrant onto the post and then line up the bolt holes around the edge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

vs151128-001 It also allows us to attache a ring nut to the stud.  When the quadrant is removed the ring nut provides a lifting point for the rudder post.  The dam thing weights close to 150 pounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

vs151128-004After learning things to avoid and burning up two cameras and a servo we finally have everything in the main camera section and the first thruster section working.

 

 

 

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The thrusters are both working but only from an servo tester at this point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The thurster section floods.  It’s not needed but we protect the bullet connectors with 3M Scotchkote.   It’s like rubber cement.

Rudder Work

DougRudder, Steel Boat

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Randy and Dave make up a mock rudder quadrant. The quadrant is the thing that goes on top of the rudder post where steering cables and hydraulic rams attach.


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Randy cutting gaskets for hatches.


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Cutting the quadrant out of 1/2 inch plate steel.


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Figuring out where to put bolt holes in the rudder post. The quadrant bolt to the top of that 6.5 inch diameter pipe.

Thanksgiving

DougRudder, Steel Boat

Thanksgiving at SV Seeker is not just a holiday where we take time to be grateful for what we have.  Because we are grateful for what we have everyday.  And it’s not a big steel boat.  It’s the community that is growing around the boat.  It’s about people who embrace hard work, challenges, diversity, freedom, adventure, and friendship.

Thanksgiving is about sitting around a table with the people you love, sharing stories, being supportive, and encouraging each other to live their life to the fullest.   Unfortunately that Norman Rockwell thanksgiving is not what many of us experience.  But as I had dinner tonight with three of Seeker’s crew, that is exactly what I felt.   I felt privileged, and empowered.   Dream big, work hard, and surround yourself with good people. Absolutely.  That is the Seeker family, and that is what I am thankful to have around me.

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Dave Fickle spent a career designing and testing equipment for IBM and is great help in wiring up the three camera compartment on the ROV. Also many thanks to Eddie DaGrouch for redesigning the camera mounts and making the drill guide.  The new arrangement worked perfectly.

 

 

 

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Dave using a little heat to straighten the flange on the rudder post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Doing the final alignment and welding on the propeller shroud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

vs151125-005Welding a cap plate onto the rudder post.  This will be drilled and tapped so the quadrant can be bolted to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Working out just how crooked the holes are aligned on the rudder post, so we can make the quadrant just as crooked.

Companionway Elevator

DougCompanionway, Steel Boat

Seeker’s companionway ladders are just that, real aluminum extension ladders. If you’re going to be a work boat, a couple of 16 foot extension ladders will come in handy. But in addition to the ladders we want to be able to move heavy loads and persons with bad knees or injuries too. Seeker could even host persons in wheel chairs provided they were assisted or had good upper body strength. So we are entertaining ideas for a lift. Nothing fancy. Really simple is best.

 

Companionway-Elevator

A quick search found a bow in BlueWaterYachtSales   so we are not alone with this idea and that is always good.  But its a lot fancier than what we are looking for.

Neil Behlmer came up with the design below.  It smartly uses the hand rails as rails for the lift.  We think the lift can be powered by a simple electric winch.

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FEROdotUS —  A simple way to do it, and probably only needed on one companionway would be a drive axle at the top with two sprockets on it, over which a roller chain hangs connected to a platform at the bottom that runs in rails. On the other end of the chain you have a counterweight which runs in a separate set of rails (even just some angle) so the motor is ultimately not lifting much (ala and elevator).

This could even be driven from the bottom if the chains are connected in a loop with the counterweight and platform half way apart.

Best of all, the gap between the platform’s running rails could have regularly spaced horizontal supports (aka a ladder) so it is still a ladderway when the platform is “parked” at the bottom.

Here is a crude drawing of my design. Only requirement: the name stays.

Dicks Getter Upper

Deck Crane – Part 1

DougSteel Boat

It was really nice to have a pair of mechanical engineers around.  Matt wanted to move something heavy so we took the morning to test fit the deck crane.  And Drew has actually designed winches and cranes so he was the perfect person help us decide how to mount it.   Sorry about electrocuting you Drew!  🙂

Key Lime Ice Cream Bars

BetsySteel Boat

In the worst heat of the summer, Rod Troyer from Ohio stopped by for a long weekend. He helped with sand blasting and maintenance but we will remember him best for his Key Lime Pie.

Light, creamy and refreshing Key Lime Pie

Rod’s Key Lime Pie


Rod Mansfield, Ohio

Rod
Mansfield, Ohio

Rod showed us how to make the pie using low-fat yogurt, sugar free jello, fat free cool whip and reduced calorie graham cracker crust which made it much healthier than the one we were making with 6 eggs, and 2 cups of sugar! The best part was that Doug could sit down with a fork and gobble up half the pie in one sitting and not instantly put on 5 pounds!

The calorie count for the filling was only about 200 calories for the WHOLE pie, but the Reduced Crust was 800 more calories. One piece (1/8 pie) would now add in about 125 calories.. or half the pie, about 500!

It was actually Doug who came up with a great idea that would further reduce the calories but even better — provide some portion control.

Key Lime Ice Cream Bars

Key Lime Bars

Key Lime Bars

The filling is still the same, but instead of the graham cracker crust, we picked up a box of low fat Graham Crackers. I spread a piece of plastic wrap on a cookie sheet broke the rectagular crackers into halves and laid out 16 halves in a big square (4 x 4) with their edges nearly touching. I then spread the filling mixture on top of the crackers (about 3/4″ thick) and pressed another graham cracker half on top. I then put the cookie sheet into the freezer for about 30 minutes to harden up the filling.

With a sharp knife dipped in hot water I sliced between the crackers making 16 sandwiches and wrapped each one in plastic wrap and tossed them into the door of the freezer. Each sandwich is only 60 calories… SIXTY CALORIES and Doug rarely snarfs down more than 2 in a sitting! He’ll be in that Speedo in no time!