Some of my winter/spring modifications

R

rogerbum

New member
Last year I discovered a large void under the helm area that could be used for storage. I think that perhaps the black water tank would be installed here in other tomcats but since ours has an airhead the space was empty. Some this winter, I decided I would create an opening into that space to make use of it for storage.

Here's the hole in the floor in front of the helm seat.

NewStorageLocation.jpg

It took a little guts to cut the hole in the floor but once I got through that I realized that the hatch I had intended to install wouldn't fully open as the starboard side has fiberglass that angles in and interfered with the opening. CRAP! So how to fix that? Well I thought about it for awhile and decided to enlarge the hole a bit to allow a grill to fit down below and then to build a hatch that would just drop in. The hole above is the enlarged version. I mixed up some thickened epoxy and painted the edge of the balsa core with that. I then ordered an 18" x 24" x 1.5" teak cutting board for the hatch cover. I bought some .75" x 1.5" teak lumber and cut four 4" cleats that I screwed onto the cutting board with stainless screws. The cleats prevent the hatch from sliding fore and aft or port to starboard. Here's the hatch installed.
NewHatch.jpg

I had a plastic tray and some oak shelving laying around in the garage. After cutting the oak shelving down, it and the tray fit into the area to create a flat floor that is elevated above the vee of the sponson. You can't see it in the photo below but there is another shelf spanning the sponson aft of the one shown.

ShelvingInStorageLocation.jpg

I also installed a new helm seat. The old one was getting a bit worn. In particular, the front edge of the foam was worn. As a result my legs were rubbing against the forward edge of the seat. I bought a slightly wider and much better padded vinyl seat from Cabela's. It's much more comfy.

NewHelmSeat.sized.jpg

Finally, I made some starboard mounting pieces to mount holders for the dive ladder on the transom. I need to attach the weld mount studs tomorrow when the outside temps are a bit higher but here's where the ladder will go.

NewMountingLocationForSwimLadder.jpg[/img]
 
Roger

Just curious why you opened up the space that you found to be a good storage?

While I would love more storage, I dont think I would be brave enough to open up the floor. Was it completely dry in there?
 
redbaronace":1y26xynn said:
Roger

Just curious why you opened up the space that you found to be a good storage?

While I would love more storage, I dont think I would be brave enough to open up the floor. Was it completely dry in there?
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It is generally pretty dry down there but condensation can form there (hence the ventilated shelving). I've found it to be a huge PITA to get at certain items we have stored in the areas under the berth. I wanted more accessible storage for things I use often - like the grill and vacuum packer. This extra storage solves that problem. Cutting a hole in the floor did take a little bit of guts but not too much. Everything, even mistakes, can always be fixed with some combination of time and money.
 
I also added a life raft to the roof. This is a Revere 4-person Offshore Commander raft. I over drilled the holes in the cored roof, filled them with epoxy thickened with fused silica and then re-drilled the holes to 5/16" diameter. I used a nylon grommet with a 5/16" OD and a 1/4" ID plus a nylon washer to electrically isolate the stainless 1/4-20 bolts from the aluminum frame of the cradle.
LifeRaft.jpg

To make it easier to get the life raft out of the cradle (no easy task as it weighs almost 100lbs and is well over my head) -
1) I bought some bright yellow nylon webbing. The stuff I have is about 1" wide.
2) Took a piece that is around 16' long. The two ends of the webbing are attached to the front cross bar of the cradle. I sewed a loop into each end once I wrapped them around the crossbar. I used some outdoor, UV resistant thread for that. The ends are about 12" apart - the spacing between the grooves in the bottom of the plastic container for the raft.
3) The webbing runs under the raft, over the rear crossbar of the cradle and hangs down into the cockpit about 12-16" above the cockpit floor. In the photo, the webbing is wrapped up inside a nylon pouch with a velcro seal that is tucked in between the aft end of the raft and the aft cross bar.
4) When the webbing is released from it's pouch, the loop formed by the webbing hangs down into the cockpit and I can stand on it. My weight provides enough leverage to pop the life raft up a few inches and then the webbing is like a ramp that will allow me to pull the raft into the cockpit. From the it is a matter of tossing the container overboard. The painter line is tied off to the cradle.
5) The strap that holds the life raft in the cradle came with both a hydrostatic release and a manually operated quick release. Since the hydrostatic release doesn't open until it is 5 meters (yes 5m!) below the water, I didn't see it as being too useful. So I'm just using the manual release. I attached a line to it that is easily reached from within the cockpit. I think I'll try to sell the hydrostatic release or give it away to a commercial guy. They're about $95 new and only have a 2 year lifespan so my guess is the commercial guys are replacing them quite often.

While I never intend to actually use the liferaft, it's another level of safety for our offshore tuna fishing adventures.
 
Roger nice work. I would not get rid of the auto release. You say it does not have a use because it has to be 5 meters deep. If you hit some thing at speed and not only hole the hull but flip the boat at speed. You might not be A) in a condition to use the manual release or b) any where near the boat to use the release. The auto release is there for anyone of a hundred reasons you are not able to use the manual release. $95 bucks is not going to line your pockets for more then a trip to west marine or the local wine store so but it just may save your life. :wink: and if its never used so much the better.
 
Tom, I just think it's highly unlikely that the boat will go 5m underwater prior to the time it takes me to release it manually. The more likely event is the boat turtling and the life raft remaining attached to the roof. The hydrostatic release won't help with that. Also, the hydrostatic releases have to be replaced every two years while the raft has to be serviced every three. Yes, that's a minor deal but you'd think they could make a release that has a similar service interval to the raft.
 
Great work! Some of the Tom Cats have the water tank on port side, others on the Stb side. On ours, the head holding tank was built into the base of the commode (9 gallons only).

We had looked into our "voids" in the hull, and there was rarely any moisture. There is a solid bulkhead between the bow storage areas under the bunk and where Roger opened up. One thing the Tom Cat does not lack is areas for storage. I agree with Roger, although there is a huge amount of storage under the bunks, it is fairly difficult to get to it.

Good use of space!
 
On my 2009 boat it came with a floor locker in front of the helm seat. I'm pretty sure it was standard when the boat was built because the detail and finish matches everything else in the cabin. Wonder why your 2008 boat did not have it? Or maybe it was not standard to put it in on your model of boat!

Martin.

PS. It is where I keep my scotch. Don't tell the admiral. :wink:
 
Roger , My point is that you may not be awake any longer as the boat is sinking. Might be nice to have a raft floating when you wake up. Or nice for the people on board if your dead and they don't know anything about how to release the raft. Auto releases, just like our auto inflate jackets, are for the worst of times not the best of times. Luck favors the prepared.
 
starcrafttom":36fgy8vj said:
Roger , My point is that you may not be awake any longer as the boat is sinking. Might be nice to have a raft floating when you wake up. Or nice for the people on board if your dead and they don't know anything about how to release the raft. Auto releases, just like our auto inflate jackets, are for the worst of times not the best of times. Luck favors the prepared.
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We'll probably just disagree on this one. Everyone who comse on my boat will get a full safety briefing so everyone will know how to release the raft (plus many other things). If I'm driving, hole the boat and get knocked out in the process AND the boat sinks, for the life raft to be useful to me I guess the theory is that I would wake up under water, find my way out (free myself from my self inflating PFD so I can get out), swim to the surface and then swim to the life raft before the boat drags the raft under by the painter line (which is attached to the boat and required to be attached for it to self inflate) and cut the painter line in time to keep the raft afloat. My point is that the hydro static release doesn't magically result in a floating life raft that stays afloat and near to you if the boat sinks. Also under most scenarios in which one is likely to need the raft, you want it attached to something that is still afloat so you can get into it before it blows away faster than you can swim.
 
Yes we disagree. I want any and all the chances I can get to stay alive. You don't. I also understand that I could no better predict what could or will happen in a boat then anyone can predict the climate.:wink:

On a side note: why would a painter not have a breakable link so its not sucked down to davey jones???
 
Last evening I replaced the macerator pump in the port side fish box. That took about 3 hours total of which at least 1 hour was spent relaxing between bouts of frustration. I've had macerators in the fish boxes for about 2 full seasons. 1 macerator per box. I've replaced 1 pump once and the other one twice. All the previous ones were Jabsco. This time I put in a Whale "Gulper Grouper". It's a non macerating, "non-clog" (yeah right) diaphragm pump that will hopefully last longer than the Jabsco pumps. The replacement process involves working through a relatively small access hole to screw/unscrew the mounting bolts. It's a little like being an obstetrician working with a breech baby - e.g. I'm putting both arms through an unbelievably small hole and trying to rotate something around that doesn't want to rotate. :lol: Between the heat, the multiple times I dropped the wrench and the feeling around in to find the screw heads and nuts, it really gets on one's nerves. Hopefully the Whale pump will last more than a season or two as it's a huge PITA to change out.
 
starcrafttom":17nri7cu said:
Yes we disagree. I want any and all the chances I can get to stay alive. You don't. I also understand that I could no better predict what could or will happen in a boat then anyone can predict the climate.:wink:

On a side note: why would a painter not have a breakable link so its not sucked down to davey jones???
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When I think about safety, I think of the odds of a given occurrence happening and multiply it by the odds of the "remedy" being useful. If I want "any and all chances to stay alive" I focus on making sure all of the most likely things are handled well (or I just stay home safe in bed). First, I generally operate the boat in a conservative way. I don't go over about 6kt's in the dark or dense fog, I slow down prior to crossing tide lines etc. I carry additional bilge pumps, sealants, and items to stem the flow through a hole in the hull. I also have two manually operated bilge pumps on board and a large bucket. I and everyone on board always wear self inflating PFD's. I have two PLB's, multiple backup GPS's, a fixed mount and a handheld VHF and a ditch bag at the ready. I have a backup anchor. I have a very large medical kit that I regularly refresh. And now I have a life raft whose usage has been very carefully thought out. I'll bet you I've invested more money, time and thought into handling any likely emergency scenario than the vast majority of recreational boaters and probably more than you - "my personal peanut gallery". :lol: :wink:

Now as for a breakable link in the painter line, that would make sense. I guess one could design something that would work reliably without creating other problems. Why don't you get to work on the R&D for that and get back to me when you have a tested design? :lol:

Now as for predicting climate, that's a topic for a different place and time. :lol:
 
Great job and example for all of us to follow

Safety involves all parties and takes regular training and practice and up to date safety equipment


:thup
 
Roger, You have most likely spent more on safety gear then me, you have more to spend. But I just can not find the logic in not using a safety device you have? Does the auto inflate get in the way of manual deployment? If not then why remove it? Oh and you may have spend more on safety gear but I find it pretty arrogant that you " thought into handling any likely emergency scenario than the vast majority of recreational boaters and probably more than you " :( . I am not trying to be your "personal peanut galley" as you arrogantly put it. Just trying to make a friend safer.

As far as Planing for all accidents? Well good luck with that. Driving for a living taught me two things 1) you can not account for the offer guy , weather , or luck. 2) I hate driving in Washington.
 
starcrafttom":13wb8ber said:
Roger, You have most likely spent more on safety gear then me, you have more to spend. But I just can not find the logic in not using a safety device you have?
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I think the hydrostatic release will not be of any use in any realistic scenario on our boat. All it does is release the cannister from the cradle but ONLY if the boat is already 5m underwater.

starcrafttom":13wb8ber said:
Does the auto inflate get in the way of manual deployment?
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It's not an auto inflate. It's the hydrostatic release.

starcrafttom":13wb8ber said:
If not then why remove it?
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As I said above, I think the hydrostatic release will not be of any use in any realistic scenario on our boat.

starcrafttom":13wb8ber said:
Oh and you may have spend more on safety gear but I find it pretty arrogant that you " thought into handling any likely emergency scenario than the vast majority of recreational boaters and probably more than you " :( . I am not trying to be your "personal peanut galley" as you arrogantly put it. Just trying to make a friend safer.
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Arrogance is a matter of perspective. If you don't really understand how the life raft works or how the hydrostatic release works, its a bit strange to tell me "I want any and all the chances I can get to stay alive. You don't." If you haven't invested similar time and effort in safety gear it seems even stranger to me to tell me that I don't want all the chances I can get to stay alive. But maybe that's just me. On the other hand, if Thataway Bob told me I should leave the hydrostatic release on, I'd listen as he has vastly more experience than the two of us put together.

starcrafttom":13wb8ber said:
As far as Planing for all accidents? Well good luck with that.
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You don't plan for accidents. However, it's entirely sensible to put in place safety gear and plans that cover reasonable scenarios and prioritize what is more likely to happen based on what one knows about common accident experiences of others and "near misses" of your own. I think the boat quickly sinking entirely is a low probability event. I think the boat filling with water and capsizing with the raft on top is a high probability event. The hydrostatic release won't be useful at all then but the manual release will. The hydrostatic release and the manual release can both be installed but the hydrostatic release requires replacement every two years (at $100) while the manual release does not. For the small value it adds, I don't see it as worthwhile.

starcrafttom":13wb8ber said:
Driving for a living taught me two things 1) you can not account for the offer guy , weather , or luck. 2) I hate driving in Washington.
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I'd hate diving in WA too.
 
Oh I understand how the raft works, I just misspoke. Yes auto release. But does it have auto inflate also? All the one's I have priced and researched, but can not afford ( note the difference between want and afford, which is why I don't go off shore. ) do.

I guess Our disagreement on the issue is will it be of use? If the manual release will still function with the auto release and its only $95 every two years then why not leave it on? Or do you have to go buy it? I think the use is when you and the boat go down and you don't have time to manually deploy the raft, or don't have the ability due to injury. That's the reason I have a auto inflate vest, encase I get knocked out.

I do find it kind of funny that you think you know how and in what manner the tomcat will sink? If it sank I would think that it would go down tail first, most of the weight it there, and not on its back. But who knows how it will go down. I also would think that if it is auto inflate as well as auto release it just might make it to the surface. When a friends boat went down on the river it was sucked under at the stern, anchor fouled while on a stern cleat. That boat was on the bottom of 50 ft of water is under 2 second. A raft would have been a good thing to have. His father died and was never recovered. Rope got looped around him that was tied to the boat. They all had life vest on.

Your call and I am not trying to tell you what to do but just cant figure out why you would??
 
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