DEFIANCE

Explination of web page:

The following subjects are operational areas that have been addressed n the course of this refit. They are not secquential, nor finished but ongoing. A huge amount of the effort spent on Defiance over the past 3 years was to troubleshoot and remove any system that was not up to spec, and to document the process procedure and repair sources.

Summer 2006

Perhaps the most signifigant thing I accomplished for 2006 beyond keeping everything working perfectly was finally coming up with a perfect live aboard cruise configuration that spans both winter and summer live aboard months. I have made several afternoon cruises (late November) and stern to parked the vessel 5 trimes dsingle handed in this configuration. THIS WORKS.. Best yet if you move harbour you can carry everything with you on board while the bridge deck provides the shelter you always were looking for offshore or at anchor on the aft deck.

Glycol/water is carried byt red pipes, raw water pipes are indicated by a green hose making managing troubvleshooting fasr easier if it were to becom necessary. This summer was all about keeping up the maintenance and improving redundency while servicing all the water pumps on Defiance. The engine cooling systems primary 671, and Entac generator are rebuilt while the house fresh water, and aft scavange pumps have also had the benifit of complete rebuild kits. The engine pumps were machined as required, new impellers fitted and a spare impellers with source recorded in stock.

Defiance is about sustainable live aboard. There is nothing we can do about fuel prices, but I have focused on making Defiance energy efficient on the long term. The entire aft deck aft of the bridge deck has from 1" to 3" of insulation and a tempoary false deck. Not many brand new 2006 vessels mannage to approach Defiances, fuel effecency or passage making capabilities.

Pilothouse Exterior and Bow:

The fore and aft hatches and mountings have been removed, repaired as required and mountings epoxied sealed. The fore deck and the rest of the pilothouse have now been deeply sanded, primed and repainted with a good coating of non skid on the fore deck. Slowly I am adding a few graphics to brighten things up with the abstract graphics a planned feature for the future.

Exterior Aft Deck:

31" above the level of the side decks is the aft cabin roof, aft deck with a raised dog house midships and two 10'long metal lockers located outboard.There is a winch mounted to port of the mast for hoisting the dinghy to the cabin roof.

Deck Cargo Handling:

Boat Handling: The new deck crane arrangement and dinghy lift tests are now completed using the new "dinghy blocks" combined with the new manual winch system. It is now possible for a single person to bring the dinghy, motor, full fuel, and safety equipment on board by ones self. For the Expedition north a 2 ton electric winch will be added to make all cargo handling easy.

Lazerette:

Down 4 steps, aft of the watertight bulkhead is the semicircular lazerette. Acces to the steering quadrent is via a 18" hatch slightly port of centerline and two lard scuppers drain the area.

Battery Power:

The battery banks are located in fiberglassed plywood boxes with adequate ventelation the battery boxes are secured directly to the main frame by the yellow HD straps. All connections are per ABYC specfication with "DC source circuits" fuse protected at the battery terminal as well as fuze panel.

Due to the increased DC demands a set of DC sub pannels were created on the starboard side tank, seperated on their own " non metallic standoffs. The insulated boxes have independant fuses for each circuit and are attached per ABYC code. To the left are the 24V DC sub-panel, to the right the 12V DC box. To the extreme right is the 1000 watt Xantrex 12V to 115 VAC inverter.

Engine Bilges - potential spill containment:

Any form or hint of a illegal discharge will bring massive liability on 2006. Thus Defiance has a completely separating bilge under the engine with its own CLOSED (to container) scavenge system. This means I can guarantee there is never a drop of any petrochemical product in the bilge water as there will be condensation as the temperature drops.

Interior Spaces

Helm Helm - Electrical Panel:

To starboard of the helm is the original main electrical panel. There are still some of the original analogue guages in place but are decommissioned with their wires removed. This is where the main shore power Blue Sea ABYC compliant breakers are located less than 30" from the shore power plug, per ABYC. Noraml usage 12V circuit fuses such as running lights, bilge pumps, spot light etc. have fuses on this panel.

The Head:

The head floor is finished with tile and a teak and holly floor, beneath the electric macerating head you cannot beat stainless steel for clean up ease. The entire head area is fiber glassed to prevent any possible leakage of fluids. A new 16ga. stainless steel splash pan under the head will greatly increase the comfort of day to day maintenance.

Defiance Hydronic Heating

I am now into year three aboard with the Espar. I can report that the Espar has worked without a hitch. You want heat, you got heat. No fuss no muss, and enough that cold is a word you can forget.

See seperate page for install details.

All 12 & 24 volt systems are new state of the art. But, it is heat is what sets this boat apart. There is a Espar Hydronic 35, 35,000 BTU central heating system, combined with a wood stove provide every heating option you could imagine. Even in -40 all you need do is kick in the Espar and you have no idea what the temperature is outside.

The Espar has a .045 orifice to produce 45,000 BTU, thus as with any oil burner it could consume nearly 9 gallons per day if you ran it full time. The reality in living aboard in Ontario is I used it roughly 4 or 5 hours a day to keep the boat deep warm in the morning mid day and evening, then as in most marinas you have fixed electrical charges (you might as well use it as you paid for it)

Through Hull Fittings:

The intention has always been 12 month a year usage which requires considerable forethought is respect to ice and freezing. During the winter the only opening is this one which is 48" below the surface and far below any Great Lakes ice depth. All original drains were removed, sealed and doubled.

All bilge discharge is now raised and discharges from a compliant T/H 18" above the water.

Aft Bilge Ice planned Through Hull

The new design is courtest of Ian Cambell ABYC,NFPA, SNAME, RIMS, CSNDT, Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors. It consistes of a 0.25" seamless tube (sched. 120) welded to a 0.338" thick flange, that is then welded to the hull using traditional doublers. The finished unit exceeds the hull strength by many times and is raised to permit removal (after plugging the outside) while the vessel is in the water.

The entire seacock is easily accessable and can be reached in seconds were the occasion ever to arise.

This is the first #1 of two update - upgrade pages go here for 2007

Salon /Helm:

Electronic Controls:

The salon desk and cabinet house the "new" electronic monitors and navigation.

The column of Blue Sea AMP gages to the right monitor shore power in, starting batteries and the house 12V bank. Center top is the 24V charger/5KW inverter control with the Espar furnace control below that. In three years I have not found an abnormalaty that I was not able to pick up from here.

The laptop shelf folds away when not in use and connections to the GPS, Fugaui, and Digital Ocean the official Canadian digital charts. The Magellen colour chart plotter has proved accurate and easy to use. Any of the data from the computer/chartplotter can be displayed on the 19" flat panel screen.

Propeller repair:

During the extensive haul out of 2004/5 the prop was removed. It was then closley inspected and any imperfections repaired, reballanced and reinstalled.

Steering Rebuild:

The complete steering system has been dissembled the pump rebuilt by Teleflex Capilano. The system was cleaned and checked along with 2004 Teleflex Capilano recommended upgrades.

Dinghy:

I try to get out for a row or ride every couple of days. For some reason this body of water seems very concussive to just messing around with boats. The thin bar that separates the bay is almost like having your own island beach.

The 13' dinghy is ready to go with perhaps a upgrade to its lifting harness, but that is play. It will get up on plane with 2 adults aboard and rows acceptable well. The final step is a portable fish finder for those who want to scour shallow bays for the wilily finned one. The dinghy has now undergone a major clean up and tighten up along with adding upscale oar locks and oars masking it far more relaxing in quiet anchorages.

Maritile Risk & Loss Control Technologies
PO Box 1322
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 5C6
Phone fax (613) 452 7464

Affiliation and Accreditations with:
ABYC,NFPA, SNAME, RIMS, CSNDT, Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors.

November 17, 2004

Ultrasound inspection of the 1971 trawler-styled steel yacht Defiance. Conducted on November 1, 2004; Canadian registry number 0331700, at the port of Ottawa to Robin Morrish.