Sailboat Refit: Ballast Tank Modification [E58]

[@eallen704]

I must say that you are truly blessed to have a mom who has put her heart into working alongside you so often and through the most stressful and strenuous jobs! I am enjoying catching up on your family project since finding it this week! Blessings!

[@TheDuracellProject]

thanks and welcome aboard :)

[@teeanahera8949]

Shout out to your lovely Mum, from Australia.

[@mariomario2638]

A shirt or hoodie with the Duracell Project logo on it would be really cool!

[@rickpawl]

You two crack me up. There is nothing absurd or ridiculous about singing about your cat! It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I sing about my cat all the time and in fact she is also smooshy. Aren’t you glad you’re not here to hear it? 😂 Seriously though, Matt, you’re an artist with that paint and resin and cloth and microbeads etc., and Janni is a artist with the camera and computer. Your mom is a treasure and your kitty is beyond adorable. Thanks for the vids. ❤

[@TheDuracellProject]

Thanks, Rick! And glad to hear you sing songs to your smooshy cat too😂

[@SunshineSailing84]

I was thinking ‘why didn’t he laminate the holes before painting’. I love your little interviews in between and the honest answer to that question. ‘I should have’. Lovely. Everything’s a learning project, I’m pretty sure I’ve done most boat projects at least twice 😅

[@ATAP...AnotherTime]

I have so many " I should have moments" with boats. Thanks for another great episode. The idea of painting the tanks, makes custom tanks, so possible.

[@scottwhite2379]

When scraping out excess slicone, urethane from a corner, (would apply here) use the back end of a plastic caulking tube. Push the tube open end firstwhile spinning it as needed. It will leave most any radius you want by squeezing the tube tighter together. If the back fills up, get another tube or just scrape out with a paint stick and continue. For sharper radiuses, use cut up milk jug plastic. This wours great for forming qick fillets that blend perfectly into the flats. This trick works great on joint finishes for seams and but joints.

[@philippegaspart3311]

Your mum is def rocking that Jason Jessee sweater!

[@1991pony]

First off, Matt, your mom is a rock star. The way she gets in there and works hard is so above and beyond the call. Also, would be easier to finish out the access holes if they were square or rectangular? I don't know, just asking. Thanks for yet another terrific video.

[@jameskiehm546]

Agree, your mom is awesome.

[@harrishayes5120]

Square would be better access, but round you can put a screw cap in the hole

[@koosvandersteuijt2063]

So nice to see u can spend quality time with ur mum jumping in to help

[@floathi]

You all are having some fun doing this project. I know it's not always that way, but keep loving the project. PS, your mom is very cool.

[@termin8d]

Love this project. The cat inspector killed me 🤣

[@ts6960]

Whew alot of resin you guys use! Labor of love 😘

[@SUDDSCREW]

Keep it up. Your videos are awesome. Your mom is a rock star. Look forward to each video. Your the Delos of your world.

[@newzealandfortrump]

It is so nice to have your cat included in your videos makes it a real family show ..😊 ❤

[@timmiller4875]

Cat scanning your water tanks… a new level of NDI in boat building. You’re raising the bar for backyard boat builders to new levels of excellence!

[@barriewright2857]

Could you Say thank you too your mom for me, orsome lady. I love the cat safety officer, all official with his/her safety reflective jacket and you passed brilliant no oh 😂👍🏿.

[@viltfjall]

Number of times Matt have said ”epoxi” is now close to infinite. You are all doing it so very well! Keep it up

[@JohnnyBeGood123]

Nice! What I particularly like is that you wear hearing protection when working with machinery. A lot of youtubers don't which is just a bad example.

[@cwgruber1]

you guys are awesome watching and enjoying. After doing some glasswork last week I am ashamed and give myself a "D" only because it was likely stable. Your work is so neat and clean! Keep up all the great work and share how you got the kitty to perform that was something else!

[@TheDuracellProject]

salmon is the answer!

[@Stalevar223]

@@TheDuracellProject Wow ! Nice ! ... 🙂

[@randymcmeekin1955]

Great episode - we should all be so lucky to have Mom's that don masks and spread epoxy!

[@MrCrabbing]

Definitely a inspection pass, no tail swishing. really smart job.

[@Paramoursailor]

love the La paws inspection!

[@TheDuracellProject]

Hope to see you guys soon!

[@tollertollertoller]

Enjoy watching you attend to detail and meticulous execution. Your work reminds me of Aladino's work on Sailing Magic Carpet who is also quite exacting. You are in great company.

[@TheDuracellProject]

Aladino and Maya are friends. Yes, they do beautiful work on their boat.

[@ThoughtfulWander]

Great episode! Keep rolling Duracell crew! Love the inspection process! 😂🤣👍👍

[@sebell69]

I like when Matt says Yea that would have been a GREAT IDEA but the light bulb did not light up at the time 🤣😂 (hindsight been always 20/10)

[@richardsiddon610]

Those “catspecter’s” get everywhere.(de Hoeve) Great progress guys!🙂

[@arlisscott3455]

Great camouflage kitty! Approved for water! She blends in with the wood work! Your Mom rocks too!

[@berinslaptop]

@duracell A COOL TRICK I use for blind work area. Get a dirt cheap baby monitor the wireless kind. Put the camera in the blind area. and the screen where you can see it. I've done many blind projects like that.

[@darrylmcleman6456]

Glassing around those access holes was no easy task! We are seeing really good work! CHEERS from Here!

[@kristiansizemore3098]

I was an apprentice restoring wooden sailing vessels in New England before college. I've restored a Charley Morgan and kind of a Pearson as an adult. Love to watch your pain buddy. Keep up the good works.

[@pkpsail4441]

One of the best yet, due to the great La Pawz.

[@dcallan812]

Great news getting the paint company to help sponsor part of the project. 👌 You need an endoscope camera to inside the tanks while you clean them up. great update 2x👍 Catspector did not look happy with the work. 🤣🤣

[@jons6125]

If you silica thickened epoxy sags when it gets warm i think you need more silica. It’s normally considered the anti flow additive. Id have chickened out and used a mastic to glue down the tank lids so well done. With such nice big tanks to easily inspect and clean don’t go too small with your inspection hatches. Its great following your project thanks.

[@pmarkey6438]

Awesome job I watch you every week

[@morychok11]

Great job! Good sturdy construction. Reliable

[@nena4215]

That paint looked like a great product especially with no VOC’s. The outstanding star of the episode was, of course, the inspector, quickly followed by your mom! That’s always difficult permanently attaching a lid with very little access, I would say you’ve passed!!

[@casperthijssen]

Great video, love the new image for the channel. Boat looks great with that gray hull and really like the look of a black doghouse. Keep up the great content

[@stephenpenney6774]

An endoscope might be an idea to work blind in hidden areas. Would be possible to work by watching the screen ? Not too expensive these days. Will you be giving the tanks a pressure test to see if they hold air before filling with water ? Brilliant episode loving the project even if your mom has to show you the way. Thanks, stay safe.

[@jbprospector3638]

Another great video, I'm enjoying this series 🙂👍

[@camsmeltzer9388]

Another great video and progress!

[@PN_48]

Just one thing on the access ports, I found it was easier to use these purely for access and separate outlets for fill, vent and draw, otherwise you’re trying to unscrew something / move a port with fixed length hoses attached.

[@anthonymaddison9588]

I've coated the inside of water tanks with a concrete slurry, filled them with dry ice and water,tasted fine.

[@1519Spring]

Inspector LaPaws on the case. Love the vest.

[@odonkers]

Great episode yet again ! Well done you 2!

[@FunsongsMusicByPeterRahill]

806th desktop shipmate LIKE, 5.5K+ views already; here we go.

[@FunsongsMusicByPeterRahill]

All sorts of sticky goop all over the place... I don't envy the doing, clean-up, cover-up, painting in hard-to-reach places 'blindly'. Good luck with all that.

[@soulxtr]

The cat - the quality inspector - accepted the work.

[@jimduffy9773]

Great Progress! Fire the cat!

[@mikshepherd]

Fantastic work! Talk about working in the dark!!! Maybe a Bluetooth inspection camera would be useful for you to clean up the insides with and also for painting that way you would be able to see what you’re doing, and you might avoid the overspills of epoxy where you don’t want it!

[@MR-yp7mu]

Interesting, I never had a problem with colloidal silica thickened epoxy sagging, even on vertical surfaces. Even though it is a pain to mix and sand it is my go to anti sagging thickener.

[@DaEVOthefreak]

i love the inspector

[@patchmack4469]

loving the use of the cat to inspect - when it comes to a real final inspection, you must show at least one film to the inspectors to show the tanks have already been passed (do check that she didn't leave you anything inside) would be a catastrophe

[@adamdavies272]

I love the project . Just getting the comment tally up really haha

[@nigelw.9043]

The micro bubbles add bulk to epoxy resin. Depending on the amount it leaves you with a mix that can be used for bonding or even fairing with out adding to much weight. To stop it "running away" when bonding you need to use a thixotropic agent.

[@anthonymaddison9588]

Never forget thatMums have seen it all.

[@redcrow2006]

I watch another channel "life on the hulls" he's quite experienced with fiberglass and is building a catamaran from a mould. Anyway he uses a router to remove the foam around cutouts and then fills the space with epoxy filler, so he doesn't have to glass over it!

[@jens186]

first! greetings from Berlin/ Germany!!

[@mitchbarrie7354]

Hey Matt, Your videos are great, thanks for sharing your awesome project. I like the idea of using your water tanks as ballast tanks but it seems like a waste of infrastructure when you're low on fresh water. I know you said in a previous video you won't really need them as ballast, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on a flexible bladder fitted inside the water tanks that you could fill with sea water as you consume your fresh water.

[@TheDuracellProject]

I think it’s a great idea but it sounds a bit complicated and I need to keep things easy on myself. We will have a high output water maker so we ca quickly fill water tanks if necessary

[@bobbthompson]

Great video as always Janni! I've been wondering how you were going to connect the upper and lower tanks Matt. I think the inspector was totally unfair! Maybe some catnip or tuna in the tank would smooth out future inspections!

[@Somuchsawdust]

The cat had me rolling. That inspection was a bit fishy, or lack of fish maybe...

[@jackwalby6257]

Love the "shouldn't you have done that first?" bust!! The inspector seems unimpressed but I like it. I keep wondering how I wonder how I would have done it. It's a retro fit so projects are always harder. You know I knew Mike and I constantly wonder how much blood and sweat went into that boat. I know lots more unfortunately about his involvement with Coyote.

[@jimedson3853]

I think LaPawz was actually looking for mice and that's why she disapproved. I too was wondering about how you are going to test the tanks to ensure they are watertight. Thanks for the video 👍😁

[@mariomario2638]

Next time you have to do some work blindly like scraping off the excessive epoxy inside the tank you can maybe place one phone inside the tank and do a video call to have a live view of what's going on inside the tank.

[@johnsumner6185]

You guys need an epoxy and fiberglas sponsor...if you don't already have one! ;)

[@TheDuracellProject]

TotalBoat is sponsoring us for epoxy :)

[@videotrexx]

The feline inspector part is totally hilarious!

[@carbarrer6]

"the whole thing is a scam" 😂😂😂😂 those inspectors ....

[@berinslaptop]

Port access to the water tanks. There are many ways to do it right, I would have taken an allen key on a cordless drill, SET THE CLUTCH. and chewed out the core goes real fast. Quick scuff of the exposed fiberglass. Then make a chop strand additive to epoxy putty with cabisil. Pack the cavity. If you want to run the router on it to round it over and put a layer of glass what ever.

[@MarcelEling]

Nice job with the cat as a judge:)

[@LG-ct8tw]

The silica is the thixotropic part of the adhesive not the microballoon.

[@waxler2]

Do you have a second camera that you could hook up to a monitor so you wouldn’t have to work “blind “?

[@russellesimonetta9071]

Time for the catscan!

[@tj7870]

love that cat!

[@pmnfernando]

use your fingers man and small napkins to get all that excess out. then rub everything with acetone after a few minutes, it wont affect the bond and it will be really clean

[@Sirsk8r]

Hey, Team, big fan. My dad and I converted a Dubois 46 into a cruiser with aft pilot house back in 2007, so I am right there with you on every episode. Have you thought of installing a swing keel on Duracell? Cruising for many years and bumping in to coral heads, we figured out that shallow draft can be a game changer. I know it's a big project but it could be worth it, performance at sea and easy access on the coast. I would not consider a lifting keel as there is potential risk jamming after a solid hit (depending on the system). Let me know your thoughts.

[@TheDuracellProject]

I have thought about it but I am trying to keep things as simple a I can. My is to reshape it int a fixed bulb shallow draft keel.

[@TheDuracellProject]

I have thought about it but I am trying to keep things as simple a I can. My is to reshape it int a fixed bulb shallow draft keel.

[@TheDuracellProject]

I have thought about it but I am trying to keep things as simple a I can. My is to reshape it int a fixed bulb shallow draft keel.

[@Sirsk8r]

@The Duracell Project thanks for the reply, yeah, it's heck of project on its own.

[@jakeoddmonic2956]

😺😺😸 you’ll never pass with a kitty inspector hhehehehheh

[@waterboy8999]

Hey matt have ever tried an empty silicone tube for scraping excess goo away? It goes inside rather than falling off. Great work!

[@TheDuracellProject]

I haven’t!

[@imabeliever244]

I'm not saying that the inspector stole the show...I'm just saying. 😂

[@TheDuracellProject]

the manipulation that was required was worth the effort 😂

[@imabeliever244]

@@TheDuracellProject The way she walked away with utter distain..."silly humans..."

[@GeorgeGraves]

(12:55) Sooooo cute with the little vest.

[@TheDuracellProject]

hey George! We knew you'd appreciate.

[@MH55YT]

The upper water tanks will cause you many problems down the line. You have an access hatch under the water level. It may last, but it will fail sooner than later. You would have had the same volume if you had made the lower tanks simply 3 inches taller. The exta back-space where the upper tanks would have been, could have easily replaced that volume. Is it too late to change it?

[@taffythegreat1986]

When the boat is finished, are you still keeping the logos on the side of the hull? From my perspective, it’ll be sad to see the project finished 👍👍👍

[@TheDuracellProject]

we really like the "5" and we'll possibly keep some of the others too. Definitely the 5 will stay!

[@GordDiv]

Great progress on an impressive project. Just wondering why you didn’t make the access hatches big enough to get part way into. You might never have to go in but it’s better to have a bigger hole than not. Just watched to the end and if you had made ‘man hole’ sized hole clean up would have been so much easier

[@TheDuracellProject]

i can get my arm in which is enough to clean, as long as my arm can reach the edges that's all i need.

[@Tomm9y]

Good tricky work, it's easy to fail to appreciate this is like a one try timed puzzle. I'm curious how the water will be managed at various levels of use and when the boat is not heeled, won't it sloosh around? and I'm not sure a smooshy cat would approve of that.

[@TheDuracellProject]

the baffles should help with swooshing water, but not the smooshy cat

[@terrywittmayer624]

Was the cat scan successful?

[@ElleKendra]

So do you have to then go back and paint those seams to seal them against chemicals leaching into the water?

[@ElleKendra]

Sorry, as you answered my question in the video, I should have watched to the end before commenting.

[@kennethgrapp8574]

Where is the mirror for checking on the progress?

[@SmellyBones]

The cat going in the hole means the hole passes inspection.

[@flossey100]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@wpbjim]

are you putting some sort of sending unit inside each tank to a gauge that lets you know how much water is in each side?

[@TheDuracellProject]

yes, we likely will!

[@williambremner9022]

So how do you now cover the exposed resin inside the water tanks? Will you use the same white sealing paint and cover the exposed resin using a small hand brush? I assume exposed resin is not good for potable water (chemical leeching etc?). Interested to hear your thoughts as you went to such lengths to have a sanitary surface everywhere else. Cheers, from SY Miss Foxy in SINGAPORE.

[@TheDuracellProject]

Exactly, I will coat every exposed surface with the potable paint

[@zoltankorossy2957]

Why not bolt the tank covers into place with a gasket instead of gluing them into place? It seems like it would make maintaining and living with the tanks easier if you can just unbolt the tops if needed.

[@hubertbrylinski7708]

Buy yourself WiFi endoscope camera - it would be easier to inspect and work in tight places. With this job just stick it to your hand and you won't be blind any more :)

[@scooterbob2262]

Looks great Matt. Is that a wing keel for Duracell, that you are sitting on?

[@TheDuracellProject]

it's a bulb keel. Yes, it's Duracell's.

[@ArcticSeaCamel]

Cat. ❤

[@fisheater844]

Matt any special preparations to glue in the pvc pipe?

[@TheDuracellProject]

The pipe is fiberglass (not pvc). I just sanded the outside of the pipe

[@taffythegreat1986]

If you go into a shop after you been using the resins. People can smell it on you 😂

[@ozkanyildiz9223]

Nice work with the tanks. i would still prefer stainless steel tanks instead of nasty chemicals.

[@petrospapapanagiotou]

As I can recall from the past, before modifying the balast tanks, the lower part wouldn't go all the way up to the hull. Was there a reason for you going this way (structural strength perhaps)? Wouldn't it be easier if you have cut this board to the line that the upper panel would come on to it?

[@TheDuracellProject]

Having it go all the way to hull makes it more structural to boat and it acts like a baffle between upper and lower

[@petrospapapanagiotou]

Though that was the case! 👍 Can I express one more concern... Do you think that the one hole between the two tanks is enough? And I'm not referring to water getting from the upper portion to the lower one. Because you're planning to transfer water between the tanks (for ballast), if the transferring pump is to powerful and the outlet is in the lower part, it can surpass the ability of the hole to let water from the lower part to the upper. This will create pressure in the lower portion creating more stress to the inspection hole which is already under pressure (all the weight of water in the upper section, is pressure on the seal of the inspection hole).

[@buza1300]

🇸🇯😎💙👍 Are you going to keep the logo layout on the outside of the boat?

[@TheDuracellProject]

we really like the "5"

[@MaShcode]

The Inspectors 🐈 body language suggests the boat is no longer mouse worthy. Are you keeping the water tanks as ballast to provide performance options and/or was there concern the boat might be uncontrollable in some sea states with the new interior configuration. The lack of VOC’s in the water tank paint certainly explains the long curing time between coats. Also probably why it’s recommended using a spray application. 😂 One and done.

[@TheDuracellProject]

add performance option is a good way to put it!

[@bobpearson5451]

You passed the Catscan, but you should probably get a Lab(rador) Report

[@TheDuracellProject]

oh, good point!