1999 310DA Sea Ray Updates

We have Sold Our Boat

2011-05-03T15:14:00.001-04:00

SOLD the BOAT!

We'll, the first persons to come out and look at her, bought her.

Congratulations to Matt and Dawn on your new boat purchase.

We hope you have as many years of fun on her as we did.

Lee and Dawn

NOW FOR SALE

2010-11-03T19:46:00.001-04:00

Our boat is now FOR SALE as we have purchased another one.
email: seaharley@gmail.com for details.

Thanks,
Lee

Fresh Water Flush System

2010-05-14T08:10:00.002-04:00

This is a water, gallon meter, you set it for about 100 gallons and if a hose or pipe breaks inside, it shuts off. Therefore, the most you can flood your boat is about a 100 gallons which wont sink it!
These are all labeled now.
Left to right.
Heat Pump, Port Engine, Stbd. Engine, Generator.

Underneath. These go to the top of the sight glass strainer that I welded a 3/4" hose fitting onto the top of it.

To flush the system, one at a time, open the corresponding red valve while the engine is running, flush out for a minute or two. You keep the seacock open so any excess pressure will not flood anything and will go back out the intake scupper. City pressure is greater that the pump suction.

Shut engine off, and quickly close valve.

That's it!

Only one hose connection when you get back into port.

No hatches to open, or other hoses to connect or disconnect.

Some of the connections before you install it in the boat.

Just a few pictures.

Holding Tank Filter - Update and Follow Up

2009-12-09T21:06:00.004-05:00

Since it has been a full boating season for the Holding Tank Filter Modification and Installation done back in March, I decided to follow up with what I found when I checked it at the end of season. The "Fluid Trap" had absolutely nothing in it and the filter itself was fine. That means that the elbow and new hose orientation worked and the fluid trap is not really necessary if you can do that. Otherwise, I'd put in the fluid trap.

And then I decided to check the filter itself. Not bad at all. But I decided to replace the charcoal anyway since I had it apart.

What a piece of Cake!

An easy job that makes sense and saves $80 a year in replacement filter cartridges.

I've been busy....

2009-11-10T21:41:00.002-05:00

Well yes,......... I've been busy and have done a lot of things.
We did enjoy our boating summer which has kept me from posting and updating this blog.
But... I will update soon.

My latest project is working on a "Fresh Water Engine Flushing System".
It is turning out pretty neat and better than I had expected.
I'm almost done.
And we will be pulling the boat again this year on november 15th, which is this Sunday.
AAahhhhh.... I'm sad another boating season has ended.

Stay tuned as I will be updating soon in a few weeks.

Rock Fishing, May 20th, 2009

2009-05-21T22:52:00.003-04:00

Well a blog about a boat just wouldn't be right without a Fish Story!
Myself and 2 friends managed to pick a fine day out on the water on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009. Flat seas, full tanks of gas, ice, beer, food, and anything else you wanted while fishing.
This is the evening sky on the night before.

Here is Mr. Rich with his first big Rockfish fight. His heart was pounding for about 20 minutes.
His prize, a 34" Rockfish at 8:00 AM.

And then at 10 AM, Mr. Barry got an even bigger fight. Can you sea how far over the rod is bent?

His prize was a 36" Rockfish with a full stomach. Both were very nice fish.

And a Great day on the water.

Click on this photo to get an even bigger idea of how big this fish was.

Now That's..... what I'm talkin bout Willas.....

Underwater Lights

2009-04-16T21:28:00.007-04:00

I added underwater lighting to my trim tabs. The neet thing about this is when the trim tabs are in the up position, the lights are up and out of the water. That way you can change a light bulb if necessary without waiting to pull the boat out of the water. It also helps to minimize any corrosion of the lighting system parts.

When I first designed and installed this in spring of 2008, I had the brackets made and mounted straight "up and down". The light pointed straight back until the tabs went down. There was a little problem as the trim tab travel is not that much and did not allow the light to actually make it all the way down into and underneath the water. They were about half way in the water depending on the about of fuel remaining in the fuel tanks.

So this year, I took them all the way off, bent the brackets a little, re-painted them, and put it all back together again. Now, when the trim tabs are down, the lights are all the way underwater.

Works perfect!

This first picture is the first completed installation in 2008.

Click on the pictures for a larger view.

Starboard side, during installation.

Starboard side, Trim Tab up.
Starboard side, Trim Tab down.

Port side, during installation.

Port side again.
Here is the 2009 redo, the brackets are bent down a little bit and both trim tabs are in the "up" position.

Here, the starboard trim tab is "down" and the port tab is "up".

Here's one with the boat in the water and the trim tabs are in the "up" position.

Last year, 2008, I started with one light a "white" color and the other one with a "blue" color. This was so we could decide which color we liked. Well the white one definitely was brighter and attracted more little fishies underwater.
But we decided and went with the blue ones this year. They just look prettier and have more ambiance to us.

I wired them up to the helm dash panel and put in a new switch to turn the lights on. The new switch went into an accessory blank space. I also put in separate in-line fuses, 1 for each side.

Galley - New Refrigerator and Grab Bar.

2009-04-09T22:06:00.005-04:00

This first picture is the "OLD" refrigerator, grab bar, TV and the way it used to look for comparison. Notice the space above the old refrigerator and the old - longer - grab bar. The new refrigerator was bigger and mostly higher, so the grab bar had to be changed. I put the old grab bar outside in the cockpit and put a new, smaller one inside here.

The new refrigerator fits right up to the underside of the countertop. A basically, perfect fit!

The new refrigerator is about 3 cu. ft. where as the old one was less than 2 cu. ft. A "BIG" difference when it comes to refrigerator storage on a boat. We actually got an extra shelf inside the refrigerator. That relates to extra beer storage! And of course leftovers. This does come with a price. New dual voltage (12 and 120 volt) refrigerators are not cheep. But we had no choice, the old "Norcold" refrigerator crapped out on us. The new one is an Isotherm, Model "Cruise 85". We are liking it.

The new, smaller grab bar.

Galley - Paper Towel and Hand Towel Holders

2009-04-09T21:59:00.000-04:00

Believe it or not, there was no place to put towels or paper towels that made any sense.
So I added these.

Galley - Shelf Under Sink

2009-04-09T21:22:00.005-04:00

This first picture is just to show you where this area is located. The new shelf is under the sink and behind the round "White Tambour Door". This area does not have a flat bottom as is takes on the contour of the boat hull. So it makes it difficult to store anything practical in there and the stuff ends up all over top of one another. By putting the top shelf in there, it at least takes some of the top layer off of everything and gives a better place for storage.

A place for the pots and pans, cutting board, etc......

Top shelf, with sloping hull bottom. Top shelf, top right side. Top shelf, underneath right side, angle bracket.
Top shelf, top left side.
Top shelf, underneath left side, angle bracket.

Inside

2009-04-07T21:46:00.000-04:00

In The Water!

2009-04-07T21:41:00.000-04:00

Spring Launch, 2009

2009-04-05T21:08:00.001-04:00

I have been busting BUTT to get this done............

Look at that SHINE!

And the boat lift. Not far to go this year!

And the good news is .... she ran GREAT too.

Galley - New Microwave

2009-04-01T21:04:00.001-04:00

The first 2 pictures are the "Old" Microwave. I think it was a .7 cu. ft. model and it just crapped out. I replaced it with a little larger one that is .9 cu. ft. with all the similar bells and whistles. The new one was taller, so notice the cabinet distance above the old microwave. Another view of the old microwave.

Now here's the "New" Microwave. I just cut the sides and top so it would fit in the cabinet. It pretty much looks like an exact replacement. Notice that it does not have any wood trim work around it. I didn't really like having almost a 1/2" cap around the top and 2 sides.

So I wanted to sea if it looked better with trim work that matches the rest of the Tambour Door finish.
I kinda like the trim work.

Macerator Vacuum Pump Replacement

2009-03-20T21:26:00.000-04:00

The original Macerator (in the center) was kind of nasty looking and didn't work. Turns out 1 of the 2 duckbill valves were in backwards. But judging from the condition, I replaced the Macerator anyway.
Here's the new one. Much better!

Another view, but notice the "white" inlet hose. It is now heading upwards like it should have. The reason is, if you ever want to do any kind of work on the macerator, the original inlet hose came over from the bottom of the holding tank, stayed low, and then continued to the Macerator inlet.
What's wrong with that picture?

Come on... Sea Ray.
If anything is in the holding tank, which there usually is, Daaa, well it would be able to gravity free flow down to the Macerator. When you replace the duckbill valves inside, you have to take apart the hoses.
Get the picture?
Not a nice atmosphere to be working in.
And how would you clean, flush out, or otherwise winterize this thing in place either?

The bottom hose is the old, original way the inlet hose went.

My new way was to put a "Tee" in-line with a connection at the top for a 3/4" hose line to be able to flush the line and Macerator with antifreeze. The 3/4" hose is not shown yet in this picture. The new tee has to be as high as it can be and about as high as the highest fluid level inside the holding tank.Now it's a "Piece of Cake" to flush, clean and winterize!

Water Heater By-Pass

2009-03-20T21:23:00.000-04:00

The original way the water heater was hooked up. The "blue" 15 mm pipe connection in the center is the cold water inlet. A tee in the cold water line also sent cold water to the tempering valve on the upper left side. The tempering valve blends the very hot water in the tank with cold water. You can then near set the tempered water to around 110 degree so nobody burns themselves and also extends the actual amount of hot water available for use.

But to winterize this, you either have to fill the entire hot water heater with 6 gallons of antifreeze - or - disconnect to cold water pipe and connect it to the hot water pipe.

To me, that's cumbersome and ridiculous.
The original tempering valve connection. You can sea I also added a hose from the tank drain valve, down and directly into the bilge. It's brownish / gray in this picture, but I've since then put a clear hose on the tank drain to witness draining. This prevents everything from getting wet when you drain the tank.

The original cold water connection.
In order to install what they call the "by-pass kit", you have to arrange for some additional pipe nipples to fit your application. A "check valve" comes with the kit which gets installed on the hot water outlet side of the water heater, just before the new "tee" for the by-pass.

Now...... to winterize, (after you drain the tank) you just have to rotate the by-pass valve in the cold water supply line to the by-pass position. Remember to turn it back and fill up the tank before you start back up in the spring!

A view of the new water heater "by-pass kit" and the replaced Macerator Vacuum Pump.

Dinette Area - Wiring and Receptacles

2009-03-20T21:20:00.002-04:00

I added a convenience 120 Volt and 12 Volt Receptacle in the Dinette Area. This makes it easier to charge cell phones and use the laptop computer.

V Berth - Bose Speakers and Shelving

2009-03-20T20:01:00.000-04:00

Port Side. Above the new HDTV. There are several other pictures and views of this located with the TV blog.
Starboard side.

V Berth - Port Side Shelving

2009-03-20T19:59:00.000-04:00

Just a convenience shelf to put some more stuff on.

And yes, when we start to fill up the boat in the spring, there is never a "shortage" of "stuff"!

I split the shelf over the 120 Volt receptacle over here. Just so you don't sea the wires as much!

V Berth - Starboard Side Shelving

2009-03-20T19:53:00.000-04:00

You can never have enough storage space, shelving or places to put things on a boat. So I added these shelves.

Here's where I added the 12 Volt socket, (black) and the 120 Volt receptacle. We can now use the computer, play games, charge phones, charge the hand held VHF radio, run a 12 volt fan, etc. up here.

In the upper left hand corner is the Carbon Monoxide detector. Now this is another matter that to me is a ploblem area. Carbon Monoxide is a heavy gas and falls lower than air...... So why does Sea Ray mount them high? I know the location of the V Berth is good but mounting it "high" is questionable. So, I added another one of these "low" in the Mid-Cabin.

Holding Tank Filter - Refill Modification

2009-03-19T19:52:00.001-04:00

This is the original way the holding tank filter comes except I already cut the label to start this project. These filters cost between $60 to $85 depending on where you can buy them. After this refill modification which cost about $10, a yearly refill only cost about $4 for the carbon.

I found a bunch of the pellet carbon on-line for $8 and that would last me 2 years. (Actually, I now have enough for 8 years.........) If an average of $70 each per year, over 8 years would be $560. This whole thing cost me less than $40, so I'm over $500 ahead I think!

This refill modification is not my original idea. But I did modify it for my application and did what I feel are some improvements.

Don't forget to click on the pictures for a larger view.

I cut the original filter on one of the sides. That way it makes it easier to fill up with the new carbon pellets. Rather than cut it in the middle and trying to put the 2 halfs together full of pellets.

Looking inside. It is just regular PVC pipe material! Clean it out.
All the items needed for this project.

Holding Tank Filter - Fluid Trap

2009-03-19T19:47:00.000-04:00

I'm gonna admit, I feel this fliud trap is gonna be an over-kill. But I won't be able to verify that till next year when I check it and clean it out if necessary? The reason I think it is overkill is because of the vent line "new elbow" and re-orientation that I also did. But, That turned out as an "after effect" because I couldn't mount this fluid trap the same way the original vent line went in. So, my original idea was to intercept any fliud from the tank below from entering the holding tank filter.

These are all the parts for it.
The filter and trap together.

Just the fluid trap.
Just the filter.

Holding Tank Filter - Installed

2009-03-19T19:42:00.006-04:00

This is the way the original vent line came off the top of the holding tank. Any spashes from the "fliud" movement in the holding tank below would be able to splash upwards and eventually go - up - and over to the carbon filter to the left. Thus producing that annoying odoriferous product in the surounding air. And when this happens, it is usually at the most in-opportune time!! My fix, (besides the obvious of don't let the tank get that full!) is to put an elbow in there and also add an additional in-line "Fluid Trap".

The finished installation.
The original vent line only.

And the new elbow, new vent line orientation, new fluid trap, and re-filled filter.

UPDATE: Well it has been a full boating season since I installed this. And now in December of 2009, I took apart the fluid trap and there was absolutely nothing in it. That means that the elbow and new hose orientation WORKED! Yeah..........

And the filter itself was fine too. But I will replace the carbon anyway.

Cabinet - Control Labels

2009-03-18T19:45:00.002-04:00

Well........ I actually got a call from one of the guys interested in buying this boat, his name happens to be Mitch. And Mitch said "YES", he does want the controls labeled.

So here ya go Mitch............

There is just a 12 Volt plug inside the 12 volt socket. I stuck it in there for the moment because it has a little green LED light that lights up and lets me know I not only have the 12 volt power on, but it lights up the area and switches a little to highlight their location in the dark cabinet at night. You can see the little green LED if you click on the picture.

It's COOL!

Electric Panel Labels

2009-03-18T19:28:00.003-04:00

Some things are obvious, others are not. When I first got this boat, I did not know how to start the generator. And I did not know how to use the Macerator Pump. The descriptions in the manuals do not match the control panel labels, so I decided to add some more information - hopefully to eliminate some of the guesswork.

One example, is the Generator "PREHEAT / ON" switch actually energizes the electric Choke and Fuel Pump. You need to press this first and then the "START" switch. There is nothing to PREHEAT!!!!

The "START / RUN" switch, starts the starter and remains "ON". It is also the "OFF" switch. I know, more info. than you need to know.....

And who would know that "AC CONVERTER" means "BATTERY CHARGER"? Well I know, and you do now..................

HDTV - FINISHED!

2009-03-17T19:20:00.000-04:00

I feel I've said enough about the new TV, but here are a few pitures with the Tambour Door finished behind it.

Yeah....... I'm done this project!

Tambour Door - FINISHED!

2009-02-26T23:06:00.000-05:00

And here it is, Wala!!
Click on the photo's for a closer look.

Notice the matching circular Brass Door Pull.

I took the liberty of putting a few items on the shelves, to check fit and function. I'm sure these locations won't last long. As my wife will be sure to relocate these items ........

I'm gonna think about it, but I may just add another small shelf in the center for the "inverter" to operate the TV on 12 volts.

But I'm done for now........

Hope you enjoyed this project and got a few ideas for yourself.

Tambour Door - Door Tracks

2009-02-26T23:04:00.000-05:00

Here's how the Tambour Door actually fits into and rotates around in the Top Track.

And the Bottom Track.
And just a little closer.

Tambour Door - The Mess!

2009-02-26T23:02:00.000-05:00

It wouldn't be right to just show you all the nice and neat photo's. So here's a few pics of all the "stuff" that was involved in this years winter projects. You have to consider that I live at home of course and the boat is down at the boat yard. So, I have to pack up everything I need for the various projects and bring it on down to the boat. Back and forth with tools. I have to constantly make list. And then I always need something else!

Don't worry, I'll clean it up before anyone else seas it!

Cabinet - Interior Shelves

2009-02-25T23:05:00.001-05:00

The left side - of the new top shelf. This area is big enough to store bowls or larger items.

Right side - of the new top shelf. It fits small glasses, coffee mugs and other items.

Cabinet - 12 Volt Socket, LED Light and TV Gain Controls

2009-02-25T22:51:00.003-05:00

I added a 12 Volt socket so I can run a small 400 watt "inverter". This will allow me to turn on the Flat Screen TV for a while when anchored out without turning on and running the generator.

The toggle switch in the middle is for the cabinet LED light.

And to the right, is the relocated TV Gain control. The gain control also now operates off of 12 Volts as well as 120 Volts.

Pretty neat - eehhaaaa??

I may plan on adding "lables" to the controls later. They will help to identify things better, what is needed to be on, how they are intended to function and for the benefit of the next - future owners. What do you think?

Old TV Gain Control Location - Access / Cover Plate

2009-02-25T22:10:00.002-05:00

This is the storage space below the new cabinet. It is a rather small area. But you can sea the access / cover plate. This is where the TV Gain control used to be located. It was cumbersome to remember and to get to - especially when "stuff" was in there.

Notice the original style and thickness of the plastic Tambour Door! 3/16" vs. 5/16".

A closer view of the new cover plate.

Cabinet - Interior Modifications

2009-02-25T21:55:00.000-05:00

This is the right side of the new interior cabinet.

The right side as well showing the relocated 120 Volt wires for the receptacle on the other side and in the "V" Berth. I had to flip / rotate the receptacle to get the wires lower so I could mount them low and more out of sight.

Compared to this photo of the original configuration.

The center of the new interior cabinet.

Compared to this original photo.

And the left side.

Compared to this original photo.

Tambour Door - Top Track

2009-02-25T21:47:00.001-05:00

This is the circular part of the top track for the new Tambour Door. I had to custom make the track and the mounting board along with the angle support brackets. It was a "wee - bit" tricky, fitting this all in there!

Everything is on an angle!

I even put a new style "LED" light inside the cabinet area. Why? Because it is dark in there without a light.

No, seriously, and because it was a "neat gimmick" thing to do which was easier to do now, while things were apart.

So I ask you, "why not"?

And of course, the LED light is turned ON and OFF by the toggle switch next to the TV Gain control.

Tambour Door - Fitting Out

2009-02-24T22:31:00.001-05:00

I had to search quite a bit, looking for a Tambour Door that would closely match the other doors I have inside the cabin area. It seams as though Sea Ray no longer uses, carries, or stores any spare pieces of the type of Tambour Door that I have. I could however, buy a 4' x 8' sheet for several hundred dollars....... I thought that was ridiculous...

So I ended up finding a wooden Tambour Door on ebay, where else?

It is however 5/16" thick (-3/8"), compared to the original plastic style of 3/16" thick (-1/4").

That means that I couldn't use the standard plastic track either and had to custom make this metal track as well..... Go figure!

Here is how I found the door and the original picture off of ebay.

It was longer and wider than I needed so I had to cut it down and remove the original wooden pull.

After I cut it down, sanded it, and put a finish on it. I also added a new door pull ring which of course matches the others. The door pull took weeks to order and receive through Sea Ray. But it finally came in!

The metal track you sea is the bottom track. (I spell "sea" this way all the time!) The top track remained in place after I fit it in and it did not need to come out for this finishing process.

Click photo for a closer look.

This is the inside of the Tambour Door. Canvas is glued to the back which allows it to rotate and bend around the inside circle of the custom made metal track.

Cabinet - Backing and Shelving Pieces.

2009-02-23T20:54:00.001-05:00

These are the new shelves. I had to custom make them in 2 pieces so they could fit through - and inside the opening for the old TV.

Sorry that the backround is close to the same color. If you click on the pictures, you should be able to sea them better.

These are the 2 pieces used for the backboard to cover the wiring and the wood frame that I had previously made. Notice the cut-outs for the 12 Volt recepticle (left), a toggle switch (center) for a cabinet light and the TV Gain control (right). The TV Gain control used to be mounted in the storage area just underneath the TV. We would always forget that it was there when we needed to switch between Cable TV and the TV Antenna. So moving it up here, it is with all the rest of the TV controls and to me, a bit more practical.

These are all the pieces together. The shelves have the wooden angle pieces screwed into them so as to keep items on the shelves from falling off while underway.

This is just a cover plate for the old TV gain control, cut-out space, in the storage space below the new cabinet.

Cabinet - New Storage Area Wiring

2008-12-22T22:16:00.000-05:00

I'm finally working on this project. Before I finish the Tambour door, I have to first run some wiring. The bow part of my 310DA Sea Ray does not have any 12 Volt source power available. This is necessary to run the "TV antenna", 400 Watt "inverter" for the TV, 12 Volt "fan" or charge anything like a "cell phone", etc. So, I have to first run some red and black, 10 gage wiring up to the new storage area. I was able to do this on Sat., 12-20-2008. I will post pictures soon.

I also ran the 12 volt wire up for two additional 12 Volt convienence sockets at the dinette area and the starboard side of the "V" Berth area, while I was at it...

HDTV Mounted

2008-10-30T21:09:00.000-04:00

This is the flush mounted position of the new HDTV. The TV folds back and is flush with the original front of the old space that housed the old TV. Notice the small "book shelf" addition above it where I mounted a set of Bose speakers. The speakers give the TV a bolder sound with deeper base and treble. It almost sounds like surround sound back up in the "V" berth when we are watching a DVD movie.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

A view from the "V" berth. The TV is rotated forward. The Bose speakers face directly at you. The one you are looking at is on the port side. There is another one mounted on the other side which is the starboard side of the "V" berth. I used "velcro" under the speakers and on the shelf so they won't fall off during boating and can be picked up, moved and rotated in either direction.
The area to the right of the TV is the old space that housed the old TV. I'm gonna make a cabinet / storage area out of it and I managed to get a Tambour Door that closely matches the other ones you sea. I have to make-shift, cut and fit it to the front in order to cover the cabinet storage space. I'm workin on it!

Rotated back to be viewed from the dinette or galley areas. Noticed the speaker is rotated as well. The smaller Tambour Door that you sea under the TV is what I'm trying to match.

And a view from the back of the TV showing the mounting system bracket. This bracket has a quick way of disconnecting the whole TV up and off the mount so that the TV can be removed during winter lay up and taken inside.

HDTV Preparation and New Storage Area.

2008-10-14T20:13:00.001-04:00

I'm gonna try and show how I replaced the 15" box type TV and VCR combo with a HDTV Flat Screen. This first picture is the original way the boat came and looked as stock. The black TV is basically squarish, 15"w x 17"h by 16" deep. And Sea Ray mounted it on a pull-out slider shelve. Then they put all that inside a black box, a little bigger than the TV, which was used as an enclosure or something. The problem is, it left some very usuable space behind the black box - that was totaly unusable. So the first thing I had to do was remove the old TV and black box enclosure.

If you click on the individual pictures, they will open larger in a new window!

Here is another closer look of the original TV.

After I removed the black box, this is what I ended up with.
Right side.

Left side.

Left side and center.
Right side and center.
I constructed a wooden frame that I screwed into the bottom and sides to be used and the backing for the new backboard. I couldn't screw into the top, because that is the underside of the bow of the boat.
Left side and center.

I also added some wooden braces in the center because I intend on mounting a shelf or two on the new backboard.

Right side and center.
This is a poster board cut-out that I used to make a template for the new backboard. Believe it or not, nothing is ever square in a boat. But this actually turned out pretty close to being square.
Before I make the new shelves, I am working on a new door for the front of the new cabinet / storage space. I'm looking at a roll top type which they call a Tambour Door. It is like 1/2" wide wood slats that will roll up (actually, roll to the right side) and hopfully come close to matching the existing tambour doors on the other storage shelf areas.