MiToS re-built/fit- versilcraft Mystery43

[vas]

MiToS re-built/fit- Versilcraft Mystere43

Hello all,

boat was lifted out on Friday and I have 6 months to do some of the work I have planned for. Doubt I'll manage all of it, but time will tell...
[thread edited in 2018 to add an index which gives me the opportunity to note that my estimate wasn't really spot on... Took four years to get MiToS seaworthy and back in the water, another three in the water and there are still some finishing touches to be made]

Anyway, first with the lift out pics done the old fashioned way with a tractor thingy, massive trailer (good for 50ton boats apparently) and extra support from a winch located some 80m away in a shed (a pulley also involved as it's on a 90degree angle to the exit path...). The lift out process had the whole family of the boatyard involved, namely dad driving the tractor, 14yo son checking in the water that the boat settled properly on the trailor (and then moved away safely before lifting), wife connecting and checking the wire to the winch and pulley and grandma (!) operating the winch in the shed. I was in the craft so couldn't film the process I promise I'll get someone to do a decent documentary in June

and cheking the supports before moving to store.

Have to admit she's now in a fine spot by the water with fine views of the port and city of Volos, some 4km from home and 3km from my office

Original rough to-do list replaced by an index to the thread as it's now too long to be scrollable and searchable by any other means. Apologies as indexing is rough at the edges since I tend to work on many things at the same time creating a chaotic work progress report on here. Not much I can do, so go for the milestones and scroll through the neighbouring pages, you will get there at the end!

Taking things apart:

• bow cabin 15, 39-48, 154-157
• heads 49-54
• port cabin 176, 481
• electrics cleanup 72, 97-112
• transom clearup 634, 652
• paintstripping 145, 183-184, 207-224, 232-277

Superstructure work and Repairs:

• Deck replacing 278-370
• Toerail 880-, 905-925
• Superstructure patches 370-380
• salon deck replacement 652-
• aftdeck replacement 723-729, 762-787
• Swim Platform 1186-

Hull work:

• hull stripping & repairing 456-, 534-
• hull sheathing 673-
• Bowthruster installation 551-, 589-, 673

Design:

• Lower helm 113-118, 128-137, 1107-, 1348-
• Upper helm 92-96, 390-436, 1330, 1451
• Cabin layout 118, 133
• External colour tests 391-400, 436-
• Hard top 1333-, 1402-, 1431- (installation)

Finishing:

• Painting preparation 925-
• Paint 968-, 1207 (finished with portlights)
  

Interior work:

• Redesign construction 504- , 939-, 1007
• Upholstery 829
• Finishing cabins 1349-, 1410-
• Salon material and flooring 1365

Various jobs:

• Black water tank/pump/setup 138-158, 175-182, 225-228
• aftdeck seating 790-799
• bow windlass, switches, anchorlocker layout 801-828
• anchor boy 1391
• Teak decking 946-
• Sliding doors 955-
• Chart table / galley 1104
• Watermaker 1186
• Heat exhangers 1189
• Mooring gear 1348
• Exhaust elbows 667
• f/b and windscreen cover 1387
  
• automation 1414
• SS MiToS lettering 1352
• f/b seating support 1448
  

Milestones:

• First year anniversary on the hard 723
• Second year anniversary on the hard 706
• Third year anniversary on the hard 1063
• Relaunch 1309
• Floating again 1269,
  1248

A rough plan of how I'm planning the refit (more on the design links above):

Spend 2 hours on Sunday dismantling the main cabin. Managed half of it down to bare structure and plywood.

original condition:

removing bits:

down to the nasty detail that caused a lot of damage and some rotten pieces of plywood on port side (already replaced but not with great craftsmanship, so may have to remove and replace again, we shall see..)

more to come over the following weeks/months (hopefully not years though!)

and finally a pic of two fine italian ladies:

cheers

Vassilis

 

[Kawasaki]

[QUOTE

more to come over the following weeks/months (hopefully not years though!)

and finally a pic of two fine italian ladies:

cheers

Vassilis[/QUOTE]

'Bellisimo'!!
Kali Tihi Vass
Yamass
K

 

[rafiki_]

V,

You have a very busy 6 months ahead of you, and I will be interested in regular updates on here please.

Very best of luck, this looks like quite a mission!!

 

[vas]

more to come over the following weeks/months (hopefully not years though!)

and finally a pic of two fine italian ladies:

cheers

Vassilis

'Bellisimo'!!
Kali Tihi Vass
Yamass
K

thank you, or I should say efxaristo poly

tbh I was expectining someone "biting" on this pic, but I wasn't expecting a jap

@rafiki, not to worry, I'll be posting regularly not only for progress but also questions and opinions as always

cheers

 

[MapisM]

and finally a pic of two fine italian ladies:

LOL, did you see my post #96 in this thread, by chance?
It seems a turbo from the pic, but 4 or 5 cylinders?
I used to have the 16V (4 cyl). Same engine of the Delta Integrale, already overpowered for a front wheel drive car in its stock version, but there were tuners who managed to get 400+ Hp out of it, go figure...!

All the very best for your project, I'm sure this will develop in yet another epic thread...!

 

[jfm]

I used to love the delta integrale, especially the very last ones, around 1996, iirc. LHD only, which is why i didn't buy one and got an (E36) M3 instead (332hp straight 6)

I didn't know that fiat (also only ever built in LHD, btw) was designed by Mr Bangle. I have said many times that I think he is a genius, and that the often-criticised e60 (complete with genius iDrive) was/is a masterpiece in car design. Very much imho!

 

[icepatrol]

hi,
was most interested in your thread as we own a versilcraft vanguard, a few differences in your model but we easily recognised much of the coach work etc etc.
just wanted to say hi and goodluck with your forth coming work. will be watching with interest.

 

[vas]

LOL, did you see my post #96 in this thread, by chance?

you're an awful guy mr. M! I just had breakfast and wanted to quietly check my mail before dashing to a meeting with the dean and you forced me to "waste" half an hour reading carefully this appalling thread!
No I've not seen it, I've never being to the lounge area...

It seems a turbo from the pic, but 4 or 5 cylinders?
I used to have the 16V (4 cyl). Same engine of the Delta Integrale, already overpowered for a front wheel drive car in its stock version, but there were tuners who managed to get 400+ Hp out of it, go figure...!

All the very best for your project, I'm sure this will develop in yet another epic thread...!

thanks,

it is a 95 16vt on original engine, 220K on the clock, fully rebuilt and forged engine 25K ago, new larger injectors and turbo, 3inch downpipe, fully remapped by yours trully, last time it was dynoed it produced as much as the IVECO on the Versilcraft: 330bhp (on the wheels though, not flywheel)

Yes, she's pretty fast and v.enjoyable. Ofourse wife hates her (as she's about to start hating the craft since I'm spending more time working there), son doesn't care, daughter is crazy about her and wants me to drive her around the country lanes with windows down to hear the turbo spinning, the bov and the exhaust rattling. Had her from 30K for 12yrs now and only left me on the road once with a broken cambelt tensioner (4 bent valves only)

Brilliant car, even better than the T reg Lotus Elite I owned back in 90-92 (which let me down regularly, but handled better...)

I think it's deffinitely a case of a marmite car.

ah, btw someone should put up a competition/thread on the greatest thread drifters I think I know of a few

@Jfm: fiat coupe both mk1 as mine and mk2 with the 2.0lt 5cyl 20vt engine were produced in large RHD quantities. If you check the forum you'll find many of them going strong to very strong and now over the 400bhp mark MM!

@icepatrol: have to admit I've not seen one in flesh, I guess it's also marine ply on timber frame, so many similarities there. thanks a lot!

V.

 

[rafiki_]

I used to love the delta integrale, especially the very last ones, around 1996, iirc. LHD only, which is why i didn't buy one and got an (E36) M3 instead (332hp straight 6)

I didn't know that fiat (also only ever built in LHD, btw) was designed by Mr Bangle. I have said many times that I think he is a genius, and that the often-criticised e60 (complete with genius iDrive) was/is a masterpiece in car design. Very much imho!

The Coupe was produced in RHD but didn't really sell in quantities. Built by Pininfarina, but based on a rather dated platform, hence the steering, ride and handling were not a match for the engine.

I thought the e60 was horrible when it was launched, but have since had one for 5 years, and love it. The styling is still contemporary, and moved large car styling on a huge ammount. The I Drive has improved in usability over the years. I think the main problem when it was launched was it was supposed to replicate a mouse. Great for a LHD car, not so good for a RH person in a RHD car.

 

[MapisM]

fully rebuilt and forged engine 25K ago, new larger injectors and turbo, 3inch downpipe, fully remapped by yours trully, last time it was dynoed it produced as much as the IVECO on the Versilcraft: 330bhp (on the wheels though, not flywheel)

Wow, I'm impressed!
Messing with an engine ECU surely ain't trivial, what other hobbies do you have, French oboe, brain surgery and aerobatics?
I can see why your daughter is thrilled by the ride, mine was already exhilarating with the stock engine... awfully understeering, up to 3rd gear...
Incidentally, talking of mk1 and mk2, the 20V engine was actually a 5, not 6 cylinders.
Thread drifter, who, me?

 

[vas]

Wow, I'm impressed!
Messing with an engine ECU surely ain't trivial, what other hobbies do you have, French oboe, brain surgery and aerobatics?

not allowed to have many hobbies now I'm afraid and I try to have one hard(ish) and dirty hobby at a time - so this year it's going to be MiToS. Most others are soft(ware) hobbies typically left unfinished, as in house BMS system still having some bugs that I never seem to have the time to fix (and annoy on a regular basis the wife), but I need to explain the whole story to appreciate and have a good laugh and I wont do it now
Similarly the fiat tuning is not finished yet, should be able to reach 350+@1.5bar, but happy with 330@1.2bar

I can see why your daughter is thrilled by the ride, mine was already exhilarating with the stock engine... awfully understeering, up to 3rd gear...
Incidentally, talking of mk1 and mk2, the 20V engine was actually a 5, not 6 cylinders.

eibach springs, polybushed front wishbones, koni shocks, ferrari front calipers on custom rotors, on 17inch alloys, so handled okish. Yep, true 5cyl not 6, finger slipped on tiny netbook keyboard, apologies

Thread drifter, who, me?

yes us! and I have no updates as I'm recovering from a flu that kept me inside the last two gorgeous days with temps up to 22C, sunshine and no wind (raining today...)

cheers

 

[BartW]

Rough list of work to do before I start:

Interior:

• Knock down the crew room at the bow
• dismantle main front double cabin
• shift two heads to the port
• convert the space occupied by the two heads to a third cabin
• add black water tank
• refit the lot
• redo all electrics (35yo already)

machineroom:

• remove, clean all heat exchangers
• rebuilt turbo(s)
• re-pipe exhausts with risers or traps
• service gennie (slow starting at the mo)

exterior:

• replace decks all around
• restore all alloy and stainless fittings
• rebuilt windlass
• redesign flybridge (both helm and overall layout)

hull:

• clean everything
• check plywood for rot
• prime/restore/replace as necessary
• finish
• a/f

jeeze
thats a long list, not much left that will be untouched
I'm impressed that you want do take this challenge, and do all the work by yourselve, and that in ... 6 months time

this is a very nice project, it is like restorating a oldtimer car,
I wish I had character and time to do something like this

Respect to you V,

sorry for the tread drift
I have no week spot for Ital. cars,
but Ital. boats on the other hand

 

[sarabande]

It may be that you took the pic of the boat on her stands at an early stage, but I'd be inclined to beef up the supports and make them less vulnerable to vibration from working inside - or even from earthquakes (there was a big one there in 1955) .

Sorry to rain on your parade...

 

[vas]

It may be that you took the pic of the boat on her stands at an early stage, but I'd be inclined to beef up the supports and make them less vulnerable to vibration from working inside - or even from earthquakes (there was a big one there in 1955) .

Sorry to rain on your parade...

True,

there are a few more supports there right now and tbh if another earthquake as the 55one comes, MiToS is going to be on the bottom of my worry list after family, friends and house.
I'm a pessimist but you beat me to it

V

 

[vas]

having recovered from a cold I picked up from the kids, I had another 3hours on the boat this afternoon.

So finished off removing the stbrd side of the main cabin (drawers, linings, etc) and it now looks like that:

Fortunately, there isn't the mess found on the port side hence it's in better nick.

Slightly stuck on removing (without destroying!) the ceiling lining which is nice 200mm strips of somesort of thin plywood padded and lined with vinyl. Ended up removing the 3 lights to the bow and I'm searching for clues on how to remove.

Cleaning of the insides of the hull will be the next task in the list once the crew cabin is emptied and the partition to the main cabin removed.
So, on this front, did some clearing and dismantling there as well:

Oddly, there's the 20mm (or thereabouts) plywood, lined on the maincabin side whereas on the crew cabin side there's a softish pulp type of thing (around 10-12mm) and a MDF board of 8mm on top. No idea why they got all that added (it's not factory fitted imho) Maybe sound insulation...

And a couple of photos I liked.

First one whilst working in the crew cabin, halfway immersed in it through the hatch looking back to the fb

and finally leaving at dusk, a photo of the city from the aft deck

Should be able to spend a few hours tomorrow and a few hours on monday as well.

cheers

 

[vas]

spend another 4hours today with the help of a friend and finished of the crew cabin (as in removed moreorless everything out of there)
Cut a reasonable size hole in the partition between the double berth cabin and the crew cabin. Things look ok, will need another morning to clear all the mess and access situation. Didn't have a camera with me and so no pics but will do that tomorrow and post them.

Ah, got all the chain off the locker, it's 75m, so good for 20m deep anchoring Areas I will be spending time are around 4-6m deep so no probs there. Chain was twisted somewhere halfway through the length and windlass stopped again in the same way that I reported on the delivery trip. Wasn't spinning (obviously!) but even with the clutch slack, the rope thing wasn't rotating Will bring it home tomorrow and dismantle it check if everything is fine and order a set of gaskets if nothing else is broken

Finally, got the original light fixings off the ceiling of the main cabin and took one home for investigation. For some v.odd reason someone had sprayed (?) some sort of yellow paint inside on the stainless thus making it dull and not reflective, go figure. Seems it's a straight forward job of replacing the bayonette fixture with something else that will be cheaper on leds. Will see what fits and keeps the light source centered in the assembly.

That's it for now, more pics tomorrow eve.

cheers

V.

 

[BartW]

........ Seems it's a straight forward job of replacing the bayonette fixture with something else that will be cheaper on leds. .

for the main lights in the cabin, I wouldn't choose LED lights,
halogen, or bulb lights give warm, and much nicer light characteristics then LED's.

for effect-, indirect-, or courtesy lights,
LED's are ok though
(all IMHO)

 

[vas]

for the main lights in the cabin, I wouldn't choose LED lights,
halogen, or bulb lights give warm, and much nicer light characteristics then LED's.

for effect-, indirect-, or courtesy lights,
LED's are ok though
(all IMHO)

agree Bart,

will only replace them with warm white leds - not the awful cool white (as in blueish) harsh leds you typically get. I'm pretty sure there are available it's just a matter of fixing, voltage (has to be 24V capable preferably) size and price. We shall see what lighting specialists say.

V.

 

[wakeup]

for the main lights in the cabin, I wouldn't choose LED lights,
halogen, or bulb lights give warm, and much nicer light characteristics then LED's.

for effect-, indirect-, or courtesy lights,
LED's are ok though
(all IMHO)

I would suggest you are not quite up to speed on the latest LED lamps.

Philips do a great range of warm white 2700k GU10 and GU5.3 lamps called MasterLed. There are now many excellent choices for cabin lighting and they are available in warm white as well as other colour temperatures. They will also obviously reduce your connected load.

 

[jfm]

I would suggest you are not quite up to speed on the latest LED lamps.

Philips do a great range of warm white 2700k GU10 and GU5.3 lamps called MasterLed. There are now many excellent choices for cabin lighting and they are available in warm white as well as other colour temperatures. They will also obviously reduce your connected load.

Do they have high enough CRI wakeup to create the right "feel" inside the boat?

(note to readers - Wakeup is expert in this stuff)

Edit - I just whizzed through the catalogue. Thnaks for the pointer. CRI is claimed >80%, which er is the minimum you'd want tbh. But the G4s, which I would need and I think many boats incl MiToS would need, only come in 12v not 24v, grrr, so far as I can see. GU10 is no use on a boat and many boat light fittings won't take GU5.3 either