Wow!  Surely my calendar is fooling me; December already?  Another year winding down to a close?  Where does the time go??!?   I’ve long been fascinated by the dichotomy of how our sense of time past works where the same amount of time can seem to simultaneously much longer and much shorter.  In the case of Möbius it seems like both yesterday and a lifetime ago when we first started this crazy idea of switching from sail to power for our future voyaging.  Then we dove head first into the deep end of the crazy pool by deciding to design and build it from scratch and started this wild adventure we are now on. 

Here are just a few examples of the kind of mental dichotomy that fascinates me; Last month we passed our two year anniversary of being here in Antalya, 612 days ago (April 6, 2018) the first shipment of aluminium CNC cut plate arrived and construction of the hull began and in a few days (Dec. 19, 2018) it will have been one year since we signed on with with Naval Yachts to build the fully finished boat with them and have it be the first “prototype” of their new line of  eXtreme eXploration Passage Maker XPM boats.  How is it possible that SO much has happened in SO little time? 

Well, not to waste any more time, I will ponder and wonder that question for a long time to come but for now let’s get on with catching up on all the progress Team Möbius has made this past week of December 2-6, 2019.

WIRING

Let’s start this week’s update with the electrical wiring.  The cables referenced in this week’s title include these four black and red eXtreme beauties which carry the eXtremely high amp 24 volt current from the 1350A @24V house battery bank to the fore and aft DC distribution panels. 
As per their labeling, each of these cables is 120 mm² which would equate to about half way between the American Wire Gauge or AWG of about 4.5/0000.
By any measure these are huge and we are doubling these, two positive and two negative so that each pair carries half the amps. 
Why such eXtreme sizes?  In short, Electrical efficiency such that we keep the voltage loss occurring on these long cable runs as low as possible, meaning that as much of the current that leaves the batteries arrives at the consumers on the other end.  Our standard maximum voltage drop for all DC circuits is < 3% and for the main supply cables such as these, we keep it under 2% and hence the large cable size.
Last week Hilmi ran the four cables from the Basement up to the Forepeak using the cable trays you see in the photos above and this week he ran the other set of cables up from the basement and along the cable trays under the side deck space flanking the SuperSalon you are seeing here and running back to the Aft DC Distribution Panel in the Workshop.
Down in the Basement where the House Battery Banks are located we find this growing collection of different cables which now includes the four 120 mm² Red/Black cables. 
We had ordered the negative cable in Yellow which is the preferred new ABYC standard to help differentiate the DC negative from Black AC wires but this large size cable is difficult to find and the Yellow jacketed version wasn’t available for several months so we went with Black and will add extra labels along each cable run to maintain clarity.  Not that anyone would likely confuse these huge cables for anything but high amp DC, but you can never be too careful when it comes to all things electric.

The two House Battery Bank bays which as you can see here are integral parts of the framing of the hull straddling the 25mm / 1” thick Keel Bar which is what the floors of these two bays are setting upon.
Nihat has been welding in the side framing which will hold the composite containment boxes in place and bolting these floors to the hull.  Even though all our batteries are fully sealed AGM type batteries with no actual fluid in them, we are building composite containment boxes to add an eXtra layer of safety to cover any possibility of a leak in one of the batteries. 
The L-bar frames hold the base of the batteries in place and then there will be a separate frame that wraps around the tops of the batteries and clamps them down to the hull so they can not move even in the unlikely event of a full 360 degree roll.

ALUMINIUM WORK

Uğur and Nihat continued their work on fabricating the framing for the glass and acrylic windows up in the SkyBridge. 
They have all the L-bar tacked in place that will provide the frames for gluing in the lower glass “eyebrow” windows and then started to weld in the flat bar on top to create the window ledges for the upper removable acrylic sheet windows.

Note the large vent seen in the foreground here.  This will have a large mist elimination grill in front of it before all the fresh breezes flow down into overhead diffusers in the SuperSalon. 

The front three 380W solar panels attach to a frame which sets just inside the upper angled edge of the space in front of this vent opening and hinges along the upper edge of the vent frame. 
This hinged frame of solar panels allows us to lower its front edge down onto the aluminium roof panel and seal off this space when we are on passages and then unclip it and raise it to its horizontal position which creates a huge wind tunnel to capture all the breezes coming from the bow when we are at anchor and funnel them all to this big vent and down into the SuperSalon.
The flat bar window sills were slot welded to the tops of the L-Bar glass window frames and then ground flush and invisible.  The angled support you see on the far right here is the articulated support post that is put in place when the roof needs to be folded down into either Cyclone or Canal mode.  Most of the time it is removed and stored in Workshop.
The front four support posts for the roof are attached with these bolt on flanges so they can be removed prior to folding down the roof.
Same bolt on flanges are mounted vertically where these four posts attach to the the roof frame.

CABINETRY WORK

Both of the Cabinetry teams continued to make great progress on their respective cabinetry work for the Galley and the Guest Cabin areas so let’s go check in with them.

The spacious SuperSalon is difficult to capture well with photos but perhaps these two panorama shots will help.  This one shot standing in very front where the Helm Chair will be looking Aft.

Click to enlarge any photo.
Shot standing on the stairs up to the Aft Deck looking forward.  Obviously very distorted views but when combined with the regular photos I hope it helps you visualise this truly Super space.
Switching back to normal photo mode AND sparing no expense we have brought Chef Christine aboard to inspect her rapidly evolving Galley.
Testing out a simulated pot stirring position where the induction cook top will soon be installed, the Chef seems to approve.
Omur and Selim spent much of the week painstakingly fitting the Gull Wing door Garages into the Galley cabinets.
With mitred corners and being recessed into the countertops requires very exacting dimensions along all three X,Y and Z axis in order for it all to work and for these Garages to be able to slide into their final position.
And when they do, it looks abfab!

For those wondering, the Garages are “floating” above the countertops to allow for the 20mm/ 3/4” thick granite countertops.
eXacting is what Naval’s Cabinetmakers eXcel at and here is another example as Omur (left) and Selim try out different sheets from the flitches of Rosewood we’ve purchased. 
When the thin sheets are sliced off the solid slab of Rosewood they are laid together in in the sequence as they come off so each sheet is different but matched with the one before and after. 
Omur has brought a series of these sheets onboard and is now trying out each one to find the Goldilocks match with the sheet on the right which forms the back of the dining settee.
Selim and Omur also fitted the armrest end of the dining Settee.
The top will be padded and upholstered and there will be a  door in the Rosewood outer side to provide access to one of the electrical panels that will be housed inside.

LOTS of storage space below and behind the seats as you can see.
Opposite the Settee on the far right here, Selim has removed the top of the cabinet for the two side by side freezer drawers and taken it back to the Cabinetry Workshop.
Once he has these solid edges attached and trimmed flush, he will take it over to the big veneer press and apply the veneer sheets he and Omur have so carefully chosen.
Over on the other side of the Cabinetry Workshop, Omer, perfectly framed by this cut out in the wall panel that goes on the outboard side of the stairs leading down into the Master Cabin, has been making great progress on the complex little cabinet for the sink in the Guest Head/Bathroom.

We’ve made quite a few changes to this early rendering of the Guest Head and my apologies for not having an updated render to show you but if you do a mirror flip of this render in your head (sorry) you’ll be close to the new layout.
Omer is demonstrating how the countertop with the sink setting atop the right end will appear to float above the cabinet below and if your mental gymnastics worked well, the image in your head should augment the reality you’re seeing here.
Earlier in the week it looked like this with the sink area on the left and the L-shaped that runs down the side of the Head and then wraps around to create a handy shelf behind the VacuFlush toilet similar to what you can see in the original render above.
A good example of how the solid Rosewood is glued up to create the large radius corners and the sink surround edges.
Which soon looks like this as Omer turns his attention to the veneer he has chosen for the wrap around countertops.
He has also fabricated these two large radius corner posts for the cabinet below the sink.
Which he is gluing up here.
Closeup of those large radius corner posts now glued with reinforcing biscuits into the completed under sink cabinet.
Here is how the countertop and sink cabinet will fit together. 

Mr. Geeeeee gets a Beautiful New Mechanic!

Mr. Gee as we affectionately call our mighty Gardner 6LXB engine has also been getting some much needed time and attention the past few weeks so let’s catch you up on that.  Since she returned from her short sojourn in Spain two weeks ago, Captain Christine has added new title to her already long list by becoming Mr. Gee’s new mechanic!  With Commodore Barney thankfully supervising very closely.
Currently Mr. Gee more closely resembles Humpty Dumpty as he is all in pieces again after being put together briefly for a complete sandblasting of all his external parts.  Now we are busy cleaning up all the internal parts which have accumulated over the 50 years of his previous life in powering a tugboat on the Thames River in England.
Christine has these valve lifter assemblies all cleaned up and ready for their new life as the heartbeat in Möbius.
Looking back a few weeks, this is what Mr. Gee looked like after giving him a very thorough sandblasting and several coats of high temperature silicone based primer.

Ruby the Wonderdog on the left and Barney the Yorkshire Terror always on duty supervising every step of the way.
Loosing his head, two cast iron ones in fact, each of which must weigh at least 70kg/150lbs, next up for removal is the cast iron cylinder block sitting on top here.  I had previously removed the old cylinder liners and had new ones pressed in and machined to finished size so they are all ready for their equally new pistons and rings.

One of the great things about these Gardner engines and what makes them surprisingly viable for reuse is that while complete engines are no longer being manufactured almost every part is still being made and available from Gardner Marine Diesel which carries on the Gardner name and heartbeat.  So with the exception of the primary castings such as the cylinder block, crankcase, and crankshaft I was able to buy every other part new from pistons and rings, to every bearing, every gasket, fuel injectors, etc.  Once Christine and I have him fully scrubbed clean we begin to put Humpty Dumpty back together again and bring Mr. Gee back to his original glory or better.

I have Mr. Gee fully disassembled for about the fourth and hopefully final time since I first picked him up in England two years ago.  Here he is stripped down to just his all cast aluminium crankcase. 
Next week I’ll take him outside for a thorough de-greasing and pressure washing to flush out every nook and cranny to get rid of all the accumulated oil sludge and the sandblasting sand that has crept inside.

Yesterday I tackled the truly massive crankshaft by scrubbing every surface and all the internal oil galleries with degreasing liquid and LOTS of paper towels.  Old on the right, partially cleaned on the left.
About 3/4 clean now before getting a good pressure wash and some new fibre discs in the torsional damper on the left end. 

Visible below the crankshaft is the Cast Iron cylinder block with its new liners and ready for its equally thorough cleaning and prep for reassembly.
Old meets new! 

The shiny new aluminium ring I’m holding in front of Mr. Gee’s massive marine flywheel is the outer Centamax ring that transfers Mr. Gee’s rotational torque of the spinning flywheel to the Nogva CPP input shaft.
Easy to see how simple this Centamax flex coupling is with the outer aluminium ring’s fingers fitting tightly into the matching grooves in the thick rubber disc bolted to the Nogva’s input shaft.  The grey cast aluminum housing on the left is off Mr. Gee and mates perfectly to the the matching SAE bolt pattern on the red Nogva servo box.
Fortunately for me, the Society of Automotive Engineers or SAE began creating standards for things such as threads and bolt hole patterns back in 1905 and are still being used to this day quite universally and ubiquitously in the manufacturing world globally.   Gardner and Sons Ltd. was founded in 1868 and began building engines in 1895 and so they were amongst the very first to adopt SAE standards for their engines.
Sound boring?  Well not to me!  Our union of old and new provides a great example of why such standards matter an enable me to simply bolt our almost 50 year old Gardner 6LXB engine to our brand new Nogva CPP using in this case the SAE14 bolt hole pattern to fasten the new Nogva/Centamax ring to the Gardner’s flywheel.
Michael Harrison now runs Gardner Marine Diesel after his Dad retired after working for Gardner and Sons Ltd for most of his working life and then started Gardner Marine Diesel when he bought the entire inventory and much of the machinery when Gardner and Sons closed shop in the early 1990’s.
Michael not only found Mr. Gee for us when he was being removed from that tugboat so they could upgrade the tug to the more powerful 8LXB for the tugs newly upgraded job requirements, but he also found this original solid steel marine flywheel “blank”. 
Next week this flywheel will be machined with the SAE14 bolt pattern on this outer face so I can bolt the Nogva/Centamax ring to it prior to mating the Gardner with the Nogva and lifting them into their new home in Möbius’ Engine Room for the first time.  Just a wee bit eXcited about that and so stay tuned for more in the coming Weekly Progress Updates.

But WAIT!  There’s more!

NEW ARRIVALS @ Naval Yachts

Remember that crate Christine & I built when we were back in Florida last month?
and then filled with the many, many, many parts which we had been ordering and sending to our Florida addresses?
And then trucked down to Miami to have it air freighted over to Naval Yachts?

Well, it showed up here on Friday!  We’ll have great fun unpacking it and showing you all the contents next week.

But WAIT there’s even mooooooooooore!!!

Look what else showed up on Friday!!

Can you guess what’s inside THIS crate and why our brilliant interior designer Yesim is almost as excited as we are about it?
This should help you guess?
Do Hakan and Yesim help you get your guesses warmer?
Or a peek inside perhaps?
Good Guess!!  It is our eXquisite Galley countertops which have all be cut from this slab of Turquoise granite at Stoneline.
It arrived at the end of the day on Friday so we only had time for a quick inspection and we’ll show you much more as it gets installed in the coming weeks.
But we were able to see the bullnose rounded edges and some of the other details and can’t wait to inspect it fully tomorrow.
and I promise it is the LAST time for this week but ……………………………………

WAIT!  There is just ONE more HUGEY thing to show you………………………………

Christine and I regard ourselves as two of the most fortunate people on the planet because we are surrounded by the most awemazing friends who, in addition to being very good friends, also have talents you just wouldn’t believe.  One of dearest friends and most talented artists we know is pictured below, the one and only Sherry Cooper. 

Sherry and I first met back in 1981 when she and her husband Rick arrived in Baden Baden Germany where I was living at the time.  I was a High School teacher for the Canadian Air Force jet fighter base there and Rick joined us from his English teaching gig in Vancouver BC.  In addition to teaching there for the next three years we all traveled extensively throughout Europe, Africa and beyond and our friendship continued to grow ever since.

And I am I telling you this because??

Because Sherry agreed to put her incredible artistic talents to work and design the patterns for those two plate glass walls that form the corner of our Master Cabin shower that you may recall seeing in some of the early renderings of the Master Cabin.

Plain clear glass just wouldn’t fit with the eXtreme beauty aboard Möbius now would it?  Plus, unlike me, Christine has a modicum of privacy and wasn’t thrilled by the idea of being on such a well lit stage when she was showering.  So we came up with the idea of having the glass etched with some fun and beautiful pattern.  But where would we find such a pattern? 

Ha!  Easy peasy as some of my Canadian friends might say, we mentioned it to Sherry on one of our visits and she delighted us by jumping at the chance to be so involved with the creation of our new home.  Several meetings and lots of Emails later we evolved the idea of having a theme that would involve some of the art and imagery of the Aboriginal Peoples of Möbius’ Home Port of Victoria BC.  The term “Aboriginal” refers to the first inhabitants of Canada, and includes First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. This term came into popular usage in Canadian contexts after 1982, when Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution defined the term as such. 

Then we asked Sherry if it might be possible to incorporate some pictures we so vividly recalled from her prodigious photography work of some otherworldly reflective waters where she and Rick have their boat near Gambier Island?  Of course she said!

My apologies to you Sherry for this amateurish picture of your pictures, but really people, can you believe that these are untouched photos Sherry took when she spotted these patterns being reflected in the water as Rick was docking their boat??!!!

So what did Sherry come up with?

Check out what we awoke to find in our Email inbox this morning!

We will now be having one of these images etched into each of the two plate glass shower walls and can’t wait to show you the results when they are done and installed in the Master Cabin.

You are AWEMAZING Sherry!  Thanks and just let us know when you are flying over to come see your work on display inside Möbius!

OK, as promised that is finally it for this week’s update.  See what I mean about that conundrum of time?  How could so much happen in so little time?  But it did and I have the photos above to prove it!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to join us on this week’s adventure and PLEASE do be encouraged to add your questions, comments and suggestions in the “Join the Discussion” box below.

Hope to see you back here again next week.

-Wayne