Need help with modifications tankage windlass refrigeration and bimini

I expect to complete the purchase of Windfall, a 1990 38-200 over the next week or so and bring it home from Rhode Island to St. Croix. The boat is wonderfully equipped but needs modifications in several areas to accommodate its new Caribbean home and some owner needs. I hope some of you can help me.

water tankage:

Windfall lists 55 gallons of tankage which is light for a 15 day offshore journey. There is a trapezoidal tank under the v-berth and one tank under the port side settee. Has anyone found a satisfactory way to add 35- 90 gallons of tankage notwithstanding the structural grids under the settees in the main cabin and apparent lack of access below the port side aft quarter berth?


Windlass:

Is there a particularly good place to add a windlass and, if so, which ones seem to work. The on deCk anchor locker is relatively shallow and I expect to add a 4" pvc Pipe to carry the chain below the v-berth and slightly aft to reduce weight in the bow. Has anyone figured out a good way to do this?

Refrigeration:
Windfall is equipped with a single corian sink and counter top leaving the ice box with no insulation in the top. It also has no refrigeration unit. Have any of you dealt with this problem ?

Bimini
Given the structure of the starboard lazarette, have any of you figured out a way to mount a Bimini frame that does not interfere with opening the lazarette?

Thank you

Bruce

It's around here, somewhere...

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?t=2618&highlight=e-38+windlass

This popped right out with a Search on the word E-38 Windlass.

You might want to try some searches here on several permutations of your different questions. I believe that you will be pleased with the amount of information in these archives.

Best,
Loren

The factory options for water tankage (at least in 1989) were a 40 gallon tank under the port settee, a forward V-berth tank (35 gallons?) and a 25 gallon tank under the sole of the cockpit lazarette. Are you missing this last one? Is there something else down there? the V-berth tank was quite a compromise, because when that tank was full the boat was definitely down by the bow on its lines, and the manual recommended that you use that water up first.

Ours has the tank Steve is talking about and not the v-berth tank... You should be able to add the aft tank pretty easily. In the Docs & Specs Section on this site there is a "System Plots" download, but it is of the older 38 configuration and might not match up with your later boat (I think they changed in 85 or 86? so it doesn't match ours either). I'll be going down to the boat later this week and can try to dive down to show where the water tank is and take some pictures if nobody gets them to you first.


You should be able to insulate the lid of the ice box by making an insulation panel that fits tight to the form of the top of the box opening.


We have a Coldmachine 12v refer that has the compressor located in the forward part of the lazarette on a shelf under the coaming box. I wouldn't suggest that unit for a tropical location, but it at least gives you an idea of where some of the stuff might fit.

Chris

E38 bimini

Attached is a photo of how the bimini was attached to my E380. It does not interfere with the sail locker - - in fact, I use a bungee cord to hold the locker cover to the bimini frame in the open position.

Vince Benn