Another small mechanical point that might seem "minor" but is not on a motorboat: the exhausts.
Originally, the exhaust gases are led to the back of the hulls, on the outside and come out at mid-planking height through beautiful stainless steel parts. At the boat show, it is superb!
In the real world, it's always dirty... The fumes leave a black halo all around, and the stainless steel drools a rusty ooze that doesn't look good on a sleek unit like our Lady. An excellent solution we have adopted is to replace these side exits with underwater ones.
How to install underwater exhausts?
They should be placed slightly aft and offset laterally from the propellers. The size of the tubes must be equal to that of the planking, because their solidity must be irreproachable, and they must emerge about twenty centimeters below the waterline.
Add to this an angle of about 30° towards the front to create a "spoon" on the outside that will suck in the gases while sailing. It is, in fact, very important not to generate back pressure in the exhaust manifold.
The end of the little bad smells
All of this, properly assembled, confers three considerable advantages:
- exhaust noise is reduced
- the gases are evacuated in the wake and go out far behind the boat, thus never coming back to bother the passengers
- the planking always remains clean.
On the other hand, having no more visual control on the discharge of the cooling water, it is advisable to install an alarm which detects a possible lack of water. Its sensor will find its place at the exit of the cooled elbow or at the waterlock (bubbling pot).
In the next episode, the author explains the disappearance of the staircase that goes up to the fly in favor of a bar in the cockpit .
