Cabin Fans

With the new Bomon Windows installed and the original curtains replaced with OceanAire shades, we had no further need for the six decorative blocks that had carried the curtain rods. We realised that with the blocks removed we would have space for several small ceiling mounted fans, for both the galley as well as the rest of the cabin. 

We had always planned for a galley fan, mounted over the stove, to work with the new Bomon opening window, as an extractor and also to keep the 'chef' cool. Beyond that, until we removed the blocks, we really hadn't decided how to positively ventilate the rest of the main cabin. 

Here is a shot of two of the decorative blocks that had supported the original curtain rods. In addition to becoming redundant when the new shades were installed, we also thought the blocks looked very dated, so we decided to take them down and......voila....we suddenly had space for some Caframo fans.

Examining the blocks, we were surprised at how solid and complex they were. Having seen all the other efforts made by Islander to pull cost out of the Freeport, it was surprising that these obviously expensive pieces had survived the 'axe'. Something a lot cheaper and simpler could have worked equally well while still looking presentable?

We bought four Caframo 757 fans. They are both economical, compact and can be rotated and tilted in any direction to cover all areas of the main cabin, galley and nav. station. To validate the locations we temporarily put them up where the forward and aft curtain rail blocks had been, and hid the fan wiring behind the trim strips installed during the Window Trim  upgrade.  

The fans all worked worked very well in the selected locations but looked a bit tacky, sitting on the raw vinyl with the ceiling strips stopping short of the cabin walls.

So, we decided to replace all the ceiling strips and extend them to run all the way out to the cabin walls. Once again we used Art Kleiner at The Boatsmith to make us three new, longer strips. The original strip design was replicated but the width was increased from 1 3/4" to 2 1/2" to match the bases of the Caframo fans. We cut the strips to the correct length and installed them. Here we're using the telescopic boat hook as an adjustable prop while we drill some fixing holes.

The aft and central ceiling strips were replaced quite easily but the replacement of the forward strip was more interesting. Somehow, the fasteners for the turning block to the vang control line on the cabin roof had been drilled straight down through the roof and bolted right through the trim strip!!! When questioned about it during the pre-purchase survey the PO had told us it had been that way when he got the boat!

Shot of the (Harken) vang control line turning block. We noticed it was a different make and model to the mainsheet (Schaefer) turning block. Whoever had installed the vang had done a really crappy job. There were no holes suggesting any other block had ever been fitted so the block must have been installed after the headliner and teak trim was in...........an incompetent PO or another Islander QA snafu.....we'll never know. 





The block was free-running and in generally good shape, so it didn't need to be replaced, but we certainly weren't going to drill through our shiny new trim strip to re-mount it. We came up with a plan to secure it under the headliner using Flange Nuts. We've had good luck using these fasteners in other places where there is restricted access.

Here are the stainless 10 - 24 Flange Nuts we used. Because two of the securing bolts on the block are very close together we had to shave two flanges down to get the necessary clearance.

This shot shows the clearance problem on the block fasteners.

After removing the old trim strip we made an incision in the headliner, opened up the fastener hole slightly and installed the Flange Nuts. 

(If you sniggered at this shot you are BAD!)

Here we've re-installed the block and closed up the headliner with some stainless staples. The marks on the vinyl made by the old trim strip are clearly visible and while this isn't the prettiest thing we ever did the 'incision' will be completely hidden under the new, wider, trim strip.

So, after all that heartburn we were finally able to mount the new forward trim strip and start mounting the fans. Here is the forward stbd corner after the fix.

Here is the  galley fan opposite the opening window. The combination of the two keeps smells and steam out of the cabin, stops the cabin fogging up while cooking and has made the galley a lot more comfortable in hot conditions.

This shot shows the new trim and fans on the starboard side.

And here is the new port side trim and fans. All that remains is to beg, borrow or steal an extended nose staple gun and replace the short pieces of trim welting in the four corners of the cabin to blend the old and the new.




Onward to the next project!


Update 08-01-15

Although we've been happy with the performance and economy of the two-speed Caframo fans, we were a bit irritated that they had a tendency to vibrate slightly when running in high speed mode. The vibration was caused by the molded polyethylene blades being out of balance and resulted in slight 'chatter' at the serrated teeth of the stand-off post. All four fans had the same problem and while the chatter was almost imperceptible on the low speed setting, it was quite noticeable in high speed. What to do? 

The stand-off post has a central, adjustable clamp that holds the upper and lower segments together under spring tension. We fussed with the clamp and found that by fully tightening it the vibration was eliminated, but then the two segments of the post were locked together and there was no longer any way to rotate the fan. By using washers above and below the spring we tried different levels of tension on the clamp bolt but the result was always the same, the vibration persisted until we fully tightened the clamp. Another approach was needed.   

Plan B was to try and improve the balance of the fan blades. By trial and error we found that a small piece of Gorilla tape strategically stuck on a fan blade improved things significantly. Sadly we soon found that the tape wouldn't hold for more than a few minutes in high speed operation. On a hot day the adhesive softened to the point where centrifugal force caused the tape to fly off! What next?    

A light finally appeared at the end of the tunnel when we tried wedging things between the teeth of the stand-off. By jamming a piece of thin felt between the two segments we discovered the fan quieted down completely, even at high speed. 

Plan C was to come up with a clean way to get some felt between the two halves of the stand-off. We used some 1/16" adhesive backed felt and cut some washers from it.

We took the stand-off apart and slipped the felt washers over the clamp bolt, between the   teeth. 

When we reassembled the stand-off the teeth were held apart slightly, just enough to stop the vibration while still allowing the fan to be rotated. Problem finally solved.

It seems we weren't the only ones suffering from this problem as the whole stand-off assembly for the Model 747 has been redesigned. New owners don't have to worry about chattering teeth.....who'd have thought!