First weekend on the new to us 2012 R25 and have questions

E

Evguy1

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Apr 6, 2023
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We bought our 2012 R25 back in may but due to dealer delays and then a 3 week delay getting the boat to us due to a wildfire we just spent our first overnight this week. I have lots of questions and have done quite a bit of reading on this forum while waiting for the boat. Horrible sewer smell when using the head which looks like a Joker valve so I will pick one of those up this week. Overall love the boat, due to the first small storm in the last 8-10 weeks we did not actually leave the wharf for the three days we stayed on the boat. I did a lot of exploring and have lots of ideas for added storage. I did read where someone had built a shelf over the entrance but cant find it now. 🙁 I'm 6'2" and can see that even an 8" wide shelf would still give me lots of headroom when entering. Can someone point me to that posting? I have seen lots of nice ideas for extra storage in the galley area and wonder if anyone has removed the doors and installed drawers like the newer boats? Drawers are so much more useful than getting down on your knees to see what's in the back of the lower cupboards.
I will cut the usual access holes into the cave from the galley side as we dont intend on using the cave for sleeping. One last one for now, has anyone else crammed their foot into the bottom of the fridge? there is just enough room the get your toes under the fridge door and cram them into the sharp edges. Not bad if the have shoes on but very painful in bare feet. I was thinking of adding a wood strip under the door (to the floor) that would prevent your toes from wandering into the danger zone. I hope to draw on all the vast knowledge on this forum and hopefully contribute in the coming months as my modifications take shape and we start to venture farther from the wharf. 🙂
 
Are you operating the boat in salt water?


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The odor problem may be related to decayed salt water in your flush supply line. Try running you wash down overboard to test this theory. (Smell the water as it’s coming out of the hose). If this is the issue the best remedy is to flush the toilet frequently to keep “fresh” salt water in the piping. Really annoying, I know. Good luck. And congratulations on your new boat.


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Thanks for the feedback. We used it for three days and no change. It also had to be pumped a lot to get it to empty the bowl so my bet is on the valve but we will see once I replace it and we head out again next weekend....hum no pun intended.
 
Congrats on your new boat

One thing I did for some added storage for was to add a drawer to the underside of the dinette table.
Don't actually have pics of it installed (sorry), but the one I put in is:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5XG87S2?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Very sturdy design, and it stays closed even in rough water (or rough roads while trailering)

According to the admiral this is the best modification I did to the vessel 😀

Very handy for tableware and cooking utensils.
 
Thanks for the ideas and hope to get going on some soon. I did replace the Joker valve and that solved the smell issue and was less than a 10 minute job. I added a table base and used a table top from our 5th wheel since we cant be in two places at once. Bought a Greenworks electric outboard to see how it would work and was surprised how well it pushed the dingy. Not sure how long it will last but for a couple hundred dollars its a cheap start.
I wanted to add an image of my table but from what I read in the FAQ I need to link to an external location. What are most people using for that? All the other forums I'm on (mostly truck and EV) I can just drop a picture into the post
 
You can post images in your photo album, then use the URL in posts. There's a link to the Photo Album on the blue left nav on the home page. The album landing page should have a link on the subnav to "Your Album". (Can't recall if you need the moderator to set up the album or not?)

To put a link in a post, click the "URL" button on the tool bar and place the image URL within the tags.
 
Re storage in the galley area: The shape of the cupboards does not lend itself to installing drawers (nothing is square). I think if you did you would lose quite a bit of capacity. We carefully measured each cabinet, and then found plastic storage bins with lids that would fit in each, either two or three deep. With the ends clearly labeled, you find what you need and either return the container or you set it on the cave lid or the dash until you are cleaning up. Proper labeling of the ends of the bins saves a lot of bending or searching. A couple of long narrow bins on the shelf behind the counter and stove will put a lot of small cooking utensils close at hand, and they stay put when running.
 
Thanks nzfisher, some really good ideas there. You have put a lot of work into that boat!
I finally got started with the first addition. A cockpit table. Found the leg and base online and used a small table from our 5th wheel RV until I can build a nice table in the winter.
Bought a cheap Greenworks electric outboard and after the first weekend I like it. Enough speed to get us to shore and after a few trips over 2 days it still had 1/2 charge. I can charge it onboard with the inverter if needed.https://www.amazon.ca/clouddrive/share/HG6wuXY6yN0PulfDVEl6HDdZIUtveUVxOqTTp1TvXuC
 
I have done a few mods to make the boat better for us. Lack of a cutlery drawer was driving the admiral nuts (more) so I added one like a few others have done under the table.I started with a bamboo cutlery drawer divider and added slides to the sides and some angle brackets under the table top. Found a scrap of teak to make a face for the drawer.
Cutlery drawer by evguy, on Flickr
 
On one of our two day trips we were just getting back to the marina when there was a pop and lots of rushing water. The hot water line for the galley had come off a tee fitting. I'm not a fan of clear braid hose and plastic tee fittings for hot water so I pulled out all the lines and replaced with red and blue PEX with crimp fittings. I would have thought this would be the way they would come from the factory. Added a small pressure tank to reduce pump cycling while I was in there. I cut the access hole to the cave below the micro like many have done and intended on adding a door to it this winter. On the first outing our two small dogs found the new hole and claimed it as their own. I just lined the cut edge with auto door trim for now but will trim it in teak over the winter. It now has 4" of egg crate foam left over from a piece I cut for the V berth so they have a cushy bed. Dog house on the boat by evguy, on Flickr
 
I know a few people have replaced the electric/alcohol single burner cooktop with an induction electric. I was looking at propane and found this two burner
01_2%20Burner%20Drop-In%20Cooktop_3071A_Black_No%20Cover.png
Has anyone used these? I would mount the 5lb tank on the swim grid along with a shut off solenoid and gas alarm.
 
Thanks for the link, I will go through all the mods when we get home from our current RV trip in June. We were in Newport Or for the last two days but in Brookings tonight on our way south.
 
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