1997 Viking 43C Restoration - Looking for suggestions

Coming back from our first (since restoration) trip to the Canyon. Riggers out for the bridge.

Good catch. Bought silver ones that were supposed to be for DDEC single lever controls, but the threads were wrong. Any suggestions?

I double checked. I purchased the Schmidt & Ongaro 50040 knobs, that were listed for Hynautic and DDEC. Unfortunately the threads are wrong.

I considered re-tapping them from 3/8-24 to 3/8-16, but I am concerned that there would not be enough remaining thread. Found a custom shift knob shop and ordered another set in what I hope is the right thread.

Hope everyone's summer is off to a great start! Our first fishing trip of the season has instigated a full scale revisit of a Refrigerated Sea Water system to chill our catch.

Still haven't gotten the control knobs sorted out. Ordered custom knobs that did not fit either. I'll be rethreading them as recommended soon.

Spring update: new interior rope lighting, galley lighting updated to dimmable Lumitec LEDs, HVAC overhaul to fix everything the first installer did wrong, upgraded shower sump, Lumitec Moray cockpit lights, Hunter Douglas salon blinds, new bridge console cover, and my favorite new gizmo... a Temp Stick remote temperature sensor in my bait freezer

That is still a possibility as well. I was seriously considering the Dometic EI-540 when we were doing the restoration, but set it aside as the boatyard issues began to accumulate. Now after a few successful fishing trips, I have decided that I must have a better way to chill our catch.

The "icy bath" is exactly what I am looking for. I have read that some of the long range tuna boats, and other commercial operations use RSW instead of ice to avoid any hot spots, and to speed cooling.

Sea Frost offers a system called Cool Fish that seems to have the performance I need with a component system that can be more easily fitted into the cramped quarters of our little convertible. I've had good luck with our Sea Frost freezer so far, and their support has been very good as well, so they are the first vendor I have contacted so far.

I am also considering a serious upgrade to our fish box with or instead of a cooling/icing system. Something the equivalent of a Frigid Rigid cooler, but built in place of our existing deck box. Since our offshore runs are typically 70 miles or more, I am finding it difficult to trust something mechanical to preserve our catch. Lose the generator, lose the ability to make ice. Lose the engine driving the compressor, lose the ability to chill water. Of course, either system can fail all by itself as well. It is bad enough to limp home while contemplating major repairs, I'd hate to compound that by returning with a spoiled catch.

The dometic system's ability to deliver the ice through a tube is a very nice feature. The issue I was concerned about is that the system is activated/suspended by an electronic eye in the box that senses the ice buildup. Without some attention (or an ice pushing ram), the system would suspend production when the box wasn't actually full, or pile ice until the output was jammed.

We typically leave the dock with about 400 lbs of ice. That is nearly 24 hours of production for the smaller dometic unit. Unfortunately, we often do not arrive at the boat until the morning that we plan to fish. At an optimum production of around 25lbs per hour, I don't think the system could fulfill our needs if we had a good day fishing. However, this does merit further investigation.

Cost wise, I could install two RSW units (one driven by each engine) for the cost of the smaller Dometic ice maker. I guess that could ease some of my concerns about a complete system failure.

I've reached out to my new favorite HVAC company and boat yard. I'm looking forward to their insights as well. I believe what it will boil down to is maintenance requirements, serviceability and reliability. Given the very close confines of my boat's mechanical areas, the system with the fewest items that may need emergency attention, while underway, will probably be most preferable, even if it may not be the most effective.