Looking at my last entry intending to update this blog, has it been a year??? I must have been busy! And in fact I have. So much so, as with most projects, I can't recall every detail but I will endeavor to list what I can with pics. Living on the boat and there still being heavy rain storms before summer, I found all the leaks in the cabin roof. Those led me to rot! Starboard and Port of the mast AND just forward of the mast were large portions of the planking that were very bad. This also led to a couple interior roof beams having rot. I am not a carpenter but I simply set to the task of replacement. Using cardboard for templates, I fashioned the ends of the beams, about 1 foot long, out of 2, 1"x2" strips of Sepeli that I ripped from 1"x 8" planks, laminated together with West Marine Epoxy and scarfed them into the ceiling in the aft portion of the forward birth as well as immediately forward of the mast hole through the deck. Then I replaced the rotten cabin roof planks, originally 1"x 2" mahogany tongue & groove covered with 2 layers of a very large weave canvas type material held down with adhesive and painted with a heavy coat(s). I simply used pine planks cut to fit, sanded the inside along the edges to resemble tongue & groove, painted each with West Marine Epoxy (after staining the inside surface) and laid down fiberglass mat and West Marine Epoxy. This is still being sanded, faired out with Fiberglass bondo and will be painted eventually. Results came out pretty good. Oh yes, I taped off the inside so the epoxy I used to set the planks would not drip but it did run and now the ceiling needs to be sanded and rebrushed with epoxy (I am not a varnish guy).
Just Prior to the work listed above, I removed the 2 mahogany boxes from the deck. The one forward housed ropes (I think) and the one aft housed the propane tanks. I have removed all propane fixtures, stove and tanks from the boat. No more propane.
At this time I moved off the boat and into my girlfriend's trailer about a mile up the road. Breakfast is so much easier, big mid day meals, TV at night and a comfortable bed makes all the difference in working all day on the boat.
Next, just starboard of the companionway stairs was a coldbox driven by a compressor. The compressor was total history. A small fridge was placed on top of the cold box for day sailing. The cold box was canvas laid up on the hull and over the frames, covered with florist foam (the green stuff that HOLDS water) and covered again with canvas, then painted. A right cockup mess. So I removed it entirely and built a small navigation station in its place, I made the folding seat for the station out of a friends discarded mahogany aft diving platform.
Next, I checked out the 30 gallon stainless water tank in the forward berth. It did have an inspection plate on the top but there was rust on the baffle welds. I thought it was simply extra weight up front so, planning on installing bladder(s) amidships at a later date, I removed the tank. Thankfully, it fit through the forward hatch. Whew, no cutting required !!!
The next project was to remove the flush head toilet in favor of a small Porta Potty in the forward berth (I am docked at a marina) and the creation of a tool room. I also commandeered a closet for power tools.
OK. Now to the engine. 1970s vintage Perkins 4-107. I had a local mechanic (from my marina) do a complete service, filters, oil change, remove, check and reinstall the water pump (impeller was good).
That led to the investigation of the condition of the diesel tank. YUCK! So, removal and replacement? Yes but what a task! First removal. The tank was 130 lbs of steel, installed in Long Beach, 1970 (still hand marked on the tank). I had to remove the galley and the bulkhead to get it out of the cockpit and into the cabin AND cut it in half to get it out of the cabin!
That done, prior to building a platform to install a new tank, I revamped the bilge exhaust through hull. New brass thru hull from West Marine and PVC plumbing to accommodate the existing bilge pump plus for an additional new pump.
OLD
NEW
Now to the new tank platform.
Next Project is to get the engine running. While I am waiting for the mechanic to come, I have installed a new gauge/ignition panel in the cabin/cockpit wall.
In order to install the gauge panel where I did, I had to rehang the cabin door to open Port side accordion style.
While all this was going on, the forward and aft corner of the cockpit Portside had rot. So, cut out, reshape and replace.......
Forward Port
Aft Port
So now I am intending to have the boat rewired. I am NO electrician so I have a guy coming to check out the system and give me an estimate.
While I am waiting on the engine mechanic and the electrician, I am replacing the port side settee in the cabin with a dining table. To that end I am tearing out the existing settee and will build two opposing seats with a table in between. This will remove the existing gateleg table from the starboard side of the cabin sole (floor) and allow room for a pull out double berth starboard. Table his complete and included a new bulkhead between the table area and the galley.
If you have read this far, I thank you for your interest. I will have another update in a couple months as projects progress.
