Saturday 30 August 2014

Getting the boat back together



I have now started going down the list of essential item to get her ready for launch which is in a week or so! I decided that cleats might be nice. So renewed Burma teak needed to be carved to fit the cleat upstands. I thought it would take an hour or so each, but in the end in was two and a half hours per cleat! So that is a days work then!

Friday 29 August 2014

Cabin Front Leak - repair in action



The leak on the cabin front is now fixed by being consolidated in epoxy and glass tape. Only a decorative beading required now.There was also a leak by the cabin ports which was wrecking the interior shellacked mahogany. We have been trying to strip the shellack but sanding is not an option as it turns into a very gooey mess.

Survey - refitted floor under the engine beds



Pictures showing the replacing of the bolts for the last galvanised floor. We have had not enough time on the tight launch schedule to send the strap floor off to be re-galvanised so therefore it was blasted and covered in epoxy. This is the last major structural point on the survey from three years ago that needed to be tackled. I am pleased it is now done.

Thursday 28 August 2014

New Wilmex Bronze Winches




A pair of handed Wimex bronze winches have gone in to replace the old bottom action Leyton winches. The Port was seized and the when trying to service some of the parts needed to be drilled out. Sadly, even solid bronze constructions on boats eventually fail. They did last 51 years!

New Graving Pieces


These have been added where the wood was soft around the old anode bolts. You can see how close the old anode bolts were to the seacock. Not a great idea. The seacocks for the self-draining cockpit are now new as well with a slow rolling programme of replacing all the seacocks.

Saturday 23 August 2014

Where are we now?


Quite a lot has been happening.


  • New port in the bridgedeck that will house the compass (part of an ISAF requirement that clipped on compasses cant come loose in a knock down)
  • The tank inspection hatches are now in complete with senders for fuel. This is important as dipping the fuel required access to a rigmarole of hatches - something I don't think one would do in a seaway.
  • New winches now purchased and getting ready to be fitted.
  • Bilges danbolined and ready to take the sumps and engine when ready.
  • New cockpit sole and teak grating being currently made. The new cockpit sole will have a much larger access hatch.

Pumps


Whilst engine is out I have added an extra electric bilge pump  and strum box and one way valve to the new whale gusher pump. This is important as bits always get in the bilge - especially when refurbishing a wooden boat.

Friday 15 August 2014

Toe Rails and Cockpit getting some coatings



Where are we at now?

For some reason it looks like nothing has really happened in two weeks. But the truth is that lots of little jobs have been completed and they all take time.

The main job is that painting of the topsides. This will be done by Kings professional painter as there is no way I can get as good a finish as Lee. He seems to float effortlessly over those scaffolding planks stretching up and down not making a single brush mark. 35’ of hull is a lot to sand, fair and paint and I think it is a good investment for future years to get all the opened seems and gaps (especially those behind the rubbing strake) sorted out. It is not useful when the owner then drips varnish over the work over a weekend when attending to the capping rail on the bulwarks! That has delayed things a bit as I had to peel all the strips of dried varnish off with a razor blade and that took three days.

As you can see work has also started on the coachroof. This was originally Cascover sheathed but the fabric texture could still be seen. So many coats of of International pre-cote was require in order to fill this to almost flat. I am not getting it as perfect as Lee, but at least it will be a lot better than it has been in recent years!

The engine is now out as the gearbox is getting serviced with new bearings. I suppose this could have been done in situ, but the real problem is that the yacht has galvanised strap floors. There has been a  rolling programme to replace these and this is the last one we could not get to as it was under the engine. It is not bad we did this as there is some rot in the stern post that needed consolidating.
You can also see that the electrics need a bit of upgrading in the cockpit and this is something that I am currently working on.


All in all I am very behind schedule with a myriad of jobs to do. One good thing is that the mast is almotst ready to go. I have added a radar reflector so that I don't get run down.