Little things

... and lots of them!  In the last couple of weeks we have completed the chart table, added the first bulkhead in the aft cabin, created an instrument box for the engine panel, done the final preparation of the engine bay, and probably more that I can't think of right now.

Bill has started the hull fairing process.  It is going to be a long and painful job.  I need to find a fit young thing who is happy to longboard above his head, for next to nothing.  Is anyone that desperate for work?

The engine bay has been an interesting exercise in working out how the boat was constructed.  What we have found is that there was a ply dam built about halfway along the engine beds, extending down into the keel.  Once the cast metal keel was lowered into the keel, fine concrete was poured around and on top of thekeel.  The lifting rings for the metal keel were cut off (badly) and the void aft of the keel was then filled with polyester bog.  Bill's guess is that they used talc as filler.  Unfortunately the top of that was never covered by a protective fiberglass covering so over time, water soaked down the sides (and through) the polyester bog.  After sitting out of the water and being kept dry for a year, this bog is still damp if you chisel it out as we have been doing.

The first aft cabin bulkhead!  I know, its only a little one, but it is something else to celebrate with a cold beer.  Sometimes you need to look for things to be excited about....

A month?

I can't believe it is a month since I posted - time flies when you are having fun I guess. Colin and Nichola on Emerald will be feeling good, having posted more than me!  This picture shows the varnished galley, with the fridge fitted (its the black bit).  It is a Waeco 30l compressor fridge drawer, the compressor can be moved off the back of the unit and we have mounted that away from the fridge compartment.

Having had a dose of the flu, just when the swine flu was breaking, was less than exciting, I lost about a week of work.  Bill made me wear a mask all the time - which he had decorated as a pig's snout.  While I was flopping around wishing I was somewhere tropical, he was making progress on a few time consuming but worthwhile jobs.  This shot shows the chart table, tucked into the corner between the head and the bulkhead on the forward side of the engine room.  It should work well, lots of space to throw junk!

I cut the 108mm hole for the rudder bearing and have had the rudder stock machined.  We left it in one long piece so we could align the top bearings with the shoe on the skeg.  One cold morning last week we had a panic when I couldn't get the stock to turn after I bolted on the shoe.  We found that the skeg had bent quite a few mm as there was lovely warm sun on one side, while the other side was frosty cool.  Once I hung a cover up and allowed the hot side to cool off, all was well.

So the rudder shaft is now in place, our stainless wizard Sam will turn up next week possibly and we will tack the frame of the rudder in place.  Hopefully nexct blog we will see a rudder hanging off the boat!

Bill has also fitted the door surrounds to the head and the forward cabin.  I am trying to follow up with varnish and paint in the weekends, with a little success.

Galley has arrived

The aft cabin has seen a little action, I removed the aft chainplate the other day. Just a bit of dry rot, so glad to be rid of it. We will add split backstays which will enable 2 radio aerials as well as allowing us to have a gate in the middle of the pushpit.

The poorly glassed over area on top of the shaft log got opened up and smoothed out. I cut grooves in the top with a grinder and then chiselled the rubbish out with a scewdriver. As we have come to expect, there were numerous holes and the overall standard of glassing was extremely poor. I poured thinned epoxy done the holes first, followed by several layers of thinned out microballoons. Bill is now building this area up so any water drains forward, and so we can glass over the top to create a nice clean finish.

The rudder post is becoming more and more real, I sourced a lump of 2" prop shaft off a friend and passed that to a machinist. They will mill a 32mm square on the top and ensure the finish off the shaft is good enough so the 2 lip seals on the rudder tube will work, without letting water in. I will be disappointed if this area leaks, to put it mildly.

So, the galley arrived! Bill has spent two days so far fitting it into the boat, as the manufacturer left excess on certain edges so we can soak up the exact shape of the space. I spent all weekend sealing with thin epoxy and varnish.

This shot is looking forward from the companionway and shows a little of the final finish. It is all solid wood (except panels which are ply) and has a very professional look to it. Worth the money I hope, the Chief has given her stamp of approval and specified stainless steel for the benchtops. The finished product will be good to use.

Head

It has been one of those periods where time seems to slow down, with seemingly little progress. We have finally finished the glassing of the hull, after waiting for unseasonal weather to move on. As we have decided to build a new rudder, I realised that I needed to buy the new propeller, so we can design the rudder around it. After getting recommendations from most of the leading manufacturers, the consensus was a 20 x 15" 3 bladed feathering prop. With the requirement for 20% of diameter as tip clearance, I needed to grind more of the aperture out to give 24", or 12" on each side of the stern tube. It was a surprisingly easy job and gave us another opportunity to admire the craftsmanship of the original builders (not!).

Inside the boat the head has been progressing well. This shot shows the painted area prior to final fitting of the front panel.

Then the vanity unit was attached and the inboard bulkhead was glued in place. I have been painting after work and in the weekends to try and keep ahead of Bill. The paint (InterProtect) is pretty smelly so we try not to work around it as it dries.

We have worked out the dimensions and position for the chart table, and Bill has fitted the first part - the top. We should be able to use full-sized charts, folded, which is ideal I think. The boat is beginning to lose that "large" feel!

The aft cabin is ready for grinding, which I will do when Bill has a couple of weeks on another job soon. Then one last bulkhead out and there will be no old boat left! Can't wait.

A little purchase last weekend, a rowing/sailing dinghy. Haven't had a chance to float it myself yet, maybe tomorrow. We will probably work out a system to attach a 2hp as well. I also need to get it up onto the boat somehow to ensure it fits on deck!