Tropical Storm Debby keeps dancing around us. It's been dark and cloudy for the past couple days with rain all around us on the radar, but never a drop until nightfall. It's been nice working under cloud cover.
Today there is 100% chance of rain, and a Torndado Watch.
I went to the boat this morning to inspect after last nights rain, hammered and banged on some stuff, then sealed it up tight for the coming storm.
And here we are at noon, the X in the tiny spec of rain-less gray.
Somehow it keeps missing us.
This week the cutlass bearing housing and packing gland were re-installed, and the engine was finally aligned and removed from the boat. Hallelujah we can finally get down to business.
Here is the stern tube exit, stripped of 5200, epoxy, and barrier coat. It's ready for the cutlass bearing to be re-installed.
Dry fit:
Old packing gland and shaft
Old gland removed. 5200 does not come off easily.
Cleaned and prepped and Dry fit:
The packing gland is installed. The engine was aligned and removed.
Now we can prep to install the cockpit hatch! First the leaky rotting drains had to be removed. They did not come out easily. The nuts were so rusted they had to be broken off.
The cockpit floor is 1/4 inch fiberglass with a wood core, and a thin layer of fiberglass beneath.
The fiberglass on the bottom is delaminated from the wood core and pops right off. It will be re-glassed with the new hatch lip. Whether or not we re-core has yet to be decided.
Here is the core from the other side. AJ removed the cross board beneath it.
The engine room is getting a makeover. Boards and panel walls are getting knocked out of their delaminated fiberglass tabbing. We will add new walls separating the cockpit seat lockers and engine bay.
We're removing the teak from the cockpit floor. I started drilling the teak plugs only to find there were no screws beneath them. So I started with the hammer and chisel.
In this area, the fiberglass was not fully saturated with resin when it was first built 43 years ago. The paint is stuck to dry feathery fiberglass. The screw holes are still there, unfilled.
We got caught in a quick rain storm early in the week, and got to inspect the cabin for leaking after having patched the holes from the trim screws. Water still comes in above this window. We wonder if it is leaking through the hand rail and draining down through the core of the cabin top to this spot. Further examination will tell..
Today there is 100% chance of rain, and a Torndado Watch.
I went to the boat this morning to inspect after last nights rain, hammered and banged on some stuff, then sealed it up tight for the coming storm.
And here we are at noon, the X in the tiny spec of rain-less gray.
Somehow it keeps missing us.
This week the cutlass bearing housing and packing gland were re-installed, and the engine was finally aligned and removed from the boat. Hallelujah we can finally get down to business.
Here is the stern tube exit, stripped of 5200, epoxy, and barrier coat. It's ready for the cutlass bearing to be re-installed.
Dry fit:
Old gland removed. 5200 does not come off easily.
Cleaned and prepped and Dry fit:
The packing gland is installed. The engine was aligned and removed.
Now we can prep to install the cockpit hatch! First the leaky rotting drains had to be removed. They did not come out easily. The nuts were so rusted they had to be broken off.
The cockpit floor is 1/4 inch fiberglass with a wood core, and a thin layer of fiberglass beneath.
The fiberglass on the bottom is delaminated from the wood core and pops right off. It will be re-glassed with the new hatch lip. Whether or not we re-core has yet to be decided.
Here is the core from the other side. AJ removed the cross board beneath it.
The engine room is getting a makeover. Boards and panel walls are getting knocked out of their delaminated fiberglass tabbing. We will add new walls separating the cockpit seat lockers and engine bay.
We're removing the teak from the cockpit floor. I started drilling the teak plugs only to find there were no screws beneath them. So I started with the hammer and chisel.
We got caught in a quick rain storm early in the week, and got to inspect the cabin for leaking after having patched the holes from the trim screws. Water still comes in above this window. We wonder if it is leaking through the hand rail and draining down through the core of the cabin top to this spot. Further examination will tell..
Its nice to be on the Lucky Side once in while. Here in Bradenton/Sarasota/Tampa Bay, we have caught the worst of Debby (so far). 10+ inches of rain in the last 48 hrs and the winds kicked up yesterday with gusts to 60mph. Nothing too exotic, but a few sailboats did drag anchors yesterday on Anna Maria Island and damaged the local tourist pier.....and themselves obviously.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are going amaizing work. I am impressed with the focus, dedication and tenacity........but I guess that come with being "properly motivated".
Good Luck,
Ken
s/v Ocean Gypsy
Bradenton, FL