New Cockpit Coaming

[w00dy]

We've been projecting  on our boat for a little more than a year now. She hasn't moved from her slip since November of 2012! But! We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, thankfully. Most of the major work is done and we are finishing lots of little odds and ends and preparing for much new paint/varnish. That last step always seems to make the most significant (and satisfying) transformation, in my mind.

Anyway, I'm feeling proud of our accomplishment, so I thought I would make a post about building our cockpit coaming.

Here is what our cockpit looked like to start:



Here is what it looked like after the demolition phase, sans rotten wood:



Here it is now:

l

A few months of work remain ahead of us. We still have to consolidate our tools, supplies, and belongings, sell my truck, and otherwise tie up the shore side details. God willing, we're going cruising this spring. Wish us luck.

There are a lot more pictures here, if you're interested: http://peanutbutterdiet.blogspot.com

[Tim]

Nice work !  And I do know how long a refit can take doing all yourself, my Ariel has been at the shop longer than yours has I guarantee. But it also is just about finished and could be relaunched at any time, and that feels good.

[CharlieJ]

Nice work for sure- and remember- these two sailors are living aboard full time while doing this. Has not been easy for them at times. They have my admiration :D

[w00dy]

Any plans on launching her this year, Tim? This could be the great sailing year you've been waiting for.

CJ, looking at that picture makes me so happy, you have no idea. The deck fairing phase took so long I thought I might grow old and die. I am simply ecstatic at being DONE with that.

[Tim]

Yes, I am hoping to have her wet this summer, but where I am just not sure.

The plan had been to drag her up to the Salish Sea because we have some unfinished cruising to do up there. But a new wrinkle is that because so much of the Inside Passage is basically windless with lots o tidal action and I am wanting to go up to southeast Alaska, it is looking like an additional stink-pot is in my future. Don't want to say too much yet, but it is still a "small boat" at 25'.

So the Ariel may end up SF Bay bound, where I use to keep her.

[CharlieJ]

 :D

I was looking for the one picture of you staring up through the huge opening over the head compartment, but can't find that one. Ah - found it on your blog
;D

Here's the comment from the blog-

"what the bathroom lacks in privacy it makes up for in view
JW has spent all the sunny days in the past few weeks, performing surgery on the deck above the head.  We enjoyed having a starry skylight above our toilet while he picked and chiseled his way through rotty and delaminated wood.  Eventually we were left with two large holes in the two plywood layers with staggered edges.  JW cut new plywood pieces, and kerfed the larger piece to get it to conform to the curve of our heavily cambered deck.  Today, I assisted while JW put everything together.  A good amount of epoxy thickened with microfibers was used to make it all whole.  Now the deck above the head is wood with some epoxy instead of epoxy with some wood."

;D ;D

[w00dy]

Nothing wrong with a stinkpot, Tim. Many "sailboats" are really motor boats with sails anyway.

I sure seem to have a knack for owning rotten boats. There are way too many pictures of me standing/sitting in piles of punky wood chips.