Winter projects

[Bob J (ex-misfits)]

The heater install came out looking really nice!

How did you finish the deck penetration for the flue?

[w00dy]

Dickinson has a proprietary deck fitting that I bought. After discussing the issue with one of their engineers, he reassured me that flue temperatures were not hot enough to require a water iron. The flue pipe is 3" diameter and so I cut a 5" diameter hole to give 1" air clearance around the pipe. On deck, there is an H-style charlie noble cap. I finished the underside of the deck with another stainless heat shield, backed by high temp insulating mineral board.

It was a pretty tedious project, with lots of complicating factors, but next winter I'm hopeful its worth will become apparent. Maybe we'll be able to stay on the hook instead of tying up at a marina for the winter months.

[Pegu Club]

Your heater install looks really good!

Nothing so glamorous here, just installed the Composting head, counting the days till we get launched :)

[Pegu Club]

A day at the boat where we achieved almost nothing :) started to do several tasks but were thwarted by wrong parts, a little to cold temps, and to many trips to harbor freight, and defender, must have angered the gods in some fashion or another :). Tomorrow we will try again, going to install LED bulbs among other things, wish me luck....

[w00dy]

Don't get too discouraged. It's always like that. It's rare that any job gets completed without at least one, and often many, side tracks and problems to be overcome. Winter temps make things tough too. Just be happy you're not living on your boat and have a separate space to work and store tools/materials :)

[Pegu Club]

As they say, ain't that the truth. :)

[CharlieJ]

 ;D
Replacing the entire deck and cockpit while you lived aboard got a TAD wearing eh?

Would for me too  ;D

Ya'll did great

[Pegu Club]

If the weather holds for this weekend we should be able to apply one or two applications of barrier coat, sure hope mother nature works with us, fingers crossed.

[Bob J (ex-misfits)]

If the weather holds for this weekend we should be able to apply one or two applications of barrier coat, sure hope mother nature works with us, fingers crossed.

Living dangerously? You'd be better to wait for stable weather when the night temps aren't dropping to 30. I know a few days of warm weather & I've thought of taking the cover off my boat but this time of year, I know better:)



r

[Pegu Club]

According to the weather reports it should stay warm enough, we will keep an eye on that though. Fingers crossed.

[Bob J (ex-misfits)]

Hope it works out for you brother!

[Pegu Club]

Not warm enough long enough, so we did some other things. Going to clean out water tanks today, install the new deck light bulb (LED sealed beam type) then wipe down the whole interior and vacuum up the detritus of the past projects. My girl has made new winch covers, and we are almost done putting new foam in the cushions covers. Still need to install the new chain plates, going to buy new hardware for that, did not want to use the thirty-eight year old nuts and bolts. Splash date is seven weeks away :).

[Pegu Club]

Up date time, work is progressing, the new chain plates are in, except for one, had to do a small bit of wet core removal and pump some west systems epoxy into a 4"x"4 area around the chain plate hole, waiting for it to to cure out then re-cut the hole for the last chain plate next weekend. We did a final tightening of all the deck hardware we rebedded, replaced the alternator belt and impeller, gave the interior a good wipe down with "Pure Ayre" sent remover, (stuff works real well) the old head system we removed had left a foul sent in our boat, it is finally altogether gone :) We have all but finished installing the water tank hoses to the sinks in the head and galley. Oh and we removed both of the cockpit and sink thru-hulls and seacocks, and have installed the new backing blocks for all four, the new thru-hulls and seacocks are going in over the next couple of weeks. The "Defender sale" is coming up and we will get a bunch of stuff for the must finish projects. SPLASH is on schedule for April 29th. Hope all is well for all of you!

[w00dy]

Glad to hear things are coming along on your end. The month will be over before you know it.

Spring is here! Or mostly....we sat out a full gale today in Manteo and along with catching up on sleeping and eating, I finally got to test run our new diesel heater. I'm typing this from our (very) toasty cabin while the north wind blows 20 outside and the temps are in the low 40's.

Weather tower at Manteo


Mona at the free dock


It ain't all fun and games out here. Got woken up at 0430 as the norther blew in and pinned our boat to the dock. Took us almost two hours of fussing in the cold, rain, and 40 kt winds to get her pulled far enough off so she wasn't smashing into the pilings. We had to cobble together several lines and long anchor rode and float it downwind from a dock more than 100' to windward of our boat. After much trial and error, we succeeded in getting the line over, only for me to fumble and drop it into the water, straight from my numb fingers. Much cursing ensued and we had to repeat the operation, this time with a little more precision.

Hold on tight to those lines, folks.

[ralay]

Having chainplates on the hull can be heck with a tall dock.  As that norther blew the water out of the harbor, our rail dropped below the fixed dock.  Our shrouds would have sawed that dock to pieces as the boat heeled if we couldn't have got her off.  Having lots of line (floating and otherwise) and an electric windlass saved the day.  Woody and I hauling on that line meant nothing in 40+ kt gusts.  We're blocking on of the marina fairways, but I'm pretty sure that daysailing catamaran wasn't taking anyone out on a day like today.  If we want those 20 kt SW winds, we've got to take what comes after em. 

I like the simple boat life and all, but I was reflecting tonight that our boat is a lot more comfortable after spending the winter doing some projects not directly related to seaworthiness.  With our second solar panel, we're easily getting 7A when the sun is up.  For just our lights, LPG solenoid, and chartplotter/radio, this is more than enough.  Our alternator isn't working, but the batteries are still getting charged.  I was skeptical about the heater since it consumed most of Woody's time this winter, but it's pretty freakin nice in here.  No smell that I can detect.  Just lots of heat and pleasant flickering atmosphere.  I have my socks off.  I made a curtain to partition off the head and V berth, which helps it stay extra toasty here in the main cabin.  I haven't finished my galley project, yet, but that's been nice as well.  It was so rotten and gross and it's so clean and nice that I rebuilt the area around the sink, built a new cabinet, and redid the counters.  I'll post pictures when I ever get it all painted, trimmed, and looking sharp.  Anyways, those were three projects we thought weren't strictly necessary, but it sure is nice in here tonight.  I'm feeling happy about how we spent our time. 

I have so many more things I'd like to work on this summer, but we won't have any 110V for powertools at a mooring.  I'll need to make sewing friends who'll let me lug my machine over. 

[CharlieJ]

Been in Manteo-Good grocery about 5 blocks away. Enjoy amigo

[CharlieJ]

[  I'll need to make sewing friends who'll let me lug my machine over.

Rach- knowing you gal, that should be no problem at all  ;D

[CharlieJ]

Oh, and I have internet back after almost two weeks !!

[w00dy]

Congrats on that. We're headed north today - should make Norfolk on Friday. Hope everyone is finishing up and getting out on the water soon!

[Pegu Club]

Woody thats a darn nice looking boat, what is she?
Glad to here your fingers are working after the excitement, :)