Lots of small things done but the temperatures have not been good enough to do the patching and filling on the transom skin. that is holding me up from leak testing and sealing the hull. Otherwise not much photo worthy except:
Scored a like new bow light on the Bay. It is used but looks almost new, and my old one was really bad. I'll try to take care of this one and wonder if Sharkhyde protects chrome? You can see from my front hatch that it needs some work to straighten it out.
And I modified the forward berth aluminum support to allow the front tank fill and gauge to to fit in the cabin. That width was just too small by about an inch. I will be enclosing the area between the berths above the tank at rear deck level, leaving about a 12 inch smaller foot well/sole area in the cabin, but I can live with that, and an access panel will be provided for the connectors and tank wiring. The fill hose and vent will be exiting at the port gunwale next to the cabin. You can see that the original location of the panel that was below the door has been moved about a foot forward. This, plus some added material, will be the new rear end of the foot well. You can also see the 3/4 x 1.5 aluminum tubing I will rivet along the rib ends. That combined with 3/4 instead of 1/2 decking will raise the deck 1 inch above the original level. The black line is the new deck height. The fore and aft stringers will be moved outboard to meet this new height, also providing enough width for the tanks. The flanged channel sitting on the tanks is going to be the forward deck support, bolted to the berth support metal at the right level. I know there is a slightly heated discussion going on elsewhere about raising decks, but this 1 inch should not be a problem. The Jackson Pollack paint in the bow is the result of pressure washing through several peeling layers. My wife was not pleased about the mosaic of paint chips in the gravel drive afterward, but we are resurfacing this spring. I still have to get after that area with stripper, and am not looking forward to it, though it will be covered with something eventually, so I won't get too anal about it.
And finally, I cut an access panel in the cabin bulkhead behind the steering console. These are both nearly done as far as cutting and fitting. This panel will greatly simplify access to the instruments and wiring, and I stole the idea from Gibbles, who stole it from someone else. The surrounding frame will be attached and painted to match the bulkhead, and the varnished teak panel will either be hinged or removable. The panels have been epoxied, and will be painted, probably some cream or off white color to be determined. The jury is still out for me about the Coosa Bluewater 20 board for this use. It is not porous, so will not absorb water or rot and is very light but the surface is not smooth, requiring some prep work beyond what would be OK for a good plywood panel. I will decide whether the extra cost was worth it later when I weigh the boat and think about the work involved after it is done. Coosa really is intended to be enclosed in a 'glas structure, not exposed.
Weather next week is back into the sub freezing range, so more inside work.
BTW, do any of you find you are carrying a pocketful of clecos and the pliers around all the time as you are working on the boat? The things are just so handy for design work temporary fastening, and are addictive to use.
Ron
