Although we are definitely not in our cubicles any more, some days have the same distinct emotions ... (remember the movie, Office Space?)
"Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles starring at computer screens all day filling out useless forms ... "
So, 10 days after the engine was lifted in, we are still waiting on engine parts to complete the install. More on that later. We have been staying busy with other projects. Linda has removed rust and polished the stern pulpit railings, while Chris has been ensuring the engine parts we are re-using are clean, de-scaled, and painted if necessary. All motor mounts have been replaced, and the support arms painted with POR-15, a rust preventative paint. The crew cabin sump pump has been re-installed, the manual bilge pump overhauled and mounted in its new location, and we finally got a chance to work on the mast boot.
The existing boot was an amalgam of caulk and silicone tape, which may have functioned at one point in time, but had seen better days. The daylight seen through the holes, and the water running down the mast box in the cabin let us know that this was a project to be tackled soon. We decided to use Spartite, since the mast was only supported by 3 wedges under the caulk and tape. Scraping off the old stuff was a pleasant day in the sunshine, and then, after slacking the stays, the mast coming through the deck was centered on the boat using the old boom vang as a block and tackle to control port-starboard position, and a line led to the primary winches to control forward-aft position.
The gap between the mast was plugged with foam insulation (think of pipe wrap), over which we used modeling clay to seal the entire gap from mast to deck collar. The deck collar and clay were then coated with Vaseline to allow everything to slip out in the future, and the
Spartite was mixed. The two parts formed a blue goop about the consistency of Karo syrup, and within fifteen minutes it had started to harden. It cured to a plastic about the hardness of a rollerblade wheel. We had surrounded the outside of the deck collar with a tape barrier, so the Spartite overlaps the collar, and water will have to move horizontally between the collar and plug to get in. We still plan to cover the plug with silicone tape as a UV barrier, but you should be able to see from the pictures that it is a much tidier installation.
The fold-down swim step had been causing some consternation upon attempts to re-install after painting, due in no small part to the fact that the hinges were bent, which prevented it from pivoting in a straight line when installed in a straight line. I wasn't looking forward to ponying up for new ΒΌ" thick stainless hinges even if the correct ones could be found, but Rob the welder came to the rescue, and was able to straighten them in his press, allowing for a passable installation.
The next major project to be finished was the master stateroom. After cutting out the center bulkhead, a pattern was made to allow a wood shop to form teak trim to cover the edge of the bulkhead, hereafter referred to as "the arch". The arch was delivered a few weeks ago, and Chris had been making small tweaks, trimming the ends to fit, trimming a bit more bulkhead where the arc didn't match exactly, routing a roundover on all the exposed edges. Yesterday Chris glued support blocks into place in the bulkhead, and today we countersunk holes and screwed the arch to the support blocks, as well as routing a recess in the bed platform for a cover over where the bulkhead used to be. Now all that is left is to finish sanding the area on the mast box and a piece of trim on the face of the bed platform, and we're ready for a real mattress!
We're really, really ready for a real mattress.
Cheers! (More pics posted in "Refit Round Two" Album.)