IT'S ALIVE

OFFICIALLY

 

September 25, 2012 after over 3 years of being dormant my Perkins 4-107 came back to life.

 

..... check it out .....

 

Isn't that the coolest engine you ever heard?

Under the cabin aft deck

Before I can glass in the bulhead between the navigation station and the work shop, which used to be the stbd aft berth, I need to finish stripping out the old wood and glass in new support beams and deck support between them in the aft section of the boat between the cabin and the cockpit.  I had put the first heavy beam, which supports the aft edge of the cabin top, several months ago but had not removed any more old wood.  The last few days I've ground out all the rotted, termite infested plywood and gotten ready to put in new wood.  It's been quite hot so I only worked in the morning and evening.  I got #2 beam laminated and ready to install and prepped the plywood sheet between #1 & #2 beams.  This evening glassed in the plywood sheet.  Once I put in the #2 beam I can insulate the plywood sheet.  Every piece of insulation I install makes the boat that more temperature stable.  If I can keep the heat of the sun out in the summer or keep the warm in in the winter the more comfortable the boat will be for a life time of cruising.

The wide beam in the upper left corner is a main beam at the end of the cabin and under the hatch.
The light color wood is new.  I'm prep-ing the lighter section just aft of the new wood.  It has to have the old plywood ground out, the fiberglass sanded, then I'll glass in a new piece of plywood and another beam.  I've got two more beams to make and install.  The aft bulkhead is just fwd of the steering cables and the cockpit.
This picture is taken standing as low as I can get in the bilge looking up and aft.

Two more bulkheads

Friday I fit in the bulkhead to seperate what was going to be between the starboard quarter berth and the navigation center.  After measuring I've shortened up the quarter berth into a work shop.  Don't know where that 4th crew member will sleep.  Oh well, with one person always on watch I'll only ever need 3 berths.

Yesterday, with a little help from a friend, wow, some one should write a song with that title, I glassed over the Starboard side port light plugs, which I set in place last year.  Remember, last February I glassed over the Port side before I put in the galley bulkheads.

Today after a very good, 0730am church sevice I spent most of the rest of the day fitting in the bulkhead between the navigation center and the starboard settee.  Tomorrow I'll glass in that bulkhead as I need to access the after area with overhead beams before I glass that one in place.  ...  That's my next project: finishing up the overhead beams under the after deck, behind the ladder.  I have 4  beams to glue up and fit in place.  Then, put plywood against the hull because of the large deck area.