Finishing the hull part of the rudder modificaiton

So, after cutting a big gaping hole in the bottom of the boat and cutting the rudder in half ... I started rebuilding the tail end of the hull.

Lots of filler inside the trailing edge of the rudder cavity and lots and lots and lots of layers of glass to build up the thickness.  The lower point is over an inch thick.

All faired out and painted barrier Interlux 2000e barrier coat.

When you put stuff off it eventually still needs doing

Two of the systems I've left until now are the keel and the rudder.  My plan was to simply drop the keel and re-seal the surface.  ... sigh ...  not the case.  I know when I got the boat that it had one broken bolt.  Now, after closer examination it has at least 4 broken bolts.  Sistering up the bolts is totally impossible, besides, it's just plan bad engineering.  With a little research on google I've found the only two places in North America that even work on keels.  Both quote me over $10K for replacing the bolts.  This of course included shipping.
So, plan be.  Do what I'm good at.  Do it myself.  I've decided to wrap the keel with unidirectional fiberglass and epoxy.  First step after measure off the area ...  slow grind to remove the gelcoat on the overlap area and the lead keel.  Next, pre-cut all the unidirectional strips.  Then talk your friend into helping you.  He worked on one side while I worked on the other.

Ok, ya, I said two systems.  The rudder ... well, at least I don't have to send it anywhere but I still have to figure out how to get the dumb thing off.  It needs a total rebuild.  Maybe I'll just take a chainsaw to it, cut a gaping hole in the stern and start over.  Hey, now that's not a bad idea.
I ran across this article about another Spencer 42 owner who did a major rudder modification.  I can just copy what they did.

WOW, where's my boat really been all her life?

Before I even set up this blog a few years ago I established an email with the boat's name.  All the were all suppose to be forwarded to my main account.  OOPS ... either I forgot to set up mail forwarding or ... who knows or at this point even cares.  Anyway, today I was looking into setting up a new blog account and needed to verify the chasingsummer.s42 email account.  Hmmmm ... I can't get into it ... oh oops, I was trying chasingsummer without the s42.  Anyway, long story short I finally got into the account and found 6 wonderful emails that blog viewers, like you, had written to me from the "Contact Me" page link.

One of these emails was from the original owner of the boat, Lt Martin.  That's all that was listed on the Spencer Owner's website.  He had followed for a while but since the current owner hadn't kept up on the Spencer site he'd lost touch with the boat.  The following is the email that he sent me.  It fills in all the gaps from: oh, some one bought a boat to 30 years later when I found her abandon in a boat yard in Oceanside, CA.

Portlights are finally set in place

Way back, almost a year ago August I went about glassing in place the double thick backerboards for the later to be installed portlights from Newfound Metal.  I hadn't even purchased them yet.  They sent me a template drawing, which I used to lay out and accurately place the backer boards.

In January I recieved the portlights ... 10 of them ... six 7 x 15 inch and four 5 x 12 inch.  So, they just sat in the boxes until this week.

After watching their installation video several times and reading the installation instructions, I developed the best way to lay out and set mine in place.  Not having the metal template, which for a rental fee you can borrow from them, I developed my own way to use the beauty ring as a template by making points on bolts, drilling one index hole, then BANGING the other points to make drill marks.

After drilling small holes I set the ring on the cabin side and traced out the pattern.  Next, using a die grinder with a burr for the corners and 4-1/2 inch angle grinder with a diamond blade for the straight sections.

After I had cut a smooth surface on the fiberglass I used a router bit ... a very long router bit, with bearings at both ends of the cutting blades, to route out the wood from the backer boards.

Next, I fit in the Portlights.  Aren't they purrrrdy ???

 

Sanding her bottom ... ouchie ... no, the boat ! ! !

Earlier this week, since it's cool in mornings and evening I started sanding on the bottom of the boat.  I started with my 6" random orbit sander with 40 grit paper ... ya right ... like I have another 3 years to finish this project and 500 discs.  So I went to Harbor Freight, only because they sell cheap tools, and bought a 7" grinder.  If you're only going to use a tool for one job why pay out the nose for top of the line?  Have you ever sanded a with a 7" grinder before ??? me, neither.  It turns at 7800 rpm.  The disc flew off like a frisbee!  I called Oceanside Marine Center and discussed my dilema with their shop expert.  His simple reply, "dude, it's spinning way to fast.  To sand you need something that spins in the 600 rpm range."  Who would know?  It didn't say that on the box and I've never been to sanding school.  So, I returned it.  My neighbor had bought a 7" variable speed sander to work on surfboard.  Like me, completely wrong tool for the job.  I bought his 7" sander and he went an bought a 4" random orbit.  Two problems solved :-)

 

This is going to be really easy.  I should be done in a day or two :-)

 

My arms after 10 minutes :-(

 

 

 

There ... finally after nine days I have "naked boat".

After a few days break I'll start sanding out the gelcoat cracks and tiny pits.

May as well now that I have Popeye arms.

 





Fwd Vent Boxes & Hatch

When I first built the vent boxes and set them on the cabin top it became quite clear that the fwd boxes and the hatch cover were going to occupy the same space.  Hmmm... can't have that.

 

So ... I decided to raise the top of the hatch about 4 inches.  The sides angle in so the added height would give me more space between the hatch lid and the vent box.  Also, in doing this I can build a new cover with straigher sides than the old one.

With the wood glassed in place from the inside and 2 layers of glass sealing it it's time to glass in the outside and make it look original.

 

There ... the vent boxes are tacked in place and the hatch extention is ready to grind smooth.

Now, wash the deck down so the glass dust doesn't start another fire ! ! !

Next week I'll finish sand and lay down a layer of InterProtect 2000 barrier coat.

 

Ventilation Boxes

If you scroll down  many months ago to previous posts you can see when I made the ventilation boxes.  Last weekend I sanded off the paint and gelcoat in the area around where the boxes go.
Today I cut all the pieces of mat and cloth and got the aft two boxes glassed in place.  Tomorrow I'll glass on the middle two.  The fwd two will be more involved because they are very close the the fwd hatch and I'll need to raise the hatch edge so the lid doesn't hit the vent boxes.

1-1/2 oz mat / 10 oz cloth / 1-1/2 mat

Perkins 4-107/108 & Borg Warner Velvet Drive pdf files

Perkins 4-107/108 & Borg Warner Velvet Drive pdf files

Working on Sails

The last several days, well, ever since I got the main sail for the boat I've been working on two smaller sails.  The main needs to be re-stitched so I'm practicing sewing on the older sails.  They both had heavy cable edges and I'm removing it and putting soft rope.  Then I'm re-inforcing the grommets where you fasten the sail.

Well, now that I have the sail finished I'm going to need a new sail bag to store it in.

This is me making the sail bag.  Once I start sewing more for the boat I'll build a big table for my machine.  For now this little table works just fine.

Not bad for my first sail bag, huh

Kemp Boom

04/04/2014 ... 8 months ago I choose today for lauch day ... clearly that's not happening, but it was a very special day for the boat.  I went to San Diego and picked the boom for the mast.  I spent the late afternoon fitting the gooseneck fitting.  I know, it's still all laying horizontal but at least it's together.  It's a Kemp Boom with a single line reefing system for 3 reefing points.
Thanks Rig Works of San Diego.

Engine Day

Thursday, March 03, 2014 ... the little Perkins, that I've had for over 5 years, rebuilt over a year ago, finally rests on the mounting blocks in it's new home aboard Chasing Summer.  What an event, a milestone, to get Lil Perk where she belongs.
A big thank you goes out to Choice Nursery for the crane.

All hooked up and ready to lift

 



Sure hope that strap I sewed doesn't break :-(

Ok ... easy does it  ... down ... down ... down ...

Keep it coming ... just a little bit more

There she is :-) ... let's get 'er unhooked

 

Isn't she purdy :-)

Transmission

A year ago I rebuilt my Perkins 4-107 engine complete with new sleeves and pistons.  She run like brand new.  Poor ole rusty Borg Warner transmission has been sitting beside it for yet another year.  It's time to get it also rebuilt and get the power plant on board the boat.  Early last week I called Stewart Marine in Seattle for rebuild parts.  Not having cracked the casing open yet I didn't know the condition of the reversing plates.  Would they have to be replaced, too, which is normal not due to using them but from not using them.  The teeth wear from not using them.  ...  Great news :-) when I opened the case, after at least 25 years of idleness, the inside looked as if were brand new.  All the clutch plates were in perfect condition.  A tiny hase of rust on the inside top of the case but other than that ....
After removing all the parts I've been cleaning up the outside of the case, which wasn't "like new" at all.  There was no paint left on it.  There was no scale but was covered with rust.  The lighter parts i could wire wheel at the polisher.  I got a container of CLR and let the parts soak for a spell, then I put them in a heavy duty degrease to clean them.  After washing and carefully drying ... I'm ready for the first coat of self-etching primer.  ...  It's been cool and raining so I brought the casing in the motorhome, stood it up in front of my little heater to completely dry out the metal and keep it warm.
Yesterday was paint day.  ...  Oh, what's it standing on?  I needed to paint both the top and bottom so I stood it on a length of pipe with a couple in the middle for support.  Hope it doesn't tip over.  Hey, my new welding table works pretty good.

 

Welding Table

Early on in the boat project I borrowed a small TIG welder from a friend of mine to do the stainless steel work on the boat.  Last year during one of my welding sessions it gave up the ghost.  I still had work to do and it did belong to my friend so I bought another one ... naturally, a little bit bigger.  It worked well ... ok, it got the job done.  If you know anything about TIG machines, which I'm sure most of you do not, I wasn't happy with the way the argon gas was controled.  Periodically I look on Craig's List for a proper welder.  A few weeks ago I found just the welder I needed ... and at a price I could afford.  Most of the small portable machines are now incorporating A/C for doing aluminum so people are getting rid of machines that only do D/C.  I only need D/C.  My new machine is a Lincoln V200-T ... with pulse.  WOW, what a difference from the scratch start Harbor Frieght maching I learned on.  You simply press the foot peddle and the fire just jumps across ! ! !  Thanks to Arc Zone, https://www.arc-zone.com/ I got one of their trade-in foot peddles at a greatly reduced cost. Anyway, with a new welder naturally I needed a new work station. Here it is.

Bilge Pumps

Many years ago Whale Pumps upgraded their Gusher 25 pump.  I like the old model better ... and there were 6 of them at Minnie's Yacht Salvage ... at a really good price.  So, I bought 3 of them.  Two to install and one for a spare.  They looked pretty raged so my friend at Vista Brake glass bead blasted them for me.  Then I sprayed a coat of etching primer on them.  The final coat will be red so they will stand out.  They will be plumbed so I can use either or both pumps to pump the tanks or the bilge.

Cockpit Seat Locker

I've been planning this job for a couple years now.  There's a lot of wasted space under the cockpit seat.  I didn't want to do it during the rainy season so I've been putting it off.  Last year I even marked out where the lift-up was to be located.  Well, today's the day.  What do you think?

Now to get the bottom and sides glassed in so it's completely water tight. You hear stories of boats that took waves and the boats were flooded thru the cockpit lockers.

Next step is to make a lip with a water removal channels that the lid will rest on.  Here's the mold.  This is the second mold.  I wasn't happy with the way the first one turned out.  Remember, the mold is upside down.



Newfound Metal Portlights

Today the porlights from Newfound Metal arrived.  There will be 10 total.  Six large ones and four smaller ones.  Aren't they pretty?

Finally ... painting

It's the dawn of a new year ... ok, all I really did was tear another page off the calendar ... well, not really I don't have a paper calendar.

I'm ready to lay down the first coat of InterLux 2000 barrier epoxy paint.

No more raw glass or patches ... she's all one color ... isn't she purrrdy ???

Diesel stove vent pipe & Mast step

Hooray ... the vent pipes for my Sig Marine diesel stove came today.  That means another hole in the cabin top.  What's that make 7 now?  ...  yup  Hope I don't have to many more to cut.  That means one more hole to keep out the sea. 

Before I can cut the hole, though, I need to make a level place for the stack to sit.

 

Now, just fair, sand, cover with 5 layers of glass and I'm ready to cut the hole.

 

Just one more job on deck before I'm ready to start finish sanding and put down the barrier coat of epoxy paint.  I want to re-enforce the deck area where the mast step rests.



There ... all ready to finish grinding and sanding the cabin top.

More about the Dorade Vent Boxes

Let's see ... where did I leave off ... oh ya ... now it's time to make the vent tubes.  Again, you can't just run to the store so we'll be making them.  I need a 4.6 inch inside diameter tube so the cowl attachment ring will fit inside.  The closest thing I can find is 4 inch PVC pipe.  So, I bought a roll of brown floor covering paper and wrapped the PVC until it got to 4.6 inches, then I tacked the edge down with 3M-77 spray adhesive.  ... but resin will be absorbed by the paper ... ok, let's spray the paper with PVA mold release ... about 5 coats.

Sorry, I don't have a picture of the tube once the paper and PVC was removed from inside.
Here's how it all goes together, though.  I cut a hole in the cabin top, glass the tube through the hole, and set the vent box over the hole ... well, kinda ... there's a little more to it than that but that's the general idea.

There ... now just do this 6 more times.

November update

So ... a lot has gone on in the last 2 months.  The days are shorter so there are less hours to work but it's also cooler so I've gone back to grinding on the topside.  I can work in the sun without sweating too much.
First order of business was making 6 dorade vent boxes for cabin ventilation.  There's the theory behind the dorade vent box.

As you can see the RED is the airflow and the BLUE is any water that may be mixed with the air.  By changing direction the water drops out, then drain out small holes in the corner of the box.  Fresh air, water free air enters the boat.
My boat, being 42 feet should have 6 fresh air vents.  So, let's just go the the store and buy them ... ya right.  Ok, then let's make them.  Hmmm, out of what?  Well, the rest of the boat is fiberglass so why not out of fiberglass?
First, I made a "plug" of what I want the box to look like.
picture of plug
Next, after 10 coats of Carnauba wax and 3 coats of PVA (mold release) over top of the plug, I layed up 5 or so coats of alternating fiberglass cloth and mat.  Actually I made the plug and mold several months earlier.  By now the mold is well cured.  Really, I was just putting off making them.
Each box take about an hour and a half to lay up and has to cure over nite before coming out of the mold.

Once pulled from the edges get trimmed, a hole gets cut in the top, and it gets fit to the cabin top
Here's the fist one out of the mold.  No, it's not going there.  I just wanted to see what it would look like with the cowl on it.

Here they are all set in their relative position.

I still have to make all the tubes.  One for the box and one that goes through the cabin top.

I enjoyed a very nice Thanksgiving visiting my daughter, son-in-law and my 2 grandkids.