Diesel Tank

Well, I know it looks like just a deck with the center missing but it's more than that.  The shiny spot near the top is on the lid for the sanitary tank I finished a couple days ago.  Also, installed the forward two floor supports.  If any Spencer owners follow my blog you know that Spencer liked to put in bilge tanks.  They used the sides and bottom for the tank and just added ends and a top.  This ment if you got any water in the bilge, like .... da .... it's a boat .... , you would have to pump both fore and aft of the tank.  When I installed the sanitary tank I have it a double bottom so the bilge could drain aft.  Today, I cut the top of the diesel tank and spent the day with my head in the tank cutting out the bottom 3" of the fore and aft ends.  Tomorrow I'll glass in a double bottom for that tank as well.  Now my can flow from the chain locker drains all the way aft to the engine bilge.  One common bilge, one pump .... will probably two or three .... you know, multiple back up pumps.  .... electric, and 2 Gusher pumps

06/17 -- I finished the tank bottom.  Layed 5 layers of glass: 3 matte, 2 roving.  I've done cleaner lay-ups, but then, I wasn't doing it up side down with my head in the bottom of a tank breathing vapors.  It got a little hot and set up quicker than I expected.  There are a few wrinkes, but who's going to see it anyway?  Now I have to grind the lid I cut out and get it put back in place.

Fwd holding tank

08/11 -- Finished all the edge support for setting on the tank lid tomorrow. That will be the last time I can stand in the bottom of the tank. Of course, who'd want to after that. It's a black water tank. It has a double bottom so the bilge water can flow under it. The bilge is common from bow to stern.  --   9 yards of 18 oz roving cloth, 18 yards of 2 oz mat, and 4 gallons of resin.  Would have taken more if I had to build the sides.  They are the hull curve.

08/10 --- Completed the final lay-up of glass on the front and back wall. Cut and layed-up the lid on the work bench. It's a flat surface that I can cover with mold release. It should be hard enough to put in place tomorrow.

This week I'm working on completing the fwd bilge holding tank. This way I can fininsh the main salon floor supports and fasten down the cabin sole. Once the floor is fastened I can start with the cabin interior: galley, settees, dinette, nav station, aft berthing compartment

aft compartment floor

I decided that it's important to get all the floor supports, below floor tanks and cabin sole finished throughout the boat. Eventually, and hopefully not for a few months, it's going to rain again and I want the cabin closed up. I have a large hole on the stbd side for bringing in 4x8 sheets of plywood. By finishing up all the cabin sole and bulkhead I can close up the cabin sides and make the boat water tight. That being said, the last couple days I've been working long hours making, fitting, and installing the floor support in the aft cabin. (pics it follow) I've got the port side 50% finished and started the stbd side.

The hole in the middle is where my Perkins 4-107 engine and Borg Warner 71C transmission will mount up. Crew berth one on each side.

I know .... short attention span.  Look at the next post.  I did complete the floor supports, I just didn't get the sole layed down.

Shower time

I know one doesn't spend a large percentage of one's time in the shower but it still requires thought so it's attractive and of adequate size. Even a medium size sailboat has to have a shower. Did you ever watch the movie, "Capt Ron"? Here we have a 65ft boat and a shower no big enough to turn around in. Let a lone accomodate two people. (you never know) The last couple days I've been working on the shower stall and the hot water cabinet. A 10 gallon hot water storage tank goes on the shelf. It well be heated via heat exchanger in the diesel stove. Not quite ready to install but tomorrow I hope to fit in the bulkhead separating the shower from the rest of the compartment.

40 year old stantion bases

Today I bought a 12 ton hydraulic press to remove the stantions from the bases they've been in for 40 years. If I can press them out without breaking them I'll use them for the safety rails on the cabin roof. . . . . . Well, 6 of the 10 came out .... the other 4 broke. So much for using them on the cabin top. Oh well, back to my original idea of making all my won stantion bases. Fourteen for the cabin top and 18 or so for the deck, that's one every 5 ft plus the gates and pulpit and stern rail. Thirty-two in all including a couple spares. That's a lot of stantion bases !!!

Fwd Bulkheads

Four sheets of plywood ... two each side for double compartment bulkheads / mast support. I got the first one fit and installed. Sure hold the main bulkhead true. Getting these installed means great progress because now I can start enclosing smaller sections of this compartment. The right side of the picture will be the shower stall. Ya ... a shower on a boat that you can actually use.

Skippers Stateroom

I got tired of chiseling out the old rib in the overhead. Today I fit in the supports and plywood for my berth. Layed a towel on it and laid down. .... cool .... Tomorrow I just might spend the nite on the boat. May 7th .... my first night on the boat. All that's left for the main structure is the front support. I can do that tomorrow no sweat.

What a stack of insulation ! ! !

Went and picked up the insulation today. Forty 2x8 of 1-1/2 Dow DeckMate blue board. That should keep me warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Tomorrow I start cutting and fitting the first sheet. Got a really good deal because the supplier's had it for a long time and was more that glad to get rid of it. ..... There's plenty more if you need some to insulate your boat .... or what ever else it is you have.
I must have look pretty strange driving down the freeway with a 30 inch stack on the roof of my Jeep.

Work Progressing nicely

Picture on the left: Gluing the interior overhead ribs on the coach roof to get the proper bend.

Picture on the right: Installing the overhead ribs. Because of curing time I only set two at at time.

Well, after hitting myself in the head with a hammer a couple days ago, OUCH, while knocking out the old overhead ribs. I installed the first overhead rib in the fwd compartment. I know ... big deal ... well, to me it means progress. I've ordered the insulation and by next week I can start putting it in the overhead between the ribs.

Back, finally, from my trip to the far side of the US

Finally, after 6 weeks working, traveling, visiting family, I'm finally back home working on my boat. Great trip but really long. All in all Violet and I drove through 19 states not including California. We saw the Atlantic ocean, Big Horn Sheep, Prong Horn Antelope, Elk, and lots of snow.
So .... back to work ..... I missed my boat .... where did I leave off? Where do I start? Ok, let's get on track and finish the fwd berth and head. Sorry, no pics, 'cause all I'm doing is glassing in bulkheads; they look basically the same before I start and 8 hrs later when I'm finished for the day.