Esper Refit Week Eight - Finding Holes In The Deck And Moisture Metering

[demonboy]

Almost two months now since we've been hauled out and the moisture meter would suggest Esper's looking quite dry. However there's an odd little patch on the back of the boat that's causing some concern. I don't know if this has been retro-fitted or what, but we had to dig out quite a bit of filler, grind out the glass and make some quite major cosmetic repairs to a seemingly innocuous crack in the grp.

The crack, which ran vertically on the right, was ground out and filled, whilst the horizontal filled was removed and replaced.

The moisture meter is an interesting gizmo. We're using it more as a barometer rather than an absolute measure of the hull's moisture content. See the clip for more info and me trying to pronounce the word isophthalic.

We spent some time with the electrician this week and usefully for all of us we planned our circuits on paper for him to follow. What's more useful is that he speaks good English, so this is a project we can really collaborate on.

Detail showing the lighting plan for Esper

The head carpenter has pretty much finished the navigation area so he's spent the last week putting up the Formica in the galley. It's looking pretty shiny and tomatoey.

And if you're interested in seeing locals hard at work, here's a little clip of fishermen hauling their nets onto the dock before hauling their boat.




As usual we've put together a video clip summarising the work this week, which you can see here:
http://followtheboat.com/2014/03/30/esper-refit-week-8/

 

[ribrage]

she's going back together that has to be satisfying ! my old girl spent 40 years in cold wet weather , now she's in the sun the coach roof has dried out and shrunk back , dreading having it apart as its a lot of work , but nothing like what you are doing !

 

[demonboy]

she's going back together that has to be satisfying ! my old girl spent 40 years in cold wet weather , now she's in the sun the coach roof has dried out and shrunk back , dreading having it apart as its a lot of work , but nothing like what you are doing !

It's all relative, Ian. Under normal conditions just changing a filter fills me with frustration. I think the key here was preparation. We'd been planning this overhaul for months, and we did our research too, so little is coming as a surprise.

Today was quite interesting. The painters wanted to put the 545 primer on the topsides, a process that takes about three hours including drying. There were clouds all around but we were sitting in a sunny spot and the wind appeared to be blowing the clouds away. I spent an hour viewing their movement and, after initially saying 'no', told the head painter to go ahead. After getting his team ready for twenty minutes he went over to the expensive tins of paint and was about to open them when I changed my mind again and said "No! I think that cloud over there that's moving in the opposite direction to the wind is going to scupper everything. Let's wait till tomorrow." An hour later the heavens opened and as I write this, it's still raining now (the first proper rain in months).

One of the problems with refitting as the transitional period approaches.

 

[ribrage]

I guess your going to find that as may is rainy season isnt it ? I slapped paint on the (t) rusty old ketch a week ago and one port hole is damaged already thanks to yet another storm .... Remind me why i bother !