Lifting the foredeck

[EastCoastChris]

Well despite the tea drinking, I have a bit more progress to report. This is just a temporary dry fit of the iroko which is deliberately left wide aft of the gap where the bowsprit sits. I couldn't get any iroko 14" wide so this piece is made from two planks. (Not ideal, but it did make planing the deck curve on the underside much easier)

Tomorrow I will be trimming the aft part to size as a good flat solid base for the bowsprit to sit on and also routing out a rebate underneath to overlap the ply deck patch. Once this is done I'll know what dimensions my patch needs to be and I can get that cut.

Chris

 

[EastCoastChris]

Well today didn't go quite to plan. The rain spoilt Plan A and Plan B seemed to involve lots of effort and time cutting odd angles on bits of wood but not actually having much to show for it at the end of the day.

However on a bighter note, that dusty 35mm x 200mm x 2m bit of planed Iroko I paid £18 for has turned out to be not iroko at all. It's teak!!

Chris

 

[EastCoastChris]

One of those good days today where things came together and I'm feeling quite proud of my efforts.

The stem fitting is now against solid wood and (amazingly) the new wood fits well and there are no voids behind, it's all good flat solid contact.

Very pleased

Chris

 

[EastCoastChris]

Another little update, apologies for the obstructed photo. Here's a dry test fit of everything back in place taken yesterday

All seems to fit pretty well (given the "quality" of my woodwork! ), so it's time for some sanding and epoxy and glass and epoxy and sanding and more sanding and making good before relaying the teak on top.

Chris

 

[donncha]

That is a very nice job, just read the whole progress from the start there. Wish you had been the previous owner of my boat.

Well done.

 

[EastCoastChris]

That is a very nice job, just read the whole progress from the start there. Wish you had been the previous owner of my boat.

Well done.

It's very kind of you to say that

It's by no means a professional job but if I manage to finish it up so it doesn't look too ham fisted and I get a few seasons sailing before I need to think about the deck again I'll be pleased.

Chris

 

[EastCoastChris]

Almost there now (Well almost almost )

The ply deck patch has been epoxied in place, the joints glass taped and then the deck epoxied and faired.

The iroko has then been stuck/sealed with sikaflex and screwed down.

After a clean and tidy up, it will soon be time to cut the teak

Chris

 

[EastCoastChris]

A little more progress to report, it's surprising how much time trying to get it right takes!!

The new samson post is fitted and the bowsprit bolted back in place with A4 stainless bolts this time round rather than the old galvanised coach bolts that rotted. All bedded on Sikaflex to give a good seal and a bit of shock damping.

Rather than a dodgy offcut of decking, panel pinned over a void, I now have well fitting solid teak and iroko screwed and sikaflexed in place. (The teak wedge filling the slot where the stem head fitting comes through the bowsprit still needs trimming flush.)

A photo of the underside of the ply patch in the fore cabin showing the backing pieces epoxied and screwed.

A first coat of Primocon below the waterline too.

Really starting to feel like she's getting close to being back in the water now

Chris

 

[EastCoastChris]

For those who've been kind enough to show some interest, things are getting there:

The teak cut and dry fitted...

I've opted to put things back as they were. The ply is epoxied and glassed beneath the teak so it's all cosmetic frippery. If I was doing the deck from scratch I'd do the job margin boards and king plank as it should be, but given that things are all a bit DIY already and I'd quite like to go sailing, I've put things back how they were, but with the advantages of the epoxy underneath.

Everything got a coat of Saba Primer S1 and stuck down with Sealtack 751...

On a separate front, the fairing block for the transducer (Raymarine/Airmar B744V) has been Sika'd into place and the transducer fitted. In addition to the transducer there are two A4 stainless bolts running through the fairing block and the backing block on the inside of the hull, making for a very solid assembly.

Got the second coat of Primocon onto the hull too (and keel/bilge plates).

Need a beer now! :mrgreen:

Chris

 

[chrishelen]

It looks like a very neat job,well done.

 

[oldsaltoz]

Good going Chris.

 

[EastCoastChris]

Thanks guys, it's looking better than I feared it might!

C.

 

[EastCoastChris]

A bit more progress to report, should be in just in time for the end of the season

The teak was left weighed down for a week to allow the Sealtack to cure fully. Then there was plenty of sanding to get the new teak levelled smoothly with the original stuff.

I then masked everything up in preparation for applying the SealOne Fast caulking to the seams. I'd read this made for easier application and clean up. The theory is it can be peeled up after application before the sealant cures. DON'T DO IT!! It was worse than a total waste of time. The advantages are fiction and it caused more problems than it solved. I found removing the tape was more likely to damage the fresh seam and pull out the soft sealant. I had to leave it to cure with the tape in place and then the tape fouled the use of a sharp chisel to trim things up. The seams I had to re do without tape were very easy to trim and clean.

Here's an overview of the re-laid deck, not perfect but I'm pretty pleased with it. It should blend in really well once it gets the Coelan finish on. It was tricky trying to fit in with the teak that was already in place with the variable seam widths etc.

I'm very pleased with the seams on the areas away from the original teak where I was able to have more control over the spacing.

Progress elsewhere...

The hull has been rubbed down and filled or fettled as required. (That's the other half lending a hand )

Two coats of Pre-Kote have been applied in preparation for the final Toplac finish coats.

 

[Clarky]

Looks nice, smaller version of mine..

 

[EastCoastChris]

Been busy with the brushes. Painting and antifouling is now finished and she's booked to go in the water again next Saturday morning!

Just hope the weather is nice to me so I can get the Coelan on the deck before then. (No great worry if I have to do it after launch, just would be easier to do some bit's on dry land).

Yours truly looking pleased with himself in the second pic

Chris

 

[EastCoastChris]

Well, the big day has been and gone, how did it go?

Nervous moments as she's picked up by the lifting cradle...




Heading down the slip way....




Into the water....




Reversing out into the creek (I'm on deck, I got someone who knows what he's doing to helm this first trip to her new berth, now was not the time for me to be having my first ever long keel reversing experiment!)




Settled into her new home (the boat to port is an Albert Strange canoe yawl, so she's keeping good company)...




Very relieved to report that all the repairs and replaced skin fittings etc all appeared watertight. A little seepage around the keelson, but much much less than I was expecting. I appreciate there are no pics of the foredeck repair, I'm saving those till I've finished the Coelan etc. Just really pleased to have her back where she belongs

Chris