Post-Flip Progress: Anchor Well and Portlights

The euphoria of the boat re-flip quickly gave way to the sound of epoxy mixing in my cup.  I've mixed up so much epoxy lately I had to make another run to the Marine Store to get another gallon or so to continue (and maybe finish) the build.  As an aside, I'm glad I don't have to worry about the MAS epoxy problem.  I liked MAS and got used to them, but I can't complain about the immediacy of the West System and the ability to use pumps again.

I've finished the spars -- here they are, from top to bottom: boom, gaff, bowsprit, and mast.  These each have a 2-3 coats of epoxy and will wait a few days before getting sanded then varnished. Notice the color of the bowsprit, carved out of Douglas fir.  I remember someone writing that Douglas fir would cure yellow but that's not the case here.  It's a beautiful tan that will go really well with the sails and white topsides.  It's going to look great!

 

One thing that won't look so great is the mast.  Awhile ago, I got some blue paint on my roller handle and replaced it with a new roller.  However, I couldn't find the new roller post-flip so I used to the old one.  Unbeknownst to me until I tried to turn the mast, some of the epoxy got into the blue paint on the handle and then onto my gloved hand.  My epoxy gloves are blue.  You see the problem here.  So now I have blue finger and hand prints in some places along the length of the mast.  The paint issues are officially into silly territory.

I also tried to find the patterns for the tabernacle and companionway.  After a long while of searching (really over several days) I've only come up with the tabernacle side and the already-cut companionway sides.  I wrote CLC and am at their mercy.  A test fit of the tabernacle clearly shows I'll need to make this removable.  I then measured up the gallows poles and that, too, must be removable.

One thing I've been able to do is get the epoxy down in the cockpit except the footwell.  I still can't enter the boat because it's not fully secure but I can reach in and do what I can.  One area I can reach is the anchor well.  I noticed that I left the top half of the anchor well aft wall not well 'glassed.  I'm not sure why -- probably figured I'd get to it on the re-flip some day, which is now.  There's evidence of 6oz 'glass along the bottom and a single strand along the middle but nothing that goes top to bottom.  So I dug out the thicker 'glass and layered up three columns of 6oz 'glass in this highly loaded space.

This will cure and now be much stronger.

The never-ending epoxy application isn't picture worthy.  The topsides and the cockpit seating areas are done, but not an area about one foot wide that runs amidship from the cabin roof / deck to the back of the boat, including the footwell.  Once the last layer of epoxy cures, I'll be able to strap the boat onto the trailer as it's meant to be.  The straps plus the shims on the bunk will support my weight as I enter the boat and do what I need to do.

But one thing that doesn't need support are the portlights.  With all epoxy layers down and rubrails treated on the port side, I could cut these out and test fit the Vetus 51's I bought those many moons ago.  As a reminder, the portlights (really deadlights) that come with the kit are 6 inches wide.  The kit helpfully comes with these circles partly cut out.  I wanted something a bit more fancy and more importantly wanted to be able to "open the windows" so I upgraded to the Vetus system.  But since they are only 5 inches across, I had to epoxy the circles and cut out a smaller hole.  This was long-expected.

When I went to measure up 5 inches for the portlights within these circles, I found myself just a bit off in any random direction.  Thinking -- what do I have that's also 5 inches across and a circle?  Just the hundreds of sanding discs for my random orbital, that's all.

I fished out a new one and laid this across the circle and it was a perfect, perfect match.  I then found a small screw and centered that on the disc and punched a hole into the wood.  With the center marked, I drilled a small hole and followed up with the most evil piece of hardware I own:  the circular blade.

The garage smoked so much I had to open the door to let it out.  I also had to pause every now and then to let the very real fire risk subside but it eventually cut through to the other side.  When the circle fell away, I had my first view inside the cabin in several years.  This was a fun little moment.

And the whole point was to get these portlights cut -- great success!

There was some scarring damage to the wood and the last little bit for both circles tore away the 'glass from the other side.  That means a little cosmetic assistance when I get back in the cabin.  But these look great and I'm looking forward to installing them some day soon.