What boat projects are you working on?

[GeoffSchultz]

Since spring is definitely in the air and thoughts are turning to boating, I was wondering what boat projects people were undertaking?

Use this thread to post quick notes about what you're working on.

-- Geoff

[GeoffSchultz]

I'll start things off:

Today I've been researching what 2 part polyurethane spray foam to use on my refrigeration hatches. I lost the link to the one that I wanted, but ended up finding an even better product (R 7.7). Got that ordered from http://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=9149

Researched ultrasonic liquid sender gauges for the holding tank. Decided on one from http://usmarineproducts.com/osc/index.p ... lter_id=18

I've been researching RO pressure vessels so that I can add another membrane onto my water maker system and increase production to about 35-37 GPH.

Trying to get quotes to ship BlueJacket from Milwaukee to the Sea of Cortez via truck. Picking my jaw off of the floor after the first one came back.

-- Geoff

[jdpandlp]

The winter project of replacing the four fixed portlights on a 39 Express (White Wings) was just completed because one of the materials I used required at least 55 degrees. Usually not a problem in Gloucester VA but this year was not usual in any sense of the word. I used 1/4 plexi held in place with 1/2 wide UHB tape. The 1/2 tape leaves about 1/2 to 5/8 width for the Dow Corning 795 which I used for glazing. Tell you I five years how good the materials hold up. To proper atribute I took the basics from an article on "World Cruising and Sailing Forum"

The hardest part of the job was filling and fairing the bed for the tape and glazing as at some point before me the windows had been replace by using 5200 and about 40 screws per window. As 5200 does not stick to plexi very well and every screw had stress cracks from expansion stress I can surely say that that methods is not the best I have seen.

[Michel]

I am preparing the installation of a Hydrovane on my boat. I have cast a solid fiberglass and polyester resin 6" / 15 cm oval filler block to get the vane a bit further aft of the transom. Because of the heat build-up I had to do the casting in four turns. The block became quite heavy; 5.5kgs / 12 lbs. It still has to be drilled, faired, filled and painted white.

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[GeoffSchultz]

Yesterday we went down to the boat and removed the cover and frame & then re-installed pieces of equipment that had to be removed for the cover. Then I washed the deck (boy was she dirty) and the hull in preparation for applying AwlCare. It really was a beautiful day, with highs in the upper 60s. We had lunch on an outside patio (their 1st day serving outside) which was the same place that we had lunch last year (on their last patio day) when we put the cover on. There seems to be a pattern here!

Today we (or just me) are headed back down to the boat to apply AwlCare to the hull and re-install the davits.

-- Geoff

[boardman74]

Well my project was a new to me Freedom 21 with no knowledge of the boat. Boat had not been sailed in over 10 years and the seller had no knowledge of it as his son had bought it, never sailed it, and then moved. So after much research I have figured out the boat and rigging. The boat is ready to be launched. Tasks included: rewiring entire boat and adding lights and outlets. New motor bracket, new opening top porthole, removing potty tank lines and getting self contained. Cleaning, cleaning cleaning. All new running rigging. Sail repair. Bottom paint and rub out then wax. Teaked all the wood. Added a tiller extention and cockpit and missing transom light. New to me used motor and a bunch more. I am down to rebuilding the gunmount system. I looked at other options but decided to return it to stock rigging. It's been about a month of everyday work in the driveway. LAUNCH TOMORROW!!!!!!!

[GeoffSchultz]

I spent yesterday applying AwlCare (which is a polymer sealer for AwlGrip) to the hull. She looks beautiful again! Somehow or another I had fantasized that I was going to get this done much more quickly than I did and I was going to start on the cabin top. Wrong! It took 6 hours as it was and now I've got one sore arm. But I did manage to get the davits remounted. Now we're back to spring normal weather, so that'll slow my progress down.

-- Geoff

[THATBOATGUY]

Hey Geoff,

Concerning you watermaker. I'm interested in details. American RO is where I purchase pressure vessels and membranes and they have had the best prices every time I've checked.

George

[THATBOATGUY]

Too many projects to list but at the moment I'm trying to remove the bronze hawsers. I'm not having any luck getting them to budge. I've designed a special tool in my head and will be building it next week probably; a way to "put the screws to it".

Other than that my main mission will be to get the aft cabin done in time for our trip down the bay to a wedding in Norfolk late May.

George

[GeoffSchultz]

Hey Geoff,

Concerning you watermaker. I'm interested in details. American RO is where I purchase pressure vessels and membranes and they have had the best prices every time I've checked.

George

I actually have 2 complete water makers on board. A 12 V one that generates about 6 GPH and the 120V one that will generated about 35 GPH when the second membrane in installed. The 120V system uses a 2 HP motor and an Aqua Pro 708-3 titanium pump. The control panel was designed by me. Here are some pictures of the system:


Control Panel


Motor and Pump

You can find more photos at http://www.geoffschultz.org/BlueJacket/ ... index.html

-- Geoff