Somewhat industrial but......... its a bilge.....

This is the aft port side bilge with the new thru hulls and the bilgekote paint. Looks a bit industrial, but I never said I was good at this.



Looks OK when compared with the original system. But please don't look at the level of work on the Westsail 42 rebuild on my links, very depressing.


The lower bilge will not be painted unless I contract it out to Jim E's son Morgan. Jim said something about waiting until his mother was away.


I believe that child labor will make a big comeback in the current economic climate.

The problem with boring work........

like cleaning and painting bilges, is that it is very easy to get distracted. Thank God for power tools. Hard to beat a $69 water blaster for removing years of grime.

West Indian manatees' off the bow of TIH

The Miami River is an important manatee habitat, providing freshwater and refuge in cold weather. Manatees regularly move between seagrass feeding areas in Biscayne Bay and the upstream portions of the River.

Water system (temporary) installed

Wirenuts!!!

A reader asked about wirenuts. For those in Europe who might not be familiar with these thingies they are a common means of connecting wires in houses on this side of the pond. (I'm pretty sure they are not used in the EU but I could be wrong) . The are also common on older boats. They have no place in boat wiring and should be removed and replaced with crimped connectors.

Why you should use "marine grade wire" on a boat....

This is the old power cable to the windlass. It is untinned "domestic" type cable which has no place on a boat.

It's hard to get into the Christmas spirit in Miami....

way to many palm trees, but this song helps;

Fairytale of New York - The Pogues

But how could you not love a Christmas song with these lyrics;

Youre a bum
Youre a punk
Youre an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy christmas your arse
I pray God its our last

I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Cant make it all alone
Ive built my dreams around you

Engine Room insulation.....

Foam Barrier coat (Ultra Barrier, WM Brand etc.) looks great, goes on reasonably easy (most have an adhesive back) and work well to deaden engine noise. So whats not to like? Well anyone who has worked on older boats with original foam will have noticed that it tends to crumble with age. You are left with the backing still stuck in place and black foam crumbs all over the ER which are a pain to remove. The consensus appears that the life of this foam is between 5 and 10 years.

My plan is to construct panels of plywood about 24ins X 32ins and stick the foam to these. I will then cover the foam with SOUNDOWN Perforated Aluminum with QuieTech. These panels will be screwed to the bulkhead and can be removed when the time comes to replace the foam.

Credit for the idea has to go to DonParker s/v SILKIE, Allied 42 Annapolis MD. I found his post on cs-bb.com. Click here


Watch this space.

Slowly, slowly catchee monkey.....

Before:





After:



Small improvements in the Engine room. Paint is Interlux Bilge coat, which now comes in dark gray and white. This color is achieved by mixing both.

I painted the wooden panels with "Silent Running SR1000" paint which I have discussed in a previous post.

I know that once I start filling the Engine Room with the usual junk I will not have this much access ever again. Next step is the bulkhead insulation.

I fought the tank and the tank won......

The Clash - I Fought The Law




OK, the tank is NOT coming out. After an hour with a sawzall, a jig saw and an angle grinder, jammed in a 20 inch high space I had removed the top of the tank. The rest would have taken two years, 4 fingers, possibly an eye and part of an ear. An the saying goes; "He who fights and runs away will live to run away another day". I am now the proud owner of an aluminum lined, bilge, rum storage cellar.

Engine Mounts....

Someone on the Whitby discussion board has a question on engine mounts. Two of the old ones were still in place on TIH.





The bolts were tapped into solid fiberglass and took some effort to move. One even sheared off and has been left for another day.

The 1,000 pound Gorilla....

Every boat has at least one 1,000 pound Gorilla (i.e. a problem so big that we try to ignore it). Some boats have a whole band of them. The Whitby 42's gorilla has to be the center fuel tank.

I know I said that I had planned to leave it "as is", but.....


I decided cut an inspection hole in the tank under galley area. My biggest concern was that I would find the tank in perfect condition (at least from the inside - keep in mind that the tank is most likely to corrode from the outside in.).


Worry over - the tank had a four inch hole. It would appear that at least some parts of the tank had been foamed in place providing a perfect location for corrosion.



Next project ...................... cutting out a fuel tank, piece by piece......

Possible ER paint

Has anyone used Silent Running marine paint?

"Silent Running SR1000 is a sound and vibration dampening paint specifically designed for marine applications. This unique marine coating absorbs noise and vibration, and converts it into low-grade heat which is dissipated throughout the surface its applied on. Apply SR1000 to replace conventional sound dampening materials, like heavy mats and wraps. "


This looks like a candidate for the ER project. At the very least it will provide a nice contrast to the antifouling that I'm still peeling off my skin.

The Engine Room (ER) project...

I have never liked engine rooms. I like engines even less. So ideally I like a large, well lit ER (which TIH has), clean and with easy access for repair and routine maintenance. My best chance of achieving a clean painted and insulated ER will be before I fill it with all the usual engine junk.



The first project now that TIH is floating is to clean and paint the ER.

I know where you all are lurking!!!!!!!!!

Click on the FEEDJIT map on the right. A national flag pops up for everyone browsing this site, you can run but you can't hide. Post a comment or drop me a quick email at gtod25 "at" gmail.com, if you feel the urge.

Gerry

In case we forget.....

why we do all this boat work stuff. We have just returned from a one week charter in the Bahamas on a Sunsail catamaran. All in all an outstanding week. The following photo encapsulates why people cruise sailboats.



This represents about 5% of cruising time but makes for about 95% of the memories, along with the people you share it with.

And the new seacocks work.

Groco two part seacock installed (Nine in total). Valve can screwed off and replaced as necessary.

TIH swims........

TIH has masts....

Rig up, Triatic stay not installed yet. This might explain the aft rake of the mizzen mast (very scary).


Main mast through cabin top.
and anti fouling bottom paint. Painting being done by Larry of "Wookie Marine". Nice to be able to paint barefoot in November.

Name change process...

TIH may have a new name, but we will not be using it until we have had the official de-naming / naming ceremony.

Vigor's Interdenominational
Boat Denaming Ceremony
by John Vigor

Why would anyone believe in such superstition, you may ask? Well for the same reason I won't sail on a Friday. There is enough scary stuff out at sea without annoying God/Allah/Buddha/Neptune or any other deity, real or imagined.

We have a name.......

Lynne and I met in Haiti and have huge affection for that amazing country. Simbi is a water loa (spirit).

More Simbi info here.

Not alone do we get a name but also our own veve;

Simbi Veve (Check out CafePress's excellent products).

and a song by RAM, a great Haitian band that we used to listen to in the Hotel Oloffoson, Port au Prince.

RAM - Simbi

Beat that "Ship Happens"

Mast re rigged....

The previously mentioned Jim E. has re rigged the masts and they are due to be reinstalled first thing tomorrow (Monday 10 Nov.).

Barrier Coat

Hard....tooo.....typee.....with..soreeee..arms......... Well as TIH had spend 15 years on the hard (i.e. out of the water) this was a good time to put on the required number of barrier coats to reduce the risk of osmosis. Intelux 2000E comes highly recommended and so far has worked out. The photo is of Jim E. (Boat guru, everything boat related expert etc. etc.) putting on the first coat. After that it was gray coat, white coat, gray coat etc. We got 5 coats on today but as the last one was done in the dark I cannot vouch for its completeness.



Four coats on, fifth going on the the dark by, painting by braille.



Cutlass bearing in, shaft installed and rudder shoe and gudgeon dry fitted. Usual saga with cutlass bearings. TIH uses a 6 inch long 2 inch diameter bearing. After inserting it about two inches it put up a fight, so the usual cruiser hi-tech solution was employed. A number of whacks with a suitable sledge hammer convinced it to behave. Removal in a few years will be less that fun, but that is why God invented sawzalls'.

The daily grind.....

There is not a lot you can say about grinding the hull of a 42ft sailboat. When I recover the full use of my arms I may post more details.

Hire these people.........

if you ever want a boat moved. Outstanding service, on time delivery, quick and efficient.


Albert's Marine Services
Indialantic, FL 32903
Al Ruocco - 800-591-5903
321-724-9520


TIH his now safely on the hard at Hurricane Cove Marina, Miami, Fl.

They took my boat.........

Ok, so I hired a trucking company whose logo is a skull and crossed swords.

I gave them a wad of cash and they and the Cape Canaveral Marina team, very efficiently, loaded TIH on a flatbed and the truck drove away.


If TIH shows up in Miami tomorrow I will be very impressed and will highly recommend the company. If TIH doesn't show up this blog may come to an abrupt end.

Liferaft test - Well done Mr. Avon of Wales!!!!!!

TIH came complete with a 6 man (person!!!!!) canister life raft, DOB April 1987, to proud parents Mr. and Mrs. Avon, Dafen, Llanelli, Dyfed, Wales. The last time it was serviced was Oct. 1993.

Now, I have a few issues with life rafts having been involved in the recovery operation after the Fastnet Race in 1979 off the South Coast of Ireland. For those too young to remember;
Fastnet Race 1979

My own feeling about having a life raft on board tends to follow the advice of Lin and Larry Pardey. Check out FRIB and Portland Pudgy as two interesting alternatives.

As a result of the Fastnet incident and various cold and miserable life raft training classes over the years I have two rules governing inflatable life rafts;

1. NEVER, EVER GET INTO ONE.

2. If rule one cannot apply, YOU ONLY STEP UP INTO A LIFE RAFT. (i.e. your main vessel and tenders etc. have to be in the process of disappearing).

I was, therefore, not about to try and squeeze a few more years out of this device. We decided to stage a life raft demonstration for anyone available in the yard. The Wright Rev. Marshall was tasked with pulling the painter because if you ever need a life raft, having a religious person around to inflate it is also a good idea. Much to our surprise the damn thing inflated. Well done AVON. (This is NOT an endorsement to stretch the recommended service intervals).

The Rev. Marshall thanking the gods' of all things inflatable.



The original birth certificate. They breed them hardy in Wales.


The absolute best use for an inflatable life raft, a doggy paddling pool and sun shade..

TIH is on the move.....

Well just not yet... After a month of cooling my heels in Miami waiting for the end of hurricane season, road transport has been arranged. As usual with boat projects, the work list prior to the move has expanded to over-fill the time allotted. The truck is arranged for the 27 Oct and I'm sure I will be painting anti fouling on the hull as she is being loaded.

Outstanding new Whitby/Brewer web resource....

The Whitby Brewer sailboat site has finally been revamped. Congratulations and a huge Bravo Zulu (flag code for "well done") to all involved. It looks like a fabulous layout and once we get some information migrated over or contribute it should be a huge resource for owners and potential owners. Hopefully the "censorship issue" on the previous board has been cleared up and I look forward to contributing (see my previous post on the subject of censorship).

Whitby Brewer Sailboat Site

The name will wait......

We have tried to come up with a proper name for TIH but so far, failed. There is no real urgency as she is still strictly a hull, except that I have to get her federally documented asap. To change "Mariposa" (her last name) at a later date will require another fee. The naming a vessel is no minor matter as the owners of "Ship Happens", "Sexual Heeling", "Autopsea", "Poopy Express" "Nauti-Lust" "Never Again 2" etc. will attest. Please note that all of these names are of power boats. Blow boaters have a little more class. We may have class but we lack inspiration. So if anyone has a suggestion, go for it......

To keep the ideas in the ballpark, our last boat was called "Eriu", so something with an Irish angle would be a good start.

Also if you are changing a boat's name, check out;

http://boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/rename.htm

Putting the rudder back together....

As you will have seen from a previous post I have decided to leave the original rudder "as is'. I could not resist, however, having a "look" at the two stress points;

a. The first bend
b. The base where the bronze rod enters the shoe.

One thing about fiberglass, when you get used to cutting into it, its hard to stop.

All the metal here appeared to be fine. If I ever enlarge the rudder this is the area that I will reinforce. There has been no history of failures (as far as I can tell from available information) on Whitby 42 rudders that have not been enlarged.


This is the bronze rod on the end of which (on the left) is a little nub (very worn) that rests in the shoe attached to the hull. The nub has been cut off, drilled out and will be replaced with a bronze bolt.

Bronze shoe. The rudder is also held by a gudgeon higher up.

The "heads".........

I have always been amazed that boaters will spend hundreds of dollars to move a "poo" three feet, in the misguided hope that they will never see it again. The one fact about boating is that it brings us into sharp contact nature, this includes beautiful sunsets and bodily waste. Unless you are prepared to pay someone a lot of money you are destined to get "up close and personal" with fecal matter at some stage.

Peggy Hall is the agreed expert on such matters and I would recommend her book without reservation;

"Getting rid of boat Odors etc."

Like Peggy, I am no fan of holding tanks having discovered that pump-out stations are rare in most locations. I was therefore interested in a the idea of a composting "head". The Airhead being one example.



The provisional plan is to install one in the for'd heads with a "Lectra Scan" dealing with the aft Heads.

How much fuel does a "sailboat" need?

Most cruisers, if they are truthful, will admit that the motor-sail a LOT of the time. The ideal image of the boat under full sail, doing 6-7 kts in a flat blue sea is a rare cruising occurrence. Having promised my wife that finally we would have a fabulous down trade-wind sail from Jamaica to Honduras, she was less that impressed when we had no wind for two days and then 35kts for the next two. This brings up the question of how much fuel should a sailboat need? I believe a range of 400NM would be ideal. This would require about 66 hrs of motoring @ 6kts. At 2 gals an hour this would require 130 gals of fuel. I'm sure the purists would use a lot less, but I'm no purist. Once the boat speed drops below 4kts, I find my hand reaching for the ingition key.

As mentioned in the previous post the center tank is a major undertaking and I am convinced that it is probably not worth the time, expense and effort. I will just cap it off for the moment and leave it empty. If some magical coating appears in the future it may be worth revisiting.

The photos below are of the bilge area over the center fuel tank. This was covered by a plywood board glassed into the hull which was used to support the holding tank. On removing this board approx. 4ft of the tank was visible.




The current plan is to replace this platform with an open type support frame that should hold a 30 gal (+/-) Moeller tank. I may also replace the stbd tanks with a Moeller and install one in the original tank space on the port side.


This should give me +100 Gals, in tanks that do not corrode and can be replaced if necessary with a stock product.