Sorted my masthead lights
And a few others plus fitting up my ais
I'll be doing same next year to
Whiteout
Next week I'll fit. Up the kero tank
It's going next the the stove under the sink

I'm taking MB to Presidents Boatshed in Drummoyne tomorrow to get the VHF and wind data cables rejoined. Once that is done she is seaworthy (they are actually cosmetic jobs but it will be better for having it done).
I had Deniz clean her this week. He tells me it was pretty bad and next one will be an anti foul.
I will take her for a test sail in the next few weeks having been preoccupied with other things for a long while.
I have a mooring booked for Lord Howe in November but am now having doubts whether I want to go. Decision time is 19 September.

sirgallivant said..
I saw your spot empty today hence fixing the wires.
What is making you hesitate?

My normal crew can't go and I am thinking it is a big commitment, it takes 2 weeks sailing time and a lot of physical and emotional effort getting ready and doing it.

I've sailed to the island for the last 3 years and spent a week there with my wife this year, maybe time to move on. On the positive side, the camaraderie of the Lord Howe BBQ sailors is fantastic.

Pulled the cover off and gave her a good scrub down. Rigged her up and checked everything over with the aim of getting her down to the water next weekend.
What did I find? What I had thought was a varnished finish on the exposed timber was actually plain epoxy which had not reacted well to moisture and UV.
Also the screws holding the rubbing strip on hadn't been sealed, letting moisture in and one section rot almost entirely.
Going to be a busy arvo and tomorrow if I want to sail next weekend

HG02 said..


roughed out my sailbag and added the main sail bit of tiding up tomorrow

Looking good HG

HG02 said..
Had my first cuppa on the boat the other day.

Looks excellent HG. By the way, those hot plates in the stove top are designed to be lifted out when boiling the kettle or using a fry pan etc.

No sense wasting the heat on the plates when what you want to heat is the water.

Has anyone got some good tips on how to remove Sikaflex from seams?
I'm scraping and sanding and burning through my elbow grease. Any products that might speed the process?

Also, tips for sealing screws into plywood? I'm replacing all the fittings and would like to do a proper job

D3 said..
Has anyone got some good tips on how to remove Sikaflex from seams?
I'm scraping and sanding and burning through my elbow grease. Any products that might speed the process?

Also, tips for sealing screws into plywood? I'm replacing all the fittings and would like to do a proper job

Its called elbow grease
I some times use a knife and grind it in the shape of a hook so you can sort of flick out the sealant D3
All my teak has been cleaned out this way I'm just waiting for the weather and a couple of good warmish days to reseal it now. should be good in the next month or so
Just a kitchen knife when her in doors is not looking

D3 said..

HG02 said..

D3 said..
Has anyone got some good tips on how to remove Sikaflex from seams?
I'm scraping and sanding and burning through my elbow grease. Any products that might speed the process?

Also, tips for sealing screws into plywood? I'm replacing all the fittings and would like to do a proper job

Its called elbow grease

I'm obviously going to have to stock up on that!

sort of shape it like a fish hook. Just make sure you get a knife tight done the bottom of the kitchen draw
Old power hacksaw blades are go for it to and make a handle

shaped similar to this only not so shape

So as the picture shows, I just dropped a bit of cash.
However, it turned a a previously 4hr job into a 4 minute job.

I might have just saved myself some really costly back surgery

I decided to get the stern gland fixed, it was leaking a bit and I didn't want to hand pump the bilge all the way home if the electric pump failed. Had to go on the slip, and the slip only let their own tradesmen do the work. Took their guy 2 days to get the shaft out of the rusted coupling. He tried a 10 pound hammer on the shaft anode and a mash hammer on the coupling before putting a socket between the gearbox and shaft inside the coupling and using the coupling bolts as a puller. Might have worked but he used a socket that was bigger in diameter than the hole he was trying to force it through. All at a charge out of $100 an hour.

So $3000 later I had a gland that didn't leak but a shaft that vibrated. I decided to let it go until I got home where I could fix it myself. Using as little engine as possible I traveled from Townsville to Urangan and tied up. Thought I would have another quick look at the shaft, so put it in ahead with the engine on idle. Vibrating. In reverse, at idle, vibrating, then suddenly no vibration and engine smooth as silk. Right. The shaft had pulled out of the coupling and jammed the propeller into the rudder and water was pouring into the boat. Seems the slipway guy distorted my coupling with his over enthusiastic use of the hammer and then when he reassembled everything he missed the indents in the shaft with the set screws.

Just as well it happened next to VMR and a vacant travel hoist, could have been in a leaking boat without engine and rudder along the coast where there is no mobile or VHF.

So I now have a nice new polyflex coupling with the split coupling type that I love. Had to move the engine forward 1 3/4 inches to get room, so it was out with the engine to re-position the beds. 2 hours work to disconnect everything, 1/4 hour to rig the main halyard through the hatch as a hoist with blocks and a line fore and aft to position the engine as it lifted and another 1/4 hour the engine was on the cabin floor.

Needed a local mechanic to help me put it all back together, need 2 men feed the shaft into the coupling and to realign the engine to the shaft. Didn't take long and everything feels good. Back in the water tomorrow.

So sorry, a long story - but a good outcome.


Just enough room to move the engine forward enough to get the longer polyflex coupling onto the shaft.

HG02 said..

D3 said..
So as the picture shows, I just dropped a bit of cash.
However, it turned a a previously 4hr job into a 4 minute job.

I might have just saved myself some really costly back surgery

Trouble is you'll buy a few beers and get a front verandah as it only took you a 4 minutes and still end up with a back problem

Hehehe... What you call a veranda, I call a personalised mobile ballast system

PhoenixStar said..
I decided to get the stern gland fixed, it was leaking a bit and I didn't want to hand pump the bilge all the way home if the electric pump failed. Had to go on the slip, and the slip only let their own tradesmen do the work. Took their guy 2 days to get the shaft out of the rusted coupling. He tried a 10 pound hammer on the shaft anode and a mash hammer on the coupling before putting a socket between the gearbox and shaft inside the coupling and using the coupling bolts as a puller. Might have worked but he used a socket that was bigger in diameter than the hole he was trying to force it through. All at a charge out of $100 an hour.

So $3000 later I had a gland that didn't leak but a shaft that vibrated. I decided to let it go until I got home where I could fix it myself. Using as little engine as possible I traveled from Townsville to Urangan and tied up. Thought I would have another quick look at the shaft, so put it in ahead with the engine on idle. Vibrating. In reverse, at idle, vibrating, then suddenly no vibration and engine smooth as silk. Right. The shaft had pulled out of the coupling and jammed the propeller into the rudder and water was pouring into the boat. Seems the slipway guy distorted my coupling with his over enthusiastic use of the hammer and then when he reassembled everything he missed the indents in the shaft with the set screws.

Just as well it happened next to VMR and a vacant travel hoist, could have been in a leaking boat without engine and rudder along the coast where there is no mobile or VHF.

So I now have a nice new polyflex coupling with the split coupling type that I love. Had to move the engine forward 1 3/4 inches to get room, so it was out with the engine to re-position the beds. 2 hours work to disconnect everything, 1/4 hour to rig the main halyard through the hatch as a hoist with blocks and a line fore and aft to position the engine as it lifted and another 1/4 hour the engine was on the cabin floor.

Needed a local mechanic to help me put it all back together, need 2 men feed the shaft into the coupling and to realign the engine to the shaft. Didn't take long and everything feels good. Back in the water tomorrow.

So sorry, a long story - but a good outcome.


Just enough room to move the engine forward enough to get the longer polyflex coupling onto the shaft.

So hard to get good help these days Phoenix - most times you get a better job if you do it yourself.
Pity you didn't scrap that stern gland and replaced it with a PSS seal. They're great, it's so nice to have a dry bilge.
rgeards,
allan

I'm about 50% through sanding and stripping back.



Contemplating the next phase.
I've read some of you folks thinning epoxy to get better penetration and mixing powder or sawdust in for filling screw/drill holes to match the timber.
Can I impose on the collective for some tips?

Cheers,
D

PhoenixStar said..
Had to go on the slip, and the slip only let their own tradesmen do the work. Took their guy 2 days to get the shaft out of the rusted coupling.

There you go. Just proves the old maxim "If you want it done right, do it yourself."

So which slip was that Phoenix?? No need to name names, just tell us where the slip is exactly so that we all know to avoid it.

I am guessing it is only your age, wisdom and temperament that prevented you from grabbing the 10 lb hammer from his hand and tapping him on the head with it.

Those split couplings are the best but where do you buy them??

Any slipway that insists that only their people are allowed to do the work, I would insist that they show their trade qualification papers and that I would oversee their work at all times.