Capt'n Pauley's Virtual Boat Yard -- Projects Galore!!!

Multitasking Seacock

My Columbia 10.7 was suffering from hardening of the arteries. More specifically, hardening of the seacock. In way of explanation, Groco manufactured a style of seacock (SV Series) that featured a rubber plug in its heart.

Helm Seat Access JHatch

From the pages of “Capt’n Pauley’s Workshop”

Helm Seat Access Hatch

The access hatch under my helm seat was a deteriorated piece of teak plywood.

The hatch provided access to the back stay fasteners and diesel tank vent in the outer hull.

Any water finding its way behind the helm seat would leak through the plywood panel and into the bilge.

I found a water-tight molded plastic access hatch on eBay at a very reasonable price.

It was just enough bigger than the rough opening to cover it but not all fasteners would have anything to screw into, requiring some sort of back up plate.

I cut a ring from ½” StarBoard to act as a backup plate. A single slit in one edge of the ring allowed the ring to slip though the existing opening.

I held the ring in place with a couple of stainless steel flat head screws, place out of the way of the hatch fasteners.

I used plenty of blue masking tape around the edges of the hatch to control any sealant squeeze-out.

The backup ring slides into the smaller opening by means of a slit in one edge.

The backup ring is held in place with 4 stainless steel flat head screws, placed away from any of the hatch fastener locations.

Another view of the backup ring fastened in place. The access hatch opens up to the hull inner liner and the outer hull.

The finished hatch installed with the deteriorated plywood cover in the foreground.

A Bad Day on the Bay!

My daughter is a dedicated sailboat racer. She races on boats out of Annapolis, MD. Last Wednesday night's race was more exciting than usual - they blew the carbon fiber mast. You can see the result in the attached video at about 2:25 into it. Nobody got hurt but the mast is toast...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYHFYE8Y0yQ&feature=youtu.be&t=2m24s 

I've Been Busy!

Haven't posted much lately, been busy working on book #7! Here it is:

A/C on the Cheap

 Ever price one of those fancy portable boat air conditioners? About 800 bucks!  Ever price the same BTU household air conditioner?  About 100 bucks or less!  Sense a project coming here? And it’s one that is especially relevant given our recent hot weather!

 

Cape May’s Concrete Ship

Few people strolling the sands of Sunset Beach, at Cape May, pay much attention to the crumbling concrete remains just off the beach. They may look at the shore side marker naming the wreck as the remains of the concrete ship, “S. S. Atlantus”.

 

Fans

Why talk about fans for a boat? Well, if you only use your boat for day trips, you can probably skip this section altogether. However, if you do overnight, keep your boat at a dock or camp-cruise, a fan or fans might just be the key to a successful outing and a good night’s rest.

Yes, I know....

I haven't been very active on the Virtual Boatyard lately, but I do have an EXCUSE! I'be been hard at work on a facebook page and website for my wife, Pat's, line of clothing. We call it the Admiral's Cabin. The facebook page is www.facebook.com/theadmiralscabin and the website is www.cafepress.com/admiralscabin. Clothing and gear for the Admiral on your boat!

Dog Ramps

 

Several readers have emailed me inquiring about dog ramps. Boat owners love their pets as much as anyone and want to be able to take them along on their boat. That can be a hardship for the dog, depending on the design and layout of the boat. High freeboard, as well as narrow and steep boarding ladders, makes it difficult or impossible for larger dogs to safely board a boat.

 

A Tabbing We Will Go...

Here’s a surprise for you; fiberglass boats have wood in them. Older boats, like our project boat, Daydream, have a lot of wood in them. While the hull, deck and other parts may be fiberglass, the interior is often created from plywood and lumber.