Interior refit 1970's kit sailboat questions

[LittleWing77]

There is a 'like' button, Gilow:
The "Thanks" button on the bottom right-hand of a post, if you're in the Full Site view....

LittleWing77

Originally Posted by GILow

Do you know, sometimes I think this forum needs a “like” button.

Looking good, keep up the great work. It’s inspiring me, I’ve just gutted the single cabin and I’m in a sea of scrap timber plus the extraordinary quantity of “stuff” that I had to remove from that cabin and the aft cabin to reroute all of the aft wiring.

Nice to see someone else up to their neck in it and having fun.

[Spot]

Thanks Everyone.
I feel the 'like' every time someone takes a minute to comment or question or show us something that worked for them.

WL, yes, side cushions will butt against hull and aft faces of galley cabinets.

GILow, LOL Matt, up to my neck is a good descriptor. Boat is pretty empty but all of what should be in the boat is in the garage and house on various piles. I mav move all the boat stuff into the RV as a staging area since RV is currently a yard ornament (no brakes).

LW77, picking colors is my worst thing, too many possibilities and my mind swims and then I decide not to decide. I am thinking upper half white paint, lower half light gray, possibly a marine carpet. Colors will be lighter and brighter than what the CAD pictures show. Hull joint to be covered in wood trim and used as a wiring chase as was done previously. Keeping the red compression post and framing members as-is. Also hoping to introduce a little woodwork as trim, cutting boards, side tables. Enough for warmth but not enough to be a large ongoing varnishing project.

[Spot]

I put the cushions into the boat today. I think they are going to work. While sitting in the boat I noticed my unflattering temporary wiring on the port side. I decided to replace all of the wire nut connections with crimped connectors, add length where needed and reduce length where possible, and attach the wires to more places on the hull. When the time comes I will make the electrical up to spec with tinned wire, heat seal connectors, and conduits and/or chases. All of the circuits are already fused as well as the main wire at the battery and from the solar controller to the battery.

[Spot]

Current schematic of the boat enclosed, drawn in KiCAD.
I still need to add a steaming light circuit and possibly a dedicated circuit for fans and the GPS.

[wingless]

Wiring diagram looks nice.

No bilge pump(s)?

Improvement for future revisions are: showing standard marine color codes; showing wire gauges and listing circuit protection amperages.

On my boat the upper white light has a forward 225° segment and a rear 135° segment, for NAV or anchor. That fixture could be steaming or anchor light. Something like these Perko lights.

If going that route, then the switches could be NAV / OFF / STEAMING and ANCHOR ON / OFF.



How is the battery recharged?

[Spot]

Originally Posted by wingless

Wiring diagram looks nice.

No bilge pump(s)?

Improvement for future revisions are: showing standard marine color codes; showing wire gauges and listing circuit protection amperages.

On my boat the upper white light has a forward 225° segment and a rear 135° segment, for NAV or anchor. That fixture could be steaming or anchor light. Something like these Perko lights.

If going that route, then the switches could be NAV / OFF / STEAMING and ANCHOR ON / OFF.



How is the battery recharged?

Thanks WL.
The software is not good at color coding wires. Noting wire lengths and fuse sizes would be useful. My tinned duplex has a gray shield but I cannot remember what color inner wires I ordered. It will come to light as I start to deploy the new wire.
No electric bilge pump yet. I keep a manual kayak-style on board. I did get the compass to light with the navigation lights last weekend.
Recharging is through a 50W solar cell and controller, upper left on schematic, picture below. The controller is fused to the battery.
The boat had a steaming light but no anchor light, makes sense for a day sailor. My intention is to wire mast for both as I have rebuilt the steamer and bought an anchor light. I do not have a tricolor so I will be replicating the non-tricolor modes on your picture. I have also considered adding some sort of deck light and then could do the switching logic steam-off-deck although having both of those turned on at the same time could be useful too. I should really keep a battery-powered headlamp on board, I found those useful around the house and on motorcycle trips...

[Spot]

Here is the spec on the hook-up wire:

Waytek Multi-Conductor Marine Cable MCY14-2

• Category: Marine Wire & Cable
• White jacketed PVC
• Tinned copper conductors
• Meets DOT and Coast Guard specifications
• UL Listed 1426 - Tinned Multi-Conductor
• Dry: 221F (105C)
• Wet: 167F (75C)
• Typical Stranding: 19/ .0147
• Nominal O.D. in.: .340 x .200
• Conductor colors: Red Yellow

[Spot]

I found some delam in the deck core, port side next to the companionway. It was a spot that seemed wet last year so I drilled some holes in the corner of the ceiling layer of glassing and using a small hole saw, made some plugs for under the stanchions and dug out a matching amount of wet balsa. I also buggered the mounting holes with butyl and some roofing nails (galvanized with large heads stuck into the butyl) while the corner dried out.

That corner seems dry now...and the main leak seems to be port where the upper deck meets the non-cored sloped face that goes down to the fore deck. There is no hardware right where it is leaking but a previous owner did something with tar and a cabin light in an attempt to plug it. So I am guessing it leaked for years and made itself a fine channel along the port roof line.

There is a spot 18x24" that could be tackled easily, I may try that as a test. My fiberglass vendor gave me ideas on what materials and how to do the repair. The boat is nicer on the outside so I may attempt an interior repair.

More exciting my quick release levers for the forestay and baby stays are here. Looking forward to getting them in the rig so I can release and apply tension without having to work as hard to get it to work.

[wingless]

How's the project coming? Using the boat this season?

[Spot]

Hi Wl, thanks for asking!

Boat work in of itself has been slow this summer. We did take her out on the 4th of July but the lake was so busy that sailing was unpleasant as we were getting cut off and waked by the crowds of boats. We counted 40 boats in one bay of a 6 mile long lake. We had some other issues at the lake and boat ramp. The rudder blade tipped up and I bounced it off the prop a couple times doing some damage. I also knocked a piece loose on the trailer, the one intended to guide the stub keel onto the trailer, that got pinned under the frame dragged up the boat ramp and caused us to have to drive home and bring tools back to the landing to free the plate. A nice bystander borrowed us a jack but it wasn't quite enough to allow us to lift the trailer and unbolt the plate.

I just got back from visiting 2 of the Great Lakes and my old 'home port' where I spent some time researching the local commercial fishing boats.It did fuel some more desires for boating but in the same trip I pulled a back muscle kayaking (loading and unloading, not paddling) so I am a bit stiff in the meantime.

I ended up only using the forestay quick release as the ones for the baby stays are not quite big enough for the thimbles and swages. I was advised to loosen the rig one notch and now the whole stepping process is much easier.

The current 'sail-ability' issue is the roller boom and lack of a mast gate. It make me wonder if this boat was ever sailed with the boom's gooseneck below the gate, which would be like having a first reef in all the time. But with the sail roller reefed I loose the mid-boom bail for the main sheet so I am confused. At least the jib hanks and tacks as expected...

Misc. pictures, I did go to a couple neat museums but was asked not to post pictures on the web and both were worth the 5$ fee or donation to get in. Another one was on the schedule but experienced flooding from a rainstorm so I was not able to visit as planned. They are in possession of the original plans of some of these fishing boats and offered to make me copies.

[Spot]

I started in on the rudder blade repair. It is becoming obvious to me that the rest of the unit will need refinishing as well.
It seems like the previous owner used gel coat as paint as I got that sweet 'resiny' smell while sanding. Refinish with more of the same? It may be less work to build it all over from scratch.
I do not know what the third pintle and eye are for...I also wonder if I could work a foil or a balanced blade into this project. For now I will fix as-is so I can sail sooner than later.

1. sketch based on boat drawing and actual rudder dims
2. prop damage 40 grit, paint seems to be resin
3. followed with wire brush to remove slivers
4. glassing supplies
5. 5-minute epoxy HD foam into deepest gash
6. trimmed foam w/ flush-cut saw
7. poly resin, slightly filled and fully filled with microspheres and fumed silica
8. spreaded onto blade
9. covered to cure less sticky
10. first sanding next day, 40 grit machine and 80 grit by hand
11. extra hardware and general condition, needs work...

[wingless]

Thanks for the update.

Sorry about the issues. IMO those are learning experiences. Every single time I got cocky and thought I didn't need to learn I was humbled by something new, increasing my girth as I added it under my belt.

Nice job on the repair. It is probably better than before.

An Independence Day cruise is great for two reasons. One is to enjoy the fireworks. The other is to permit all the other boats to toot their horns after the finale, then I let my Kahlenberg 117 whistle, followed by my bone shaking Kahlenberg D-1 horns loose. Really nothing else needs to sound after that...

But, I HATE dealing with the drunken 4th boaters and have almost been removed too many times following the fireworks.

[Spot]

Originally Posted by wingless

Thanks for the update.

Sorry about the issues. IMO those are learning experiences. Every single time I got cocky and thought I didn't need to learn I was humbled by something new, increasing my girth as I added it under my belt.

Nice job on the repair. It is probably better than before.

An Independence Day cruise is great for two reasons. One is to enjoy the fireworks. The other is to permit all the other boats to toot their horns after the finale, then I let my Kahlenberg 117 whistle, followed by my bone shaking Kahlenberg D-1 horns loose. Really nothing else needs to sound after that...

But, I HATE dealing with the drunken 4th boaters and have almost been removed too many times following the fireworks.

Kahlenbergs...nice! During my trip to Lake Michigan I saw some of the old Kahlenberg engines and horns at museums.


I am finding more paint-over-hardware, RTV, and rot in the rudder cheek. I decided to break it down and repair/refinish. Would have liked to have 'deferred' this maintenance but someone did it for me.

[Spot]

Much needed rain here today, so I was between the computer and the garage working on the rudder.
1. Mark bad section
2. Set up router and guides
3. Clean up channel with chisel
4. test fit wood and 'decrystallize' epoxy part A (resin)

The router bit was not the best and the guide was not the best and the support board was not the best but it all worked together to do the job. 4-5 passes stepping 3/16" (4.5mm) in with a 1/4" (6.35mm) bit at half depth and whole depth 1.25" (32mm). The epoxy is several years old and this one like others brands I have used seems to need a hot water 'bath' every couple years to decrystallize. I could have used some 5 minute epoxy but I wanted 'sauce' with more 'flow' to soak into the wood.

[wingless]

Looks nice and solid. Thanks for the update.

My go to epoxy is West System. Even when old the stuff works fine.

For my usage I can mix tiny batches or regular size batches, using my digital scale.