Pics Update

[Stevens 47]

Attached are pics the deck is nearly complete. I have moved inside, the first task it to replace my SS fuel tank. Too that end I have removed the old tank and the sole. Just starting to fabricate the new larger built in tank.

Jack

[imagine2frolic]

Beautiful work!!!!!! I think the Homde Depot bucket kind of tops it off!!!!!

You will definately be a proud papa when she's launched....i2f

[James S]

She’s looking nice...but tell me...has that cockpit got 9 winches....do you actually use all them?
Good luck and keep up the wonderful work.

[Stevens 47]

has that cockpit got 9 winches....do you actually use all them

I wish I was using them...hopefully early summer. I have made some modifications to the cockpit setup.

From the aft of cockpit going forward the winch setup:
Center winch is main sheet winch standard on these boats.
Port and Starb are my running back stay winch's these where originally for the traveler I altered the setup added clutches for the runners and a better purchase system to the traveler also installed pad eyes for the runner to transom corners they can do double dutty for travler or runners my modification.
Primaries jib or spin standard.
Secondaries for staysail or spin standard.
The forward winch's where mast mounted I made clutch bases and installed 2 or the four mast winches in the cockpit these are for my control lines my custom modification.

[Kanani]

Please don't put teak on those beautiful decks......

Just a tip, I would get covers made for those winches. That's a lot of winches to service and covers may cut down on the service intervals..

[James S]

I vote for teak if you can glue it down...some of that synthetic teak is also nice but $$$
Although it looks very nice without.

[Kanani]

Originally Posted by James S

I vote for teak if you can glue it down...some of that synthetic teak is also nice but $$$
Although it looks very nice without.

I have found teak decks to be a giant PITA. They are slippery, they add weight, take maintenance and anyone would have to be nuts to screw them down to a perfectly good F/G or metal deck .

They can be glued down using vacuum bagging and they do look nice. I just don't think that they add to a cruising lifestyle.

I owned a Taiwan boat with tons of teak. I ended up cutting the whole top layer of F/G deck off to get rid of the (screwed down) teak and replace the soaked Balsa core. It took two weeks of 8 hours a day hard labor to do that job, re-glass the decks and fair them. I guess it just left me with a bad taste for teak decks.

[James S]

I have a 1978 Taiwan boat that used to have tones of teak outside....I've eliminated lots of it, but when it came to the decks I just couldn’t do it...I did pull it back from any vertical surfaces like the raised cabin sides...I also replaced a lot of it...mostly because of changes in deck hardware locations.

I love it so much that I removed every one of over 3000 plugs and screws and reset them.

Because I had already removed all the F/G head liner, I could see the two places that the deck core had gotten wet, and repaired it from underneath...

Have a look at this pic ....how else could I have finished this deck?
Its huge and I cant imagine it with non-skid!

I agree that its a bit of maintenance but all things considered its not that bad.

[Stevens 47]

I am not a traditionalist. It has been my endeavor to remove mostly all exterior wood from the boat. The exception are the cockpit seats and teak strips in the on the cockpit floor. I would say I am just plain lazy, I do enjoy a beautiful kept varnished boat and teak decks on everybody else boat.

James your boat sure does look pretty.

Thanks for the tip on the winch covers Kanani.

[James S]

I have to admit that I have a "boat boy" (He’s 55 if a day) that helps keep her clean and also helps with the wet sanding and masking off before varnishing.
I also keep a lot of the bright work covered when on the dock.

In this neck of the woods that type of help is very affordable.
With out him...I may re-think my teak.

Kanani's tip on the winch covers is a good one...I have them and it does make a difference.