Refit Week 6

Hi everyone,
This week hull repairs have been almost completed, as has preparation of the deck for repainting.  The hull/keel join has been reinforced with several layers of heavy fibreglass.  The new fibreglass layers of the hull have been laid up.  Inspection of the stainless steel stemhead, inner forestay chainplate, tiller bracket and mast compression post base plate have shown they are in poor condition.  They are being replaced.

Laying up extra fibreglass around the keel root

Laying up the new outer hull layers

Ready for epoxy barrier coat

Epoxied

Work on preparing the deck for repainting is nearly complete.  One of the last jobs has been to fill the holes used by the old electric windlass.  It was found to be badly rusted during removal and we've decided to replace it with a manual windlass.  Having spent a large part of Sail Indonesia and Sail Malaysia hauling up the anchor entirely by hand it will be good to have a windlass of any kind, and we found the Muir VM500 very good on our (larger) previous boat.  The new stemhead will replace and integrate the anchor roller too.

Filling old anchor windlass holes

Fairing

Early this week the rudder was inspected following the moisture tests which showed it needs attention.  The rudder has been dropped as far as the boat's height permits and the shaft was found to be in good condition but the bearings quite loose.  The rudder itself is full of water and this will be further investigated next week.  We may have an entirely new rudder constructed over the original stainless steel "skeleton".

Rudder needs attention

Work has been going on in the cabin too.  The rebuilt lower part of the main bulkhead now looks the part with its teak veneer in place.  Just varnishing to go.  The small locker which used to exist in the corner has been removed.  The new base plate below the compression post has been built already!

It's all happening!