Finishing Up...

Today, after work, I went to the boat to finish up the sole and secure her for the next week. I am traveling to California to meet my fourth grandson, Everett. I will not return until late Friday, so my next post will be at least a week away.

I finished the sole, secured the anchor rode, chain, and anchor after having to remove them to install the staysail eyebolt and the bowsprit stem fitting. Double checked all my storage to ensure everything was secure, cleaned up, and called it a day.

I'll be back in a week and all jobs/projects from then on out are splash related; in other words, stuff that has to be done before she can go back in the water. (Check out the RED stuff under my punch list). This Westsail 32 is slowly coming together.

Fair seas and God bless!

New Hatch...No Leaks!

I installed a new V-Berth hatch to replace the original leaky one. I used enough butyl tape to stop a flood, so I'm sure my V-Berth leaks are now a thing of the past. I was able to use the existing teak frame after cutting it flush with the existing hatch framework which made the install quick and easy. (That's saying a lot since almost nothing is quick or easy on a boat).

I know my pics are a little messy but it was so hot and humid, I decided to let an approaching thunderstorm do the clean up for me as I went home.

Fair seas and God bless!

Bamboo is Kool!

Well the main cabin sole is all but complete. I still have to get a special stain matched filler, (Lowes). and fill the countersunk screw holes. After the midship, head, and v-berth are complete, if I have enough planks left, I may cover the sloping parts of the sole, (if I do not have enough left, it will be Awlgrip paint). For  the most part and for the main cabin, her sole is complete.

Pretty sure I have a mild dose of heatstroke, (98 degrees in the boat most of the day), so I'll close for now...

Fair seas and God bless!

Call Me Crazy!

Call me crazy but I decided the vinyl flooring wasn't going to cut it. I know, it looked fine but it didn't provide the rigidity that a hardwood floor would have, as well as the glue question, (would it hold up if exposed to a considerable amount of water which is always a possibility on a sailboat). Also, the floor hatches that provide access to the water tanks need hardwood on them to shore them up and provide the strength I want for the floor I'll be walking on everyday.

So, I caught Hardwood Bamboo flooring on sale, (less than $100 bucks), and decided to pick it up and put it down. It's going right over the vinyl flooring so the vinyl flooring will act as both an insulator and a waterproof barrier for the plywood sole. Each plank will be held in place with six 1 1/2" screws, two on each end and two in the middle of full size planks.

Fair seas and God bless!

The Sole of the Boat

Today I started the cabin sole. I actually tore out all the water damaged hardwood flooring a few weeks back. For the last couple of evenings I've been filling and fairing the plywood decking and making repairs. (BTW, all the fairing compound was sanded smooth and level - not shown in the pics). That done, it was time to put down the flooring.

After a considerable amount of time and research, and contemplating budget guidelines, I decided to go with Allure Ultra Waterproof Vinyl Locking Plank Flooring. At this point, I am happy with my choice. I will go a step further than the standard installation and glue the flooring to the decking using an industrial waterproof cement. Today, (and tomorrow), I was and will be cutting and fitting the flooring, once that's done, I'll glue each plank individually.

Fair seas and God bless!