April 14, 2021
Lively Heels Phase 3-42
Wednesday
Wrapping up some project loose ends, I started by filling the reservoir in the windlass with gear oil, now that the gasket sealant on the motor had had ample cure time. This complete, I tested the motor and raised the anchor back on deck.
I finished up the forward deck box installation with the lid, which I installed so the box opened from the port side. Once I aligned the lid where it needed to go and marked the ends of the hinge, installation was straightforward. I was thinking of adding some sort of rubber flap to the hinge side of the lid, which seemed more exposed and susceptible to leakage than I would have liked. Also under consideration were various simple means of securing the lid when raised, to be determined as of this writing.
To secure the lid, as with the after box, I installed simple hooks and bungee cords.
A final small task remained in the cabin: The owner requested some simple latches to hold the table-cum-berth filler in place in its lowered position, so that it couldn’t slide out unexpectedly. I installed stainless steel barrel bolts on the underside of the table, which latched to mortised holes in each adjacent support.
A few minor items remained on the list, none of which were time-critical, and with the major items complete I planned to move the boat outdoors in the next week or so to allow the owner time for final pre-launch preparations, engine commissioning, and so forth before the boat departed in early May.
Total time billed on this job today: 1.25 hours
0600 Weather Observation: Clear, 35°. Forecast for the day: Mostly sunny, 60°