| Circe
| Monday, July 13, 2009 During the morning session, I completed the removal of all remaining hardware: cockpit locker lids and hinges, a few assorted bits and pieces in the cockpit, stern cleats and chocks, stern pulpit, and other hardware from the aft part of the boat, including the backstay chainplate. During this time, I also removed the stainless steel rubstrip sections from the hull/deck joint and a clamshell cover over the fuel vent. |
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During the afternoon, I removed all the through hull fittings, beginning with the only two properly-valved fittings on the boat: the old head intake and discharge. I didn't even try to dismantle the valves from the trough hulls; instead, I ground away the through hull heads and then removed the valves easily from inside. The valves were not bolted or bonded to the hull in any way. I removed the engine intake fitting, a Dynaplate, and a plastic fitting for the knotmeter. Later, when the time was right, I'd fill and patch all the old holes. |
 
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I worked at removing the aluminum tiller head, so that I could eventually remove the rudder and shaft, but it was well-stuck in place, probably by galvanic corrosion between the tiller head and the keyway hidden within. I applied penetrating solvent and vowed to be patient. |
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Inside the boat, I removed a few stray bits of hose and clamps from the scuppers. The bilge still contained a nasty pile of solids left over from the various cleaning efforts, along with sundry nuts, washers, bolts, and backing plates that had slipped down there while I was removing hardware. Now was as good a time as any to remove this, which I did using my long grabby pincers and a shop vac. Then, I drilled a larger hole at the bottom of the bilge to replace and enlarge the small drain hole I'd drilled much earlier. The new hole would eventually accommodate a bronze garboard plug, but for the moment it would also facilitate the final rinsing of the bilge, and better allow the chunks of paint and debris to flow out while rinsing, which was my next step. Finally, I plugged the new hole temporarily, and soaked the bottom portion of the bilge in a strong detergent solution to loosen any remaining debris before the final rinse tomorrow. |
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