| Iota Refit |
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 First thing, I sanded the first coat of varnish on the new woodwork and cleaned up. At the very end of the day, I applied the second coat to the sea hood, hatch frame, and one side of the coamings. |
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During the remainder of the day, I began
deck hardware installation. I began at the bow and worked my way
aft. First, though, I had to locate the various pieces; I'd filled
many of the holes during the recore. Relocation was simple enough:
I drilled a locater hole for each mount from below, using the old holes,
which were still visible from below, as guides. With a single
small hole now visible from abovedecks, I could easily position the
various pieces of hardware and drill the appropriate mounting holes from
above.
Since I'd filled all the known hardware locations with solid fiberglass, omitting the core during the recore process, the installation process was more efficient than it often is, since all I had to do was drill and tap the holes, with no need to overbore, fill with epoxy, and then wait overnight for a cure. During the morning, I located, laid out, and drilled and tapped holes for the bow pulpit, anchor roller, stanchions, bow cleat, lifeline padeyes, chain pipe, and waste deck plate. With each piece temporarily installed for marking, I protected the adjacent deck areas with tape to prevent sealant from getting all over the deck. |
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In the afternoon, I installed all the pieces I'd laid out during the morning. I used polysulfide sealant, new stainless steel fasteners of the appropriate size, and new backing plates where required (many of the old backing plates were still in place). I left the excess sealant squeezeout in place for later cleanup. After installing one or more piece of hardware or an other from above, pulling it tightly into place thanks to the tapped holes, I went below and installed backing plates, washers, and nuts as required. Finally, I reinstalled the sidelights on the cabin trunk, and the stern light on the taffrail. |
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