| Kaholee Refit | December 13, 2006 Today, I hoisted the old Atomic 4 off the boat and set up staging around half the boat. This simple sentence belies the complexity and time-consuming nature of these tasks. First, I set up a 4x8 beam across the shop and across the cockpit. I took care to ensure that the beam was high enough so that the engine, when lifted, would clear the after part of the boat. The chain hoist requires 16" of headroom when two-blocked, including the top and bottom hooks, and I added a couple more inches to allow for slack in the chain that I wrapped around the beam to secure the chain hoist. Then, I added more space for good measure. Because I could, I planned to hook up the trailer and pull the boat out from beneath the hanging engine, rather than lift the engine and try to lower it off the site. This would be safer and easier, and would prevent any chance of damage to the boat from the chains or engine. So once I had the beam in place, and the hoist installed, I hooked up the trailer and prepared to pull it out again. Because of where I placed the lifting beam, I had to move the trailer forward about 6" before taking a load on the hoist, so that the load would be vertical. I raised the engine high enough to clear the taffrail, and installed a blanket over the stern to protect it from the chains, which I draped over the transom so that the trailer could pass beneath. I'd need the control chain at the floor, of course, once the boat was out of the way, so that I could lower the engine. As I slowly pulled the boat forward, I got out frequently to check and ensure that the chains weren't hung up on anything, and that the engine was clearing everything. Eventually, I got the boat out of the way and then lowered the engine from its lofty height, placing it on a dolly so I could roll it around the shop. |
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I backed the boat back into position in the shop and dismantled the hoist, beam, and related gear. Then, I spent the remainder of the day obtaining the pieces for, and setting up, the staging around the port side of the boat. I used some existing staging horses that I had on hand, but because of the height of the trailer, I had to add extensions to the legs in order to get the staging planks to the appropriate height for deck work. This staging, along with similar staging on the starboard side that I will build tomorrow, will remain in place for the duration of the project. With the decks and interior virtually completely stripped and barren, it was about time to begin some serious paint preparation and repairs to all the old hardware holes that would not be reused. I needed the staging in order to continue. Total Time on This Job Today: 4.75 hours What happens during the other hours of the day, you might ask? Well, the hours listed daily on these pages represent only those hours spent directly on this specific project. In between are administrative tasks, other non-related shop work, and other chores that don't directly relate to Kaholee.
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