110 Cookson Lane | Whitefield, ME 04353 | 207-232-7600 | tim@lackeysailing.com
Patience | Tuesday, June 2, 2015
To prepare the new bilge pump through hull for installation, I chose to cut off the excess stem length, which would improve clearance inside the boat. Once I'd removed the excess length, it took a little fine-tuning of the cut end before I could cleanly thread on the bronze tee fitting that I needed on the inside, but eventually it worked as planned.
I installed the through hull fitting in the new epoxy-sealed hole with sealant, securing it from within with the supplied nut before installing the bronze tee and hose adapters for the 1-1/2" and 3/4" bilge hose. I left the final hose connection till later, after I'd installed the new manual pump.
Earlier, I'd removed from the dinette locker an old and deteriorated platform that had supported the battery. From materials on hand, I built a new one to match, with the old one as a guide. Once I'd assembled the platform and its two mounting feet with epoxy and screws, I epoxy-coated the entire platform to ward against any future moisture problems.
The topsides were in fair condition, featuring plenty of the usual dirt, oxidation, and weathering, plus yellow water stains along the waterline. I hadn't realized it earlier, but the topsides had been painted at some point. Nonetheless, the paint surface had reached the point where it required additional restoration steps to improve its appearance and extend its practical life. The boottop was a strip of vinyl tape and in fair to poor condition, but after discussion with the owner for the moment he decided to leave it be pending further work another time.
To begin, I applied a gel-based acid compound to the stained waterline areas, which was effective at removing the yellow stains. Apply, let sit, then wipe off.
Afterwards, with staging set up as needed, I cleaned and buffed the topsides to remove staining and restore shine to the aging paint. The surface was in generally good condition, with some small paint blisters or pock marks mainly near the waterline, and the polishing efforts made a marked improvement to the appearance by removing the dullness and oxidation as seen in the before-and-after photo below.
Over the course of the afternoon, I worked my way around the boat, completing all areas.
Total Time Billed on This Job Today: 6 hours
40°, rain. Forecast for the day: Rain and showers, 40s.
