110 Cookson Lane | Whitefield, ME 04353 | 207-232-7600 | tim@lackeysailing.com
I finished up, at least for now, the sanding work in the bilge and sump areas, cleaning up some of the greasy grime coating the sump and lightly sanding all areas to remove sharp edges, by machine and by hand as necessary. The intense blackness at the bottom of the sump appeared to be permanent, at least given the access possible to the space. Afterwards, I vacuumed the bilge areas so I could better determine their condition and readiness after the work of the past days.
The centerboard axle, with a square end to register with the control arm, appeared to be in pretty good condition, and at first inspection it appeared any slop in the system originated with the control arm rather than the axle.
One remaining vestige of the original interior was the simulated wood grain Formica lining the main cabin trunk. During my work over the past weeks, I'd noted that this material was well-adhered, with virtually no signs of looseness, and I hoped removal wouldn't be too arduous. I remarked to myself on the irony of this cosmetic material being so well installed, while bulkheads important to the structure of the boat were nearly flapping in the breeze.
With a heat gun and chisel, I removed the Formica from all areas. There was no obvious sign of adhesive, like contact cement, which made for a clean removal; it appeared the Formica had been set in resin, as the surface beneath was generally smooth. Whatever the case, it proved not overly difficult to remove the material with a heat gun and chisel.
Above the galley, removing the Formica release a little pool of water that had accumulated behind, apparently collected through a nearby fastener hole.
Afterwards, I lightly sanded the insides of the cabin trunk to prepare the surfaces for whatever might come next.
I was just about done with bulk surface prep in the cabin, but before cleaning up and moving on to the next part of the project, I did some more work removing additional paint/gelcoat from areas where I'd need to install new fiberglass or tabbing, along bulkheads and particularly in the head. There'd be more prep work and sanding ahead when I got to other stages, but for now I was ready and anxious to move on to the decks.
Total Time on This Job Today: 6 hours
