I made a final confirmation of the finished elevation of the new mast step before lightly sanding the new fiberglass to scuff it slightly and remove any hard edges.

There was no better time than now to go ahead and sand the upper portions of the v-berth, where I’d recently removed the ceiling planks to reveal and attend to the failing coatings beneath.

After cleaning up from the day’s sanding, I decided to lay out the mast step base fitting now while my original layout marks were still visible on the nearby structural members and before new work started possibly getting in the way.   Unwrapping the original aluminum fitting from its storage bag, I found that it was in worse condition than I’d remembered, at least after I scraped away the loose material left over from its corrosive environment.  There was also a bit of rocker in the bottom of the piece, i.e. it wouldn’t sit flat and rocked fore and aft.  While it would still be usable as is if needed, I decided to see if there was an easy replacement available and found a part number to work with, but the part seemed obsolete.  I contacted the machine shop that would be doing the new chainplates to see if they could build a replacement (yes), and as of this writing was awaiting a quote.

I started with my paper template of the original step and manipulated it this way and that according to the various measurements and layout marks.  I’d made this template directly off the old aluminum structure and had intended it to document the original, and a few things had changed.  Still, the template got me close to where I needed the step to be, but when I reviewed photos from the removal of the step in the first place, I found I’d actually used different reference points to document the base fitting itself, so I changed tactics and realigned the step according to those criteria.  This included aligning a 4′ straightedge with marks on three of the cross members beneath the cabin sole aft of the step, and also using a straightedge off the main bulkhead and head cabinetry to align the part fore and aft.  With all this, I eventually made some marks on the new structure to reposition the step, but held off permanently marking any fastener hole locations for now.

I checked the measurement between the top of the step base plate and my reference point on the mast collar above, and found it within tolerance of the original measurement, depending on where exactly I held the tape (as the mast base rocked fore and aft and affected the measurement accordingly).  The original measurement was between 67-3/4″ and 67-7/8″; now it was just over 67-3/4″.

With that complete, I moved on to some preparations in the main cabin for the new construction just ahead.  There were several small details to be dealt with before I could begin, including removing a number of old screws that still stuck out from when I’d removed old support cleats.  I removed a bit of the trim from the lower end of the starboard side of the passageway opening, as this trim had been cut to fit around the old berth fiddle, and would likely be in the way of the new work; it would be easier to replace the trim later.

The bottom edges of the staving on the main bulkhead also needed trimming, as some of the pieces on the port side extended down into a space that would, in the new construction, be part of the battery box and berth top.

I also wanted to slightly raise the bottom edge of the staving to give me a touch more room for building new.  In preparing for this cut, I found that the original ends (which had been tight against the berth tops) were far from level, especially to starboard, so I leveled both sides and across the opening as needed and made the cuts required to straighten and clean up the bottom edge of the staving.

I made some layout marks on the after bulkhead at the old nav station, leading to the quarterberth, and cut out the upper portion of the bulkhead for better access in the immediate term, and to accommodate the new galley layout in the longer term.

Finally, I removed an obsolete transducer tank from the hull in way of the port settee.  Unsure what was inside–it should have originally been filled with mineral oil or some such–I removed the top to expose within, and happily found there was nothing inside, saving me the need to pump out whatever might have been there and avoiding a mess.  A little light percussive maintenance persuaded the remnants of the tank to part ways with the hull, leaving only a slight bit of material that I’d remove next time I had a sander going.

The new fiberglass from last time required a light water wash and sanding to prepare it for the final stage of new work.  Afterwards, I dry-fit the third layer of G-10 to check its fit and check once more the measurement from the mast collar to the top of the step to ensure I had the correct clearance.  With a measurement of 68-1/2″, the top plate was right where I wanted it at this stage, with approximately 1/4″ room to spare to allow for the layers of fiberglass over the top.  I made a quick paper pattern of the area to use for cutting the new fiberglass, along with paper patterns of the forward and after faces.  The top plate fit nicely on top of the layers beneath, with just a small gap appropriate for the epoxy adhesive–no need for additional fiberglass to fill the space.

I help with the final installation stage, I prepared a “story stick” cut to 68-1/4″ long, which was the exact final measurement I wanted from the reference point on the mast collar above to the new mast step top; the stick I used during the early part of the layout had disappeared somewhere along the way.  This stick would make it easier for me to di the final measurement when the fresh glasswork was in place, as I’d not need to rest a tape measure on the wet fiberglass.  I double-checked that this worked as intended, then removed the top plate and cleaned up the whole area to prepare for final installation.

Just before final installation of the last layer of the step, I received delivery of a batch of plywood to be used for the new interior construction.

I installed the final layer of the mast step in a bed of thickened epoxy adhesive and leveled it in both directions before checking the height with my story stick.  Then I used additional epoxy to fill in and smooth over the transitions to the hull on each side, and at the vertical ends of the step to fill and clean up the edges between the three layers and where they met the hull on each side, checking the level and height measurement throughout the process.

I left this to cure for a bit while I prepared three layers of fiberglass to cover the top and secure the platform to the hull on each side; then, right after lunch, I installed the final layers of fiberglass on the top, using my story stick to confirm that they had ended up at the correct final elevation (or just a tiny touch below, as hoped).

With additional thickened epoxy, I applied fillets between the forward and aft edges of the step, and cleaned up and smoothed out various adjacent areas to prepare for the tabbing at the forward and after ends, which I then went down and cut in the shop before wetting out and installing two layers, overlapping onto the hull as far as possible, on each end of the step platform.

There’d be a bit of work to dress up the fully-glassed step in the immediate future, and some layout to prepare for reinstalling the metal step plate later, but the bulk of the work was done.  Below are some photos from earlier in the project, showing the original mast step in a couple different stages.

 

After a light sanding of the fillets and a final dry fit, along with a quick paper pattern to help me lay out the full fiberglass layers that would cover the top of this section and further tie it into the hull. the first section of the mast step was ready for installation.  With all surfaces appropriately prepared, I installed two layers of tabbing in epoxy resin between the vertical support and the bottom of the first section (the filleted joint), then installed the piece in the boat with epoxy adhesive on all faying surfaces, and additional tabbing (two layers) between the bottom edge of the vertical support and the hull, tying the whole structure together.  The space beneath was quite tight from the forward end in particular, but with aforethought and some careful work I got the tabbing secured as well as possible.  I couldn’t stop to take any photos of the various installation steps, but the end result had the first layer and its vertical support well-secured with epoxy and tabbing (where appropriate), and level in both directions at the intended height.

While I let the assembly cure for a bit, I prepared three layers of fiberglass to cover the top.  I’d left space for this in the design and orientation of the three layers.  Once the epoxy had set enough to continue, I wet out and installed two of the three layers, tying the top of the first piece into the hull on both sides.  To speed up curing to the green stage, I set up a couple heat lamps while I took lunch break.  This would help me get additional work done in the afternoon.

By my return, and after a visit from the canvas contractor to have a look at the cockpit and some dodger details, the fiberglass had cured enough for me to delicately continue.  First, I set the second layer lightly in place to check its fit and see how the space beneath was looking.  There was still a bit of space, so I went ahead and added the third layer of fiberglass that I’d cut with this in mind.  While that set up slightly, I prepared three new layers of full tabbing to fit the second layer, then installed the second piece in a heavy bed of epoxy adhesive (on the flat and along the hull on each side), pressing it tightly into its proper position and level in both directions.

To wrap up the work for the day, I wet out and installed the three layers of tabbing to cover the top of the second layer and secure it independently to the hull.  I left this to cure overnight, and next time I’d be able to finish up the mast step construction with the final layer and other details.

I began the week by unpacking and inventorying the new stove and sink, which had recently been delivered from Great Britain, to ensure that the items were in good shape and that everything the owner had ordered was here.  Despite some external box damage, fortunately nothing inside was harmed.

My focus for the day was the new mast step.  With the major unbuilding in the cabin complete, and awaiting new materials for the reconstruction, this was the perfect opportunity to prepare and install the new step assembly.  I’d had the raw materials on hand for a while:  three pieces of 12″ x 24″ x 1-1/2″ G-10 fiberglass, which I now had to shape to match the foam patterns I’d made several weeks before.

To transfer the basic profile from the patterns to the new material, I made cardboard patterns of each end of the three layers, which I could then trace onto the fiberglass sheets, along with a rough tracing of the fore and aft shape of the pattern.  I did the same process for all three pieces of the new step, though I’ve only illustrated the first (smallest) piece below.

With the basic shapes transferred, I started by cutting along the lines with a jigsaw with carbide saw blade set at the maximum angle to remove as much of the material as possible.  I repeated this process with all three layers to rough out the profile.

To complete the shaping, I set up a grinder and fan station near the shop door–I would have done the work outdoors but for the rain–and used a grinder and several coarse flap wheels to shape the three pieces of fiberglass to match the layout lines and the foam patterns as much as possible.

From here, it was a multi-step process involving many trips up and down the ladder into the boat with heavy G-10 panels as I made adjustments to each of the three layers, in turn, so they fit properly in the boat and at the proper heights, as well as level in both directions.  I had some layout marks from the patterning to go by.  The first piece (#3) took the most time to fit, as it ended up a bit high and I had to keep recontouring the fiberglass sheet till I finally got it down to its layout marks, and level.  Once the first section was in, the remaining two went more quickly, though each piece required several trips up and down to grind some more material from the high spots.  The spaces between each layer are intentional and designed to allow room for fiberglass tabbing on each individual layer to add to the overall strength of the assembly.

The most important thing when all was said and done was that the top layer ended up at the proper height to ultimately match exactly the height of the old mast step.  I’d built the patterns so the top layer ended up 68-1/2″ below a known point on the mast collar in the deck above, which allowed 1/4″ of space for fiberglass over the top and to fine-tune the final-final height to 68-1/4″, which was the original measurement.  I strove throughout the patterning process to ensure that if anything, the final platform ended up lower rather than higher.

To help me easily keep the pieces in alignment during installation, and to provide reference points for height and position as I went, I used a straightedge held flat to each corner of each of the three layers to mark points on the hull that I could quickly and easily use during installation and keep the lower layers where they needed to be, rather than risk any possibility of the layers “growing” as I worked up to the critical top.

When these layers were fully installed, they’d surely be strong, but as an added hedge and to help transfer the loads all the way to the bottom of the boat, I patterned, then cut to fit, a piece of 1/2″ G-10 to be installed on centerline beneath the lowest section, extending to the hull beneath.  This left ample limber space on each side.

To prepare for final installation, I had enough time left in the day to epoxy the new support to the underside of the lowest layer.  I’d install tabbing to secure the support to the bottom of the first layer before installation in the boat, then epoxy and tab the lower edge of the support to the hull as well.  My epoxy hardener was dark red after sitting in the pump tank unused for some time; apparently the welded seam on the old style tanks like mine reacts with the hardeners to cause this harmless color change.

To get the day started, I made up a drawing of the water tank as per the actual mockup, and added in some details regarding fittings locations, inspection ports, and baffles.  Now I could send this off to some vendors for quotes and timeframes.

Next, I vaccummed out the inside of the boat in all areas, ridding everything of the dust that had settled since my last sanding efforts.  There’d be more mess ahead eventually, but at least for now it was workable.

The owner expressed interest in having me remove the rest of the ceiling strips in the forward cabin in order to address the failed coatings in the area and repaint.  Although access to the space was awkward at the moment, given the steep curves, upon assessment I decided that this was as good a time as any to get the job done, as there wasn’t really any other pressing work requiring me just then as I transitioned from the water tank work and surface prep towards some of the new work (and was awaiting materials for the new construction anyway).  The forward ends of the ceilings featured wooden trim with more screw holes than I had ever seen in such small pieces–at least two screws (and/or holes) in each of the planks.  These took a while to remove, as the screws were tiny, with slotted heads, and in fairly poor condition.  I only fussed with the screws because I didn’t want to damage the ceiling strips themselves.

Eventually, I removed the trim, and moved on to the ceiling boards.  These were secured with more of the tiny, slotted screws, and the chore quickly became aggravating, not to mention fruitless, as the screws were mostly bronze and in poor condition, and the slots were filled with varnish and corrosion.  Soon enough, I determined that if I couldn’t remove these strips some other way, I’d be there still…or else would advise leaving the planks in place.  However, I found that with care, and not too much effort, I could pry the boards loose from their supports–there was just one small screw in each of four supporting strips along the length–so this sped up the removal process significantly, though the screws remained in the boards.

At some length, I successfully removed all the ceiling strips from both sides of the forward cabin.  Now I could, when the spirit moved me, clean up and sand the fully-exposed hull.  (I’d also have to do the quarterberth sometime, so I’d make a fun day of it sometime soonish.)

Eyeing the pile of screw-filled boards on the bench, I sighed deeply and, fully knowing there was no better time than right now to remove the screws, set to the task.  I had to use pliers from the back side to spin out the screws enough that I could grab them with the pliers from the visible side to remove them completely, as the tiny screws (#4) were installed through small or nonexistent pilotholes.  However, soon enough the work was done, and future me would greatly appreciate that now-me had done the work, well, now.  Now-me is good that way.

It was a non-visual day.  I was out of the shop for the morning, but upon my return I started by making some wooden templates of the proposed new chainplates for forward lowers.  After measuring the length of the knee belowdecks at the forward location (12″), I cut strips of 1/4″ plywood (the same thickness as the existing sets of chainplates) to the proper width and length, allowing 12″ below the deck level and the same amount protruding above as on the other two sets.  I used one of the existing chainplates to mark and drill the bolt- and pinholes.  I did this now because I’d been in contact with a machine shop and had arranged a time later on to drop off the old chainplates and patterns for replication.

With the templates complete and all the chainplates ready to go, I killed some time by cleaning up the shop a bit, then took the chainplates to the machine shop for the appointed time to discuss the work with the machinist.

During the morning, I finished up the water tank mockup with the last two side panels, and the top panel.  I secured the long side panels with glue and screws, but used only screws on the top to make it removable.  Afterwards, using the measurements from the actual “tank”, I recalculated estimated volume, again averaging the volumes predicted by each of the two small ends’ dimensions.  I scoured the internet to determine how to calculate volume of an irregular polygonal prism, and worked from the resultant formulae.  To determine the area of each end panel, required for the volume calculation, I had to split the shape into a triangle and a trapezoid, then find the area of each.  Then I multiplied the resulting base area by the length of the tank (48″) to achieve volume.  This suggested an approximate volume of 54 gallons.  In school they always said they wanted to see the work, so I’ve included it here.

Next, I tested the fit of the mockup in the boat.  It took a minute to figure out the best way to manipulate the tank through the companionway, but it fit, and soon I had it temporary placed in the forward cabin, level in both directions.  Because the aft end of the new berth platform would be raised several inches to make it level (rather than following the not-level lines of the hull stringers, as had the original), there would be ample clearance between the aft end of the tank and the platform above, as well as at the forward end.  This would leave room for plumbing fittings, hoses, braces/supports, and general access.

For future reference, I made some measurements from the inboard edge of the tank to some constant reference points nearby, noting these to use later to easily recreate the position of the tank for permanent installation.

There seemed no better time to prepare the forward cabin, and also the starboard hanging locker, for the work ahead than now.  These areas featured a lot of widely-failing coatings, with large sheets loose from the hull and otherwise flaking away.  To begin, I removed the two lowest sections of the wooden ceiling from the v-berth, to expose more of the hull above the immediate working area, and because the new platform would require additional clearance at the aft end.  Then, I sanded all the surfaces to remove the paint as needed, and to prepare the hull in way of the new water tank’s proposed location.  I did the same in the hanging locker, first removing the two flimsy shelves.

In the main cabin, I pried out the wooden battery trays from each side, then ground the surfaces smooth and clean.  The trays came up without too much difficulty, though quite a bit of wood remained that I had to sand away.

Afterwards, I performed a basic cleanup to remove the worst of the detritus, and hoped that this would be the last of the major surface prep required in the cabin.  With that in mind, I planned a thorough cleanup of the space next time, so that I could begin to move forward with new work.

I picked up some cheap 3/16″ plywood to use for building tank mockups and for other portions of the interior rebuild to come.  With that on hand, I did some preparatory work in the forward cabin to clear the way for the new tank work, starting with disconnecting some wiring running across the aft end of the space, noting on each wire where it came from; I removed completely a wire running to the starboard stereo speaker, as this was straightforward and helped clear the passage into the forward space.  Then, I removed the after three of the original cross beams that had supported the berth platform; these came out easily, as I had hoped, by cutting in the center and then pulling away the light tabbing that had secured them to the stringers at the hull on each side.  These had to come out anyway, since the berth platform needed to be rebuilt and raised at the aft end to make it level.

With the space as clear as possible for now, I began to work on the tank mockup.  I started with a piece of plywood cut somewhat oversized, and representing the inboard edge of the tank, and used it to strike a line near the centerline of the boat but leaving room for access to the transducers mounted  on the centerline.  I installed some temporary hot-glue blocks to help hold the template, and added 3/8″ (9mm) scraps of plywood to stand in for an eventual small structural bulkhead that would help support the actual water tank in the final analysis.

With a stick glued to the hull holding the panel plumb, I used a level to mark a vertical (plumb) line at the aft end, and also to mark a level line going forward at the correct height, keeping the top of the “tank” low enough to allow clearance beneath the eventual v-berth platform.

With the panel down on the bench, I cut along the marked lines, and transferred the plumb line forward to the forward end of the panel, creating a trapezoidal panel that fit along the hull and was plumb and level at the three remaining sides.  Back in the boat, I set up and used temporary supports to hold the panel in the proper position.

Now I used cardboard to make templates of the forward and after faces of the tank, making small modifications on the fly till I ended up with a 4-sided shape that maximized potential volume while staying away from the longitudinal stringers against the hull.  I tested the aft face–the piece that would determine the largest three-dimensional size of the tank–to ensure it fit through the passage into the berth, as well as the companionway (it may not look like it fits through the companionway from the poor photo, but it does).  Once I was satisfied with the cardboard templates, I transferred them to plywood and cut them out, with a final dry test-fit in the boat.

I removed the pieces down to the bench and assembled the ends and inboard panel with hot glue and cleats, then set the template upside down on the bench and secured it with cleats and screws so the three sides were square to one another and held firmly in place.  I cut and installed support cleats along the edges to hold the final sides of the template flush with the ends, and laid out and cut a flat on the bottom corner of each end (4″ wide at the aft end, 2.5″ wide at the forward end).   This flat not only gave the tank a bearing surface, but also helped with the layout of the angled outboard facets and maximizing volume along those edges.

This tank, as built, was somewhat larger than the original measurements I’d taken earlier, in part because the overall length is longer, the tank is a bit taller, and also because of the two-sided outboard edge.  As of this writing I’d not had a chance to calculate approximate volume but would do so once I could measure the final result.

Before the end of the day, I had time to lay out and cut the narrow flat bottom of the tank, which would ultimately rest on a small platform built into the boat for the purpose.  I’d finish up the mockup next time.

With a half day planned around an appointment in the afternoon, it was a good opportunity to start work on the final location and potential size of a new water tank to replace the bladder tank once held beneath the starboard berth.  The owner was interested in five different locations with potential for a new tank, depending on available space and other considerations, so over the course of the morning I measured each space and came up with a working drawing of the tank, along with approximate volume measurements.  For the purposes of the moment–which was mainly to determine which space or spaces to focus on, I didn’t bother trying to conceive ways to maximize the tank volume, such as through faceted angles or other adjustments, and stuck to the simplest possible geometric shapes, but once we finalized the location, I planned to build an accurate mockup so as to take advantage of the space as well as possible.

1.  The forward end of the space beneath the vee berth; this space ended up being quite small, under 10 gallons, and likely wasn’t worth the effort for a tank.

2.  The starboard side of the vee berth, opposite the existing waste tank.   This had always been a leading candidate, and at a calculated 34 gallons for the dimensions shown, continued to be.

3.  The bilge area above the keel, a good potential location in terms of weight distribution, but from a practical standpoint there simply wasn’t enough room there to make the effort, so I didn’t bother with any measurements.

4.  The space beneath the starboard settee (after removal of the old battery trays).  This space had potential as well, and a large tank fit to the space could hold up to 36 gallons as drawn.

5.  The difficult-to-access back corner beneath the galley.  This was a reasonable space, though installing a tank here could mean delays in the new galley construction while awaiting tank construction, the timeframe of which we didn’t yet know.  There were limits on the amount of the space available thanks to existing installations.

In the end, the two spaces with the most potential seemed to be the starboard vee berth, and the starboard settee.  The owner leaned towards the vee berth as long as the volume calculation was correct, as did I, so I’d press forward with a mockup to finalize the design and get more accurate measurements.

Next on the agenda was the settees.  The plywood tops were tabbed to the hull along their outer edges, so to begin I used a grinder and cutoff wheel to cut through this tabbing.  From there, it was a pretty simple matter to pull out the plywood, as there was little else holding it but some old screws and cleats that were already failing.  From there, I removed the vertical bases, which were also “tabbed” to the hull along their inside edges, but this tabbing had either already failed (starboard) or was so weak as to provide no resistance to hand removal.   I cut each of the plywood panels in half to make handling and disposal easier.

With the additional space afforded by the settees’ removal, I chipped away the small section of cabin sole on the port forward side, which took much longer than removing all the rest of the structure.  Removal was simply a matter of getting a tool between the adhesive (definitely either 4200 or 5200)  and the hull–fairly laborious, but fortunately the area was small.

With the debris cleared away, and all my tools and things stored elsewhere for now, there was no better time to get in and sand the hull where the settees and galley cabinetry had been, along with the underside of the deck.  This heavy bulk sanding removed the old and failed coatings, remnants of old tabbing, and cleaned up the areas to prepare for new work ahead.  The sanding and cleanup consumed the remainder of the day.  There’d be additional detail work ahead, as there were still old cleats in place that I needed to remove, along with the old battery trays, but the worst of the surface prep was in the books.