Lackey Sailing | tim lackey

Monday

Looking to make some progress even with the holiday, I started a short workday by preparing, then filling with thickened epoxy, the old hole left from the holding tank vent in the hull. The new fitting was slightly larger and I’d need to redrill the hole, so filling the old one was the easiest way to provide me with the necessary center for the new, larger hole. I expected all of the old hole, and its epoxy filler, would be eliminated when I drilled the larger hole later.

Seeking additional storage, the owner inquired about one or more deck boxes in key places on deck (aka places there might be room), and one of these was to be on the centerline forward of the pilothouse, where there was ample open space that wasn’t used for anything else. I made some initial measurements of the space to determine the possible dimensions of the new deck box. To leave clearance aft of the mast, and for the rigid boom vang, it looked like an overall length of 48″ would work (and also use the sheet goods efficiently), and by overhanging somewhat the 11″ wide raised center portion of the deck, the width could be made as needed to accommodate some of what the owner hoped to store. Height-wise, the box had to be deep enough to be useful, but couldn’t extend too high lest it block too much of the view from the pilothouse windows; the owner had suggested that roughly the height marked by the lower window frame in its open position would be OK. This was around a foot.

One thing the owner hoped to keep in the new box was a spare propane tank to fit the small propane locker in the cockpit. The tank was just over 12″ tall and a bit over 11″ in diameter, so these formed the basis for my calculations on the new deck box. To keep the height from growing too much and being an impediment to visibility, I thought I could create a recess for the bottom of the tank that would minimize the space required for it, as well as holding it in place inside the box. Therefore, I decided to make the sides of the box 12″ tall, and the overall width of the box 15″ to easily fit between the deck hatches, but not overhang the raised portion of the deck by to much (14-1/4″ inside width). I hoped these overall dimensions would make the box useful without being too bulky.

To this end, I cut to size the sides, ends, and bottom from 12mm marine plywood. I routed out a circular area to fit the bottom of the propane tank, which allowed the tank to fit within the 12″ tall interior of the box. To support the box on deck, I planned to add plywood feet to hold it just off the deck for drainage, and I planned for one of these plywood additions to reinforce from beneath the section beneath the propane tank.

To showcase the size of the box, I temporarily taped it together to hold the sides and ends in place. Once I confirmed that the box would be adequate and suit the owner’s needs, I’d start assembling, fiberglassing, and finishing the box.

Total time billed on this job today: 2 hours

0600 Weather Observation: 30°, mostly cloudy. Forecast for the day: Clouds and sun, 39°

Friday

With the old sewage system out of the way, it was time to turn to the replacement system. The owner requested a simple system that would send all waste to a new holding tank, and from there the tank could be either manually pumped overboard in appropriate waters, or discharged to a shoreside facility when needed. In the time since I finished removing the old system, I’d ordered the new tank, though it had not yet arrived, as well as other components of the new system, including the manual waste pump: Another Henderson/Whale Mk IV like the toilet pump itself.

Now I prepared to install the new waste pump. The instructions for the through-deck (or through-bulkhead) talked of a mounting template, and it seemed I might have used a template for the original head pump I installed in 2014, but I could find no such template available, so I made my own template to show the cutout required for the pump handle and four mounting bolts for the pump itself. I also rotated the pump’s cowl to change the flow direction from the standard vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation that would better match the installation specifics at hand.

In the compartment beneath the forward berth, I removed a side panel to gain better access to the existing sewage hoses.

There were severe space constraints for the new pump, between the height of the berth platform, the nearby faucet controls, and the head platform and toilet itself (for pump handle clearance). Ultimately, these various obstructions, along with the bulk of the pump itself, more or less dictated only a single possible location for the pump, which fortunately happened already to be a clear space within the forward compartment.

With the basic location determined, I used my homemade template to mark the mounting holes and pumping slot on the forward side of the bulkhead. I drilled a pilot hole through the rough center of the slot to double-check that there would be handle clearance in the head compartment; even in the best location the clearance was tight, but it was sufficient to allow full throw of the handle in both directions, without interference with the toilet. From there, I could cut the slot for the pump handle.

As essentially straightforward as this installation was in theory, in practice it required a lot of back and forth between the forward cabin and the head, a process complicated by needing to continually clamber in and out of the tight (and high) opening to the forward cabin, and into the adequate but still tight space where the old holding tank system had been, and so forth. I had to do this multiple times as I laid out and drilled the four mounting holes for the pump, as well as securing each of the bolts in turn, since I couldn’t access both sides of the bulkhead at the same time. I sealed each bolt penetration with a large washer and butyl sealant, and eventually the pump housing was in place.

Now I could finish the installation with the rubber bellows and cover plate from the head side. I’d forgotten from my last such installation nearly seven years earlier that the top two holes in the bellows mounting ring corresponded with the top pair of bolts securing the pump, so I had to remove these two bolts and reinstall them through the plastic ring–no trouble, just more back and forth and repeating the processes I’d done earlier. In addition to the rubber bellows, which flange extended behind the entire mounting ring, I added more butyl tape sealant behind the ring to seal all the fixing screws.

To finish off what I could of this installation for now, I installed a new discharge hose from the pump to the existing, and nearby, loop that led to the overboard discharge through hull. The proximity of the two connections required a hose loop to accomplish; the hose threading the needle through the loop is the actual and original discharge line from the toilet, which I would later connect to the inlet of the new tank once it was installed.

Meanwhile, while working in the head space I took care of a couple smaller removals. First, I removed the small control panel from the old electric head treatment system, leaving a 1″ hole in the bulkhead that I’d cover with something or other for cosmetic purposes in due course. I also removed the associated cabling that had led to the control box that I’d removed along with the old holding tank previously.

Because the owner wanted a different type of through-hull vent for the new tank, I also removed the old vent hose and vent fitting from the hull, which was located in the space behind the head panel. I’d replace the fitting and hose in the near future.

Total time billed on this job today: 4 hours

0600 Weather Observation: 32°, cloudy. Forecast for the day: Becoming sunny, 37°

Friday

With the new hasp now on hand, I completed the installation on the lazarette hatch. The hasp featured a rotating eye that secured the hasp without need for a padlock through the eye.

The final installation, as it were, was to reinstall the tiller, and with that, the project was complete, other than painting the bottom sometime in the early spring.

Total time billed on this job today: 0.5 hours

0600 Weather Observation: 32°, cloudy. Forecast for the day: Becoming sunny, 37°

Thursday

After collecting tools, fasteners, hardware, and protective cloths and towels, I got to work installing the last of the hardware in the cockpit. Deceptively minimal, the various hardware installations took most of the day to complete.

I started by reinstalling the inclinometer beneath the compass, after checking that the boat was still level. I used VHB tape to secure the plastic device in place.

Next, I installed the pair of padeyes in the cockpit well, one on each side. I reused the plywood backing plates that I’d removed earlier, but used all-new fasteners.

I moved on to the lower part of the latches for the two cockpit hatches. The latches and catches for the hatches have few matches, except in Natchez.

(sorry.)

Still on the bench, I installed the top portions of the locker lid latches, then reattached the two lids to the hinges still in place on the cockpit seats.

Next on the list: A pair of new winch handle pockets at the forward end of the cockpit.

I made up some new fiberglass backing plates for the stern cleats, then installed the cleats on each side.

The only piece of hardware left now was a hasp/latch for the lazarette hatch. Unfortunately, the simple new hasp I’d purchased for this turned out not to work: The leg was too long, and I couldn’t orient the hasp in any way that would work. So I searched for, found, and ordered a replacement with a shorter leg that I hoped would do the job. It turns out that hasps with rotating eyes have far fewer sizes available than normal hasps, so my options were limited. The new hardware should arrive on the morrow, and I planned to install it then to wrap things up.

Other than that, the work list was complete for now.

Total time billed on this job today: 5.75 hours

0600 Weather Observation: 26°, cloudy. Forecast for the day: Mostly cloudy, chance of showers, 37°

Wednesday

During what we’d had of winter so far–two “real” snowstorms (in that they accumulated and required plowing), one of which melted and washed away by Christmas, the other of which was only moderate in scope but had stuck around mostly unchanged for a couple weeks–I’d endeavored to keep the way clear around Lyra, as I knew I’d be moving her indoors sometime in January to begin the project. Happy to have had a relatively easy winter so far, meaning less work to keep the boat and my trailer clear enough to get to, I prepared for the boat move by removing what I could of the tarp over the boat. With no real framework above the deck, the cover was mostly flat and therefore still had a surprisingly heavy snow load atop that I couldn’t move from the ground, and the tarp itself had a lot of frozen water collected in various pockets and folds caused by the abundant excess tarp bundled all around the boat, so I chose just to cut the tarp off roughly at waterline level, which would allow me to move the boat indoors and then deal with the rest of it later. The tarp was damaged anyway from the weight and I didn’t see the bother in making any attempts to salvage it regardless.

One never knew when a real winter would hit (usually April now, it seems), so I was grateful that the conditions were so good for the move now, and was anxious to have the boat indoors as soon as possible so I wouldn’t have to worry what the weather brought in the coming days or weeks, even though it would be a few days to a week or so before I truly got started on the project. So with all other preparations complete, including uncovering and hooking up the trailer and getting the shop ready, I picked up the boat and moved her indoors without issue, placing her fairly tightly in the back corner of the shop to keep as much room open as possible so I could fit in another boat in the remaining space. Since the bulk of the work on Lyra would be on deck and in the cabin–no exterior structural or cosmetic work was planned at this time–I didn’t need a lot of room around her for staging or other work.

Once the boat was inside, I was able to get up on deck at my relative leisure and push off the snow and remove the rest of the tarp and the minimal framing over the cockpit, after which I could move back in the other boat. I suppose it would have been easy enough to do this outdoors first, but one never knows.

This project would get underway soon, but regardless it felt good to have her indoors and ready whenever I was.

Total time billed on this job today: 2 hours

0600 Weather Observation: 28°, cloudy. Forecast for the day: Partly sunny, 36°

Wednesday

At the bow, I installed the newly-made registration numbers, locating them about 27-1/4″ aft of the stem on each side, which corresponded roughly with the cutwater below.

Now that the nonskid paint was dry enough, I could remove the remaining masking from the cockpit.

I wanted to give the cockpit at least another day to cure before I started working within to finish up the hardware installations there, so for now I worked on the lazarette hatch, reinstalling the original hinges on the hatch before installing the hatch permanently on the deck with new bolts in tapped screw holes. Later, I’d add a small hasp, but since part of that might be on the fresh nonskid, I wanted to wait a little longer.

To lead the solar panel wire belowdecks, I used the same hole that it had been led through previously, but now I installed a weatherproof cable clam over the hole, which better sealed the cable and secured it. I left enough slack for the hatch to operate as needed.

Next, I reinstalled the stanchions and lifelines that I’d removed early in the painting preparations.

This was about all I could do till the cockpit had a bit more cure time, so it seemed a good time to move some boats around. Fortunately, my next project would fit in the shop at the same time as Arietta, which meant I could leave her indoors for the winter months ahead rather than attempt to engineer an effective and non-damaging cover for the boat in the meantime, and it also meant I could take advantage of the current benign weather pattern to shuffle boats without undue cold, storms, snow, or ice. So after moving some things around in the shop to make room, I temporarily moved Arietta outdoors on her trailer so I could move the other boat in. Then, later, I moved her back to the spot she’d occupy for the remainder of the winter, which still gave me opportunity to finish up the final hardware installations later in the week.

Total time billed on this job today: 3.25 hours

0600 Weather Observation: 28°, cloudy. Forecast for the day: Partly sunny, 36°

Tuesday

Before getting back to the second coat of nonskid, there were a few installations I could finish first, starting with the outboard bracket. I’d painted the bracket along with the hull and deck, and during layout I’d prepared the fastener holes, so the final installation was straightforward. After reaming out the top surface of the four mounting holes, I applied sealant to the back of the bracket, then secured it with four 5/16″ flathead bolts in the already-tapped holes through the transom and built-in reinforcement within.

Afterwards, I cleaned up excess sealant and completed the installation with large washers and nuts on the inside. The removable portion of the bracket slid easily into the mount even with the additional thickness of paint within.

Next, I installed the oarlock base and socket with two long bronze bolts through the taffrail and hull/deck flange within.

The last thing I could install now was the aluminum trim covering the seam between hull and taffrail on the transom. I’d removed this before painting and cleaned up the original piece before installation with new screws and sealant.

The remaining hardware, including stern cleats, lazarette hatch, and some padeyes in the cockpit, would await the completion of the nonskid. So to get on with it, I applied the second and final coat of the nonskid paint, this time using the special roller to provide the textured surface. I started with the cockpit sole and the beige paint, leaving behind ample evidence of the worthiness of the extra masking around the space.

With the texture on the cockpit sole complete, I removed the masking tape around the field. I’d installed the masking in such a way that I only had to remove the strip of tape immediately defining the nonskid field, leaving the remaining masking in place till after the paint cured. The masking has to be removed with the paint still wet to avoid damaging the paint edge later.

Next, I continued with the cockpit seats and the white nonskid paint. Here, I had to remove all the masking now, since I’d forgotten to set up the tape the “proper” way as I’d done on the cockpit sole and other areas thereafter when I remembered what I was supposed to be doing. This didn’t pose a big problem, but just meant a modicum of extra care required in the tape’s removal.

I continued with the poop deck and the cockpit locker lids. Later in the afternoon, I returned and removed the excess tape from the poop deck surrounds.

After lunch, I picked up the new graphics for the name, hailport, and registration numbers, and spent the remainder of the day installing the lettering on the transom, keeping it more or less in the same position as the original lettering I’d removed earlier in the project. I’d get to the registration numbers on the bow next time.

Total time billed on this job today: 6 hours

0600 Weather Observation: 20°, cloudy. Forecast for the day: Decreasing clouds, 36°

Monday

The original nonskid pattern on the rest of the decks was a knobby, randomly-patterned roughish texture as seen below. The sidedecks were beige (as had been the original cockpit sole), while the coachroof, poop deck, and cockpit seating areas were white. The owner requested that we replicate the original color scheme with the fresh nonskid.

To match the original texture as closely as possible, I chose Kiwigrip for this project, which would give a similar appearance to the repainted areas. To prepare for the nonskid, I masked off the new glossy white paint in the cockpit and poopdeck, following the lines I’d laid out earlier. Since the application of Kiwigrip is unavoidably messy, from past experience I knew to mask off wide areas all around the field, which would help catch the inevitable splatters and allow free use of the special roller that gives the product its finished texture. I’d found it much more efficient to spend the extra time masking than to fret over the constant splatters on nearby surfaces. In the new cockpit, only the sole would be beige; I had some of the Kiwigrip tinted to the owner’s choice of color, called Moon Dust. The seating areas and poop deck would be white.

With the masking complete, I had some time available before I wanted to apply the first (base) coat, so I worked on some of the hardware reinstallations, starting with the compass and sailing instruments in the cockpit. I spliced the compass light wires that I’d had to cut to remove the compass previously, then reinstalled the compass in its opening.

On the opposite side, I reinstalled the vintage knotmeter and depthsounder in their original holes, with butyl sealant around the faces and the original trim rings behind, which held the instruments in place. After reconnecting the wires and cabling, the installation was complete.

Next, I reinstalled the solar panel on the lazarette hatch, using the holes I’d predrilled earlier. As before, I installed the panel with bolts and large washers that held the panel in place through its four corner eyelets, with sealant in the openings.

For now, that was about all I could do until the nonskid was done, and in any event it was time to apply the first base coat of the product, a process I developed on my own from past experience, which showed that it was worthwhile to apply a smooth base coat before attempting the textured final coat as this greatly helped the coverage and hiding ability of the textured coat, while only masking once.

With a smooth roller, I applied the beige paint to the cockpit sole, leaving just a slight texture behind but covering the area in a consistent color coat. Then, I repeated the process on the seats, locker lids, and poop deck with the white paint. I’d let this cure overnight, then continue with the final, textured coat next time.

Total time billed on this job today: 5.75 hours

0600 Weather Observation: 10°, mainly clear. Forecast for the day: Increasing clouds, 35°

Saturday-Sunday

With spraying complete, over the weekend I removed all the masking tape, paper, and plastic to expose the boat in her new duds. To complete the new appearance, I waited a day for the boottop to cure further, then masked off and painted the top section of the bottom, extending down about a foot for now just for appearance’s sake; later in the season I’d paint the entire bottom to prepare her for the owners’ pickup in the spring.

Next: Nonskid and final touches.

Total time billed on this job today: 4.5 hours

0600 Weather Observation: 19°, partly clear. Forecast for the day: Mostly sunny, 33°

Friday

Now that the hull paint had had sufficient cure time, I could get to work masking off around the boottop so I could spray it and finish the hull painting.

To begin, I masked top and bottom with special vinyl tape that helps prevent the LPU from bleeding and creates a crisp paint line.

While this tape is critical in the process, its smooth surface tends to let the thin paint shed and run, possibly ruining the job, so long ago I learned to cover it nearly completely with normal masking tape, keeping the green tape as close to the edge of the blue fine-line tape as I could without making my eyes cross too much.

With the detail masking complete, I covered the entire hull in masking paper to protect against overspray.

Now it was quick and straightforward to spray apply three coats of Alexseal flag blue to the boottop, waiting about an hour between coats. This was the final major step in the painting process, and I looked forward to unveiling the whole boat again afterwards.