Lackey Sailing | Calliope Girl 66

February 15, 2024

Calliope Girl 66

Thursday

The forward chainplates had been lingering on my list, so I decided to get those installed and off my mind. After marking the width of the chainplate inside the boat, with a drill and a long 1/4″ bit (using the long bit for this job allows a straighter and more accurate hole position next to the knees), I drilled holes through the deck at the ends of the marked space, then, from above, finished out the slotted cut with an oscillating tool. I measured the other chainplates to see how much protruded above deck, then marked the new chainplates and, holding them temporarily at the correct position with locking pliers from above, returned below to clamp the chainplates against the knees in their final positions.

Next, I drilled the four bolt holes on each side, making sure the backing plates fit correctly and running the bit through both pieces. I installed all four bolts on each side as I went, just to ensure the alignment would remain correct. Afterwards, I removed the bolts and chainplates so I could prep and then epoxy-treat the slotted deck openings. I’d finish up and finalize the installation once the epoxy cured.

The main focus of the day was surface preparation in the saloon and elsewhere. After getting set up with tools, supplies, and breathing equipment, and cleaning out the tools leftover from the chainplate work, I got ready to sand the new cabinetry in the saloon and galley, along with the cabin sides, overhead, and main bulkhead staving in the main cabin, plus the overhead and bulkheads in the head. These photos show the condition of things at the beghinning.

Over the course of the day, I sanded all applicable areas with 120 grit paper, cleaning up the fresh plywood cabinetry a bit and evening the texture of the wood, and creating a smooth, proper basis on the varnished bulkheads (to be renewed with varnish), cabin sides, and overhead liner. On the bulkheads at the forward end of the galley, I cleaned up old adhesive leftover from the staving (staving would be reinstalled on the forward sides of these bulkheads), and elsewhere made efforts to prepare for primer and paint. The aft face of the bulkhead next to the stove would require a little more work, but for now I prepped it in kind.

With the saloon sanded, I continued in the head and hanging locker, sanding the glossy overhead liner to prepare it for paint, and also the varnished staving. With uncomfortable access in the forward cabin, for the moment I just sanded the cabin sides and overhead, leaving the area beneath the foredeck and the staving to do another time.

Once all the sanding I planned to do now was complete, I vacuumed and solvent-washed all areas to prepare for the next steps, which would be primer on all the new wood and applicable portions of the overhead and cabin sides.