Monday

At the end of the last phase of the project, I’d installed and secured the galley sink in place, but never posted any photos of the completed installation.

My upholstery contractor had been patiently storing the new interior cushions and backrests for some time, but now was anxious to finish the job and check everything, so I cleaned up the cabin a bit before he arrived with the new upholstery.  The backrests, which covered the storage areas behind the settees, required hinges and catches for access, which I installed to complete the job.  I installed the hinges to the fiberglass settee with machine screws in tapped holes; in the final installation, I’d add nuts and washers as well.  I’d long ago installed wooden support blocks within the cabinet openings to accept the door catches, so installation was straightforward now.

Cockpit cushions:

With the cushion installation complete, I removed all the cushions and stored them in my basement for safekeeping till the end of the project.

My immediate focus was to finish up any lingering exterior work required before I could apply finish primer and topcoats.   To begin, I used the chainplates to finish marking and drilling the bolt holes through the hull.  Faithful readers may recall that sometime earlier, I’d redrilled many of the holes from inside the boat, since the exterior of many of the holes had been filled with fairing compound or covered with fiberglass during the hull and hull/deck joint work, but the topmost holes were inaccessible from within, and I’d left their completion for later.  Later was now, so I finished up the final holes and, using a countersink, milled a slight chamfer on each hole to ease any rough edges.

The main task on my short pre-primer list was the molded winch islands in the cockpit.  These winch islands featured a sharply angled top surface, for purposes unknown, but it looked goofy and caused the winches to lean severely outboard and even past the gunwales, as seen in the photos below, which were taken upon the boat’s delivery here and the early part of the disassembly long ago.

The owner, upon first seeing the boat during his visit to the shop at the beginning of the second phase of the project, pointed out that he didn’t care for the angled winch islands, nor did I, and nor could we conceive of why it would be beneficial to the operation of the winches, so he asked if we could level the tops.  I had hoped to complete the leveling work earlier, but phase 2 was consumed by interior work and there wasn’t time to get to the winch islands, though I’d sanded off the primer at one point.  Now, though, they were a priority.

My plan was to build up the top with solid fiberglass sheeting, which I had on hand.  To begin, I made a cardboard pattern of the island top (they were for all intents and purposes identical to port and starboard, so I could use the same pattern for each).  The angle of the existing winch islands was quite strong, and to bring the tops level would require almost 3″ of material at the outboard edges.

I transferred the patterns to a sheet of 1″ thick prefab fiberglass and cut out the shapes, then, holding the blanks basically level on each side, I made some marks so I could shape the inboard edges to match the sharp angle beneath.

Satisfied with the first piece, I marked its lower edge and, using the original cardboard pattern now held down to the new line, created similar templates for the second piece of the solid lamination, and cut and shaped these to fit by the end of business.  The top section on each side was a bit oversized, but now with the second piece in place I marked the tops so I could make another saw cut to trim them down before continuing.

I’d need one more smallish section to complete the build-up, but I’d finish that next time.

Total time billed on this job today:  8.5 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  44°, partly cloudy.  Forecast for the day:  Mostly sunny, 63°

Friday

Before getting back to work on Scupper for the final phase of the project, I chose to relocate the boat in the shop bay.  During the interior work, and to accommodate another project in the bay, I’d moved the boat far over to one side of the shop, but now I needed her back in the center of the bay to provide access to all sides of the boat for staging and upcoming exterior paint work.

Thusly positioned, I continued by installing the staging at deck height so I could get to work on a few final details before moving into priming and painting.

Total time billed on this job today:   2 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  45°, mainly cloudy.  Forecast for the day:  Partly cloudy, 50°

Friday

One advantage of an electric propulsion motor from an installer’s point of view is that the assembly is smaller and lighter than a diesel engine, but that said the motor was still quite heavy and rather ungainly to maneuver.  To get the motor up and into the boat for the beginnings of installation, I put it into a large tote bag, which made it relatively easy to get up the ladder, into the cockpit, then down safely into the cabin, and eventually into the engine room.

My immediate goal was to finalize the position of the motor (I might slip and call it an engine) in the engine space, and to align it properly with the stern tube and a stand-in propeller shaft.  The configuration of the aperture and rudder prohibited installation of the shaft from outside, so before I could permanently install the motor I’d have to measure for, order, and obtain the new propeller shaft.  The output shaft from the electric motor featured a typical coupling on the end, ready for easy mating with a standard shaft coupling, one of which I had on hand.  Using a length of 1″ fiberglass tube as a propeller shaft, I installed the coupling and inserted the shaft from inside the stern tube.

The small aperture size, and again the interference from the rudder, also meant that I planned to install the new propeller over the shaft before final engine installation, and to that end I’d already purchased the 10×8 3-blade propeller required for and specified by the electric motor manufacturer for this boat and her undersized aperture.  The first photos here, dating to June 2017, show the original propeller and the aperture setup; the final photo shows the new propeller.

With the shaft now in place from inside, I moved the electric motor into position on the platform I’d built earlier (using dimensions from the motor manufacturer to determine its height vis-a-vis the existing stern tube).  The L-shaped mounting brackets were already in place on the motor, but I’d not yet installed the actual adjustable feet, so, not unexpectedly, the motor sat about 2″ too low.

I set up the four adjustable mounts with nuts and washers at 2″ above the base, then installed these in the slotted holes on the mounting brackets.  This raised the motor, and its output shaft coupling, to virtually the perfect height and alignment with the propeller shaft coupling.

After minor adjustments to the motor’s position on the platform as I optimized its longitudinal position and fine-tuned the couplings’ positions, I secured the two couplings together temporarily.

With the engine’s position now set, I finalized the positions of the four adjustable mounts on the platform.  With transverse slotted holes in the engine brackets, I chose to keep the mounting studs in just a bit (3/4″) from the outermost reaches of the slots to allow some room for adjustment later if needed, and used a small spacer block to set all four locations in this way.  Then, I marked the engine platform around each mount so I could locate and permanently install them momentarily.

With the motor where it belonged, outside the boat I measured for the actual shaft length.  The piece of fiberglass I was using ended 3″ forward of the rudder, and after reviewing photos of the original configuration and how far aft the shaft projected, I decided that the new shaft should be 2″ longer than whatever the length of my fiberglass stand-in was.  This would leave 1″ clearance between the shaft and the rudder, keep the propeller well aft for maximum aperture clearance, and still allow room on the shaft for a zinc forward of the propeller.

Now I could remove the electric motor once more and, after removing the adjustable mounting feet, I located them according to the marks I’d made, and bolted them to the engine foundation.  The way these sat beneath the angle brackets, and given the confines and contours of the engine room, meant that it was much easier or even required to pre-install them like this. I would make maneuvering the manageable-yet-still-heavy electric motor into place a little more awkward (needing to be careful of marring the threads on the studs), but it would be do-able.

I’d leave things here till I could get the new propeller shaft made.

With my temporary shaft out of the boat and the coupling removed, I measured the full length (29-3/4: on the generous side), and added 2″ to obtain the final shaft length of 31-3/4″.

Later in the day, after my delivery of the fitting required to finish off the faucet installation, I did indeed finish the installation, threading on the female pipe-hose fitting with pipe dope, and securing a length of hose now to make it easier later on.

With that complete, I installed the sink permanently in a bed of adhesive sealant, weighting it down till the adhesive cured by filling the sink bowl full of tools, with additional weight on top of the sink board.

Total time billed on this job today:   4.5  hours

0600 Weather Observation:  58°, fog, clouds, showers.  Forecast for the day:  Showers and rain, 69°

Thursday

With the sink in position and some tape on the countertop, I determined the location for the new faucet, a stainless steel lab faucet with a simple yet elegant design suited for this cold water-only installation.  The available clear space on the countertop and the built-in storage area just aft of the sink limited the faucet’s position to the aft starboard corner of the sink, and I ultimately chose a location here that looked right, functioned well with the sink’s position, and avoided some problematic areas beneath the countertop that would have made securing the faucet difficult.  I drilled a 7/8″ hole for the faucet shank through the thick countertop.

Despite a rather long shank on the faucet, the countertop here was too thick to allow for the securing nut to fit on and still leave enough room to thread on the required hose adapter afterwards.  This meant I had to relieve the countertop on the underside to provide enough depth for the fixing nut and hose connection.  To do this, I needed to be able to center a larger hole saw in the just-drilled hole, so I temporarily hot-glued on a scrap of thin plywood so I could start the new hole, after which I used a 2-1/2″ hole saw to remove the bottom fiberglass skin, original plywood core, and part of the original fiberglass top skin.  This gave me enough depth now to secure the fixing nut and washer and tighten the faucet securely into position.

Despite a bloated box of brass plumbing fittings, naturally I didn’t have the fitting I needed to complete the faucet installation:  a female pipe-hose connector in 3/4″ pipe size and for 1/2″ hose.    I looked for a way to adapt with what I had, since not having the right fitting meant I’d have to hold off on the final sink installation, but I had nothing that would work, so I ordered the right fitting and prepared the countertop for the sink installation to streamline that process another time.

Total time billed on this job today:   2.75 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  60°, foggy. Forecast for the day:  Showers, fog, thunderstorm, and eventually rain, 62°

Wednesday

With the interior work and this phase of the project winding down, it was a good time to start work on the cabin table, which required refinishing.  The original table, which I removed early in the project, was heavily built of (I think) teak, and while it was in generally good condition, the finish wasn’t quite good enough to consider simply sanding and varnishing, with various nicks and scrapes that would have marred such an attempt.

To begin, I disassembled the table, removing the two drop leaves and their support systems, along with any hardware.  This left me with a series of manageable pieces.

I stripped the old varnish with a heat gun and scraper in the usual way and set the pieces aside for later sanding, cleanup, and eventual varnish.

Total time billed on this job today:   3.5 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  60°, foggy.  Forecast for the day:  Fog, then becoming sunny, 71°

Tuesday

Now that the paint work at the companionway was complete, I could unmask the area and make up one final piece of trim to cover the exposed edge at the outboard side of the opening inside.  I made the “L”-shaped piece to cover the seams in this area, and once I’d test-fit the trim I removed it once more for final sanding and shaping, and then off to the varnish room.  Later, the unpainted exterior areas of the companionway trim would receive primer and paint to match the decks themselves.

After getting unintentionally sidetracked by another, unrelated, project, I got back to things in the late afternoon with the galley. Now that the countertop was complete, I could start to do the final installations and truly complete the space, which I looked forward to.

I began with the stovetop, which I’d removed from the galley early in the project.  It was a new-condition (and apparently never-used) two-burner alcohol drop-in.  Earlier, in a slack moment, I’d cleaned up some minor water staining that had marred the otherwise perfect stove; the cutting board was still in its plastic wrapping.  I found that I needed to enlarge the existing opening a bit in order to fit the stove, even though I’d patterned the new countertop around the original opening, but after a while I got the stove to fit back in and secured it with screws through the mounting flange.

I installed the drain fitting in the sink, using sealant to secure and bed the fitting in place, and added a bronze tailpiece for easy and effective drain hose connection.  The sink fit back in its opening without an issue, but for now I left it dry-fit until I could install the faucet that was due to arrive in another day.  The sink also came with a wooden cover and cutting board which is visible in some of the photos further down the page.

To fit the locker lids in the outboard countertop required that I clean up the openings a bit, as some of the epoxy coating had gotten into the corners, but after a bit the lids fit back in properly.  Later I planned to paint the insides of the openings and the edges of the lids since they looked a little raw as is.

Total time billed on this job today:  3 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  60°, mostly clear. Forecast for the day:  Partly sunny, 75°

Monday

To finish off the doors to the forward cabin, I installed a slim piece of slippery plastic on the bottom trim, which slightly raised the doors to their final position and improved operation.  I installed the trim with screws in countersunk holes.

To secure the doors when opened, I installed brass latches at each end.

The companionway ladder and door required a latch to hold it closed on one side, plus another grab handle on the inside to help operate the door from within.  I salvaged these bronze pieces from the original doorway.

Continuing work on the galley countertop, I carefully sanded off the raised edges around the four openings, much as I’d done earlier on the loose hatches.

Afterwards, I applied some of the tabletop epoxy to the sanded and cleaned edges on the two locker openings.  I didn’t need to apply the epoxy to the stove and sink openings since the edges would be hidden by the installations.

With the countertop hatches on the bench, I installed the brass ring pulls.

After a light sanding and cleanup, I applied a second coat of semi-gloss white paint to the companionway and trim rings.

Total time billed on this job today:  4.75 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  55°, clear.  Forecast for the day:  Sunny, 80°

Wednesday

In a short work day, I continued with the companionway.  After lightly sanding the primer and cleaning up afterwards, I applied the first of at least two coats of the same semi-gloss white enamel I used elsewhere throughout the interior.

I repeated the steps on the six port trim rings.

Total time billed on this job today: 1.5 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  45°, clear.  Forecast for the day:  Sunny, 76°

Tuesday

With the countertop cured sufficiently (though full cure would take a few days), I removed all the duct tape and masking tape from the countertop and hatches. Though the epoxy coating was below the level of the masking tape along the edges of the countertop, the application process had spread some epoxy up and over the tape in several areas, which only meant it took some fine work to remove all the tape.  Without a full cure, I was wary of doing any damage to the fresh and highly glossy surface, so worked with extra care.

Removing the duct tape that had formed the dams revealed an unforeseen small problem:  the epoxy, though surface tension, had slightly climbed the duct tape dams at the countertop openings and around the hatch perimeters, leaving a raised edge when the tape was removed.

This wasn’t a problem on the stove and sink openings, where the edges would be covered by the installation flanges, but for the countertop storage lockers and lids, where the edges were the finished surface, I’d have to remove the raised part carefully.  I found I could use a sharp knife to pare away some of the excess now, but decided to leave the final resolution till later when I’d had some time to consider options.

Meanwhile, I masked off the areas to be primed and painted around the companionway, then, after final preparations, applied a coat of white primer.  At the same time, I primed the interior port trim rings.

Later, working with the two loose hatches on the bench, I sanded the edges to remove the unwanted raised epoxy, staying away from the glossy field by keeping the sandpaper angled just to remove the edge.  I worked through several grits in this process, ending at 220, with a smooth and clean edge.  To finish off the edge, I mixed a small batch of the tabletop epoxy and applied it just to the sanded edges with a brush, which worked quite well.  I’d do the same treatment to the countertop openings a little later.

Total time billed on this job today:  4 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  60°, clouds and showers.  Forecast for the day:  Showers, 65°

Monday

With a near-ideal 80° weather forecast for the clear epoxy countertop work still in place, I got started right away with the final preparations for the pour.  While it would get warm later, at the start of the day it was still on the cool side, so I bumped up the heat in the shop to help (and to ensure that the temperature remained constant in the overnight to come as well), and placed my containers of epoxy in a warm water bath to help the epoxy flow.  While I’d never used the table top coating before (like everyone else, I’d seen plenty of it on restaurant tables or bars throughout the years), all the information suggested that proper (i.e. warm) temperature was the key to success.

While the containers soaked for a while, I finished up final preparations.  In the galley, I installed some plastic sheeting inside the cabinets to protect them from drips, and spruced up some of the tape around the openings that I’d installed earlier.  The sink opening proved to be the most difficult, surprisingly, and I ended up installing all-new tape.  I also installed a tape dam around the outside perimeter of the two flush hatches.  Afterwards, I washed the bare wood with acetone.

The first coat required was to be a basic thin seal coat to absorb into the wood grain and provide a better substrate for the final flood coat.  I chose to start on the small loose hatches for practice before doing the main countertop, so I mixed up a small batch of the epoxy and mixed it according to the instructions.  I found it impossible not to create air bubbles–another instruction admonition–in the pot during mixing, but a little rest time before application helped disperse some of the mixed-in air.  I spread the epoxy with a squeegee and brush for the corners, basically getting the surface wet with no intentional excess.  The epoxy at this point was thick and dense despite its bath and ambient shop temperatures in the 60s or better, and this was instructive, but not harmful to the seal coat at this stage.  Still, it reinforced the need for warmth to allow the epoxy to flow properly on its own.

Afterwards, I repeated the process on the main countertop.  Here, perhaps because it was warmer in the boat (unconfirmed), I found the epoxy behaved a little better, and other than the irritation of avoiding all the raised tape dams to prevent damage as I leaned over the deep countertop, the seal coat went well, and was even smooth and glossy enough to provide tantalizing insight of things to come.

I had to babysit the fresh epoxy for some minutes to see if there were air bubbles forming that I’d need to remove, and I did end up using a heat gun over the surfaces to help raise and pop air bubbles as a practice for the flood coat, if not strictly necessary now.

I couldn’t risk doing any real work in the boat while the epoxy work was going on, lest I contaminate it one way or another, so while this put on hold my original plans for the week (priming and painting the companionway), I was quite pleased to be taking care of the countertop, since this final step had been pending for some time, so the minor delay in the intended work was of no matter.

Whiling away the time while the seal coat tacked up, I installed bronze handles (salvaged from the originals) on the now-complete forward cabin doors, and test-fit the doors in place.  I ordered some hooks to secure the doors open, as well as some slim slippery material to install along the bottom edge to slightly raise the doors and improve operation, and I’d complete those steps as soon as the new materials arrived.

Meanwhile, I worked on other things unrelated to the boat while I waited a few hours till I could apply the flood coat of epoxy.

By early afternoon, the shop temperature was an indicated 82° (and probably warmer up in the boat), which seemed perfect for the countertop epoxy work.  Again, I chose to begin the pour with the small hatches to learn and test the process, and it was immediately obvious that the epoxy flowed much better at this temperature.  Whereas in the morning the epoxy had been a lot like honey in texture, now it was substantially less viscous–but not runny nor watery, just a lot looser and prone to actual flowing/leveling, rather than sort of sitting in a blob and barely oozing from its original position, which was how it had acted when temperatures were in the 60s.

The pours for the hatches resulted in substantial bubbleage (a well-documented and expected condition) but the heat gun worked well to remove them all, leaving behind an almost ridiculously clear and shiny surface about 1/8″ in thickness.  The epoxy had leveled itself well and was easy to work at these temperatures.

Moving the operation back to the galley, I poured the flood coat on the main countertop.  Again, the process seemed to go well, and the epoxy was loose enough not only to flow, but to easily re-level whenever I had to squeegee or brush it into a tight corner or to fill a void in the coating.  For a while, I struggled to help along a section in the after outboard corner–hardest to see and reach–that didn’t seem to be leveling, till I realized I was actually seeing the reflection of the masking tape on the adjacent surface (the tape bulged over some ceiling fasteners, creating a rippled reflection in the super-glossy epoxy).

Babysitting the countertop, I carefully inspected it over and over for the formation of air bubbles, but there didn’t seem to be any at all–nice.  I did have a couple places (at that fussy sink opening, mainly) where epoxy found its way slowly through the dam and dripped onto the plastic within the locker, but I carefully added some extra tape from beneath to help stop the drip.  The good (and interesting) thing was that despite the leak, there appeared to be no worry that the coating would actually all drain away; it was thick enough to stay in place at its prescribed 1/8″ thickness, so stemming the drip was more a matter of keeping the mess to a minimum than anything else.

Lighting wasn’t great for highlighting the gloss and reflection in the new epoxy, and I wasn’t about to move a lamp or do anything else that might contaminate the surface (or worse), but I tried to photograph the surface from various angles to show the depth of gloss and reflection.  Pretty neat stuff, this.

Now I left the countertop alone to cure overnight.  I left the heat set at 75° for the night to maintain the shop temperature once the currently-warmer temps dropped with the night.

In total, I used about one mixed gallon (1:1 mix) of the epoxy coating for this work over both coats.

Total time billed on this job today:  5 hours

0600 Weather Observation:  50°, mostly clear.  Forecast for the day:  Sunny, 80°