March 8, 2018
Jasmine 67
Thursday
Just a few jobs remained on my list, and I started with the main mast step, which installation I’d delayed while I built a 1-1/2″ riser to make up for the amount that needed to be removed from the mast base to eliminate a corroded area there. Earlier, I’d used the original mast step to locate and drill holes through the riser; the riser was just a bit larger in diameter than the original step.
Using the new base as a guide, I masked off the deck areas around the base, and drilled pilot holes in the deck for the new lag screws that would secure the step.
Afterwards, I applied sealant heavily to the deck and installed the riser, then applied more sealant to the top of that and installed the mast step and lags, drawing the whole assembly down into plate tightly.
I used excess squeezeout to fill the space around the bolt head recesses, and cleaned up the residue as needed.
To finish off the chainplates, I installed stainless steel deck plates that fit over the slots and provided a harbor for sealant. At each location, I masked around the perimeter of the new plate, then applied sealant heavily around the slots and chainplates before pressing the deck plate into the sealant. I saw no need for fasteners. I left the squeeze out for later cleanup once it had cured.
With work belowdecks complete, I cleaned up the entire cabin and related spaces, then turned to some minor reassembly. Early in the project, to gain access to various hardware I’d removed some cosmetic covers from the forward cabin, along with a shelf and fiddle in the hanging locker, as well as the doors to the hanging locker , and now I reinstalled these items. With tools and supplies gone, the cabin was empty and ready for me to start reloading the gear that had been on board when the boat arrived here.
In the cockpit locker, I’d earlier removed the connection at the aft end of the exhaust hose, which had allowed greatly improved access to the spaces there for hardware and wiring work. Now, with work complete, I reinstalled the hose, securing it with clamps and heavy wire ties as needed to route it along the cockpit locker opening and up along the coaming before turning down to the existing outlet.
Still ahead, I’d finish up a few minor things and load gear back on the boat. In addition, I had a short list of work to do on the mast, including running new wiring and installing light fixtures, and I would take care of that in due course as allowed by the vagaries of late winter and spring weather.
Total time billed on this job today: 6.25 hours
0600 Weather Observation: 29°, heavy snow and windy, about 6″ from overnight. Forecast for the day: Heavy snow during the morning, then tapering off later in the day, around a foot total accumulation expected