May 7, 2021

Lyra 72

Friday

Awaiting delivery of the new acrylic for the deadlights later in the day, I took care of a couple lingering projects to offset the waiting period, starting with the foot pump for the galley sink.  The eventual companionway ladder (analogued for now by the rough construction ladder I was using) stood in the way of some of the logical locations for the pump, but there was just enough room in the settee face forward of the ladder, while still keeping the pump behind a solid portion of the face (there were numerous old cutouts in the face).   After ensuring there was sufficient room given the shape of the hull behind, I used a template I’d made some years earlier to lay out the slot and fixing holes for the pump, then installed it with three bolts through the face of the bulkhead.  When the new ladder was built, a modicum of planning would keep full access to the foot pump for use without interfering with the ladder.

These foot pumps are highly useful, and I like them, but I really hate installing them because the pump bodies are a constellation of weird shapes, hard edges, and odd fastening locations.  I’d long ago adapted my method for installing them by pre-modifying the molded screw holes to accept bolts through the bulkhead face, then using washers and nuts behind, as the intended installation method apparently required good, clear access from behind–great for production-floor installation but just about inapplicable in the real world of existing boat improvement.

Since access was tight to the plumbing connections, I pre-installed lengths of 1/2″ hose for both the outlet to the sink (which I connected via an adapter to the 5/8″ hose I’d previously pre-installed on the faucet) and another length for the inlet, which could later be connected to a line from the water tank with a splice.

Next, after minor surface preparations, I applied a coat of semi-gloss white enamel over the primer on the new shelf support work and surrounding areas.

Later, in the afternoon once my new material arrived, I got back to work on the deadlights.  Using my pattern, I traced the outline on each sheet of 1/4″ clear acrylic, then cut out the shape with a jigsaw, testing each piece in a frame till I had all four successfully sized (two of the frames were slightly smaller within their channels and required me to cut the plastic slightly differently).

To prepare for installation, with the paper-covered acrylic in place in each frame, I carefully cut through the paper along the edge of the bronze frame, then removed the paper from the bonding area, leaving the main part of the new deadlight covered for protection.

Finally, I applied a good bead of adhesive sealant to the frame channels, and pressed the new lenses into place, holding them securely with cross braces and clamps as needed and ensuring good squeezeout all around.  I planned to leave these in the clamps through the weekend.

Total time billed on this job today:  2.5 hours 

0600 Weather Observation:  34°, clear.    Forecast for the day:   Sunny, 61°