Winter 2014 Projects

[rcwhite]

With a new to us boat we have quite a list of things to work on over the winter. One thing
I never find time for in the Spring is varnish so I figured I would get an early start. Started
out with a few pieces and it seems to have taken on a life of it's own. I really do not like
anything paint related but I am committed now and will need to get to the remaining
pieces before it's over:)

[whwells]

rcwhite: Looking good. Smart to get an early start and looks like you have dry area to work. Do you need or do any sanding before applying the varnish
or just use some type clearer or prep. materials. Then what varnish to you use?
whwells "Howard"

[rcwhite]

In this case there was quite a bit of bleaching so I stripped everything to bare wood
with 5F5 and then carefully sanded everything with 220 on an orbital sander. The teak
is a fairly thin veneer so you don't want to sand too heavily. I am using a high gloss
exterior varnish (Petit 2015) which should provide good UV and wear protection. I have
3 coats on now and will put on at least one more. I have also sealed the underside which
doesn't appear to have been done previously.

Next on the list will be to clean up and epoxy paint the fuel tanks.

Yes, it helps to have an area to work in and the diesel removed from
the tanks before I pulled them helps keep it heated when I am working:)

Chris

[whwells]

Chris: You are looking good. Rare to see anyone actually pull the fuel tanks before they go south. Very smart work.
Howard

[rcwhite]

Never said there weren't any problems:) One of the tanks looks to have been replaced
previously but nothing was done about the beds and combined with broken/missing dorade
boxes on the engine room vents letting spray in they were rotting from the bottom up.
Took the grinder to anything that looked like a problem area and having them welded and
tested before I paint them. Will put in new beds before they go back in. Will probably make
custom dorade boxes and modify the engine room ventalation since the existing configuration
isn't really proper...but that is another project.

[Mark Deeser]

rcwhite. Looks like you are doing it right, truly a joy when you can do it yourself. Have had others do work who must have had their mind on something else. Bet you have some hard winters up your way, glad you have nice place to work. Thanks, Mark.

[Nancy]

rc, which Albin do you own?

[rcwhite]

Hi Nancy, we have a 35TE we purchased last summer. We had a 28TE previously that
we lost last fall.

Thanks Mark. Winters aren't terrible here on the coast but boating season is short.
While it is possible to get some time on the water in the winter (I took some time off to
help bring a boat from up this way to the Caribbean last January), we are looking forward
to spending a little time on the Gulf coast waters this winter which should be a bit warmer:)

Yes, it is hard to hire out work. Like our last boat, much of the work to do the first year
will be addressing things others have done. Some minor irritants - the chain
not matching the gypsy, others more concerning like the bilge pump wiring where I found
one disconnected completely and one of the remaining two miswired with none on lighted switches,
lockwashers on the wrong side of the shaft coupling bolts, sounder installations etc.

Good to stay busy over the winter though!!

Chris

[Nancy]

Hi Chris -

Oh right, I looked back to refresh my memory and found the sad story of the fire. I'm glad you found a replacement.

[Halcyon]

Chris, a fellow 35TE (2003) owner here with a few questions about your tank project. Was it tough to get the tanks out?
Regarding your faulty dorade boxes, what failed or wasn't designed properly? My boat has Vetus vents and I believe my boxes are 'unglued'.

IMG_4429.JPG

Is this what you have? Mine are much further forward than even the water tanks. I don't see how they could leak on the tank beds.

Thanks!

[rcwhite]

Yes, this looks similar although my vents may be a bit larger and the dorade boxes are all but missing. Water will run back down the bilge below the exhaust hose. The fuel tanks are directly behind the water tank and the ouboard tanks
follow the hull up to the exhaust hoses.

The tanks aren't that bad to remove. Once the center tank is removed the side tanks can be slid to the center
and pulled. Things are a little tight and the tanks were partially foamed in place which took some digging but
my wife and I emptied and pulled all three in about 4 hours. Cutting into the deck is not required. I ran
the tanks down before we hauled so there was only 30 gal to pump into jugs and I did cut the filler neck
off of the tanks to make some room. Have changed this to accept a threaded fitting which I can put
on once the tanks are back in place.

Regarding design issues. The dorade boxes themselves are fine although I am not sure double sided tape is the best
method for attaching. Mine are screwed on but were damaged or fell apart and the duct tape someone added to
hold them together didn't do much good. The way the engine room is vented isn't really ideal though. Cool
are should be directed to the bottom and the hot air exhausted from the top. The blowers are, or should be,
exhaust blowers and mine are in a similar location without the hoses running into the bilge so they happily
exhaust the cool are coming in from the vents. I am planning on running hoses from the top of the dorade
boxes to the bottom of the engines so the air flows properly. This will require the boxes accept the hoses
which will need to be fabricated but this is minor. I still need to do some math to confirm the airflow will be
where it should be with the existing vents when I am done. Worst case there is plenty of room for larger vents.

On the tank installation. Foam is good at holding water so it can lead to issues. Most of my
issues seem to be related to water under the tanks though. They sat directly on a foam pad and possibly there
is/was a leaky joint around the engine or generator exhaust. I am going to strap the tanks rather than
rely on foam to hold them in place and rework the beds to limit the chances of water sitting under
the tanks.

Chris

[rcwhite]

The davits we have are the snap davits and sit on the swim platform. One happens to be in
the way of opening the transom door fully making it mostly unusable. Every solution for storing
a dingy has it's limitations and I prefered the lifting davits we had installed on our 28 for access to the
platform and door for boarding while the tender was stored but this is what we have today so I
had a receiver made for the offending davit. This allows it to be removed when not in use and
the door will now open fully as it should. Minor on the project list but will be appreciated next
season.

[Halcyon]

Weaver makes a quick release for the swim platform, which may save you some work. They work fine for my 10' Livingston.
http://www.weaverindustries.com/index.c ... heads.html

[seasalt]

Halcyon,

My winter project may be to acquire a dinghy. Are you happy with the Livingston? And, how do you carry it? What does it weigh w/o motor? Is it aboard the boat at all times when not in use?

I have some removable St. Croix davits that I believe to be rated at 350#

[Halcyon]

We use 10' Livingston and it is a tight fit on the swim platform. The bows extend a bit past the side of the hull and some spray does get in the dinghy. it keeps it nice and clean. I don't think i would head offshore unless there was a good forecast. In the Chesapeake having a decent boat to explore the skinny water is well worth the work of hauling it along.

I have a couple of motors to choose from. My 8hp 2 stroke will plane with two folks and a light load. I use a 4hp most times because if you are stuck at hull speed because of the people load, why haul the extra hp.

The Livingston has so much more room inside than an inflatable. it really helps with my 2 year old twins! Super dry and stable make all on board confident.

The Weaver davits work well, very secure and easy to connect to. My boat has a mast with a little boom i use for pulling the dinghy up but the base of the flying bridge rail would work well too.

Here is a picture of the dinghy upright on the davits. I fold the boat forward so it rests on the transom, padded by a couple of fenders. it is well out of the way.

PICT0608.JPG

IMG01399.jpg