Man it was a good weekend.... lots of progress being made, including on the two "biggies" this winter.. 💪👍
So without further ado - job #5 "Painting the cabin" is done... finished fairly early on Friday and as it was nice and sunny and I had no need to rush home I slipped down to the club and put the second coat on - job officially finished... looks oodles better, and all the nicer for not expecting to be able to do this one this winter - blame the weather a couple of weeks ago - far more conducive to being inside painting, than outside painting...
....and the other side (next) finished a couple of weeks ago - I've left the bolt heads exposed (grab rails/windows/deck cleats) as there is nothing worse than having to remove something bolted down, where some numpty has painted over the thread...
Apologies for the pictures in this post by the way - phone camera...
On Sunday, with the sun still shining it was on to other items - started by putting on another coat on the bottom washboard (job #8) and leaving that in the sun to dry... cracked on with some other jobs and it was dry enough that I whacked on another coat later in the afternoon... one more should see it done..
Major job of the afternoon however was to get the new cockpit hatch covers on (job #9) - at least that was the plan...
First one done...
The black stuff is a self adhesive neoprene rubber tape - hoping it will make me a little more weather proof... touch up required to the area round the nuts where I got over enthusiastic with a spanner...
Major concern for me was placement of the hasp which in the end was simplicity itself - just held it with a blob of butyl tape having bought down the lid on top - four screws and job was good, then did the same for the locking piece...
..the bit the padlock goes through twists 90' so you can secure the hatch that way too...
Please with that, I was just about to start the second one when a friend from work wandered past and asked if I needed any assistance.. "yes please", quoth I.... it was time to get the old jam cleats off (job #19) and I needed someone on the outside to hold the head of the bolts with a screw driver while I completed the job from below with a spanner....
What an almighty balls'ache they turned out to be - threads all full of old sikaflex or sealant so they were a mighty pain to get out even though there were only two bolts still to do each side....
Happily I managed to get a half cm undone on each one and that was enough for me to tap them up from below, and then grab the head with a pair of molegrips so that friend could get off and do what he wanted to do...
Three bolts removed but the last one was a bas**rd, and in the end I hacksawed the head off and punched it through....
So this was what came off - the big bolt at the back goes through the jammer, and then through the pillar, to be fastened under the deck... the jammer is hollowed out underneath to take the spring, which all looked tired on mine - one of them had snapped...
From this....
..to this on both sides (after a scraping, and then rub down with some 1500 grade wet and dry).... fascinating to see what 48 years of general wear has done to the original gel coat compared with the protected stuff underneath the fitting, you can clearly see the lip...
Note also the central indent - presumably some of the boats came with winches and I assume that's for them...
Trial fit of the new swivel type jammers - following - I'll re-use one of the original holes (the forward outer on each side) but will have to drill two new holes for the other fittings (underneath the swivel in the following) - once again I'm going to need some assistance to finish the job as I'll need someone to secure the head while I bolt them down...
The remaining holes I'll fill longer term (when it gets warmer) but in the interim I'll weather proof with a nut/butyl/bolt combo...
Progress indeed!
So without further ado - job #5 "Painting the cabin" is done... finished fairly early on Friday and as it was nice and sunny and I had no need to rush home I slipped down to the club and put the second coat on - job officially finished... looks oodles better, and all the nicer for not expecting to be able to do this one this winter - blame the weather a couple of weeks ago - far more conducive to being inside painting, than outside painting...
....and the other side (next) finished a couple of weeks ago - I've left the bolt heads exposed (grab rails/windows/deck cleats) as there is nothing worse than having to remove something bolted down, where some numpty has painted over the thread...
Apologies for the pictures in this post by the way - phone camera...
On Sunday, with the sun still shining it was on to other items - started by putting on another coat on the bottom washboard (job #8) and leaving that in the sun to dry... cracked on with some other jobs and it was dry enough that I whacked on another coat later in the afternoon... one more should see it done..
Major job of the afternoon however was to get the new cockpit hatch covers on (job #9) - at least that was the plan...
First one done...
The black stuff is a self adhesive neoprene rubber tape - hoping it will make me a little more weather proof... touch up required to the area round the nuts where I got over enthusiastic with a spanner...
Major concern for me was placement of the hasp which in the end was simplicity itself - just held it with a blob of butyl tape having bought down the lid on top - four screws and job was good, then did the same for the locking piece...
..the bit the padlock goes through twists 90' so you can secure the hatch that way too...
Please with that, I was just about to start the second one when a friend from work wandered past and asked if I needed any assistance.. "yes please", quoth I.... it was time to get the old jam cleats off (job #19) and I needed someone on the outside to hold the head of the bolts with a screw driver while I completed the job from below with a spanner....
What an almighty balls'ache they turned out to be - threads all full of old sikaflex or sealant so they were a mighty pain to get out even though there were only two bolts still to do each side....
Happily I managed to get a half cm undone on each one and that was enough for me to tap them up from below, and then grab the head with a pair of molegrips so that friend could get off and do what he wanted to do...
Three bolts removed but the last one was a bas**rd, and in the end I hacksawed the head off and punched it through....
So this was what came off - the big bolt at the back goes through the jammer, and then through the pillar, to be fastened under the deck... the jammer is hollowed out underneath to take the spring, which all looked tired on mine - one of them had snapped...
From this....
..to this on both sides (after a scraping, and then rub down with some 1500 grade wet and dry).... fascinating to see what 48 years of general wear has done to the original gel coat compared with the protected stuff underneath the fitting, you can clearly see the lip...
Note also the central indent - presumably some of the boats came with winches and I assume that's for them...
Trial fit of the new swivel type jammers - following - I'll re-use one of the original holes (the forward outer on each side) but will have to drill two new holes for the other fittings (underneath the swivel in the following) - once again I'm going to need some assistance to finish the job as I'll need someone to secure the head while I bolt them down...
The remaining holes I'll fill longer term (when it gets warmer) but in the interim I'll weather proof with a nut/butyl/bolt combo...
Progress indeed!
- On a separate note - the new VHF aerial has arrived - that will go on the pushpit board once I've finished rubbing it down and giving it a coat of something protective...
- I've taken delivery of a new work bench - only a cheapy, but I wish I'd bought one years ago..
Cor blimey Guv'ner... She's coming on in leaps and bounds.
ReplyDeleteWatcha geezer.. yeah was a good day - last hatch & the cams should be next weekend, which just leaves antifoul and a slap of varnish on the strips and rails - one weekend each - going to be close unless the weather plays ball!!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely getting there Steve. The locker lids look really neat and practical.
ReplyDeleteCheers Peter - spent too long "agonising" about it, should have just got on in the first place... I'm never going to enjoy drilling holes in my boat though... :o)
DeleteThose old Tufnol jammers ain't done bad after all those years, wonder if the new ones will last as long.
ReplyDeleteHi Max - I'm not a 100%, but I think they may very well have been original - if so you're right - amazing longevity given the material... a couple of new springs, and a little gentle filing to the teeth and they probably would have been good for another few seasons!
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ReplyDeleteThe swivel jamb cleat looks up to the job - the old Tufnol jamb cleat takes me back a few years - I don't know whether you can still buy them made of this material? (I deleted a previous comment because I was burbling on asking what the old jammer was made of, then I saw BBs comment.
ReplyDeleteGood sealing on the bottom of the cockpit - the rubber should have created just enough thickness so that you will get a good seal.
Hi Alden - they're about, but not common - Davey and Co seem to be the main supplier - for the classic boat market..
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