March 1, 2018
So I turned the sun porch into a paint booth, ever trying to control the elements. I sanded the cockpit seat hatches and the companionway slide hatch with 400-grit paper. The companionway slide hatch is essentially finished, but since I am painting the cockpit seat hatches I thought I might as well paint the slide hatch while I am at it. I cleaned the surfaces and set the hatches up for painting; painting went off without a hitch, and with no one else home, I allowed the hatches to tack up while I worked on Joule.
I brought the coaming boards out of the shop and set them in place. With a small bottle jack, I pressed the boards into position and seated them with 1/4" machine screws through the tapped coaming board and the tapped molded coaming. I backed the machine screws with a washer and a nut. Within the cabin, I secured the coaming block/return with three 2" #12 bronze wood screws.
I repeated the process for the port side coaming board. With the coaming boards in place, I tapped off the outboard face of the coaming board where it meets the side deck, and then caulked the gap with polysulfide to seal and prevent bottoms from getting wet when Joule's owners bury the rail on tack in a stiff blow!
I then moved up to the foredeck and prepped for installation of the foredeck cleat. I tapered the holes for the 5/16" machine screws to allow for a good amount of polysulfide to help seal the installation. I set the cleat in place and taped around the base to capture the polysulfide squeeze out.
With the surface prepped, I applied the polysulfide and secured the cleat with the bronze 5/16" machine screws through the tapped holes. I backed the cleat with a plate of G-10, securing it with washers and nuts.
I moved back aft and removed the tape applied for painting the smooth surfaces, and then re-applied tape for the nonskid surface in the cockpit. I would not get to the cockpit floor today, but at least it is prepped for sanding and then painting the nonskid.
I went into the shop and pulled out the winches. Starting with the starboard side, I tapered the fastener hole on the side deck. I also tapered the top and bottom surfaces of the deck pad to allow maximum polysulfide sealant. I first set the deck pad and winch in place, and took note where the winch base met the outboard surface of the coaming board. I removed the winch, and taped the outboard surface of the coaming board. I then returned the winch to its installation position and marked the fastener holes in order to secure the winch to the coaming board. I clamped a scrap piece of wood on the inboard surface to prevent tear out, and then drilled out the fastener holes. I removed the tape on the outboard surface and then tapered the fastener holes on the inboard surface of the coaming board. With the board prepped for the installation, I applied polysulfide to all surfaces requiring it and then set the winch into position. I secured the base of the winch first with a silicon bronze machine screw with a bolt head, and backed it with a G-10 plate, washer and nut. Back in the cockpit, I secured the winch base to the coaming board with 1/4" bronze machine screws backed with washers and nuts. The starboard winch is installed.
Below, a view of the starboard winch from the cockpit.
I repeated the process for the port winch installation.
Having made great progress on the completion of Joule's restoration, I closed the shop for the day. Just a handful of items remain to bring her to completion...in the coming week!
Total Time Today: 6 hrs