Finally, the day has come

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by Lexx

When I need filler I use Plasti Bond, use it like bog, its a two part ... hardens in a few minutes and dries tougher than anything except for epoxy. Waterproof as well and available at most hardware stores in different size lots. Been using it as a filler for years.

I've used about 20kg of this Parfix filler. That much plastibond would almost exceed the value of the boat!

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by pete_winning

I'm home somewhere around the 7th if this swing doesn't run over and would be happy to help. I'll be home for about 5 weeks so get your list of mast jobs together and we'll try to knock them out in a day. Is a wind indicator on your list? The other option to turn the block through 90 degrees is to add a second shackle. You will lose an extra 30mm of height but I can't see this being a problem.

Cheers.

Hi Pete,

Already ordered the Ronstan part (it was only $15) so a straight swap is the go. The one we put up there is a bit small anyhow.

I do have some other items on the list, including two VHF antennas (one for radio, one for AIS) and the wind indicator. Since I don't know what the mount for the wind indicator should look like it's a bit hard to select one.

There was a chance I may have had to go to Brissy if the other yacht had gone missing but my brother seems to have that in hand for now.

Rob

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by Auzzee

There's no doubt re-doing work is a pain, but just think....you can have all the fun over again. And don't feel bad....every one reading this will have had a similar experience.

This must be a definition of "fun" of which I have hitherto been unaware. As far as instructional exercises go, I think I'm preaching to the choir here.

One day, when my embarrassment is sufficiently faded, I will relate my major DIY galley goof of 20 odd years ago...But for the moment, the psychological scars are still far too fresh...
Cheers mate.

Still smarts after 20 years? Now that's a story I'd like to hear.

[haiqu]

Drove up to Caporns in Brookvale today to collect the Rosewood they machined for the cabin rails. Imagine my surprise when I saw they were 20 x 45 and not 25 x 50 as specified. Evidently woodworkers live in some kind of time warp where the sizes specified are pre-machining, and they lost 5mm in each direction to saw blade width and facing tools. Which wouldn't be so bad if they had supplied rough sawn as specified, instead of facing all four sides. They also didn't know the difference between a chamfer and a radius, by the looks of the little skim on the top two edges. And these people are boat timber SPECIALISTS! Humbug.

Then off to Bunnings, where I was immediately pissed off again to be told they didn't have blanks for the most common house key on the planet, since they had run out of them. I needed keys cut urgently to send one by overnight bag to my brother so he can go aboard Shenoa and run the bilge pumps - if he can find her after the 225mm of rain and hurricane force winds - but that will have to wait until Friday now.

If I were a girl I would have bought shoes to cheer myself up, but I did what any red-blooded male would do under the circumstances. I bought power tools. Circular saw, orbital sander, multi-function tool with a detail sander, and a nice new toolbag. Damn the torpedoes, I'm gonna finish this ship if it keels me.

Oh yeah, and to top that off the dinghy has a crack in the bottom, which is one reason she was sitting so low in the water yesterday, so I'll have to haul her aboard and apply a patch. Thankfully I bought a fibreglass repair kit a few weeks back. It took 20 minutes to drain the buoyancy compartments through a 1/4" hole when I got ashore today. :-/

At least the mail brought some interesting stuff. Two small items that were posted from HK in mid-November arrived (I already got a Paypal refund on them) and the new HF radio. I'll be playing with that tonight.

Rob

[pete_winning]

Looking back at the photos and matching that with what I recall from when I was last up there... The wind indicator is mounted off that 5 x 30 stainless steel flat bar that has been bent at both ends and through bolted. The vertical round section was definitely welded to the flat bar. There was clearance underneath for thread and lock nut if we could grind the post off and re-drill it. Stainless is a nightmare to work with but we'll get through it if you want to. Alternate ideas welcome. What are the mounting options?

I don't know where you want your antennas mounted but if I were to remove the windex and send it down to the deck we may be able to add another piece of flat bar to extend out further 'east / west' to mount your aerials etc.

Have a think about it but a windex is highly recommended.

[haiqu]

And now for something less grumpy. Impishly I sent the previous owner of Shenoa an email yesterday saying that if she was still there I'd buy him a beer. Well, an Aussie will do anything for a beer and he got curious. Just received an email telling me that she's right where he left her, which was more than could be said for several other that had washed up along the shoreline.

He also said she's a little low at the aft end and will need pumping out, which is understandable considering the rain that fell there. Anyhow I just got my apetite back.

[haiqu]

Welded Pete? Oh crap. Uh, I was thinking of putting the antennas on the spreader but up there would be heaps better.

[Lexx]

Good for you ...so did he offer to pump her out???

[pete_winning]

I have a mate who works in a fabrication joint. I may be able to call in a favour and get him to take the bracket to work with him if we don't have the tools to do it. You'd need a grinder with SS cutting disc and grinding disk. Or a vice with few hacksaw blades a flat file and a lot ad patience. Sounds like a fun challenge.

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by Lexx

Good for you ...so did he offer to pump her out???

He can't, I have the only key. I'll be copying it and sending one to my brother later in the week.

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by pete_winning

I have a mate who works in a fabrication joint. I may be able to call in a favour and get him to take the bracket to work with him if we don't have the tools to do it. You'd need a grinder with SS cutting disc and grinding disk. Or a vice with few hacksaw blades a flat file and a lot ad patience. Sounds like a fun challenge.

I do have a grinder with a cutoff wheel, but drilling stainless is a bitch. We'll see how it goes on the day.

[haiqu]

Pete, Just checked the photos to be sure. That U-bracket with the windex welded to it is bolted through the backstay, it can't come off without lowering the mast.

[pete_winning]

The backstay is under very little load until your underway. If we can add a temporary rope backstay and slacken the wire backstay we should be able to pop the bolt out and back in again without removing the mast. Is there a turnbuckle on the backstay or forestay?

[haiqu]

There are large turnbuckles on the backstay at the end of the inverted V section.

This is interesting information because I'll need to add insulators to the backstay of the other yacht at some time for HF radio. And also I'd eventually like to move the backstay on Keppelena to the roof of a new section I'll be building so it's out of the way. I had suspected this could be done, good to have it confirmed.

[haiqu]

I have no idea how I got along without an orbital sander. Man, that thing sure produces some work, especially when doing internal ceilings.

Took some more photos today to keep the blog going. First is a shot of the new fiddle blocks and mainsheet installed, the second is something I discovered when cleaning out the cupboards. How does this fit into a cupboard, you may ask. Well, it doesn't. What I actually found was a handle, and I went looking for where it fitted. Seems I have a boom furler, which I guess means I won't be needing lazy jacks after all Lexx.

[Lexx]

Gasp ... you didn't know you had a boom furled by looking at it???

"""The backstay is under very little load until your underway."""

Be careful about relocating the back stays as they have a hell of a loading when under sail especially in a following breeze. make sure the mountings are solid.

Lexx

[Auzzee]

Relocating the backstay to a roof needs some serious engineering consideration. The pressure on your sails when underway, and the weight of compression on your mast, even in a 35 footer, is HUGE. If your boat weighs 12 tons, the weight on your backstay when running before the wind, (which is trying to pull your backstay free), can easily exceed 20,000 pounds, plus the weight of the rig. (Your backstay is, I understand, currently split to halve the immense load at the attachments)

Those old furling boom doodads are not too flash. They can't be used to reef the main in a blow as any lateral pressure on the sail rendered them practically inoperable. They were never a substitute for lazy jacks where you can dump a sail quickly. They were designed as a means to neatly stow the sail after the anchor was set and worked reasonably well as long as the sail was newish and cut on the flat side. They could be used if one crew would release and slowly pay out the main halyard, whilst another crew did the crank and tuck dance. But the general use was to drop the main, pulling the slugs out of the track, then when the sail was free of the mast, to wind it around the boom whilst knocking back a beer or three.

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by Lexx

Gasp ... you didn't know you had a boom furled by looking at it???

In my defence, a) I'm a total noob, and b) the PO did so many other weird things I figured he wrapped it by hand. Never occurred to me to look under the cover until yesterday.

Auzzee, thanks for the explanation. I was figuring having to dash back and forth between furler handle and sheet winch.

[haiqu]

Last night's effort. Rosewood is pretty, innit.

[Lexx]

hey Rob we were all total noobs at some point but some of us forget that. I love seeing your enthusiasm and tis great to see what you are achieving. Any advice from me is only intended to make you think from a different perspective maybe.

Keep having fun with it and don't get too worried about the occasional stuff up, we all still have those.

Lexx