Update: Progress Report - Nov. 28

The walls of the shop are up! This was a very tedious job but the installation of the walls and flooring is now complete and ready for the next steps. Eric has put caulk and putty in all the areas that needed it. He will let it dry overnight and then sand everything. 
There is a possibility the welder may do repairs in the next week or so. Eric will hold off painting till the welder is finished the repairs on the overhead deck. While we are waiting, He will still be able to begin building the workbenches on the starboard side and draw up a preliminary design for the hatch steps/storage and the port side benches. 
The re-caulking of the galley and forward stateroom head are finished. The aft stateroom head is prepped for caulking and Eric will be completing that today. The cleaning of the forward stateroom is coming along in small but progressive steps.

 Aft wall and partial hallway. The forward cabin is behind this wall.

Port side

Eric and Mary posing by the almost completed walls...

Eric driving machine screws with his brace and bit. Each hole had to be carefully drilled through the wood and aluminum. Then a tap was used to create threads. Through the process of all the flooring and walls, we broke 6 taps! Very frustrating and a fight to retrieve. After the tapping, the screw tips were lightly coated with Tef-Gel and then installed with the hand driver.

We made a pattern for each wall section. After cutting and fitting, the back was painted, left to dry overnight and installed in the morning. Then we would pattern, cut, fit and paint the next section. Each section had to be permanently installed before we could build the next one to insure a proper fit.

Eric raised a section of the floor and made the underneath space into lockers. He installed simple bolt-lifts on all four covers. This storage area will be very useful for extra tools and wood shop supplies. 

 Bracing under the hatch covers.

Eric prepping to raise the floor. The bilge is open in front of him...very deep!

 Drilling through wood and aluminum

Drilling the countersink.

  

Tapping

Coating with Tef-Gel

     Driving with brace and bit

Eric caulking the forward stateroom shower

 Progressively cleaning the forward stateroom. 

The battery bank is installed under this bunk.

 This cover-skirt will stay on the mattress to protect it until all the work has been completed in this cabin.

 

Update: Progress Report - Nov. 14

 Eric using patterns to build the walls for the shop

Another work trip in progress! Insulating of the the wood shop is now complete except for the overhead section where future welding repairs will need to be done. Building the walls is very tedious and slow as nothing is square (very common in boats) and everything needs a custom pattern for accurate measurements and fits. After the walls are fitted, they are removed and a coat of Kilz primer is painted on the backs. Once the primer is dry, they are screwed into place.

Eric:
"Finally cutting something besides R Board insulation! Fitting up the walls in the forward area. 1/2" Douglas Fir plywood. Being marine work nothing is square. You can't use a level and many "straight" edges are actually curved. Makes for slow going fits. That's why we generally have to build accurate patterns for each panel. Once a wall is fit it all comes off to be painted on the back side and edges before permanent installation. I only want to do this once for as long as we run her.
Install is with stainless screws on wood to wood. On the aluminum frames we drill, tap and install stainless machine screws coated with Teflon anti seize. The idea on a vessel is everything needs to be removable."

Most of the outside of the ship was scrubbed and cleaned while the weather was still warm and Mary continues to clean the forward stateroom in-between other projects. DJ is getting a much needed break for several weeks in the Caribbean helping a friend move their boat.

Each piece of insulation had to be custom cut and fit. Each section for the overhead had three layers and the walls had two.

 Building patterns for the walls

The cuts in the deck made by the firemen when they were first trying to put out the fire below decks. We have them covered with gorilla tape right now and will be getting welding equipment after the first of the year to do the repairs. 

Cuts in the overhead of the wood shop

DJ working in the engine room before he left for his trip

Cleaning the outside of the ship one section at a time.

*Starboard side (right)

 *Port side (left)

*Fore-deck

*Cockpit

The New name of the ship is 'Far Horizons' and will be registered out of Fl. Once we get to the ship yard sometime next year, we will put the new name and home port where the other name is now. 

Cleaning and organizing in the forward stateroom

Unloading the truck and trailer

 Eric at the crane with Penny supervising

Loading a very heavy air compressor. This will go in the engine room.