Counters, Panels, Soles...

Well, when I took a look at my pictures I realized I hadn't posted in a few weeks. Here is the update as of today. First, the counter tops are in. Finally. Mostly... The countertop structure and surrounding panels were fussed with for a good solid fit and then the countertops were screwed into position. I stopped with screws in case I need to open things up again. One of the rare occasions when I left the epoxy in the can.

I ordered the wrong sized bungs so the screws are still exposed at this point and I haven't oiled the top yet. The starboard two pieces were epoxied together where they mate up. I know I said I didn't use epoxy but all I really did was turn the two pieces into one piece. Screws are still the only things holding the countertop in position.

After the countertops were in, I really wanted to start playing with the storage lockers. However, before I could do that I needed to sort out the the interior 'ceiling' or paneling behind the countertops. To make that happen I started with cardboard mockups that were transferred over to cheap plywood mockups.

I also cut up some blocks to anchor the panels too. I oiled the blocks and then epoxied them to the hull. I learned this great trick from a pro for securing stuff like this without elaborate clamping / positioning techniques. The trick is to apply the epoxy over *most* of the surface and on the remaining free area apply a dab of hot glue. The hot glue sets up in ten seconds or so and holds the blocks adequately until the epoxy can set up.

With the blocks in place (can't find those photos) I used the same plywood templates to cut up the foam insulation that has been applied to the rest of the living area of the hull interior. Once fit, I glued the insulation in place with contact cement. I didn't use the proprietory glue this time. Once again, I opened the can to find the glue had hardened. At $70 a gallon I decided I needed to buy something easier to obtain and in smaller quantities so it wouldn't go bad before the project ended. I have worked a lot with a 3M product called 1300L at my 'real' job so that is what I used this time. Looks and smells the same which is to say, very yellow and sticky with strong overtones of MEK. Only use this stuff with good ventilation. The fumes in a closed boat are unreal...

The side panels were cut and oiled but I didn't get a chance to secure them in place today. Here are pictures showing how they look at this point. Trim and concealing cabinetry have yet to be installed...

The panels are one of those things that once they are in place it seems like they have always been there and one wonders why it looks like nothing has been done lately. Now for that final aft panel.

My battle with mold in the bamboo sole continues. It is in the same location and this time I was more aggressive with the sander and the chlorox. Hopefully this will be the end of it. Otherwise, a small throw rug is going to become part of my interior decorating plan. To be fair, I must admit that I have had some help at the boatyard. So while I was hogging the aft end of the cabin I have been overseeing some work in the V-berth area and doing some of the critical cutting stuff. For a long time I have been looking at ugly undersole.

Now I have new bamboo plywood sole with a nice cherry kickboard in the V-berth :-)

Thank you 'L'. So that's the update. Next should be a little more paneling aft of the galley countertop. Perhaps some galley storage. I need to order and install the water foot pumps and connect the sink drain. I need to settle on a stove top and get that coming so I can move forward with that side of the cabinetry. The V-berth project is gaining a bit of momentum and I hope that will continue (hint hint...) When the weather gets more reliably dry (thankfully the warmth is finally here) then varnishing and the rubrail installation will become the top priority. Interior cabinets are more fun then varnish but when varnishing weather comes then that becomes top priority. Someday I will have a dry heated boatbarn so I can do my varnishing in February... That's it. Nothing more to say. The End. ... until next weekend... Laters, Taters ;-)

Not quite stalled..

but not a ton of progress as is becoming usual. Not sure how to fix that except keep plugging along and doing what I can when I can. I have been pushing the ball forward in a couple of areas. The countertop project of course. Firstly, the storage bins underneath received more coats of paint and are looking quite spiffy at the moment.

Before assembly there has been more painting to do. I decided to paint under the dish storage area and the drop storage box on the starboard side. The bottoms and non visible areas were coated in straight epoxy for sealing. The plywood has proven quite thirsty and it has taken three coats of bilgekote to get exceptable coverage. The last coat went on today so 'soon' is the plan for final installation of the countertops.

Installing the remaining sound/heat insulation around the engine was another project that was done recently. That funny wooden thing on the engine is my Triton original spicerack/electrical panel. I need to add a electrical plug in the wiring harness so I can disconnect the panel wiring from the engine wiring. Until then I have to remove the rack to keep the wiring harness out of the way of the countertop. That's another 'soon-ish' project.

I also took another stab at fixing that irritating leak that I have been trying to track down. I am pretty sure the leak is starting with the cheap plastic hatch cover on the starboard side which I will use to access one half of the house batteries. Water was pooling up on the battery shelf and being dumped right along the seam between the 'half bulkhead' at the aft end of the cabin area and the plywood panel I used to close off the cabin from the cockpit area. I partially fixed that by cutting a corner off the battery shelf so the water gets dumped further aft and away from the seam.

I also noticed that water could be riding down the manual bilge pump hose (yeah, that grimy one in the photo. Mold has been a constant problem so far even with the improved ventilation). During a rain storm I had applied polysulfide sealant (boatlife) to parts of the seam in a quick and dirty attempt to fix the issue. Today I finished removing the old stuff and doing a better job of getting the goop into place. Having the corner of the battery shelf cut away improved access for my paw-like hands.

Further access was granted after I took another look at my exhaust system. I have been suspicious of it for a few years and I have been keeping a close eye on it for awhile. Its just normal iron piping. Two weeks ago I took a harder look with a three foot crowbar and found the remaining metal not up to my expectations. I was able to break the pipe. That made access easier and resolved me to fixing the exhaust properly. More about that in another post.

Finally, I spent some time trimming the supporting structure for the countertops in preparation for final installation.

And that is where the boat is at the moment. I usually write something about upcoming plans but since I seem to be so bad at predicting what will be getting worked on next I might just stop here and let everyone, including myself, be surprised. If you life in the northern hemisphere then enjoy the spring weather. If you live in the southern hemisphere then... well I am sorry, it sucks to be you. Bundle up 'cause old man winter is a 'knockin :-P Until next time wantoks ;-)