The Cape Dory Board

One thing I thought was interesting was that the foredeck cleat has different core material in the aft mounting holes than the forward ones. Aft is plywood: I've had the same with an aft cleat. It appears that they inserted plywood to strengthen the deck for the cleat, but then missed the mark when...

On Amazon, there is an inexpensive drill guide with v-grooves that should do the trick: https://www.amazon.com/Milescraft-1312-DrillBlock-Handheld-Drill/dp/B00F1ZJFZK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=milescraft+drillblock&qid=1558997715&s=gateway&sr=8-1 https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61oZXrc8-KL...

my mistake, not a linear drive: https://www.pyiinc.com/jefa-autopilot/img/linear-drive-category-sm-img.jpg but a sprocket drive: https://www.pyiinc.com/jefa-autopilot/img/sprocket-drive-category-sm-img.jpg I didn't mean to imply that it wasn't worth the price, only whether or not it was the best fit...

John, I haven't researched autopilots. My first question would be hydraulic or linear drive? For a 30 ft boat, the linear drive might be simpler and require less space. According to their web site, it would also be more energy efficient and quieter. Being relatively expensive (about $2,000 for the d...

John, I have had my share of posts with only crickets for a response. Here is my 2 cents about the plumbing: Avoid household items that are designed for a static environment or unsuited for salt water. Some examples are solid core electrical wire, copper tube for propane and plastic pipes/fittings. ...

Steve & John, thanks for your assessment of composite board. I gave a lot of thought to the strength of the stanchions, but bulwarks were an afterthought. My knowledge of wood is limited and your suggestion to consider plain sawed Ash is appreciated. I will probably never test the actual strengt...

I know that it is not very "yachty" to use plastic boards on a plastic boat, but this PVC trim from Home Depot looks interesting: Lightweight Impervious to moisture Will not rot, crack, splinter or split Does not require painting, accepts paints and stains well Rigid, but also flexible to ...

Hilbert: I think John Stone used 11 brackets per side on a 36 footer. How many are you using per side on your 28? And how do you plan to construct the bulwark itself? The boat had two stanchions and a gate between the pulpit and stern rails. https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THI...

Now that much of the hull/deck joint has been fiberglassed over, it would be difficult to attach the previous toe/rub rail to the rounded edge. In any case, I wanted a more substantial barrier to help keep things (and me) on deck. Following the example of Fred's Fenix and John Stone's Far Reach, I ...

Cast acrylic is worth considering when replacing the original polycarbonate lens, see the following links for an explanation: https://hatchmasters.com/acrylic-vs-polycarbonate/ https://www.sailnet.com/forums/783864-post9.html Last year, I replaced 1/4" polycarbonate with 3/8" cast acrylic ...

John, what size screws are you using with the half oval bars? Please post a picture when installed.

The brass stanchions compliment the boat well. I have also thought that 30" stanchions were more functional. Hope to paint and install these composite brackets next year. Will use 30" x 1 1/4" FRP rods for stanchions. Still need to decided on a material for bulwarks. https://uniim1.sh...

I doubt that there was much attention paid to achieving a flush joint during construction of the boat. Having the chain plate bolt fixing the position of the bronze plate high is a complication. I had to build up the deck at the bow to create a flush joint with the bowsprit on my 28. There was about...

I agree with John that a proper fix involves removing the plate, dealing with unexpected complications, preparing the surfaces and rebedding. Trying to injecting something from the edge into a narrow gap is at best cosmetic and may create a problem by trapping moisture/water between the plate and de...

I don't see anything tying that replacement backing plate down to the hull. Doesn't the stainless chainplate on the outside secures it to the hull? It would be helpful to have a picture of the deck to better understand what forces act on the head stay plate. Just spitballing here, but since it is a...