The Cape Dory Board

Wow the engine access of your vintage Cape Dory 28 is so functional and the Yanmar engine looks almost new. I wonder why they changed the access and used Volvo MD7A engines?

Another view

I put an access hatch in the counter above the engine, which has worked great for me.

My Cape Dory 28 hull#343 has a Volvo MD 7B that’s in great shape. The problem is being able to do regular maintenance on the engine. Changing the impeller is my current challenge, located on the back of the engine there is no way I can see to get to. Please if you have a 28 with the Volvo tell me ho...

Thanks everyone for your input. I have decided to keep ladder for now based on a recommendation from a bluewater cruiser using the same ladder. At a suggestion of CDSOA forum member Tod I watched a YouTube video of Patrick Childress. Patrick got back to me; forty years with no issues and no leaks fr...

Hey Tod I live in Huron, Ohio

Tod thanks so much for posting the link to that video. Patrick Childress’s boat was great. The ladder seemed fine after twelve years of cruising, serious bluewater cruising. I sent Childress note asking him about his experience with his swing ladder. Thanks again.

Does anyone else have this type of boarding ladder? I was wondering how functional it is, it seems like a lot of stress to put on one stanchion.

Here is the diagram from my 1983 Cape Dory 28 manual. Note the placement of the deck fitting and vent, my tank is under the v-birth on the starboard side.

Thanks for the heads-up, I found the post and photo of the mast tube, impressive improvement. With my mast down now would be a perfect time to install it.

A1C19A4C-477C-4678-8477-16033B098BC8.jpeg I verified that my water ingress was from holes drilled to run wires. The water rusted the deck steel support, and winter freezing of that water resulted in the cracks. Paul Calder’s blog has a great section which shows this glassed in steel support after c...

While i’m A fan of Barnacle Buster to keep the cooling system scale free, make sure to rinse really good before adding the pink stuff anti-freeze.