Parfait's voyage back from Hell

[mashenden]

Well, the weather was not ideal for varnishing, so while I did sand the companionway teak this past weekend, it did not get sealed. I also ran across the first surprise... the hatch was more seriously damaged than first thought. The fire caused it to delaminate so it will take a bit more than just a layer of epoxy and a paint job to fix it. Still not a big worry - very doable since the outer skin was not compromised, so I can simply strengthen it rather than replace it.

Most of the battery cables are installed, and some of the DC branch circuits (port side) are now traced and labeled in preparation for installing the DC panel (Blue Sea 8377).

The AC panel arrived. I went with a Blue Sea 8412 - a horizontal layout that will go in the area above the quarter berth (kudos to Russell for that idea). Its a perfect location if the goal is to separate the AC and DC systems.

With much of the burned areas sanded and sealed, I took it as a win to detect a faint smell of the holding tank rather than soot while going to sleep. Ahhhh, its the simple things in life

[mashenden]

As mentioned in a previous post, I had a slight setback in that the companionway hatch had been damaged by the fire to the point of notable delamination. No option but to tear out the old and lay in new glass. Luckily the top layer was still good so I was able to use it to maintain the original shape.

Here are some pics of my progress. I hope to paint it tonight.

Removed layers of charred fiberglass mat:


New layers:


Epoxied in, ready to paint:

[mashenden]

I got a chuckle out of this approach to clamping while I was making the front for the AC Panel cabinet. The ever popular Acetone Trailer Tire Gravity clamp (ATTG clamp for short).

[Steve Laume]

I have used lots of buckets, tool boxes and diving weights. Sand bags work very well for curved surfaces and I have even poured sand on top of plastic wrap for some tricky curves.

Vacuum bagging would be the ultimate but I haven't tried doing that as yet, Steve.

[sharkbait]

I have and use quite often 200 lbs of dive weights and ammo cans filled with water; they make excellent clamps.

[hilbert]

Cape Dory squirreled away some lead ingots, that have been useful as compact clamps. This 70lb ingot was cut in half and hidden below a semi-custom battery box on the starboard side. I believe that it was added at the factory, because the top layer of fiberglass on the hull does extend under it and it was of the same construction as the other battery boxes:
http://cdn.cruisersforum.com/attachment ... cn3032.jpg
http://cdn.cruisersforum.com/attachment ... dc2637.jpg

I wouldn't want to drop this clamp on my foot.

[Oswego John]

When we installed a new wooden deck last year on OMF Ontario (CD 85D) we had to figure out how to compress the wood to the steel lower deck to ensure tight bonding.

A few years earlier, two nearby grain silos on the pier were razed and we glommed the elevator weights for ship ballast.

Needless to say, a few months of tossing those 50 pounders around, there wasn't an ounce of baby fat left around the belly.

Glue on,
O J

50 pound elevator weights



New wooden deck over steel



Type of adhesive used for deck installation.

[hilbert]

O J,

What type of wood did you use for the deck and railing?

[Oswego John]

Hi Jonathan,

Treated Southern yellow pine. Typical 2"x6" and 2"x8" deck (domestic back porch) material. 5/4" for the railing.

O J

[drysuit2]

What a great thread. Thanks for documenting what has to be a frustrating proccess.

[mashenden]

What a great thread. Thanks for documenting what has to be a frustrating proccess.

No problem. I'm glad to see that people are enjoying it. For me, it is not frustrating because the fire did not happen while she was mine and had the fire not happened, then I would not be blessed with the opportunity to own this CD-36. That said, I do sympathize with the previous owner in that the final chapter of owning this boat was a real downer. My approach is to do the boat right, and hopefully he will also benefit from knowing that.

Here is a pic of the AC Power panel that is almost ready to be varnished then installed. It will go in the same area that Russell recommended (above the quarter berth - http://www.capedory.org/board/viewtopic ... 25#p169087), except I went with a panel that is oriented horizontally, rather vertically.

[mashenden]

Oh yeah, it's starting to come together!!

• Charger is back in service (plugged directly to shore).
• DC lights are operational on the port side.
• 95% of the AC circuits are rewired.
• 50% of the DC circuits are rewired.
• Magma grill is hooked to propane and cooked up a very good brat to go with various Miller Lites (old style bottle, not the marketing failure new style bottle - GET REAL, MILLER!! Learn from the Coke debacle - Sorry to wander off topic but it had to be said)

Here are the AC and DC panels as of lately (BTW - it's damn hard to match new teak to old orange teak AND to get burnt teak orange again. Any ideas?).

[Russell]

Looking good.

Dont worry about matching old teak to new teak, age will take care of that, even with the finish on, teak will darken a lot even within a year. Are you using a "satin" or "rubbed effect" type varnish? Looks pretty glossy in the photo, though that might be more from it being rather fresh and the light being behind the camera. Be sure to use satin varnish though to match the interior, there is a smidge of gloss at first but it as well, with age, flattens out a bit more.

[Russell]

By the way, a shipwright friend of mine (who has been working with teak work longer then I have been alive) turned me on to using Interlux Interprime Wood Sealer, 2 coats, on teak before varnishing. It helps darken the fresh wood a tad in addition to doing more to fill the grain then varnish will. I have 8 freshly made doors for my new v berth cabinets drying right now with their 2nd coat of the stuff, and they look terrific.

[Russell]

Also worth noting, south american plantation teak will never match the old teak in your boat. The plantation teak seems to stay very orange/yellow. The premade vents I bought for my air conditioner dont match at all, I am going to have to one day strip them down and stain them. But spending the extra money on burmese teak always in my experience has ended up matching after about a year. From the look of your photos though, I do not think that is south american teak you used, the contrast would be far greater.

For what its worth, my source for all lumber, teak, plywood, veneer, etc... http://www.exoticlumberinc.com/ helps that when I am in Annapolis I can go there in person and pick out my own stuff, but these people seriously live an breath wood and dont even stock that "cheap" teak.