February 7, 2011

During the week I started work on completing the rebuild of the two teak hatches, hoping to install them on the weekend. I marked and drilled 32 holes, with countersinks, in the 3/8 inch clear frosted plexiglass and the teak bases, and refinished the bases with several coats of Cetol.

My other goal for the weekend was to re-install the cockpit side panel that had to be cut out in order to remove the old generator (see November 15, 2010 post).

In order to get the panel ready, during the week I started on adding a new oval fixed portlight that would provide some light in the engine room area formerly occupied by the generator. I want to put a small workbench there, and while plenty of light will be available when the lazarette lid is open, if I need to close it to keep out the rain, it will be nice to have some natural light. I cut out two holes in the panel at either end of the new opening using the "Mother of All Holesaws," made a pair of straight cuts to join them, and rounded the edge of the hole with the router.

I continued to work feverishly on Saturday to make sure I had both the hatches and the panel from the cockpit lazarette ready for installation on Sunday. Everything was going so well that I thought I might even finish early. Then I screwed up by trying to save time by power-driving the screws for mounting the 3/8-inch plex to the teak hatch frames. Instead of saving time, I wasted an hour and $25 re-doing one of the panels that I had cracked and proving once again that plex usually cracks due to overtightening a screw or the holes not being large enough to allow some movement. I drilled all the holes slightly oversized, precompressed the butyl by clamping, and drove all the screws by hand from then on and had no further problems. Despite the set-back, I got everything done in time to be ready for Sunday's installation.

Sunday was a beautiful day on the Delta; one of those rare perfect days with the temperature about 70, and a beautiful blue sky with just enough wispy clouds to add interest. I could see the snow-capped peaks of the Sierras some 80 miles distant. Unfortunately, it was also a perfect day for the mosquitoes to hatch out early. I got my revenge for their blood-thirsty assaults on the drive home, when hundreds (or even thousands) of them met their death splattered all over my truck. At times, so many were hitting the truck it sounded like rain.

Other than experiencing some moderate, and sometimes worse, back pain, I managed to get everything done Sunday: lazarette panel and hatches installed and both weatherstripped.

I had decided to use frosted clear plexiglass on the hatches for two reasons: privacy and maximum transmission of diffuse light. I also realized an unexpected third benefit: it's obvious when the butyl has made a good seal against the plexiglass.

While I was hurting and tired, it was a gratifying weekend. Hopefully I have now fixed all the cabin leaks and I'm well on the way to getting all the cockpit leaks and openings taken care of. If the next heavy rain confirms my hopes, I will have completed the first two items on the year's "must do" list.