Took the boat back home from Spaulding Marine Center today. Motor performed well with the new panel and configuration. Definitely need to replace batteries: went from 90% to 30% in just 3 miles.
Varnishing panels
While my new shop is still under construction, it is still a useful place to do some varnish work. This may be the first boat project in the new shop!
Hauled out
Took the boat to Spaulding to haul out for the bottom job. Motor misbehaved on the way there – just 2.2kts max at full throttle, over flat slack water with no wind. I guess I’ll ask them to look at propulsion system as well.
Bleaching panels
In prep for varnish, sanded and bleached all the panels with Lite-N-Up. Sucks to do it in such a small space in the side alley of my home, using trashcans as workbench. Can’t wait to get a proper shop.
Took apart galley and starboard locker
Time to do proper varnish of the few remaining interior panels, namely galley and starboard shelf/locker. Took them apart and started with rough sanding.
Put together bilge cover
Made cover for pukka
Teak and finish started showing signs of wear so I sewed a small cover for the port-side pukka.
Finished companionway cover
Finalized the cover by adding a mesh window, putting in velcro, and making a flap. Also added stainless steel hardware to keep things in place. The only remaining task now is to add some weights to the bottom pocket.
Got started on companionway cover
Finally got some time to spend on canvas work. With El Niño winter approaching, I better have the entrance (and teak) protected from the elements. The idea is to use the Sailrite tutorial as baseline but modify it to have flaps around my teak boards + add top part + add a pocket at the bottom for sandbags so this cover can hang well when fastened from the inside.
Figured out teak trim
Took all the teak trim I made plus some original trim I saved to figure out whether I have all the edges covered. Definitely need to make a few more corners but overall I have 90% in place. Just need to make a few more pieces, finish, and install it all.
