The battle of the bilge

[A30_John]

I think you are aware of putting batteries in the bilge where they can get wet.

I think this is partially the reason for the plywood "floor" in the bilge. On my boat, the tops of the batteries sit a few inches below the sole.

[Rachel]

John: I've definitely made a few discoveries down in the "sub-bilge" and will report on them as soon as I can - with photos, of course. I'll also have some questions for the group about how best to handle the fix).

Britton: I realize the 6-volt batteries have to be paired to make 12v (not that I mind you mentioning it). I was just saying that three would fit there easily. Of course room would need to be made or found for a fourth if I were to go that route.

Batteries in the bilge is not my favorite idea either. I know that if they are submerged it can be really dangerous. OTOH this particular spot ranges - as John mentioned - anywhere from ~4" to ~18" above the actual bilge bottom, forward of the ~40" deep sump, and is separated by tabbed-in plywood platform. It would be nice to have that weight so low and so close to the center, but I'm definitely not sold on the idea. I only measured because I didn't want to inadvertently rule out the option by 1/8".

Rachel

[Hirilondë]

Batteries in the bilge is not my favorite idea either. I know that if they are submerged it can be really dangerous.

We put a lot of battery banks in the bilge on larger boats (40s-50s). We build fiberglass boxes for them. We buy fiberglass panels from McMaster Carr, cut them to size glue them together with hot glue, then join all the corners with glass tape and epoxy or vinylester resin and gelcoat them. With the wiring held at or above the terminals they are safe from all but water levels approaching the cabin sole. It isn't as safe as batteries under setees or in cabinets, but not terrible either.

[bcooke]

Has the battle turned in your favor this week?

[Rachel]

Funny you should ask: I spent last night after work digging poorly-adhered fiberglass (addded by PO after probably removing plywood and cracked, thick resin layer), and gasoline-soaked cementitious material and wood fragments out of the deep bilge that is under where the engine normally sits. Next will be the wedge-shaped (I believe) "2x4" that was used to position the ballast - it's aft of the after end of the pig.

Let's just say that Whitby and I have some divergent ideas on how to construct a bilge (it was not said that gracefully last night).

I wasn't completely surprised because after researching the historical archives of the A-30 association, I found that quite a number of folks had explored the bilges, and they reported the exact same thing. Some have ignored it, some have fixed it, and some have never looked (heh).

I took some additional photos last night, so as soon as I get get them onto the web, I'll post my updated report (I realize I've been lagging a bit).

At least 15 lbs of disgusting "fill" is now in the Dumpster instead of my keel.

After I get this all cleaned out, I have to figure out how best to finish the job, so that I can have the dreamed-about clean, smooth bilge that smells of nothing but fresh, spring-like Bilgekote.

Rachel

PS to Britton: I'm not sure if I can access the shifter directly. The linkage is attached to a large upright lever that reminds me of the Triton lever but is completely beneath the cockpit sole. There is a round, bronze access plate in the sole but I didn't open it while the engine and transmission were still in place.

[CharlieJ]

Not answering your phone either- must have been head down in the bilge.

I just called to find out how you were doing with the "Battle of the Bilge"

Grin

By the way- After three dives with "Black and Yellow", I've gotten Tehani's leak down from 15 gallons a day to 3/4 gal a day. That'll hold her til we can haul.

[Rachel]

Leak? 15 gallons per day?

Geez, I'm out of the loop!

R.

[Rachel]

Well, it even snowed here this morning. Makes a day at the coffee shop catching up on my Internetting much more appealing than working on the bilge (not that the bilge is ever all that compelling). So, finally an update, after which I'll run through some ideas for my repair and ask for input.

So, first I'll recap the layout of the bilge.

Under the engine, there is a deep bilge, which is about 40" deep (but which, according to my measurements, stopped about 7" above the bottom of the outside of the keel). It looked like this once I got the water sponged out (I'll show this photo again later, but in sequence):



Forward of that (starting just ahead of the engine - i.e. under the saloon sole) is a shallower bilge that is inaccessible. It's on top of the ballast pig and slopes up toward the bow, as you would expect it to. Over this area are built three "box" compartments of plywood. They are quite sturdy and are tabbed into the hullsides. They also have vertical dividers between them, and I believe they might help to support the saloon sole (which is very sturdy feeling).

A box compartment before I tampered with it:



My first exploratory step was to cut out the bottom of the aftermost box, leaving tabs upon which I thought I might set new compartment soles. I figured I'd screw them to the remaining tabs, so they'd be permanent-but-removable. When I cut out the bottom of the compartment, I found a big crack that matched up to descriptions I'd found in the Alberg 30 archives. The crack ran fore-and-aft in the center of a thin layer of very poorly wet out fiberglass cloth. Breaking out some of the glass revealed the top of the cast iron ballast pig, which was kind of creepy, but which luckily looked dry and not at all rusty. Here are a couple of photos of that, first covered in sawdust from the plywood cut, and second after breaking away some of the glass. The rusty color was on top of the fiberglass, but seemed to be from something other than actual rust:





Of course I had to hold the camera down in the bottom of that area and "look" at what was under the bottom of the middle compartment. Don't you love the nails that must have been used to hold things in place prior to that neat-and-tidy glassing job?:



Here is the middle "sub-basement" under the middle plywood compartment and over the top of the ballast pig:



None of the plywood was coated in any way underneath, but it was all dry and in good condition. And although it was probably just "regular old" plywood in its day, it looks a lot better than similar plywood would now in terms of plies and overall quality.



Since I took those photos, I've cut out the bottom of the middle locker. It's not nearly as black in there as it looks in that exploratory photo. Here's a photo looking forward and down at the middle compartment:



Inside the compartment, looking aft and with the cracked coating and the ballast pig visible (I didn't have a tool with me that would reach under the sole at that point, so I just used an existing hole to start my jigsaw blade and carve some of the plywood out for a first look):



A close up of the "sub-basement" under the middle compartment:



Here's where it's going to start getting tricky. The following photo is taken looking forward, in the sub-basement of the middle compartment. As you can see, the top of the ballast and the bottom of the plywood dividers meet in a small wedge shape there. The white stuff is hardened paint that came through from when the PO painted the forwardmost of the three main-saloon compartments, so I know that the divider is not "water-tight." I'm not sure at this point how I'm going to prep the sides of this area to receive new glass (because they get so small), or of how I'm going to make a continuous, waterproof liner from the forward compartment (currently under the engine) on back. At this point I've decided to take care of the deep bilge and transition into the other area in the aftermost compartment, at which point I re-mount the engine, launch the boat, and then deal with these areas.



Close up:



This is not the best photo, but it shows a tiny bit of the ballast at the bottom, then the sides of the bilge below one of the compartments, a cross-section of the plywood compartment bottom, and then the painted side of the compartment (which is just under the saloon sole):



Now, on to the deep bilge...

Before I go on, I'll describe what I read about the ballast pig. Apparently, Whitby had a mold for a folkboat pig (they made some of those), and so to cast the A-30 pig, they simply built up the mold by 10" or so, and as a result it's the shape you'd expect, but instead of the after end coming down to a fine, wedge-shaped point, it ends in a 10" vertical face. In order to hold it in place while they were building, they put a "cake-slice" shaped piece of wood in the deep bilge behind the ballast and running to the lump over the rudder heel fitting (a picture would be handy here). The then filled in around the board with concrete and this made a smooth slope from the ballast right back to the rudder heel fitting area (I think this would be the horn timber on a wooden boat).

Here it is sponged out and ready for surgery. On the left you can see the bulge that covering the rudder heel fitting [turns out it's just another remnant of the resin "shelf"] and on the right (forward) was a kind of weird shape (identified later as the broken off after edge of the unreinforced resin that had originally covered the filler in the deep bilge). The lot was covered in fiberglass that was obviously added by the PO (rumored to have been plywood - at least on some A-30s - according to the archives). The new fiberglass was not well adhered to the old work, and an exploratory hole revealed soggy wood and cementitious material, smelling like old gasoline. Time to start digging!



After the glass was out (it came out mostly in one big hunk) there was the dreaded piece of wood running down the center of the space, length-wise, and it was surrounded by grey cementitious material. On top, that material was pretty friable, but lower down it was hard and concrete-like.

Aforementioned wooden piece emerges:



And a bit later:



Here is a photo mid-dig, but after the wood was out (and Oh Boy, did it smell like old gasoline. I NEVER would have gotten the smell out of the boat):



Here is a bag of wood and concretey stuff that came out of the bilge (just a sampling):



And here is the deep bilge almost completely excavated:



Looking forward (with the camera) in that deep area (formerly under the false sole of the deep bilge) you can see the back of the ballast pig. This would be the part that was wedge shaped on the folkboat, but that became flat when the mold was built up 10" or so. Interesting round thing in the center:



Here is a shot that shows the top after corner of that flat area. The top is the sub-sole under the plyood boxes under the saloon sole. You can also see a strata that is the un-reinforced resin that was poured over the top of the stuff filling in the "notch" in the deep bilge. You can also see where I've enlarged the opening in the vertical partition between the after end of the aftermost plywood compartment and the deep bilge:



Here is the same thing looking aft instead of forward, so we are looking at the sub-sole of the aftermost plywood box, then through where I cut out the vertical partition into the carved out deep bilge. Originally this was level (filled in with the board and concrete in the deep area):



So....

Although I don't really see any need to fill in that lower portion of the deep bilge, I believe I will do that as it will make for a continuous top covering which I think will be easier to seal. I don't think I need to worry about the ballast shifting, by the looks of how it's in there; but I do want to keep water out of the ballast area.

To that end I'm thinking I'll fill in that "notch" in the deep bilge, then glass over the top of that and also reglass over the ballast in the "sub-basement" under the saloon plywood compartments with something sturdy like several (or more?) layers of Biaxmat 1708. First I was thinking I'd have to get all that loose glass off the top of the higher parts of the ballast, but now I'm thinking that the glass only has to be supported by that and that maybe I really only need to grind the "sides" of the bilge where the fiberglass needs to adhere. I'm not sure what I'm going to do at the joint between the middle compartment and the forward one (which is just the top of the ballast with glass on it and is in reasonable shape) as the space gets so tight (I'll add photos of this).

Also, what to fill in the deep notch with? I had originaly thought to cast epoxy/microballoon "loaves," which my old boatyard used to do in bread pans when they filled in rudders that they'd taken soaked foam out of. You can saw and shape these after they are cured, and I thought I could "butter" them with thickened epoxy and set them in place before glassing over the top. But it was also suggested that I friction fit some hard, closed cell foam (I have access to suitably sized scraps) and then glass over that. It would be much easier to work with than hardened epoxy.

I'm also wondering what will happen at the transition between the foam and the "walls" of the bilge. Seems like you'd normally have a fillet there but can I do that in this case? I don't mind making the glass layer really thick so it's somewhat self-supporting. What I don't want is anything leaking down in there from above.

If necessary I will grind out and clean the top of the higher bilge, but it would be very hard to do so and I'm not sure it's necessary as long as the new glass can adhere to well-ground surfaces on the "walls" (sides) of the bilge.

Comments? Or perhaps I need to learn to post a sketch to make this all clear. I will post more photos.

Rachel

[Figment]

That's a lot to digest. It's great to see the battle raging.

My instinct would be to go the foam plug route. I think this could be the most reliable way to achieve a nice smooth (easily cleaned) bilge in the end.

[Hirilondë]

If you can reach in and properly sand/grind the sides to tab a new false bottom to then the filler is really just a choice of convenience. My thoughts here would include 'cheap' and 'easy' in description. Having a relatively flat smooth top to this fill would make the false bottom easier to lay up. You might even consider pour foam. http://www.lbifiberglass.com/lbiproduct ... chor506142
It does yield an uneven surface when poured into a cavity, but can be trimmed when cured to a flat surface.

[Rachel]

Figment: Thanks for the encouragement. Knowing I had folks here who would appreciate the battle gave me more motivation.

Dave: I thought about that two-part pour foam, but I gather it's somewhat (or completely?) open-celled, whereas the rigid stuff is close-celled.

I realize that I'll need to grind the sides where the new glass needs to adhere - and I think the only place it will be a real trick (if you don't count hanging upside down over the deep bilge with a running power tool in one hand tricky) will be up forward in the saloon where the ballast pig comes up to the sole and the "sides" become tiny, tiny little wedges. I haven't quite figured out what to do there yet. I hope seawater doesn't come up that high all too often; but even if it doesn't, I still want to be able to wash out the boat etc. without there being a path down into the ballast cavity.

There are probably some concerns I haven't even thought of yet, but the main one I can think of is what to do at the "corners" where the new glass transitions from lying on top of the foam (or on top of the ballast pig/it's covering further forward) to the will-be-newly-ground sides of the keel. Do I need to worry about supporting that corner with a fillet? If I don't will it be like a weak tabbing joint with a bad transition?

A-30 John: Are you there? Or are you still recoiling in horror...

By the way, I've saved everything I gleaned on the ballast topic from the Alberg archives into one text document, so if any other A-30 owners are interested, let me know. It's possible I missed something, as the search function is not the best, and I only opened threads that had something promising sounding in the title. I got the most complete information from someone with a very early hull number (#23 or #25, I forget which), but his reports seemed to match my bilge, which is in hull #221.

Rachel
(I'll post a new note in this thread when I go back and add photos to my previous post.)

[windrose]

Rachel, I am following your adventures with intrigue, looks like you really wanted a project boat all along.;-) Keep snapping those photos and good luck.

Ang

[Hirilondë]

Do I need to worry about supporting that corner with a fillet? If I don't will it be like a weak tabbing joint with a bad transition?

I don't think there is any fiberglass cloth, mat or whatever that likes sharp bends. For the glass tabbing on my dinghy I filleted and glassed all in one session. Sand well, yada, yada as for all bonding jobs. Cut all glass pieces and stack in order. Filet the inside corners. Smooth out a little. Paint on the first coat of epoxy which will help fair out the filet if you aren't overly aggressive. And begin laying up. Don't stop 'till you have the desired layers. Fileting is pretty easy, but then I wasn't doing it standing on my head.

[CharlieJ]

Agreee Rachel- do the filleting. You can fillet, then glass in one operation, then just lay in more glass as needed.

[Figment]

Filleting while standing on one's head will be much easier with the pastry-bag method.

I don't think there's any need to be very fastidious about these fillets, however. You're not looking for a joint with any great deal of strength here, you just don't want it to come unstuck. That won't require much of a fillet.

[Rachel]

Let me try to do a bit better with my fillet query here:

I understand and fully agree with the concept of fillets. Where my question comes in is this - the "sides" where the new glass will be adhering will be all nicely ground and ready for bonding (now doesn't that sound easy?), but the bottom will be either hard foam (deep bilge) or crusty old grubby fiberglass (top of pig) or rough iron (top of pig - depending on how I prepare pig). My worry is that the lower part of the fillet will not really have anything good to adhere to. So, if the side of the fillet sticks nicely to the "wall" of the bilge, but the bottom of the fillet is only on foam or iron or a cruddy surface, what will happen later when it detaches? Will it not matter by then as the glass will be cured and thick? Or will it want to break away like a bad tabbing joint?

Except for the above concern, I see no reason to make the top of the pig clean and perfect.

R.

[Shark]

Rachel,

Sorry to add to your list "what if" questions ... but

Given the amount of work it took to reach the true bottom of your bilge area, would it not be a thought to leave some means of accessing that area in the future should the need, heaven forbid, ever arise? Perhaps if you installed a new false bottom framework at the same height as the other compartments in the bilge and simply screw down a gasketed access panels in those two aftmost compartments. All materials suitably coated with epoxy etc. Besides it would be relatively easier to work higher up in the bilge.

It's probably not necessary to "foam" the ballast in place and the foam could become a source of future "freeze thaw" problems. I defer to Tim and others more experienced than I am for other opinions.

Just a thought

[Rachel]

Hi Lyman,

Thanks for the input.

I'm not counting on the foam to hold the ballast in place - I'm thinking of using it to level out a small area aft of the ballast, so that when I glass it in I have one smooth slope instead of an up-down-up-over kind of shape with its more-complicated corners and such.

I don't believe I have any moisture to speak of down there (at least not that I couldn't swab out with a towel) so I was thinking of this as a "permanent" solution. I realize that damage from a grounding or etc. could be a problem, but then that would require fiberglass repair in any case.

I do share your thought that it's not great to enclose any area that might want to be opened up later. I guess I'm thinking of this more as something that was "overlooked" when the boat was first built; i.e. sealing the ballast pig into the keel is something that is normally done on internally ballasted boats, and this one was not done well. I'm more looking for a way to keep water out (since it looks dry and nice now) and to have a smooth, painted surface that can be kept clean than I am to hold the ballast pig in place.

I do appreciate your (and everyone else's) input, and I am looking for ideas and opinions. I realize that it's probably hard to visualize what I'm talking about from my descriptions.

R.

[Hirilondë]

So, if the side of the fillet sticks nicely to the "wall" of the bilge, but the bottom of the fillet is only on foam or iron or a cruddy surface, what will happen later when it detaches?

If you are going to use a few layers of glass then detaching of the fillet or the new glass from the foam/ballast/whatever except the inside of the keel shouldn't really matter at all. You will have a new FRP well secured to the inside of the keel. The fillets will become part of the whole by chemical bond. And this FRP is waterproof and reasonably sturdy by itself which seem to be the key characteristics you are looking for.

[Rachel]

Thanks, Dave, that sounds logical and it seems to open up one avenue of repair that at least eliminates grinding the "bottom" surfaces.

On the other hand, I just spent a while starting down into my deep bilge (what, everyone doesn't do that of an evening?) and maybe it would a shame to fill in part of it and close off that deep section. What I thought was a part of the rudder heel fitting at the after end (I had read that, so I guess it looked like it to me) now looks like just the last few inches of the broken off edge of the resin pour that formerly "sealed off" this area. I think I can eliminate it, which would mean one less reason to try to "even out" the area.

So.... I wonder if it would be better to just seal off the after end of the ballast pig (that's the somewhat trapezoidal vertical iron "wall" with a round thing in the middle in my photos above) and, of course, the top of it too. That way I could leave the deep part of the bilge alone, and just have it be "boat."

However, then I have more complicated angles to seal with fiberglass "cloth" and epoxy. That is, I have to do the after end of the pig and then come up over the top. Is that much more difficult to seal well? I mean, not just the one "bend" in the cloth but because both of those surfaces also have to have "flaps" of cloth going at right angles to them (to stick them to the sides) and then when it goes around the convex corner there are multiple flaps....

Okay, that even has me confused. Maybe by some miracle some of you can visualize what I mean....

Rachel

[Figment]

Visualization not a problem.

I'd stick with your original plan for one big reason: It leaves one very small very easily cleaned Low Point at the bottom. When you drop a tool or a bolt, you'll know exactly where it is. Dewatering the bilge will be much easier.

Either way, you're going to have a bunch of bends and angles to tape. Don't kill yourself trying to make it happen with long continuous strips. Start with a few short easy-to-lay sections just to affix everything in place, and build from there.

Poll the audience... how nuts does one need to go with the preparatory grinding in such a situation?



I'd be tempted to lash a sculptor's rasp (B) to a broom handle and have at it.

[Tim]

It's very possible to overthink these projects.

I suggest that you do the best preparation you can, and install the new materials as best as you can, and move forward. Nothing you do in the bilge at this point is going to have a significant structural effect on the boat, and whatever you do is likely to be far superior to what was originally there.

So coordinate your expectations and the true needs of the project--versus an unobtainable (and unnecessary) ideal--with what you can and should actually accomplish. No amount of work and thought will make it any more possible to get better than a generally acceptable level of preparation in the space you are working, and it's best to tailor your thoughts of what the project needs to...well, what the project actually needs.

One useful advantage of epoxy is that it sticks well in imperfect situations. No, it doesn't stick perfectly in imperfect situations...but it sticks well. So while you want to do as good a job with preparation as you can, you can also rest easy knowing that if it's not perfect, you will still likely obtain a satisfactory result that will accomplish what the job needs to accomplish.

The short advice: get it clean. Smooth, within reason, any of the worst sharp edges and nubs. It doesn't have to be glass smooth, or even anything approaching it--just reasonably receptive to thickened epoxy fillets and new tabbing. Getting it to this point won't take long, and then it's time to get it done.

Remember: you're not holding the boat together with this material; you can easily acheive watertightness with your plan of attack, however.

Good luck...now get to work! :<)

[Rachel]

Yep, I even have a slip now, so it's time to get 'er done.

I guess I got a bit freaked about how easy the PO's fiberglass "top" encapsulation sheet in the deep bilge tore away (and it looked like some prep work had been done), and how gross the gasoline/water was beneath it. I want my piece(s) to stick and keep the "water" out. And I don't want to do this project again. And of course I tend to overthink (I like to say "properly consider" ;-) things anyway.

Rachel

[CharlieJ]

Ah - but bear in mind- his work was likely done with polyester. YOURS will be done with epoxy.

VERY different animals.

[Rachel]

True enough, CJ -- no way would I use any resin but epoxy. And I plan to have a much larger "lap" on the bilge walls than he did. I hope you all can excuse my "paranoia" and remember the effect that pulling gasoline-soaked wood and concrete up from the depths can have on a person... <shudder>

I'm going to sneak this in here, but is there a usual way that the rudder heel fitting (or whatever is down there) attaches to a boat? I mean, not that I'll assume mine is "usual," but I'm trying to get an idea how it works, generally.

Thanks,

Rachel

[Chris Campbell]

The heel fitting on Weatherbird is a U-shaped cup affair that goes either side of the aft lower end of the keel with three bolts going through from one side to the other, penetrating the keel. Pretty solid.

[Rachel]

So you must have a hunk of solid glass down there in the corner (?). I don't see anything like that on mine (although it isn't super easy to see), and if I'm going to cover that area up "permanently" with foam and fiberglass,I would like to know how the thing is attached.

I should probably check on the A-30 forum - I think I've seen (but ignored) threads about how it's one of those things that could have been better thought out in the first place and that many have improved. I don't want to work on it now, but I suppose I should know if it's something that absolutely has to have attention before I bury it.

Have any of the A-30 people here investigated it?

Rachel

[Chris Campbell]

I think my hull is a whole lot of glass at that point. The hull was laid up in two halves and tabbed together on the centerline which results in a lot of glass in the middle. The bolts go through the keel for about 2-1/2" to 3", and are within 1-1/2" of the bottom of the keel, so that area is just solid glass anyway.

That said, above that, inside the keel cavity, is my fuel tank, and I do get fuel weeping out, so the bolts presumably come pretty close to the inside of the tank.

Can you see any bolts on your heel fitting? Can you see it at all? Or is it faired in completely?

[Chris Campbell]

Oh, and: http://www.alberg30.org/maintenance/Ste ... udderShoe/.

[Rachel]

I knew I had seen that somewhere - thanks for reminding me!

I guess I'll look carefully down into that corner from the inside, and if I don't see evidence of an issue, I'll assume (no, make that "hope") that it does not need any attention from the inside.

I'm walking that tightrope between "get the boat in the water ASAP" and "I probably won't have the engine out and the bilge opened up again any time soon," and I'm trying not to forget anything along the way.

R.

[Rachel]

I've added the missing photos to my earlier excavation post. I'm not sure how to point you to it directly, but it's about halfway down "page 2" of this thread. (Click here to go to the post in question)

Rachel

(Edited by moderator to include a direct link.)

[CharlieJ]

On the heel fitting- On Tehani it was hollow back there with rod rivets going through the fitting. I added epoxy and next we haul I'll be adding more.

[Figment]

I'm almost afraid to ask, but how's the smell?

[CharlieJ]

rofl- I was wondering the same. I'm HOPING it's mostly gone now.

[Rachel]

I would say it's about 25% reduced -- but then I haven't actually done any cleaning yet, so it's not really a fair assessment. Plus it's in the curtains, paper goods, etc. that are aboard. (Cold weather and an Easter invite conspired against me.)

I will say that the stuff I took out was absolutely foul smelling; just saturated with old petroleum/gasoline. I would not have had a prayer of success with that stuff down there. I think it was the source of all odor-evil, with the sides off the bilge playing a cameo role. On those I'm hoping a couple of coats of Bilgekote will work (even though there is a tiny bit of smell left even after I scrub them).

I probably won't do a thorough cleaning until the grinding is over, but fingers are crossed.

[Tim Mertinooke]

Rachel, we should start a bilge rehabilitation support group for obsessive compulsive boat owners. What do you think?

[Rachel]

Heh. Hopefully we only have time for a few meetings before the purpose of the group is obsolete. I've been following your progress here and on the Ariel forum. That "key" that came bursting out of your bilge was an interesting one!

I just today ordered a long-wanted Porter Cable [9]7355 sander and some of the "fun" discs from McMaster-Carr for some bilge grinding, along with some cutting/scraping blades for a Fein MultiMaster (I'll borrow the tool itself) that might prove useful for removing the wimpy laminate covering the ballast pig. Now I can't wait for the UPS truck. When I was jumping up and down, kind of giddy-like at work, just after ordering them, someone actually said I was "twisted." Can you believe that? Hmmph. <folds arms>

R.

[dasein668]

Geez Rachel, you really must have been riled up: I deleted three extra copies of that last post! hehe

[bcooke]

just after ordering them, someone actually said I was "twisted." Can you believe that?

Well, at least you are in good company...

[Rachel]

Thanks Nathan! I was on a weird coffee-shop connection and it said it wasn't loading. I suspected it might have been, yet when I went back to check I couldn't even get back in to the board. I'm glad you removed the duplicates.

Rachel

[dasein668]

No problem. That's what I'm here for! ;-D

[Rachel]

The UPS truck brought goodies for me today:

A shiny new Porter Cable 97355 sander (in a HUGE plastic "suitcase"), a 5" PSA disc, and some MultiMaster blades from Coastal Tool, and three grits of "the fun discs" from McMaster-Carr. Wheee!

If I'm not back by Monday, send the Coast Guard to look for me in the deep bilge.

Rachel

[Jason K]

Bon voyage!

[bcooke]

Okay Rachel, you have been spotted. How did the battle go this weekend?

[Jason K]

I'm getting ready to raise the Coast Guard for Rachel, she must have gotten lost in there. I hope she brought food and water.

Is this a Mayday or a Pan-Pan call?

[Rachel]

After I saw Britton's query, I was thinking "Oh, I"ll just nip on over there after work and get some photos to post along with my report." But then I worked late. Actually, there hasn't been much progress - partly due to the fact that the boat is 40 minutes away, which makes it hard for me to get over and work on weeknights, partly because I can't actually reach the bottom of the bilge, and mostly because when I'm not sure what to do, I dither.

I also found that the psuedo ballast covering extends right up to the forward end of the ballast, which threw me into a funk because I can't see how to get at it to repair it without taking out the cabin sole, which is rather nice and doesn't exactly have quick-release wing nuts on it. I've decided to go ahead and repair the part that will be hard to get to once the engine is back in place, and then to re-visit the forward section once there is not an Atomic Four in my saloon. Of course I can't totally forget about it in the meantime. I had a few choice words for the folks at Whitby, you can imagine.

On the bright side, I'm having the boat trucked over much closer to where I work and live - perhaps this weekend - so I'll have a much easier time getting some work-time in on weeknights. I can't wait, and I wish I'd done it much sooner.

So, basically, the rest of the concrete and what-not has been dug out of the bilge. The little triangle at the after end was not any part of the rudder shoe backing, but was just a bit of the resin shelf. There's also a "solid" filler bit in the very aft part of the boat - where the horn timber would be (if the boat had been built with more than one 2 x 4 of wood ;)

I have to leave for work, but I'll continue the exciting recap when I have photos to post to make it slightly more interesting.

[bhartley]

Rachel,

Get out of the bilge!!! Take some pictures of the boat! Let us see how she looks from 10' back. Once she's moved there are no more excuses. Time for pretty pictures -- these are pretty boats!

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

Bly

Clearly I shouldn't have had so much sugar at lunch.

[Rachel]

Out of the bilge? There is such a thing? Pretty boat?

I'll see what I can come up with.

And whatever you had for lunch, please send some my way!

[Figment]

Nudge.

You haven't forgotten your adoring fans, have you?

[CharlieJ]

Talked to Rachel the other day. She's been busy and is still having a hard time getting internet connections.

Be patient.