Cold Outside, Busy Inside: On Deck

Joseph Larson installs hawse pipes through the bulwarks near the stern.

There was no January thaw this year and plenty of snow, sometimes mixed with freezing rain, so there were a number of days when it was tough getting to the boatyard. But we got plenty done despite the weather.

The forward corner posts on the pilot house have been fitted and glued in, followed shortly, here, by the forward section of the cabin edge pillowed trim being fitted and glued on.

Note the aluminium cabin top beam resting on the top edge of the pilot house. This beam will be marked for length and legs welded on for attaching to the inside of the pilot house sides. There are two of these beams in the pilot house.


Holding the pillowed trim on while the epoxy sets called for putting clamps wherever there was hole in the cabin top and sides.


Shaping the pillowed trim was started by cutting a bevel along the whole length of the trim with power planes, then using using hand planes to shape the teak very close to the final profile, then finishing up with a succession of course to fine sandpapers to make the trim fair and smooth. Here Reed Hayden gives the trim a final sanding.


The painters meticously went over the pilot house sides with fine grit sandpaper, then applied a coat of sealer.



The portions of the deck panels that were cut for the hatches are fitted onto the hatch covers, with holes carefully cut for handles and hinges, and the gap between the deck and the hatch panel evened up. The hatches were then taken off the boat and the deck panels glued on. This is the propane locker hatch on the stern deck.



Gluing in the margin planks around the stern. These required 12" wide stock, but the only teak that was wide enough was over 2" thick. It was resawed to make a book matched set of three pieces around the elliptical stern.


After all the seams between the deck panels and around the margin planks were caulked and dried for a couple of days, Keith Dibble grinds the deck smooth.



Larry Wood checks the fit of the stainless steel coverplates over the starboard main mast chain plates.



Todd Skoog checks the fit of the aluminium cabin top beams and sees if they match the camber pattern.



Reed (left) and Norman Whyte start fitting long opening skylights along the side of the main cabin below the pilot house. This skylight is located over the galley, and is a feature that will be deeply appreciated by anyone making a meal, especially in tropical climates.



After sanding the sealer coat, Robert Freethey applies the first coat of varnish (of many) to the pilot house sides.