Foredeck Secure - New Deck Hatch Installed

One of the obvious replacement targets that we spied when we first looked at Harmony was the foredeck hatch.  It was a plastic piece of garbage better meant for a dumpster than a boat.  Besides the fact that it was extremely unseaworthy, it was broken and it leaked.

The cheap and broken foredeck hatch

OK, the foredeck of a Westsail 42 was NOT meant for a hatch.  Given our special below decks configuration, which featured a v-berth, I can fathom a rationale for increased ventilation.  However, said hatch better be seaworthy to keep out any boarding seas the boat will surely take sailing offshore.  Since the prior owner had installed a hatch in the foredeck thereby making restoring the deck to its original form financially impossible, I had to make the situation workable and safe.

Thankfully the plastic hatch was a standard size.  I strolled through the pages of the mega marine catalogs that become so addictive and found a very seaworthy replacement.  We went with a Lewmar Ocean hatch 60 because of its strength, workmanship, and, above all, very high rating for performance in tough conditions.

The Lewmar Ocean 60 hatch on the foredeck

So far this little project was comprised of very easy decisions.  Now, the supposedly super easy part, installation.  Since the hatch sizing was standard, I didn't expect any issue.  So, I allotted about 90 minutes at the end of long day to pull the old one out and "pop" the new one in.  Not to worry, right?  Pop out, pop in, short task at the end of a long day and near sunset....Right!

Well, the old hatch did pop right out.  Well, that is where the easy ended!  The cut-out in the deck was off just enough that I couldn't just pop the new one in.  Out came the jig saw, rasp, and dictionary of works that Mom wouldn't want to hear.  A little cut here, a little rasp there, with a few invectives thrown in for fine tuning, and, walla, the new hatch "popped" right in.

Next, I had to drilled all the through bolt holes. Yeah, I realize the old hatch was just surfaced screwed, but I didn't want this hatch flying off in a storm.  I had now been at this quick little project for 2 hours.  However, I was ready for the final act:  bedding the hatch and bolting in place.

While not standard, The Lewmar will work just fine

After about twice the length of time I estimated, and as darkness was closing in, I tightened the last bolt and prettied-up the bedding compound that had over oozed.  Yeah, it sure looked nice, and it was certainly stronger than the old plastic hatch.  It even worked just like it should.  Above all, it was secure and didn't leak anymore!  Nice!

Fair Winds and Following Seas!

Energy Concerns - Charging Ahead

One of the more important concerns for the crew of Harmony relates to energy usage on board and the issue of battery charging.  After our experience on our previous boat, Poetry, which was a 1965 Pearson Vanguard, we wanted to use our blank canvas situation on Harmony to our fullest advantage.

On Poetry, we had installed a refrigeration unit.  Unfortunately, we were only able to insulate the original "cooler" box just so much.  The result was that we had to run the engine 5+ hours every day we used the reefer just to keep the batteries charged.  Yes, we had installed a huge battery bank on Poetry to be able to support eventual radar and chart plotting, but the refrigeration was a true hog.

Well, on Harmony we would have 2 separate refrigeration systems:  a reefer AND a freezer.  In addition to that, Harmony would have pressure water, and a full suite of radar, chart plotting, radios, and auto pilot.  We did NOT want to run the engine 30 hours a day to support our existence on the boat.  For one it is too much background noise, it uses gallons of diesel fuel, produces lots of exhaust, and the idling of the diesel doesn't do the engine much good.

What to do?  While it is easy to ponder solar and wind power, these systems are not panaceas.  We could install a diesel generator, but its just another diesel engine which requires space, plumbing, and fuel.  So with the counsel of Greg Fledeman, the Boat Doctor, we were able to construct a general plan.

While the energy consumption rates of the basic electrical components are pretty much a given, we could find ways to conserve.  First, our refrigeration systems would consist of Frigoboat keel coolers and well insulated boxes.  Second, we would install a complete suite of LED lights for both internal and external needs.  Third, we would install both solar and wind charging systems.

Even in our targeted Northeast Atlantic cruising grounds, these two systems should be able to provide enough energy during a normal sunny/windy day to power the entire boat including auto pilot.  We do expect to run the engine at least 30 minutes a day when entering and leaving a harbor.  So, the engine will mostly be used for propulsion.  Great!

The solar panels will be mounted at the stern on davits, which will also be used to get the dinghy out of the water and off the deck for coastal cruising.  Additional solar panels will be mounted on the bimini top.  The challenge with all solar panels is that their efficiency diminishes so much when the shade from sails or spars occludes the panel surfaces.

The wind generator, brand to be chosen later, will be mounted on the mizzen mast above the radar dome.  The concern here relates to the risk to life and limb should one of the generator blades break and rain down upon those in the cockpit.  At the advice of the davit fabricator, Kato Marine, we decided to not mount the unit on the davits:  too much vibration.  However, the radar dome should deflect the brunt of the debris should such a catastrophic failure occur.

OK, we now know how we're going to charge the batteries without burdening the diesel engine.  We can be comforted that we're being more environmentally responsible and limiting our reliance on the proverbial "grid".  Ahh, doomsday preppers we're not, at least not yet!!!

More on these elements when we get to the installation process.

Fair Winds and Following Seas!

Back Up Against a Wall - Bulkheads Fixed

One of the many casualties of continual water leakage in Harmony was the rotting of bulkheads in the galley/dinette area.  On the starboard side, both forward and aft bulkheads were compromised.  On the port side, the aft bulkhead which separate the dinette from the engine room was damaged, as well.

Starboard Side - Aft Galley Bulkhead removed

After verifying that the structural integrity of the vessel wasn't lost, the focus shifted to the removal and either replacement or repair.  The galley bulkheads needed to be removed, but the dinette bulkhead, thankfully, just needed repair. 

Port Side - Aft Dinette Bulkhead with damaged area removed

The bulkhead between the dinette and engine room was a major component for supporting the cockpit, and while cut into at many spots, the dry rot and delamination was confined to where the previously mentioned holding tanks was installed.

Once removed the Galley bulkheads were solid enough to use as templates to create the replacement panels.  I used 3/4' Merranti plywood procured from Boulter Plywood in Somerville, MA, a Valhalla for a hardwood addict.  The Merranti plywood, while not possessing the beauty of other mahogany panels is resistant to water damage and takes a better paint finish than standard marine plywood.

Forward Galley Bulkhead replaced with 3/4" Merranti

One the forward side of the galley, I needed to accommodate a teak post that serves as a deck support and a hand hold.  On the aft side, I had to interface with the navigation station and the underside of the side deck. 

Aft Galley Bulkhead of 3/4" Merranti tabbed and glassed to the Hull

Once the patterns were scribed and cut, it was a simple process of sistering, tabbing, and glassing to the hull.  The strongest tabbing was made with a smooth fillet of foam and epoxy followed with 10 ounce glass tape and West System epoxy.

The Aft Dinette bulkhead required a different process.  Since I didn't need to remove the bulkhead, I needed to install an overlay.  However, this overlay needed to be tabbed and glassed to the hull.  By bonding the overlay panel to the existing bulkhead with screws and epoxy coupled with the tabbing to the hull, the new "laminated", if you will, bulkhead would act as one.  Later on, I would through-bolt this laminated bulkhead to 1.5 x 1.5 inch mahogany studs in the engine room between and upon which I installed Soundown sound proofing and wall panels, respectively.

Aft Dinette Bulkhead installed - cables supply an electric Lewmar winch

The critical action with this bulkhead was the scribing to the hull shape to give the foam and glass fillet/tabbing a consistent surface for strong bonding.  I used regular marine plywood because the surfaces would be hidden within the dinette furniture.

Teak post back in place at the forward end of the Galley

When all the panels were install, I only had to re-install the teak post.  It was an amazing transformation when I looked at the repaired area complete with new decking in the galley/dinette area.

Looking Aft from the Salon into the "new" Galley/Dinette area

While there is a long way to go with many things to still do, seeing the progress gives a huge lift to one's spirits.

Fair Winds and Following Seas!

Leaking Deck Fills - Issue Closed

 

One the more obvious culprits in the leak caper were the deck fills.  While the deck fill for the diesel fuel seem to be as tight as a drum, the 2 fresh water fills were open sluice gates for rain water.  It is fairly clear when one watches a torrent of water cascade down the water hoses!

At first, I thought this was the issue that accounted for all of the damage.  Not a bad assumption since the majority of the dry-rot was in the vicinity of these deck fills.  However, nothing is ever that easy on an old boat, and I found out later that I had just begun my water immersion!

To fix these leaks, it was not enough to just re-bed the bronze deck plates.  I needed to ensure that the deck core was not saturated or rotten:  this was my biggest fear.  However, I was much relieved to find that the 3/4' plywood deck core was as solid as could be.  However, I noticed that the holes cut into the deck and the holes for the attaching screws were much larger than needed and could never be thoroughly sealed.

So, the game plan was to remove deck fills, seal and patch the deck, and then later install new deck fills in a new spot on the deck.  The last step would be fairly easy once I bought new deck fills and drilled new holes, but more on that later when we get to it.
Steps 1 and 2, however, would require a bit of creativity and aesthetic magic.

To simply patch and forget wouldn't work.  The deck was a fiberglass sandwich of 3/4' marine plywood covered with 13/16' teak decking.  The fix had to be watertight to prevent water intrusion into the deck core, and had to be a reasonable blend with the existing teak decking.

The first piece was to seal the underside of the deck with epoxy and fiberglass cloth.  Not a big deal using West System epoxy and 3 layers of 10 ounce cloth, BUT this was on an overhead surface.  So, care needed to be taken to not overdue the epoxy to cause drips.  Using the fast cure hardener kept the process quick.

Next, the exposed plywood core needed to be sealed so that a plug could be inserted to fill the roughly 1.5 inch deep hole.  The cutting of a 5/8' marine plywood plug allowed enough room for epoxy and 2 layers of bedding cloth to get the surface up to the original deck level.  I then used a hole saw  (sans the pilot drill) with a diameter about 1/4' less than the diameter of the hole to cut a plug out of 1" thick teak.  This teak plug was set into a slurry of epoxy and adhesive filler.


Teak Plug with seam compound in place - diesel fill to the left

Once the epoxy had cured, I was able to fill the gap around the teak plug with a appropriate black seam compound.  When that cured, I took a belt sander to reduce everything to deck level.  The finished product blended fairly well with the existing teak decking.

Starboard deck fill completed

The best thing was that the deck fill holes no longer leaked!  I knew that I had to eventually re-bed the seams on the entire teak deck, but that could wait until later.  For now, I could move onto other project areas!

Fair Winds and Following Seas!