Latches

Fitting hinges to the rear hatches was one of the first jobs completed but it was not until now were any latches fitted. This secures the hatches down when on the water, the latches also provide a handle for easier opening. They were obtained from www.protex.com, easy to order and pay via paypal. There is a considerable range to choose from, these come from their ProLatch range. There are detail drawings on the Protex website, so it is easy to check for any location.

 

It was necessary to raise the catch plates using some 3mm thick plastic and also to cut away the lip of the opening, to clear the nuts and washers from the actual latches, enabling the hatch to fully close. With the hinges and latches now fitted the boat is certainly more secure to rough weather. There seems little point in adding a rubber seal on the hatches, as if the boat becomes swamped to that point, then the situation is very serious and a good VHF radio will be the most useful piece of equipment.

 

Having now sailed with the latches in place, I noticed on a few times ropes could get caught under the end. So I've now cut these short and rounded the ends, so hopefully any rope will slip out.

 

 

A Compass

The boat currently does not have a compass. One would certainly be useful and a Silva 70 P is fitted to our sea kayak, which would be ideal. As a starting point a sighting compass seemed a good addition. What was more of a surprise was the cost of a teak holder, at £29 it is nearly as expensive as the compass itself. Then why not make one?

A couple of coats of varnish will finish it off, before fitting to the inside port bulkhead, near the doorway.

Adding Electrics

The boat currently has no electrical power and the outboard does not have a charging facility. The main use for the power would be for charging our handheld VHF and mobile phones. Perhaps later navigation lights or other equipment could be added. The initial idea is to use a small 12 volt battery that can be initially charged at home and then kept topped up with a small solar panel hung in the window. A simple circuit, using an in-line fuse and car accessory socket would be make for an easy installation. The battery will be held in place in a simple wooden box, which will be fitted out of the way, under the bridge deck. The wooden box is shaped to fit the bottom of the boat and held in place with a single bolt and some silicon sealant.

   The battery is a Camden Boss 12 volt 12 AH sealed unit. Only a seasons use will tell if it has enough capacity.

 

Once fitted it soon became apparent that the design was not right and removing the battery was very difficult. Therefore the front panel was lowered and a piece of shock cord was added, holding the battery in place.

Rudder Maintenance

The part of the Drascombe design that does not quite live up to the standard of the rest of the boat, is the rudder. I'm surprised that is not possible to buy a replacement made out of a lighter material. I'm sure it is not beyond the capability of a small manufacturing company to produce a copy made from anodised aluminium or even use stainless steel.

The aim is to take the rudder apart, clean it and re-paint using Galvafroid. When re-assembling the rudder the plan is to use two large washers, which will be glued to either side of the rudder blade. Drilling the pivot pin out revealed a bush in the blade. This was loose and the hole in the blade slightly elongated. The decision has been made to make a new bush, which will be an interference fit into the blade. A new pin will also have to be made.

The washers have been made from 0.5 mm thick Polypropylene sheet and these will be glued to the blade using an impact adhesive. A nylon washer will also be added to shaft to help prevent wear on the top bearing.

Galvafroid is a zinc rich paint that is ideal for protecting steel. It can be painted over if a different colour or finish is required. It's easy to obtain on-line or at a good builder's supplies.

The hole in the rudder had become oval in shape, so this was reamed to 5/8 inch, before a new bush was machined out of stainless steel and press fitted into the hole. A new pin was also turned with a small shoulder one end. Once the rudder and stock have been painted, the washers glued in place, the plain end of the new pin will be riveted over. This should then provide a long lasting solution.

Galvafroid paint does need stirring well and can be applied quite liberally. I used a thin piece of wood wrapped in kitchen paper to paint the inside faces of the stock. Three coats later it seemed to be finished and I then added two coats of smooth Hammerite onto the rudder blade. Once the blade and stock were painted, it became very clear that the plan to add the two washers was not going to work and in fact the blade was now a very tight fit into the stock.

There was need to use some force to get the blade into place, which did remove some paint and when a new layer of Galvafroid was added, it soon became clear that this would cause the Hammerite to soften and bubble. The only solution was much rubbing down and repainting in some areas. Waterproof grease was packed with the blade and stock and although I'm sure it will wash out in time, it did help with the final assembly and will keep it lubricated for a while. The pivot pin was riveted over and another coat Galvafroid added to outside of the stock.

A washer was added to help prevent wear on the upper bearing. This was made from some 40 mm dia. nylon and hopefully will also make the rudder smoother in use.

  

Rain and varnishing !

The weather has not been ideal for varnishing over the last two weeks. I've managed to get some coats of varnish on, applying them early in the morning - while it is still dark, using a head torch to see! I'd hoped this weekend would provide the opportunity to get the final coat applied and the fittings secured. However, the forecast did not look ideal, so a temporary shelter was the only solution and with colder weather on the way I wanted to get on with the job.

 

I've used the Deks Olje system, which so far I've been pleased with. However, the real test will be after a seasons use and how well it stands up to "wear & tear". Both the oil (D1) and the varnish (D2) are quite thin in viscosity, so many thin coats are needed, as is a cloth soaked in white spirit. Once dry both D1 & D2 are quite difficult to remove. Applying the D1 was very easy and I had every confidence it got into all the gaps and difficult to access place. On a couple of occasions I have used some "wet n dry" to smooth out any imperfections, it seems best to leave the D2 for a few days before doing this and then leave this surface another day or so before adding another coat. On one occasion I tried to sand and varnish the day after I'd applied a coat, the varnish still seemed soft and the new coat seem to soften any edges of the previous coat, which I just had to do it again! I think just being patient is the thing to remember.

A new tiller

The tiller that came with the boat is just a plain length of hard wood. Looking at other boats and having recently sailed in another boat, it was clear that a curved tiller made by laminated wood, provides a more attractive and user friendly solution.

After some initial research, including looking at the cost of buying one, I decided that it would more sensible to make one.

A simple former was made out of an old shelf and two blocks of wood. The tiller was made by using seven layers of alternating wood, each 5mm thick. After an initial dry clamp to check the shape, the layers were glued together and left overnight to dry.

 

Once unclamped the laminated wood could be shaped. The nominal cross-section size was 35mm sq. The width was tapered down to 25mm so it was more comfortable to hold. The most difficult part was the shape the new tiller to fit correctly in the head casting. 

 

 

The start of winter maintenance

Having decided that I will not be able to sail again this year, the decision was taken to start some maintenance. The list is long! Not serious work but more preventative really. Where possible wooden parts have been removed, which makes sanding and re-varnishing a much easier job.

 

 

The gunwales have been stripped back to the wood, after any fittings were removed. This also gives the opportunity to replace any brass/bronze bolts with stainless steel ones. I also removed the top of the centreboard case and was relieved to see all was well with the winch and centreboard.

There are couple of cracks in the transom board, I'm hoping that after sanding and re-varnishing they will not increase in size. The cracks  do not seem to go through to the other side, so I'm thinking they can't be too serious.

I've decided to use the Deks Olje system. Before using it on the actual boat, I tested it on some of the smaller parts I'd previously removed. The previous owner had been pleased with the results and so far it appears to be very successful. It does tend to darken the wood but I like how it soaks in to really protect against the elements. However, time will tell how successful it really is.

Along with the lots of smaller jobs, the larger tasks include: cleaning and repainted the rudder with Galvafroid, fitting a small battery with a solar charger and making a new curved tiller, which will clear my knees!