Hardtop Project By The Numbers

The hardtop project is finally over.  It took far longer than we wanted with some frayed nerves along the way, but in the end we are proud of the work we have done.  We think it looks pretty darn good for a couple of first-time fiberglass builders.  So now I guess the one question left unanswered is how much did it end up costing us.

One of the reasons we did this project was to save a little money (it certainly wasn't to save a little time or aggravation). The goal was to come in well under the $15,000 (U.S.) that the next best option, a manufactured top, would have cost. So here is the breakdown as best I can figure it.  I imagine I forgot some minor thing, like a roll of paper towels or extra can of acetone, but this should be a pretty fair idea of the costs involved in the project.

The following is a list of suppliers for the parts and supplies as numbered in the cost table that follows.  Those suppliers are:

1. Severn Yachting Center via Paxton Company, Norfolk VA.
2. Kings Marine, Hayes, VA.
3. Home Depot, Gloucester, VA.
4. Lowe's, Gloucester, VA.
5. Harbor Freight, Newport News, VA.
6. Big Lots, Gloucester, VA.
7. Philips Petroleum, Hayes, VA.
8. K-Mart, Hampton, VA.
9. Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Gloucester, VA.
10. Ace Hardware, Hayes, VA.
11. U.S. Composites, Online.
12. Lee and Cates Glass, Brunswick, GA.
13. D K Hardware, Online.
14. York Bolt, Yorktown, VA.
15. Kenseal Construction Products, Norfolk, VA.
16. Bob Mayer (welder), Hayes, VA.
17. Hampton Rubber, Hampton, VA.

(see which ones made the Better Marine list.)

Here are the costs for parts and supplies (all prices at time of project - latter half of 2015) and does not include standard tools that I already owned:

Item	Qty.	Supplier	Price	Total
Divinycell 1" H80 foam sheet (48"x 96")	4	1	$230	$920.00
1708 fiberglass 10yd roll	4	1, 11	$105	$420.00
10oz Fiberglass cloth 25yd roll1	1	11	$135	$135.00
Polyester Laminating Resin 5gal	4	1	$130	$520.00
MEKP catalyst 8oz.	2	1	$12.21	$24.42
West Epoxy Quart Kit.	1	2	$51.45	$51.45
Clearcote Gelcoat white gallon - no wax	4	1	$78	$312.00
Clearcote Gelcoat white gallon - waxed	3	2	$62	$186.00
Collodial Silica Quart	12	1	$14.54	$14.54
PVA Mold Release - Gallon	1	1	$23.85	$23.85
Acrylic Tinted Window glass	15	12	$0	$0.00
Dow Corning 795 Window glazing sealant	2	13, 15	$18.77+ $7.72	$26.49
Closed cell foam gasket (window mount)	1	10	$2.99	$2.99
Closed cell foam gasket (arch seal)	2	3	$3.99	$7.98
PVC Fence post (wire chase channel)	1	4	$15.99	$15.99
1" PVC Tubing (handrail) 10' length	4	4	$2.49	$9.96
PVC Tubing 5' (fiberglass roll/holder)	1	4	$5.99	$5.99
Stainless mounting bolts, nuts, washers for arch.	1	1, 14	$7.29	$7.29
Rubber Gasket material (3ft x 1ft)	1	17	$7.82	$7.82
Acetone	8	3	$16	$128.00
Aluminum Fiberglass Laminating Roller 1" x 6"	1	1	$13.07	$13.07
Miscellaneous mixing cups	16	1	$1.29	$20.64
9" Paint Roller w/ adjustable handles	3	6	$5.99	$17.97
4" Paint Roller	1	6	$3.99	$3.99
9" x 1/4" nap Paint Roller covers	5	3	$4.37	$21.85
4" Paint Roller cover 2 pack	3	3	$5.99	$17.97
9" Loop Texture Roller	2	3	$6.49	$12.98
Hole Saw Set	1	4	$19.99	$19.99
Drywall sanders	2	4	$7.99	$15.98
Miscellaneous Sandpaper/sanding discs	-	3.4	-	$40
Plastic Sheeting roll	1	4	$11.49	$11.49
Paper Towels roll	30	6	$1	$30.00
Nitrile rubber gloves (box of 100)	4	5	$7.99	$31.96
10' shade canopy	1	8	$49.99	$49.99
Wood for building table top/mold	-	4	-	$150
Folding Sawhorse	3	5	$12.99	$38.97
Router Guide set	1	5	$15.99	$15.99
500 watt Halogen Worklight & spare bulbs	1	4	$18.99	$18.99
"BucketHead" shop vacuum	1	3	$21.97	$21.97
Propane Space Heater	1	3	$99.99	$49.997
Propane Refills (30#)3	3	7	$25	$75
Misc Tarps	24	5	$3.49	$6.98
Line (for tying up tarps) 50' roll	2	9	$1.99	$2.98
Misc Rags (package of 50)	2	9	$4.99	$9.98
Stainless Steel Forward Supports	3	16	-	$150.006
Hardware for mounting forward supports	-	1	-	$34.50
Grand Total (before tax)				$ 3703.00

¹Originally planned to use much more of this fabric but used under 10 yards. 
²Was gifted 5 to 6 quarts more, total used to thicken resin and gelcoat was around a gallon worth. 
³Borrowed propane bottle from friend at marina. 
⁴Already owned most tarps, had 3 "free" tarps from Harbor Freight.
⁵Plexiglass was left over from salon window replacement.
⁶Traded old fabric bimini support, includes generous tip.
⁷Sold the space heater for half of what we paid for it after the project was complete.

Of course, parts are not the only part of the equation.  There is the time spent at a marina and boat-yard.  In our case, we were able to work out a price that included our monthly stay at the marina and our space in the yard.  It is hard to put a fixed price on this since it is hard to say how much time we might have spent in a marina versus on the hook if weren't tied to land for the project.  But my guess is we would have likely spent some time in a marina.  Given the daily or weekly rates at marinas are higher than the monthly rate, the marina portion of our stay is probably a wash.  So, if we attribute the portion we paid above their normal rate for the yard for 5 months, that comes to a total of  $625.

Then there is labor.  I needed equipment to lift and position the top in place on the boat. Naturally the marina wouldn't let me drive their dilapidated long forklift so there was one employee for that and two more that came along to help. Total cost for their labor and use of the forklift was $490.

So, the grand total to build our new hardtop: $4818.00

That's a savings of $10,182.  To put it in perspective though, the savings equates to earning $2036.40 a month.  Or the equivalent of an annual salary of $24,436.80. And that is for two people working full time.  We didn't actually keep track of the hours spent, but I know they were more than a 40 hour work weeks when the weather allowed.

But it isn't all about the money either.  There is a satisfaction that comes from doing something for yourself and gaining knowledge and skills along the way.  So we are glad we did the project, but having done it once, I doubt we would do it again.  I would be happy to provide answers to questions if you are reading this because you are contemplating taking on a project like this, I just don't think I'd want to invest that amount of time again to build another one. I'll leave you with one bit of advice if you are considering taking on a project like this: don't underestimate the impact of weather.  If at all possible, try to find an indoor project space.  Being able to control the temperature and protect the project from the elements will make it go much faster, and it will also be less frustrating and more comfortable too.

Well, I hope all these posts on the hardtop build were entertaining and informative.  I know we will enjoy having the top down the road.

Feeling Neglected

After all the time spent building the new hardtop, it seems other things on the boat have been a bit neglected. The salon seat cushions that we have wanted to reupholster because of the ugly blue vinyl have degraded into cushions mostly covered in vinyl fragments. The port side hull, that has no climate control capability, is slowly turning into a mold forest and is in desperate need of some cleaning.  But these aren't the things that are preventing our departure from cold Virginia.  Other systems have started acting up.  In particular, the ones that run on diesel.  Both the engines and the generator have decided to prove that they need a little love too.

When I fired up the generator as a test and part of my semi-regular attempt to make sure oil gets circulated on all those internal, rustable parts, no water was found shooting out of the exhaust.  For those that aren't aware, boat diesels use seawater as part of the engine cooling circuit and said water is ejected via the exhaust.  If no water is flowing from the exhaust, it indicates the raw water is not being sucked up to cool the engine and the engine will overheat.  The lack of water can usually be attributed to a blockage at the intake (including the intake seacock [valve] being closed) or a failure of the replaceable rubber impeller in the raw water pump.

Picture of a raw water pump with the impeller access plate removed.
Photo from Compass Marine (an awesome site for boat repair information).

I check the seacock, and it was indeed open.  I open the inline strainer and pour some water in to see if it will flow out through the intake and it did, so no blockage there.  I then remove the plate on the pump expecting to see the broken rubber bits of the impeller.  Unfortunately, the impeller looked in pristine condition.  None of the usual culprits was the cause, and this is not a good thing.  With the cover removed, I have my wife bump the starter to verify that the pump is turning the impeller.  The impeller didn't move.  Drat.  It is starting to look like something may have broken inside the pump.  I pull the pump in preparation for taking it up to the marina shop to see if they have one.  When I pull the pump, I find that the nut that holds the gear on the back side of the pump is loose.  The result is that the gear would spin freely on the pump shaft. I tighten the nut and viola, turning the gear now turns the shaft which, in turn, spins the impeller. I reinstall the the pump and when I start the generator, the magic cooling water once again flowed from the exhaust.  So, the good part of this story is that the fix was nothing more than tightening a nut.  The bad part is that it took up a few hours that could have been spent preparing for our departure.

While messing with the generator, I noticed that the radiator cap looked like it might be leaking. Fortunately, radiator caps are relatively easy to find and one was procured from a local auto parts store. Hopefully that will resolve that little problem.

The two Westerbeke engines that propel the boat through the water (when not under sail) were also being cranky.  They, not unlike my wife and I, were protesting the cold weather and were incredibly hard to start.  The last time I started them they weren't too happy, but I figured it was due to the amount of time since I last started them in combination with the cold.  This time it hadn't been all that long, but it was a bit colder and they nearly refused to start. It took me over an hour to coax them to life so we could move the boat as the marina requested.  This simply would not have worked at all if we weren't attached to marina power where we could recharge the batteries between attempts. This needed to be fixed before we leave since I'm sure we would have killed the start batteries trying to get the engines started.

Diesels are pretty simple systems as far as engines go.  They run on fuel, air, and compression.  No pesky ignition systems to complicate issues.  But they don't like cold temperatures.  To battle this, they have things called glow plugs, basically little heaters that warm up the combustion chamber for those cold starts. I did some quick checks of the air intake and fuel and quickly focused my efforts on the glow plug system. On the starboard engine I verified that I could hear the click of the solenoid that activates the glow plugs.  I checked for voltage on the wires and it seemed fine. I then pulled one of the glow plugs and checked the resistance and it was just a little low compared to what the book said it should be (1 ohm instead of the 1.2 ohms). That didn't seem bad but we went to see if I could find a local source for them (it was getting late and I wanted to check availability before the stores closed). No one had them in stock, and I would have to order them if I needed them.  The next morning I tested the glow plug I pulled by taking a couple wires and connecting them directly to the battery.  The glow plug worked just fine.  Hmm.  I then hooked the plug back up to its voltage supply wire and attached a separate ground so I could see it work while it was hooked up to the engine.  We pushed the preheat button and nothing.  I re-verified that I was seeing voltage on the wire, and I was.  The only explanation I could think of is that the contacts in the solenoid were old and over time have developed a high resistance. This would explain seeing voltage but not enough power to make the glow plug glow.  I reinstalled the glow plug and then used a jumper wire to bypass the relay.  This time when we tried to start the engine it quickly roared to life.  Aha!

The solenoid causing the starting problem.

So, off we went to try finding a replacement solenoid.  The only diesel shop in town said they didn't have the Westerbeke part but might have a suitable replacement if I could bring them a picture.  I took several pictures and went to the shop to see what they could do.  They took a look at the pictures, walked in back and came back with a solenoid that looked very similar to the OEM part.  I took it back to the boat and installed it.  During the installation I double checked the wiring diagram and the installation on the other engine just to make sure everything was hooked up correctly.  We gave the new solenoid a try...and nothing.  This time I couldn't even hear or feel the solenoid click.  I removed the new solenoid and reinstalled the old one.  I verified that the old one still clicked and that I got the wiring right.  It was right.  Sigh.

We had wasted enough time on this issue and the weather window to leave was getting shorter, so we decided we would just press on using the jumper wire workaround until we got someplace where we could order the Westerbeke part and have it shipped in.  We took the new solenoid back.

Suspecting a similar issue on the port engine, I ran the same tests.  Voltages were fine.  I pulled one of the glow plugs and tested it and it was fine.  I did the test for the solenoid expecting it to be the fault, but was surprised when it worked fine too.  I reinstalled the glow plug and decided to give the engine one more test before I pulled the other glow plugs to see if one of them is at fault.  The engine fired right up.  Huh.  My only guess is the process of removing and testing the first glow plug must have cleaned up some corrosion and now the system is working fine. I'll call that a win.

When doing instrument checks in preparation for departure, I ran across another issue.  The chart plotter was complaining about not getting a signal from the remote GPS.  Figuring this was a connection issue, I pulled all the plugs from the back of the plotter and plugged them back in.  Restart the chart plotter, and it was again happy.  I do like these simple fixes.

When I get to warmer climates I'll need to revisit a few things.  I should take some dielectric grease to some of the electrical connections to help combat corrosion.  I also need to clean and paint the engines...but I'm not sure the paint will even dry at these temperatures.

So, we are a few days behind in our preparation to leave, but with any luck we should be heading out soon.  Now where is that grocery list...

Dodge This

To say I've been a bit concerned about this upcoming run south is probably an understatement.  It is not the trip itself, but the cold temperatures that make me not all that happy about it.  Last year when I made the run from Deltaville down to Georgia I said I didn't ever want to do that in November again...and, well, January wasn't the change I had in mind.  That time I had the soft bimini with the integrated front dodger and while it wasn't the most pleasant of trips, having the dodger to keep the chilly wind out of our faces was at least a little help. Now that we have this nice new hardtop with its increased forward view, the old dodger just doesn't fit.  That is, until now.

Deciding that we really need a dodger, I came up with a plan to retrofit our existing dodger to the new top.  It won't be pretty, but at least it will be something until we can get around to building a new enclosure.  Given neither my wife nor I want to take on another big project until we can get the fun to work ratio more in balance, I wanted this temporary solution to be able to last at least a little while.

The plan was to take the existing dodger and some of the pieces from the old soft top to create a new dodger that will fit the new top.  The old soft top already had the zippers that mate up with the old dodger and it also had a bolt rope where it was attached to the rear of the arch.  If we attached the old top to the dodger, cut it to fit the new top, and add the bolt rope to fit the yet to be cut slot in the front rail of the new top, we should have a solution.

To start I needed to cut the bolt rope slot in the bottom side of the forward handrail of the new top.  I created a gauge using some left over wood from the hardtop mold so I could draw a line in the center of the rail with a pencil.  I drilled two holes at the two ends of the slot that I will elongate so there is room to insert the bolt rope. I then used my vibrating multi-tool to carefully cut the slot.  In hindsight, I probably should have cut the slot before we mounted the top as it was more difficult to cut laying on my back on the deck.  After cutting the slot, I determined that the blade on the multi-tool created a slot that was just too thin and the bolt rope would likely bind while trying to slide it in place. I tried wrapping a stick-on sanding disc around the multi-tool blade and that widened the slot but quickly chewed up the sandpaper and left bits of it inside the slot.  Off to the store to see if we could find a solution.  What we found was a grout removal blade for the multi-tool.  This is basically a sandpaper looking metallic blade that should function like the sandpaper without wearing away.  It did the trick and widened the slot to about double the original gap.

The bolt rope slot and access hole in the front rail.

I used the multi tool to cut the holes in the ends into more of a teardrop shape.  This didn't really provide enough access to insert the bolt rope and so I took my rotary tool and a small drum sanding attachment and elongated the hole into an inch and a half opening.  That did the trick.

To clean up the cut of the slot, I took some excess 3/16 line and wrapped the stick on sanding discs around it.  This essentially made an abrasive segment of bolt rope. It was used to clean up the edges of the slot to allow the regular bolt rope to easily slide.

Getting the plastic shavings out of the slot was an interesting task.  After some work with the shop vacuum and a thin screwdriver, we were able to clean everything up and now we have a nice bolt rope slot along the bottom of the front rail.

The original dodger was slid into its original lower bolt rope track.  The old bimini was attached to it and pulled tight up over the new hardtop.  I carefully marked where the old bimini material met the lower edge of the new bimini rail.  It was a challenge to try figuring out how we could attach the old curved corners to the new, wider top, but we did the best we could.  After getting everything marked, the bimini was removed from the dodger and cut so there were two extra inches of fabric beyond the marks to allow for creating a double hem. Excess zippers, hardware, and other original mounting bits that are no longer needed were removed.

Marking and cutting the old bimini segment.

I used straight pins to temporarily hold the hem in place and then broke out the Sailrite machine and started sewing.  I finished the cut edges and then sewed on the bolt rope that was scavenged from the back of the old bimini.  I even tried a zig-zag stitch for one of the runs on the bolt rope, not because it was needed but more for the practice using the machine.

Sewing up the old bimini strip to make the "new" dodger.

The end result turned out pretty well.  Better than I expected in reality. (I wonder if my junior high home economics teacher would be proud?)  It isn't that pretty and a properly fitting enclosure would provide a better view, but it should provide us at least some protection from the wind and rain while we make our way south.

The temporary dodger. You can see how much larger the
view forward is now compared to the old dodger.

Becoming a Boat Again for the New Year

First, I want to wish everyone a a New Year with all your heart needs or desires!

Sorry for going quiet right after my post on the "completion" of the hardtop project.  It has actually been far from quiet here on the boat.  Lots of things to be done to turn our floating project space back into a seaworthy vessel.

We've repaired the D-ring issue.  After digging out the rotting wood we spent a lot of time forcing warm, dry air into the space to make sure any residual moisture was gone.  I'm sure my neighbors didn't appreciate the constant droning on of the shop vacuum that was sucking warm air through the holes but with the new year we have bid that annoyance farewell. A few very small holes were drilled in the deck and epoxy was injected to fill up the voids.  Filling the area with epoxy was done in several pours to prevent excessive heat buildup (we would wait for a layer to pass its' highest heat potential but before it was fully cured to apply the next layer).  The holes allowed any air bubbles to escape so the void is solid epoxy.  The holes in the deck are tiny, the smallest drill bit I had and the one that just barely allowed the West Systems syringe to inject resin, Once everything cured, new holes were drilled for the D-ring bolts, new 316 stainless hardware was purchased to mount it, and it was all installed with the use of butyl tape as the bedding compound.  The D-ring is now installed in a section of the deck that is probably stronger than the original and should remain leak free for a long time.  And if it does ever leak again, the balsa core will be well protected by the epoxy and should never see any water.  Once we get to warmer climates, the tiny pinholes will get a drop of color-matched gelcoat and the repair should be nearly invisible.

The stack pack and mainsail were reinstalled on the boat yesterday morning.  With that task we are already reaping the benefits of having a hard top.  Having a platform to stand on while installing these items is far superior to trying to work around the old soft top or take it down to access the boom. Even zipping up the stack pack is easier than before.

Sails back up...starting to look like a sailboat again.

We have been cleaning up the boat as well.  When boat projects are ongoing, there are tools and supplies lying around and you don't generally put them all away just to take them all out the next morning (particularly when it takes hours to dig them out of their hiding places in the various storage spaces on a boat). Of course, the result is a LOT of stuff lying about where it doesn't belong and the packing up and storing of all that stuff can take a while.

With any luck we will finally start our journey south in the next week. The idea of sitting out in the cockpit with temperatures in the 40's and 50's isn't a pleasant thought, particularly given that we have no dodger or enclosure that fits our new hardtop.  We are considering taking our old dodger and some of the material from the old soft top to make a temporary dodger that will fit the new top.  It won't look pretty, but will hopefully provide a little protection from the chilly wind in our face. Too bad Scotty isn't around to beam us down to warmer latitudes.

It is good to see our home starting to look like a sailboat again.

All Topped Up

Hard to believe I'm saying this, but the weather was nice. Time to get this bimini project wrapped up. We start the day by re-drilling the epoxied holes in the top. Using the drill guide we were able to get the holes drilled pretty much in the center of the epoxy filled holes. It isn't easy holding the drill guide, drill angle adapter, and drill upside down while we bore two inch deep holes in the top, but after numerous breaks due to arm fatigue, we accomplished the task. Unfortunately I made the holes a little too close tolerance in size and had to ream them a size bigger to get everything to fit (easier to do with a guide hole, no guide required this time).

The hole drilling contraption

Of course, in filling the holes, I left a little too much resin on the top side and had to sand off the little "dome" that was created at each hole so we can get the fender washers to seat better against the top. Finally, we were ready to install the supports for the last time.

I decided to create thin rubber pads for the top of the supports where it meets the top.  These pads would help the top of the supports conform to the surface of the top and hopefully more evenly distribute the load.  I used the sheet of nitrile rubber we purchased to create the 1/16 inch pads and cut them to leave plenty of room around the screws (you don't want a seal at the bottom of the screw so any water that might leak through won't be trapped at the bottom). To bed the hardware and prevent leaking, butyl tape that I had previously purchased from Compass Marine was used.  I find this stuff to be an excellent bedding material for anything that is through-bolted, just as is the case for all of these supports.

For each support, I run a strip of butyl tape around the perimeter of the mounting pad that meets the cabin top and encircle each screw hole.  I then insert the screws in the mounting plate and carefully guide the support into position (this stuff is quite sticky, so I find using the screws as a guide is helpful).  We then line up the top and insert the bolts that will hold the top to the supports and temporarily install the fender washers and locking nuts.  Then, for each screw that holds the support to the cabin roof, we remove it, wrap the head with a little butyl tape, and reinsert it.  Once all the screws have the butyl applied, the head of the screw is held stationary while the fender washer and locking nut are installed. The whole thing is then slowly tightened using a crisscross torque pattern until the butyl is compressed a little.  Butyl tape is a bit putty-like, and we will need to re-tighten each of these a few times over the next day or so until it is fully seated in position.

Once the bottom of the support is attached, we return out attention to the screws holding the top to the support.  One by one, each nut and washer is removed, the screw is wrapped with butyl tape where it meets the top, and the tape is pressed around the screw and the top, and the fender washer and lock nut are reinstalled.  Just as before, we slowly tighten each nut using the crisscross pattern until everything is secure.

Three supports later, and the top that we have worked so long on is finally a permanent addition to our boat.  Taking a step back and looking at the whole thing, I have to admit I'm proud of the work that my wife and I have done.  We think the top looks pretty darn good.  Apparently we aren't the only ones as we have received a number of compliments from people who have been here to see it in person. We've been told it complements the boat nicely and looks like it could have come from the factory.  My wife even overheard one of the guys at the boatyard telling someone else that it looked like it came out of a mold.

Not bad at all for two amateur, first-time builders doing hand-laid-up fiberglass in a boatyard. I'd like to say the project is finished, but is any boat project ever really finished?  We have an enclosure to add, and solar panels, and lighting.  But the top itself is done!

Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

The title pretty much describes the feel of the work we have been doing the last few days.  It finally stopped raining and blowing, and we can deal with one or the other right now, but not both.  Wind by itself isn't much of an issue other than it can cause the top to wiggle just a bit.  Rain, of course, isn't good when you want to drill holes in a cored fiberglass panel (getting the core material wet can cause delamination and is very detrimental to the strength of the structure). We could put up a tarp to protect from the rain, but only if the wind isn't bad.

I just can't get away from those tarps.

Anyway, the weather was cooperating so it was time to get these supports installed.  The first step was to get them positioned correctly.  A task that is not as easy as it may sound.  The new top has a curve to it, and the cabin roof has a curve and a slope.  There are lots of angles to take into account, and getting the supports lined up properly is a bit of a task.  Oh, and don't forget nothing is attached so you have to hold the angled support (that won't stand on its own) while you attempt to mark drill holes...all while standing on a platform that is moving (boats are rarely ever completely still while in the water).

We put masking tape down in the general areas where the supports will be mounted and line them up as best we can.  While I try to hold the support still, my wife would hop off the boat and verify the alignment. Once the OK was given, I try drawing a line around the base and then mark the mount holes with one hand while I try holding the support motionless with the other.  We repeat this task until we have the mounting locations on the cabin roof marked.

Oh, I almost forgot...before we started, we had to disassemble the headliner in the salon.  The headliner consists of interlocking panels and a piece of fiberglass trim that needs to be removed so we can access the, soon to be, mounting holes.  The panels are oriented such that we have to remove the liner for the whole salon and galley area.  Now we have a bunch of big panels to trip over on the boat while we work on this project.

Bare salon roof, guess we'll clean that while the panels are down.

Drilling holes in the perfectly good structure of a boat always seems to make me a bit nervous. To make the task more interesting, we don't just drill holes and mount hardware in a cored deck, but drill the holes oversize, fill them with epoxy, and then drill smaller holes.  This encapsulates the core material and prevents any future leak from getting to the core.  It also provides some structure to allow bolts to be tightened without crushing the core material. (Core materials are typically designed to deal with shear stress but are not as good with localized compression stress.)

Drill with drill guide.

We drill the holes using a drill guide to help keep the hole straight.  This is important because the smaller holes drilled later will need to be centered in the larger holes.  I didn't oversize the holes a great deal, but instead elected to try a process that was described at Compass Marine. I drilled holes just large enough that I could insert a rotary tool cutting bit.  I then used the rotary tool to remove excess core material underneath the fiberglass skins.  The result is a hole with an enlarged cavity in the middle that will contain the epoxy sleeve and be trapped between the fiberglass.

Rotary tool with the cutting bit.

Then we take the two steps back and fill the hole we just drilled with epoxy.  I'm using epoxy for this as it has a bit better mechanical and adhesive properties than polyester resin.  We thicken the epoxy with the same fumed silica that was used to thicken the polyester.  I used duct tape to seal the holes at the bottom and a syringe to inject the resin.  Toothpicks were used to aid in getting the resin to sink to the bottom of the holes and allow any trapped air to escape (simply inserting them in the hole and then pulling them back out several times seems to have done the trick). All that work and the end result is resin colored dots in my cabin roof.

The epoxy "sleeve" that seals off the core material.

The next day we re-drill the holes using the same guide and a smaller bit.  I'm glad to report that the new holes were well centered in the old holes, all the way through the inch thick deck.  We mount the center support in the new holes and then mark the mounting location on the top. Then we remove the support and drill the holes in the top.  After the holes are drilled, we re-install the center support to help stabilize the top and then temporarily install the the other supports to mark the hole locations in the top for them.  After getting everything marked, we again removed all the supports.  Lots of steps forward and backward.

The remaining holes were drilled using the guide and angle adapter. A very fatiguing process to hold the guide on the underside of the top and drill the holes. The rotary tool was again brought into service to clean out the core material from these holes.  And finally, thickened epoxy was once again used to fill all these new holes.

So, after two days of work, we had holes in the top of the cabin roof and resin dots on the hardtop.  A lot of work but it doesn't feel like a lot of progress. I know I will feel differently soon though, after those last holes are re-drilled and the supports go on one last time to do their job holding up the top.

Of Course It's Raining

I know it is the holiday season.  In previous years I've done Christmas posts, but this year the holidays are pretty much postponed until we can get the project done and get headed south.  If you had told me I'd still be here I would have thought you were crazy...but here we are.

Work has continued.  We got the sail viewing window installed a couple days ago.  It should have been an easy task and only taken a couple hours, but it ended up taking us over a day.  Why?  Because I miscalculated the amount of sealant required.  When I did the salon windows, it took 6 tubes for each window.  This window is much smaller and the gaps are not as wide, so I figured one tube should be more than enough.  I was wrong.  We ended up being about a foot short of making the final bead around the glass and had to locate a second tube "locally" so we could finish.  The only tube of white 795 we could find was located in Norfolk.  With traffic and road construction it took most of a day just to retrieve the $8 tube of sealant.

The window was installed in a very similar manner to the process used for the salon windows.  Instead of using black sealant, we used white as it will be facing the sun all the time and I figured white was better than black.  Blackout (or in this case whiteout) was made by thinning some sealant with mineral spirits. Just like the salon windows, I used some weatherstripping to maintain the gap between the window and the frame.  In this case, the foam was only 3/16 of an inch thick and was white. The foam was placed around the inner edge in the mount and then a large bead of sealant was applied to the frame adjacent to the foam.  The window was then placed in position and another bead was applied around the edge and tooled with a plastic spreader.  Instead of using screws, washers, and spacer blocks to keep the window in position, we simply set a couple sandbags on it to hold it there.  Now it needs to sit for a few days while the stuff cures.

Window installed and held in place with sandbags

We are continuing to dry out the deck around our little D-ring issue.  We've rigged a hair dryer (we found at the local thrift store) so it blows air directly into the access hole under the deck.  On the outside, I rigged our Buckethead shop vac so it would suck air out through the holes in the deck.  I figured this would both help clean out any remaining bits of balsa that I couldn't get out with the safety wire as well as get a good amount of warm and dry air in the cavity to dry things out.

Applying warm air under the deck

And the vacuum pulling air through the fitting mount

Yesterday the welder brought over the supports for the top.  I was a bit surprised since I was expecting him to bring parts tacked together to test the fit, but they were complete.  Using only a couple of crude wood templates to measure the angles, he was able to construct the supports, and they fit well.  Only one very minor tweak was needed on one of them.  And the best part was that he was very reasonably priced. He usually does work for the local fishing boats and calls his work utility grade so the supports aren't the polished finish, instead they are more of a brushed nickel look.  I think this is good though, as it should help cut down glare a bit.  I think he did a little extra to make them look good, and they turned out really nice.

The front supports have arrived

If you are looking for a good and reasonably priced "utility grade" (he doesn't do polish work, but I would think you can get his work polished if you want) welder in the Gloucester VA area, drop me a line and I'll hook you up with Bob.

Naturally (as you might have guessed by the post title), it has been raining pretty much ever since the supports were dropped off.  I don't want to drill holes in my cored deck or cored top with all the water flying around, so it has put another crimp in our schedule.  Today, in the rain, I rigged a tarp to cover the front of the top and the surrounding work area, so with any luck we can get things moving tomorrow.  Meanwhile we spent a little time at the marina Christmas party and went out to lunch with some friends at the marina.  The remainder of the holiday celebration will take place once we are somewhere where shorts are appropriate attire.