This week-end, between running out to Cedar Creek Yacht club for a meeting, mowing a couple acres on a MF 135 (and doing some repair work), running a weedeater until I ran out of string, I actually got some work done on the Skiff Project.
My rear structure is back in place around the fuel tank, around the work I did on the rudder (new steering assembly back there), a new transducer, and new blower. Rear foot traffic will be on new floor structure back there, running along side port and starboard, and new battery box, and an entire new structure forward. All of this is like painting a car, the prep takes forever. The floor on this boat is not all on the same plane, the forward cockpit is depressed lower than the rest of the boat, and this makes things more difficult to match everything up.
I have all the engine stuff back in order, well it's not totally re-wired yet, but I'm about ready to do the final deed and put the newly cut and covered nautolex flooring down. Everything is ready. Side panels and all the flooring will pop in during the course of an afternoon.
My windshield and instruments will go in and they we'll do the water test. I plan on posting an entire series of photos on the restoration of that windshield. Sheesh, that was a big project in itself.
Don't tell anyone, but I have three different colors of 3M-5200 on this boat, but it's all covered with the Interlux gray bilge paint, lol. Janet asked me why it is taking so long, and after I explained the impact of a steady stream of visitors, parties, and other obligations like holding a job, mowing the yard, maintaining a cruiser in the water and a fleet of cars, I also mentioned I'm doing it right. Rather than slap it together and get on the water, I'm fixing EVERYTHING the right way once, never to do it again. I also explained, that all of the floor structure is designed to be easily unbolted in the future and come out in big sections, in the event we ever have to do an engine swap. Rather than fasten everything down permanently, it's very secure with all of the critical pieces bondec, but not bonded permanently to the hull so it can't be pulled out for service. Everything is painted too.
Yes, we're planning on keeping this boat in the family for quite a few years. The more I see and hear about this hull, the more I like it.
Regards, Paul
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