Forward Portlights Dryfitted

After cutting, fitting, epoxying and trimming the one inch coosa board spacers last week, I have been able to dry fit some of the portlights. These are the six lights in the forward salon, three each side. Most Westsail 42s have only three lights each side over the whole forward cabin trunk. We will have four: three for the forward salon, one for the head. A total of eight 5 by 12 inch portlights for the forward cabin trunk.

3 port side lights, cutout for head portlight in distance

Reasons for the extra portlight are interior design aesthetics and the admiral wants lots of light in the main cabin. This means the forward head portlight is not equally spaced from the others so it sort of kills the symmetry when viewed on deck, but we think think it looks ok.

Port side lights interior

Starboard side lights interior (with blue tarp lighting!)

Next step is to seal the lights with butyl tape. Just in time for "pressure washer weekend" which will be a good test for leaks.

Portlight And Steering Installation Has Begun

These projects are ongoing for the next few weeks.

Portlights
We will be installing portlights from Newfound Metals all around the boat. I cutout a number of templates and jigs on the CNC machine, based on drawings from the NFM website. These to help spot, center, and cutout the cabin sides to receive the portlights. The first cutout went without a hitch.

Portlight cutout, exterior

As we have one inch of thermal insulation on the inside, a one inch spacer, CNC cut from Coosa board is epoxied in place around the cutout. Portlights can be notorious problems on boats due to leakage from poor or inadequate installation. Of course, compared to plywood, coosa will not absorb water and will not rot. I am determined that this will not be the case for this boat.

Portlight cutout, interior

Steering
The torque tubes, bevel gears and flange bearings have been dry fitted underneath the aft cabin floor. The trick will be to "hang" the main reduction gear near the rudder post, to dry fit the geometry. From there, the surrounding framing support structure can be finalized. Then, all the components come out so the structure can be glassed in.

Steering drive, underneath aft cabin floor.

Steering bevel gear in engine room.

Rain is in the forecast tomorrow. Today will be spent cutting out more portlights before the wet arrives.

Steering Components Have Arrived

Yesterday, the admiral came home from work with a heavy box of aluminum steering component bits. Shipped from Jefa in Denmark via PYI in Washington state. These are just the below-decks bits, which is what I need to proceed in the aft cabin. The pedestal and wheel style is undecided and will be ordered later.

Shipped as individually wrapped bits

All bits are machined aluminum, not cast.

Time to stop thinkin' and start doin'

Portlight Templates

In preparation for portlight installation, I made cutout templates on the CNC machine, based on drawings from the recently updated Newfound Metals Website.

The springtime pressure wash of the deck and a dry weekend are prerequisites before installation can begin. I am also waiting on more Coosa board, on backorder, to be used as rot-resistant spacers.  Till then it is a waiting game.

Other Boat Chores

Spring is here. The winter cover of the small boat is slowly coming off piece by piece. With that is revealed all the maintenance chores.

There are many varnish chores hiding underneath that cover

This hawse pipe, problematic for many seasons, will finally get fixed.

Electronics removed last fall for re-configuration, now sitting on the floor next to my desk, have to be re-installed

Bilge pump discharge ball valve handle (steel) is ready to break off. Handle will replaced with a stainless steel handle

I did not clean the fridge last season (again). But it has been powered on all winter so there were few biology experminents in progress.

Propane tank almost empty

Add to that

• clean bbq
• change engine oil
• re-stitch dodger canvas
• stitch new winch covers
• check outboard

...and many more to be discovered I am sure.

FYI, we do sail boats on occasion. Not just work on them.