Odds and Ends.
Performing not quite make-work chores, but definitely in the "puttering projects" range of tasks, while I wait for epoxy/paints to cure. :P
The hard-core traditional wooden boat builders all install leather on the mast and boom to prevent chafe and banging up the varnish and what not.
Gig Harbor Boat Works uses heat shrink tubing on their aluminum mast, which sounds like a great idea, but they use (electrical) industry-standard black heat shrink.
Not me. ;)
I know how to use the Internet. 8)
Found some white heat-shrink and cut off a strip to test out on a piece of mast section.
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Same thickness as GHBW uses, but in white and I further intend to double up on them for a little more "cushioning".
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Ordered some fender hooks to use for attaching the lazy jacks and will be affixed to the bottom of the boom.
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A flat mount on a round surface . . . . Hmm . . . .
A little "persuasion" with a vise and a hammer and I think they'll work OK.
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Needed some spacer blocks for the main halyard cleat (left) and the down haul cam cleat (right) so the lines will clear the front grab rail.
This is why you hang onto scraps of Teak, for 35 years, if need be.
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I intend to leave them unfinished, to weather. I did the same thing for the jib sheet jam cleat spacers on Urchin.
Just feel like I've done enough varnishing in my life, so wherever I can, I try to minimize bright work.
Figure the varnished handrails will give me all the maintenance, I could want. :-X
Got this for 5 bucks at a flea market to use as a spare trailer hub. It had a jammed bearing race cocked in at an angle.
Apparently, the guy didn't know about the ole MAPP gas and freeze-spray, trick. 8)
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More things in the "Stuff Is Getting Real" category, keep popping up on me.
Need to install some sacrificial rub strips on the cabin sides for when I'm retrieving anchor rodes; don't want to tear up the paint.
Clamped in place, to locate the holes.
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Over-drilled and filled.
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And finally, re-drilled.
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The mahogany rub rails will eventually be oiled and look something like this:
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Once again in boat building, to do one simple thing sometimes you have to back up about 14 steps and do a BUNCHA difficult things, first!! :o
Some more things to do on the "Stuff Is Getting Real" list, were drilling in some deck holes for the Bimini top tie-down straps.
Except first, we had to cut down lengths of Bimini tubing to the proper height.
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And how did we determine that? ???
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Reverse engineered it from my son, Chris. Sitting upright (like on a bench seat) he needs 36 inches of head room.
So I need the Bimini top to be 38 inches above the bench seats. That vertical board in the foreground, accomplishes just that.
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That puts the front of the Bimini top about 12 inches above the cabin top, so I'll eventually need to make sure the boom is at least 14 inches above the cabin top, for clearance.
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This looks to be in the general ball park, of other SCAMPs that have Bimini tops.
Discovered that the placement for the rear Bimini top straps can use the same pad eyes that the re-boarding straps use, but the front pad eyes had to be located after everything else was in place.
That's all I needed to do to find the front Bimini top strap pad eye location.
See?!?! ??? SIMPLE!! ;D (Not.) >:(
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More "Stuff Is Getting Real" tasks, included the screw holes on deck for the Bimini top slide track.
That track is so that I can fold the top down and have it rest on the cabin roof, or slide it back and have it rest on the transom.
I had a similar arrangement on Urchin and it worked well.
I MUST be getting close to being finished!! ;D
I can tell, from all the MISTAKES I'm finding!! :'(
DOHHHH!!!!! :o
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The oar lock mount fits fine, 8) the oar lock, not so much. >:(
I forgot to allow for the larger oar lock pin diameter, when I drilled out the filled epoxy hole! :P
Nothing for it, but to re-do it, starting with over-drilling the oar lock hole to accommodate the pin.
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I'll have to plug the bottom of the hole where the epoxy is, with some plumbers putty and fill the drilled hole with new epoxy, then drill out to the pin diameter, when cured.
Next, RE-DOHHHH!!!! :o
No way to row where the Bimini top mount is located and I want to be able to row, with the Bimini top up.
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THAT'S better!! :D
Bimini top clears the oar lock and the oar lock . . . . uhhh . . . . . fits.
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See? No interference with oar movement!
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Feeling a little snake-bit by now, :o I put the Simrad tiller pilot in place temporarily, to verify it was going to clear everything and not be interfered with, by anything else.
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Whew!! :P Clears!! ;D
Looking at the calendar, this is likely the last progress report for November.
Have to spend the next few days doing much-neglected yard work, then Thanksgiving.
(Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!) :)
Then the Christmas decorations come down from the attic on Thursday night and the whole weekend gets spent, doing the yard lighting.
So definitely December, before I can even LOOK at the SCAMP again and looming cold fronts aren't doing me any favors, BUT!!
Getting closer, all the time!! ;D
Charles Brennan
It must feel pretty good being able to see the finish line
Charles, we're inspired by your work and excited for your progress! Enjoy some "time off".
Happy Thanksgiving