Best laid plans and the first scent of spring

The intention had been to spray paint the engine last weekend and lift it into place today while the yard crane was loading a boat onto transport however the weather was not conducive to spraying paint outside, wind and rain, this has been put off until this coming weekend. Instead on Monday I built up around the openings for the sea cocks with thickened epoxy as the mastic that had been used previously did not seem to have compatible with the gelcoat which had crazed somewhat. While the epoxy was curing I fitted the 'P' bracket permanently with plenty of Sikaflex then nipped up the bolts until the Sikaflex started to squeeze out which I used to fair off round the bracket then left it to cure. To finish off the day I pulled the newly washed topping lift back into the mast and took out the main halyard for washing.

On Wednesday I sanded the epoxy round the sea cock openings and cut the skin fittings to the correct length as fitting the sea cocks is a two handed job I had to leave any further work on them for the time being.

Opening for sea cock after building up and sanding back

I tightened the 'P' bracket bolts and fitted the propeller shaft and stern tube the stern tube bolts directly to the inside of the hull and was originally bedded on what looked like an epoxy putty some of which was missing so I built up with thickened epoxy and some GRP flat bar unfortunately I now have an alignment problem with the stern tube I am going to leave it until the engine is in and lined up then I will re-bed the stern tube as original. The Sikaflex needs cleaning up around the 'P' bracket

  

'P' bracket in place

To finish off I pulled the newly washed main halyard back into the mast just the genoa furling line and signal halyards to do, the genoa furling gear is a Sailspar continuous line system not sure how to get the line out without cutting it yet cutting and re-splicing used braid on braid is difficult if not impossible the best way is to perhaps wash it while it is still in place.

Today a friend turned up in the yard and so the opportunity was taken to fit four of the sea cocks the two for the cockpit drains, the galley waste and the heads water intake the engine intake will have to wait until the cockpit drains are permanently connected, the current temporary arrangement utilises the engine intake opening, and the heads discharge I have a bit of a problem with fitting a 1.5" Marelon sea cock as it will foul the inner moulding in the heads I think it is possible to get a Marelon unit with a 90 degree hose tail but this may not be ideal for the heads discharge the risk of blockage in this area needs to be kept to an absolute minimum I may have to bite the bullet and shell out for one of those expensive Blake's units.

Marelon sea cock

Starboard cockpit drain sea cock in place

Heads intake sea cock in place

Outside view showing skin fitting

And so to the first scent of spring no not spring flowers but the smell of new varnish I have been cleaning up some of the internal locker lids some of these unfortunately had been affected by the rain water leaking in however I had washed them with a bleach solution to get rid of the black mould and gave them a sanding and with todays fine warmish weather I took the opportunity to get some varnish on some of them.

The first scent of spring