More window work

Stripped the fore cabin windows on Tuesday these are more like arrow slits than windows about 1200mm long by 75mm wide these had been sealed with a light brown coloured mastic which had stuck like the proverbial some had gone hard and some was still very soft I managed to break one of the pieces of perspex trying to get it out. Off to Hadlow on Wednesday to get the new perspex and sealing materials so didn't get to the boatyard until lunchtime which left time for another coat of varnish all round and cut out some ply to make a hatch to cover the stern gland access in the aft cabin and a door for the opening in the bulkhead between the engine space and the aft cabin.

On Thursday I reassembled the fore cabin windows ready for refitting on Friday that just leaves the saloon windows and the fore hatch to deal with the saloon windows are toughened glass so the aim is to strip and reseal and the fore hatch perspex is in good condition but needs to be re-secured to the hatch frame.

Port fore cabin window fitted

Starboard fore cabin window

After refitting the windows I got talking to another boat owner and by the time I had been back to his boat for tea most of the afternoon had gone just had time for a coat of varnish on the locker lids before going home. 

Sunday I removed the tube stack from the engine oil cooler so that I could get on with removing the sheared bolts fortunately one of them had enough left of the bolt to be able to grip it with the stillsons so after some careful heating it came out the other on had to be drilled out. The bolts are 1/4 UNC and unfortunately I didn't have a tap for cleaning up the threads so I had to resort to cutting a groove in a suitable sized bolt and running it down the thread it is usual to case harden the bolt but as the thread is in an aluminium casting it wasn't necessary.

Oil cooler ready for reassembly

The oil cooler was the reassembled with new 'O' rings from Parts 4 Engines ready for a coat of green Hammerite to match the rest of the engine. The plan is to lift the engine tomorrow and pull the propeller shaft inboard and fit the stern gland then the rest of the ancillary bits can be refitted I had left them off to keep the weight of the engine to a minimum until the stern gland has been fitted.

Oil cooler reassembled ready for painting