Misc Sailboat Fixup Work

Article By Shorty


All of the boards & furniture inside the boat was rotted, or just plain disgusting. Here is a new set, including a new drop board that has 2 clear deckplates as combination window / vents. Mosquto screen goes inbetween the deckplate and the board, so when I unscrew the plate (from the inside) the bugs won't come in.

With the forward hatch open, it acts like an air scoop to draw the air in the cabin, but without vents in the drop board, the static air pressure builds up in the cabin and that prevents air from coming in and flowing thru.

Some people use barrel nuts & T nuts with bolts so they can make both sides of a fastening flush. Those are a bit expensive, and most of the time I just want a quick, cheap and simple solution. I discovered a technique for using a regular screw, and having it flush on both sides, even if the screw is too long for the work it is driven thru.

I use a screw with a V shaped head that fits into a counter sunk hole. Then I drive the screw thru both boards, so the head is flush with the surface. Then I use a dremel to cut off the part of the screw that sticks out the other side, and use a regular sanding disk in my drill to sand it flush. Presto, a cheap way to make 2 flush surfaces.

Came with a nice lazarette locker in the stern, I put a rope & jam cleat to hold it down. Also cut a vent hole in the top for line and fumes to escape because .....

.... this is where I am going to keep my outboard gas and anchors.

Am going to be hauling this boat across the country, so figured either I could spend a bunch of money fixing the crummy old trailer when it broke down on the road, or just get a new one. So I got a new one, and I really like it.

For a motor mount, I bolted on a couple of pieces of 1x12 sandwiched around some plate aluminum. Only works with a long shaft, luckily that is what I have. Some day will get a regular pivoting mount. You also might notice that the mount is on the "wrong side". Seems like most manufacturers put the mount on the port side - but since using it there, I have to admit it works rather well. My right hand is free to tickle my kids, hold drinks etc.

I also bit the bullet and installed a real telescoping stainless ladder. Have been using rope ladders, which are just fine for me, but the wife likes a regular ladder better.

Cleaning Tip #1 - Find an old grungy pair of shorts and t-shirt to use while you are cleaning, because the bleach gets all over you.

So I was working hard for 3 days on the cabin getting it ready for first trip out that weekend, instead of washing my dedicated set of short / shirt, I just kinda rinsed them by hand and hung them to dry. They were still a little ripe from the previous day, but figured I would just make them stink more so it wasn't bad the first 2 days. On the 3rd day they stunk pretty bad when I put them on, and after 4 hours of scrubbing I was REALLY stinky, and at the moment I couldn't stand my own personal smell any more, a lady drove up un-announced to look at our house which was for sale. Just her and me, I profusely apologized for stinking so bad and showed her the house. We would walk into a room together and she would immediately take 3 steps away from me, hold her breath and look around as I went on my monologue: "this is a great kids room... blah blah... " She started to turn purple, so I suggested we go out back to look at the pool. At one point I could read her thoughts which were "if I pushed him in the pool, would it get rid of some of the smell?" She really liked the house, left with the intentions to think about it for a day. Kids and I had a great time spending the night on the water that weekend, and she bought the house 4 hours after we came back.