July 1 1999 9 hour: Cut pipe bits for steering pedestal. Weld up cones and 'adjust' shape. Work on hatch latch detail. Weld up 3 more hatch frames. Weld on hinges on two more hatches.
Pedestal bits.
July 2 1999 9.5 hour: Port foredeck hatch weldup and hinged stb and prot mid deck hatches. Lots of help from wife with stb beam hatch window she working down inside the wet locker measuring and what not.
Hatch frames prior to welding.
July 3 1999 9 hour: More help from wife putting in the second beam hatch. Weldout final pass on part of bottom.
Fitting bits for the beam hatches.
July 4 1999 12.5 hour: Build and finish port cockpit locker. Work on tack out of cabin top beams.
Who designed this locker anyway.
July 5 1999 12.5 hour: Make 16 hatch ball end attachments. These are 1/4" plate drilled to take spring lifts ball stud to be bolted to hatch top. Test notching of hatch corners for companion hatch same as 2 5/8" version except for extra 1/4" between teeth. Rework first hatch to current hatch ball end attachment. Shape and fit and weldout stb main shroud chainplate... yea it has two angles to deal with. Build companion hatch and weldon hinges. Pretty good go with some help from the wife on the hatch.
Almost never just get to make 1 of anything.
July 6 1999 8.5 hour: Bend up stb foredeck hatch frame. Last 2 bottles of propane are acting funny. Changed one out mid bottle and instead of 'fitz' got brown foam. This shows up as oily specks on whatever I torch. Other tank was same. Talked to local garage supplier ICG propane and ( fast forward to september ) they paid for a replacement tank. Good of them and fair given the condition of the old tanks. Finished fab and welded on mast step. Dragged plate for keels over. Welded on some hatch hardware parts.
July 8 1999 11.5 hour: Cut out keel bottoms from 1/2" plate. Fabricated seagull striker. Put doubler on bow tube, wife helped with that and we used a 8' 2x4 as a spanish windlass. It was and 8" hole with a 9" peg.
July 9 1999 9.5 hour: Weldout seagull striker. Fit and weldout anchor roller frame. Fit and partial weld up of bow boarding ladder. Cutout deadlight on port side.
Doubler and seagull striker.
July 10 1999 12.5 hour: Cutout stb deadlights. Jackup boat to fit keels. Template keel to confirm profile. Markout webbing pattern for paipe attachment. Changed from diagonal Xcross to straight with little metal buckles on each end. Fit and weld up bunch of steps on bow ladder.
The bow beach ladder.
July 11 1999 12 hour: Cutout keel sides from last of 5/32" chunks. Do test panels with acrylic and sikaflex 240 on aluminium and wood to check adhesion.Weldon port and stb webbing rail with wifes help. Tack up keel sides and bottoms and put into main cabin for rainy day work ( I will be triping over them for the next two months ). Put more bits onto deck hatches.
1604.5 hours to date.