The album of Ariel #422

[CapnK]

Got all that done, and then got sick. Tonsillitis and then a lil bout o quinsy - blech. Finally felt well enough this weekend to get back on my feet and give the boat a early spring cleaning. Ready for the warmth to get here, ready to commence the tear down...

[ebb]

Kurt, Hope yer better!
Interim photos would be most instructive.

[CapnK]

I'll take lots o' shots, Ebb, that's for sure. Just received confirmation this AM of dates on a commissioning job w/extras (brand new Catalina 320 headed for Bermuda), that'll start March 16 +/-. It'll involve a solid week of boatwork at the yard, so I'll plan on starting the destruction/reconstruction on Katie to begin just after that, while I am still in the mode, and without having to give all my tools a complete cleansing inbetween...

[CapnK]

Updates and such: Due to extras on the commissioning job, weather, more other boat work, and whatall, I haven't started the serious deconstruction yet. There's a week of canvaswork ahead, then helping a friend deliver his Alberg 30, and after that the cutting starts.

Since I last posted, Frank Durant of "Revival" fame stopped by on his way back to Canada from the Bahamas, and we attempted - almost successfully - to drink all of the rum in this little town that night. Phew! (Note for future reference and edification: It sure is hard to keep up with a Professional, as Canadians seem to be in my experience. The delivery crew for the Catalina were Canadian as well, and they tricked me into a night of revelry that had me feeling the same the day after as when Frank was here. ) Anyway, Frank got to see the interior of "Frankenboat", as I refer to Katie in her current state, and he said that the size of my WC is nearly identical to that of the head in a Flicka. Kewl!

I'll be rewiring the boat, and am planning on building in the infrastructure for that as I de/reconstruct. Since I have also wanted to strengthen the hull/deck join, I am going to do similar to what Robert Lemasters did with his toerail rebuild - use PVC pipe to fill in the corner void there, and the pipe will also serve as nice high-and-dry conduit for the new wiring. Have purchased a new stereo, along with a VHF and command mic for the cockpit, and inherited a GPS chartplotter from a bro-in-law, so I have the electronics items ready to hook up once all that is done, and also to use for planning where to locate said.

Regarding mast support - one day, I looked at Commander interiors, and subsequently slapped myself on the forehead. Check out their open interiors, and look how Carl designed in mast support. I'll be doing what the Master did...

Last, and this sort of thing rarely if ever happens to me: Yesterday, a guy gave me a windvane. !!!!!!!! Better yet, it is currently mounted on a Triton, so I have hopes that the angle of the reverse transoms are similar enough that I can just transfer it over to Katie without having to go through mounting plate fabrication or any of that. Kewlest of all! I don't know what kind it is, it is a servo-pendulum style with lines that lead to the tiller, and is all stainless. The servo blade is not a foiled shape, and is connected to the vane by 3 (IIRC) little pushrods that in turn connect to a slim rod inside of a 2-3" diameter downtube from the vane. Supposedly this Triton is well-traveled, so I am in hopes that the vane works well.

Hope this finds everyone well, and almost ready for sailing season!

[frank durant]

Capt K's interior will be awesome...nice open feeling. The little head will be about the size of a Flicka's....cramped but serviceable. Took me until the last few weeks of the cruise to both go in AND come out with my shorts up: ...but heh..a little privacy on any small craft is great. As to the capt's comments..."we attempted - almost successfully - to drink all of the rum in this little town that night. Phew! (Note for future reference and edification: It sure is hard to keep up with a Professional, as Canadians seem to be in my experience. The delivery crew for the Catalina were Canadian as well, and they tricked me into a night of revelry that had me feeling the same the day after as when Frank was here. ) ....what can I say. The Capt seemed fairly well practiced and for being about 40lbs lighter than I....he could sure 'hold his own' His boat is in a really great marina with an awesome view...only steps to town....and a nice little bar.

[CapnK]

Like Ebb and Tony, I am keeping the progress pics to myself until good progress is shown, but here is an idea of what I've been building in. Sorry it is so wide.

Besides what you see obviously labeled, there will be water bladders below the stove and reefer (an Engel), a third aft under the cockpit (going for a total of about 60 gallons), and 2 sealed AGM 12V batteries immediately abaft the main bulkhead, as low as possible while still allowing for possible hull puncture protection.

On that note, I am putting in as much foam as possible, but not as I envisioned earlier via 'coating' the whole interior of the hull w/4" of foam (which IMO could still be done, I just don't think I am going to need it). I'll be relying instead on a multitude of sealable compartments to contain any penetrations/water, and having a minimal amount of 'floodable' interior. There is some foam going against the hull everywhere, just not 4" of it.

The mast support is made of steel, a squared, upside-down "U" shape that thru-bolts to the remnant of the main bulkhead. It's 2" square tube for the vertical members, with a 6" wide C-channel span between those directly under the mast, that extends ~2" beyond the vertical members. At present I am just using normal steel, well protected w/epoxy paint; we'll see how it holds up. Judicious application of Corrosion Block is doing the trick so far. Cabin top outside of this and down under the sidedeck to be strengthened with an extra layer of a FRP/foam core beam, just to make sure it is stiffened plenty.

The berth has a pull-out section making it wide enough in the head area for me + 1. Has been tested with my girlfriend and proven comfortable, but this might not work for 2 larger people (I'm 5'9", she's a mere 5'2", neither of us is rotund), although it is in excess of 5' wide at the head end. I may try to make accommodation for a 'non-girl' guest to sleep up forward, but am not too worried about that right now. Possible idea is to have boards for this which would serve dual purpose; they'd also be able to work as a 'coffer dam' at the main bulkhead to contain water in case of flooding.

The seat is a pivoting boat seat that puts my buns at about the level of the aft countertop, giving a good view out the deadlights, and will be useable while at sea if conditions aren't horrendous.

The head/wet locker is as pictured earlier in this thread, with low walls. Putting the portapotti outboard allows for a small flat area on the sole, and I made the 'wall' by the companionway jut out a bit, under a high-step that allows easy access into the cabin when there is a companionway board in place.

Funny: I have a small window unit A/C mounted through the after bulkhead (vents through cockpit locker) in the head right now, for dockside use. It was given to me, and proved a real pain to step over when companionway mounted, especially since I rarely use it (maybe 6-8 times this summer), so I put it there. It's in a high area of the cockpit locker that is otherwise unused (forward of the cockpit locker hatch, aft of the bulkhead, upper corner), so eventually I'll build walls around it and create separate cockpit and cabin access through sealing hatches; I'll have a mini-wetlocker there once I remove it to go cruising.

[CapnK]

Hark! What light thru yonder deck shines?

'Tis the sun, and where the chainplate be, the balsa 'tis dry...