The album of Ariel #422

[Tony G]

It is, indeed, a dogs world... ;D

That's a good looking crew there, Capt. K. And you are a great man to care for them and afford them the lifestyle most any dog would like. I bet they are the ice breaker and the talk of the dock as well as a hell of a pair of priceless companions.

Oh yeah, it's good to see your work on KM too. I really like the view from your work space.

[CapnK]

They are indeed the best of companions.

We are fixing to be 2 CrewDawgs with only 7 legs between 'em, though. Buffett has a tumor on his leg that has come back after being removed, and so it looks like he will be becoming a "tripawd" soon. Maybe as early as next week. While building up the 'amputation kitty', I am doing some research to make sure that this will be the best thing for him, and the doc wants to check a biopsy before making a final call. It sucks, but there are lots of dogs out there who live their lives with only 3 feet on the ground, so we are hoping for the best.

[mbd]

Poor guy - we're ALL hoping for the best Kurt! Even if it has to happen, Buffet still surely has a better quality of life than most dogs I know...

On a related but similar topic, I wonder if dog fur has any redeeming qualities when mixed with epoxy?

[CapnK]

Touching base, after a hiatus from any major work on the boat... have simply been living with what I've done for the last year or so... and loving it from a 'workability' standpoint.

First, wrapping up the above posts - Crewdog Buffett is getting along fine on 3 legs, for about 1.5 years now. I refer to him as my "3/4's of a dog". Alas, Crewdog Molly departed for far shores earlier last month. She is and will be missed, and was a valued member of ship and crew, doing much over the years to keep the captains morale above water...

WRT Katie Marie - I built what I've been calling a "U-berth". It is athwartships under the companionway, a bit wider (in fore n aft dimension) than the original countertop at present. It extends forward a little bit on each side as well, creating a shallow U-shaped settee area - large enogh for 4 average sized people to sit in close companionship. The legs of this U allow for one to lie along the axis of the boat when underway and heeled a la quarter berth; lee cloths will be available. Will be extending bridgedeck aft/shortening cockpit footwell approx 18", (re)installing aft bulkhead at that point, which will also be rear of the main berth (think "cave") and cabin.

Installed a telescoping stainless ladder (swim ladder from ski boat) at companionway. The bottom of it when in 'ladder mode' is at the forward edge of the berth below. When one goes belowdecks, it 'disappears' by either collapsing and flipping it up next to companionway boards, or tucking it back under bridgedeck at about a 45 degree angle. This has 'created' a lot of available space in the cabin.

With the U-berth being under the companionway, eventually I'll be creating a weather cloth for the area - a removable, quick-attach system of waterproof cloth that will drop from overhead, down around the extended ladder and back up to overhead on the other side, creating a chute of sorts to keep windblown water from being able to land right on the berth when entering/exiting the cabin.

The 'galley' area is just forward of the berth/settee, there will be a 2 burner propane stove/oven to strbd just aft main bulkhead, Engel freezer/fridge to port, along with cabinetry. Thinking really hard on installing a small solid fuel heater like the Tiny Tot. Forward of the main bulkhead will be a head compartment and additional stowage, much along the lines of the CD25D layout.

All in all it is a very open layout that creates a space which seems larger than it is. Had a gal aboard for a week+ this summer, and living in the space with another person was no problem at all. It was much better and more 'user friendly' than the previous year, when/with the main berth being forward... The U-berth/settee arrangement also makes it better when casual company stops by for a toddy or a chat.

[mbd]

I'm very sorry to hear about your crew mates, and I'm sure there's an emptiness for you and Buffet both. But it is good you still have each other. If there is a heaven, you can bet our former companions will be there to greet us with lots of wags and licks.

We've been missing your updates around here. Your mods are sounding really intriguing, and I really like that you put them to the "livability" test every day. I must confess, however, in reading your above post, my eyes started glazing over with so many words and so few pics...

[CapnK]

Hi Mike! Hope things are going well for you up in the far North... I'd guess you were far enough N that Sandy didn't affect you too much, eh?

Re: pics - I'll get some soon. After ~2 years of living aboard at the dock since she was last in 'fighting shape', accretion set in and a bunch of crap piled up hither and yon in stowage areas throughout the boat...

So I'm in the process of clearing away the cruft in order that I have room to work; once that is done I'll try and 'doll her up' enough that pics won't be embarrassing... ...and then I'll post some so you can have a better idea of what the above mumbojumbo translates into.

[ebb]

Kurt,
Happy you've surfaced again on this thread, it's been a year!

I've been looking at my tabernackle project recently. Have a Bomar forehatch now with a nicro saucer vent in the middle.
Mast is going to roll forward when lowering and rest somehow in the pulpit. Have to raise my tab/base to about 4.5" so as to not crunch the vent.
I already cut the foot of the mast to the roll profile before painting it. Now I discover I have to recut two inches shorter and do the roll cutout again.

This means that I have to build UP the mast base onto something strong, load spreading but not cumbersome - that works with the compression load beam inside.

While I was fooling around with mockups to bring down to the boat for fitting,
got to thinking, that while the mast is under good control using the Bingham 'masting' model and Ballenger's single bolt in a SLOT tabernackle,
there are FORE & AFT forces that come into play when the mast is lowered under tension and pulled back up.
The base has strong forces working on it when the mast is moved.

When the mast is loose everything depends on bridle, backstay/boom, upper shroud, ropes and wires, winches and connections to keep it under control. As the stick is lowered, a lever force comes into play from the angling mast. Imco there is AFT pressure on the tabernacle. Just think what would happen if the hinge bolt came out while lowering the stick - see mast drill into the doghouse.
maybe not, but see mast wanting to shoot aft anywhich way it can. That pressure is all there when the mast is lowered under control.

Also trying to get a mental on how much fun it's going to be when decommishioning to get the mast loosened from the hinge bolt. There'll be a bit of wrassling with the cantilevered spar while attempting to keep it under control. See chaos in this. The tabernackle needs to be as immovable as a rock. In all directions. Including UP.

My riser hump is basically flat topped for the tab hinge plate footprint - with athwartship sloping sides. The hinge plate is predrilled for 5/16" flatheads that don't match the beam inside. Because the mast's real estate is a very short distance between the hatch cover and the nose of the doghouse the riser hump model just fits vertically front & back. To say that there is very little space for fore&aft bracing for any mast tabernackling hardware.
Should the plate be thru-bolted? Or lagged. The arguement for lagging is that if the mast in a blow decides to come down on its own, it may be wise to let the thing tear the immediate base off - rather than tear a hole in the deck, if it's all bolted together. Still in the hemhaw stage.

Am worried that a tall tubernackle will experience unfair bending forces when raising and lowering - unless braced.
Looking at the last photo in the series at post #243, imagine a double tube extension coming from the upright toward the doghose nose and at about that level. Couple of pins, to lock the tubernackle straight. Maybe a single tube brace is clipped on the mast and hinges from the top of the tube-horns to hook onto the doghouse.....?....

Holes in the old mast should be controlled so wear and corriosion are minimized. An accomodating slot is better in a support structure, which can be altered & changed as wanted. Just my opinions.

[Tony G]

Kurt!
Good to hear from you again. We've been wondering.. Sounds like your interior has been working out great for you. That open design really makes a ton of sense, and makes me wish I had never put the main bulkhead back in 113. So, when you're not underway can the u-berth be made into one giant berth? Call it a conversation pit, or, playpen depending on the guest. Keeping the area dry and clean would seem to be a challenge, but man, it would be nice to just flop down and read, watch a video or whatever. Like an even more relaxed version of Ebb's easy chair. At anchor under the summer awning would be easy enough to keep the water out. How about under way? Have you given any more thought to the inflatable dodger frame? Maybe a bimini? I sure hope you chronicle the conversion of Katie Marie's footwell as that is an idea I keep entertaining.

Yah, pictures get a nod. Big time. And accretion has got to be way better than secretion!
Thanks for the update.

[CapnK]

Howdy, fellas! Back from another hiatus, since I hadn't been doing much on the boat, there hasn't been much to post, but now with warmer weather that's a changing.

Here's some Ariel bits you probably haven't seen like this before. It's the first part of the process of expanding the cabin back a bit under the bridgedeck, about 14", for the big berth. I've some other pics of the process, but not handy right now, so these will have to do. Last week I pulled the cockpit drain tubes from their thru-hulls and stoppered them up. Figured out the best way to do this while in the water was to cut white EPS (styrofoam) into plugs about 1/4" larger diameter than the thru-hull holes, mist them with water then smear Gorilla Glue on them, wait about 2-3 minutes then pull the tubes and shove the plugs down in. I knew from experiements a few years ago that the GG would foam up when treated like this, and it worked a charm. I shoved the plugs down far enough that there was an inch or so of space on top, and into that area I stuffed some epoxy putty, the 2-part 'stick' kind, keeping an eye on it while it kicked so that I could cover any leaky bits. Once I had all three holes done (drains + sink drain hole), I gave them a good covering of Great Stuff expanding foam, just as a little extra protection. Not a bit of leakage since.

So today I cut out the front end of the cockpit, a bit more of the ex-aft bulkhead, and the pegboard in the area where the footwell no longer exists. This week I'll be re-glassing over the hole, creating the new bulkhead there at the forward locker drains, and starting in on the berth base.

[CapnK]

Also, after I last posted, Mr. Buffett lived on for another 4+ months before the cancer really took hold and I could tell it was affecting him to the point of pain perhaps. Hard, hard thing to do, taking my buddy in that day to have him put to rest, still makes me teary to think of it, but I knew it was the best thing I could do for him...

So I was CrewDog-free for the first time in many years. Occasionally over the next few months I would go to the local no-kill shelter and walk miscellaneous dogs when I really needed a fix. Then in late November or so I started thinking I might 'foster' a pup, give one a temporary home so it didn't have to stay in that doggy jail. After a couple of weeks pondering, I decided to give it a try.

Well, within about 2 hours after I busted him out to come home, I decided that this one was a keeper.



So, meet ensign "Barque Whitepaws" - Katie's new CrewDog, since December. He *loves* her - & I think the feeling is mutual. He's a bit damp in this picture, from his first bath.

[Tony G]

Your plans sound like a great reno idea for a live aboard, sail away cruiser. That layout makes good sense for use of the limted space we have below. I've been waiting a looong time to see these changes to Katie Marie come about. But I fully understand how everything else seems to get a free pass to the front of the line relative to some of things we really want to do.
It looks as though Barque clearly understands. Lucky dog.

[CapnK]

I've been waiting a looong time to see these changes to Katie Marie come about.

Me too!

Thanks, Tony. She'll not be anything too fancy when I am done, but she will be plenty capable. My goal is to get her back to stick-up and sailing before July - which does not equate to finished but will still be a big milestone. I can't wait to feel the press of her sails again, and then go somewhere for a night or two away from this dock...

[mbd]

... So today I cut out the front end of the cockpit...

While the rest of us just complain about the cabin being too small...

PS. Barque knew an easy mark when he saw one!

[CapnK]

LOL, Mike I made a concession only cutting away as much as I did - initially I was going to take it back another 6" or so, but that would've involved the lockers and locker drains and such, so I am holding it just forward of there for 'testing'. Initial impression is that it is enough, interior-wise. Half of this project though is that I wanted less area in the footwell, a good seaworthy attribute, and one which I'd bet the Old Swede would have made himself, had he not had to bow to consumer requirements to "Sail 6, dine and sleep 4".

Here's a shot showing the hole getting filled back in. How exciting!

BTW - The gray stuff all over the place is high build primer, a somewhat-failed and thus far abandoned attempt to fill in all that crazy gelcoat crazing.

[CapnK]

I am going to go find a large slab of ironwood, of a size suitable for making a club. When I do, and have finished making my club, I am going to go find and beat senseless in this order:

1) the person responsible for designing these cabin trunk deadlight frames, and

2) the last person who installed them on this boat.

I will then pile them one of top of the other, and use person #2's inexhaustible supply of silicone caulk to make these two cretins unable to cause further harm to anyone in the human race by designing such torture instruments, or by gooping them up so much.

There's got to be a better way. I am going to find it, and implement it, and forever relax afterwards...