Photo #17 is looking aft at the fuel tank located below the cabin sole. "Fuel tank is Diesel, of course. Two athwart ship full baffles in the tank. Fuel quality inspection hatch visible. Engine beds aft of that and the two pipew coming from the cockpit floor are the forward cockpit drains."
Last edited by Bill; 01-29-2003 at 08:33 AM.
Photo #18 looking directly down at the fuel tank. "Filler for fuel is 50 mm (2-inch). It will be lead up to the starboard side deck. A breather will branch off to the cockpit. The tape at the bottom is protecting two brass taps. One is a drain and the other is fuel supply."
Last edited by Bill; 01-29-2003 at 08:34 AM.
Photo #19 looking aft under cockpit floor. "Engin beds are angle iron pieces that bolt onto the uprights."
Last edited by Bill; 01-29-2003 at 08:34 AM.
Photo #20 under cockpit. "Details of construction of foot space, everything glassed. All angles covered and double taped."
Last edited by Bill; 01-29-2003 at 08:35 AM.
Photo #21 under cockpit. "Way back under the cockpit. I put in rear cockpit drains. You are looking at the porside drain. The pipe is the rudder post."
Last edited by Bill; 01-29-2003 at 08:33 AM.
Geoff next summarizes his feelings on the project. Be aware that he wrote this at 11:00 AM on a day where the temperature was already 100 degrees F!
"Well, I hope that lot (of photos) interests the Association. I have really taken to the boat with a vengeance. After living on board for awhile, I knew what had to go where. I am not a builder, I get nothing out of the work but tired and itchy. I treat it like a job I hate, and I will be glad when it?s finished. I will never tackle another boat, and when I launch UHURU, I want to throw all my power tools into the harbour, hopefully never to need them again. I?m really just a yachtie bum with a sick boat. I?m looking forward to palm trees, islands and sand between my toes."
Last edited by Bill; 01-29-2003 at 08:32 AM.
Edited the text accompaning the photos. Now, question marks in the text that should have been quote marks or apostrophes are now quote marks or apostrophes.
BTW - Geoff is somewhat computer challenged (using a friend's). Posted questions will be snail mailed at regular intervals to him, if he does not respond to them in a reasonable length of time.
Last edited by Bill; 01-29-2003 at 08:47 AM.
Good on ya, mate.
Is it just me, or did anyone else notice the wonderful grain of the plywood Geoff glassed in under the cockpit in photos #19 and #20? Is that sub-sole fuel tank glass coated wood? 'kinda looks like it-I didn't know you could do that. I like the hard dodger idea too-it gives it that live aboard look. Geoff's got my support!
Great to have these shots of Geoff's Ariel rebuild way on the other side of the world!
In the first photo,
Can we see the slump of the stern on the starboard side? The toe and cove stripe seem to dip. Couldn't have come from the factory that way...naw! must have been a previous owner's contribution and a goofed fix. Great that Capt. Geoff put the pizazz back.
#9 Moving the head aft to the main blkhd and lifting the deck it sits on to create space for a holding tank is a great idea.
#13 Looks like G. gained some height off the waterline by mounting the shallow sink amidships. Raises that pesky drain. For offshore that seacock is right there. Smart.
#14 & 16 Much important hull stiffening is created with the seatback shelf/lockers. (The blkhd in 338 is pretty much a joke the way it was put in. Nowadays when they put the lid on a boat all the finished bulkheads are in place. But I swear at the P's factory only the back laz blkhd was in befor they closed it up - then they sweated the rest down the companionway in pieces and crudely bent and pissedoff them in place - sort of. The bridgedeck in 338 is really unsupported. We'll take care of that as G. has. The plywood IS tabbed to the hull providing stiffness and anti-twist.) Geoff's refit here is righton. I'm inspired.
#17 Very interesting use of this space. The baffles in the tank and the tank ends create the 'transitional' stiffening (I think is important) between the abrupt termination of the ballast and the longitudenal plywood berth tabbing. Excellent upgrade for a cruiser. Wonder how many gallons he got? Seems like the perfect place for the tank of a diesel. Glad 338 is an OB, tho.
#19 Looks like the original NOseacock well drains. Can't tell if they're hose under the wrap. However, I'd glass them bigtime right to the engine room walls there.
#21 Geoff's aft cockpit straight thru drains get my vote. Treat them just like the rudder-shaft tube. If anybody else is looking back here in the Ariels, I can guess the stalagmite part is in pretty good shape. But take a look at the upper end where goes thru the well deck - 338 needs reinforcement here. Again, I would throw a lot of Xmat and epoxy at these straight-thru drains so that nothing flying around loose is going to open them up! After the motor is in only a ferret will get access back there. Maybe a small hatch in the c'pit deck in front of the rudder tube is called for. Like Tim has in his T-381.
Ariel is so small, it's like putting on an overcoat - that has some extra pockets. It's a treat looking into Geoff's rebuild. It's a real personal striving/somewhat frustrating relationship you have when you get into this sort of thing. And all what you want is the tiller under your arm and all what you need is warm sand between yer toes. It's an absolute. All the best to Uhuru voyager and her crew.
Last edited by ebb; 01-18-2003 at 05:06 PM.
It looks like Geoff is one of the fortunate Ariel owners to be in that six foot and over class. Being he has removed the sole in the cabin I wonder if he has made plans to squeeze in another inch or inch and a half of head room. Here the musings continue as to which is the lesser of two evils, twisted neck or buckled kneesSnail mail or electronically fast I'd like to hear his twist.
When I first saw Jacques Tati, the tall French comedian (mime and film maker) in Mr Hulot's Holiday, I nearly gagged from laughing too hard. And my head really hurt, too. Besides bumbling around uncounciously causing hilarious chain reactions, Hulot when he moved into a room always got to a wall or piece of furniture in mid-stride as if the architecture had just shrank.
Don't know if Geoff is 'over 6 feet' like I, but nothing in the Ariel ever fit me either, not the setees, berths, narrow companionway and too short, head-banging in the cabin, or when the boat was rigged the boom seemed way too low, the tiller banged my knees, the lower shrouds almost took my ears off. Nothing. One day when I'm down there obsessing arouind I expect to break into an unadulterated fit of wet-eyed laughter and I will truly know just what the hell I'm supposed to be doing in this half pint swedish comedy. Just keep banging my head and smiling.
Tom was 6'1" and lived aboard Wayward Star for 15 years.
He too bumped his head and smiled all the while, well....MOST of the time anyways.
We used to joke about the roadmap of scars on his head. He toyed with the idea of wearing a helmit.
The funniest episode I can remember was when Tom was frying something on the stove and hot oil splattered onto him causing him to jump up, hit his head so hard he fell back onto the cushion and sat onto the plate of potatoes, which caused him to jump back up, and hit his head again, stepped back and into the cat food, knocking over the cats water in the process.
Well, a good laugh was had by all...
What's the history of your Ariel, Geoff? Do we have the story of how she wound up there?
Geoff's story is under contract to be delivered in time for the next Association newsletter(June/July)
Here are some notes from Geoff:
I am really busy at the moment, like a lizard drinking flat out. I have some time off at the moment because of cyclone Benni. It came tearing towards our stretch of coast last Tuesday afternoon, caused a welter of activity in the boatyard, moving loose gear, tying boats down, etc., etc. I high tailed out of there mid afternoon. It was blowing a hoolligan, with horrizontal rain. I got back to Rockhampton just hours before the roads were cut by flood water. It was like being in a Lassie movie. (Hey Toto, this isn't Gladstone.)
I had just cut the holes for the new opeining portlights in the forward cabin, fitted one, but the screws were too long and I couldn't dog it down. I had to hurriedly tape up the gaps, the portside just has a hole with a plastic shopping bag taped over it. I will probably have to bail her out when I get back. It's still raining on and off, very damp and humid at the moment -- 81 degrees F. with 72% humidity.
The cyclone is now a rain depression and should break up over the next few days, then it will be back to my baby. (Might even work on the boat, too.)
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