I know I'm following a time honored path for owning a boat and boat repair - Start a project and it expands into something all together different that challenges your skills, patience, cash flow and domestic harmony.
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I'm on the verge of venturing into an area of carpentry and boat repair I'm not totally comfortable with. I think I have to pull off the cockpit sole of my 18 foot Marshall and replace the structural supports that are either saturated or rotten. I'll need to then put it all back together.
Spec: 1976 Marshall Sanderling (18') w a Westerbeke 7 diesel (removed).
It began with an electrical fire
(http://www.sailnet.com/forums/diesel/209817-remove-old-inboard-keep.html).
I've had the engine pulled and have been cleaning the engine box
(http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/229225-advice-cleaning-engine-box-bilge.html).
Over the course of scrapping paint and inspecting I've found that the wood that is the engine box was not encapsulated with epoxy and is now saturated wet or rotten. The tabbing has separated from the wood in several places. The wood behind the tabbing is some of the most rotten where the water has gotten in and sat. This is more pronounced on the starboard side.
The struts for the motor mounts look like they haven't been affected, which is good news to me.
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So, I'm looking at a boat I really love; considering starting something I don't know how to approach and if I'll have the where-with-all of time, money and skills to complete. I'd like some thoughts from the group.
As a first step, I've been taking lots of photos. I'm also beginning to make a schematic drawing of the cockpit with the engine box and other cavities to get a better idea of the structure under the sole. A materials list is in there somewhere too. I figure I should make cardboard templates of all the pieces I will replace - as I go. This way I can get the slope/angle and size of pieces.
What else? Any cautionary tales, words of wisdom and success stories would be welcome.
---
I'm on the verge of venturing into an area of carpentry and boat repair I'm not totally comfortable with. I think I have to pull off the cockpit sole of my 18 foot Marshall and replace the structural supports that are either saturated or rotten. I'll need to then put it all back together.
Spec: 1976 Marshall Sanderling (18') w a Westerbeke 7 diesel (removed).
It began with an electrical fire
(http://www.sailnet.com/forums/diesel/209817-remove-old-inboard-keep.html).
I've had the engine pulled and have been cleaning the engine box
(http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/229225-advice-cleaning-engine-box-bilge.html).
Over the course of scrapping paint and inspecting I've found that the wood that is the engine box was not encapsulated with epoxy and is now saturated wet or rotten. The tabbing has separated from the wood in several places. The wood behind the tabbing is some of the most rotten where the water has gotten in and sat. This is more pronounced on the starboard side.
The struts for the motor mounts look like they haven't been affected, which is good news to me.
---
So, I'm looking at a boat I really love; considering starting something I don't know how to approach and if I'll have the where-with-all of time, money and skills to complete. I'd like some thoughts from the group.
As a first step, I've been taking lots of photos. I'm also beginning to make a schematic drawing of the cockpit with the engine box and other cavities to get a better idea of the structure under the sole. A materials list is in there somewhere too. I figure I should make cardboard templates of all the pieces I will replace - as I go. This way I can get the slope/angle and size of pieces.
What else? Any cautionary tales, words of wisdom and success stories would be welcome.