Tag Archives: Boat refit

Holidays at the Dock

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Ah, the day we celebrate our freedom from our British Overlords. July 4th; the day when families get together and have big barbecues, go out on the water, swim and play and watch the fireworks together. Boat owners go places. Some people do cruises. We hope you are doing all of that stuff because we aren’t. And actually, that’s just fine with us, even though this is the first time in many years that we have actually been home on the 4th of July. We are usually out cruising, usually in Canada. We are at the dock this holiday weekend, happy to have some time to knock off a few projects. There is a lot going on down at Galapagos and it feels pretty good.

Having a double anchor roller allowed us to secure one anchor and use the other roller to deploy chain into the trashcan.

Having a double anchor roller allowed us to secure one anchor and use the other roller to deploy chain into the trashcan.

Yesterday we spent the day at the marina working on our projects at the bow. First we removed the anchor chain. We want to inspect it and have it regalvanized. There is one small area on the chain that gives us pause, as in we are not sure if it’s okay or not. Since our boat depends on having good chain, we’ll be looking closely at that small area. Fortunately, it’s near one end of the chain, so if we have to cut it off, we haven’t lost too much. Most of the chain is in really great condition.

To remove the chain, we rented a big furniture dolly, strapped a plastic garbage can to it, and then dropped the chain into it. Now we’re driving it around in our almost dying truck until we can get it up to Ballard to Emerald Galvanizing. (Hey local peeps, if you know someplace else, give us a holler.) We waited until high tide,  rolled her up the ramp, then transferred the chain to another container in the back of the truck. (Seriously, it would not surprise me if that truck just up and died the day before we leave. I only hope it holds out that long.)

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Our other agenda was to remove our Lofrans Falkon windlass so Mike could open it up and inspect everything, looking at brushes, and generally maintaining and putting his hands on each piece of it because that’s how he rolls. The windlass has worked perfectly, but he has already repaired one of the switches once, and we would rather make sure that everything is in good shape before we leave.

For those readers unfamiliar with boating terms, the windlass is what we use to drop the anchor and retrieve it. We have an electric windlass on board Galapagos, and we carry 300 feet of chain. To deploy the anchor, we step on a foot switch and the windlass begins rolling the chain out, the weight of the anchor keeping it moving. To bring the anchor in, we step on the other switch, bringing up a little at a time. This is a critical piece of equipment on board the boat. Our lives could depend on a reliable windlass and anchor so we don’t cut corners on this stuff.

Getting the windlass off was difficult, mostly because it was so well installed in the first place. After Mike removed all the bolts and pried away at the seal as much as he could, we used the main halyard to exert constant pressure on the caulk so it would gently pull away. A little more pressure, then waiting. Then a little more, then waiting. Then a little more, until it finally gave way.

Keeping tension to gently pull away from the caulk.

Keeping tension to gently pull away from the caulk.

When we pulled it up, there was some interesting looking white stuff that appeared to be used to fill a void underneath the windlass. We just don’t know what this stuff is. (Hey Derek, if you are reading this, do you know what this stuff is?) Any ideas out there in blog reader land? It has the consistency of that white paste kids use in school, the kind everyone secretly eats while the teacher makes gagging noises. There is almost no odor and (yeah, we went there) almost no taste. It is not greasy. Poking it with a finger and rubbing fingers together, it begins to dry out and then flake off the skin. Someone suggested it might be White Lead paste. Mike thinks it is corrosion, but I hope he is wrong and I wonder why, if it’s corrosion,  it would be pasty and not dry and powdery?

This white pasty stuff was under a rectangular void area on the windlass.

This white pasty stuff was under a rectangular void area on the windlass.

This is the rectangular void with some of the paste clinging to it.

This is the rectangular void with some of the paste clinging to it. Sorry for the photo quality. My camera is in being cleaned so all I have is my phone.

So you probably notice in the photos that the windlass locker has also seen better days. It’s been on my list to clean this space up, repair a rotted area of wood by the foot switches, and give it a fresh coat of paint. That is going to be happening. I have a nifty wood rot epoxy that I’ll be using to repair the small area that needs it. We also have some fiberglass supplies if we decide to lay a few sheets of that in addition to the epoxy. I’ll report back when we see how it works. The rot is close to one of the foot switches which we’ll be inspecting and replacing as necessary.

You can see the foot switches to the left of my foot. The area in question is between them.

You can see the foot switches to the left of my foot. The area in question is between them. That brown area is wood that is not covered with fiberglass for some reason.

We brought the windlass home, still taking advantage of a larger work space when we can get it. Mike couldn’t wait to take it apart and have his version of a good time. Andrew was home, so there was a little father/son machine and tool bonding time. He’s pretty impressed with the condition, and has plans to make it even better, which I will let him write about.

I do cherish scenes like this.

I do cherish scenes like this.

There are other fun things going on, but that’s all for now. Adios, amigos!

Aft Cabin: Fait accompli!

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I’ve been waiting over two years to write this post. We finally have the aft cabin we’ve been wanting on this boat. It’s been quite the process. The problem: while large, the aft cabin offered no way for us to sleep together. This was a bit of a let down when we looked at the boat, but one that didn’t keep us from loving her anyhow. One side had been updated to a ‘double’ berth, which frankly, in boat language, means that one adult can sleep comfortably with their partner if the partner is the size of a tiny, swaddled babe. The other side was a narrow single. So basically one of us, usually me, could get a decent night’s sleep and the other one got a marginal sleep. I don’t know about you, but good sleep is the foundation upon which I stand.

The middle 'seat' was basically useless.

The middle ‘seat’ was basically useless. We just never used it at all.

When we bought the boat there was a worn out mattress on the ‘double’ side. That had to go quickly. For a short term solution I bought a foam mattress on Amazon, meant for an RV, and cut it to fit the space. That was a good solution for awhile, but we always knew it was temporary.

A minor upgrade, but a world of difference in the short term.

This year we got serious. I went to the boat show in Seattle and spent the day with an agenda to talk to mattress manufacturers. I knew this was going to be pricey because it’s a big space. I used a king sized mattress cut for a V berth by way of comparison, although I knew it would be a bit more than that because we have a large middle piece. The lowest bid I got was from an east coast firm that quoted me a price of $3700, plus shipping for a bed that felt pretty good on the showroom floor, but I was not sure how long it would last. At that point, I really didn’t know the right questions to ask about foam quality. That was a low ball price with very basic fabric covering. The other bid I got was closer to $5000 after taxes. Again, that was for the basic model. I’m not known for choosing the basic model of anything. I can upsell myself like a champ.

Ikea had a natural latex mattress, but I would have to do all the work myself, and I didn’t actually want to, especially as the mattresses alone would have been about $2200 after taxes. I was okay with that price, but not sure I was up to handling the task willingly. Sometimes I just want to pay to have things done. This was one of those times. Every time Mike would see me toying with the idea of doing the whole thing myself to save money, he would shake his head and say, ‘No, Lucy.’.  I love that man, but already I was getting a little concerned we’d have to choose between a new strong track for the mast and a decent bed. I consider the idea of ‘compromise’ to be a challenge for me to get my cake and eat it, too. The little grey cells in my head began to work.

We decided to press the ‘pause’ button for awhile and get the final design on the template in the aft cabin completed so we’d know exactly what we would be working with. We played with measurements and made a cardboard template, then a butcher paper pattern from that. I took measurements at intervals along the hull to get the curvature right. I learned how to do this on You Tube, where people learn how to do everything these days. What a world we live in.

Measuring for the curvature.

In the end, we ended up with this expanded sleeping space.

We lost a tiny bit of walking space on the right, but nothing in the middle since we couldn’t walk there anyhow. We don’t miss the few inches we lost on the right in the photo.

During our ‘pause’ we played with combinations by redoing the foam in both of the other cabins, educating ourselves on foam types. We were killing the proverbial two birds with one stone; a metaphor that while violent, is apt. We created our ‘rumpus’ room in the v-berth by using a firm foam base with a medium foam on top of that. It’s good for sitting, fine for sleeping if you like a firm mattress. We love that space now and are able to sit and watch our DVD’s on our new little TV/DVD player combo Mike wrote about. It will be a great guest cabin.

We used the old foam with a 3″ latex topper to remake the midship cabin. It’s a luxurious sleep now. We liked the latex topper from Sleep On Latex so much we decided it was a win for the aft cabin. One decision down.

On a whim I took our pattern up to Seattle to Friendly Foam. The young man who helped me was, indeed, friendly as he wrote out the bid for something close to $6,000. Without upholstery. That’s just for the foam, cutting, and gluing.  Ouch and OUCH! I bowed and scraped my way out of the shop, trying not to run,  wondering what I was even thinking of going in there. I mean, these people probably do great work, but they pay Seattle real estate prices for their shop.

In the end, we took our pattern, our latex, and our desires to our local Best Foam and Fabric shop in Tacoma and they did the cutting, gluing and upholstery for us. Let me tell you, there is something grand about having an expert you work with who knows his topic and is willing to spend some time educating others. We love this place and will always go to them first whenever we need upholstery or foam for any kind of project. If you live in Seattle, make the drive to Tacoma before you make a decision on who is going to do your foam and upholstery. They are awesome and their prices are more than fair. We ended up using a three layer approach with a 3″ dense base layer, a 2″ medium layer, and the 3″ natural latex topper. After making sure these fit perfectly (they did!), and covering them with the PUL waterproof fabric, I took them back to be upholstered.

Three layers of foam.

Here’s the final cost breakdown. By way of comparison, I had to order one queen sized topper and one full sized one in order to get enough latex material for the entire cabin. I ordered the latex myself because the good folks at Best Foam couldn’t get a better price than I could at Sleep On Latex and they were impressed with the quality of latex I showed them.

Foam:  dense and medium, 1100$
Latex: $570
PUL fabric: (used 40% discount coupon from HobbyLobby) $78.00
Upholstery Fabric: major discounted find at Hancock Fabrics, may it rest in peace. $120
Upholstery labor: $400

Total cost: $2,268 , a savings of at least 50%. Sweet. The only labor involved for me was covering the foam mattresses with the PUL fabric. Best Foam and Fabric couldn’t do that for me because her sewing machine was for heavy duty fabrics only.

In a previous post I wrote about how I wanted to be able to lift these mattresses up with ease to get to the stowage underneath. Getting to the stowage isn’t as hard as we predicted it would be so we are forgoing that little project in favor of other, more urgent things.

The bed feels luxurious and should last 20 years with good care. We are very happy with it. Now I get to design bedding! The little grey cells, they are working their magic.

And here is a link to the last post in this series, whereby we finally get sheets.

Ta Da!

Pillows are storage for blankets and other bedding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress on the Aft Cabin, and More

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I’ve been so focused on writing all the posts for the A-Z challenge I almost forgot to post the update on the aft cabin.

We’ve made considerable headway! Take a look at what we’ve done so far: 

We are pretty stoked about how it’s turning out. This has given us considerably more room in terms of the berth, and has not cut down on walking area at all. The sole actually curves up, if you can tell that, under the extension on the right, meaning that we couldn’t stand there anyhow. And there is obviously a shelf under the middle part. We aren’t going to miss that area at all because even though it had a cushion for seating, neither of us ever sat there. It was actually wasted space. Now it’s a good place to store shoes, which is kind of what we used it for anyway.

To save the access to that middle space, Mike wanted to avoid putting in a mid-span support piece. But the edge needed more support to be really structurally sound. So he added an aluminum angle iron to the edge and it worked out great! The whole thing is very sturdy. Here are a couple of details of the underneath part. aftcabindetail

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We still need to put the trim back on and make a decision about the mattress. That process has been stalled because I got completely overwhelmed with the number of options and had to take a step back. I got a bid for a custom mattress. The bid was $3700, and that’s with the cheapest options. Um. Hmmmm.  I want a new Strong Track for the mast, and we probably need to have the mainsail looked at, and, well, I just couldn’t pull the trigger on it. I think I can get comfort for less than that.

So I looked at the mattresses at Ikea and, of course, fell in love with their natural latex mattress. Because of the odd shapes involved, we would need a king size mattress, plus a double mattress. So that’s a lot of mattress. All told, that would be around $2000, plus I have to do the cutting and sewing. Okay, I might be able to do that and save about $2000.

There are also cheap memory foam mattresses at Amazon and even at Walmart. But frankly, I’ve learned that if a price is too good to be true, there is probably a reason for that and I don’t really want to buy something without trying it for the purpose we have here.

Then there’s the natural latex mattress topper Ikea has. It is very luxurious and what if we got our local foam and upholstery place to make us a good foam mattress, and then put this on top, then covered the whole thing? Would that bring the cost down even further? Would that be comfortable enough?

So because this is a big investment and critical to my happiness living aboard, we decided to ‘press pause’ on the aft cabin and do the V berth cabin first so we could try that idea in a less critical place. That foam needed replacing, too.  This photo shows how we set that cabin up during our cruise this summer. We could lounge in there and watch DVD’s when it was raining outside.

So I took the old foam down to Tacoma Foam and Fabric, and we will pick up the new foam on Saturday. I found upholstery fabric on sale for $2.99/yard. Yes, you read that correctly. I know how to find a good deal and I’m open to color and pattern. That’s how I found the Galapagos fabric. All I cared about was that it look good with that pattern we already have.

We’ll pick up the new foam mattress on Saturday and try it out in the v berth. I’ll buy a latex topper and we’ll give it a spin. Then if that works, we’ll do the same thing in the aft cabin. I think we may be on a roll here.

Here’s your link to the next episode of the Aft Cabin Remodel.

 

Update on the Sugru repair: holding strong!