Galley Update

So here we are well into 2016 and 11 years since I started working on the boat. It is hard to believe how the time goes on but when I look about the boat I also find it hard to believe I have built what is there. It just seems like such a massive project and any one little spot on the boat is a study of a ton of work. But everywhere I look I am also pleased with the results so there is a lot of satisfaction.

Major head and chest cold right now so using the down time to update the blog as it has been a couple of months. I usually try to update once a month as work does take time on boats and that usually gives me something substantial to post.

Here is the galley pretty much done. Some little details and of course there is hooking up the plumbing and stove etc but right now I am just concentrating on the woodwork.

The ash flip up counter the bridges between the ice box and galley adds considerable counter space and allows someone to work on the fwd side while someone can work at the galley side.

Here can be seen the ash  knife block behind the stainless flip up lid. The knife block is removable so it is easy to make a new one if necessary. The stainless lid gives quick access to the shelf below rather than having to reach all the way through the lower door opening

Bronze rod retainer pin for ash flip up counter.

Behind the stove is an ash flip up lid for a deep bin that can hold pots etc. There is also a place behind for storage and a shelf as well. It took me some time to decide how to build the outboard area of the galley but am pleased with the sliding door cabinet and this area behind the stove. Lots of practical storage.

Salon Work

The Galley got the final coat of varnish last night but still catching up on the doors and various parts. A constant revolving door of parts to be varnished.

Fit all the doors in the salon. Need to be varnished...of course...
       

Yellow cedar ribs for hull ceiling. The cedar is glued to the hull with epoxy. They are 7/8" thick so there is room for the 3/4" insulation I fit between them.

Closed cell insulation and ash hull ceiling comes next. Finished installing that today.

My tool box. Everything I need in there.

Some little side notes I thought to share. This spring I made a Greenland style kayak paddle of yellow cedar with a thin strip of  W. Oak in the middle (would not bother with the oak again for the sake of weight). Here it is in comparison to a modern paddle. As an experiment that only took two evenings to make and very little cost, it was successful and easier on my shoulders than my old paddle.

I thought I would share one of my latest sewing projects. I usually make or modify (and repair) a lot of my  outdoors equipment and my industrial sewing machine I bought 20 years ago is one of the best things I ever got. I made this day rucksack to replace my old pack that the PU coating on the nylon Cordura had begun to deteriorate. I decided then to make this pack in a heavy duty cotton-polyester fabric and treated it with wax/paraffin that was soaked in with a heat gun. Sewn with 69 weight nylon thread. 5mm evasote closed cell foam for the shoulder straps and a removable 10mm evasote back pad. So far after almost a half a year in use it has proven itself.

Congratulations

I wanted to congratulate John Stone who launched his Cape Dory 36 this spring and is out sailing now. His website is a wealth of information and details the excellent work he has done completely rebuilding  his boat "Far Reach". A project this big takes a great effort and a lot of discipline. Check out his boat  here:

http://www.farreachvoyages.com/home.html

Galley

Been working on the galley lately. First job was to finished the ash hull ceiling. The top layers are fastened with bronze oval head screws to be able to access the bolts for the rub rail and bulwark etc. Once the hull ceiling was varnished I could put in the mahogany slat gable end for the cabinet. I used slats to promote air circulation.

Here is the yellow cedar sub counter before the stainless steel counter was glued down. I have used solid red or yellow cedar for most places one usually finds plywood.

Here the stainless steel counter is being glued down. The counter was perfectly made by Straight Metal in Sidney (here in BC a short drive away). It fit perfectly and the finish was second to none. I roughed the back side with a 40x ginder and wiped down with paint thinner in case of any oil residue. 3M5200 was troweled on and the whole counter was weighed down with 25lbs sacks of lead shot and clamps. The shelves behind the stove can be seen installed.

Next came the stove liner also made by Straight Metal. The piece the the photo below is a complete piece so no chance of leaks. It folds up about 3/4" underneath the piece that will go on the aft bulkhead. The same process was done to glue the liner in as with the counter.

 Making the galley counter trim in ash. Decided on ash as it is consistent with the rest of the boat but also a lot harder than mahogany in a place that will be a lot of wear. Here are the corner pieces. While I do a butt joint with the bulkhead trim with the counter fiddles I use a 45 degree angle at the joint to give a better glue joint. I prefer to do the straight butt joint on the bulkheads however due to appearance but when gluing them I make a series of very small holes in each piece and then glue with thickened epoxy. The theory being that the epoxy will key into the holes in the joint and make for a stronger joint.

Here is all the trim dry fitted. The bulkhead trims still need shaping. You can see the yellow cedar slat shelving in the lower cabinet. Behind the stove there will be a flip up ash lid that gives access to a generous bin for cooking pots.

Shaping the bulkhead trim.

Here I have made the flip up counter extension that will bridge between the Galley and the icebox. There is a simple bronze pin retainer that will keep it in place when down. The fiddles are tapered as can be seen in the photo. Waiting for the brass barrel bolts to arrive before I install it. Working on the varnish now and starting the salon hull ceiling. Will keep updating this post as the galley gets finished off....

Boot Stripe

This was a bit tricky as I had not done it before. I had the stripe taped on the boat for some weeks looking at it now and again to see if I was happy with it. I wanted the stripe to follow the sheer at the bow to reduce the visual free-board. My friend Rick who helped me with the spray-painting also spent a few hours with me looking at it and helping fairing the lines. He showed me a trick where you use the tape to lay down a strip above your line and then take away the one below and then relay a new strip and so on. Each strip of tape you can fair out the minor imperfections. I really like the 3M233+ tape as you can stretch it pretty tight when laying it down. Once I was satisfied with the strip on the port side I had to transfer it to the starboard side. To do that  measurements were taken every two feet and then transferred and marked and faired with the tape the same way. Anyways, finally posting photos of  the finished boot stripe and the real test of it's success will be when you can stand back 50ft and see the whole boat.