The "NANCY G" a surfboat /lifeboat to motorsailer conversion build in progress

that's a big boat!

 

Keel Bolt Install

Back on the boat, my real purpose in life . If only the rest of life's baggage would allow me this one last wish. Today I got back on the final fit and install of the keel bolts. Starting just ahead of the skeg in the cutout area I need only a short pair at each station going forward until i reach the aft end of the fin. Because the fin is foil shaped it's aft end I.D. is only 1.5 in. wide. This would not accommodate a pair of keel bolts. I felt transverse stresses required some sort of strengthening in this area. To keep my mind at ease I fabricated a stainless vertical flat bar welded to an angle base which in turn is bolted thru the existing previously drilled keel bolt holes. Working forward I have sufficient fin width at each keel bolt pair location to accommodate the normal keel bolt pairs. Once I cut them to length and fine tuned their final vertical position thru the floor timbers I applied a bead of clear silicone around their base where they exit the original keel bottom. This for two reasons. To hold them in place and act as a seal when I fill the new fin shell with resin and lead ballast. Over the next week or so I will complete the keel bolt install and prepare the glassing of the fin and skeg shell's to the hull.

 

Yo, no boat,thats a hole in the ground that consumes one's soul.

 

Yes, she rides well with very little rocking and pitching. On board entertainment is also very good.


VN I see very good progress on the keel.

 

I keep telling my wife, our possessions own US! We're just slave caretakers.

 

So far So good & So true So True --

 

So George, you have an issue with free advertising for Home Depot or is this a "tag", by Canadian gang?

 

Correct on both counts "Assumption of free advertising" from customers has always been a burr under my saddle. In the old days number 1 on my auto custom work would be to "Shave" the dealer and auto brands. A few years ago we purchased a new Nancy car. My first instruction to the salesman was to remove the dealer's advertisement off "MY" Car unless we could come to some agreement on monthly reimbursement. Possibly I could hang an advertisement for Anchors Gate B&B in his office. Ha Ha, you should have seen the look on his face. Mellowing and becoming wiser with age, I of course refrained from "Shaving" the wife's new car.

 

Come on, we both know this is simply hemorrhoids, try a cream or something.

I too have been shaving name plates for years, mostly because if you don't know it's a Chevy Suburban, you probably don't need to.

I've been working on your spread sheet stuff. I'll call at the end of the week.

 

When I was young and 10 ft tall and thought I was bullet proof, I imagined stealing cars legally, would be high adventure.
So I tried REPO work, till my wife made me quit.
I was looking for an F250 pickup truck on one assignment.
The "owner" switched the badge to F150. Drove by it a dozen times hiding in plain sight.
Eventually got it, after I realized the subterfuge.

 

Forefoot Extention

These days I look forward to rain. It drives me from house reno. work into the shop and boat work. As part of the new keel install the forefoot section had to be extended in order to blend in the leading root area of the fin with the lower part of the stem just below the waterline at the bow. This extension runs from approx. 2in. to 6in. in dept running aft. to where it intersects the leading edge of the fin. ( From the stainless stem cap aft.) Basically just where the bow would make initial contact with a reef or semi submerged shipping container if one were unlucky enough to do so . I wanted this section to be solid and strongly attached extending the bullet proof qualities of the stainless stem cap. Depending on the "moments" calculations of Paul's (PAR's) new Super Computer (I think the brand name "CRAY" comes to mind ) it might be necessary to fill this section with anything from resin and stone to lead. In addition to the glassing on, I wanted some sort of keel bolt type re reinforcing. Funny how one can ponder a problem for days (every time i walked by) and simply viewing it from another location it resolves itself. Sitting on the inverted hull's bow section I suddenly saw how the original builders had it all prepared for me, at least where i could make use of their efforts. Using the three 3/4 in. dia. holes that originally attached the lifting mechanism and the 1/2 in. dia. fastening holes for the orig. teak shoe along with help from Mr. Milwaukee, boring three extra 1/2 in. dia. holes the problem was solved. My intention is to bend up stainless U bolts to match the pairs of 1/2 in. holes then run longitudinally and tack weld to their sides, two pieces of stainless round stock. Much the same as re-bar in concrete. The existing 3/4 dia. holes forward are way overkill both in size and numbers but I might as well match and fill them with the appropriate bolts. My intention is to continue the round stock forward, blend them side by side, weld both to the 3/4 bolt heads and continue on into a receiving hole drilled into the underside of the stainless stem cap. Thus tying the "whole she bang" into a small version of the main ballast cage. My next post will show this whole fabrication.

 

Looks good.

 

Let me know when you have the appropriate metal ready for threads and I will see if I can find a government discount at a machine shop I know. I am still reading the drawing for the engine shaft removal on my Vega. I have a feeling that it might turn out to be a bit of a bugger but it needs to be done so that I can winterize the engine and put the boat to bed for the winter. I am fighting through it so I don't need your help yet but don't for the love of baby Jesus leave the province. John

 

Ha Ha ,Funny you should touch base on that. While I was down at the dock today curiosity got the best of me and I had a quick look at the prop and shafting this afternoon. Manually turning the prop. and other than some play in the CPP's out put bearing (cutlass ?) I could not see or feel any defects. Could you e mail me a copy of the systems manual/blueprints. I was thinking if this is not something simple, being a CPP set up, you should open a thread here on the forum under propulsion . It would be a good source of info in both directions to effect the troubleshooting and repair.

P.S. Since I appreciate all the love I can get especially from the Big Guy up above I will not leave the Province

 

Going to do something. Steve Birch (of the British Albin Vega Society) sent me some instructions from the UK which I have to read a few times. I will probable get to it on the weekend (Weather permitting). I will start a thread but you know how well opinionated some individuals on the forum can be. Things might just get out of hand.