Ok so this post is going to be short and sweet. Shannon is gone to go see some family and I have been left at the boat to take care of projects. I have the next week while she is gone to live, eat and breathe boat projects. The boat already looks like a mess on the inside with screwdrivers, saws and spools of wire on every counter. I like it though, I can multitask and leave my crap just how I left it so I can start right where I left off. I plan on getting a lot done this week and it looks like the weather will cooperate for the most part. My list is
1. Re caulk all of the Teak decks…. This is a big one and I will whack away at it all week.
2. install solar panels and wire them in
3. finish buffing the hull
4. clean up wiring leading aft. build cover panels for rear state room and run new marine tinned 12ga triplex for the shore main shore power line to the panel.

Ambitious.

Fist off I would like to announce we have completed out first bright work on the boat. The companionway and the turtle shell with installment pod is completely redone. I forgot to take pictures of it today because it took me 3 hrs to get back from Seattle when it should have taken me 30 minutes…..

I buffed a 1/4 of the boat allready. Prism has some pretty gnarly oxidation, but I have been able to cut it with this remedy.
step 1: Orbital sander 220 grit
step 2: Orbital sander 320 grit
step 3: wet sand 500 grit
Step 4: Heavy cutting compound with power buffer
Step 5: Hand polish

Im getting pretty shiny results. you can see your reflection, kinda like if you where under water. When we are hauled I’ll see if I can make this shine better with a stronger position with the buffer. Over the course of the next week Ill try to hit the rest of the hull with any spare time.

Shannon and I also made new solar panel racks that “butter fly” off our rear pushpit. Using all parts that came with the boat we where able to erect some legit stainless mounts for our two 75watt solar panels. Total fab time was around five hours with buffing of the old parts and cutting and measuring pipe. Next I will rewire the back of the boat and get these beauties pumping juice!
I finished the other rack today and installed the other panel after my hellish drive

My game plan is to cut new grooves in the teak deck using my new Harbor Freight 5 1/2” circular saw, the tape the seams and the caulk using my 30 tubes of TDS deck caulking. Wish me luck. only in one place on the coachroof must I remove hardware, so I’m lucky there.

The rear state room wall is a mess with open wire and backs of electronics showing. Not how Shannon and I run the show. I will rerun certain wires to hide them in the appropriate race ways and build new boxes out of African red mahogany  I picked up today at Cross Cut Hardwoods in seattle. At the same time wire up the solar panes and clean up all the random wires coming out of our transom. Also add a second switch panel for some systems that are currently “hardwired in” strait from the battery (Serious nono fire hazard)

Ill try to keep this thing updated while Shannon is gone!

-Jon