The 2011 Makeover

The 2011 Makeover – October 2011

In the interest of keeping the boatyard stay as short as possible we tried to limit the length of the pre launch job list.

There are some makeover projects, however, that just cannot be avoided or delayed, like replacing the leaky windows over my side of the bed.

You might remember that Tom replaced the front windows when we were on the dock in Varadero back in April, only to have them crack again just ten days later. Before leaving Polar Pacer for the summer we applied several layers of heavy plastic, liberal amounts of duct tape and a couple of tubes of silicone in order to keep the rain out during our absence. Although these products worked well in combination and the boat was nice and dry inside when we returned, it didn’t seem like the right thing to do as a permanent solution. Tom spent much of the summer trying to develop the logistics that would allow him to install new windows with as few mechanical fasteners as possible in order to minimize the possibility of yet more cracking. His original plan called for making a recessed fiberglass ledge that the window material would set into with a super strong adhesive to hold it in place. The process would involve sawing through the original fiberglass, using the cut off pieces to manufacture the recessed ledge, sanding and painting the surface and then mounting the new windows, all this while we would be living on the boat. Not a pretty picture.

Back in Florida, Tom went back to speak to the people at Team Auto Glass, just a few miles north of Riverside Marina on US-1, whom he planned on purchasing the new window material from. A quicker, cleaner more expensive plan developed. The professionals felt that there was no reason that a normal, automotive style application would not meet our needs. If it could withstand a car crash it should be sturdy enough for the front of Polar Pacer. A sheet of window material was ordered. It is a cell cast acrylic manufactured under the name of Chemcast. We removed the old windows and it took the Team Auto Glass team two days to complete the surface mount installation using their automotive adhesive which was then covered with Sicoflex for UV protection. All four front windows were replaced at a cost of just under $2000.

 Look – no mechanical fasteners.

  Corner detail

A built in computer and reconfigured nav station was also part of the makeover plan. Some of the cabinet work was done over the summer using estimated measurements that proved to be quite accurate. The VHF, CD player, DVD player, switches, main computer, Sirius Radio mount and 12 volt accessory plugs were all installed in situ.

The solid state, 12 volt computer that was assembled under the direction of our good friend Tri, will give us an alternate means of reading electronic charts and navigating in the event that our chart plotter at the helm station decides to act up again. We can also turn the flat screen around and use it to watch movies. The Sirius satellite radio will keep us in touch with Canada via the CBC.

The new electronics station.

I’m sure everyone has seen the ads for the Magic Mesh bug screen from As Seen on TV. It seemed like a good idea. Although designed for a typical residential patio door a few modifications made it adaptable for our vertical companionway.

The concept is good but the quality of the material used in the manufacture of the product did not stand up very well to the harshness of a marine environment. I suspect that it would be just as fragile around small children. Maybe I can adapt the design with better material to make it work. And don’t be taken in by the special offer when you order two. They come in the same package but the shipping charges are doubled. Look for them in Wal Mart or a bricks and mortar As Seen On TV store.

 The magnets do in fact snap back together after you walk through it.

New bedding is always always nice.

 My new fleece blanket matches the colour of the water when we are at anchor in the Bahamas.

See….

When the boat was hauled in Masters Harbour last February Tom noticed that the wooden mount that holds the drive leg to the boat was starting to rot. With the boat loaded for cruising the center nacelle is a bit below the water line and the mounting bracket is constantly exposed to salt water.

The bottom 8 inches was replaced with a nice thick piece of new teak. The original was made out of some kind of plywood.

One major change that affects the handling of the boat but is not a visible part of the upgrade is the new steering arms that were manufactured for us by Canadian Bron out of Oakville, Ontario. The original set that came with the boat would not stay tight no matter what Tom tried. He had taken them to a machinist in Deltaville in the summer of 2010 to have them modified but that still did not work. The new ones were made from scratch using Tom’s specifications. At the time of writing no re-tightening has been necessary and the rudders do not rattle when we are anchored in strong current.

Most of the other jobs on the list related to regular maintenance and are not classified as part of the makeover. The drive leg gets serviced every time the boat comes out of the water, fresh bottom paint is an annual thing whether it needs it or not, water filters get changed, broken pumps get repaired or replaced and canvas repairs are done as required.

In between jobs we still try to explore our surroundings and meet the locals.

This local, one of several boatyard cats, was not very friendly. He liked to keep an eye on us from the top of his ladder.

A family (my assumption) of manatees hung out in the inner part of the marina.

It’s no wonder they have so many collisions with boats the way they hang just below the surface of the water and blend in with their surroundings.

Speaking of collisions…..

 We saw the big white sailboat coming down the channel quicker than it should. Out of control, it decided to make a crash landing in the spot most apt to cause the least damage. The little houseboat thinghy on its starboard side is actually a water based mobile restaurant called Buckshot Bay. This was its second crash of the season. Good thing the owners are operating out of their land based location in Fort Pierce (called Buckshot Bay on the Hard) for the winter.

  

By the end of October we were ready to launch and begin another season on the water.

Don’t those new windows look good.