Over the Worst

The worst is over with the unexpectedly difficult job of removing all of the antifouling.  Bruce has managed to break through the layers of super hard "Coppercoat" that had been laid before my time, without damage to the gelcoat.  I've been shown the weight of the material removed and expect Pachuca to ride much higher in the water when she is launched.  I must give Bruce credit for avoiding the fast and easy way of soda blasting, which would have damaged the gelcoat resulting in much remedial work later.

This week I worked with Bruce to remove Pachuca's stainless steel bow plate which shows the scars of its successful role in protecting the hull from anchor damage.  We managed to remove the three bolts fixing the plate at the bow with some difficulty but the screws along the outer edge were easy to remove.  Then it was a matter of prying the plate from the spots of adhesive that bonded it to the gelcoat.  We now have a choice of polishing up the bow plate or having a new one made.  Making a new one would be relatively easy giving that the fabricator would have a pattern to work with, and Bruce will seek a quotation.

Bow Plate Off

Stern Fittings Off

For me our most satisfying work was a the stern of the boat, where our goal was to remove the fittings that support the Monitor self steering and the boarding ladder in preparation for the spray painting of the hull.  This necessitated my removal of the gas cylinders and their plywood box from the lazarette, taking great care when detaching the gas regulator and gas sensor.

But then Bruce observed that the two large aluminum bollards at the stern did not appear to be on proper bedding.  I agreed that it could be the case, given that I had never touched them during my ownership of the boat.  I then pointed out my concerns of a large diameter brass fitting for the boat's bilge pump. In  calm conditions this fitting was above the water, but it rough conditions, the fitting would be in and out of the water as the boat pitched.  Bruce looked around the edge of the fitting and he could see my light inside of the lazarette, indicating a huge potential for leaking.  This could very well explain the enormous amount of water that the boat has always shipped when sailing hard to weather.  Over the years I had eliminated the bow and toe rail areas as well as hosing and keel bolts as the source of the leaks, and I had had all through-hull fittings below the waterline replaced in 2007. 


I knew that there was a problem in that area because the in rough conditions there would always be water sloshing in the lazarette before finding its way into the bilge.    If this turns out to be the source of the leaks then I deserve a big kick in the backside and an apology for all who have crewed on the boat for not having having dealt with this at the beginning.

That day Bruce drove to Kewdale to have the bollards soaked in acid to help free the bolts, which will be removed with the use of heat if necessary.  They will then be refinished and come back as new.  Why the trouble?  New ones will cost over $100 apiece and will have a different footprint than the existing ones.

 In clearing the lazarette the layers of thin and wide copper foil that acted as conductor between the grounding plate on the hull of the boat and the HF radio tuner disintegrated like confetti before my eyes, no doubt facilitated by the enormous amounts of salt water that had sloshed around that section of the copper day after day.  This means that we will need to gain access to the below-cockpit space by removing the three extremely heaving batteries.  I will consult with Greg Hansen on setting a more durable ground cable.  I can't complain too much because the ground plate and copper connector that I installed in Mexico had done a brilliant job of providing me with good long distance HF communications.  I reliably spoke with South Africa twice a day until I reached Cape Leeuwin.

This all represents the inevitable mission creep to be expected in a project like this.  I told Bruce that now that we are into it, let's do it right, and I'll worry about the money (gulp!).  He gave me a pat on the shoulder in appreciation.  Putting myself in his place, the last thing that I would want is for the client to be carping about delays and whining about costs.  You either trust the man or you don't. If you trust him then support him, and if you don't then replace him with someone else.

The grey circles on the hull mark the areas of osmosis.  They are not exactly trivial as I had thought, but not particularly bad either.  I expect the starboard side to be much better because there were no bulges showing through the antifouling. I'll know when Bruce has finished sanding the remaining area aft of the keel.