Forepeak

Foc'sle

Head

Saloon

Galley

Rigging

Hull & Deck

New Projects

Pegasus LOG

Hull & Deck

Some Deck Work
New Window's
Building Interior Window Frames
 Bilge Pump's
 Building & Installing a Propane Locker

I motored Pegasus Walton's Marine boat yard and had her hauled, power washed and set her on the racks.  Walton's is located across the slough from Owl Harbor Marina where Pegasus is slipped. I always marvel at the ability of a marine lift to move a sail boat around like a toy (I know, compared to a 40 footer it is a toy) however, it's still an awesome sight.

After the power wash, the crew immediately went about marking a few smal blister spots while the Admiral and I armed with comet cleanser, prepared to scrub the heavy oxidization from the hull prior to polishing and waxing.  Repair of 8 small blisters and the removal of 2 thru-hulls in the head was left to yard crew as well as the application of new bottom paint.

Two months into the Pegasus Project (no work was performed in December '97 or January '98) I took time to request an insurance quote from Boat/U.S.  Because of Pegasus's age they needed an out of the water survey.  The timing could not have been better.  I contacted a local surveyor with good recommendations and approved by Boat/U.S., who was able to squeeze me into his schedule.

My renovation to date met or exceeded marine standards but there were some areas the surveyor identified that required correction (see  Rigging.)

Some Deck Work

I knew when I purchased Pegasus that she would never look 40 years younger but, with work and time her appearance could be improved. Reconstructive surgery would include a new inspection plate in the cockpit sole, a couple of temporary lazaret hatch's to help stop the leaking, the removal of a tin can from the cabin top and replacing all the plastic port lights just to mention a few.

The inspection plate in the cockpit sole was not a major problem. The current clear plate (cracked & leaky)  actually reaches the maximum dimensions possible without cutting into the fuel tank so I installed a plate of similar size. Next I have to figure out how to make the cockpit sole look presentable.

Removing the tin can was equally simple.  First, I removed the can to find that the installer had used resin to attach the teak winch block to the cabin top.  I scrubbed and scrubbed but could not clean the residual resin from the non-skid cabin top.  I installed a clear inspection plate over the hole and will cover the remaining resin when it comes time to paint.

 

New Window's

Five of the 6 bronze framed port lights and the 4 large main cabin windows are made of acrylic (1/4 inch for port lights and 3/8 inch for the windows) and were so badly damaged by UV that it was/is difficult to see out on a sunny day.

The Admiral and I replaced the 5 acrylic port lights with 3/8 inch dark bronze acrylic. Cadillac Plastic and Chemical Company in Coppell, Texas that had one sheet at their Chicago facilities.  They not only had what I was looking for, they cut it into 4 oblong sections that met the outside diameter of my windows.  All I had to do was cut to shape, rout and finish the edges.

Building Interior Window Frames

West Coast Tritons do not frame their large windows. They are bolt on's so I decided to hide the cabin/liner joint by building wooden frames coated with polyester resin. Then painted using the same mildew paint used throughout the boat.  I built the frames so they extended 3/8 of an inch beyond the liner;  the liner sets 1/2 inch away from the frame;  I then installed a 3/8" x 1/2" white foam weather stripping around the inside edge of the frame and attached it using the same nuts and bolts used to secure the windows.  Acorn nuts to finish off each bolt cost $.75 a nut so I used nylon lock nuts and finished the face with silver silicon caulking.

Bilge Pumps

A couple times a year, I like to flood the bilge with a mixture of Simple Green and water and let it sit overnight.  The process keeps the bilge smelling fresh and, allows me to check the operation of the bilge pumps.  The 12VDC pump is a Rule Automatic, 500 GPH who's duty it is to clear the bilge of ice box melt, stuffing box drips, etc.   The manual pump is a Gusher 10 advertised as "A robust bilge pump with a worldwide reputation for efficiency and reliability.  Constructed of die-cast, epoxy coated, anodized alloy, synthetic rubber and stainless steel."  Although the advertisement is filled with neat words, the pump was always marginal and failed to operate at the last bilge cleaning.  The die-cast, epoxy coated, anodized alloy broke down and corrosion set in leaving a heavy coat of wet, white mush plugging the valves.

I replaced all the neat words with a Guzzler 500 Thru-deck made of Delrin (A friend showed me the importance of a thru-deck manual bilge pumps this year by not having one when it was needed most ;-)  Although the advertised flow rate for the Guzzler is 15 GPM vs 22 advertised for the Gusher 10, it should prove adequate and I have more confidence with items made of synthetic material if they live in or near the water (and it was $200 cheaper :-)

Building & Installing A Propane Locker

My original idea was to locate propane locker under the fantail and have it slide out for access and service however, the tiller would not allow it.  So, I built a locker that can be accessed from the top and hold a 5 pound tank plus a couple of 1 pound bottles for the BBQ.   I built the basic box using 1/2" ply for the sides and 3/4" ply for the bottom.  The box was glassed inside and out plus taped on all seams without a lot of concern about the final appearance (it will not be visible once installed.)  To support the locker when installed on top of the fantail, I added a collar around the locker using clear fir and secured it to the box with with #10 SS screws. Once the collar was secured to the locker I routed the outside corners then beveled the inside corners using thickened epoxy.  Another layer of glass covers the entire upper portion of the locker/collar so it essentially becomes one piece.  Fourteen pre drilled, countersunk and epoxy coated holes were placed around the collar to accept #10 SS fasteners.

The upper portion of the locker and inside the box was primed with AWLGRIP two part primer.  The finish coat was applied to just the collar area using Interlux two part paint left over from the mast project.  My plan was to paint the inside with Zolotone however, that would cost more than the entire box ;-) 
The hatch lid was made from mahogany using simple butt joint that was glued and screwed with #8 SS screws, recessed, plugged, sanded and varnished (8 coats.)  For emergency venting, a 1/2 inch hose is connected to the bottom of the locker to a 1/2 bronze through hull.  High pressure propane travels through a POL pigtail to the regulator where it is reduced to .5 psi and is prevented from going any further by a low pressure solenoid valve wired to the control panel in the cabin.  I also installed a red light on the bulkhead over the stove to indicate if the gas is on or off.  I used the locker lid the first night after installation to set my portable stove on while I cooked dinner (it was too hot to cook in the cabin :-) The lid was later covered with Sunbrella.

The finished product