Summary of work done, and what still remains to be done

So far I have been repairing what the builder did wrong, or not the way I wanted to, and I added a few things to the deck, which I asked for but never got.

Izaac cutting the limber holes. 

Today we had Isaac of Profection Manufacturing cut the limber holes bigger, which should have been done at the initial building stage. Some that were provided were so small they got blocked by dust and blown sand. Isaac did have one oopsy, and made a leeeetle hole in the hull, but that will be quickly welded up.

Bongani framed the portholes and welded them up

We made frames of 25mm x 2mm angle steel, to pull the warped topsides around the portholes

Old hatch slides coming off. Note the wave breaker for when we take the seas green over the bows. 

back to a fair profile. Since I was fighting the new inverter welder, it took me all of two weeks to cobble together ten frames. David and Bongani clamped them, welded, and the result is great!


I took off the companionway hatch slides, eventually I had to resort to a cold chisel. Damaged the slides and also the deck. The deck will be easily welded up, the slides will be re-made, nothing that money would not take care of.  Some scrap provided slides for the washboard slides.

On the deck I built a wave-breaker arc, complete with a 12mm rod welded on the top. This will serve to protect the main hatch from waves when we round Cape Horn, and also to fasten a canopy to.

David welding the new slides for the washboards. He had no hassle with the new welder.

More detail of the wave breaker. The Horn to starboard there!

The coming week I will have all the welds inspected, finish off the ends of the rod on the wave breaker, and finish the rudder fittings. Saturday coming we will fit the rudder at least provisionally, fix the deck and the small hole in the hull, and start on the trailer re-design, so that the supports of the boat can be taken off and replace. The trailer cost a lot and that money must not just serve as a boat cradle.

We are also changing the rudder hinge to a more robust and field repairable design. More on that next week.

Then I must arrange the sandblasting and painting. If anyone has ideas about paint, let me know. I am inclined towards coal tar epoxy, but it is environment-unfriendly. There is another epoxy that is used inside water pipes and tanks, but that requires a SA 3 sand blasting finish, something I am not sure we can achieve inside. The third option is an epoxy with aluminium and zinc powder; basically a cold galvanising treatment. Comments are welcome!

And thanks to David, Bongani and Isaac, I appreciate your help, guys!