Since the Transom and cockpit repair core projects are almost complete, I will show what else we have done to improve the boat. For DrJohn, I have included two photos of the Frequent Sea's port side after compounding with Finessit II and several coats of Colinite Fleet wax. The boat looks like new! (We still have to do the cabin top and eyebrow--it may not come out quite as well or last as long, because of more intense UV exposure.)
There is one photo of the last of the transom project--the gel coat has to be blended, the cap put back on, and a final coat of epoxy placed over the solid glass 1.3" section at the bottom of the transom, where the Starboard plate will be screwed/5200 in place for the FF transducers.
The next series of photos involve the step into the cabin down from the cockpit floor. The bilge pump was screwed directly into the cored bottom of the boat--there was minimal if any moisture in these holes, but they were drilled out to slightly over 3/8" and then core routed back from the edges, and the area filled with epoxy filler, after the core was coated with clear epoxy. The screws for the bilge pump bottom will go into the center of these plugs, so no screw into the core.
There were two "L" brackets, with screws into the bottom/core. I removed these brackets. One screw was rusted, and the core was slightly moist. I drilled all of these holes in the bottom out to over 3/8", and routed out the core, dryed the one, and then coated the core with thin epoxy to seal it. The under cut holes were filled with epoxy filler and then the surface was roughed up, along with the Decaboard surface. When the epoxy was still slightly tacky, tabs about 2" x 3" of biaxial cloth were laid into a fillet at the decaboard to bottom of the hull joint and an inch over the bottom, and up the side, tying into these plugs. This eliminates ANY screws into the core in this area. There are a few screws in the cabinets, and they will be eliminated in the same fashion. Thus, hopefully, we will no longer have any screws into the cored bottom of the hull. This is the way which I believe the boats should be built.
I realize that this may be controversial (what do I write which isn't?) but I would expect to see molded interiors for these boats at some point. With the molded interior (or even the current interior), any screws into the cored hull would be eliminated and there would be no question about the core. Incidently this is nothing new--Boats I owned in the early 60's were built this way and when we owned the boat building company that is the way we built the cabinets into the boat.
We have also tightened up cabinets, replaced latches etc. The electronics are a 5" Garmin GPS, an Icom VHF, a 4" Hummingbird Fish finder and a 7" Furuno Radar. the console is completely rewired, with expanded fuse blocks. There is a second #8 set of wires from the house batteries to the consule. We put a "window shade" under the foreward hatch. The Windlass is wired with #6 wire and appropiate breakers. The battery monitering system is a Link 1000. The Fuel monitering is Lowrance in dash guage flow meter. I'll post a photo of the helm station after we get the boat home (security issues leaving electronics on the boat).
A 15 hp Honda Electric start kicker on a bracket will be auxillary power, with a swim platform opposite. There is a 1500 watt inverter for the microwave and other 110 v appliances. There are 3 extra fans; two over the bunks, and one on the driver's side windshield.
Looking at the boat as it is almost finished, it shows that basically a C Dory can be brought back to like new condition with relitatively little work, even if there were some serious problems. I agree that this type of project is not for everyone, but it shows the underlying strength of these boats. (And why I purchased my 3 rd C Dory--and no, I am not being "paid off" or under any pressure to say that. )
My suggestion is that the practice of screwing items to the core of the hull be discontinued, and any screws put there removed, the hole drilled out, under cut and filled with epoxy and tabbing replace these fastenings. Any place where screws have to go into cored deck, and there is balsa, the area can be drilled, under cut and the screw into epoxy and filler, which will eliminate any water intrustion into deck cores. All holes cut into the cored deck or hull, need to be epoxy sealed to prevent rot (windlass, hausepipe, bolts for cleats etc). Incidently we found that the transom tow eyes had been replaced at some point--backed with Starboard, and a sS plate--the Gel coat had been redone. This makes me think that the tow eyes had pulled thru or damaged the laminate. (No transom core in the area of the tow eyes).
There
There is one photo of the last of the transom project--the gel coat has to be blended, the cap put back on, and a final coat of epoxy placed over the solid glass 1.3" section at the bottom of the transom, where the Starboard plate will be screwed/5200 in place for the FF transducers.
The next series of photos involve the step into the cabin down from the cockpit floor. The bilge pump was screwed directly into the cored bottom of the boat--there was minimal if any moisture in these holes, but they were drilled out to slightly over 3/8" and then core routed back from the edges, and the area filled with epoxy filler, after the core was coated with clear epoxy. The screws for the bilge pump bottom will go into the center of these plugs, so no screw into the core.
There were two "L" brackets, with screws into the bottom/core. I removed these brackets. One screw was rusted, and the core was slightly moist. I drilled all of these holes in the bottom out to over 3/8", and routed out the core, dryed the one, and then coated the core with thin epoxy to seal it. The under cut holes were filled with epoxy filler and then the surface was roughed up, along with the Decaboard surface. When the epoxy was still slightly tacky, tabs about 2" x 3" of biaxial cloth were laid into a fillet at the decaboard to bottom of the hull joint and an inch over the bottom, and up the side, tying into these plugs. This eliminates ANY screws into the core in this area. There are a few screws in the cabinets, and they will be eliminated in the same fashion. Thus, hopefully, we will no longer have any screws into the cored bottom of the hull. This is the way which I believe the boats should be built.
I realize that this may be controversial (what do I write which isn't?) but I would expect to see molded interiors for these boats at some point. With the molded interior (or even the current interior), any screws into the cored hull would be eliminated and there would be no question about the core. Incidently this is nothing new--Boats I owned in the early 60's were built this way and when we owned the boat building company that is the way we built the cabinets into the boat.
We have also tightened up cabinets, replaced latches etc. The electronics are a 5" Garmin GPS, an Icom VHF, a 4" Hummingbird Fish finder and a 7" Furuno Radar. the console is completely rewired, with expanded fuse blocks. There is a second #8 set of wires from the house batteries to the consule. We put a "window shade" under the foreward hatch. The Windlass is wired with #6 wire and appropiate breakers. The battery monitering system is a Link 1000. The Fuel monitering is Lowrance in dash guage flow meter. I'll post a photo of the helm station after we get the boat home (security issues leaving electronics on the boat).
A 15 hp Honda Electric start kicker on a bracket will be auxillary power, with a swim platform opposite. There is a 1500 watt inverter for the microwave and other 110 v appliances. There are 3 extra fans; two over the bunks, and one on the driver's side windshield.
Looking at the boat as it is almost finished, it shows that basically a C Dory can be brought back to like new condition with relitatively little work, even if there were some serious problems. I agree that this type of project is not for everyone, but it shows the underlying strength of these boats. (And why I purchased my 3 rd C Dory--and no, I am not being "paid off" or under any pressure to say that. )
My suggestion is that the practice of screwing items to the core of the hull be discontinued, and any screws put there removed, the hole drilled out, under cut and filled with epoxy and tabbing replace these fastenings. Any place where screws have to go into cored deck, and there is balsa, the area can be drilled, under cut and the screw into epoxy and filler, which will eliminate any water intrustion into deck cores. All holes cut into the cored deck or hull, need to be epoxy sealed to prevent rot (windlass, hausepipe, bolts for cleats etc). Incidently we found that the transom tow eyes had been replaced at some point--backed with Starboard, and a sS plate--the Gel coat had been redone. This makes me think that the tow eyes had pulled thru or damaged the laminate. (No transom core in the area of the tow eyes).
There
