Winter 2008-2009 Refit | Sunday, October 5, 2008
This morning, I finished
unloading what I had to. Most of the gear was now off
the boat, though a few things remained. I unloaded all
the food, drink, and toiletries to be used by us during the
months ahead.
After spending a bit of
time researching my options for the new forward hatch, and
based upon some experience with various hatch types and
styles, I decided upon the
Lewmar Ocean Series 60, a sound hatch with good
features. The 60 size, according to its dimensional
drawings, would be an exact fit in the opening that I
already had--one of the few times in any industry where
sizing seems to be standard across manufacturers (what a
concept).
One thing I really liked
about this hatch was its venting feature: the hatch
can be closed and latched in such a way as to allow constant
ventilation, but without allowing rainwater in. Also,
the hatch features handles that are operable from inside or
outside--another feature that I was used to and wanted to
keep. Bomar's hatches rarely feature this.
To that end, I removed the
decrepit old hatch from Glissando's forecabin.
This operation took about 2 minutes: undo the mounting
screws and pry the hatch loose from its sealant
(silicone...yes, I made dumb choices in the past).
What's the problem with the
old hatch, one might ask? Well, the welded seam on the
extruded frame broke, causing the hatch to fit improperly
and not close securely. The split seam, corroded and
tight friction hinges, and generally lame construction
forced the hinge screws to fail as well, exacerbating the
alignment and use issues. |
With the old hatch removed,
and the direction for the new hatch determined, I was well
on my way to knocking off one of the items on my list.
I planned to order the new hatch soon, possibly along with
an interior trim package and integral screen.
In other research, I explored
the options available for new wind instruments. I was
intrigued by the Tack Tick
Micronet Wind System, a wireless, solar-powered device
from an innovative company. More musings to come on
this later.
Finally today, I set up the
dodger so that the canvas guys would have it in place when
they came to template/measure/whatever for my planned
modifications to incorporate removable wings. |
