Wire Rope vs. Amsteel-Blue

A lot more polyurethane went into the stateroom and kitchen today. Like the pilothouse all the accent wood (frames, fiddles, etc.) is done in gloss. Everything is in semigloss. All the stateroom brass hardware was removed, polished and lacquered. I've heard the lacquer works well to keep the brass polished; we'll see. 

The wire rope supporting the dinghy's bow parted today while lowering the dink to the ground. Fortunately the dink was down when it happened. My guess is that when the weight was off, the wire tangled on the winch drum. The good news is that removing the winch assembly from the Simpson 175 is as easy as removing seven screws. The 175 has 18' of 7x19, right hand lay, 5/32" (4mm), stainless wire rope. I'm going to try some 5/32" Amsteel-Blue in lieu of the stainless. Replaced another 41 deck screws with teak dowels.

Poly and Windows

More stateroom polyurethane. Finished up the last five opening windows.

Thoughts on Window Channel Upgrade

Got the salon's starboard forward and starboard middle windows back in. Black GE Silicon II caulk was used between the inner window retainer and the stainless frame as well as between the outer window retainer and the stainless frame. The same caulk was used between the non-movable window and its retainer (i.e. the outer retainer) to lock the window in place. If the screws holding the retainers leak, water will find its way into the void between the salon's outer fiberglass wall and the wood of the inner wall. This may be where Nellie's port side leak is. Clearly the screws which cause the most concern are the ones that water naturally pools on, i.e. those on the bottom of the window. The inner retainer has no screws on the bottom--just two on the forward side and one on the aft. The outer retainer has three screws on the bottom. Two of these can't be serviced as they're covered by the fixed pane. I caulked closed those two holes and didn't put screws back in them--I fear leaks more than I fear the loss of strength from the missing two screws.

Got the third and last coat of Helsman Spar Urethane on the outward facing edge of the teak window frames.

Cut the water drainage slots through the Trim-Lok U-channels.

Replacement Window U Channel--Trim-Lok

Used a bead of Locktite PL S40 (polyurethane caulk) between the window's stainless u-channel (aka the inner retainer) and the Trim-Lok rubber u-channel. The S40 works great holding the rubber u-channel inside the stainless u-channel. To get the Trim-Lok to form tightly to the window's corners I heated it with a heat gun. This relaxes the Trim-Lok so it can easily be pushed right into place. Masking tape kept the Trim-Lok firmly seated in the retainer until the S40 dried. Once dry the ends of the Trim-Lok, which had been left long, were cut even with the the ends of the inner retainer.

 Got the third and final coats of Helmsman Spar Urethane on the inward facing edges of the teak window frames. I was finally able to get the urethane to flow pretty well. The trick was to dip the brush in urethane and then, starting about four inches in front of the wet edge, stroke the brush back into the wet edge. 

Everything in the stateroom, except the doors, got its first coat of Minwax semigloss polyurethane.

Valspar Flat Dove White Latex on the Walls

Sanded everything in the stateroom that has a polyurethane finish—which is a lot! Put the third coat of Lowes Valspar Dove white on the stateroom's port side wainscoting. Sanded the louvered doors under the galley sink.

Paint on Runrail

Repainted the teak rubrail black.

Grease and Caulk

Filled fastener holes in the stack with polyester putty. Put a new pencil zinc in the heat exchanger. Greased the Bomar hatches, the windlass, and the rudder shaft. Recaulked the wind instrument mount.