Boat Stands

With Father's Day tomorrow, I won't be getting much done on the boat. So after work today I took a trip to Sydney, in order to pick up a crucial 'V-Top' boat stand for the bow. Due to lack of funds, I initially splurged out on only four main stands (plus a smaller keel stand), with the bow supported on a flimsy bit of timber. Still, the boat has seemed quite stable whilst I've been messing around on it up until now. She doesn't seem to move at all when the wind kicks up either. I haven't taken any chances with it though, and have avoided moving too far forward whenever aboard.

It's taken a while, but now I could finally afford at least one more stand (hence today's journey to the 'mad-house' of Sydney).

These things are expensive, but a bloody good bit of kit. I had played with various ideas for homemade alternatives, but in the end I figured that it wouldn't be worth the risk. Our son lives in the cabin right next to the boat. Plus the gas cylinders probably wouldn't be the best place to suddenly (and violently) park a boat on top of. I'll need a couple more stands for the sides sometime in the future, so I can move the existing ones around and get to the hull beneath. 

At least now I can get right up into the bow and remove the rest of the anchor chain, as well as have a good look around up in there. I'm also keen to get that mangled bow rail off. 

The stands are 'Brownell Boat Stands', which are made in the USA. Their agent here in Sydney is "Butchart Marine Services' (in Dee Why). Greg (the Managing Director) has been very professional and helpful. I couldn't be happier with these stands, and highly recommend them. 

(And no, I don't have any affiliation with these guys)

I'm less than happy with my keel support set up though. The forward part of the keel currently sits on a pile of hardwood fence post sections (formerly destined to be firewood). The aft section sits on an adjustable Brownell keel stand. This was so that I could adjust for the sloping and uneven ground. At some point I intend to source some big, thick solid bits of hardwood, and try to support the length of the keel more evenly. Hopefully I'm not distorting the hull at all.

Cockpit Height Detective Work

I got a little bit more done over the weekend. The weather was stunning and it was hard to keep my mind on the job, rather than fantasising about being out on Broken Bay with the finished product (...sigh...one day).

Anyway, after uncovering the boat, I soon discovered a pleasant couple of 'firsts'. Small wins, granted, but you've got to take them when you can.

Firstly, there was no water sitting anywhere inside the hull. The bilge, cockpit lockers, everywhere, all dry (well, dryish). And a container of desiccant that I'd left in the bilge as a test, even had a bit of water trapped in it.

Secondly, as I'd been able to leave the washboards out and lockers open, I finally didn't have to wear a respirator when inside the cabin. Actually, I probably should still wear one because of the various flavours of potentially toxic mould that still adorns every surface, but at least there's no longer the overpowering stench of chemicals and decay in the atmosphere. In any case, I took my chances and refused to don one. I'll let you know if any funny little coughs develop.

Revelling in these new experiences, I happily went on to remove the last bits of crap that were still cluttering up Sentina's cabin. The rubbish pile is quite large now, and my little shed is crammed full with the stuff I can't/won't throw out. I think it could be time for a council rubbish pickup (better warn them to wear hazmat suits).

My main pressing issues now are to get the rest of the gelcoat off, and also to remove the large, fixed items (water tanks and engine/stern gear/etc). Since I'm still working on the best way to remove the gelcoat, I instead started trying to pull up the cockpit sole. By getting that out of the way, I'd have unfettered access to her engine and associated nether regions. I intend to raise the cockpit in the future anyway, to make it self-draining.

Surprisingly, all of the screws holding the sole down, came out quite easily. Even the last one, which is usually always a bastard. The silastic goo that sealed the edges proved another matter though. Good stuff, that. I'm going to have to cut it away, but I'll need a Stanley knife for that job (my old one's died).

With time starting to run short, I opted for a bit of exploring. After removing a cover piece that'd been screwed over the top of the engine, I was able to see the underneath side of the cockpit sole. What I saw make me think that perhaps someone in the past had already had a go at raising the sole's height. A redundant flange continued down past the floor on both sides, to where the original looks to have been located.

Fiona and Jeremy Rogers confirmed that the floor height has indeed been raised, and gave me tips on how to reinstate it to original configuration. They also helped with ideas on how to raise the cockpit the 'proper' way. Here's a couple of photos of their latest CO26 restoration (Grayling) where they did just that.

Looks pretty easy, right? How hard could it be? Just another little job. Tack it onto the list, I'll get around to it sometime........

View photos at SlickPic.com

http://www.slickpic.com/s/IMMNIzMA3iONzO/RoninaRogersContessa26?preview

After Sales Service - 44 years later

Its been a bit quiet boat wise the last couple of weeks, but the weather forecast looks good for this weekend so I should be able to get a bit more work done. I haven' been completely idle however. I've located a mob in England (BPSC Marine) who can restore the Sestrel hand compass for around £120. Seems reasonable, although I don't know how much the shipping would cost yet. Still, it'd probably be worth it when I can afford to get it done (stop laughing).

I've also been in contact with the legendary team of Fiona and Jeremy Rogers (original builders), and they've been incredibly supportive. They've passed on a lot of really helpful information and tips. They've also sent me photos of a CO26 that they bought back and restored about 13 years ago called 'Rosina of Beaulieu' (see link to online album: 'Rosina - Rogers' Contessa 26'). Here's what Fiona had to say:

"He restored Rosina of Beaulieu, a 1974 boat, some 13 years ago, and she ended up looking like new.  She also became a famous Round-the-Island Race winner under our ownership, as she achieved an unprecedented three overall wins (2002 /03 /06)!  We then sold her and went on to restore a famous old Contessa 32, Gigi.  Now we’re back to Contessa 26 hull number 6, which originally belonged to the generous man who funded the tooling to set up production– without him nothing could have happened, and so it is highly appropriate that we should own and restore Grayling."

 The photos are a great source of inspiration at the moment, and I've made my keyboard quite soggy by drooling all over it whilst studying the shots. It seems hard to imagine that Sentina will one day look like this. 

They were also able to confirm some important data on my boat. Apparently she is Hull Number 49, and her class sail number is CO 150. She was built for a Mr. Wheatly, and a Bill of Sale was raised on 17 March 1969 for £2, 835.00. We believe she was sailed out to Australia by Mr John Lynton Moate. If there's anyone out there who might have any idea about who this guy is/was, then please do us a favour and let me know. I'd love to find out some details about this voyage.