1984 Refurbishing Project

[Randall Schmidt]

I noticed some of the snaps that we installed around and on the cabin top for a storm dodger are loose and simply spin if you try to tighten them. what is the best procedure to securely rebel them so they are tight and are not a source of moister to enter the core? If they remove them do I need to inject denatured alcohol to dry out any moister before doing something? I'd rather not, if I can help it,have to pot out the holes and epoxy, drill a small pilot hole and apply caulk, then screw the snaps back in place unless that is truly what I need to do. How do I avoid making an unsightly patch job around each snap fitting?

 

[Randall Schmidt]

I just realized we put new RG8 VHF cable in the mast. Bought it at West Marine. Was that a mistake? Since my mast is keel stepped and the vhf cable will likely get wet do I need to use the waterproof VHF cable instead? Or, since I purchased it at WM can I count it being proper for my marine environment?

 

[Randall Schmidt]

Here are some recent photos of my project as it moves along

 

[Randall Schmidt]

more progress here

 

[Randall Schmidt]

Turnbuckle boots - when I got the boat the boots where all shot. I cut them off with a razor knife and found these canvas boots that velcro on avoiding the need to remove and reinstall each stay. Now that all my standing rigging is being replaced at $10 a plastic boot should I go back to them and keep the easy-to-install canvas boots for years from now when the plastic cracks and fails once more or just continue to use the canvas now?

 

[dlochner]

Turnbuckle boots - when I got the boat the boots where all shot. I cut them off with a razor knife and found these canvas boots that velcro on avoiding the need to remove and reinstall each stay. Now that all my standing rigging is being replaced at $10 a plastic boot should I go back to them and keep the easy-to-install canvas boots for years from now when the plastic cracks and fails once more or just continue to use the canvas now?

Leave them off, SS wants to breathe. Let them breath. One band of rigging tape around each cotter pin. If you want to get fancy, get self-amalgamating tape.

 

[Capt Robbie]

Hi Randall,
Regarding rigging,
I have 1983 Hunter 34 and replaced all the standing rigging.
I used Seacost South in Florida. They were the best price and duplicated everything exactly. My rigging was all original and well maintained as I am original owner. I was under the false idea that if it looks good don't fix what is not broken. I held on to this thought for the past ten years untill I saw a fellow sailor have his mast fail. Now they have not only the standing rigging to replace but now have to add to the bill a mast, running rigging, electronics, and damage to boat. All not covered 100% covered by insurance due to age of rigging and no proper documentation of its replacement because it was never done.
His total bill is now over 7k. Stories of other people's rigging failures. Seeing and hearing horror stories put that monkey on my back and makes you wonder is today going to be the day the rigging fails?

The moral of the this is Don't wait until it's to late.
Not worth someone getting hurt.
When Seacost South did mine they said it looked ok however you never can see what it going on inside the swaged fittings.
After I replaced it I now have peace of mind and can't put price tag on that.

Regarding opening ports
See my post refurbishing hatches cheep.
You can usually get replacement screens and gaskets fairly cheap. Toothpaste and a paper towel works absolutely amazing to remove decades of haze on the lenses with almost no effort.
Hope this is helpful

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I noticed some of the snaps that we installed around and on the cabin top for a storm dodger are loose and simply spin if you try to tighten them. what is the best procedure to securely rebel them so they are tight and are not a source of moister to enter the core? QUOTE]

I bought snaps with oversized screws, but filling with epoxy and redrilling would probably be a better fix.

 

[jssailem]

Randal..
For dlochner "Leave them off, SS wants to breathe.Let them breath.". After all this work why recreate the condition again for self destruction...

Les has it right "Filling with epoxy and redrilling would probably be a better fix.." You want to stop water getting to your core, then epoxy the hole. Then the holes are sealed from the core. Done correctly... No water into to the core from that hole.

Do it once. Do it right. No regerts....

 

[Ron20324]

[QUOTE="Randall Schmidt, ]I noticed some of the snaps that we installed around and on the cabin top for a storm dodger are loose and simply spin if you try to tighten them. ...?[/QUOTE]

I see Sailrite has a system that lets you pop-rivet snaps in place.

 

[dlochner]

[QUOTE="Randall Schmidt, ]I noticed some of the snaps that we installed around and on the cabin top for a storm dodger are loose and simply spin if you try to tighten them. ...?

I see Sailrite has a system that lets you pop-rivet snaps in place.

Yes, they do. I have used it on canvass, slick system that allows the pop rivet gun to do double duty. It will work better with a heavy duty rivet. I used this one from Arrow with a swivel head.

 

[jssailem]

pop-rivet snaps in place.

Every tool has a job to do. It is up to the operator to decide which tool to use. With the OP wanting to protect the deck core from water intrusion I am at a loss to see how a PopRivet can serve this need. But that is up to the boat owner. The beauty of boat ownership. You can do what you wish and enjoy the results.

 

[dlochner]

Every tool has a job to do. It is up to the operator to decide which tool to use. With the OP wanting to protect the deck core from water intrusion I am at a loss to see how a PopRivet can serve this need. But that is up to the boat owner. The beauty of boat ownership. You can do what you wish and enjoy the results.

The pop rivets only work on uncored fiberglass. Sailrite was concerned about water intrusion with the pop rivet approach, a video is posted on their site. The conclusion was that their system was pretty watertight.

For me, the bigger advantage is that I can carry one tool to install snaps and pop rivets. The other alternative is to get a separate tool that just installs snaps.

 

[jssailem]

I must be misunderstanding the issue. I looked up sailrite and selected their "Cloth to Surface" fittings. Everyone of the fittings I looked at was for a screw into fiberglass and the core. The hope was that the core would be protected with a dab of caulk or 5200 I am guessing.
http://www.sailrite.com/All-Hardwar...rface/type/Products?order=custitem_popularity
Makes no difference to me what tool is chosen. I like to find new tools to use as much as the next guy. Hope the tool chosen works for the craftsman. (sorry if this sounds like a rant. Must be in the mood today...) Need some boat time. Wednesday is just a day away.... Yeah...

 

[Randall Schmidt]

I think the dialog got astray. My question was how do I rebed snaps in the cabin top

 

[Randall Schmidt]

I have a wheel (and Edson rig) instead of a tiller. I bought a Raymarine EV100 Auto-pilot and a RM A77 multifunction navigation 7" monitor. Do I need to mount it in a removable fixture to avoid theft? Or, use a more secure setup harder to remove? either way I'll use a binnacle cover to keep honest people honest.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I think the dialog got astray. My question was how do I rebed snaps in the cabin top

as I see it you have several options

1. drill out the holes slightly and fill with epoxy, redrill for the size of snap you have now (safest)
2. buy snaps with bigger screws - be sure and bed with good sealant
3. use snaps that have pop-rivets rather than screws (not my idea but presented above) again bed with a good sealant
4. move the snap on both the canvas and deck - seal original hole and use bedding on new hole.

good luck Randall

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I have a wheel (and Edson rig) instead of a tiller. I bought a Raymarine EV100 Auto-pilot and a RM A77 multifunction navigation 7" monitor. Do I need to mount it in a removable fixture to avoid theft? Or, use a more secure setup harder to remove? either way I'll use a binnacle cover to keep honest people honest.

this is enough off topic - you might want to start a new thread to get the best response.

 

[Randall Schmidt]

I just discovered a new leak under the starboard side forward most post of the stern pulpit. Photos attached. I can easily get to this inside the boat but 2 of the 3 aft-most posts on the stern pulpit are not accessible from inside the boat. The only possibility I can come up with is to open the tiny sealed hatch area on the aft part of the cockpit starboard side (an area made to store some ice and a six pack), cut a hole in the vertical aft side to get access and then cover it with a removable inspection port. This leaves only one post I cannot get under. For the moment I'm just finishing huge volumes of boat work and want to sail. Options I'd like to do (wa

nt your opinion on) are: (a) loosed and rebed just the one post I can access easily assuming there is sufficient flex in the stern pulpit to lift it off the boat and enable me to epoxy, drill out and caulk to reseal it; or (b) try apply sealant to the top most outer bolt heads and post mounting. Here are some photos.

 

[Randall Schmidt]

I decided while the mast is off and I'm rebedding deck hw I should do the mast fitting in the cabin top. The mast is keel stepped with a frame on the cabin top held down with 4 bolts. I removed the bolts and the plate remains secure to the cabin top. Maybe someone used 5100 on it sometime since 1984? Any tips on removing this or should I just put some caulk in the bolt holes and secure it back down since it is not leaking?