DO YOU KNOW YOUR BOAT?

[Project_Mayhem]

The only places I have not explored is under the cabin sole and under the side decks. Both require a scope

Me too...

I made the nooks and crannies

Here is one I restored.... tore it down to the stringers and rebuilt the interior... then rebuilt the keel.View attachment 215089

Wow! No wonder you opted to rebuild the engine! She's like a brand new boat!

OUCH !

Don't call it that, call it a borescope. Sounds less invasive .

The "bore" part sounds kind of like drilling

We know her very, very, well however, after three years we were still finding things we hadn't noticed before then.

Is this your Mako or Pearson?

There's one place in the stern I haven't investigated yet. Need to either drop 40 lbs or hire a small child. Guess which will happen first.

I see there's no plans on removing said child. Someone's gotta keep watch!

 

[capta]

Is this your Mako or Pearson?
I see there's no plans on removing said child. Someone's gotta keep watch!

The Pearson. The Mako is 17.1'. I really don't see much point in getting too familiar with it. It has no thruhulls, a bilge pump and it has an outboard.

 

[Hayden Watson]

This may help looking and recording in the Nooks and Crannies.
https://www.amazon.com/Yuhoo-Inspec...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584070157912792&psc=1

Jim...

PS: Called a Endoscope.

I do not care what Amazon calls it, that is a borescope. An endoscope is a steerable device that allows the end to be moved in all directions so that it can navigate through (shall we say) delicate passages.

 

[Hayden Watson]

The "bore" part sounds kind of like drilling

That would be bore as in the void in a gun barrel that the bullet travels through.
Not to be confused with boar as in a male hog
or bore as is a tiresome or uninteresting person.

 

[Hayden Watson]

Meanwhile back on John's subject.
Every boat I have ever bought, the first thing I did was remove verything that was not bolted down (and some that were) until there was nothing in any compartment. Then each was cleaned to the greatest extent possible. Once that was done I would go through the huge piles of stuff that had been on board and seperated it into piles.
1. Oh, Hell no! - which went straight to the dump.
2. That defiantly stays on board. - which was cleaned and assigned a home.
3. I wonder what that is or that might be handy - which was placed into the boat stuff corner of the garage.

 

[stickinthemud57]

It's as true of your boat as it is to one's self and the people around you. Either you find the problems when you are digging around or you find them when unexpected stresses result in catastrophic failure.

 

[Terry Cox]

Our complicated boat has so many systems and after owning her since 2002, all the nooks and crannies have been inspected, but some new things crop up now and then that create puzzles that need solving. One being the article I posted elsewhere on this forum that deals with lubricating through hull ball valves. Still working on a solution, since we have different styles, nine altogether below the waterline, some have winterizing plugs where you can squirt in some grease and some do not.

Whenever a puzzle does expose itself, the immediate task at hand let's solve it. That has become one of the joys of boat ownership. The gauntlet, the challenge, to figure out what's wrong before it becomes a serious problem. I have a long list of problems that have cropped over the years, mostly minor ones, but I won't bore you with all the details here, suffice it to say they were solved, most all of which have been published here on this forum to share with others. All part of becoming intimate with your gal. Just to name a few:

1. Clogged aft cabin toilet discharge hose.
2. Dead windlass.
3. Jammed reef line.
4. Jammed main halyard.
5. Genset shuts down after starting.
6. Broken steering sheave guide.
7. Fender storage.
8. Dingy storage.
9. MId-ship cleats.
10. Fried DC meter.
11. DC outlets.
12. Boarding step.
13. Boat hook storage.
14. Many, many more.

 

[jviss]

For my Catalina 36 I had a map of all the storage spaces in the back of my log book, and an inventory of what was in them. I even produced a complimentary item to compartment index. On the Tartan, after five years of ownership, I still haven't figured out where everything is. It's on my list of things to do! I can't even find the macerator pump to fix it! There are many more hidden and hard to access spaces than the C36, some of which is due to the the abundance of teak finishing pieces, the overhead liner, etc.

 

[Terry Cox]

Just thought of one cranny, the chainplate area, that has not been inspected, which requires drilling a hole and inserting a scope of sorts. Must do.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Much as I would like to minimize projects, I keep poking around in just about every nook and cranny and I often don't leave "good enough" alone. In our first season with our new-to-us 20 year-old boat, Sue and I became stranded outside the inlet when the water pump belt broke and I had the parts, but not the tools with me, to replace it while out there. Consequently, (and because it is my nature) I routinely replace just about every replaceable part that I come across, often for the simple reason that the parts are over 20 years old and because I think that just about anything that I can replace easily is an improvement. I'm still a little nervous about thru hulls because they are marelon and very stiff to operate. It appears that the previous owner never closed thru hulls while in the water. I also find most of them relatively hard to access.

 

[jviss]

Much as I would like to minimize projects, I keep poking around in just about every nook and cranny and I often don't leave "good enough" alone. In our first season with our new-to-us 20 year-old boat, Sue and I became stranded outside the inlet when the water pump belt broke and I had the parts, but not the tools with me, to replace it while out there. Consequently, (and because it is my nature) I routinely replace just about every replaceable part that I come across, often for the simple reason that the parts are over 20 years old and because I think that just about anything that I can replace easily is an improvement. I'm still a little nervous about thru hulls because they are marelon and very stiff to operate. It appears that the previous owner never closed thru hulls while in the water. I also find most of them relatively hard to access.

Good points, Scott. We often age with our boats and don't realize that things are getting older every year, and approaching or passing their useful, reliable life. My boat is now 27 years old! Hard to believe. I've only owned it for five. I sprung a slight leak in one of the large coolant hoses - actually, I think it was probably leaking when I bought the boat! I purchased the new, molded, and over-priced hose, but still haven't replaced it. So, this spring, all engine hoses - seawater and coolant - will be replaced. There are other things, too. I am not sure I have a spare serpentine belt on hand, either. So, yes, time to go through things.

 

[Mark Maulden]

Cell phones cameras are good for inspection. A lot better resolution and stronger light with the flash. Assuming it will fit where needed. Works great under my cabin sole!

 

[dLj]

Much as I would like to minimize projects, I keep poking around in just about every nook and cranny and I often don't leave "good enough" alone. In our first season with our new-to-us 20 year-old boat, Sue and I became stranded outside the inlet when the water pump belt broke and I had the parts, but not the tools with me, to replace it while out there. Consequently, (and because it is my nature) I routinely replace just about every replaceable part that I come across, often for the simple reason that the parts are over 20 years old and because I think that just about anything that I can replace easily is an improvement. I'm still a little nervous about thru hulls because they are marelon and very stiff to operate. It appears that the previous owner never closed thru hulls while in the water. I also find most of them relatively hard to access.

I don't know what the expected lifespan of marelon thru-hulls are supposed to be, but 20 year old thru-hulls made from marelon would make me nervous. But true confessions - I'm a bronze seacock fan.

I'd also look carefully at the hard to access ones and see if they could be moved. I just redesigned the locations of my thru-hulls (ones that needed to be moved were moved - a number were simply removed) and replaced all. But then mine were approaching 40 years old - also, they were not marelon, they were bronze.

dj

 

[jssailem]

Assuming it will fit where needed.

And you will not let it slip out of your hand dropping into an unexplored void.

 

[Mark Maulden]

Assuming it will fit where needed.

And you will not let it slip out of your hand dropping into an unexplored void.

Tether it…

 

[dLj]

Tether it…

How do you tether your cell phone? Just curious. I'm looking at mine and don't see an easy way to do it.

dj

 

[LaDonaMina]

I am fortunate to have still in posession all the documentation on my boat since new. I know the boat inside and out and have modified components much better than the original Hunter design for durability and function.

 

[Hayden Watson]

And you will not let it slip out of your hand dropping into an unexplored void.

You really had to relight the night terrors, didn't you!?!?!
I was trying to see a wire and dropped my work phone (during a busy time) and it slid down into a 1/2" gap under the head sole. Took me three days and a lot of fiberglass scrapes to get it back.

 

[Dalliance]

Much as I would like to minimize projects, I keep poking around in just about every nook and cranny and I often don't leave "good enough" alone. In our first season with our new-to-us 20 year-old boat, Sue and I became stranded outside the inlet when the water pump belt broke and I had the parts, but not the tools with me, to replace it while out there. Consequently, (and because it is my nature) I routinely replace just about every replaceable part that I come across, often for the simple reason that the parts are over 20 years old and because I think that just about anything that I can replace easily is an improvement. I'm still a little nervous about thru hulls because they are marelon and very stiff to operate. It appears that the previous owner never closed thru hulls while in the water. I also find most of them relatively hard to access.

I‘ve also poked around everywhere in my boat and have replaced just about everything over the years. The pitfall for me has always been project scope creep, slipping into the “while I’m at it“ mode. Having owned the boat since 2007, I now find myself starting to replace things a second time.

 

[Terry Cox]

Cell phones cameras are good for inspection. A lot better resolution and stronger light with the flash. Assuming it will fit where needed. Works great under my cabin sole!

Hi Mark. My flip phone does not have a flash and the pictures are so small to be useless. I prefer my rechargeable high intensity LED flashlights. Very versatile even used as spot lights at night. My video/photo camera works great for those projects that need recording.