1988 O’Day 192 Restoration

[GSBNY]

I keep my 5lb propane tank in the gas locker in the cockpit. It works great but there was a tiny problem - the propane tank line end didn’t fit through the opening in the locker. That would mean I would have to keep the top of the locker open to have the tank connected to the motor.

So, I took a peak at the locker wall and realized the outer wall was just screwed in with 4 screws. With the bottom 2 screws out the panel hinges outward and gives me plenty of space to pass the propane line through. Then I can just push it back into place and keep the locker hatch closed.

Now that it could swing out, it could also swing in and that was another issue. My concern would be trying to brace yourself and the panel giving way. So I made a backstop that’s bolted through the hull with some butyl tape and a big neoprene washer.

Now I just need to clean and detail that locker. Another perk of propane is no spills or leaks to clean up.

 

[GSBNY]

I’ve been able to get out a bunch lately in a big range of conditions (2kts to 24kts). Really getting comfortable on the boat finally. Here’s some highlights:

Gusting to 24kts, had the main reefed and a full jib and the boat was chugging along. Dropped anchor to hang out for a few and couldn’t get the anchor to set. Surprise surprise, I had a horseshoe crab caught in the flukes of my danforth.

A few days later I got everything packed up and sailed until I got hungry. I picked an island to anchor by for some protection and hung out for a while. The wind shifted enough that I was able to sail off the anchor.

Then Dorian made its way by and since I had to work that day I made sure there was no chance of coming home to a problem.

And today started out with light winds and lots of clouds but the wind filled in and the direction was great. The original plan was to anchor out by an island and hang but decided to keep sailing and pass under the Robert Moses Causeway bridge.

I’m still getting a tiny amount of water in the bilge very randomly. I think it has to do with the knotmeter a previous owner installed on their own. But for now, all is well and I’m more focused on using the boat and not trying to fix every little thing. Winter will be here soon and I’ll have plenty of time to fine tune everything then.

 

[GerryG]

But for now, all is well and I’m more focused on using the boat and not trying to fix every little thing. Winter will be here soon and I’ll have plenty of time to fine tune everything then.

Really happy for you! Our season got ended prematurely because I partially tore my biceps tendon. No lifting or pulling for 3 months. The last time out, we got out just East of the lighthouse and pulled into the Marina at Atlantique. There are a few little islands around there that look like nice anchor points. Enjoy it!

 

[GSBNY]

Really happy for you! Our season got ended prematurely because I partially tore my biceps tendon. No lifting or pulling for 3 months. The last time out, we got out just East of the lighthouse and pulled into the Marina at Atlantique. There are a few little islands around there that look like nice anchor points. Enjoy it!

Sorry to hear, I was wondering if I was going to spot you out there one of these days. There aren’t many O’Day 19’s or 192’s on the bay.

The great thing about these small boats is we can anchor almost anywhere in the bay and not have to worry. Though my rudder did unexpectedly make friends with the bottom today between Tanner Park and Indian Island. I’ve sailed through there a ton and never touched but I guess I found the one spot today. The next thing I have to do is change out the rudder downhaul horn cleat for an auto release clam cleat. That way when I hit bottom next time the cleat will pop instead of the rudder getting driven into the bottom.

 

[GerryG]

Ha! That happened to me as well last time we were out! That cleat change is a good idea. One of the winter projects I've got in mind is refinishing all the wood, including the tiller. That would be an opportune time to swap it out. Before I got hurt, I'd gotten a mount for my phone that I can wrap around the tiller at the end, so I can keep Navionics close at hand in spots like that. I guess I'll see about that in the spring!

 

[GSBNY]

Ha! That happened to me as well last time we were out! That cleat change is a good idea. One of the winter projects I've got in mind is refinishing all the wood, including the tiller. That would be an opportune time to swap it out. Before I got hurt, I'd gotten a mount for my phone that I can wrap around the tiller at the end, so I can keep Navionics close at hand in spots like that. I guess I'll see about that in the spring!

I had the Navionics running when I hit bottom and according to them I should have been in 3’ of water. I think I’m going to change out my knotmeter for a depth finder over winter.

This is the cleat you want for the rudder downhaul.

CL257 Auto-Release Cleat 4-6mm(3/16-1/4") Rope |Clamcleat®

Checkout the CL257 Auto-Release cleat from Clamcleat® - The release load is adjustable to ensure the rudder is not damaged if hitting an underwater obstruction.

www.clamcleat.com

I’m also going to put a rudder uphaul on over winter as well.

 

[GerryG]

That's perfect! Thanks for the tip! Enjoy the rest of the season. I'll be living vicariously through your photos!

 

[GSBNY]

Thankfully, I’ve been getting out a bunch lately. A few of those times were in 15 - 20 mph winds so the reef was in before I left the dock.

I’m very fortunate to have my boat docked 20’ from my front door, and live about 1/4 mile up the canal from where I work. So today, I commuted to work by boat for the first time. Just motored right over in 8 minutes and docked out back.

And thankfully my boss is also a sailor who let me leave early to finally sail today. Unfortunately, the super shifty and dying north winds made it more like drifting in a decent current. So the motor went on and I hung out for the sunset.

Still figuring out some work to do over winter. The furler line runs right over the corner of the starboard window and is rubbing a groove in it. I’m thinking I need to change out the horn cleat with a short spacer and cam cleat to clear the window.

I’m also going to setup 2:1 jibsheets and change out the jib cam cleats. The Schaefer cams on there now are tough to cleat from
the windward side when the boats heeled over. So I’m thinking of changing them out for Spinlock PXR Swivel Cams.

PXR Cam Cleat - Spinlock

www.spinlock.co.uk

Anyone use a different swivel base? I need to keep it easy to use under load since my girlfriend is in charge of jib trimming. The PXR releases very easily and cleats just as easily. I think between the PXR’s and the 2:1, trimming the jib in higher winds would never be an issue.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Beautiful!
Great picture of the sunset.
It looks like you are living a fantasy life.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[GSBNY]

And the first season is coming to an end.

A few weeks back we had a pretty good storm pass by that brought some big tides and flooding. At the peak, my bootstripe was even with the top of the dock. Fortunately the whips and dock line combo were enough to keep the boat out of danger. The next storm that came by had 62 mph gusts that kept pushing the boat into the dock hard but the bumpers did their job. Only bad news from both storms is that my port rear railing is leaking like crazy and putting a bunch of water in the bilge when it rains. I have a suspicion that someone crashed their boat into it because it’s loose now and wasn’t leaking before.

Unfortunately due to a death in the family, I wasn’t able to get out much since September. With the temperatures falling fast I decided to start getting ready for haul out so the mast came down yesterday.

Earlier in the season I discovered my lower shroud, which was wrapped in tape, had a bunch of broken strands. The other lower and the short pigtail on the back stay had tape on them as well but I decided to leave it since there was no other signs of a problem. With the rig down, it was time to remove the tape. The other lower was good and surprise surprise, the backstay pigtail has busted strands in it.

My winter projects will definitely include making all new standing rigging. Fortunately I have all the wire and turnbuckles and a swage machine at work. I just need to track down the weird hook terminals that Z Spar used on this rig.

 

[GSBNY]

So I made a small mistake and left the mast at my house when I brought the boat to the storage yard. I need the mast to tent the boat cover so i had to get it there and on the fly this was my solution for the 5 minute drive through town. Luckily I somehow made the drive and didn’t pass any other cars on the way which was very lucky because the mast was maybe a bit longer than my car....

For Christmas I picked up a Tillerclutch. The Davis tiller lock was already on the tiller but it was showing it’s age and falling apart so time for an upgrade. The clutch is a quick on / off flick and should help with single handling next season.

 

[GSBNY]

Well, NY has allowed marinas and boatyards to reopen so back to working on the boat I go.

Last season I had a slow but constant leak coming from the paddle wheel for the knot meter. I couldn’t fix it with the boat in the water so I had to wait until now to make the repair.

I grabbed the channel locks to take things apart and after about 1/8th of a turn it all came apart by hand. The thru hull literally fell out of the boat once it was loosened. Why did it do that? There was 0 sealant on it.

Because of the lack of sealant, water came in and soaked the thin wood layer in the liner core. That wood became spongy and no matter how tight I tried to make the fitting last year, I was just compressing the wood more and essentially doing nothing.

Here’s what it looked like after I removed some of the wood core. You can see the void where it was.

Fortunately, the core for the hull is foam and it’s dry and solid. Now I just need to decide what to next:

1) Close up that thru hull hole for good. The knotmeter is broken anyway.

2) Rebuild, reseal, and properly reinstall the paddle wheel thru hull and leave it there as an option for future knotmeter or depth finder.

3) Make it a thruhull with a seacock that I can hook up to some sort of emergency bilge pump if need be. Really just thinking out loud with this one, I don’t have a hull drain anywhere or a bilge pump so it could be an opportunity to add one.

 

[Will Gilmore]

I went to clear my cockpit scuppers and drain the Winter melt. I reached under the cockpit to tap the hoses and dislodge any clog. Both hoses came right off in my hand. The plastic thru-hulls were junk.

I wanted to remove them completely anyhow. I was also considering installing a bilge drain instead, but when I get around to it, I'll just glass them over and drain the cockpit into the CB trunk. I want to put batteries where the hoses are now. So it's all good. Now to get the time.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[rschuss]

The paddle wheel on my 222 gets in the way of the bunk boards. Perfect storm of sorts. My thought - close it up; and get a GPS. It gives you speed over the ground also; plus no hole in the hull; plus you get other data to use. I got a chart plotter for Christmas; and mounted the device on the starboard bulkhead outside. May be easier to mount it on a swivel and view it through the companion- way. Also mount the transducer low in the bow; and use wax to set it in. The kind of wax they use to set a toilet. Takes about 3 or 4 packs.

 

[GSBNY]

The paddle wheel on my 222 gets in the way of the bunk boards. Perfect storm of sorts. My thought - close it up; and get a GPS. It gives you speed over the ground also; plus no hole in the hull; plus you get other data to use. I got a chart plotter for Christmas; and mounted the device on the starboard bulkhead outside. May be easier to mount it on a swivel and view it through the companion- way. Also mount the transducer low in the bow; and use wax to set it in. The kind of wax they use to set a toilet. Takes about 3 or 4 packs.

Agreed about the GPS, I ended up using Navionics on my phone all last season and have 0 complaints.

I want to put the depth finder in the exact way you describe but I need to figure out where to put it. I have 120lbs of lead underneath my v berth to trim out the boat properly. I’d have to move it somewhere else to have space to put the transducer there.

 

[Will Gilmore]

close it up; and get a GPS. It gives you speed over the ground

If you want speed through the water, you can easily find it with a stopwatch. The 192 has a 16.67 foot waterline, that's rounded to 364.5 waterline lengths in a nautical mile. At 5 knots, you are taking 20 mins to cover 1 nautical mile or 60x20/364.5 seconds to sail one waterline length. That's 3.3 seconds for a bubble starting at your bow to make it to the stern. You can make a chart up that shows your speed through the water for 4 seconds, 4.5 seconds, 5.75 knots, 5. 25 knots and so forth. No need for a paddle wheel or a pilot tube.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[rschuss]

I was sailing through Plum Gut in Long Island sound. Through the water speed was 5.8 mph. Over the ground speed was 0.5 mph. Forget the bubbles.

 

[Will Gilmore]

I was sailing through Plum Gut in Long Island sound. Through the water speed was 5.8 mph. Over the ground speed was 0.5 mph. Forget the bubbles.

Not if you are plotting the trip. Speed through the water is necessary to know when laying a course through a known current. It may not make much difference once you're in it, but if you want to steer a heading from Miami to Bimini, for example, speed through the water will help you hit your mark.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[GSBNY]

Because work on a boat never ends, here’s a bit of what I’ve been up to:

So the knotmeter paddle wheel housing got put back in with 4200. I couldn’t decide what to do there so I figured I’ll leave the decision for next season.

The centerboard ended up looking like swiss cheese, most of the leading edge was gelcoat blisters (voids) that popped open, there were big 1” x 3” voids in the front and rear ends of the trunk as well so I spent a few days grinding and filling them all.

During this repair, I found about 10 blisters on the hull along the waterline as well so those got ground out and filled as well.

I forgot to take an after picture but all I need to do is bottom paint and that’s all done.

Since I’ve had the boat I’ve always had a leak on deck. After it rained I would always see water coming from the port rear stanchion so I pulled it from the boat and rebedded it with butyl tape thinking that was it. Well it rained for a few days and there was water in the bilge again, this time it broke the camels back though.

I planned to spend an hour at the boat, I ended up spending the whole day removing all the hardware on the stern and rebedding it all with fresh butyl tape. Everything I took off had no sealant left, all of it had to be contributing to the water in the bilge. The starboard aft stanchion was the biggest pain and required me to remove the bulkhead in the quarterberth and climb in to hold the nuts while someone else turned the bolts from on deck.

I wasn’t messing around this time so I made sure there was enough butyl on every single bolt head and bottom surface. Stern cleat squeeze out for example:

Hopefully all that work helps to end the water in the bilge saga.

Now I have to make a new baby backstay (between the deck and mainsheet) and I think a forestay. I looked at the forestay and a single strand seems out of place right where it enters the CDI furler foil so that’s the next thing to inspect. I’ve had problems with wires on this boat so I’m probably going to replace it no matter what.

 

[GSBNY]

In my never ending hunt to track down the leaks, I’ve found another. Here’s a peak

I recently discovered that water was getting into the cabin along the hull deck joint, so I went exploring. Behind the starboard fuel locker I could see the end of a wood strip in the hull deck joint. That wood was soaked and delaminated badly so I figured it must be that bad for a while. Well it’s rotted from the chainplate all the way to the stern.

I really didn’t want to mess with the rub rail due to the high chance of breaking 30 year old brittle vinyl so I went from the inside. I cut the fiberglass over the wood into a strip with a dremel and dug the wet wood out, stopping at some decent wood

During the process, I made 2 other discoveries.

#1) The furler deck fairlead bolt holes were a few sizes too big.

#2) My boat was previously owned by mud daubers. (Notice the wet corner of the back rest that was under the leak)