Hi everybody. Great site and hope to learn a lot here and have millions of questions. I just bought a 1985 26' O'Day and a 36 foot slip for it to sit in on the Great Lakes. I have owned many power boats but not a sailboat..until now. I originally bought a Precision 165 and was going to lease a slip but I couldn't pass up the great bargain on purchase of the 36' slip so decided to go bigger for easy weekend stays and longer if wanted. Preceision 165 is up for sale now. Now for work on the 26' and finish before it gets too late in the season (only a 5 month season here).
First thing I am going to do is pull the entire head system out and install a new porta-potti with deck pump out. Pump outs are free at the marina since us owners own the pump out system so I am not worried about a weekly pump out fee. So here is my first issue I need to deal with. I need to pull the old gate valves attached to the thru-hulls and cap the thru-hull for now. I know the proper way to do this would be to either glass the holes over or install a true seacock to the new thru-hulls however I just want to make it water tight for now, sail this summer and do the thru-hull with seacock or glass over during the winter months.
I need to powerwash the bottom and wipe with the 3M scotchbrite pads and secure the port side chainplate better. Starboard plate was secured by PO by using two pieces of marine plywood, stained and laminated and glued to each side of the bulkhead with the chainplate inbetween. Not my favorite way of doing it but will do the same for the port side and then pull the bulkheads during the winter and replace them and do the chainplates the correct way. For this summer I will also apply butyl tape around the chainplate base on the deck to help the water leakage issue. The port side is not really that bad at all however it wiggles just a tad on deck and I won't chance it.
Then comes electrical. PO didn't believe in the words "Tip Top Shape" but I do. Wires running everywhere with none of the ceiling lights working. I hope the wires are still good to the lights and then install a new circuit breaker panel and wire those up up again. PO was using velcro push LED lights--UGH! Then for the depth finder...PO cut the tranducer wire when he install speakers on the cockpit wall. I hope to be able to fix that.
Wash and wax the sides, install new state boat stickers and clean everything up and hope to launch however, my one and HUGE worry is the mast stepping procedure. The P165 I bought of course is a breeze for one in mast stepping but the 26' O'Day is entirely different due to size and weight so I need to figure this all out and soon. 83 here tomorrow--would love to be on the water even if I look like Curly of the 3 Stooges out on the water sailing for my first time.
First thing I am going to do is pull the entire head system out and install a new porta-potti with deck pump out. Pump outs are free at the marina since us owners own the pump out system so I am not worried about a weekly pump out fee. So here is my first issue I need to deal with. I need to pull the old gate valves attached to the thru-hulls and cap the thru-hull for now. I know the proper way to do this would be to either glass the holes over or install a true seacock to the new thru-hulls however I just want to make it water tight for now, sail this summer and do the thru-hull with seacock or glass over during the winter months.
I need to powerwash the bottom and wipe with the 3M scotchbrite pads and secure the port side chainplate better. Starboard plate was secured by PO by using two pieces of marine plywood, stained and laminated and glued to each side of the bulkhead with the chainplate inbetween. Not my favorite way of doing it but will do the same for the port side and then pull the bulkheads during the winter and replace them and do the chainplates the correct way. For this summer I will also apply butyl tape around the chainplate base on the deck to help the water leakage issue. The port side is not really that bad at all however it wiggles just a tad on deck and I won't chance it.
Then comes electrical. PO didn't believe in the words "Tip Top Shape" but I do. Wires running everywhere with none of the ceiling lights working. I hope the wires are still good to the lights and then install a new circuit breaker panel and wire those up up again. PO was using velcro push LED lights--UGH! Then for the depth finder...PO cut the tranducer wire when he install speakers on the cockpit wall. I hope to be able to fix that.
Wash and wax the sides, install new state boat stickers and clean everything up and hope to launch however, my one and HUGE worry is the mast stepping procedure. The P165 I bought of course is a breeze for one in mast stepping but the 26' O'Day is entirely different due to size and weight so I need to figure this all out and soon. 83 here tomorrow--would love to be on the water even if I look like Curly of the 3 Stooges out on the water sailing for my first time.
