One Job Leads to Another...

If you've ever refit a sailboat, you quickly learn that one job will most likely expose the need for another job(s) and often demand it/them. Thus, it has been so with my new water tanks.  The new water tanks are ever so slightly taller than my old water tanks, (keep in mind, my "Westsail 32" is one of the last ten made and was built by P&M Worldwide - not by Westsail Corp.), so I don't know if P&M just made their bilge more shallow or what, but my forward tank was riding up a 1/4 inch too high and the hatch was riding atop of the forward tank: not to mention there was NO ROOM for plumbing the tanks.

Hence, I had three choices: lower the bilge, raise the floor, or send back the tanks and try to locate smaller ones. Lowering the bilge was/is out of the question and as far as I am concerned, sending the tanks back to California, paying shipping, packing, eating the shipping cost, etc... was/is way too much trouble. That left me with raising the floor.

Annie had sunk on the hard at one time and the original sole had been exposed to water for an extended period of time. The original plywood sole, (not fiberglass as "real" Westsail 32's made by Westsail Corp.), weathered the sinking well... but... my thoughts are a new 3/4" hardwood epoxy sealed sole screwed and fiber-glassed atop the old sole will solve my tank height problem and reinforce an old sole that has had a rough life.

Therefore, one job led to another; all tank and plumbing jobs are therefore suspended and a fresh hardwood sole is now the job on the table.

I took roofing felt and used it to cut and fashion a pattern for the sole, (roofing felt works so much better than paper). I divided the pattern into three sections: Companionway/Galley, Main Cabin, and Fore-ship.

I have decided that since Annie is going to be a cruising boat/live-aboard and not a showboat, (not to mention I'm not a rich guy - two grand plus for a Teak and Holly sole), I will epoxy the three joints of the new sole together, paint with a waterproof mold resistant paint and then cut a rubber mat material used in garages to provide more water proofing and slip resistance.

The rubber matting will be divided into three sections as above and will cover hatches. Access to the hatches will be allowed by simply rolling the rubber mat back.

It may not be as pretty as before but it is economical and practical, (actually I think it will look OK).

Fair seas and God bless!