This 19' Oday Rhodes was brought to us by one of our slip customers. This boat lives on a mooring in Cape Cod Bay in Brewster and sits on the sand at low tide.
The previous season the boat filled with water from an unknown hole while the tide was up, and when the tide went out the water in the boat was so heavy it broke the wooden floor stringers that give the boat it's structure. We first removed all the hardware on the boat and then tried to find the hole. At some point in the past the centerboards pennant cable stretched or sagged, and when the board was dropped too fast, it would swing too far forward and smack into the forward end of the centerboard trunk. Needless to say after a few times of the trunk being hit with a cast iron centerboard, a hole formed in the hull. The centerboard was removed all the bottom paint was stripped off the hull, and the hole was repaired. Then all the hardware was removed as well as any varnished wood, and all the broken wooden stringers and their ancient tabbing were removed and the interior of the hull was sanded down. A new set of foam stringers from Stuart Marine were glassed in place, new limber holes were glassed in, and the cockpit seats and most of the interior were sanded and faired in preparation for paint. After priming, Alexseal Marlin Blue was applied to the hull, and Alexseal Oyster White was applied to the interior and the deck. After taping non-skid was applied. All original wood was sanded and varnished and replaced. The centerboard was replaced with a new pennant and new bushings. A fresh rub-rail from Stuart Marine, some bottom paint and a new boot stripe, finished her off. This downeasters roof was found to be a bit thin and flexible for the owner. Especially if they were out in a rough sea, the radar mast would tend to sway and move around unnervingly. And if someone was walking around up there, it was a bit like a trampoline.
We were asked if she could be thickened up or reinforced in some way, while also being somewhat unobtrusive and not too invasive. First we removed all the roof hardware, radar, antennas, outrigger bases etc. Then spent several days grinding all the gelcoat off. Divinycell H-80 sheets were laid out in a pattern that would allow us to reinforce most of the roof, but give us room to do all the fiberglass tabbing at the edges that was necessary. Areas where hardware would be reinstalled were reinforced with Marine plywood. Once all the foam and plywood was glassed in place, faired, gelcoated and non-skidded, the roof was significantly stiffer and you can barely tell anything was done! A friend of one of our staff had this 1970's Alden Ocean Rowing Shell at his lake house in NH. He asked if she could get a quick "fluff and buff".
Seeing as he was a friend of the boatyard family, we did one better! The Alden got two new watertight bulkheads fore and aft, to add flotation and to give some strength to the upper deck. There was significant crazing in these locations from people sitting or pushing on the thin upper deck. The bulkheads worked wonders in stiffening the hull. Areas of the floor were reinforced where the sliding seat had been chafing the bottom of the hull. She was sanded, filled, faired and primed, and finally sprayed with several coats of Flag Blue AwlGrip on the hull, and Ocean Mist AwlGrip on the upper deck and the interior. Original hardware was reinstalled and a new rub-rail was the finishing touch. One of our customers with a Marshall Cat 18, that they've owned for over 30 years decided it was time for a refresh.
We sanded the hull and the sides of the house, filled and primed any dings or scratches, and roll and tipped several coats of Snow White Awl-Grip.The decks and the cockpit were sanded down and got several coats of Catboat Tan Awl-Grip in non-skid and smooth finishes. The teak rub-rail was sanded down, and any missing or loose bungs were replaced. The base of the boom crutch had done a number on the aft part of the deck behind the coaming. So before painting, the divot was fiberglassed, filled and faired. After finish paint was applied a small piece of bronze rub-rail was installed where the base of the boom crutch sits. This will prevent any further damage to the deck from the crutch wobbling around while on the mooring. One of our slip customers with a Bertram 38 Special expressed a need for increased fuel range, so he could make it to the Canyons and fish for a few days.
After taking a look at the boat, and looking at where more fuel storage could be added, we came up with a plan to relocate the small water tank in the aft of the boat, and replace it with a new custom designed 275 gallon diesel tank. The water tank was removed and two separate water tanks were installed to keep the same amount of water storage. One in the port side of the engine room. This was opposite the batteries on the stbd side so vessel trim was not an issue. Another water tank was installed in the v-berth. The new fuel tank measurements were taken as well as locations of all the ports, and a complete design was drawn up by us in-house. Tank was fabricated by New England Propeller in Plymouth MA. They really did a fabulous job. While the tank was out and we had full access to the steering system and the exhaust, all the exhaust hoses, mufflers, tiller arms, rudder bearings and rudder packing glands were serviced or replaced. One of our staff picked up the tired 1975 18' Seacraft and gave it a refresh over the winter.
He removed the fuel tank and replaced it with a moeller plastic under deck tank. Removed the console and repaired all the old holes. Replaced the fuel tank compartment deck hatch, redid the transom, and rewired the boat from head to toe. The interior finish was done with Hatteras Off-White awlgrip rolled and tipped and a custom kiwi-grip color for the non-skid. When the engine was re-rigged, new control cables, control box, and batteries were used. |
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