The Cockpit

The cockpit when I purchased the boat.

The motor instruments worked but slightly corroded. The hour clock down below had been disconnected fairly recent at 6103 hours. The connector was still a bright finish were the nut had been.

As an independent who likes sailing alone, I found the cockpit a pain to deal with. The traveller across the middle of the cockpit was hard on the shins trying to get over in a hurry to handle lines.
Going up on deck then back down was also clumsy and nothing to keep one from falling OB except safety  lines (no hand grabs).
The motor shift levers were in a place that if I needed to shift or change speeds I had to bend over because I couldn't see ahead, if I were sitting, myself not being very tall.

The baked on coating on the aluminum winches were damage on most of them. The 4 big winches, 1 small winch and the jam cleats, all Japanese made (ROM), were all losing the coating, mostly from the PO's wrapping the stays around trying to pull in the mast after a de-masting. I don't know the details but the evidence was there. Also the 2 self-tailing Barients had a grove worn on the lower part of the capstan. The 2 Barlow's back aft, the aluminum bases were eroding away.

There was a speed and depth display over the gangway but it looked like it had been hit with a winch. handle. Obviously junk, along with all the senders and wiring.
It wasn't until I installed a longer boom and new mainsail that I got around to doing something. So in spring of 2008 I started in on rebuilding the cockpit. Especially, after blowing a disk into my spinal cord the November before. Bending over or pulling something while bent over would put me in pain for longer then I cared.
So, I decided to raise the main winches straight up so I could stand and crank the winches. This turned out better then I expected.

After removing the winches and a bit of measuring I cut some frames and started the construction. I left the T-tranck in place as a referance

Every piece was epoxy glued in place and screwed with #10 screws.
And at this point I discovered that the port side of the boat was 1" longer then the stbd side. Was I pissed!!! The stringer came up short as well as the shock of being a crooked boat.

The outer edge of the stringer was precut to the same angle of the cabin and inset 3/4" for the thickness of the marine ply.
I put some slots in the outer stringers for a nice radius to flow with the cabin. Then filled the slots after it was in place. Again I had to grind away the nonskid.

The ply was glued and screwed in place to follow the stringer.

I added more internal stringers following the curvature of the cabin top and putting a slope on the aft end similar to the transom.

I ran a 45º angled strip along the outer base to create a radius.

Sunk the heads of the screws by over torquing, then filled.

Added the top section and faired in.

Views from the front........

You can see the pedestal, which I had installed a couple years earlier. I'll post on the later (another major project).

Finished up the cap aft, then filled and faired the corners.

In the mean time had the main winches recoated with and exhaust header ceramic. And set them up for reference and location.

Did some more fairing of corners, inside and out.

Filled in the radius along the bottom edge of the new ply, and faired in.

Made some angled base plates for the winches of mahogany.  Then removed the T-track

Started in on epoxy/glass work using 2 layers of 10 oz, then 2 layers of 6 oz.

Adding one last coat of epoxy before sanding and paint

The glass extended all the way down to the cockpit deck and filled the radius.

The positioning of the winches and marking them for installation.

Adding a cut-out for an access port..........

Winch base glassed over......

I made angled washers for the SS backing plates so the screws don't get bent when tightening.

The position of the winches are different on opposite sides due to the RH wrap of the halyards in relation of the foot blocks on deck.                                 Port side

Stbd side

 Preping and painting.........................

Cut-outs from the inside and backing plates.

This was an advantage that I hadn't counted on. The long storage space for boat poles and brush handles. Along with other stuff.

After painting...........................

Another cut-out and water tight port/window for better ventilation.

Add the access port and winch bases..........

Winch capstans and port cover.............

Start the layout of the Treadmaster.................

Also added a small winch for the roller furling. The mic is for a Standard Horizon (RAM mic).

 Treadmaster glued down. I found if you try to butt up two pieces that the seam will open up from the epoxy shrinking while drying. One piece was not long enough to go across the aft section.

View from front...................................

Laying in the removable seats and ladders.

Brackets for seats & ladders...............

I cut down the width and height of the ladders so the seats could fit in the ladder brackets with the seat  legs straight up/down. The legs tuck into the cockpit corner here.

View of the inside with a new wall board and hatches to access the new long storage space.

Move the hydraulics for back stay and mounted the traveller on top of the transom.

The old sheaves were having problems with chips and lubrication so I ordered new ones from Lewmar. Lewmar sent me these new sheaves but they were the wrong size and they wouldn't take them back. So I retro fit the traveler to take ball bearing sheaves, which are much better anyway!

Then I paid for a dodger and bimini from a local canvas maker

The side brackets was half ass so I made my own SS brackets to bolt thru the cabin that will not work loose.

It would take a 5# hammer to knock that loose. The 1/4" screw holding the tube end is the weak point. But there is enough metal that I can go larger if need be.