Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Shipyard Status: an early report


Each week in the shipyard has brought a new set of visual surprises, both inside and outside the boat.

Inside: 

A proper hull inspection calls for visual access to both sides of the fiberglas, even those hidden spaces inside the cabinets that line the salon. Everything in the room was moved away from the walls and piled topsy-turvy in the middle. The usually tidy salon is now littered with tools, project supplies and "stuff" from inside the cabinets. Protective materials do cover windows and finished surfaces, preventing any damage from traffic and incidental contact. 




The floor in the guest head (bathroom) was modified to raise the commode and replace the outdated 1980's linoleum with teak and holly flooring. Even in this unfinished state, it's an improvement!




Master Stateroom and ensuite flooring upgrades are also underway. The living spaces will be gorgeous when the raw wood receives a satin finish and new carpeting covers both stateroom floors.






Outside: 
The large yellow trailer holding our 70,000+ pound boat was partially disassembled as other hull supports replaced the trailer's cross members. Now there's an interesting assortment of supports holding the boat steady.







The huge heated building holds many other vessels, each one undergoing some messy, smelly, really smelly, projects. Outside air is pumped inside each boat through a system of plastic tubes, keeping the interior spaces surprisingly fresh. It's a relief to breathe clean, unscented air, free of fiberglas, paint, solvent and other strong shipyard odors when we're inside Rhapsody.


Photo: here's where the air tube connects...
Photo: ...and here's an inside view, looking out toward a filter.

Rhapsody's exterior has been poked, prodded, explored and analyzed, and now sports more than a few spots and a lot of green tape. Not an attractive look, but it's temporary.








These are just a few photos from previous weeks, a brief sampling from early stages of the 2013 project. It's all necessary and routine, but I can't wait for the stage where the hull gets pretty again. Looking forward to that time, we're pondering fonts and color choices for the name decal.



Photo: sample .jpg from the sign maker

Photo: decal test strips for spacing and color 


3 comments:

  1. My goodness, how we do empathize. And Glorious it will be when Rhapsody has completed her health spa and beauty treatment. How wonderful. Big Hug. L., G. and Inky

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hugs back at you all, and we're chuckling over the "spa and beauty treatment" description.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The teak and holly in the master head will look lovely! I am glad that I am not the only one who wonders at the odd assortment of supports when on the hard.

    ReplyDelete

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