Purrfect is finally on the boat lift!!

[suznhenz]

After weeks of calculating, guessing and crawling around on not-approved-by-OSHA "scaffolding" on the boat lift, Purrfect is finally on the lift! It needs a few tweeks, but it basically is pretty good. The next steps are to put up the mast, finish rigging the lazy jacks and the reefing lines, do some cleaning (especially the teak), then we can finally take her out and see what it is like sailing a gaff-rigged centerboard boat.

At some point, I also have to take my new drop boards back to Hutchins for a final trim - it's a little too tall for the opening, and the companionway slide won't close all the way.

[capt_nemo]

suznhenz,

Don't be in too much of a hurry to have your drop boards altered. They may be perfectly all right the way they are.

When closing the companionway hatch, just before it reaches the drop boards grab the fold down hasp on the outside of the slide and LIFT UP SLIGHTLY while completing the closure and then release the sliding hatch. This allows the hatch edge to rise UP AND OVER the drop board top edge and then DROP DOWN again to form a better waterproof seal of the cabin with the drop boards in place.

If this closing procedure doesn't allow the sliding hatch to LIFT and go OVER the drop boards completely, then the top board will indeed require a little trimming.

Hope this helps.


capt_nemo

[suznhenz]

Thanks for the input capt nemo, but even lifting it up as much as possible, it JUST clears on the starboard side, and is about 1/4" too high in the center and port side. I am letting the boat sit with the boards in place (covered by a Sunbrella cover) for a while, in case the boat got twisted somehow on the trailer and straightens out. But, I think the best that could happen is that the overlap would even out at around 1/8" all the way across. I do prefer having to lift the companionway slide, as that gives some overlap at the top of the drop boards, hopefully keeping out most rain. Gerry Hutchins said that each drop board is cut to fit each boat, as there is always some variability, so they make the aftermarket ones a little over sized, so they can be marked from the inside and cut to fit.

Sue

[Tom L.]

Sue, I am sure you did this but make sure the boards are in place so that the bevel between the first and second board is correct. The bevels should match and angle to the exterior of the boat. This sheds water to the exterior.

Tom L.