Adam F

It was like boys in a toy shop today! Gone are the days of dust, resin and grp.... We are now into fitting electronics and the mechanics. So basically got all this measured and cut in today ready for the wiring and connections to run into it all. I've placed the last few big orders, so a huge box of wiring bits will be here in a few days, I'm picking up the uber luxurious Kab air suspension seat from Kent tomorrow. Also got the deck mounted touch screen in today, really pleased with how that looks.

Amazing that some seemingly small jobs take a huge amount of time. Today I fitted the main navigation console, took ages fiddling around getting it flush, then templating the Garmin unit and making sure they both sat square. The multi tools was invaluable in cutting the apertures, it avoids scratching the laminate that you would get with a jigsaw and enables you to cut a square hole.... Anyway, this is now done and just needs trimming in vinyl before it can be bonded and screwed down. Another step forward!

Thanks Mark, not bad for a pen pusher!

Wow! What a treat today to spend a day working on the boat but not be covered in resin and grp! I've got the kids this weekend as Rach is away so spending too much time on the boat is tricky but today I've been running the first few hydraulic lines and electric cables. I've also been fabricating a bracket to rear mount the front mount hydraulic steering pump. With a new purpose made rear mount pump at circa £300, it was worth a few hours fabricating a timber template that will later be made from stainless. It works great and means much more space behind the wheel. I've also started to work out the positioning of the multitude of controls. The main switch panel has 30 switches and that doesn't include the wipers, heating etc....

Indebted to Rob once again for his hard work on JV again today. I was on daddy day care, and working from home duties as Rach is away, but rob worked like a Trojan again. Jv is now fully flow coated, i fitted the toilet door frame, and whilst I was out this afternoon, rob ground out the old roof, cleaned down and re flow coated it in grey. So that's it, a move tomorrow onto fitting electronics and running wiring, fitting the new fuel system, heating system to be installed, hob, oven and water system to go in, new stainless to be fitted, headlining panels to be made, side lining to be fitted, wiper system to go in, and a hundred other jobs. Getting there but a long way to go!

MILESTONE! Tonight saw the last piece of grp completed, so now all the fibreglassing in the wheelhouse is done. I'm really pleased with the current progress. It feels rock solid - all the work has 3 forms of fitting, bonded with sika flex, screwed or bolted and then glassed into place. This lovely warm weather has been glorious but has caused two issues. The first is that the resin now 'kicks' so much fast so working times are limited, the plus side is that the pace of work is quicker as I'm not waiting for pieces to dry. The second issue is that working on the boat on a still, warm sunny day makes me yearn to launch her again and get out fishing!

Many of you will have been looking at the recent updates and thinking 'he's nearly there...) well whilst it looks that way, all of the internal works have only been tacked into place whilst I finish the veneers and structural work. This week I've taken the whole lot apart and started to glass the whole lot back into the boat. It's not a job I've been relishing as it involves working in awkward confined spaces with grp, but it's the last hump before it gets flow coated and then the electrical install can begin. Rob came over Thurs, and after a few demos and a bit of teaching as he hadn't worked with grp before, we cracked on as a pair. Wow, what a difference it makes having 2. One was cutting, mixing and wetting out the mat, the other was rolling and consolidating. We managed the get the port side bunk / locker fully done, the forward bunk and the dash. We then ran out (again of resin) so moved on and got the toilet flow coated. On Sat, I fabricated the plinth for the toilet. This was made from foam with a ply top to take the screws and then glassed into place. I then started the final leg of glassing and have moved onto glassing the starboard side in. Another few hours today and that will be done, ready for flow coating next week. Next weekend should see the end of smelly grp and the start of cables! The end is in sight.....

Do we have anyone in the club, or does anyone have a contact for a fitter locally to fit contract safety flooring? Thanks

Lots of work today, but photos don't show much, so there aren't any. Have progressed the heads nicely. This morning I got the sections bonded and screwed into place, this afternoon, I got it all glassed in, ready for Rob to flow coat it on Thurs. I can then fit the toilet, and the frame and door and that is that done.

No update for the last week. A weeks holiday, and well deserved! However back today and found time for an hour or so to remove the pig ugly roof rails from the wheelhouse roof. This however came with a last minute bonus as I've managed to adjust these to become the new engine box rails. Amazing how ugly these looks in their original format and how a poor designed bit of kit can make a boat look so bad. The new rails being made by Pete, are low profile and will follow the wheelhouse contours. Original rails

He will be welcome at mine in a few weeks once the D4 has got power back to it again. Trim still needs sorting, and it needs a service and a general overhaul. I'm stacked out with other jobs as you know.....

Cut N Cover are doing the cushions and upholstery. Last time I did it all myself and it was another huge amount of work, this time it will be nice to hand the whole job over and get tem back professionally done. Wayne is coming over a week thurs to template up. Another job ticked off the list.

Already considered that Dave. I have a roll of frosting film here ready to go, but it will be one of the last jobs as it needs to go on a 100% clean surface. The boat is somewhat dusty at the moment! Off on holiday now for a week. I think I've earnt it! And very much looking forward to it....

Chris, I'll take the speakers. I think they should fit the holes I have. Any chance of giving me the aperture sizes?

Thanks all!

I finished all of the veneers today, constructed the fillets and additional supports for the wheelhouse bench seat, bonded in the deck hatch frames and bonded and screwed down the starboard carcassing. One of those days where lots of work doesn't show much, but it's now all ready for glassing in, and flow coating... Then it's done! Looking ahead I think another 2 full days work and I'll be finished and ready to start the electrical install. Aiming for end of May..... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Day off on Sat for family time, but cracked on today and nearly have the veneers finished now. Trimmed the fridge to match the rest of the appliances, and started to fit the slotted trunking to carry the numerous cables and wires. Finally, I was a bit short of teak trims, but remembered that a big batch of teak came with the boat purchase, all large sections but a few hours with the table saw, planer and router saw all the last trims fabricated and trimmed to size.

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Now have the forward bunk finished and glassed in, nothing fancy here as its all going to be carpeted, bit the two bunks are a good size and comfortable. Rob came over today to lend a hand with the laminate venners, a very productive day, and what a huge difference it has made with the interior finish. Very, very pleased with the colours I picked, they work great together... The only problem now is the boat kitchen looks better than my one at home!

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Finding the laminate veneers testing to work with, very little room for error, fragile and unforgiving. Still, once bonded to the ply, it becomes easy, and looks great. Started to tab the units into the boat today with 1800gsm layup, and veneered the dash tops this evening.

This weekend was one of those when despite spending two whole days on the boat, it doesn't look like I've achieved much! Alas I have, just none of the exciting bits. Sat morning was mainly spent with Bob F, running through the electrical fit out, how to do it and what I need. In the afternoon, I finished making up the panels and supports for the forward bunks. Sunday, lovely and sunny, great day to be outside, but no, today was spent in the foreword bunk, in the dark, with little ventilation, laminating out the bunks with grp. Not a great job to do, but it's done now. I picked up the sheets of laminate this week. I decided to finish off today with a dabble at laminating a panel, to finish on something a little more interesting. I've not worked with formica before. Horrible stuff! The edge is like a razor... My index finger was no match for that..... Then cutting it, not easy. Decided on a stanley, but it needs firm and steady pressure, even then it's liable to split and tear.... Didn't enjoy that bit. However after gluing it trims up a treat with the router and looks superb. Very pleased with this, and looking forward to doing the rest of the wheelhouse. Also pleased with the style of the veneer. It's Zebrano, a tropical, heavily stripped hardwood, so it looks natural, but a little more modern than a cherry or oak veneer.