Working on the windlass fasteners we are finding the reason the windlass needs to be re sealed! Salt water has gotten into the surrounding deck construction or (core) I am sending you photos of a careful examination I had to do to understand why the winch base had a crack!
The photos of the winch area suggest to me that we consider more than just unbolting the winch and resealing it. some several square feet of water absorbed plywood backing to make the winch base strong enough to not continue breaking the fiberglass deck shell. This is happening as the winch cutout in the deck is not well enough protected by sealant or gasketing.
In this windlass installation area the deck Balsa core is extending out a foot or so and needs to be checked as carefully as possible to avoid making any guesses.. I am having a Surveyor come over with a moisture meter to establish the distance away from the windlass that may need to be serviced. To determine the approximate area of the moisture migration we are inserting a flexible yardstick in the layer of the deck construction which is most affected be it any plywood backing or the surrounding Deck composite Balsa core.
That project is in the works but on to other boats. This Sabreliner had leaking in through the lazarette and the process of elimination means it could only be coming in from one place – the divider between the hatches. That was pulled out and found to be improperly bedded with some deep voids in the bottom which was allowing water to enter.
The voids will be filled and the attachment where this trough sits needs to be cleaned up and made totally flat so the two pieces will mate properly.
Carlos is still doing his thing on that boat and mostly by himself since the weather is allowing Izzy to do a bit of varnish prep out in one of the other buildings.
On the same boat during routine engine maintenance the mechanic noticed evidence of the engine raw water pump leaking at the shaft. In this photo you can barely see through the hole that there is a problem but the surrounding rust is true evidence.
The other pump had 3 fins missing or destroyed on the impeller.
As an addendum to the windass problem, it is quite obvious that was leaking when you look at the anchor chain. Would you trust your boat to this chain?
Anything Can Happen Friday
Defining ObamaCare:
To insure the uninsured, first we make the insured uninsured.
Then we make the formerly insured pay more
to become re-insured to insure the uninsured for free.