Battery lashings, through-hulls, pre-varnish preparations
Cold again, rain and wind. I start with tasks inside the cabin: cozy compared to conditions outside.
Battery compartment got its oak beam screwed into place. I oiled it with several layers of Owatrol. This will work fine for interior wood.
Thick silicone-bronze screws hold it steady towards thick, laminated frames. More than enough for both batteries to stay in place. I lashed them tightly in place. It ain’t go nowhere!
Epoxy set up nice and tight. I cut out and sand flush remaining plugs, prime them with järnmönja. In a week time (or two?) they should be dry and ready for anti-fouling paint. There remains rings after hard-screwed through-hulls. The wood, being compressed for 60+ years, will not come back to shape. I will probably fill them with epoxy filler in the future, to totally mask the spot but for now I leave it as is.
On the inside, as additional protection should the epoxy fail, I screw thick copper plates on top of glued bungs. Additional sealing with Ettan. I considered spreading Sika instead, which would act as glue and sealer, but decided to go just with Ettan. Bronze screws are holding very well, copper is thick and I don’t expect the epoxy bond to fail so why mess with Sika.
Ettan sealing should protect both the bung and also stop water from going between plates and the hull. I leave bottom edge free so the water have possibility to escape into the bilge.
Back at home I finished making mast collar. I made it from 5mm thick rubber, sewn on the edge (flush) with waxed twine. I will probably glue additional, thin layer of rubber on the inside, further reinforcing the seam. The collar will be held in place water-tight against the mast and deck collar with stainless steel rings.
Remaining jobs before launch:
vacuuming the whole boat in preparations for varnish (hull, hatches)
varnishing
anti-fouling
re-connecting batteries, electrical systems check (bilge pump, lights, battery levels, engine starter)
engine flushing, to take out antifreeze from sea-water cooling installation
I might also finish POD heater installation. The second radiator was just delivered, what is left is just connecting everything, adding silent water pump (got it already) and trying out the system.
Time to book launching!