Thursday, March 20, 2014

A Hole in the Boat!

It was time to install the fill hole/drain in the water ballast tank, so I took drill in hand, took a deep breath and drilled a hole in the bottom of the boat!


I had cut out the backing plate from 6mm ply, and then put it in the lathe to turn a recess to inset the fitting so it will end up just shy of the outside of the hull.


I drilled pilot holes for the screws, smeared everything up with thickened epoxy and put it all in place.  I installed the three screws through the epoxy blobs and snugged them down.  Then wiped up the excess and and left it to cure overnight.


Here is the result after scraping things smooth with a utility knife blade.


Next I coated the water ballast tank with graphite.  I'm hoping this will provide a slick, durable surface so that the tank is easy to clean out when needed.


I modified the drain plug by drilling a hole through it and inserting a short length of brass rod.  I then flattened the ends of the rod so that it can't slip out.


And here is the final result ready to go.  The rod on the plug makes it easy to install and remove.


6 comments:

  1. Wow, what a great idea!! I must say how much I've enjoyed reading your posts. They have all been so helpful and well documented. Thank you!! I just purchased plans (#268) and am just beginning my mast build while I save money for the kit. Brent

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    1. Brent - Thanks for the comments, and keep visiting, as I should be making good progress in the next couple months. Congrats on your plans purchase. As you have seen, I bought the kit, and am glad I did so. It has saved me a lot of time and instilled confidence in the build as I see everything coming together so nicely.

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    2. Yes, I totally agree. I will be purchasing the kits as soon as money allows. Meanwhile, I have started building the mast. You can see my build blog here: http://buildingshackelton.wordpress.com

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    3. Thanks for the link to your blog, Brent. I'll include a link on my site, and will be watching with interest as you build your mast, as that will be one of my upcoming projects.

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  2. Ack! I can't believe you drilled a hole in the bottom of your boat!

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    1. Ha! Yes, I took a while beforehand to make sure I had it where I thought it should be. The exact location is not specified in the plans, but I wanted to keep it as low down as practical, far enough away from the sides that my roller would fit around it and the access hatch would be in a good place. I made sure the skeg that will be on the bottom was not underneath there. Always a few things to consider with every decision it seems.

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