With the construction on the foredeck completed its time to start moving back along the boat.
Most of the work in the midsection has already been done, just the old windows to remove and some cleaning up. The originals are 30 years old aluminium framed and starting to show their age. There is a bit of corrosion on the frames, and they were leaking a bit around the bolt holes causing the ply to start to decay.
We have decided to replace all of them with new stainless steel opening ports. The first step is to remove all the windows and fill the holes with ply bedded in epoxy.
How does it feel to be the boy from the stars
When you’re misunderstood and amazed
A minority man man that came from afar
To sing you a song through the haze
Starboard windows filled in
Ply bedded in epoxy
And how does it look to the lad from the sun
When your eyes can’t believe what they see
Driven to tears by the ignorant ones
And you just don’t know what to be
(Chorus)
But oh how you love each day
With every passing joy
Just to know you come from far away
And you’re only just a boy
As part of the windows job the sides of the cabin need to be cleaned up and repainted. As you can see they are a bit of a mess at the moment.
Most of the mess is because I have been using to much resin with the glass matting and it has gone everywhere – a lesson to be learned !!.
Port side windows ready to pop out
Some sanding and cleanup needed here
How does it sound to the child of the sky
When your eardrums are pounding with rage
You scream into deafened ears as you try
To free their souls from the cage
The ply inserts are backed on the inside with 8mm ply strips epoxied and fastened with boat nails and screws to the inside of the cabin
And what does it mean to the man from the land
When they’ve poisoned the season they’ve sown
Well you’re sickened and saddened and bound by the sands
T’il the child in their minds has time to grow
Well what will become of the lad from the sun
When your shell sinks to the ground
Will you ever find out who you really are
Thank God we can hear what you found