AN ANCHOR MOUNT FOR THE BALLAD.

The Ballad has a small anchor cradle to the starboard side of the fore stay attachment, an integral part of that fitting. Trying to fit my 10kg Bruce there was not an option. Looking at the Windline BRM-4, especially made for the 10kg Bruce, I found it was about 1/2" too wide to squeeze on the port side, between the fore stay fitting and the stanchion upright. So ... back to the drawing board.

My spare anchor is a 7kg Bruce "clone" and looked like it might fit the bill.

Starboard view of smaller "Bruce"

I drilled a hole through the forward part of the shank to align with the holes in the Ballad anchor mount and used a 1/4" bolt to hold it fast. This will soon be replaced by a spring-loaded pin to make it a one-handed job to undo.
The original bronze anchor roller was replaced with a larger Delrin one, with deeper and narrower groove to hold the shank better.

Port view of smaller "Bruce" (wing nut is on temporary holding bolt, soon to replaced by a pin)

 This setup held the head of the anchor well enough, but the tail end was free to flop around. An order to Marine Parts Depot for an anchor lock solved the problem.

Anchor Lock, raised up on 3/4" block, and bolted through the deck.

Aft view of anchor lock.

It's a compromise, as it's a bit small for a 30' boat, but will be OK for 90% of my anchoring needs. If I need a bigger hook for an overnight anchorage it's a simple matter to swap it for the 10kg Bruce or the 25lb CQR that I have as spares.

BOAT RESCUE PART 20: FINALLY ... LAUNCH DAY ARRIVES.

Previously: PART 19: MORE PROGRESS PHOTOS

Our dodger materials arrived a week early so the few days of relaxation I'd planned to have before the launch instead turned into a sewing frenzy in our basement sewing room.

Lowering the mast onto the boat.

Hitched up and ready to go.

Last minute strap down.

BOAT RESCUE PART 19: MORE PROGRESS PHOTOS

Previously: PART 18: A NEW TILLER

Here are some progress photos of the project to date:

Stern rail repair:

Trying to jack out bent pushpit.

Damaged section removed.

Bending new section for repair.

BOAT RESCUE PART 18: A NEW TILLER

Previously: PART 17: MORE PROGRESS PICTURES

It's good for the soul to have a change of pace occasionally. As a reprieve from sanding and priming and sanding on the decks and cockpit I checked my list looking for a nice small project to tackle: the tiller looked interesting.

Priming and Sanding.

The Ballad tiller is a simple shape: a curve near the yoke and a gentle sweep to the forward end. The previous tiller had been smashed when the mast was lowered. I'd glued it back together to get the shape, and also used it to cut plugs from for patching holes in the interior Mahogany joinery.

Rather than cut from one solid piece of wood like the one I was replacing, laminated construction seemed the best option. Instead of using thin strips that would bend easily I decided to try using  1/2" strips and steam bend them before laying them up. This would relieve most of the stress in the wood fibers.

A simple steam box about 5' long was made from some 2x6 material, leaving an inside box about 4" square and 5' long, with 1/2" ply end caps. A 6" x 4" slot was cut in the center of the bottom and a piece of 1/2" plywood, large enough to cover the boiling water pot with a matching hole, was attached. The whole rig sat on a Coleman propane camp stove set on the garage floor.

30 minute steam box.

BOAT RESCUE PART 17: More progress pictures.

Previously: PART 16: LOTS OF PICTURES

Continued from post 16, here is more on the head and tank system:

Lid screwed down

Top hoses are two vents, bottom hoses are waste in and out lines.

New Raritan PHC head.

BOAT RESCUE, PART 16: Lots of pictures!

Previously: PART 15: PLAYING WITH LED LIGHTING

It's been a busy time for us this year, and I've neglected my restoration updates, so I'm going to post lots of pictures with as little chatter as possible.

Here goes, I'll start with electrical progress:

Junction block in head, for mast wiring and interior lights.

Electrical panel in progress.

Electrical panel, still a work in progress!

Gantz 30 Watt Solar panel trial fit.

Boat Rescue part 15: Playing with LED Strip Lighting.

Previously: PART 14 UPHOLSTERY TIME

Today I opened the goody drawer and pulled out some things I bought a while ago to light the cabin. My idea is to have the cabins lit with indirect lighting along both sides. The valences covering the hull-deck joint seemed a logical place. The idea is to illuminate the boat enough to find ones way around without draining the battery. To do this I picked up some strip LED's on ebay.

Strip LED's with a solder terminal every three diodes.

They came in a 15' roll with with soldering pads every third diode so one can create custom lengths, Cost, including shipping, was less than seven dollars. 

Valence, upside down, on the bench.

BOAT RESCUE, PART 14: UPHOLSTERY TIME.

Previously: PART 13: A BIT OF EVERYTHING

With the cooler weather here again it was time to line up an indoor job for a few days. I've had my roll of upholstery fabric for a while, sitting in the basement waiting for some attention.

The first pieces made were the six settee cushions, using super soft foam for filler and covered with an acrylic fiber fill for a bit of extra padding. The fiber fill also makes stuffing the foam into the cover easier.

Cutting fabric, with  windows open and fan on, using a hot knife to prevent fraying,

Because the fabric has a lot of longitudinal fibers, my first attempt cutting it with scissors resulted in a lot of frayed ends coming loose, making it hard to sew. I was concerned the fraying would spread over time and weaken the seams. Using a hot knife solved the problem nicely.