Boat Forum / Building / April 2005

I want to add AC/Heat to my boat. (1942 80 ft. long)  Previously it had
motor home style units installed in ceiling.
Is this the best way to go?
I get opinions from home style AC mounted to cabin roof, motor home style to

I need to locate a few good boatyards capable of hauling an older 83 footer
(Wheeler) either by travel lift or railway in the coastal North Carolina
area.  My first choice is the Beaufort / Harker's Island area as I hear that
there are skilled craftsman available.

Good thing this skipper got his shorts rinsed out...
http://www.sfsurvey.com/photos/sail/index.htm
"Sailboat Capsizes under Golden Gate Bridge, Surfers come to the Rescue, I
was at Fort Point today, finishing up an eleven part photo essay on the

Copyright 2005, by Apostle Keith Williams.
Hello,
  The Lord Jesus is getting us ready for God's Great Judgment Day.   Who
will be able to stand?

I am repairing a fibreglass hull that has quite a few hairline cracks
and deep gouges over the hull. I sanded the hull using 180 grit wet &
dry and cleaned out the gouges using a small grinder. The hull has been
left to thoroughly dry for a few weeks after a good cleaning, and then

I want to repair some floor beams and pull the water tanks for
cleaning/inspection.  My boat, a Swift 40 built in Korea in 1980, has
ribbed stainless nails instead of screws under the plugs.  The teak
planks are grooved on both sides and the white wood (spruce) is kind of

Anyone know of boat junkyards in Washington State around the Puget
Sound area? I tried looking online and didn't find any.
I'm trying to locate a windshield that I could modify to fit my 16'
aluminum open fishing boat.

I've been hearing more and more boaters talk about using butyl tape
for sealing hardware bolts, boat windows and similar  items on boats.
It it used only where two items are screwed or bolted together. It is
the soft, tacky stuff used by window installers.  I've been using it

I have a Johnson (OMC) 50HP from '90 with electronic trim.  When I push the
buttom UP, the engine refuses to trim up.  I thought I give the engine a
little help with my hands, but then also I don't get the engine up.
What could be the problem?

I want to fit teak decks to my 37ft aluminum sailboat. Does anyone know
whether I can fasten from below, to save all that tedious plug cutting,
fitting and sanding?
I thought that with aluminum it would be quite strong if I drilled from

Hello ...
Can someone give me an approximation of the beam at waterline , prismatic &
bloc coefficient  of the GB 32 ?
And also the height of the cockpit / cabin sole above waterline. (I find te

This is how it works:=
Off the transom is hung on a light weight rudder hinge, a piece of wood hung
vertical with handle at the top into the dingy, used to swing back and
forth, like an oar.

I was wondering if Per Corell- being involved in traditional Skandinavian
boatbuilding- knows any more about these remarkable boats?
Quote from a very interesting site-
http://www.friend.ly.net/~dadadata/smyth/mast_n_sail_02.html

Hi, I made my own hatches but I'm not sure how to fill the gaps
(3/16"). I have 3M teak seal, I have BoatLife and I have black 5200.
Which would you recommend and when do you sand? Do you fill the gaps
proud and then sand the goop down? Doesn't that smoosh black stuff

I'm about to start building a 37ft Van de Stadt from an aluminum kit. One
area of boatbuilding that seems to get skimmed over in all books is
insulation.
I have access to sheets of polystyrene. Is this any good for metal boats? Or