Cockpit Project of an Old Racer

[delmarrey]

Now with the cockpit almost done it was time to put in the new decking. I chose the Treadmaster even though it's so expensive. But it works!!!

When the boat healed over about 25º the cockpit deck became very slippery even with the sand added to the gelcoat. The Treadmaster is natural rubber impregnated with cork so it really grips deck shoes or bare feet.

This is where I really found out some of the dimensional mistakes the builder made. NOTHING was square or even. One side was even longer then the other. It makes one want to rename their boat "Less Then Perfect". Being a toolmaker this was really frustrating. But being a toolmaker, I was able to make it look like there was nothing wrong.

Now I just need to epoxy it down. Once this is done I'll install a couple 2-step ladders and some detachable seats.

[delmarrey]

So, this is how it looks to date.

It's been a long haul getting this all done. You may notice their is no seating. I've ordered a couple detachable seats and ladders from Garelick (pictures below) to add in. I'm sure some of you are saying "WHAT, no seats!

But in order to grind the 16.5:1 winches one has to be standing. Kneeling over a seat at 25º just doesn't make it, especially with a weak back. Besides I can't think of any time I really lay down or sit for very long. If I do it's usually on the windward side (high side) along the bulwark or on the foredeck.

As for sleeping in the cockpit or single handing at night, No Thank You! Where I plan to take the boat (Philippines), one has to stay alert at night underway due to all the fishing activities. One is bound to hit some fishing rig if not on watch.

The steering station will have a removable seat that sits in the corners P/S of the area. As well, I like a large cockpit area for handling lines.

When I'm in port I will have a table that attaches to the pedestal for outdoor activities.

The next thing to add is a dodger and bimini combo. I also will be adding winch handle, cup and binocular boots along with line stuffing bags. All this junk will eventually shrink down the cockpit a bit more.

The ladders will go just forward of the pedestal, which allows for a handhold in/out of the cockpit. And the seat mounting brackets will be between the winch cleats and in the angled area leading into the gangway.

[delmarrey]

I didn't document much when I was doing the rebuild but here are some before and after pictures. The smaller one is 12.5:1 and the larger is 16.5:1.

Even so, on a closehaul the larger ones really take some hard cranking to get the genny in. They are all cast aluminum except for the gears, pawls and bearings, of course.

They are ROM's made in Japan. I've searched for the manufacture but it seems Japan doesn't communicate with the rest of the world much. So if I ever need parts I'm S.O.L. The pawls and bearing are just like a Barient or Barlow so I'm good there.

They are made of some pretty tough alum. The gears and bearing surfaces show very little wear after 25+ years. Good thing! To replace theses 4 winches would cost me around 20K if I were to get self-tailing. So a rebuild was in order.

They were ceramic coated but as you can see one of them took a beating from a cable and then the corrosion got the rest. I glass bead blasted the whole outer sections and had them re-ceramic'd again.

I machined down the size of the top on the capstans. It seemed to be over kill when taking wraps on or off. It cost me about $400 by the time they were finished. Now they should out last me.

It'll be a little while before I get more stuff installed but I'll add it in when I get to that point........................................._/)

[Ex-Calif]

Awesome workmanship Del. Really fantastic.

The details of the modification really show people what is involved in doing a job right.

Any estimate of the man-hours for the cockpit?

[wlshor]

Wow! Great work. Great upgrades. I know you will enjoy. Something special about your work, when you do it personal. Keep us informed. Wilson _(\_

[Joli]

Nice job Del, that looks great.

[Zoomie]

Super design and engineering. I wish I had half your skills. I'm cutting the depth of my Cal25 cockpit in half and the width down by a third. It will look like a J24 cockpit when it's done. And should auto-drain instantly. Hopefully I'll gain enough experience in glasswork to have it don right by the time it's finished

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Any estimate of the man-hours for the cockpit?

It's hard to say for sure but I'd say around 250 hours with the running around for materials and tooling. Some of the work was done at home in the shop and the materials was around $1000 US. e.g. wood, glass, epoxy, screws, safety equp., winch coatings, SS backing plates and that doesn't include sandblasting and machine work that one would normally have to pay for. And not including the new dodger, bimini, seats and ladder that are still on order. I think another $6K.

[Zach]

Beautiful work!

[Strygaldwir]

Brings a tear to my eye!! I do so enjoy great works!

Cheers

Keith

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Del,
Great job! Congratulations.
regards,
JohnL

[BilgeRat]

Mighty fine work thar Mate!

But didn't I read somewhere you are nearly 60. You should be out there chasing the wind by now. Or is this ole gal feeding you some mickies. What a man won't do to to keep a pretty woman at her best.

Yours aye!

[delmarrey]

Part of reworking of the cockpit was the installation of the steering station along with the can of worms that one opens up when working on a boat. I decided to go with hyd. steering mainly because I’m strong in the hyd. trade and for it’s ease in installation for myself. Also, I feel too many mechanical parts are just one step closer to a mechanical failure. Hyd’s are very dependable! One reason they are used on aircraft and heavy equipment these days. A lot of the following wasn’t worked on in any order but was worked on in bits and pieces while wanting for parts, materials or weather conditions (no rain).

Here’s another view of the old cockpit before the renovation.

In the mean time I had the hyd. pump and other related parts on order and they had arrived. With instructions and drawings.

[delmarrey]

Now comes the hard part. Lining up the pedestal and then cutting the BIG hole in the cockpit.

[delmarrey]

All the holes and core was sealed with epoxy filler. The pedestal base had an O-ring grove. I made use of it with a 1/4” O-ring. I built up an inner dam around to hole so if the O-ring leaked a bit it wouldn't spill over into the compartment below. If it leaks a lot then I’ll know it’s time for a new O-ring.

Next was the pump and mounting bracket, which I built out of 304 SS. The thru bolts are flush with the deck and hidden under the pedestal. The mount has slotted holes for the pump for adjusting the chain

The hyd. tank has to be mounted above the pump level, which worked out OK. It went up the outside of the cockpit inner side.