Future Brown Water Cruiser: 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit

[neptunesjester]

I forgot to mention another trick, which you may already have done: for determining the shaft spacing, I put a collar zinc on the shaft right up against the mid strut. This allowed for making sure the prop to strut distance was good, and I could rotate the shaft coupler as needed and push the shaft coupler back away from the engine as needed when performing large engine moves. Then I could pull the shaft back in till it stopped from inside the engine room and know it was back in the right place


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[q240z]

That's a good idea with the coupler. For mine, since I'm using DriveSaver shaft isolators that are the same thickness as what the prop-to-strut clearance needs to be, I just push the prop up to within 1/8" of the rear strut, then when the couplers are close I slide the prop up tight against the strut to bring the couplers together and start doing the microadjustments.

I ended up having to cut up the front motor mount and raise the vibration isolator landing pads by 1-1/8". That allowed me to put the locknuts back on and still have enough adjustment to drop the front of the engine and line up the couplers. I also had to cut off a bit more of the transverse frame under the engine oil pan.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Cummins Engine Install – Shaft Alignment and Front Engine Mount

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

I got the engine installed in its final resting place over the weekend. Shaft alignment...check. Clearance to frames and stringers...check. Everything sanded and epoxy coated...check. But then I had a minor hang up with some of the hardware that came with the prop shaft vibration isolator/rubber donut. It's not a huge deal, but it did stop me just a bit short of being completely done with this step of the project.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Cummins Engine Install — Coating the Stringers & Final Fit

Cheers
Q

[q240z]

With one engine in, I shifted gears and took advantage of some relatively cool weather we've had to get some repairs started on the hard top. Back in May 2014, when the tent was burglarized, the thieves took off with a bunch of original Chris Craft parts that were on the aft deck and behind the tent. Included in that were the extruded aluminum drip rail that went around the hard top. After spending a lot of time looking at options, I decided the best approach was to break open the new paint and fiberglass over the joint that the drip rail would normally cover. It's itchy work, but it's looking like it will work out OK.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Aft Deck Hard Top (again)

Cheers,
Q

[neptunesjester]

You're not missing anything with that drip rail. It basically funnels the rain to stream off the hard top right in the middle of the port and starboard aft entry ways. I've been thinking of a way to add something more gutter like to handle this...but it is way down on the project list

Sent from my SM-P600 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[q240z]

Thanks, NJ. That's pretty much what I figured would happen with the OE drip rail, since that's exactly what happens on my other boats.

In other news...I do love fillets.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Fillets On The Hard Top

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

Before I can prime and paint the hard top, I need to square away the windshield frame mess. We made good progress on that front recently. We had to break open the paint and do more fiberglass work, but it looks like we finally got 100% contact along the top and bottom mating surfaces.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Helm Station Windshield Frame

Cheers,
Q

[Warby12]

Great job

[q240z]

Thanks! Can't wait to pull the frame this weekend and start grinding fiberglass again!

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

After the epoxy cured, we got busy with carbide saws and shaped the FRP to the hardtop. Gotta love fiberglass work. Note to self: no matter how itchy the FRP dust can be, DO NOT use the missus' loofa sponge to scrub it out of your pores. The resulting reaction from the better half is not good.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Helm Station Windshield III

Cheers,
Q

[zeehag]

Q!!!!
invest in h202 for fg dust and shard removal, not loofahs.... ouchies

[q240z]

h2o2? What's that gonna do for FRP dust stuck in your pores? Bubble it out? lol

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by q240z

h2o2? What's that gonna do for FRP dust stuck in your pores? Bubble it out? lol

pretty much..is a trick taught me by a fg boat builder and designer...he was always covered with the stuff and showed me how no tto suffer.. and never rub yourself when fg stuff on ye.. h202 nd then shower... pat dry, not rub

[q240z]

Well, hopefully I'll never have to try that out since I never, ever want to have to do FRP work again.

Before we spray shiny Awl Grip Matterhorn white on the hard top (again), we decided to get the windshield frame painted first. It turned out surprisingly nice, especially considering how nasty and dusty the tent is inside from all of the fiberglass and fairing work we've been doing.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Sparkly Shiny Helm Windshield Frame

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

Over the weekend, we got the Matterhorn White Awlcraft 2000 sprayed on the helm hard top and cabin top. It's been 16 months, but that finally gets me caught up to where I was before the thieves stole my stuff back in May 2014. From now on, it's all progress toward (hopefully) splashing in 2016.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Shiny Matterhorn White on the Hard Top (again)

Cheers
Q