John and Jeanne Niccolls February, 2008
Rudder post
The Cummins 4BT3.9M engine air filter.
Racor fuel filter with the steering cables beneath.
Raw water pump. The oil pressure sending unit (which measures pressure and contains the low pressure alarm) can be seen in the upper right.
Port side, forward, of the Cummins 4BT3.9M 150hp engine.
After contacting John Isaksen, owner of Hull 35, “Neptune”, and learning that Isaksen believes bilge keels installed in 2008 helped reduced roll, the Niccolls contracted with Karl Stambaugh of Chesapeake Marine Design to prepare plans for bilge keel installation on “Knock Off”. After receipt of the plans, Niccolls contracted with Osprey Marine Composites of Deale, Maryland, for fabrication and installation of the keels. Osprey began during April, 2010, and the work was completed in early May, 2010
The four 1" thick slabs of Divinycel H250 core material were laminated and roughly shaped. After final shaping, they were coated with fiberglass reinforced vinylester resin.
The first step was to peel the existing bottom paint, barrier coat and gel-coat in the areas where the keels were to be installed. The picture below shows bottom areas peered (and Sadie, the Niccolls family pet).
Thickened epoxy resin was used to fasten the keels to the hull. Jack-stands held the keels tight against the hull until the resin cured.
After fairing and sanding, the keels and exposed hull areas were coated with an epoxy barrier coat and an intermediate primer. Finally, Petit AquaGuard bottom paint was applied.
Buster Phipps and crew of Deale, MD are redoing the decks. Working inside, they have just about cut out all the old caulk. They sanded first before doing that but said it will get a very light re-sanding before the taping and caulk application. The darker areas near the anchor pipe seen below were where an anchor chock was mounted. They won't be replaced and the areas will be repaired and sanded. They seem to be doing a very careful and thorough job of the old caulk removal. All done by hand.
The deck caulk Buster likes.
Sadie approves John's work on the insert.
Storage location for the deck insert.
New posts will support the davits.
Aligning and thru-bolting through the deck.
The new davit slides into retainers on the post.
The final product installed on Knock Off as designed by John Niccolls.
Not to be held back by a little crack in the end of his Cummins' heat exchanger, John kludges together a fix to get him home ...
A clamp holds the temporary end cap in place, while nylon ties hold the clamp in place. Happy to report that John, Jeanne and Knock Off all made it back home without further incident.
This insert fits into any of the silverware drawers.
While this little drawer fits on top of the insert.
The little drawer has John's favorite material (Velcro pile) on the bottom to make it slide easily and quietly.
The remaining pictures give dimensions.
Receipt for air conditioning showing the probable first owner of hull 66.
