Capt'n Pauley's Virtual Boat Yard -- Projects Galore!!!

Installing a Panelized Overhead in Your Cabin

The headliners in many older boats are on their last legs, dirty, off-white and sagging in places and are a prime candidate for replacement. I decided to replace mine with one with removable access panels. A prime advantage is that it allowed me access to the fasteners holding on the deck-mounted equipment.

 

Installing Vertical Handholds

How secure are you moving about below in rough weather? Can you safely negotiate from the companionway to the vee-berth when things are bouncing? Our Columbia 10.7 has a typical layout for an older 35-footer. A galley to port and nav station to starboard, both next to the companionway. The galley and the nav station both butted up against a partial bulkhead that was also the aft end of each settee. There were handholds at the upper corners of the companionway, very useful when coming down the companionway ladder. However, once you reached the cabin sole, it was a long stretch to reach the overhead handrails over the settees, especially for a shorter person.

 

Capt'n Pauley's Sketchbook: Propane Cylinder Holder

Cabin Sole Refit

 
To my mind, there is nothing that looks as good below as a finely finished teak and holly sole. Unfortunately, not all boats come with one.  In the case of a 34-footer I’m helping restore, the cabin sole was molded nonskid fiberglass. After years of use the non-skid was chipped, dirty and hard to keep clean.

Mirrors Aboard Boats: Bryn Awel's Installation

Recently, a member of one of the forums I’m on asked if anyone had any experience installing a mirror aboard their boat. I answered in the affirmative and said I would check for any pictures and post them, hence this post.

Odor Control

Attacking the Mold Demons

Latches: Keeping Things Closed

Installing Insulation in Your Boat

How-To: Flare Canister Mount

One of the first projects I ever wrote about was about a mount for a standard orange flare canister. That mount was made from several pieces of teak or mahogany and involved some cutting, filing and epoxying. It also required varnishing.

I decided to design a new mount while in the process of refitting our boat. This time I used polymer lumber, as produced by King Starboard (R) or Taco. Polymer lumber is great since it can be worked with common woodworking tools, doesn’t absorb water and doesn’t require finishing (or refinishing).

Securing Your Cabin Sole

 A wise option for boats going offshore is to have the access hatches in the cabin sole securely latched in place. Should the cabin sole flood or a knockdown displace the hatches, moving about the cabin becomes dangerous. I remember reading one story about a sailor who struck something, probably a container, at sea. He ended up losing the boat, in part due to the difficulty of maneuvering around the open hatches in the cabin sole. In this article, I’ll discuss the process I went through to solve this problem on my 35-footer.