After too much time away from the boat which included a great trip to China, I was able to steal some time away from the Nutcracker performances to get some work done on the boat. The two new chain plates I had made were ready for pick-up. I had a little massacring to do but they looked good. I first reinstalled the 3 on the port side which went fairly smooth. The deck opening is enlarged enough that there should be ample room for butyl to be packed in there. Without the teak decking and the teak riser pad there seems to be a lot of the chain plates exposed above the deck. I have gone back and forth as to creating new risers but they would strictly be aesthetic only and would serve little purpose. I did clean up all of the chain plate covers but soon realized that they too had suffered some corrosion and were rough at best. I installed the chain plates with new bolts and acorn caps for a finished look. I omitted the loc-tite so will be going back over it again.
I purchased another sheet of marine grade plywood. 1/2" thick this time for some additional supports, shelving and flooring installs. I cut out all of the parts using the old ones as patterns. The new one I needed was a raised floor for the new porta-potti to give adequate clearance. This is now roughed out and will require finishing and a final install. The porta-potti will be bracketed to this base and at the new hieght I will probably not reinstall the shelve I removed to give the user better head clearance. This also allows better access to the chain plates for inspection, etc.
I also stripped the forward hatch of the old finish and the old smoked plexi. I have cut a new piece of clear Lexan that I will install to allow more light forward. I will fashion a shade for use when the boat is not in use. I also stripped and sanded the door that will be the new electrical panel door. Both are reading for varnish again.
