Messages

You need a 5 year old.  That was my daughter's "job" when we first got our boat.  Make sure there is water coming out the back of the boat, yell if there isn't.

When I bought my '86 4 years ago I replaced my counter.  Was rotting from the leaking vent stanchions.  I think with the counter off I was able to drill some holes in the fiberglass and spray some foam in the space between the hull and the icebox and the icebox and the stove.  It also made it easier to spray the other two sides.  If you keep the counter on you would be trying to spray the bow and port side through one of the drawer openings.
If you go with spray form, try to find a sprayable 2 part style. Will come as a kit with a hose and plastic spray gun.  It sticks to vertical surfaces well and hardens in about 30 seconds.  On my old C-30 I tried using the spray foam you get at HD and it took so long to set it kept falling off the sides of the icebox.
Once you get the counter back on, you have about 2-3" of countertop that is inboard to the icebox.  I cut some 2" styrofoam board pieces and fit them around the icebox door to insulate the 2-3" of counter space over the icebox to give it some insulation.

I've had good results with Goo Gone and a new razor blade to get the majority off.  Then Goo Gone and some rubbing with a clean cloth to get the rest off.   

I used a heat gun which worked well.  I had pulled all the wood off and did it at home so not sure how well it would work on the boat.

Does everyone have the 2" or so, thick,  insulated fiberglass panel screwed to the underside of the lid?  I assumed it was factory installed in my '86.  Or do some people have just the plywood lid?  I always assumed I was getting some leakage around the opening lip but never thought it was too bad.
I also installed some 2" rigid styrofoam pieces on the underside of the countertop between the refer opening and the edge of the icebox.

wingate9, I'd be interested in your fiberglass hatch if you decide to replace it. 

Thanks
Matt

I like this idea of replacing them with solar vents.  Never thought of that, good tip.

Good idea.  I'll try it in the spring.

Have a flexible 100w solar panel.  Stepped on it by accident, when putting it away in the fall, heard a crack and noticed a 1.5" crack in one of the square solar panel cells.  Will this have an impact on the whole panel or just that particular cell?  My thinking is that cell is kaput but the rest of the panel should operate normally so maybe now its an 85-90w panel?

The boat is on shore power all week.  The panels are really for 2-3 day trips to keep the batteries topped up so we don't have to run the engine.  With the kids sports schedules, we really only get out on multi-day trips 3-4 times a summer so a small decrease in performance shouldn't be an issue.

I also had the slapping.  The pvc conduit had come loose inside the mast.  Mine had actually broken in two.  I was able to re-rivet it although it turned out to be a bigger pain in the ass than I originally thought.  If you don't have a conduit then I think the noodle or pipe insulation would work.

I have the same cracks on mine.  I was getting some water through the cracks.  Rebedded the dorades but didn't help.  Figured out the fiberglass had cracked under the traveller.  Replaced the traveller (it barely worked anyway) repaired the fiberglass and thru bolted the traveller.  Leaks disappeared.

I'm pretty sure I just unscrewed the original trim pieces and screwed them back into the new countertop.  Mine had screws behind the bungs.  I used the old counter as a template for the new so it was the same exact size.  The teak trim fit like the original.

I have the Sensatank on my holding tank and it reads fine so I don't think the tank wall is too thick.

Ron
Good idea.  I'm going give the head a good once over in a couple weeks when the seasons over.

Stu
Thanks for the link.