Progress Update: January 4th

(Mary cleaning recycled wire)

This last week saw the removal of old and unusable plumbing from the forward bilge, underneath the sink in the forward head and from the base of the area by the pocket door. We will be replacing some of it under the sink with new parts.
 
The workshop now has power with 6 new outlets and soon will have lighting as well. We are waiting for our LED light components and fixtures that will arrive hopefully by next week. 

Eric and DJ put in heavy duty plastic flooring into the aft lazarette.
Several small organizational jobs were completed as well.

The drainage plumbing next to the smaller blue bin had to be replaced as it was not draining properly and water was leaking into the lazarette. 

Eric and DJ working on lazarette flooring...

Customizing small pieces for lazarette

Lazarette flooring being fitted

Old plumbing was removed from under the sink in the forward head. Now it can be painted and new shelving fitted. (Laying on top of the counter are extra long, heavy duty wood shop clamps that were placed there temporarily)

Pile of old plumbing and wire to be sorted for recycling and trash.

 Mary separating old plumbing parts and hoses for recycling

(It's been pouring rain all week, hence the wet decks)

Eric working on the new storage area by the pocket door.

New panel being painted for use 

in the storage area by the pocket door

DJ and Mag labeling the distribution panel in the helm.

Salvaged doors from the recent termite tear out. 

They will be recycled and put to good use somewhere.

 

Progress Update: December 21st

The pocket door into the workshop is now completed and installed. We used some of the beautiful veneer Eric donated to the mission vessel.
The head up forward has received a final coat of paint and the head storage locker has been refurbished with new shelving and front facing.
Next up for the head will be the pulling of old plumbing that will be rebuilt and then painting under the counters and building new under counter shelves.

Pocket door installed on runners

 Beautiful!

Final coat!

 New shelving

Wonderful new locker space! We will be putting snap canvas covers over all the open lockers.

Progress Update: December 11th

In every large rebuilding project there are going to be occasional unplanned for "surprises". Ours was discovering that there were termites buried very deep in an area that had had additions long before we received the ship. We had to declare all out war on the termites!! 

We cleaned behind the stove (one of the last places that had soot from the fire) in preparation for removal of the small side cabinet. We tried twice to kill them off with insecticides and were hoping they would be contained just in this small area. Not hardly...

This photo was from about a week ago. After removal, we waited for absence of 'sign' but we then noticed more termite 'shavings' on the floor, coming from the very top corner and bottom edge of the cabinet.

It was so disheartening to tear out all the varnish and painting work from a year ago.

 We also found where they had been in the floor and the overhead. we didn't take any chances and removed it all.

Checking for 'sign'

We replaced the areas cut out from the floor with new 3/4 inch ply.

Eric's shoulders don't care for overhead work much anymore!

This area behind the stove has the A/C unit and may get worked on

when DJ is here for a week over Christmas. The giant wooden door panel isn't attached but simply leaning over the opening. This door seems to have no insect damage so might be used for other projects.

The silver lining from this whole ordeal is that hopefully the ship has been freed from termites and the galley now has ventilation. It was miserable in the heat of summer and had no air flow. So we are thankful for how open it now is.

Modifications will be added in the future.

 

 On a lighter note, the shower stall up forward is finished!

 

Progress Update: November 21st

(Mary cleaning lockers on the upper deck)

The boat has been moved to a new location about 30 miles from our previous spot. Much cheaper rent with 40amp power and water included. Very grateful!

Now that its cooler, the upper deck lockers, cushions and covers are getting a good cleaning. These had not been touched since the fire due to time constraints when we first started working on the boat and were not yet living aboard. And due to lots of wasps nests, we had to wait till summer was over. And being in Louisiana, that meant it was hot up to about 8 days ago. 

Eric is making progress on the pocket door to the work shop and the last of the large hallway closets has been painted. He is still doing side work so we can accumulate funds for our personal support over the next year. He should be wrapping it up in a while and will then be working full-time again on the boat. 

Mary prepping the hallway closet

The closet needing a bit more cleaning before we can paint.

The pocket door ready for inner panels

 Eric doing temporary install of the pocket door

Varnishing the insert for the top inner panel of the pocket door

 

The table area on the upper deck

 Smoke and soot residue on the inside 

of the lockers on the upper deck. 

Upper deck covers were all salvageable and just needed a good scrubbing. 

 These cushions will be getting scrubbed in a few days and behind them under the cover is the last area on the upper deck needing to be cleaned from the fire.

The old name and hailing port came off easily with a good scraper and alcohol cleanup for the residue. 

 The termites made a resurgence 

but it looks like we stopped them again. 

Hopefully for good this time!