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! 

Progress Update: October 28th

 'Loading the skiff'

DJ has been working on a project in North Carolina all summer and hopefully will be wrapping it up and back to the ship soon. He has been back a few times and this trip we made excellent progress with some very heavy lifting. 
We removed the 400 lb granite top table that was on the back deck and this made room for the tools that have been stored in the utility trailer.

We are really liking that knuckle boom crane! I mean, really really liking. Our backs are liking it as well.

Bandsaw base and motor

A large router table

Joiner and base

Table saw and base

Bandsaw

Our back deck now looks like a workshop like the rest of the boat!

The granite table which was sold to a new home.

Penny was enjoying the empty space with the table gone but that didn't last long!

Didn't take long to put things to work. 
Ripping guides for a new pocket door.

Thanks to Gary Blanton for the donation of the dado set and some extra blades. Didn't take long to put them to work!

The start of the pocket door leading into the shop. Space is very narrow through here so a normal hinged door would impinge on the little space there is.

Progress Update: Oct. 9th

The first wood shop storage cabinets are painted and ready for use. Amazing what can be accomplished with scrap wood from other projects!

Eric has taken a break from building cabinets to complete some other projects. The forward head walls have been prepped and primed and the first primer coat is on the shower stall. The primer has to set a week before we can paint in order for it to cure properly and accept the epoxy paint we will top coat with. There is one section or wall to be cut out and replaced to improve the way storage is utilized. It sure looks and smells much better in there now!

Next he will be building a sliding door for the work shop and then go back to cabinets. The section next to the doorway to the shop has been partially torn out, sanded and painted with Kilz. The door will slide along the wall in this area. The rest will be rebuilt into storage cubbies.

 The last of the scrap plywood cabinets built. More to follow!

Eric prepping the forward head walls.

 Getting ready to prime the shower

 

Shower (before)

 Shower (primer coat)

A really nasty grinding prep and sanding job!

This is the area that held the A/C for the lower cabins, head and laundry room. We have changed the AC unit locations.

The sliding door will be built here.

Primer coat

 

 Lots of fresh cut cleat stock for the

next round of work shop cabinets.