Recent content by Rob

A funny thing happened on the way back to the marina... Last weekend, wife and daughter and I had a great sail. We started by motoring out of our marina. The little Westerbeke 10TWO purred like a kitten. I make it my practice to monitor the gauges and wet exhaust every few minutes (which is no...

Thank you for all the thoughtful replies so far! I keep changing my mind about this project. I was tired just writing my original post! Having thought a little bit more about the project, I now think that it's unrealistic to think that I could do the deck from start to finish in 9 full...

First, let me apologize in advance for the length of this post. I am new at all of this and I really need some guidance and, perhaps, a little encouragement. I'll try to set out my questions at the end of this lengthy post. I bought a 1985 Ericson 26 last August. My first boat - and she's a...

Thanks for the replies. Chris - I'm actually surprised that some holes (like those for the stantions) had been filled with resin. I've been operating under the assumption that the factory just drilled through the core and relied on the sealant. Sure, labour costs are an issue for...

Can anyone tell me whether Ericson reamed out deck core and filled the gaps with epoxy (or employed some similar technique) before mounting deck hardware? Alternatively did Ericson simply drill into the deck and count on the sealant to protect the core? How did Ericson's method compare with...

Laura, Thanks! I'm glad I asked. Your description about the order in which to fasten the screws is very helpful, as is the tip about lowering the pan. Cheers

This weekend, I’m going to re-bed the anchor chain locker in my E26. I assume that the locker has a flange which is screwed into the recess in the deck. I’m pretty sure I have access to the back “wall” of the anchor chain locker through an access port that’s been installed in the teak bulkhead...

I wasn't at all worried until now... Guy (and all others), I'm using Texaco Ursa Super Plus SAE 15W-40 in my little 1985 Westerbeke 10-TWO. Should I be thinking about switching to something else? Cheers, Rob

Guy, Looks great! For the maintenance log, how about adding a column for "product used"? It could be useful to record, for example, the brand and weight of oil used; or the diameter of a hose; or a part number; or the name of that product that really worked (or didn't)...etc.

Conclusion... I didn't want this thread to linger without posting a conclusion. Thankfully, I dealt with a very reputable rigging company that knows what they're doing. Though they were busy, they took a look at the spar and agreed that an effort should be made to reposition the mast step...

Dodger Not sure if this will help, but here's a picture of the dodger on our E26 (assuming that my effort to attach the file succeeds)...

EGregerson: Thanks for the diagram. No, I don't see anything like that (as explained in my previous post). I have a carpenter's protractor, which I took out and eyeballed to get a better estimate of the misalignment. I was way off with 5 to 7 degrees. It's more like 2 degrees, probably not...

Yes - the mast seems to be rotated a little from it's previous position. The mast has, well, an "egg" shaped cross-section, and the step plugs into that cross-section. As I say, I think the bolt holes in the replacement step must have been ever so slightly different from the original step...

I had a small leak which I believed was coming from where the mast electricals pass through the deck. I decided to address the problem. Since I would need to unstep, I thought I might as well replace all the standing rigging. Since I was replacing the standing rigging, I thought I might as well...

Prop Loren, your post reminded me of another small task. My prop is clean, but it does show faint evidence of having been fouled by various sticky critters. It's a Campbell Sailor - made of manganese bronze. Do you think I can (or should) give it a light sand? It's basically fine, but I would...