When last we met, I was waiting for paint, which i still am. I have given up on West Marine to get it in, and have gone to Defender.com which has the paint in stock for about 30% cheaper. My after school projects have been rigging and other items removed from the boat. I finished the rudder assembly, and will wait till I can mount it on the boat to install the rudder up line and hardware as well as a line to keep it down, which I am not sure I need since the ruddder is pretty heavy.The old original tilller was a good template for its replacement. I am foregoing any laminating of a tiller for another day. I had a slab of hard rock maple left over from a millwork project, so I used what I had to save some moolah. The closed grain maple version looks somewhat different from your average ash/mahogany tilller, but very strong. I did add my signature 'drip' on the handle end and added 4 coats of spar varnish.The mast has suffered a few accidental deflections in its length.... its bent! One bend is fore and aft where it free fell to the cabin top, according to the previous owner, this is the worst one. And another fore and aft at just below the spreaders, and another athwartship a few feet down from the masthead. I have made a bar clamp jig with thinwall 4x4 steel tube and will begin to persuade it straight this week. Pics to follow on the success of this technique. A replacement mast from D&R is over $1,245 plus tax and shipping! Yikes, I dont want to break it, which is very possible at the bad bend location. If there is anyone who has some suggestions on this issue, I look to your insight. With luck the final painting is this weekend and then it moves to storage at Lake Fairview Marina, and then comes home on the weekends for re-installing the nonskip coat, all the hardware, ports, rewiring, replumbing, and all other wrap up projects. Getting closer every week!
Jim
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