United Kingdom
205 Posts
Posted - 04/05/2010 : 13:15:25 nickbd's nickbd's
It's getting a little embarrassing now - the state of my cockpit. My locker lids have passed the 'falling apart' stage and are starting to decompose. My cockpit floor planking is also gently being obliterated. I would like to get replacements but I'm as useful a carpenter as my 9 year old daughter.
Is there a DIY route a novice such as I can go down? Hinges would be ideal but I know these are tricky with the curve of the cockpit wall. If anyone has already fought this battle, I'd be most grateful of their wisdom. Alternatively, can anyone recommend a talented marine carpenter in the Lymington area who might be able to help me out, without cleaning me out?
Many thanks!
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Nick B-D
1974 Fin Keel, Yanmar YSE 12
http://sabre27.wordpress.com
http://www.tinstar.co.uk
Sunfly
United Kingdom
51 Posts
Posted - 04/05/2010 : 14:54:16 Sunfly's Homepage Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Reply
Nick, there's a few words about hatches in the handbook, prob worth a read before you approach anyone to do it, or it might even persuade you that your wood butchery is up to it! Epoxy and silica plus some lashings of paint will cover a multitude of sins.
as far as the floor goes, I assume you are asking about duck boards/ gratings. There is a firm somewhere (or was) that supplied teak gratings as kits. Not cheap mind you...
Nothing - absolute nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats
http://sunflythesabre.wordpress.com
nickbd
United Kingdom
205 Posts
Posted - 04/05/2010 : 16:22:33 nickbd's nickbd's
Thanks for your feedback Toby - much appreciated. How are your UK circumnavigation preparations going? My company just sponsored a related escapade - although oars and only 45 days are involved... rather them than me.
http://www.rowforheroes.com/
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Nick B-D
1974 Fin Keel, Yanmar YSE 12
http://sabre27.wordpress.com
http://www.tinstar.co.uk
Sunfly
United Kingdom
51 Posts
Posted - 05/05/2010 : 10:09:04 Sunfly's Homepage Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Reply
Hi Nick
I'm something of an oarsman myself, and have been looking misty-eyed at the various ocean rowing races for a while. Only one problem with rowing a boat somewhere - you don't get to sail it!
I did a quick search and K J Howels do the gratings, there might be others too. The cost isn't outrageous, considering it's teak and almost all the work is done for you, but it's a fair wad of cash. Other issue is, they only come in rectangles, and the sabre cockpit is tapered! They might be able to machine angled joints as required, but that'll surely push the cost higher...
http://www.kjhowells.com/TG
Circumnav plans are coming along, next thing is to put everything back on the deck now it's painted. Unfortunately annoythings like work keep getting in the way (when I don't get bored and roam various sailing fora...)
Nothing - absolute nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats
http://sunflythesabre.wordpress.com
nickbd
United Kingdom
205 Posts
Posted - 05/05/2010 : 10:09:11 nickbd's nickbd's
Got a very rough ballpark figure for the cockpit grating from http://www.kjhowells.com/ who were very nice and helpful - and reckoned it could be between £500 and £800. The shape of the cockpit floor means that a kit wouldn't be viable because it's not a simple rectangle or square... I think a DIY alternative might have to be in order.
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Nick B-D
1974 Fin Keel, Yanmar YSE 12
http://sabre27.wordpress.com
http://www.tinstar.co.uk
Mike T
67 Posts
Posted - 05/05/2010 : 13:50:25
I would imagine they would be very easy to make if made like they are in my sabre. i have a bottom layer of runners made from 10mm thick x 50mm wide wood laying in a port to starboard direction about 6 in total then on top of these i have the same size wooden runners in a fore to aft direction about 7 in total to form a grid pattern then screw/nail/glue all together and your done.
Iain C
United Kingdom
181 Posts
Posted - 06/05/2010 : 21:54:36
My locker lids and grating were very unwell on Summer Girl. I replaced the grating with the same GRP grating that you often find on the ramps of marina pontoons. It's not the prettiest, but it's very functional and very non-slip, and will never, ever rot. It came with the boat hence me avoiding the prettier but more expensive teak. Only issue is that the mounting feet are galvanised steel and starting to rust...I might make up some wooden ones over the winter, or powder coat them. The slight taper on the cockpit made it a bit tricky to cut though, and I destroyed a good handful of jigsaw blades! (Oh, and my belt sander, but only by sanding through the flex...oops!) Try http://www.fibreglassgrating.co.uk/ for a quote.
For the lids, I used a specialist plywood that is often used as the cockpit floor on narrowboats. It has a very fine embossed "checkerplate" finish that is again very non-slip. It's standing up well.
Both solutions were cheap and cheerful, but practical. Once the boat is 99% there I might make something a bit prettier but it work for me. Slightly unclear photo available from up the rig in the gallery page.
nickbd
United Kingdom
205 Posts
Posted - 07/05/2010 : 08:37:03 nickbd's nickbd's
Many thanks Iain - very helpful.
==============
Nick B-D
1974 Fin Keel, Yanmar YSE 12
http://sabre27.wordpress.com
http://www.tinstar.co.uk
Iain C
United Kingdom
181 Posts
Posted - 08/05/2010 : 18:35:00
No worries. I think I have the wooden pattern pieces if you want them, so you know you are cutting to the right size.
I will improve the aesthetics of mine at some point by belt sanding a bit more off the edges, and gluing on a hardwood "border", as well as a toerail up the middle so you can wedge yourself in upwind a bit more. I'm OK as my feet reach the leeward side, but some of my more vertically challenged crew struggle!
nickbd
United Kingdom
205 Posts
Posted - 10/05/2010 : 08:25:36 nickbd's nickbd's
Iain, that's extremely kind of you - that would be enormously useful.
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Nick B-D
1974 Fin Keel, Yanmar YSE 12
http://sabre27.wordpress.com
http://www.tinstar.co.uk
nickbd
United Kingdom
205 Posts
Posted - 30/08/2010 : 09:23:55 nickbd's nickbd's
OK, I have now got lovely new locker lids - I got a local carpenter to help me out. The only problem is the hinges (see page 12 of the handbook, Hinges on curved edge by Ken Endean). I gave this page to the carpenter to use as guidance and he said that he couldn't find the right hinges... If Ken (or anyone who has achieved this design) is reading this, please could you let me know where these hinges might be obtained? Many thanks!
Once the lids and floor are completed I'll pop some photos up. They're looking good!
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Nick B-D
1974 Fin Keel, Yanmar YSE 12
http://sabre27.wordpress.com
http://www.tinstar.co.uk
tokomaru111
United Kingdom
38 Posts
Posted - 30/08/2010 : 09:46:09
I think £500 to £800 outragous for cockpit grating, I can't imagine the teak to be more than £100 to buy, a days work at the most by a good carpenter, another £150, I'm sure there is someone wo could do the job,
Ron walke
jerryo
Ireland
70 Posts
Posted - 30/08/2010 : 12:51:24
It is almost unbelievable that Nickbd's thread on locker lids has had 6629 reads.
There must either be a lot of phantom sabres out there or the design of the locker lids/and or grating is far superior to any other that they are coveted the world over javascript:insertsmilie('')
ken endean
United Kingdom
52 Posts
Posted - 30/08/2010 : 13:30:24
Nick,
I have just returned from summer (sic) and become aware of your problem. Concerning the cockpit baoarding, a square-hole grating is very handsome but straight slats of teak would be pretty good looking, non-slip- and a lot easier to assemble/fit. If you are coming to the Marchwood rally, have a look at my locker covers which are made on this principle. Concerning hinges, I used flat-plate stainless steel hinges, and if I recall correctly I may have had to alter them slightly. The basic hinges (prior to modification) are in the 2010 Force 4 catalogue as Item Code 870094. The rest of each basic locker lid is just a cut-out of 18mm mnarine ply with the edges well sealed. Again, if you are coming to Marchwood I hope to be there, together with boat, lids and hinges.
Ken
tokomaru111
United Kingdom
38 Posts
Posted - 30/08/2010 : 20:33:11
My locker lids were made prior to me buying the boat, the hinges are fitted athwartships, not to the curved cockpit coaming, this has been perfectly satisfactory, no problem at all,
Ron Walke
nickbd
United Kingdom
205 Posts
Posted - 30/08/2010 : 20:36:54 nickbd's nickbd's
Many thanks!
Nick
And here is the result with which I am very pleased (apart from the rubber seals and slightly dirty plastic surroundings which have since been cleaned and fixed)...
- hyjanorra_23b.jpg (63.52 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
Nick B-D
1974 Fin Keel, Yanmar YSE 12