Sir Percy

quatrefoil

Find a good varnish, apply as normal up to penultimate coat, then use some Gelomat in the final coat?

Charging off the inverter?

Have a look through Trinity Marine http://www.trinitymarine.co.uk/trinity-portholes They may have the hole diameter required, but also check the (spigot) depth that you need. My cabin is also lined with celotex, so used a couple of their 'deep spigot' portholes.

Question was, is there any reason it couldn't be boxed in to make it a little less anti-social?

Re noise & size: The page that link sends you to for the Hurricane says: Quiet operation - insulated enclosure Compact, 9” H x 13” W x 19” D ..? Even if it is noisy, couldn't it be boxed in easily with noise insulation?

Nice work.

Fair point. Maybe I'll forget about the wattle and daub*. I was looking at veneered MDF and chipboard, but then remembered I had to allow for a gentle curve. Just wondering what other people might have used out of the ordinary. * btw, I have actually seen someone doing that, but that was in that London, there.

What materials are suitable for lining out a cabin (over battens / insulation slabs)? (and which ones aren't?) 9mm/12mm faced ply, fire-retardant seems to be the norm. Any alternatives?

I've been convinced of the case for varnish. When it comes to reapplication though, I'll probably have to knock up a temporary hatch cover while I take the old one off for revarnishing.

David, your experience and advice is appreciated. I understand what you're saying about the pros of a good varnish job, all I'm saying is that at some point, the varnish would need a re-application at which point I might not have the convenience of being able to do it indoors. It's not the ease of the job, I'm just concerned about it being ruined by stray dirt. I had the same problem when I had to pick out insects which had landed on freshly-painted boards left to dry outdoors. p.s. re Letonkinois - there appears to be a 'product improvement': After much testing on my own boat and demand by customers I shall only be stocking Le Tonkinois No 1 in future after low stocks of 1 and 1/2 litres are sold out. This is a much improved product, still organic but has improved flow during application, reduces tendency to "nib" and reduces the skinning in the tin. Also the purity of the Linseed in the manufacture has been raised from the standard 96% by a further 2%. Its a remarkable step forward.

I did. But wouldn't you also have to maintain varnish? I considered having to re-apply oil/varnish in situ, outdoors and subject to dirt/dust/smoke falling on it.

Had to take up the ballast in my boat, under which was a nasty, sticky mess of old roofing felt. Up it came with a load of plate rust, caused by the moisture trapped under the felt. I must have seen the suggestion of garden hose somewhere on these forum pages - anyway, I was scratching my head trying to think of what I could put down under the paving slabs. Biking around last Summer, I saw a hose which had been thrown out and thought, 'that'll do nicely'. Since then, I managed to collect three more from off the street. I guess that's when people discover their old one has got a leak. You'll often see one alongside with rubble and waste from house renovations (but make sure it has been dumped).

Thanks. I may choose between this danish oil product: http://danish-oil.com/exterior-uv-danish-oil/or Owatrol D1/D2. Thanks for the kind offer. My timber is only 15mm, so I'll have a go at making plugs from my scrap since there's only a few needed. BTW, your cratch looks nice, esp. with accessories.

Is that Osmo Polyxoil that you're referring to specifically, David?

After asking about varnish advice above, I think I'll probably go with a Danish oil finish now. There's always the option (apparently) of applying varnish on top at a later date. Ask me in a year's time as to how it's holding up to the elements.

Thinner than 2mm?!!

That was my first thought - tried putting a steel pin through a piece of scrap, and I never got through the other side, never mind into the piece to be fixed to. It is hardwood, but maybe a little more perseverance and grunt needed. Like I say, lack of experience...

Not a bad idea, esp. as I don't have a pillar drill. The maintenance is what puts me off using varnish - not so much having to do it, but I'd have to do it outdoors, subject to dirt, dust and smoke. Not a worry with oil. Do you know where?

I forgot - was also considering an oil finish as an alternative to varnish. Any experience with those products out there?

Thanks, yes - that's what I was worried about, the thickness of the strip is only 15mm. Do I have enough to play with, do you think? Ta, was recommended Epifanes. High tung-oil content, apparently. Any particular reason you like Craftmaster?

A little request for advice on fixing and hiding - not very experienced in woodwork, so any help appreciated. I've constructed a hatch from hardwood (sapele) - tried to avoid screws on the exterior faces as much as possible, but have ended up requiring a few. The photo shows the side of the hatch at the bottom of the picture (marked 'AS' upside-down) 670 x 45 x 15 mm, on top of which is a strip 15 mm thick. Would like to fix this with a couple of screws - what size would be best, and can I hide the screw with plugs? Had a look at plug cutter attachments for drills - the smallest that I can find is #8. Can I just buy plugs, and from where? Any tips on varnishing? Cheers.

Having gutted the boat, I've just finished painting the bilge and sides up to the gunwale. Went to check on drying, and what I thought was a horizontal shadow line on the side turned out to be where condensation started at the water line, going down to the bottom. Don't know why I was so surprised, but explains why there was so much rust that I had to remove when starting work. The old insulation was rockwool. No vapour barrier used. For the sides from gunwales down, plan to use battens and expanding foam, and then Celotex faced with ply panels. Celotex should provide the vapour barrier. Any recommendations on foam? Looking at Soudal Flexifoam and Bond-It Megafoam.

Hi, picking up on this post: Down in the bilge, I'd already treated rust with Fertan and applied a couple of coats of red oxide primer and was about to put down a couple of coats of Danboline Bilge paint, when someone mentioned adding Owatrol paint conditioner to the bilge paint. Can it be mixed? (rather than separate coats as discussed above) No reply from the International helpline. Ta for any advice. Edit: after a bit of research, I seem to have confused Owatrol CIP (Corrosive Inhibiting Primer) with Owatrol Paint Conditioner - Owatrol make a wide range of products. Question still is, is Danboline oil or alkyd based? These two types may have the conditioner added. Edit (2): Answer from International - Danboline is an oil-based alkyd.

Thanks for replies. Doubt if there was a gearbox/engine install there - engine is much further towards the middle of the boat, and has been for some time. Can't imagine any reason for relocation. Only thing on box is my boots.