Sail Life - The last structural member (maybe...almost) - DIY sailboat repair

[@jakobusphsteyn3500]

Hola Mads, I built a 39 foot boat in the early 1990's and had a lot of pleasure out of building it and sailing it. Something that i did during the fit out was to use all the scrap and off cut fibreglass to make panels that I moulded on sheets of textured melamine and do a layup in any colour which took my fancy (shades of white). These had been used to clad the ceilings with insulation behind it and also the headliner. They were easy to make, fit and install. There are now much better insulation materials available and i think one should look at what is available in the oil industry. As for doors I used heavy curtains which blocked out light and could be fastened for privacy and closure. Only the heads had a solid door as it was at times wet in there. I really like your thoroughness and do glass in the last structure member. Good luck and enjoy your visit state side.

[@budpratt4295]

Enjoy your time with Ava. You have done herculean work both on the boat as well as making very professional videos. I will miss watching you on Sundays.

[@ollylewin]

Nooooo!! Two weeks!!? I don't think I'll manage. Sundays are all about sail-life. Enjoy your trip mate.

[@gman9945]

What Oliver said! I think I'll survive as long as Sailing Lady Africa posts a video.. Have a good trip Mads.

[@mikehartmann5187]

That’s what re-runs are for! 😁

[@Rottingboards]

Glorious Sanding is starting to become a cult. :-)

[@Rottingboards]

@@gman9945 Sampson Boat Company...

[@kscipkkkk]

Sampson, Brupeg, Seeker, Six Points, Ave, etc... Ita not nice to vacay for 2 weeks.

[@sailingmoonshadow3169]

I agree you should go the whole hog and do that last member otherwise you'll always be fretting about it! Enjoy your time in LA with Ava, you deserve a break!

[@troyboyd3100]

Mads, aside from your astonishing skill set, you really strike me as a wonderful human being. Thank you for being so inspirational...

[@twiper]

If you must seal off the bilge a good idea would be not to fill it with foam. Just make a fiberglass plate and seal off the bilge, then make a inspection hatch in the top so if something goes wrong you can look down at the bottom, thinking if you get a hard grounding in the future. Nice to know if there is any water leaking into the keel.

[@SeahawkSailor]

Tino G - Sailing: I too think sealing off the deep bilge with plate and a solid inspection port without filling deep hole is a great idea. Eliminates the deep hole, easiest to do, and you could fill later if you need to. Clearly, filling can have problems....

[@ajklinkhamer6195]

Better to contain a leak down below than have a look at it. We own a Warrior 38 that was wrongly supported ashore one time: the keel was on three blocks, forward, middle and the back end. Unfortunately, the back one was a bit too high, it took a big load and cracked th aft tip of the keel, that is, the bottom of the bilge sump. We discovered it while launching, returned ashore and had it repaired. Turned out that there was a weak spot at the back. It was not clear whether that was from the construction or from a badly executed repair. The lesson for me was: I want the bottom of the bilge filled with foam even though I am sure the present keel tip is much, much stronger than it was. We like to dry out along a harbour wall and a similar situation with local overloading could easily occur when a rock is in the wrong place. My plan: seal the bilge some way up from the bottom, leave a few big holes, fill it up with polyurethane foam, trim and close flush with glass mat.

[@mikeyadrick5154]

I vote for the 2 ft deep bilge. You seem to be very conscientious about your prep work so I can only assume your results will be more positive than the previous owner's attempts. I suggest one submersible and one remote bilge pump-----Mikey

[@Xplorer60]

I seen that you had Clive Cussler as one of the audiobook listings. Very good for anytime you need pure mindless entertainment. Added bonus is that he is nautical minded.

[@ronaldwarren5220]

I highly recommend the Jack Reacher book series by Lee Child. Be sure to listen to them in chronological order to best understand them. Jack is a US Army Military Police Major who has been removed from duty due to budget cuts after Desert Storm. Lee Child is a Brit with a lot of knowledge about crime and police procedure. The only problem with listening to them is you will have to stop your work at times to let your mouth hang open in awe. Jack does not take any guff and marches to his own drummer when it comes to hunting down evil people. He is a modern day Robin Hood. Good stuff!

[@robertpotts7589]

No need to apologize, you’re one of the hardest working guys on YT. Have a great 2 weeks off!

[@johndagle4249]

Great progress! If you have done so much to reinforce the hull the last bit makes sense when you rip up that last bit of the sole! Have an awesome time in LA with Eva! She is a great catch!

[@kjcakesandfun2222]

Two weeks with no glorious sanding or things looking pretty dang spiffy! You should entertain us with a blooper reel in times like this. Can’t wait til you’re back. 👍🏻

[@tomharrell1954]

My hat is off too you! This is a Gorgeous repair. The detail and workmanship is superior.

[@johnlcallaway]

Thanks for the little bit about the pump, I think I will follow suit. I hate the pump at the bottom of the bilge, it gets filthy. I'd rather just have to clean a hose. And once again, thanks for letting us watch you work so we can learn new things.

[@JayneRylonBooks]

I agree, audiobooks are a great way to pass the time when you can't read a traditional book. As an author I'm definitely biased so I won't recommend a favorite. However, if you or Ava ever feel the need to listen to a steamy romance novel or sixty while doing boat work, you know where to find me. Thanks for another great video! PS... We were wondering if there aren't additional structural members in the cabins that would also need reinforcing or if the problem is limited to the saloon area. Clearly we're not boat people, but we still compromise on watching your channel faithfully because my husband is a woodworker and I love travel videos.

[@shadowjig]

No need to feel bad about not having content. You are a human just like the rest of us. Enjoy your time off. See you when you get back to it.

[@johnmillward8326]

Have fun in LA. We will miss you while you are gone. And look forward to your return.

[@magicman8817]

That’s awesome Mads,as we all know “happy wife is a happy life”...lol Like you both,and all your fans,it’s going to be awesome to seeing the three of you sailing and following your adventures. Love from 🇨🇦

[@bruce2sail]

Somewhere around 11:37 the new bilge pump started moving water quite effectively. The tempo of the pumps immediately reminded me of a great piece of music by Soviet-Russian composer Khachaturian called “the Sabre Dance”. Many of your more senior viewers may recall this music accompanying the “spinning plates” that once were widely found on television variety shows, predating today’s reality shows. The music would be a perfect accompaniment for the bilge pump segment.

[@bartonrobinson4266]

Looking good Mads..we will all hang in here and await your return, please enjoy your well deserved rest and you guy's have a good visit..CU in 2 weeks (unless ya spring up with a visiting live stream), hey, got an Idea..How about a few minutes of you's in a Live Stream ??? Have fun !!

[@davidcoleman4800]

I will miss your videos for the next two weeks but it is for a good cause so I don't get to be grumpy. Have an awesome time.

[@digitalcanvas4444]

My vote is similar to others on here. Build a grate or screen on top of the bilge to catch debris and leave the bilge deep.

[@jeremyrainman]

You can still keep a deep bilge AND make it easier to retrieve lost items by putting a thin net 2-3 feet down that is removable for inspecting the water in the bilge.

[@garlandgarrett6332]

Yes you should do the smaller bulkhead, you don't want to look back and always wish you had done the very last one!!!!

[@ocxb]

Good for you taking a break! Have a great time here in Southern California. As much as I’ll miss your videos maybe I’ll get some work done on my boat.

[@DEMOGarage]

I think you should make a S.S. Water tank to fit in that deep cavity. Useful and it will eliminate the majority or the volume. My favorite sailing book is Blown Away by Herb Payson.

[@whotknots]

Although it is about life on a commercial fishing vessel early in the twentieth century rather than sailing, one of the earliest books I read as a kid and one I have frequently re-read and always enjoyed is 'Green Hand' by Lillian Beckwith.

[@dougmacleod1942]

While we will miss you and your videos, have a great time in Los Angeles.

[@melee401]

Endurance; The story of the failed Shackleton and Scott Ant-Arctic expedition is the very best book I have ever read.

[@nsw1959]

Since thou are in LA you should go see Dana Point. Named after Richard Dana who wrote two years before the mast. Excellent book!

[@_bodgie]

Enjoy the break Mads, you deserve it mate.

[@whotknots]

I have an old hardcopy of two years before the mast I purchased in a second hand book store years ago and it is a fascinating read!

[@danieloliver20]

You are almost done with the structural repair! Hey maybe if you're so inclined check out some boats in the LA area for different cabin layouts. There are thousands of boats of different makes and models, plus it's fun.... have a great time you two!

[@geneallen5758]

First: There is nothing wrong with a deep bilge. The deeper, bigger the better. The day will come when it's full and overflowing and you will be glad it can hold a lot. Use your welding skills to make a stainless steel arm to hold the pump or pickup an inch or two off the bottom. Debris can live below the pickup and be cleaned out at yearly maintenance (i.e. wet-dry vacuum cleaner) and not be picked up by the pump. There will always be a bit of liquid in the bilge below the pickup. That's fine, it serves a purpose. (Same as in a fuel tank.) Second: There should not be a lot of trash in the bilge. Period. If something is contaminating the bilge, fix the problem at the source and don't expect bilge pumps to deal with it. Just basic housekeeping. The bilge/pump is your first line of defense against sinking. Treat it with respect and keep it clean. Third: Submerged pumps are tried and true dependable. Most water wells, most jet aircraft, most automobiles use submerged pumps to pump fuel/water from the tank to where it goes. Pumps that suck from above are forever unreliable due to loss of prime because of air leaks at joints. Diaphram pumps are good for low volume, high debris, non-critical applications; like a holding tank, but not for high volume, low debris applications like the bilge. Use a centrifugal impeller submerged pump--nothing else even comes close on performance and reliability--only one moving part!. Last: And most important. Any hole in the hull larger than 1" will overwhelm even the largest bilge pump in just minutes. You've need a plan and materials to find the hole and stop the inflow to a trickle ASAP. You've got maybe a 5-10 minute window of time to do this before the water is over the floorboards and the leak much more difficult or impossible to find. This is the way I've done it on my boat and never a problem after 40 years.

[@Garryck-1]

Seconded. Mads, this really is good advice. Every truly experienced sailor in these comments has been telling you the same thing. With good reason. *Please* pay attention to what they're telling you.

[@njp101]

I was thinking about that last point. What materials/strategy would you recommend to find and plug a large hole? Thanks.

[@geneallen5758]

@@njp101 Excellent question. Unfortunately there isn't a short or off the shelf answer. And there is a isn't much reliable advice that has been tested. Google it anyway, and make the best plan you can. Be creative. When you're in danger of sinking everything is in the playbook. First you have to get to the hole. Closed off areas of the hull are a no no. If they are, an axe to your beautiful woodwork might be the first tool you need. Then anything and everything that can be put over or in the hole is next. Cushions, towels, flexible plywood with soft rubber gaskets, cement, splash zone epoxy, etc. Every situation is unique. Maybe the leak is too big to stop, then beach the boat. Sorry, this answer leaves out a lot, but maybe you get the idea. Whatever your plan is, ask yourself if you can put in place in 5 minutes. After that you may be working underwater. A 2" hole, 2' below the waterline lets in over 100 gallons per minute. At 4' below the waterline there will be 500+ gallons per minute incoming.

[@velascobruce]

Two weeks is so long to wait for a new video!!!! Have a great trip!

[@jonnypravumree2601]

Enjoy your time with Ava, and have a nice vecation.

[@stewartew]

Everything you are doing will repay you in the future, I know that is easy for me to say, but I think you would probably agree. I wish you and Ava the happiest of times for the next two weeks, I'm only sorry you are on the west coast and I live on the east coast. Maybe in the future when you guys are sailing you will visit Florida.

[@mhensen1]

Congrats on the final (lol) beam reinforcements, have a great 2 weeks, we’ll miss you, but I have a few that I could rewatch to get a hit

[@JakeSpeed1000]

I will miss your videos but enjoy a well deserved break.

[@garysherwood3136]

Moon that spells sanding. Enjoy "The Stand". Great videos!

[@timohan100]

I started a restoration on my 42 year old cutter, and I am facing the same deep bilge issues. I am with you, shallow it up if you can. I would be doing that to my boat but the bottom of my cavernous bilge contains the keel bolts and the hydraulic ram for the centerboard. Thanks for the info on the bilge pumps. I think I am going to follow your lead and set up similar pump system. Cheers!

[@Bozemancurtis]

Have fun in the USA! We will miss your vids. Seeee youuuu...

[@floathi]

Enjoy your time with Ava and forget about Athena ..you have more than earned a major break! Thanks for your great content Cheers

[@seccat]

You should replace the battens at the bottom of the steps. It’s a high traffic area and will get a little bouncy. It also needs to support the weight of the engine, if you ever need to pull it out, again.

[@johnthorogood6601]

I'm impressed with the diaphragm bilge pump... can see an upgrade to my boat on the horizon!

[@flyingpictures1100]

I think there are some pretty interesting sanding adventure stories you may want to think about.

[@docholliday3150]

have fun in the USA. If you reinforce the last structural member, I think we get the picture. Looking forward to the cabin rebuild. Best, Doc

[@noahturner1508]

i envy those who will come accross this channel when Athena is finished. i cant wait to see her then.

[@CanAm_Sailing]

Looking great, Mads. Hope you are now enjoying your time in LA .. Very Best to you and Ava

[@robertgallant6422]

I love Christian Williams books, he is an awesome story teller. His second book "Philosophy of Sailing: Offshore in search of the universe" is also excellent. Enjoy your your time with Eva...

[@cgeorge6250]

Listen to Braking Seas by Glenn Damato. So funny. All about buying a boat, not knowing what your doing and what happens. Enjoy LA and time with Ava!

[@ruperthartop7202]

Great progress. Have a good break and thanks for sharing

[@stephengibson100]

A whole two weeks! Have a nice break, you deserve it.

[@stuartmcmichael5250]

Good job.....enjoy your time with Ava

[@BorisFett]

Great progress. I hope your having fun right now in CA

[@toms4123]

Enjoy your holiday, and thank you for your videos - they are an inspiration (although I will never achieve the same level of 'perfect'...)

[@bayanicustodio3998]

Just no visiting boat graveyards. I can just see you getting attached to a derelict hull and starting this process again. I WANTTO SEE YOU AND AVA SAILING. You know, the same way you sailed Obelix. 🙂👍

[@UKHaiku]

Have a great break Mads, well deserved...

[@patrickjones6400]

“The Stand” a absolutely epic novel. IMHO his best work.

[@lancer2204]

I have seen suggestions that the final chapters of The Stand are in the works for publication this year... Yep, I was unaware there was more to the story as well, but apparently there is more.

[@AlisonFort]

Have a nice break with Ava - you’ve earned it!

[@MrCrabbing]

Farley Mowat, The boat who wouldn't float is one of my favorite books

[@pocketchange1951]

Audible is my choice as well, great that they sponsored you, Mads, enjoy your holiday, you more than earned it

[@dougtiffany8890]

I must say as a Shipwright you are totally awsome, have a GREAT time with Ava,while in the states.

[@mattevans-koch9353]

Thank you for the video Mads. Safe journey and have fun with Ava in LA. Will suffer for two weeks without you but you deserve the break.

[@BaronWeber1]

Enjoy your time with Ava in LA, we will survive two weeks I'm sure. Thank you, looking great.

[@BrekRND]

Enjoy the break, we will miss you, you deserve it. Very much looking forward to the rebuild!

[@timkelly9288]

I was wondering if you could pour cement in the bilge and then epoxy over it. It would add ballast and give you the depth you wanted. My favorite sailing/adventure book is Endurance by Alfred Lansing. The unbelievable but true story of the Shackleton expedition to the South Pole.

[@GPSJayDog22]

Cc. Oliver Lewin. Thank you for saying it soooo perfect :-) Nooooo!! Two weeks!!? I don't think I'll manage. Sundays are all about sail-life. Enjoy your trip mate. Cheers Mads Jay

[@Chipiricuiki0083]

Enjoy your time off with Ava and the U.S. Looking forward to a re-energized and re-spiffy-fied Mads in two weeks! Cheers from the Lone Star State!

[@stevethompson6867]

Just a safety thing Mads, please wear safety specs when using the reciprocating saw, those blades can snap and get flung about.

[@richhamel6810]

Mads, Christian Williams has 2 books, both are great. I would recommend anything by John Kretschmer. Another good book is 'Gypsy Moth Circles the World' by Sir Francis Chichester. Have in LA, regards to Ava

[@christorrance2876]

Have a wonderful time!

[@wallacegrommet9343]

Christian Williams has a few youtube videos of sailing to Hawaii, and they are great

[@chadchorniak1407]

We don’t just watch your videos for the refitting Athena part. Would love to see some adventures in LA with you two. They don’t have to be fully edited and complex videos. Just some impromptu fun stuff would be great.

[@pezpengy9308]

several things: 1) i've always fast-forwarded through 'sponsored by' and ads while watching videos; but because its you and i would -quite literally - listen to you reading a phonebook i listened to the ad. Thank you to Audible for helping bring me my favorite channel on the, "interwebs." 2) in Hawaii where its hot but mostly MUGGY! my favorite sanding suit is torn shorts, a tank top with holes, slippers (think you folks call them flip-flops but im not sure), and a liberal dousing with baby powder. LOTS of baby powder. it works a treat! why torn and holes? because otherwise it would be formal wear, because... Hawaii. 3) if you hole your hull 8000GPM most likely wont put a dent in the resultant waterworks. If it were paranoid holey shirted me i'd put a bank of pumps with access to a dedicated waaaay above the waterline power source. I've had a friends boat sink out from under me. Again, Hawaii so coral heads and drunken fishermen are a thing here. Holes happen. 4) Have fun on your vacation! :)

[@45acpHardBaller]

i have a couple of other suggestion to go with your audio books- "All you can Books" is a great place to get unlimited books ever month for $20, but they are older books not new releases... but hey for $20 a month you will never run out of things to listen to. The other one i use mainly while i am driving across country is considered "long haul books" They are not cheap but well worth the money as they are full production books with different readers for each character and sound effects. You can usually find these in truck stops all of the USA- but it is best to order the full series from the company. The company is called "GraphicAudio" their moto is "A movie in your mind"- and that ain't no joke! Cheers

[@peterihoy4908]

Best wishes to you both for the holiday.

[@stevecoster322]

Hiya, two weeks without a sail life fix??? AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! No the work is far more important than videos and even more so is seeing Ava so go Mads. A great video, thank you. What about any ribs or what ever they are called under the forward and aft deck? If you can glass them... you know you want to and you can do them after the saloon/galley/head re-build. Your home needs to last a long time so why skimp? Safe flying dear sir and enjoy your time with the lovely Ava... Take care.

[@EugeneJrFolse]

Your next boat needs to be a wharram tiki 38! You say no but, Ava, imagine a washer machine, dryer, dishwasher, and proper bathroom.

[@geraldthomas9253]

It's all good, it's more important to spend time with those we love than random people on the internet. I do hope you enjoy your vacation and visit.

[@aserta]

After hundreds of Euros spent on various suits (i like to assist demo works with my team to see and supervise) i gave up, got my measures from clothes i feel comfortable in and copied a HAZMAT type suit. Used a piece of poly-carbonate as a face place and an old air filter pack used by car painters back in the day as a cooler/air filter.

[@jamespotter936]

"The Stand" is my favorite Steven King book. I have read it about 3 times.

[@phallo153]

Yep, same here.

[@ronaldwarren5220]

I read it in the hospital after surgery while on a strong morphine drip. Scared the snot out of me as I read it!

[@cv12steve74]

Could always do a "tourist with my fiancee in LA" vid, and/or a "review the plans with the boss before you start building" vid - something to maintain consistent posting to keep YT happy.

[@rethinkscience8454]

The deep bilge is good for leak capacity which represents time if your taking water. Diaphragm pumps are clean water pumps, they fail when the one way valves fail, centrifugal is better

[@SootHead]

You are a marvel of energy, perseverance and OJT skills!

[@chukwow5738]

Happy holiday Mads, you deserve it

[@robertcole9391]

The pumps will work fine. Just do yourself a favor and get a set of replacement plastic clamps, as they will break, and also have replacement duct valves which are inside the diaphragm area, mildew will build on the sealing portion, so water will go out and not seep back in. I replace a lot of these and having extra clamps is essential.

[@ABeriault]

Enjoy your trip to LA with Eva! Will be happy when you come back! Cheers

[@ytsucks2123]

Have a GREAT trip!!

[@DollarTreeFlyer]

Anything by Waynne Stinnett is my favorite boat stories

[@stephencrowther524]

Have a good rest !

[@runristaren2]

Have a great vacation 👍👍

[@trentyoung1135]

Safe travels and have fun.

[@danlaxton]

Since you are spending time in LA I suggest you check out the Harry Bosch Series by Michael Connelly. Harry is an LAPD detective with a problem with authority. fantastic read.

[@anttiroppola4414]

Have a well deserved break! :) Maybe drill the last member and see if it is dry?

[@CraasHworks]

Have a Nice vacation!

[@capnjak69]

The Stand is in my top 10 favorite books

[@robertaderholdt890]

Love audio books! Two of my favs are the epic Moby Dick and Slocum's Around the World. I've had Audible now for a few years and I have a little library. ATT: THE REASON THE BILGE IS SO DEEP, May be so you can add ballast as needed. Some boats were built with a hollow keel towards the aft for this purpose!

[@scottjohnson2841]

Brother have fun! It's all good, be careful traveling.

[@karen-mariesarratt2996]

My audiobook suggestions, Terry Pratchett wrote a series of, well who knows without me going into my audiobook app and counting, the series is called discworld and I love them. The first is called The colour of magic. Well worth a look at the very least.👍 Glad to see the fiberglass finally finished on the structural members finished. Now the fun part of the saloon refit can start as well as putting the galley back 😢 Have fun in the US with Ava, each trip either of you make back and forth is another trip closer to your dreams 😜