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Child Item

Cruiser restoration and wheelchair adaption

fergal.b

So here she is my next little project

she is a Richardson Roving Gem that I hope to convert to take the wheelchair, I'm going to need all the help I can get with this so feel free to offer what you have :rolleyes: I'm going to try and get her moved to Skerries and see if I can pick up a trailer to back her into a driveway as it's too tight to have a crane lift her in. So let me know what you think or any ideas you have. I must be mad

After a bit of a power wash

Inside all stripped out now I have a blank canvas.

This is what she looked like back in the 70's at least the new TV won't take up as much room:)

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fergal.b

I did indeed think it through

there is now a large mahogany post going from floor to ceiling that is gassed in.

copper12 wrote: »

I just wonder if the bulk head needs some more support to take the weight of the lad as he will
Grow and be even more handsome the yourself
You may well have already thought this true
Who knows the summer might start next week and you will get the outside sorted

snowwolf

its coming on great fergal keep up the good work i cant wait to see the finished project .

copper12

Fair play Fergal she’s coming around you have a lot of work done in so little time
Hanging the lift off the gate hinges should work
I just wonder if the bulk head needs some more support to take the weight of the lad as he will
Grow and be even more handsome the yourself

You may well have already thought this true
Who knows the summer might start next week and you will get the outside sorted

fergal.b

Well that was my last week working on the boat

with Kyle on his summer hols I wont be getting much done over the next two months except what I can do from home.

This week I put new plywood on both sides.

Fitted the doors and made a curved doorstop for the top.

And the side fillers.

Gave them a few coats of epoxy and fibetglased them in place, I also gave the place a lick of paint just to tidy it up it will all be covered up later so no yellow submarine jokes

Put down some of the insulation.

Covered with plywood.

I was hoping to get more work done on the outside but the weather said NO at least I was able to find all the leaks

it would be nice to have the outside finished before winter then I can just potter around inside when the weather turns, maybe I could hire some young lad to sand the whole boat for me

there is a hell of lot of square footage in the top,bottom and sides of a 30 foot boat.

.

snowwolf

great job fergal its coming on great .fair play to you .

fergal.b

This week I finished off the head, I used white car wrapping to coat the walls and fitted an electric toilet.

With the rapping that was leftover I did under the windows.

Played around with the hoist that will lift Kyle from the wheelchair to the bed, I used gate hangers to mount it on this way I can have two more in the main cabin and just lift the hoist off and move it.

And finally I picked up the doors and gave them a few coats of epoxy.

fergal.b

copper12 wrote: »

Resorcinol glue I have some available if you think you would use it

Thanks for the offer

I think I have enough epoxy to keep me going for now if I run out I will give you a shout. Cheers

.

copper12

Resorcinol glue I have some available if you think you would use it

sogood

Great job as usual Fergal. Would love to be able to help in some way, but I'm mad busy with work and living in Kenmare!! You put us all to shame though!

If you're ever coming down this way let me know, we have a few spare rooms and all the water you could ask for, it's called the Atlantic Ocean!

fergal.b

A bit of this and a bit of that this week

Marked out to fit a fuel gauge sender as there was only a dip stick for checking the level.

When drilling out the holes I used a magnet to catch the fillings I will leave it stuck to the bottom of the tank and it should collect any bits that are in the tank.

Job done.

Next I cut out some of the bulkhead I plan to have a good bit of storage behind it so it wont be fixed inlace till I cut out the doors or cubby holes.

Next job was to tackle the head I had to give it a good power wash before I was going in there.

Toilet has to go as it was cracked at the base there was also some movement in the mount so I will have to check that out.

Removed the wall panels to find more rotting timber I hope this is caused by the shower and not the bad aim of the last owner

The plywood in the walls were also a bit on the soft side

So I removed the laminate and glued it onto some new plywood.

After removing the toilet platform it was plain to see why it was so soft, I had to cut off the fibreglass to get the rotten wood out and will glass in a new piece I might even glass the ends so this job will never have to be done again

fergal.b

snowwolf wrote: »

fergal you are flying along with this project if you keep going at this rate you will have it finished before the end of this season . great work .

Cheers but it will all come to a more or less standstill when the young lad gets his summer holidays

snowwolf

fergal you are flying along with this project if you keep going at this rate you will have it finished before the end of this season . great work .

copper12

There is not much head room in the bottom bunk as I need the top bunk low enough that I can wash and change the young lad.:P

Not to worry I was kept in a Chester drawers; for a couple of years, done me no harm.
It will be all part of the fun when they get older

fergal.b

Not a lot to show this week as I had some running around to do. To mark out the wall I hung some wallpaper backing paper then holding the level rule level with a pencil in the hole at the end I followed the shape of the hull with the other end of the level and transferred the shape to the backing paper I then cut it out and checked it in place before marking it out on the plywood.

Im not sure yet where I want the wall to finish so I left it a bit longer, I should have spent a bit more time levelling the boat while she was on the crane as I'm a bit off level in both directions making things tricky to get right as I have to measure from point to point, not to worry nothing is level for long when it's on the water.

Cut out the framing for the bunkbeds they are just dry fitted for now as I still have to do the insulation and need to get at the rub rail bolts. There is not much head room in the bottom bunk as I need the top bunk low enough that I can wash and change the young lad.

fergal.b

Glastron sold I am now landlocked

but at least I was able to buy a load of mhogany for the doors and side panels , a big thanks to Brendan Lawless for offering to plane them down for me and put them togeather it would have taken me forever to do it with the hand plane. If you are into your nautical stuff check out Brendans classic boat builders chairs they are amazing. http://brendanlawlessfurniture.com/

fergal.b

I do love a bit of bargain hunting

got a nice bit of rubber back carpet.

fergal.b

So this week I removed the two back windows and filled them in with plywood that was taken from the ceiling

these will be coated in fibreglass cloth to seal them up.

The doors and side windows I'm going to make should make up for the loss of the windows.

13323991_10204605742941873_1487479962_o_zpsx5xwkgzu.jpg

I did a bit more of the flooring.

And a bit of rewiring.

I do like getting boxes of the postman:D I did look at a few of these secondhand they were going for around €350 without any fittings so I felt it would be better to buy a new full kit. I got this eberspacher D2 diesel night heater on eBay for under €700 about half the price they are here.

fergal.b

Today I cleaned out the fuel tank and yep thats the diesel that came out of the bottom :eek:

I also got some of the flooring done and coated in epoxy.

Nothing is fixed down yet as I still have the heating and some wiring to do but it's nice to have somewhere to stand instead of walking on beams all the time.

I had a surprise visit from JamesM and his donation is sure to keep me pointed in the right direction

very much appreciated, I do like the old school you can never trust that electrified stuff

fergal.b

Yawlboy wrote: »

Hi Fergal,

Did you do all the work to the engine with it in place?

Yep I'm bendy enough to get under the floor joists

Yawlboy

Hi Fergal,

Did you do all the work to the engine with it in place?

snowwolf

Fergal you are flying along with that boat you will have it in the water in no time at the rate your going .

fergal.b

I have been spending a bit of time stripping the engine you may know I like my engines clean and shiny

Still a bit of water in the oil so another good clean and more new oil.

Sanding it all down I found the original green paint so I went with that.

Thats better.

fergal.b

daveville30 wrote: »

Have you fixed where she was leaking? Your putting me to shame took me 3 years to fit out an 18foot bare hull.

Yep that was repaired by the marina after they lifted her.

.

daveville30

Have you fixed where she was leaking? Your putting me to shame took me 3 years to fit out an 18foot bare hull.

fergal.b

copper12 wrote: »

You are absolute flying, you enthusiasm knows no bounds, it’s even rubbing of on me.
Great credit to you,
I hope it turns out exactly as you hope it will.
If it doesn’t it won’t be for the want of trying.
I wish I could offer some help’ even if it’s only holding the dopey end of the measuring tape.:P
Looking forward to seeing the end product

Cheers but I think you have enough on your plate

although I could do with someone holding the tape for me

12936568_10154104767703464_2441538215374710117_n_zpskdy9azxu.jpg

copper12

You are absolute flying, you enthusiasm knows no bounds, it’s even rubbing of on me.
Great credit to you,
I hope it turns out exactly as you hope it will.
If it doesn’t it won’t be for the want of trying.
I wish I could offer some help’ even if it’s only holding the dopey end of the measuring tape.:P
Looking forward to seeing the end product

fergal.b

Busy week started off stripping out the main cab removing the roof and side panels, I'm not a big fan of rusty flat head screws and boy was there some amount of them.

Made a mockup of the wheelchair lift and stripped down the tilt trim.

Cut out some of the floor joists to do a test fitting and to make sure I have my levels right.

Gave the cabin a lick of paint just tio tidy it up a bit I just used the paint left over from the canoe.

Ready to start fitting out and another big thanks for the donation of plywood from a secret admirer.

fergal.b

New timbers and extra support where needed. I also cut a wider doorway. into the cabin.

Removed the side partitions and it looks a lot bigger now.

Big thanks to Mike Clinton of Clinton Marine for giving me this tilt trim unit It should do the job just fine, just have a bit of figuring out to do on building the lift it will be something like a motor bike lift.

fergal.b

Daibheid wrote: »

The hull looks very well built and well finished in areas a customer was never expected to see. That diesel sounds very sweet, not too many hours on it.
It's good to be starting out with the basics right!

Would you consider glassing in some underfloor chambers for buoyancy and floor support? It could add a lot of rigidity to the hull if you had to have to carve bits out of the gunn'ls for the lift and at least some insurance against another sinking.

Yep I will be glassing in extra supports as the electric wheelchairs have a bit of weight to them and I will try and make her as unsinkable as possible, might even use blow up beds

gctest50

http://truckandcranehire.com/