Day 139

Today consists of also a few hours spent evenings during the week, which is a relatively rare opportunity for us! Gena welded up the stainless pieces I cut a while ago, and then we coted the weld with coaltar epoxy after cleaning just to be certain! We haven't yet alot of experience with stainless, but I tryed welding it and liked it! It seems to go on so smoothly! The ease of building this tank makes us really wish we had done this for the fuel tanks. The weight difference wouldn't have been much...maybe 120 lbs which is in the keel, where it is more or less wanted anyway.
At last the bow plate has been cut out! We will be both glad once it is in for good. There is a delay as the chainplates that go through it need the pin-holes cut out, and we don't have a drill press anymore, or the bits to drill through 5/8" SS plate! I cut out the chain plate and spent some time while slow at work grinding it down and making it pretty with a brush. As can be seen in the photo, the weather wasn't with us on getting the plate in at all...
So I decided to cut out the frames so Gena can weld in the rest of the hull cooling system ( yes... still an ongoing side project! ) Sorry about the mess, we'll put them all back in after, I promise!! This photo gives you an idea of what the keel cooling units look like installed. See how they curve with the hull.
Everything in it's own time! After a couple hours of grinding the following evening, it fits! Now we can have a better idea of how we will arrange the anchor rollers and the windlass, chainstops, cleats etc.

Day 139 :
11.5 hours - ( including a couple evenings! ) cut out bow plate and fitted, welded some more on hull cooling, made waste tank