Day 276

The now imprisoned ( they likely wouldn't go out the way they came in! ) water tanks made from 50 gallon windshield washer drums need to be mounted. They are ideal with the fittings already attached.

Even though the plastic is very thick, I have seen these droop with the weight of water over time if not properly supported.

Gena made cradles for them to sit in after I cut out the webs that were interfering. (Photo above) How much of the web was cut out was kept to a minimum.

As can be seen in the photo to the right, only an inch or two of clearance is left under the floor allowing for some insulation to be added.

The tanks will be held in place with some binding straps.

Day 276:
6 hours -Finished preparation of pilot house windows, water tank mounts

There is some concern over heat from the engine. A plywood barrier may be added to give them some protection from the engine heat, or, at least some insulation.
I was preparing the pilot house windows for their final coating. An abundance of holes were drilled to secure the windows into place. The welds in corners were trimmed down, and unfinished welds were completed along the the top and bottoms of the side window frames. They are now completely sealed. The inside edge of the window seating will be coal tarred shortly as a final coat..
This will make the edges dark ( yay! Finally a good use for the color of coal tar ) which will look better than white. The windows will be an amber color as dark tint is too dark for piloting at night. The amber color is still good for stopping UV ( Just like those amber sunglasses! ) and can enhance distance viewing overall. -That is, I hope we're making a good decision there!
Gena managed to find some time to add the gussets on to the Auto-Helm rudder mount she did up yesterday. It has my approval!