Lazzarette hatch repair

The lazarette hatch on the boat when I purchased it was about 3" (75mm) oversize all round and the plywood base was seriously delaminated. The options were to repair the existing hatch, replace it with a modern alloy and plastic hatch, or build a new hatch (sized to fit) from the existing hatch.

The cheapest option would have been to replace the hatch with a modern unit, but being a bit of a traditionalist I decided to go for the third option and use the existing hatch to build a properly fitted hatch. Norm Wright from Wright Yacht and Boat services did an excellent job and if I did not know better I would have thought it was an entirely new hatch. Not cheap but as shown below worth every penny.

Inflatable dinghy repair

The boat came with an Achilles 2.6 meter (8'8") inflatable dinghy. The bag was very faded and on opening it I found the rubbing strake had lifted in several areas and the seam underneath had opened up. The manufacturers plate showed the dinghy was only three years old and Achilles have a reputation for lasting well over 10 years so I decided to try and get it fixed.

Several people I spoke to all advised that self repairs don't last as the repair not only requires gluing but in most cases requires heat to cure it properly and the equipment to achieve this is not available to the public.  I rang several companies and they all told me that it was beyond repair, but they could sell me a new one.

I finally found Wayne at Inflatable Boat Services who said to bring it in and he would have a look. After inspection his verdict was that the dinghy had been put away wet in the tropics and had sweated until the seams finally parted, but don't worry, it was a great boat and definitely worth fixing.  When asked how he would fix it he explained that he would remove the rubbing strake; open the join; clean it and reglue it; inflate the boat; rub down the repaired joint and the reattach the rubbing strake. He quoted me under $400 and said it would take a week to complete. He also pointed out that it had an inflatable keel giving it a V bottom which was an added bonus.

Five days later I received a call to say the dinghy was ready and it would cost me $350. Well worth it considering the replacement cost is over $2,000.

If your in Brisbane and require repairs to your inflatable I can recommend Wayne at Inflatable Boat Service, phone (07) 3890 2836 or mobile 0412 799 926. Email: inflatableboats@optusnet.com.au

Repair around sampson post and forward bulkhead

During my initial viewing of the boat the most obvious potential 'deal breaker' was an area of dry rot in the forward bulkhead which was a result of water leaking in around the starboard sampson post. It was concentrated in the centre portion of the bulkhead and deck adjacent to the starboard sampson post. Knowing the kind of loads this area would be subject to I decided this was a job that should be left to the professionals. In this case Mark Wright from Wright Yacht and Boat Sevices in Buddina (http://www.wrightboats.com.au/).

The forward cabin was quite dark when I first inspected the boat so I took this opportunity to paint the forward bulkhead white to lighten up the area.

Tangs - past their use by date

During my research into buying a Westsail and from the one page survey sheet sent to me by Bub Taplin a constant area that came up as requiring careful inspection were the tangs for the boomkin stays. As can be seen in the accompanying pictures the starboard tang had broken and had a dubious repair applied to it, while the port tang was cracked through the aft bolthole. Compounding the problem we found that the tangs and the stays did not form a straight line when attached to the boomkin, putting extra strain on the tangs.

Inspecting the bowsprit tangs revealed the stem tang which attaches to the staysail mount had cracked completely through. Both side tangs were OK.

Bud had suggested replacing the 1" tangs (25mm) with  1 1/4" (30mm) tangs but following discussion with the guys at Aquatec Engineering we decided to go with 1 1/2" wide tangs (40mm) and offset the aft hole to better align the tang and the stay wire with the boomkin. On a similar vein it was decided to use the 1/12" tang (40mm) for the stem area to give it more strength. Did away with the square mounting holes (another stress point) and replaced all the bolts and nuts with new stainless ones.

Survey and bottom job

I had bought the boat without a full survey - a cardinal sin I hear you say. Perhaps, but it was a Westsail, I had spoken to Bud Taplin a World Cruiser Yacht Company (who had supplied me with a survey checklist), I had inspected the boat thoroughly on the water and the price was right. Now it was time to take it out of the water and have it fully surveyed. I did this for four reasons: (a) I could see the bottom was in need of a clean and reapplication of antifoul, (b) I needed the survey to get insurance, (c) I needed assurance that I had bought a structurally sound boat, and finally (d) it would provide me a list of repairs/maintenance that needed attention if I was to live aboard (see Survey page).

The boat was at Mooloolaba about 110 nautical miles from Brisbane where I will berth her until I am ready to go cruising.  I did not know where to haul her out or who to trust to prepare her for the trip home so I visited the pub (bar) next to the yacht club and asked the locals - the overwhelming response was Lawries Boat Services to haul her out and clean the bottom and Wright Yacht and Boat Services to complete any work required. Both were willing to let me help and learn and as a bonus Lawries allowed owners to stay on board on the hard and use their amenities.

The afternoon before I tied up to the work dock and settled down to wait for the haulout the next morning. It rained all night and although it had started to clear by morning the forecast was for more rain. I was the second boat to come out and with the tide and the wind working against me the yard decided to rope her in. With me on the boat fending off it took them less time to get her in the sling than it would have to started and warmed up the engine - very compentent yard crew.

The bottom was covered in slime but I thought the barnicles weren't too bad. True to their word they gave me a scraper and after a ten second lesson 'start at the top, work down from bow to stern' I was off. I had thought I would use the pressure cleaner but that was for the yard crew.    What it did do was let me have a good look at the hull and start to think about the work required. After the bottom was predominately scraped clean the high pressure spray finished the job.

The boat was than moved to the hardstand and acid washed above and below the waterline to remove the last of the slime and barnicles from the stainless rudder fittings.  Immediately noticable was cracking to both boomkin tangs and that the staysail tang was completely cracked through (the repair of these will be detailed in a future post). The hull was carefully inspected and two blisters were found on the starboard side of the rudder. These were drilled and diagnosed as osmosis.  The affected areas were ground out with epoxy repairs applied and faired. There were no blisters on the hull. 

The next step was to mask above the waterline and then apply a coat of primer to bond the previous layers of antifoul to the new coats. After this tac dried the new antifoul was applied. After drying new anodes were fitted, the masking removed and she was ready to go back in the water.

Why a Westsail 32

After an eternity of researching 'The Boat' I came up with a list of traits that in my opinion make a great cruising boat. These included:

• Traditional looking mono hull - canoe stern, deep keel, cutter rig, proven cruising boat
• 9-11 meters (29-36 feet) LOD, less than 1.82 meters (6 feet) draft, greater than 3 meters (10 feet) beam and a good load carrying capacity (for life's little comforts)
• 2-3 permanent berths, 1.82 meters (6 foot) headroom, lots of storage space
• Rigged to sail single handed

These traits were used to create a short list of four main contenders: Hans Christian 33, Westsail 32, Pacific Seacraft 31 and Baba 30

I then refined my choices, looking for things such as the availability of parts (I was not looking to buy a new or even moderately new boat), a history of long distance cruising and surviving rough weather, an active support group or owners association among others. I spoke with cruising yachtsmen (and women), boat dealers, marine surveyors and yacht maintenance services. Based on its ability to handle just about any weather, liveaboard space, owners association, availability of parts (through Worldcruiser Yacht Company) and value for money I chose the Westsail.

The search was on and after five months I found Nagaraj in Mooloolaba only an hour's drive from home. She has been let go somewhat and needed some immediate attention (see Survey tab). If I am truthful, I fell for her the minute I stepped on board and with a bit, actually a lot of elbow grease and TLC she will take me anywhere I want to go.

I have a problem with the name 'Nargaraj' as I and none of my family, friends or the Coastguard can easily pronounce the name. In researching her history I spoke with Bud Taplin from Worldcruiser Yacht Company and found her original name was 'Crosswind' which I think suits her. When I sail her home I will organise  denaming / naming ceremonies and change her to that.