Well, the big news is that Alberto was small news. Enee weathered the storm just fine. As Alberto approached we put on extra lines (but didn't remove the dodger) and headed for my Dad's in Temple Terrace. This morning we drove over and checked things out. No damage. Nice and dry down below (except for the drip on my side of the bed where we cleverly had placed a pan). We wanted to stay until high tide to see how high it would go in case we had to adjust lines. So...as long as we're here...
Might as well RIP out the old freezer!
This boat originally had a large freezer AND a fridge. Fridge in the galley and freezer beside the walk-through to the aft compartment. They both worked off of a engine driven compressor. Early on I had converted the fridge to a 12 volt system and had already thrown out the compressor. This freezer is a beast of a box taking up valuable space for us. The boat actually came in two models - with or without this freezer. The front of this unit looks to be two hinged doors but in the freezer model they don't open. Behind these doors there's just a big freezer box with two chiller plates inside.
Things go together much more simply than they come apart. I wanted to save the front to use the frame for the starting point of turning this valuable space to a 'work bench' with maybe 6 drawers underneath. I couldn't find A screw to begin taking anything apart. Maybe a Sawsall is what's needed!In frustration I began chipping away the laminate of the top surface. Hey! There's
some screws holding the top down. I'm on my way. Apparently the top is also glued down...with 5200. Many pryings back and forth (and much sweat) and I got the top off in one piece. I'll use this as the template to make the new top. Can't use this top as it has a square hole in the center to extract the no longer existant ice cream.
Now what? I'm hoping to extract the white tub that is the freezer box. First I lightened the load by removing the two chiller plates at the ends. I sliced off the remaining tubing with the dremmel. I found four screws that held the tub somewhat in place but the real thing I was up against was that they filled all the extra space with that foam that expands and fills all the available space. It is sort of a glue too....apparently! Much rocking back and forth and I was able to lift the tub out of its location. However, since they stuck all that foam in after the fact, the tub no longer fits down the walk-through. Many minutes of trimming that rotten stuff back with a bread knife. What 
fun. It's about 110 degrees down below. I'm sweating and all the dust I'm making is sticking to me. At times like this you just have to focus on the job, think of the shower and beer waiting for me at the club when I'm done.We finally got the whole tub out and shoved out into the cockpit (after removing the companionway stairs). Last picture shows the new avaiable space (with those doors laying on the deck). Whew! We cleaned up quickly and did in fact enjoy that promised shower and beer.
Back at my Dad's in Temple Terrace we'll work on the design of my new workbench over the next few days. This will be a nice use of what was for us unusable space. Stay tuned for Welty Tool Time!
Make no small plans
- Daniel Burnham
2 comments:
There's probably something perverse about it, but don't you like working on your boat as much as sailing it? Within reason.
Truly I enjoy both. Maybe it's left brain right brain stuff. I'm real excited about building and installing this new work table but it's a different excited than when we are under full sail at night!
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