Cockpit SS bracing re-positioned - Starboard side - 2015

With the Achilles 10.2 dinghy up on the davits and the Honda 9.9 outboard on the dinghy.

Picture was taken in Santiago, Mexico.

Beginning of July 2015 -s\v Elegant'sea is Currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico

The stern rail has been getting our attention. We have re-done the bimini to stern rail bracing.

 We had one bimini brace on this side running to the stern rail by the stern steps. This re-positioning required more thought. To put it in the same position as we moved the port side it could block some of our access to the Honda 9.9 outboard motor while it was mounted on the stern rail. After some thought we decided to modify one of the ss rail clamps so it could have a pin. That way, removing the pin would allow us to drop one side of the ss tubing support allowing access to the out board and still give us the support we wanted for the bimini.

This picture was taken while doing a passage.

We turn the Achilles 10.2 dinghy around so the bow is by the Honda 9.9 outboard, the dinghy fits better on the Kato Marine Island Davits when the outboard is on the boat.

Pull the pin - it will not explode! We had the hole for the pin drilled out at the welders.

Picking it up at the welders.

Swing out brace.

Wala.. better access.

We are also doing bunches of small clean up items and adding a couple of items:

•  We are adding a WiFi antenna to the davits by the stern light.
•  We are adding a GPS antenna.

That means a few more wires to snake down with the two #8 winch wire. This time we will snake them up over the bimini and down with the solar panel wires. 

The davits get wet when raising the dinghy from salt water dripping or splashing off the dinghy sides and bottom etc. They are hard to clean with wire tied to the davits. So up and over this time.

 While at the weld shop we had a ss "T" cut in three pieces. 

One we use as a spacer so the Garhauer Marine Lifting Davit 

fits better, moves it out past the bimini top just enough. 

1" ss tubing with a top welded on to prevent water

 from coming in. It is pointing straight up.

We also had a a stop welded onto the top of the davits so the Garhauer Marine Lifting Davit would not rest on top of the davits. That happened sometimes and when jerking the motor on the lift as sometimes happens it would press down on the davits. This way, the Garhauer Marine Lifting Davit has clearance from the davits.

Originally, we had planed to drill a hole through the SS tubing and the end caps. This would allow us to put quarter-twenty bolts through each end cap and tube. Not relying on the set screws to hold them together. It proved to be much harder than we thought. Now we see it would require say a 1\2" DeWalt drill and really good drill bits and a lot of work. Or a drill press and do it in a shop\garage. So we have opted for welding the ones we think need to attached this way. Not all do but there are a fair amount that do. High winds and heeling in a big sea would be a cause to bring down the works. With the solar panels adding weight this is important. Any one crossing an ocean would also want to do that.

Now isn't this nice!

And then an iguana swam by! They can move out, must be the big tail?