Manatee Genset relocation IV, final thread

Here's the last couple of hatch cover photos to close out the hatch making project. Yet to come is the removal, reconditioning and re-installation of the genset in its new home. Along with that will be the construction of custom mounts to rest the genset on the stringers instead of flat on the hull.

Photo 1, Matching teak slat boards were purchased to fill in the new frame area.

Photo 2. New slats glued and screwed down, area sanded and wiped down, ready for hinge and routing for recessed pulls (still searching for them).

Photo 3. As it looked a week later.

Great job, Larry.

A work of art! Thanks for posting.

God I'm envious. Tell your glass man to live long enough to upgrade HEY JUDE too.

Now this is an example of project done right . Looks better than factory. Can't wait to see next stages .

Larry that looks great. Wait a minute, we're dealing with Mr. Photoshop here. I better take a closer look at those photos.

HopCar said:

Larry that looks great. Wait a minute, we're dealing with Mr. Photoshop here. I better take a closer look at those photos.

Click to expand...

Lolrof. Parks...I never thought of that....I guess I could have done a lot more deluxe job that way, but the real surprise was that the hatch came out so original that people coming aboard are mistaking the old hatch for the new one, even when open. I purposely refrained from polishing the new hatch frame for that reason, and it worked. Now if I can just find some original style pulls.

Larry...I tried to get my hands on all the brass hardware of the Manatee that burned on Clear Lake a couple of years ago. Neighbor's boat blew up & burned both ajoining boats. Salvage crew tossed all into a dumpster before I could make contact & she's now in a HOU landfill. I especially wanted the Manatee plaque.

Yeah, when I saw what was left of the boat, I was trying to imagine what else there could be salvaged. I never thought of the hatch pulls at the time, but there must have been at least some drive-line parts like the shaft and wheel, which was probably saved by water, but who knows.

Anyway, on with the project.

PULLING THE GENSET
The 4.5 and 5.0 Northern lights gensets will actually pull out of the galley hatch in one piece, including the SS drain pan. Just hook your come-along to the front pulling ring bolted to the front of the Lugger block, and she'll fall into about a 60 degree back tilt that is nearly the ideal position. The rear of the genset has to fall between the stringers as you pull it out, and a little nudging here and there and she'll pop right out. Inspect the condition of the pulling ring before you do this. If you have an doubt. fix it or replace it. You don't need to drop 375 lbs. of iron with a pointed edge onto your cored hull.

The pulling rig itself was made 4 legs of 2 X 6 pine (it's all you could really get on the perimeter of the hatch) with doubled 2 X 6" overhead horizontals and three 2 X 6" for the span. It easily handled the weight, but just make sure you brace everything so nothing tips over. I used a cheap Harbor
Freight 900 lb. cable puller and their cheapo furniture cart & some plywood to roll her out into the veranda.