keypower stabilizer install

I had mentioned my project and said i would start a thread on my progress for information.

The boat got hauled on monday and they spent the week screening off the work area and moving any clearance items. They hoped to have the holes drilled and the ventilation ducts hooks to the holes. I will get some pictures tomorrow.

What yard and what service outfit did you end up picking?

seaview boat yard in seattle. They will do the hull reinforcement and fin installation. I will do the remainder after the boat is back in the water.

End of first week.
work area has been isolated. Heating system removed from starboard side and all interference items removed. 1/4 pilot hole drilled. A lot of careful bagging including the engine room.

no work yet this week. The boat has camera systems activated by motion so i can see any entry. One issue that may cause some delays is Keypower never sent the control valves with the order and its been two months and still no valves. The structural work is first but i may have to research the specs on the valves and source them locally.

Update week two
They only worked one day this week and got the holes drilled and did some fitting of the FRP. The hull is only 1/2 at this location. I did receive the control valves today. The yard is not putting in the time i was expecting. Original time frame was two weeks but if they continue to only work one day a week our time table is going to go down the tube. Wife wants her boat back for Christmas holidays.
What surprises me is the boat is taking up space on the hard, which they dont have a lot of room,so i would think that would be motivation to get the boat back in the water.

How much does the hull need to be thickened around the stabilizers?

There is an old saying " the squeaky wheel gets the grease". My experience with yards in the Puget Sound region is that you need to make yourself visible to the crew and especially to the people in the office that do the scheduling. Don't piss in their ears, but do make your needs and desires known. Showing up everyday lets them know you are eager. Talking through the "process" and how it will be accomplished helps.Volunteer to do whatever would help. Once, when we were getting a head gasket replaced on a Lugger engine, I actually drove the head over to the machine shop for surfacing and then picked it up upon completion. Saved three day FedEx time each way and no transportation costs.

Oh, and a dozen doughnuts once in awhile doesn't hurt either. Become their friend, not a pain.

I buy pizza for the yard crew on occasion. It does get me better service than the rest of the people. I am also excited when they do well. And pitch in and help when I think it will be helpful.

twistedtree said:

How much does the hull need to be thickened around the stabilizers?

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The hull thickness will be 4 inches when completed. They are adding 3/4 FRP sections and laminating them to the hull and the surrounding stringers and bulkheads. The main guy doing to work is going to work tomorrow so he can work undisturbed .They have the structural guy that is on it now then a different group that will do the fiberglass. Wayne ,the guy doing the holes, is cutting and fitting the FRP so its just an assembly process.

One disappointment was the hole figured from my drawing would be around 13 inches in from the chine. He made it around 18 so the fins at 30 degrees would remain in the footprint of the hole. This does move the fins closer to the keel.

Steppe said:

There is an old saying " the squeaky wheel gets the grease". My experience with yards in the Puget Sound region is that you need to make yourself visible to the crew and especially to the people in the office that do the scheduling. Don't piss in their ears, but do make your needs and desires known. Showing up everyday lets them know you are eager. Talking through the "process" and how it will be accomplished helps.Volunteer to do whatever would help. Once, when we were getting a head gasket replaced on a Lugger engine, I actually drove the head over to the machine shop for surfacing and then picked it up upon completion. Saved three day FedEx time each way and no transportation costs.

Oh, and a dozen doughnuts once in awhile doesn't hurt either. Become their friend, not a pain.

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Not a very interesting thread with so little progress. Boat pulled on the first with a two week schedule and we are on day three as far as work goes. I dont get it. I have a business with 50 employees and we serve 40 to 50 costumers a week and are usually booked out 3 months Our schedules are kept. I cant see how a business could be profitable working this way. storing the boat and providing electricity and using space in the yard would be reason enough for me to get these boats out of hear and make room for more customers.I talked to the structural guy friday morning and he said he was going into the boat that afternoon and was going to work saturday to catch up. no show friday or saturday.
The only issue is the holidays and the wife wants her boat back for some events were committed to.i told them about the 10th of december and he didnt think it would be a problem but from what i can see it will be a problem. I will have to make that call wed before thanksgiving.

Several years ago we took our boat to a Seattle yard for a couple simple things like new shaft seals and cutlass bearings. Dropped it off the last week of October and told them we needed it for the Christmas boat parades the first week of December. No problem they said. I was at the boat several times to replace anodes and a couple other small jobs that were easier with the boat out of the water. After two weeks I expressed my concerns. Don't worry they said. Got the boat back the third week of December. Not happy.

magna 6882 said:

Not a very interesting thread with so little progress. Boat pulled on the first with a two week schedule and we are on day three as far as work goes. I dont get it. I have a business with 50 employees and we serve 40 to 50 costumers a week and are usually booked out 3 months Our schedules are kept. I cant see how a business could be profitable working this way. storing the boat and providing electricity and using space in the yard would be reason enough for me to get these boats out of hear and make room for more customers.I talked to the structural guy friday morning and he said he was going into the boat that afternoon and was going to work saturday to catch up. no show friday or saturday.
The only issue is the holidays and the wife wants her boat back for some events were committed to.i told them about the 10th of december and he didnt think it would be a problem but from what i can see it will be a problem. I will have to make that call wed before thanksgiving.

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Unfortunately it sounds like a typical tradesmen job experience. I hope you get it done in time.

At the yard I've dealt with here in San Diego, I'd expect them to drag their feet on doing the work, then tell me they have to bill me for lay days because I'm not spending $600 per day on yard work (their minimum to avoid paying lay days), even though the lack of billing is their fault.

magna 6882 said:

I cant see how a business could be profitable working this way.

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Many boatyards are not very profitable, and you have identified some of the main reasons. Schedules, in the boat building and repair business, are typically works of fiction. (Cost estimates too, while we are at it).

There was someone on board working most of the day yesterday.

nothing today.

Sorry you are having so much trouble but that seems to be the world today.

Fortunately this was planned as a winter project and the only work the yard is doing is the glass work then i will be doing the rest myself which will be a daily progressive install. The hassle i am running into is the schedule they gave me is so far off i may need to do the rest of the work in the spring. We have a motorhome and try to head south when the weather turns but this boat project is likely going to delay or possible cancel our trip south. The work at the boatyard was scheduled to be done by the 10th with the remainder done by the 16th of november. I think at the rate there going yard work will be done around the 10th or 15th of December. We usually leave right after thanksgiving .

magna 6882 said:

Fortunately this was planned as a winter project and the only work the yard is doing is the glass work then i will be doing the rest myself which will be a daily progressive install. The hassle i am running into is the schedule they gave me is so far off i may need to do the rest of the work in the spring. We have a motorhome and try to head south when the weather turns but this boat project is likely going to delay or possible cancel our trip south. The work at the boatyard was scheduled to be done by the 10th with the remainder done by the 16th of november. I think at the rate there going yard work will be done around the 10th or 15th of December. We usually leave right after thanksgiving .

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It sounds like you're getting into what some of us in the frozen north do. Spend all winter working on the boat with every spare minute to maximize use of it during the season when the weather is good.

They worked yesterday(sunday) and today and got the first 3/4 layer of frp. They are grinding the frp to conform to the hull.

Yes, that is what we do all winter, work on the boat. However I do love working on my boat. Helps get me through the winters…

Todays visit. this is the core of the block. Now 1/2 fiberglass over the block and tying the stringers to the bulkhead.

Fiber glassing started. One problem i saw today was they got resin on the deck in front of the door. Not sure how that is going to be fixed. Any suggestions?

Not sure about removing it, but the whole path from boarding through the boat to the work area should be covered. Crap will get everywhere, as you now know. Our boat was wrapped and sealed to the max and I'm still finding little drips of epoxy in the oddest places.

Yes, they should have covered all the walkways to the work area, but not too late to cover them now to prevent any more damage. Is the resin on the teak or fiberglass? Is that real teak or synthetic?

Its a synthetic teak. The spot by the entry door are lighter then the ones by the gunnel. It must have been done yesterday. I was there early and they started working on it today about 9:30. The swim step is covered and the interior is bagged good but they left the space between the gunnel door and the entry door open.

I would start with the manufacturer of the synthetic teak and ask if they have any ideas how to clean it. Then tell the boat yard it is their problem since they were doing the work and didn’t protect the deck. I had a boat yard replace the salon carpet when they tracked white bilge paint onto it and couldn’t get it cleaned off.

i feel like i am in a bad place. boat was to be done in a week starting nov 1st. then two weeks ,then a month. I put a little pressure on them and they seem to be staying at it.I worry if i get nasty or demanding the quality of the work may take a turn. They worked again today so at this rate they should have the housing in place Tuesday. If they don't initiate a cleaning plan Tuesday will be a good time to discuss.