The middle of the month seems to mark a bit of a slow-down phase for boat restoration because I am wanting to get plywood and some oak strips. The lockdown is beginning to ease a little but I am still having trouble getting marine plywood. TP are now open for more extensive business again and claim to have the right plywood in stock but for some reason wont do it as either a delivery or as click & collect. Also found the right sort of oak from another local timber supplier but they seem to think it needs to be a secret as to the length of pieces they can supply. I am after 2 x 2M pieces for the cabin ceiling but also something like 4 x 3M to act as gunwales on the tender; obviously the ceiling doesn’t matter to much but it wont work if I have to scarf together too many pieces to make gunwales.
For the whole week all the boat work I managed to achieve was to receive and install the battery temperature sensor for the solar charger. Just looks like another connection to the battery but actually it is a thermistor sealed into a connecting terminal with two wires to lead back to the controller.
Finally managed to get a sensible plywood order together by the second weekend although it is really only the headlining and locker cover plywood sheets. The supplier cannot deliver until June 1st (and even then turned out not to be able to find the oak in their storage so it is on back order). Also waiting for an order of resin and woven glass cloth to clad the mounting system however that will take at least 2 weeks because the catalyst is out of stock.
By the second weekend I had the wooden mounting frame built and screwed to the hatch cover. Eventually it will be covered by three layers of 6mm plywood laminated together and coated with woven fiberglass cloth and resin. Should be strong enough to prevent damage to the solar panel even if it gets stood on by accident.
