After a mammoth effort of sanding and two pack epoxy painting I have finished some areas of our Didi 40 Cr enough to install fittings. The starboard locker, the gas bottle locker, the area under the quarter berth and the quarter berth top lockers as well as the head hanging locker have had their final coat of semi gloss epoxy. With that done today with Kevin’s help we installed the back stay tangs, the stern shower panel, the transom engine vent cowl, the fuel tank breather and the VHF antenna for the AIS system. These are all on the transom.
Next we installed the Shore power plug and the RCD cabinet ready for a licensed electrician to wire up the 240 volt circuits. On the stern quarter we installed the engine exhaust fitting and secured the exhaust hose. Later in the day I connected all the exhaust hose back through the water lock muffler to the engine wet exhaust. Bar an extra hose clamp the exhaust pipe is finished including strapping the water lock muffler to the keel.
Before Kevin left we installed the manual bilge pump in cockpit and the engine control cables. We had trial fitted the engine controls before but had to relearn the process with a few false starts. Now it is complete with the throttle and gear shift working as they should. I had hoped to get the fuel lines fitted but it was a big enough day and I was pretty tired from climbing in and out of the locker. There is no way that these are one man jobs and I am very appreciative of the help.
Looking ahead there is another days work fitting cleats and pad eyes but beyond that I have to get on with the undercoat and top coat in the saloon area before we can have a major assault on the rest of the fittings. Next week we will start the final fairing of the keel so I am not sure how much time I will have for painting.