1969 31 FBC Getting ready for the 50th season

[PeterPalmieri]

The boat is currently at the yard having the starboard motor replaced, almost finished. Bottom paint, zincs etc and I'll be ready to go.

Over the winter we pulled the teak deck, the center section is currently out of the boat, replacing the plywood core and fixing my rotted hatch lips.

Also pulled off the old canvas on top of the half tower, going to run new wires for the anchor and flood lights when that goes back on. That should complete the DC side of the electric work we started minus a few odds and ends. AC is not yet brought into the new panel, I don't have shore power at my regular dock or an inverter and have never used the shore power, except to test it so it's no rush at this point. The VHF is installed in the cabin but still have to run wires for the second station up to the bridge. The internals to my horn crumbled when we went to rewire it so I will have to decide what I'm going to do there.

New V berth and dinette cushions will go back in when I clean things up and I want to paint the side panels below the engine boxes while I have them off.

Hopefully I'll be off to an early season and just work on maintaining and fix things that come up this season. I am looking forward to getting away from projects on nights and weekends this summer (don't laugh)....

[Carl]

Wow...quite the list of projects you have going on Peter!

Hope your plan of getting it all done to enjoy holds true, I'm sure it will with a maybe a few little hicups.
Gotta have hiccups...its a boat after all.

Funny how I did some of those projects you mentioned and its time for me to redo them again...
I guess having a boat 20 plus years the new things get old.

Whats really funny is your swapping out a motor on a 50 year old boat as the hulls worth it.
Many boats around in the 10-15 year old age I'd say they should keep the clapped out motors and toss the hull.

Anyway, good luck in getting it all done and enjoying the season!

[PeterPalmieri]

The wiring, deck and canvas/cushion projects were all in the works before the motor went south. The cushions are purely to keep the family smiling. As I am removing old hardware I had filled some of the holes, last year as a quick fix I started putting some non skid tape I had laying around over the holes. She doesn't look pretty close up, someday she might or maybe not.

[kross1]

Hello Peter
I dock my boat down the canal from you. I just noticed your boat was out of the water. I love the look and color of your boat. I go to your end of the canal to site see with guests. Good luck with the spring work..

[Carl]

She doesn't look pretty close up, someday she might or maybe not.

The good news as we are getting older the vision goes, the memory goes...so we forget it don't look great and can't see it well enough to know better.

So there you go, an up side to aging.

[PeterPalmieri]

Hello Peter
I dock my boat down the canal from you. I just noticed your boat was out of the water. I love the look and color of your boat. I go to your end of the canal to site see with guests. Good luck with the spring work..

Stop by and say hi some time. Are you in Babylon marine!

[kross1]

Yes Babylon Marine. I have the 28 there is also a 31.

[PeterPalmieri]

Engines are done. You’ve gotta love swapping out a 454 in a 31. Will bring her back to my slip on Sunday morning.

[John F.]

Congrats Peter. I need to do bottom paint and clean up Crows Nest and she'll go in. Can't wait. Life is just way better with a B31 in the water and ready to go.

[PeterPalmieri]

https://i.imgur.com/6F69Mu1.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3tXHgMn.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/A5imliO.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/SbLs1KT.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1fNBT3R.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/XLT5j6a.jpg

[PeterPalmieri]

The panels in the companionway below the engine boxes were covered in laminate similar to the interior. They have faded tremendously and there seems to be a clear coat over the top that has dried up and is flaking off. At this point I'm not worried of the lack of "prettyness" but the flaking is something I don't want ending up in my bildge. Can I sand that off, prime and paint?

[Carl]

Hate to tell you this Pete...


...but it looks like your missing a small section of deck in the middle.





Glad to see your in the water with two happy working motors.
Hopefully that was the last time you'll be seeing Mr Mechanic for anything other then regular maintenance for a good long while.

Get her cleaned up and ready...Bass are out there.

[PeterPalmieri]

Took the day off to get some things done. The deck is almost all put back together and the side panels in the companion way are painted. Canvas and cushions go on next week.

[PeterPalmieri]

Cushions and canvas.

https://imgur.com/a/HeG6vZn

[PeterPalmieri]

Engine side panels

https://imgur.com/a/uxTwneP

[Tommy]

Looking great, Peter; hard to believe she is a 50 year old lady!

[Capt.Frank]

Looking good. Peter.
I hope to be up and running in next few weeks.

[Tony Meola]

Peter

Looks great. I like the Blue against the wood up in the V Berth.

[Yannis]

I like the Blue against the wood up in the V Berth.

......as well as the perfect alignment of the fabric's lines!

[PeterPalmieri]

Thanks guys. Linhart sewing and canvas in Baldwin, Charlie Johnson introduces me. Super nice guy and does great work. He also did the eisenglass.

[Carl]

Looking great Peter!

Color and pattern look great inside...that is something I really really need to tackle soon as I clear one small project off my plate.
I especially need to do v-berth walls...and floor inside. Windows and frames and....

Looking good, keep it going!