success - conscious procrastination

Nothing reinforces conscious procrastination like meeting the deadline.
Even if it means pulling a nighter and getting a sunrise as a reward.

success - point loma sportfishing

It all started well over 2 months ago.
After making a cardboard template,
my brother Trevor had this tubing bent.
These pieces had been constantly stepped over for a month,
while sitting on the floor of the shop.

aluminum parts

Since the boat was in and out on trips,
and my brother was out of town,
I took some time completing the frame.

joint

The frame sat for a long while until some major design decisions were made.

waiting

Wouldn't you know it,
the deadline changes and the boat has an early departure.
Sounds typical.

Fortunately the bottom mounting pads were water jetted,
and we had welded them and buffed them out.

mounting pad

When the boat was hauled out Pikachu and I installed them.
Yeah as usual,
the one rainy day of the week. (tuesday)

rainy day schedule

A couple years ago,
we had made these stainless steel struts.

stainless steel struts

It was nice to see they were still holding up.
This was another crazy deadline project.
I almost cut my finger off with a grinder for these.
Jinx.

So back at the shop,
I was able to weld up the top mounts that had also been water jetted (wednesday)
and also the support bars that would tie everything together (thursday).
The aluminum flatbar finally arrived, (friday evening)
4.5 days before the boat was to leave. (wed. morning)
Oh yeah,
remember their is also paint and a wood platform needed!

Fortunately I had hooked up those huge technics speakers
in the front part of the shop a couple months ago.
Together with that crazy Onkyo receiver this system cranks.
perich brothers (and sister): receiver hopskotch - Onkyo TX-8500
(oh yeah I brought it to the shop a while back too)

shop speakers

So by midnight the flatbar was cut and welded up.

flatbar

The next day I had to remeasure for the mounts,
hoping to avoid some stuff on the back of the transom.

So by Saturday evening,
the mounting pieces were cut and welded up,
and since there was a little extra time,
I was able to prep the frame for paint.

This was the night that I had cut that hole...
perich brothers (and sister): one more saturday night

So Sunday the painter came and gooped it up real good.

A frame of many uses

With a day for the 3 coats of paint to dry, (monday)
the frame was rushed to the carpenter,
who had one day to make the teak wood insert. (tuesday)

So when is the best time to start an install when the boat is leaving at 7am?
6pm of course!
Fortunately Trevor and Pikachu were prepared for the install.

At 10:30pm there was a semi-major operation.
The 4 pads on the frame that hooked to the top mounts were too short,
so they had to be cut and rewelded.
If you compare to the "a-frame" picture you can see how they now hang over the edge.

midnight redo

So while me and Pikachu thrashed at the shop to slide those mounts over,
Trevor went to rally the carpenter, Ken, who had not yet finished.
Hay wey.

mount, remount, mount,  remount, mount...

There was a ridiculous amount of work here.
The frame wasn't pre-drilled,
because all the measurements were only guesstimated.

First the frame was strung up with a 3 pieces of rope,
and the first hole was measured on the rear center support,
removed, drilled.and remounted with the rope and one bolt for the support bar.

Than the outer rear support hole was measured and drilled,
and the whole thing removed to drill.
We were really sketchy about losing the drill in the water.

So 3 remounts later the rear supports were level and mounted,
and the front supports could be clamped and drilled.
Fortunately these 4 were done at the same time.
Unfortunately,
after the 4 pads were attached to the frame,
each pad had to be marked to drill the 4 holes each into the boat.

Than the whole thing removed,
the 16 holes over-drilled through the fiberglass,
and prepped for the 5200 - adhesive sealant.

To say it was crazy is an understatement.

************************************************************




Allman Brothers - Ramblin' Man - live

Dicky Betts solo.

I doubt me ramblin' on about stuff is quite what they meant.


*************************************************************

glued and screwed

Did I tell you I quit coffee?
Yeah this was all done on one can of Dr. Pepper.

So by 5am the swim-step was permanently mounted.
Nylocs and glue.
The carpenter had also finished with the wood insert.

got wood?

So now all that's left is 23 3/8" bolts, and holes...

finished

The wood really finished it off.

teak wonder

The crew had said they were leaving at 6am,
and we had almost everything cleaned up by than.
They had tricked us and actually left at 7am.
Probably had no clue what went into doing this!
No problem!

let's get out of here

So now we're in big trouble.
My brother is good at finding jobs with tough deadlines...
perich brothers (and sister): fun at work II - shark cage
and they border on the impossible.

The problem is every time we beat them,
it justifies accepting even crazier projects.
As long as they pay!

Oh yeah,

grinder vs hand

Use gloves!
Grinders eat fingers.

TP