Category: 2023/2024/2025 Refit

I cleaned the salon floor this morning and applied the first coat of floorfin. I will lightly sand and apply a second coat in a couple days. The wheelhouse sole had a lot of traffic (guests onboard) before it was fully set so it also needs a light sanding and final coat. I think this…

Yesterday was pretty surreal. A boat/project that has been a huge part of my (and others) life for 2 years motored away to cruise the rest of the summer and fall. I’ve taken myself into the “void” pushing hard on other projects before, but this one went a bit deeper than any other I believe….

started “moving aboard” today… made a bed. Filled the dresser and hanging locker with clothes. It is a fabulous space. the Raven blanket was woven by Haida Gwai artist April White. Aprilwhite.com https://www.aprilwhite.com

Nicole brought down the bench seats for the wheelhouse (which Asa installed) and one of the mattresses for the fo’c’sle. The rest is ready for install… but awaiting cessation of sawdust! The bench seat backs will complete the wheelhouse seating.

a lot of fun pieces coming together… chain locker and spill pipe butterfly hatch, teak center strake and mcmurry windlass steaming light and mounting block

Asa installed original cleats midship… this should allow for “neutral” boat handling and springing – especially handy when I am single handing. The cleats are really cool!

Asa fabricated, and installed the wheelhouse sole (pine)… it is glued and fastened with screws… fit to the engine bay hatches. Then he sanded and applied the first coat of Floor Fin. It looks fabulous!

launched the Highfield today! Had a fun little test run. It hit 19.7 knots wide open but felt really comfortable around 15 knots. Really stable.

countless plugs have been cut, glued, trimmed, painted and varnished. Every fastener on the hull..every exposed fastener in the trim, cabinets and sole… tedious and requires attention to detail – even trying to match grain!

Clint is working feverishly to complete the salon. He has almost everything made – drawers, doors, cabinets and trim… install over the next couple days! Jen L is helping with sanding and varnishing.

Daryl applied the last coats of varnish in the wheelhouse yesterday and today … things are still taped and pieces not in place – but here is a look

we pushed off from slip D229 about 1:45 pm and headed over to the work dock where we loaded the ground tackle (chain and anchor). We wanted the boat with a full load for the sea trial. We had topped off the fresh water tanks prior to leaving the slip. Then we headed to the…

Clint built and installed the chain locker. It has a cone in the center to prevent the chain from castling, spilling over and tangling/knotting. A custom spill pipe is being fabricated as well. We will load the chain later today for sea trials and stability tests… then remove it to paint the chain locker.

the port has a 14 day limit on stays at the work dock so we had to move Nonchalant to an open slip – D229. The slip is only 40’ long and there is a wide beam sailboat next door. this was the first time we have left the dock under power, so we really…

Daryl is applying final varnish coats on the teak butterfly hatch and center strake… stunning!

Clint is fabricating and dry fitting the teak trim pieces in the salon… going to be gorgeous!

Asa installed the copper shower pan in the head. It came with the boat (but is likely not original). It has two drain holes that empty in to a grey water sump that will be shared with the sink. There is a pump in the sump with a float switch – discharge overboard. There is…

Daryl finished varnishing the fo’c’sle drawer faces today and we installed 6 of them… we will install the rest tomorrow (hopefully). The tip out drawers and dresser drawers still to come. Beautiful!!

mounted the transom letters today – bedded in dolfinite and attached with bronze screws. The current plan is to allow the lettering to have a natural patina (vs clear coat or constant polishing).

the bronze transom lettering with the yacht name (NONCHALANT ) and hailing port (SEATTLE) were cleared coated and badly discolored and peeling. I sanded and buffed them today in preparation for mounting on the transom soon. I did not think to take a “before” picture 🤦‍♂️. the picture above can serve as a “before” picture,…

we moved Nonchalant to the work dock at 7:30 am. This will be her home until she is complete and I depart for cruising. Bilge was still dry – pumps have not run at all since she splashed 18 hours ago.

the crew was busy all day preparing for the launch of Nonchalant. Fenders, dock lines, and many last minute details… lift arrived about 2:30 and the lift, journey through the yard and drop to the water could not have gone better. When Nonchalant was floating she was perfectly balanced and the bilge stayed dry!! The…

Nicole is hard at work on the upholstery… it’s crunch time!!

the team carefully removed scaffolding and ladders from the shelter this past weekend. Today… the shelter was removed. The shelter was built in two pieces so they could be removed separately. This will allow the Perpetual Boatworks team to reuse it for future projects. It feels like a birth… Nonchalant emerging from a cocoon. While…

Clint fabricated the maple drawers, Ismay sanded and prepped them, Jen did the finish work and now Leigh is hanging them on slides. Last week, Leigh milled, glued up and sanded the teak drawer fronts. They still need to be profiled and then Daryl will varnish. the drawer fronts being fitted… still have to be…

Daryl is applying the final coat of paint on the hull and saloon side today!

Clint built the drawers out of maple. They will have teak fronts (varnished). Beautiful and tons of storage.

Daryl is applying the final varnish coat to the wheelhouse this weekend!

Nicole has cut the foam for the fo’c’sle mattresses. Clint and Asa approve! The sole has also been finished and reinstalled.

Leigh fabricated and installed the teak beam caps on the deck beams in the fo’c’sle!

Taylor wired the windlass this week. We decided to have the windlass run off a dedicated battery in the chain locker section of the bow. This allowed for a much shorter wire run. The battery is housed in a custom cabinet and will be on a trickle charger. The install was a bit more involved…

Asa is taping the deck and applying teak deck seam compound.

Leigh milled “bird blocking” to fit between the deck beams in the fo’c’sle. They are designed to allow adequate ventilation.

Asa built a new frame and installed the door between the wheelhouse and fo’c’sle. This is the original door. While the entire hull, deck and much of the interior is all new, the cabin and much of the wheelhouse is original.

in an earlier post, I showed pictures of the dash switchboard that Taylor fabricated. Last week he 3D printed a piece that will act as a shroud behind the LED lighting that will illuminate the dash switch labels. Pretty cool!

Taylor refurbished and installed the running lights. The fixtures are original with internal components upgraded to LED. In another nod to the modern, he installed a camera in the box that holds the stern running light. This will enable me to see how close I am to docks and other boats moored to the docks…

Taylor refurbished the overhead lighting fixtures. With a nod to the modern and for the sake of efficient power use… he upgraded the internal components to LED.

Daryl is applying finish coats to the saloon interior pieces (which should get reinstalled next week) as well as varnish coats on the interior and exterior of the house. She also applied another coat on the Buffalo rails.

Asa is fabricating copper patches for placement in several areas to protect from fresh water intrusion and cover some of the older “tired” joints. They are both functional and exquisite!

Asa is preparing the deck for seam compound. He is in the process of doing all the tasks required to “dry in” the exterior of Nonchalant in preparation for removing the shelter. He has also installed the glass… really a huge leap in “looking ready.” It still needs to be permanently fit. The windshield installed…

Clint disassembled the saloon and Daryl primed all the pieces. They will be puttied again, sanded and primed one more time.

Leigh built the tip out drawers for the fo’c’sle. They are maple boxes with teak faces and are placed nearest the sole. This design makes the most of the storage space available (this is where the hull curves down to meet the keel – so this design conforms to the space ).

Clint and Asa made and poured pitch in the saloon. This will allow any water in the bilge to pass over the frames and flow to the bilge pump sumps. It also seals and helps protect the planks at the lowest part of the hull.

Leigh hung the door that separates the fo’c’sle from the storage / chain locker area.

Clint has been working on the saloon and galley buildout. The settees will convert to bunks with the starboard side being a full 6’5” berth. The backs of the settees will be hinged on the shelves behind and lift up to expose the full berth. Bedding can be stored in the space behind the back…

The saloon is taking shape! Clint has built out and fit the settees. They convert in to sleeping berths when the backs are removed and hung above. Taylor has made custom stanchions and brackets (bronze)… a standout custom feature. They are beautiful and also serve a structural purpose in place of full height bulkheads.

Taylor retrofitted and LED lamp in to the spotlight (replacing the halogen). The spotlight has an original handle control in the wheelhouse and mounting bracket.

the shipwrights are pouring pitch in the bilge. The hot pitch solidifies and forms a water resistant barrier, ensuring that any water that does enter the bilge will flow over the frames and in to the bilge pump sumps. This prevents any water from accumulating in the bilge and pooling in inaccessible areas – protecting…

Daryl has been working on the swim step…first sanding, putty and primer. Then measuring for tape and applying tape. Next step was applying non skid… I use the swim step to get in and out of my kayak – a nonskid surface is going to be really great!

the Highfield Classic 310 with Tohatsu 20Hp engine was delivered by Guyer Boatworks on Wednesday. While not a classic tender, I think it will provide the ability to explore while at anchor, motor to marinas to get supplies etc without having to find moorage space and provide a measure of safety in case of any…

I visited Port Townsend this week to see Nonchalant in person and meet with the team. It was a fabulous visit! The work on Nonchalant is stunning and moving along… though a launch date has not yet been established 🤞🤞. I went to Edensaw with Clint and Leigh on Wednesday and they selected maple boards…

Asa is building out a new dash. The panel behind the wheel is stunning! Check out the tilt out gauge panel! Can’t wait to see it next week when I visit Port Townsend!

Daryl sanded the Buffalo rails last week and is varnishing this week. Wow! and some trim… caps on the wheelhouse and wheelhouse trim…

Taylor has built and installed the electric switch panels mounted in the slate richlite.

Leigh has started to cut and layout the pine sole in the Fo’c’sle. You can also see the door he milled for the hanging locker. Fabulous work.

the Pine for the sole was sourced by Edensaw and delivered yesterday. Planks will be 8” wide and finished with a hard clear drying finish – floorfin. K 9 approved by Hazel! Classic yacht fans will notice the beautiful fantail yacht Teal in the background. https://classicyachtinfo.org/yachts/teal https://classicyachtinfo.org/yachts/teal

Daryl determined the mast had too much wear to be varnished and would look much better if she was able to use putty to repair and then paint it white. It is original and we are trying to keep as much original work as possible. Then Daryl came up with the idea of doing a…

Leigh milled and built the trim and door for the chain locker. The door is teak and will be varnished.

Asa cut and installed / glued down the dash. The material is richlite slate. https://www.richlite.com/product-page/slate

Asa fabricated and installed the exposed bronze tie rods in the house this week. They will be a stand out feature in the wheelhouse.

Clint has completed the rough fit of the saloon. Lots of details left to work out (and of course build), but this is BIG!

Scott G is completing the work on the hydronic heating system… this week included plumbing summer and winter loops. Nonchalant will be warm in any weather and ready for an Alaskan voyage!

Leigh continues to build out the fo’c’sle. This week included installing trim on the cabinets and building out the toe kicker for the heater register. Beautiful detail… even the clamps are cool! He also produced a video of the work – quite fun!

Asa made and installed trim on the wheelhouse and saloon. He also came up with a creative means of covering the tired joints on the wheelhouse caps.

the cockpit will be a center of activity in season. Daryl finished painting the overhead section this week.

taylor continues electrical install… I love how organized and tidy the control center is!

painted with a non skid white.

Asa started building out the head.

Leigh milled trim for the hanging closet (port) and drawer cabinet (starboard). It will get a bright varnish finish. Beautiful!

we had stainless water tanks manufactured locally by Alaskan Copper and Brass Co. they are installed at the aft end of the saloon. Capacity is approximately 130 gallons.

Leigh completed the stairs and bunk rails in the fo’c’sle. This is going to be an awesome space! All of these pieces are teak and will be varnished.

Buffalo rails are permanently glued and bolted. Bungs are installed over bolt heads to keep moisture out and enhance appearance.

Clint and Asa made caps for the break beam steps and made and dry fit the trim to go around the bottom of the house.

Asa dry fitted the new throttle control. It will be permanently mounted when the new dash is built and installed (there is a mock up in place).

Nonchalant will have hydraulic steering. Asa made and installed the bracket that will hold the pump (and installed the pump). The bracket is 1/4” stainless steel mounted with exposed bronze carriage bolts.

Daryl painted the saloon overhead and it looks fabulous. If you have been following along you will remember that the old paint contained lead and needed to be safely removed (see prior posts). Removing the dangerous old paint and prepping the surface for new paint has been a time consuming and intense process. But look…

the shipwrights finished the woodwork on the seating cabinets in the wheelhouse. The starboard cabinet is where the house batteries and electrical center is located… the port cabinet is storage. Both cabinets will have upholstered cushions and backs for comfortable wheelhouse seating. The seating is at window level providing a wonderful 360 view. There is…

Pete Leenhouts took some photos of the handrail work (posted below)… here are some more that the crew took. While the handrail is quite attractive, the side decks are narrow and the handrail takes up a lot of what otherwise would be good footing for walking along the house sides. i am leaning towards leaving…

the butterfly hatch needed to be completely disassembled … glass replaced, hardware polished and refurbished, wood sanded, puttied and varnished… it is a standout feature of the forward deck and the fo’c’sle …

my friend Pete visited Nonchalant yesterday and sent some photos of what is happening this week. Pete owns the classic yacht Riptide (above photo). He has undertaken massive restoration and maintenance projects with the support and work of Port Townsend Shipwrights Co Op. he has been a great support during the rebuild of Nonchalant. Here…

Daryl and Ben primed the fo’c’sle (see prior post) and then sanded and sanded. The first of two final coats was applied Monday 2/24. A second final coat being applied today. first coat pictures after final coat (lighting kinda hides the difference)

Leigh is away on a sunny vacation so Daryl is working in the fo’c’sle to get it puttied, sanded and primed. The process is: Initial round of putty. Sand putty. First coat primer. More putty (primer helps ability to see spots that need putty)  Sand putty again. Second coat primer More putty and sand again. 3rd…

the miters on the covering boards for the pilot house were glued this week and are ready for permanent install. Even with a diesel heater running in the shelter, the epoxy took 3 days to set. It has been cold in Port Townsend!

Asa spent more time this week adding sound proofing to the areas around the engine bay and installed rubber mat on the storage areas in the wheelhouse.

Nonchalant will have modern state of the art electronics including Garmin GPS, AIS and radar. All components are NMEA 2000 and gauges will be digital – displayed on Garmin screen in dash. Asa built a mockup of the dash . When the components are not in use, they will fold down and be neatly hidden…

those who are following along since the start will remember that we ordered two flexible 330W solar panels (to be mounted on the aft cockpit roof). They will greatly extend the length of time Nonchalant can be at anchor! Taylor installed them this week on the roof of the aft cockpit.

Clint cut and installed the Buffalo Rails. The bow roller cast by PT Foundry will be “let in” the Buffalo rails and extend beyond the bow stem. The bolts and washers will be counter sunk and covered with bungs once the glue sets. The Buffalo rails will be varnished brightwork.

Taylor is getting all the main components of the electrical system wired together. The windlass controller and relay are also mounted and in place ready to be connected to the windlass

Asa completed the hatches that will provide access to the engine room. They are both hydraulic assisted (hinges).

The interior wheelhouse ceiling is exposed tongue and groove cedar (see prior post). To ensure that the roof is watertight, Clint and Asa cut and secured a layer of marine plywood and then covered that with fiberglass. It will be painted white.

During my recent visit to Port Townsend I had a chance to meet with Nicole K. She is making all the exterior canvas and interior upholstery for Nonchalant. She suggested that I reconsider my color choice for the exterior canvas making the strong case that a khaki color was more in keeping with the classic…

the teak cockpit sole was cut and glued down this week. Beautiful !!

Dylan McKay “trued up” the stem iron on his press. It looks fantastic!

Edensaw has delivered the teak that will be used in building the drawer and door faces and some of the cabinetry in the interior of Nonchalant. You have probably heard that teak is quite difficult to source and quite expensive. This is what $4300.00 worth of teak boards looks like! By the time these boards…

Leigh is framing the boxes for the drawers in the bunks and has made cutouts for access to the thru hulls.

Clint and Asa cut, oiled and installed the wheelhouse overhead tongue and groove ceiling. It is fabulous! They also dry fit the plywood overlay which will receive fiberglass to assure it is watertight. The beams will get teak varnished caps.

Taylor has installed many of the major electrical components and is pulling wire to fixtures.

Clint and Asa have permanently installed the half round on the entire perimeter of the deck.

while Leigh is busy with the permanent built-ins in the fo’c’sle, Leland has moved from the aft cockpit to the salon. He built a mockup layout in time for my visit last week. It came out great! The dining booths are comfortable and will easily convert to sleeping bunks. The galley is laid out to…

Leigh has framed out the bunks and cabinets ..

Leland constructed a mockup for the salon interior. I will be visiting Port Townsend this week to finalize the plan!

Leland completed the install of the sole and sills in the aft cockpit. The sole will eventually receive teak decking.

Asa put in the framing for the wheelhouse sole which will be installed next week. The stairs will be removable to allow access to the back of the engine. There will be a plywood enclosure for the stairs that will be sound proofed on the engine side and copper on the side that will show…

Daryl and crew continue to prep the interior wood for varnish. This has required endless sanding and spot staining to even out the surface.

Daryl and the finish crew have completed three coats of the white paint on the salon house sides. I am excited about the “new” look (vs varnish) and think it will make the bronze portholes, bronze railing stanchions and the varnished handrails and caps really stand out.

a number of people contributed to the rudder assembly. Armstrong Consolidated made the rudder table. Taylor did work on the table and rudder. Leland did the installation and the tube. Dylan (who straightened the drive shaft and made the driveline bearing) fashioned the tiller arm and other components from a bronze billet (pictured below).

The original engine / oil drip pan was removed from Nonchalant and reworked to fit under the new Yanmar engine. Some of the excess copper will be used in other decorative applications… but this is beauty meets function.

Leland and Asa came up with a unique design for the aft Samson posts. The original posts from Nonchalant were reused but required some repair. Leland cut off the rotten bottoms and clothespin scarfed new bottoms on to the posts. He commented ” they were the nicest pieces of teak I have ever seen.” With…

it is time for interior finishes! Most of Nonchalant”s interior is completely stripped. The only exception is the wheelhouse. All other areas will be rebuilt from scratch – utilizing some pieces that were salvaged. Leigh developed a design and mock up for the Fo’c’sle. The mockup allows us to view what the space will actually…

Leigh has drilled, backed and installed the thru hulls.

Asa has returned from his time off and worked on the drive line this week – specifically getting the V strut (fabricated by Port Townsend Foundry) dry fit to the boat. There are some modifications that the foundry will perform before final installation. Look at that beautiful V strut and new propellor! V strut permanently…

Clint cut the pieces for the half round that runs along the entire perimeter of the boat on the edge of the cap rail. Once the pieces were cut, he made two passes on each piece with a round over bit (quarter round) on a router table. Stunning work! the corners will be carved tomorrow

we have selected a local Port Townsend business to fabricate the aft cockpit canvas enclosures, butterfly hatch cover and interior upholstery… Sound Canvas LLC – Nicole K. We are excited to have her as part of the team. She is starting with the aft cockpit enclosure while the shipwright team builds out the interior. We…

Leland and Taylor spent time this holiday week patterning, fabricating and welding the rudder table parts. Leland also fit the rudder tube and fiberglassed the flange.

Daryl has been working to prep the wheelhouse for varnish… so much detailed sanding!

Scott G. (Blue Peter Captain) has been installing the plumbing systems and hydronic heating system on Nonchalant while at the same time overseeing the work that is being done on Blue Peter at Haven Boatworks. The hydronic system will provide even, dry heating throughout Nonchalant and allow for shoulder and winter season cruising (and Alaska!).

Leigh located the thru hull openings (7), drilled, prepared backing and installed.

Leland has been busy in the aft cockpit! This week he fitted the sills, permanently bolted and isolated the black water tank and bored for the rudder tube. He also made patterns for the legs of the bearing table. The bearing table was fabricated at Armstrong Consolidated in the yard. I am reposting the rudder…

Taylor designed and has been machining bronze brackets for the salon. The brackets will be a visually stunning feature of the salon and also provide structural rigidity in place of the bulkhead we removed from the starboard side of the boat (to open up that full side of the salon).

Leland has been working on framing for the sole in the aft cockpit. He completed the framing and then cut and installed the plywood sub floor that will receive the teak laminate. It is going to be gorgeous! We have had lots of discussion around fixed bench seating and have decided to leave the cockpit…

Leigh fabricated spigots and installed the port holes this week.

Leigh is working in the fo’c’sle where there were three port holes on each side of Nonchalant. These needed to be located and routed out of the new planking to reinstall – yikes! Measure twice – cut ONCE!

these are photos of Nonchalant taken November 10, 2024 and about the same time in 2023. https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1gGfnH8tGG4nu4

Leland has been framing the aft cockpit… preparing for the sole. The sole will be teak like the deck and will be allowed to gray out. I am hoping for most of the space below the sole to be open for storage, but we may need to utilize some of it for ballast. there will…

Tim Nolan (naval architect pictured below) has developed specifications for the rudder and rudder assembly taking in to account the new load factors. New power, hydraulic steering and auto pilot have all been factored in. Taylor will fabricate the aluminum rudder stock.

Nonchalant will be registered in the PNW fleet of the Classic Yacht Association (Ananda was registered in the Canadian Fleet). The PNW fleet is the largest and most active fleet in the CYA. Last night I attended the annual Change of Watch dinner at the Seattle Yacht Club. During the Change of Watch, the current…

We have sourced a lot of the wood for Nonchalant from Edensaw Woods. I visited Edensaw with Clint today in search of some teak for the sole of the aft cockpit. Teak has been hard to source, but Edensaw now has an ample supply. The sole of the aft cockpit will match the decking and…

I visited PT Foundry today. Information on the history, process and products can be found on their website …. take a look. The emphasis on environmentalism is quite impressive and a central commitment. https://www.porttownsendfoundry.com Pete (owner) gave Clint and I a full tour and described the process. They fabricated a bow roller and anchor for…

Asa worked on the shaft liner and integral bearings… the I strut is original. We are waiting for a custom strut from PT foundry that will go aft of the I strut just forward of the new propellor.

Clint spent part of this week preparing the half round wooden trim that goes around the entire vessel. It is Padouk wood (similar to teak) that will be left to grey like the teak deck.

It was a BIG WEEK for the finish crew. The hull is now painted. The aft cockpit varnish is finished. Shawn is going to get some primer on the overhead Saturday so the saloon finish can move forward. some sort of contaminant on the surface of the wheelhouse will have to be removed prior to…

Taylor has been busy fabricating and installing brackets on the transom and bulkheads. This custom work is done in the Perpetual Boatworks shop in the boatyard.

We have added another talented shipwright to the crew – Leland Gibson. some info from the North West School of Wooden Boat Building site… Leland was raised on Lake Superior in Northern Michigan and spent his early life learning how to build boats with his dad (sometimes off the grid). He traveled extensively in his…

Leigh continued work on the ceiling – looking great!

Clint removed the hardwood bug shoe on the bottom of keel and all the woodblocking under keel. He replaced the blocking with pipe and jackscrews to aid with corkingand putting a new shoe on the keel. He corked the entire starboardside from the water line down with the exception of the garboard seam which will…

It was a big week for Daryl… here is her update I put 3 coats of varnish on the cockpit and transom and 2 coats on the starboard side.  I dealt with the remaining epoxy that needed to be applied to some of the miter joints that were open on the trim. I primed the…

Leigh spent the week working on installing the ceiling in the fo’c’sle. It is looking fabulous.

Taylor machined a brass switch plate that will be positioned on the dash and control frequently used circuits.

Ananda towed a beautiful lapstrake row boat / sailboat as a tender. I have decided that my cruising plans for Nonchalant require a tender with power. I will be at anchor most nights and having the ability to utilize a tender for transportation to docks for hikes, provisioning, visits etc is going to be a…

Clint and Asa started caulking the bottom sides this week.

There seems to be a split on whether to call the space behind the galley the Salon or the Saloon. I can’t figure out why it is called either! Anyway… it is now prepped and ready for spray painting! The full wall bulkhead on the starboard side at the rear of the salon/saloon has been…

The decking cover planks are now glued in place. The center strake will be varnished as an accent, the rest of the deck will grey out.

we have added another shipwright/carpenter to the team. Leigh’s focus will be interior. He started this week with the sole in the engine room. He also procured wood and began a design/layout for the ceiling.

Most of the focus on wooden boat rebuilds is on the work of shipwrights and finish workers… but fabrication, systems design and installation all play a critical role as well. Taylor C is filling this key role at Perpetual Boatworks. He fabricated the fuel tanks, designed the electrical system (and built the panel) and most…

Daryl reports…. Pretty much just worked on the hull – lots of 80 and 120 grit long boarding, sanding block detailing and I also finished heat gunning off the finish on the guards, sanded and taped.  I got 2 coats of primer on there – I’m using a new primer (PreKote Plus) that people around…

Clint and Asa have been cutting and laying the plywood subfloor this week. The finished floor will be satin finished wide pine planking boards.

we are starting to have general discussions about the interior. The vision is pretty well set with the exception of the space between the aft salon bulkhead and stairs to the aft cockpit. In the original design, there was a sleeping quarters “for paid crew” to starboard and the main head to port. Originally we…

and Asa says “Next week we will be finishing up patches in the old planking. Fairing. Plugging fastener holes and hopefully get to seam compound and then the topsides are close to ready for paint‘

Taylor discovered the original air compressor for the horn! It was in the faux smoke stack where the propane is safely stored. He hooked it up and it still works! Made in France in the 1920s!

planking on the starboard side of Nonchalant is complete. Corking and fairing will be next week.

Daryl and Nic continue to work to remove / strip the old lead paint from the main saloon. We ordered a second bucket of the lead paint stripper and they applied and removed as much of the remaining lead paint as they could this week. Whie effective, it has left behind a greasy residue and…

Clint reports “Bottom is all closed up except for one small plank back aft that I’m gonna let “the fastener guy” cut and hang in exchange for taking on the mundane task of pounding nails hour after hour. 3 planks left in the bow (stbd), and the turn of the bilge. The stbd side turn…

planks are being attached with hot dipped galvanized boat nails true to how she was originally fastened

Daryl spent half the week meticulously prepping to strip the paint from the ceiling and other areas of the main saloon. As was mentioned in a previous post, the paint was tested and found to contain lead…ugh! The stripping will happen Monday.

my friend Dave carves as a hobby. When he saw the scrap wood on the ground from the Nonchalant restoration, he asked if I could gather some and bring it to him in BC. Of course! This morning he boated down to my cottage to pick up some prawn heads to make a soup base…

Daryl and Nic are applying varnish (after many, many hours of prep) and it is looking great!

planking has begun… material was moved from near the shop to next to the shelter. the first broad and garboard planks are on! The garboard planks are 10” wide!

we ordered two flexible 330W solar panels that will be mounted on the aft cockpit roof. They will greatly extend the length of time Nonchalant can be at anchor!

Taylor has been welding / fabricating the fuel tanks for install late in June.

took a dinner cruise with a group of neighbor friends to Freil Falls. We have heavy rain the last several days so the falls were roaring. Here is some incredible drone footage that Glenn shot…

cruised on Ananda to Smuggler’s Cove. Smuggler’s cove is about 20 NM from my cottage in Egmont and a fabulous anchorage. paddled to thormanby island and walked the beach at low tide

Daryl sanded and sanded on the mast and spreaders, but was not able to get them to a varnish ready condition – stains are just too deep. So, the mast and spreaders will be painted white!

This week Clint and Asa made and installed the harpin, installed the spur beams. made and installed stern bit blocking and cut the side deck plywood for install next week.

Clint and Asa are preparing the side decks for plywood and fiberglass.

Clint and Asa did some work setting up for the hawse. We debated using a unique extending bow roller system fabricated by PT foundry. It is a work of art and is currently on order for installation on the wonderful classic yacht MV Faranda. In the end, because I will be single handing Nonchalant most…

Taylor designed the fuel tanks this week and took the specs to ACI for fabrication. We are awaiting a price and timing. Nonchalant will carry about 200 gallons of diesel fuel.

one of the coolest fixtures on Nonchalant is the beautiful McMurry windlass! Taylor has restored and polished it and it is gorgeous. He is also fitting it with a new motor which will allow for two way (Up and down) operation from the helm and from a remote with a chain counter. Nonchalant will have…

the foredeck has two layers of marine grade plywood and is now sheathed in fiberglass to make certain it is watertight. It is covered with paper to protect it while being walked on, but will soon receive teak laminate that will be stunning.

Taylor has removed the bronze port holes and is working on refinishing … bringing them back. Some of them were brass plated. Some were corroded. These are Wilcox Crittenden port holes – original to Nonchalant!

The new deck will consist of two layers of marine plywood and a layer of fiberglass under the teak. This will insure a completely watertight deck system and also create rigidity and strength. The underside (Visible in the stateroom ) is grooved and looks like planking. It is painted white. The two layers are now…

The stringers are now fastened stem to stern. There are also some planks fastened. We had a conversation mid-week during which Clint and Asa informed me that Nonchalant is not going to be complete by the July launch date. I am visiting Port Townsend this upcoming week and we will talk more about a realistic…

Daryl and nic are working to paint the deck beams in a paint room in the new Perpetual Boatworks shop.

Clint and Asa line out, pattern, cut, steam and install the port and starboard sheer planks.

This cedar stock was milled by Paul Mahan and kiln dried. The video link demonstrates the kiln drying process. Asa commented “It’s virtually the same (as the video below) , only the wood slides into the kiln on a cart. The idea is to bring the temp up while holding the humidity and very slowly…

Asa made and installed bilge stringers

weekly update from Daryl… We worked on the pieces that were pulled off the boat initially that we know are being put back (ie what we scraped back in October), the beam caps, the doors and the door frames. Most of it was already scraped and somewhat sanded (minus one of the stair sets, so…

Work has begun to replace the deck. Beam shelves have been patterned, cut and installed. Foredeck has been removed and beams have been laid out.

the keel cheeks are finished and installed. The keel cheeks are bolted to either side of the keel and the frame heels are fitted and fastened to them.

The lower half of the shaft log is 6”x9”x12’ that tapers in width to 4” to meet the old keel. The upper shaftlog/horn timber is 6” x7”x21’ and swells to 12” in depth to meet the lower shaft log…all hand crafted from Purple Heart.

in a discussion today (2/20/2024) with Clint and Asa, they persuaded me to stick with the original rudder and see how the boat handles. The rudder is an original cast bronze piece and is worth preserving as part of the refit if Nonchalant handles well. If it turns out the boat does not handle well,…

The original Cyprus cedar decking is very tired and the seams are splitting. It was treated with Cetol years ago and has turned an ugly orange. We had originally planned to replace the existing decking with Sapele. Our preference was teak, but availability and cost lead us to settle for Sapele. Clint and Asa had…

The shaft tube and stuffing box were installed this week. Final dimensions for the aqua drive have been sent to the naval architect. Exciting progress!

The floors in the cockpit and main saloon have been built and installed. The rich look is a result of applying “boat sauce” to the wood…a mixture of linseed oil, turpentine and pine tar. It has a distinctive and wonderful smell and a rich look.

Daryl and Nic continue to strip, sand and seal … this week they removed the doors. They are a good example of the deterioration of the woodwork. While Nonchalant was docked at Center for Wooden boats, the water damage was quite extensive. There are spots on the house sides that will require repair because they…

The horn timber and shaft log are now complete and permanently bolted in Nonchalant! You can see the grooves on either side of the shaft bore where the fiberglass splines will run the length of the split in the shaft log.

work on the centerline continued this week….

My waterfront property in BC is located in an area (Swiya) that is the traditional land of the indigenous Shishalh band. The Shishalh band in conjunction with the BC PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT is in the process of implementing a Dock Management Plan that will (Among many other onerous provisions) prohibit boathouses at private Moorage foreshores. If…

Hi all, Daryl here.  I took a short break from working on Nonchalant to make bigleaf maple syrup! This is my eighth season sugaring on my property. About 15 acres of the land is a maple forest. For a long time it was assumed one couldn’t produce syrup from our trees but you most definitly can!…

Clint and Asa are installing the centerline! Taylor is producing some video that will posted at the end of the week.

Clint and Asa built the horn timber, shaft log, forefoot and stem this week. Installation next week. Seeing the pieces on their sides and outside the boat, it is difficult for me to see how it all comes together, but Asa assures me it will all make sense next week! The timbers are beautiful and…

This week Clint and Asa focused building the horn timber / shaft log which is 24 feet of centerline from the transom to the keel.

I finished scraping the port house sides and started sanding them. I sanded the upper eyebrow in the cockpit and, most exciting of all – I scraped and did the first sand on the transom! It already looks amazing!  Although there weren’t too many spots where it actually flaked off and turned grey, it was…

Asa and Clint are turning attention to the centerline. They investigated the bow section further and determined that replacing the entire stem would be best for the structural integrity of Nonchalant. There was checking as well as rot around the old fasteners. The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to the gunwale of the…

Tim N. (naval architect) has determined that “there will be a gain in efficiency if we go to a slightly bigger 3 blade propellor with narrower blades. This will be a high end custom made propellor manufactured on a CNC machine at the venerable and respected Hung Shen Propellor company in Taiwan. The CNC propellors…

Seaborn Pile Driving Seaborn Pile Driving | Dock Construction and Dock Repair in Seattle and Lake Washington had a Detroit diesel engine fail in one of their tugboats. The engine that failed was identical to the engine we removed from Nonchalant. Adair James (mechanic) had worked on the engine for me and was confident that…

Nonchalant received a Christmas gift from an ardent classic yacht owner. In fact, the purchase of Nonchalant was inspired by my admiration of Peter H’s yacht Euphemia II. https://classicyachtinfo.org/yachts/euphemia-ii https://classicyachtinfo.org/yachts/euphemia-ii more detailed info on the flag. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Red_Ensign https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Red_Ensign photo of Euphemia II at my dock in Egmont flying the Canadian Red Ensign stern flag. What…

work on Nonchalant has slowed somewhat during the holiday period…but progress nonetheless! Daryl has continued stripping, sanding and sealing. Asa has begun work on the stringers. Everyone is off this next week and back to it the first week of January. Happy Holidays to all and thanks for your work on this passion project. We…

Tim Nolan from Tim Nolan Marine Design selected the engine and is preparing all the drawings for the placement, shaft and propeller. He is having a CNC template made of the new engine to help with placement. His update… I am having a template made (CNC, 3/4″ Particle Board) of the new engine to help…

update from Daryl… It’s been a really productive week!  We got a lot of the varnish stripped, the bare wood protected and power sanded and some of it has been hand sanded, which is the final sand before sealing. We’re doing it in sections, so the goal is to get a couple sealer, protective coats…

these scans show the reshaping of the hull.

Daryl and Nic are starting to strip and sand all of the exterior cabin surfaces. A rough estimate of the time involved to strip, sand and varnish the exterior cabins is 600 hours… lots of hard work ahead.

Clint and Asa were unhappy with the oak originally sourced for planking. They ordered replacement white oak from Edensaw that arrived at the yard last week. They started milling, steaming, bending and installing new frames on Monday Nov 20. For those interested in material costs … the oak was $10.50 per board foot delivered. many…

Asa went down to the mill today to check on the cedar being cut for the planking and reports “it looks beautiful”

Scott G is a Garmin rep and up to date on the latest tech. He has designed the new electronics / navigation package for Nonchalant. NMEA 2000. AIS. GPSMAP 8616xsv Garmin GPSMAP® 8616xsv | Chartplotter and Sonar GMR Fantom 18x dome radar Garmin GMR Fantom™ 18x/24x Dome Radar | Marine GC 14 marine camera for…

Tim N. (naval architect) is recommending we repower with a Yanmar 4LV 150 with a parallel gear, ZF68 with a 2.78:1 reduction. This is a tier 3 compliant fully modernized engine. The package is available through a local dealer in Port Townsend. My local mechanic on the Sunshine Coast ( Infinity Marine Josh B) is…

Some of the interior panels, the cap rails and the butterfly hatch have been sent to the finish team – Daryl and Nic. Prep work on interior pieces continues… here are some pictures received 10/30

Prior to closing in the structure, the engine needed to be removed (required a crane). A hole was cut in the wheelhouse roof and the engine was lifted out along with the gearbox. The engine weighed approximately 2100 pounds and the gearbox another 700 pounds. A new engine will be smaller, weigh less than1000 pounds…

Port Townsend is about to get very rainy and windy. Since the framing was delayed due to material deficiencies, the shipwrights erected the structure that will allow them to work in a protected environment.

Subsequent to our October 2 meeting the shipwrights sent the interior panels, rail caps and butterfly hatch to the finishers so they could get started sanding and refinishing. Daryl D. and Nic D are the finishing team. The shipwrights began working with the oak that had been ordered from a local sawyer to mill and…

on Monday October 2 I met with Clint and Asa (shipwrights) as well as Scott G. who had joined the team as a project coordinator. Scott had Captained MV Olympus for years and is currrently the Captain of MV Blue Peter. He has extensive experience in all facets of restoration work. He will also develop…

Clint and Asa began working on Nonchalant just after the Labor Day weekend. The initial work was removing fuel tanks, and all of the interior aft of the wheelhouse, removed railings, mast etc. During this period, they also reshaped the hull which was badly “hogged” due to the instability of the hull structure and the…