The day had finally come to install Biscuit's new Spartan Marine bronze deadlights. These finally crafted deadlights, made as replacements for the original Cape Dory ones, dress up the cabin sides in a classic and "shippy" way. I spent some time between the shop and Biscuit thinking through the length of fastener and then digging through my supply of bronze machine screws. In the end, I went with #10-24 1.5" bronze machine screws, with washers and backing nuts.

I began by fitting the deadlights, aligning and tapping them off to secure their locations in the open space of the cut-out. Through the fastener holes, I pre-drilled first with an 11/64" bit, removed the deadlights, and finished with a 5/32" bit - the size bit for taping for #10-24 screws. Next, I lightly abraded the perimeter surface of the opening with sandpaper and then vacuumed up the drilling and sanding detritus. I laid out the new deadlights, wiped the surface of cabin sides with acetone, and applied Sikaflex 291-lot to the inner face ring of the deadlights. I pushed the first fastener through one of the five holes, aligned it with its corresponding hole in the cabin side and finger threaded it into position, leaving roughly an 1" of threads exposed. I repeated this process with the remains four machine screws per deadlight. Having the 5 machine screws partially threaded into position, I then pressed the deadlights firmly onto the cabin sides, seeing good squeeze out around the circumference of the deadlights. I went down below and applied additional Sikaflex to the space between the deadlight inner ring and the cabin sides' port opening. Next, I screwed the fasteners in tight, ensuring the deadlights were snugly into position and seeing good squeeze out around their circumference. Back down below, I applied a ratchet wrench to tighten the washer-backing nut combo. Finally, I cleaned up all squeeze out, completing the installations.

After the deadlights, I turned my attention to a couple deck hardware pieces - the foredeck cleat (now a bronze Herreshoff style to replace a stainless cleat), and the mast deck plate. I walked back over to the shop and collected the bronze cleat and the box of bronze fasteners. As it turns out, I was out of #12-24 bronze machine screws, so installation would have to wait; however, I was able to fabricate the cleat's backing plate - a roughly 5/8" plate I had laid up with layers of chop strand mat and polyester resin. Using the table saw, I reduced the plate to size, laid out the fastener holes, and then set the cleat and backing plate for later installation.

I then retrieved the mast deck plate, an aluminum cast, and began to clean up the piece and prep for install. I sanded the surface to remove oxidation and old adhesive, and wiped it down with acetone. Here again, my inventory of #12-24 stainless steel machine screws was limited. I had plenty of #12-24s, but was missing the lengths needed (2 one-inch screws, and 1 1.5" screw). I would swing by the local chandlery on the way home to secure the fasteners for tomorrow's installation. I got up on the deck and pre-drilled and tapped for the #12-24 screws, vacuumed up the dust and was generally prepared for the installation to come.

The last of the tasks today was to complete the bottom paint up to the boot stripe. I taped off the bottom edge of the boot stripe and abraded the surface to create a good painting surface (mechanical bond) and then wiped the surface clean with acetone. I had forgot that a recent freeze forced me to bring the paint home for climate controlled storage....the paint was back at the house. So the bottom paint completion would wait for tomorrow as well.

Total Hrs: 4.75