Karelia Restoration

Restoring the vessel "Aquarius" and renaming her "Karelia"
  • This is what the bilge looked like with the engine removed. What a mess! There was rotting wood every place, oil, water and fuel soaked everything. The bilge water was too disgusting to describe.
  • Another look at the bilge.
  • Just to let you know how I felt about this, here is another photo.
  • Just to be sure. Bear in mind that this is just the engine compartment. The bilge extends the entire length of the boat. All of the floorboards had to be lifted out to provide access for the multiple power-washes that were applied.
  • Here the restoration has begun. All the fiberglass has been cleaned and wiped down with kerosene. New paint is in progress.
  • Here the painting is finished and new wood framing has replaced all the rotted parts. Nice.
  • Looking up at the ceiling of the engine compartment. The cockpit drains had been clogged so standing water seeped through the binnacle base into the wood below the cockpit causing extensive rot. Here new laminations of plywood are fitted to match the arched fiberglass ceiling. Homemade wing nuts on the cockpit sole mounting bolts and a post from below provided pressure to maintain the curve while the epoxy glue sets.
  • The engine ran on only three cylinders so I decided to have it overhauled, work done at a local Perkins shop. Here the engine hangs from the ceiling of the garage at home.
  • One of the crew at Barker's hoisted the engine aboard Karelia with this rig.
  • Here the engine is being set down in the cockpit. The gantry I built to lift the engine out was used to lower the engine into the main salon. From there the gantry was repositioned to transport the engine to a position next to the engine compartment.
  • This is the gantry still in place after lowering the engine through the companion way into the boat. A boat trailer winch mounted on a sliding bracket was used to lift the engine and to lower it back into the boat through the entry hatch.
  • The engine normally would be hoisted directly up after removing the cockpit sole but ceramic tile precluded removing cabinetry to access the cockpit sole mounting bolts. The engine was stripped of all accessories to allow it to be passed through the narrow passageway.
  • John Huber and I are installing the engine accessories---the bell-housing, oil drain pump, fuel filters and such.
  • All the accessories, including the bellhousing and transmission have been installed. Isn't it beautiful?
  • A view of the engine from behind.
  • John Huber ready to guide the engine into the engine compartment. The gantry has been repositioned to allow the engine to be rolled into place and lowered onto the engine mounts.
  • The engine is being nudged over into the engine compartment.
  • The engine has been lowered onto place. The lifting bar and cable are still in place.
  • A view of the access to the front of the engine.
  • The base of the binnacle was not flat or square so I filled the wavy base flange with Bondo and used a router and the guide shown to grind it flat and square.
  • This photo shows the section of three inch PVC pipe that was used to center the guide on the column. The slots cut in the side of the tube were necessary to accommodate wire and cable guides that are welded to the inside wall of the column.
  • Here is how the router was set up on the guide. The router could slide across the base flange while the slotted guide could be rotated about the center of the column.
  • Here is the binnacle showing the before and after the polishing of the end bells.
  • This picture of the propeller shaft housing is symbolic of the time that passed while Karelia was being restored.
  • Here Karelia is in the shop at Barker's Island Marina having her topsides refinished with Awlgrip. Afterwards I refinished the hull below the waterline with Interlux fiberglass sealer and anit-fouling paint.
  • Here Karelia is out of the shop and has had her name applied and the hull completly refinished. Beautiful. Click here to go back to the Karelia home page for photos of sailing and touring on Karelia.