[Public-list] Halyard Sheaves and Rope Halyard Question

[Don Campbell]

    Having an inspection plate in the cockpit floor hardly gets to the
motor, particularly if the gas tank is under there too, since the motor
after end is forward of the bridge deck aft face within the cockpit. On
the later models, the binnacle ring is set in the floor and all it
allows is to see the gas guage in the tank. It would not b big enough to
get two hands or arms in to tighten the stuffing box nut for instance. I
have rebuilt the cockpit floor in my boat and there was really no
support for the floor,  as it was constructed as a hanging parapet  from
the sides of the cockpit. This motor is not that difficult to pull and
replace if you have a lifting device as simple as a come-along and a
skyhook to lift from. It is about a 4 hour job to remove and replace the
engine using simple lifting gear and much,  much easier to work on after
that. (1.5 hours out and 2.5 hours back in and aligned)
    I would recommend against compromising any of the watertightness of
the cockpit as designed because the Alberg 30, with ease,  is capable of
some really good but wet sailing in winds over 20 knots and more. Bob
Crinion tell me that off Halifax, they often take Albergs out starting
in 25 knot winds and one can only think the wind  will build from there.
I brought our boat home last weekend across Lake Ontario with over 20
knots of wind - a wet trip too,  but it was fun and fast. The other
comment I would make is that I don't think  you would want to compromise
the cockpit to deck integrity either. The balsa cored decks are not as
good as they might be for strength and any weakness in the cockpit might
make the deck worse.
    The trouble with a Contessa 26 is that the configuration of the
hatch and companionway does not allow for easy removal of anything,
motor and people included.  I presume that was for added safety of
watertightness on the North Sea.
Don # 528

John Flanders wrote:

> Given the difficulty of accessing the engine in the Alberg 30, has
> anyone installed access panels in the cockpit floor.
> This is a feature of the Contessa 26. See http://www.btri.com/boat/
> index.html
> Would installing such an access panel have any structural
> implicarions for the A30?
> John
> #624
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