Rhodes Kingfisher - dolly and assembly

After flipping it over after the paint dried for a few days, I installed the rudder gudgeon mount permanently.  I used stainless steel 1/4"x20 bolts with nylock nuts and washers - all left over from another project.  Each was sealed with butyl tape.  Using 8 bolts is probably overkill but it sure beats the rotted piece of wood that was there when I picked up the boat.

I also removed and reinstalled the cleats for the jib sheets, backing them with 1/2" starboard plates - also overkill but that's how I roll.

Finally I replaced the two pad eyes on the top of the transom where the traveller will connect.  (See a future post on rigging).

The rudder mounted right up and looks great.  I did drill a hole in the bottom pintle, and have a cotter pin attached with a cable as a safety measure so I don't lose this rudder, which is pretty-much irreplaceable.  

I reinstalled a new bow eye - and spliced a nice painter from what I think is an old luff rope from a donated sail for my sail bag projects.  

The dolly was made from a kayak dolly, along with some PVC pipe, scraps of wood and Azec, and the rollers I scavanged from the scrap trailer.  I found the rubber bow piece at Bass Pro Shops.  The dolly works great to move the boat around...  but, I'm not happy with it.  When I pull the boat on the dolly up on my utility trailer, it sits very high and transport will be a pain.  I think I'll revert to a small boat trailer.  One of my fellow Massabesic Yacht Club sailors may have a small trailer to sell me.  That will be my preferred method.

She's looking good.  I love the blue color and it reminds me of one of my first sailboats - a 1968 O'Day Mariner with the same colors.  I can see the resemblance - of course both were designed by Phillip Rhodes :-)

Next year, I may repair some cracks in the blue and repaint the entire top of the boat, along with doing the bilge in gray bilge paint.