Sam Holmes Sailing · video

What this video covers

Sam Holmes drills a new through-hull fitting for two air conditioners and an anchor washdown pump while hauled out in a boatyard in Thailand.▶ 7:20 He accidentally drills into a lightning ground — the one structural element he could not hit — then fills the misplaced hole with epoxy, shifts position, and drills a second, correct hole.▶ 9:01 The core balsa around the new hole is dug out and filled with epoxy before the fitting is installed.▶ 10:32 The through-hull hardware, roughly $500 worth of Marlon (Maralon by Force Bar) nylon fittings chosen over bronze, includes a speed scoop for the AC intake.▶ 8:04 Separately, a cracked custom hatch is rebuilt: rusted dogs are cleaned with Cerakote, acrylic is routed and reglazed with primer and Sikaflex, and tinted glass is fitted.▶ 0:00 Soft spots on companionway steps — balsa core crushed to cardboard — are cut out, filled with filler, and grip tape is planned.▶ 13:51 A replacement eWinter gearbox arrives without customs problems.▶ 14:51 Persistent heavy rain overwhelms multiple cabin windows, saturating both mattresses and starting mold growth within two days.▶ 15:25 Drilling a through-hull near a lightning ground requires confirming the ground's exact position on the interior before cutting.

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