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You are on the right track thinking biscuits and epoxy. I had a similar issue to fix on A-231. some details are on posts 41 and 42. although i used beech biscuits with no issue, you might also want to look into making teak or fiberglass biscuits as suggested by Ebb.

http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/showthread.php?1230-A-231-Periwinkle/

good luck, it is a fun project.
bill

welcome aboard, it is good to see another Ariel come to light.

cheers,
Bill

good luck with your aluminum frames. if they don't work out, you may want to talk to Roger Winiarski at bristol bronze. I saved cash on the frames for A-231 by getting raw castings and finishing them myself. He may also be able to do them for you in aluminum.

I have no first hand experience with butyl tape but it looks like Ebb has a thread on the topic:

http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/showthread.php?2266-Butyl-Tape&highlight=portlights.

as for the small port lights, i found it was possible to replace the plexi while the frames were still in place. there is a retaining ring that is a main to remove (very small screws). on "Periwinkle", this ring failed on removal and i just glued new plexi in place and added a gasket. the small ports have been functioning and in service for 10 years in that form.

Dan

i have had luck removing just one inner frame to get access to the port light glass for a pattern. you may also want to trace the inner edge of the frame before dissassembly. you would then want to add 3/8ths or so all around. you'll likely find the lexan or plexi is easy to trim to finished size with an angle grinder or belt sander with 100 grit paper.

When you take the old frames out, you may find the toughest challenge is removing the stainless fasteners from the aluminum frame. when i first removed mine, it took some light oil and patience (and the usual boatyard vernacular for removing stuck fasteners).

cheers,
bill@ariel231

this thread may have some helpful hints from A231 Bronze portlight frame install:
 http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/showthread.php?1227-Large-Portlights/page2

as will tim lackey's glissando pages:
http://www.triton381.com/projects/restoration/portlights.html

When i restored A-231 in the late 90's i removed and replaced a significant amount of glass above and below the ballast. I also found there is a significant amount of polyester resin poured over and around the lead ballast by Pearson during the original construction. it was clear there is significantly more holding the ballast in place than just the skin of the bilge.

as for testing to destruction... thankfully i haven't seen an ariel or commander broken up but i have seen a couple tritons and an ensign broken up after hurricane damage. in all these cases, the ballast was the last piece of the boat to separate from the hull.

cheers,
Bill@ariel231

carbonsoup

i have had luck with making my own molds for a couple projects and have talked to a couple southern new england foundries (bristol bronze and mystic river foundry). small business like these are easy to work with. a lot of these smaller shops can cast you new parts using the old parts as the model.  after the castings for my new bronze portlights were poured, i gave my molds to roger at bristol bronze.

if you have enough of the original left, take it with you to talk with your local foundry. you may find like i did that a wood mold or the original part(s) screwed to a backing board is all they need to make you a copy in bronze or aluminum.

cheers,
bill@ariel231


ps. here are some examples of how the folks at mystic river use a legacy part for a pattern:   http://mysticriverfoundry.com/marine2-05.html

that is a nice group of images. i actually have an easier time visualizing the spaces in 3 views vice isometric (but that is just an old school thought). so a couple questions. where will the forward edge of the aft galley counter space land relative to the port lights? also a question on the starboard quarter berth.. is there room to squeeze back into these spaces?

the curved panels look very cool. if you have time to mock up any of this full scale in cardboard it is good insurance that you will love the result in plywood.

like the others on the thread, 'can't wait to see the tools come out and the changes begin.

cheers,
bill@ariel231

yikes! the glassed over seacock is one thing, that wood plug to the outside world is a bigger problem. A previous owner did the same to the shaft log on my boat

luckily, an angle grinder and 18 grit paper will make short work of both in preparation for new fiberglass.

by the way, the boat i race with has both KiwiDeck amidships  and InterDeck in the cockpit and forward. it is a toss up among the crew as to the preferred surface. The foredeck crew and i like interdeck. the folks on the after guard like kiwideck. the best recommendation i can make is find an example of both in your marina on a wet day and see what you think.

congratulations! A-417 looks like a great project.

if you want to paint the decks, you might try a product like interdeck. i used it on A-231. you will want to budget for 2 quarts for the whole deck and coach roof. Prep for the deck should include rebedding all the hardware if it hasn't been done for a decade or two. if you suffer no leaks today, just mask off the hardware and roll on the new deck finish. it is an easy two day job. two quarts plus sundries should be under $120 for the works.

if you want to tackle topside paint, it does pay to spend a lot of time on preparation. i have done A-231 twice since 1995 with both two part and single part polyurethanes using roll and tip method. roll and tip is fast and pretty good, especially when buffed out, but there is nothing like the finish you will get from a professional spray job applied indoors with good temp and humidity control. that said, you can get close as an amateur with a week of prep time and three to four quarts of paint if the weather cooperates.

cheers,
Bill@ariel231

now like most of the mid atlantic thru southern new england Periwinkle is tucked away while "Sandy" passes by.

Good Luck folks.

Another season in the books. We got one more sail in saturday before the arrival of "Sandy"

westwind,

welcome aboard... looking forward to pictures!

cheers,
bill@ariel231

you can also try new portlights in bronze...

http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/showthread.php?1227-Large-Portlights

searching for parts is half the fun of restoration.

a couple of foundries in the new england area can make new parts in aluminum or bronze using your original as patterns. you may also find local suppliers that can do the same.

http://www.mysticriverfoundry.com/marine2-05.html

cheers,
bill@ariel231

Megan and Adam,

Welcome aboard... the good news is she is all there. I can tell you folks are going to enjoy putting her back in business.

...as for the laminate interior, once we made new cushions for the interior and had all the paint and varnish work below finished, the early '60s interior kind of grew on Alyce and I.



cheers,
bill@ariel231

P.S. don't skimp on hearing protection and a good dust mask. it will be loud and dusty working the interior even with a vacuum cleaner connected to the sander.