From October 2002 through April 2003, Express 37 Hull #20 went through a rather major refit.  Here are some of the items:

Hull #20 - still in Chicago as "Blues Breaker"
During survey, things looked OK, except for high moisture readings over the lowest part of the underwater surface.  3 core samples indicated no water intrusion into the balsa core.

After getting the boat to California, very slight blistering was found over the entire underwater surface, leading to peeling the gelcoat and coating with an epoxy moisture barrier.
Peeled and set out to dry.
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 Other bottom work included
  • fairing around the prop strut
  • repairing some indentations from improper dry storage in Chicago
  • minor fairing at the bottom of the keel
  • rebedding speed & depth transducers to eliminate possibility of water intrusion
In addition, there were two areas of rotten core in the deck: aft runner turning block and around one chainplate.  Here is the aft area with the core cut out waiting replacement.

Core rot is for real--the removed core was completely eaten away.  Seal all deck hardware religiously!
The shower sump was cracked and needed re-glassing--nothing serious.
The tiller shows mild rot through the varnish.  Some heavy grinding was necessary to get through all of it, followed by 7 or so coats of varnish.
The bullet hole!  This sloppy repair actually concealed a .45 caliber slug that had apparently fallen on the boat (and ultimately led to the new name).
The deck layout was completely reworked.  Here's the 'before' layout--Express 37 original with no self-tailing winches:
  • 5 cabin top winches--one for each halyard with horn cleats, and one for the topping lift/outhaul/reef.
  • line clutches on hood barely worked.
  • adjustable jib leads missing hardware
  • hydraulic boom vang and backstay

 
Deck relayout in progress:
  • 2 self-tailing cabin top winches for halyards and spinnaker trim
  • multi-purchase boom vang (instead of hydraulic)
  • Note the old-style main with fine tune.  With this system, the fine tune and mainsheet get snarled up with each other and is a safety concern if you need to dump the main to bear away.  Rerigged with the fine tune on the boom.

 
Deck relayout complete:
  • two self-tailing Lewmar 44 winches for halyards, reeflines, spinnaker trim (lead from rail), and any of the other lines that needs to be put on a winch.
  • Beefy spinlock XX line clutches for the halyards.  These are worth the $$!
  • Fredrickson swivel cleats for:  boom vang - one on each side, mounted forward so everyone can reach, from the rail or from the cockpit, and also for the topping lift & outhaul (on the spray hood)
  • Spinlock XL clutches for the reef lines.  Right now the cunningham is led there for convenience.
  • Foreguy on risers and forward so either console or people in the cockpit or on the rail can reach.
  • crossover block on sprayhood, so any of those lines can be led to a winch.

This layout is proving to be very friendly - for fully crewed racing, or for shorter-handed endeavors.  We have to be careful with the big winches not to put too much torque on the halyards, as their turning blocks are a bit weak at the mast.
 

 

 
Another angle.  The Ockam instruments compliment the excellent deck layout.  Note that the adjustable genoa leads have been "neutered" for class racing by simply tying them to a pin-stop car in the jib track with a kevlar cord.

Juneau is helping by guarding the front hatch.
The deck layout in action on a cruise (with the asymetrical kite up).  Note that the spin sheets are easily trimmed by someone sitting forward (the original layout had them going to the aft cockpit winches and then crossing the entire cockpit).  All the lines can neatly get dropped down the main hatch rather than leading off the back of the cabin top (where they would get nastily snarled in the main & traveler).   The topping lift and foreguys are "stowed" in this picture since we had the asym up (no pole), but the vang is easily accessible to everyone...
A shot of the mainsheet system.  Fine tune is reversed and mounted on the boom.  No tangling, easier to work with, no problem cleating and uncleating, and increases the purchase from 6/24-1 to 7/28-1.  Just have to remember to blow the fine tune before the mainsheet when traveling out for downwind (or the fine tune dangles in the water).

 
Headsail sheaves were all wrong: jib is too large (pinching halyard on forestay pin), spin sheaves were too narrow causing them to jump the sheave and jam.  A panic call to Buzz Ballenger got me fixed up right.
Head plumbing done wrong:  No anti-siphon loops in the intake or output of the head threaten to sink the boat or fill it with gunk.  This still needs attention.
Interior was overall in good shape.  The barrel bolts holding the stairs and table needed replacement, both opening windows were rebedded, original nav table replaced (there was a second one cut out for laptop installed), floorboards reinstalled after fixing lots of stripped screw holes, and other minor items.

Still need to work on the lights and the electrical rats nest (need picture of this!)
Prop shaft shortened, and strut reinforced and faired in
Above: the bottom after all the work with white Trilux antifouling paint New carbon-fiber Schumaker-designed rudder makes all the difference in the world!