Getting Dirty - Haulout

[Ex-Calif]

Sunday I was on my own as the crew was off taking care of families and religions.

I decided to put the epoxy out of my mind and do so sanding.

The deck is discolored but other than some detail work the foredeck is getting pretty close to where I want it. I had not planned to prime, there is a really good prime coat under there but in certain areas I had to sand pretty aggressively and will need to touch up prime.

It is apparent the last paint job was a roll and tip as well. There are areas where there are numerous air bubbles caught in the old coating. I am taking these down smooth. I think the paint wasn't thinned properly.

Happy to say areas that I painted (bow repair and cockpit) are solid.

Here are some photos. I haven't washed the deck yet. Probably about 50% done on paint prep. I should get about 4-6 hours in after work this week and start on the cockpit next.

[Ex-Calif]

We have been getting work done, mostly boring sanding. Just haven't got a lot of photos. About 70% done with sanding. The bilge repairs (failed epoxy) is all sorted. It took a week but the epoxy did set. I tapped it and drilled it and it is solid. If it was structural I might reconsider but this is a pretty cosmetic area.

Picked up the rudder gear from the machinist.

Photo 1 - Before shot of upper bearing.
Photo 2 - Made and welded on a new bearing support with bigger wall thickness and pressed in a thicker bushing. Also made up a new shoulder bolt nut and custom washer (needs a flat on one side) - clearly the centerline has moved a bit but we'll check the fitup tomorrow
Photo 3 - Lower pin. For some reason I don't have a shot of the lower bushing - hmmm...
Photo 4 - Never mind. Pressed in a new lower bushing

Will have a few volunteers this weekend so one guy will seal repair the rudder, clean it up and reinstall all the gear - rudder sorted...

[Ex-Calif]

Still tedious at this point but making progress. I call this the destruction phase - take everything apart and sand and polish. Soon we will be in the construction phase...

Had help today so things were on a parallel path, divide and conquer - Rudder work, sanding and stainless polishing.

Rudder Update

Paint hides all kinds of evil. I first sanded the bottom clear and found several past holes that were drilled to drain water. I decided to grind this down an lay a strip of new glass.

The body had all kinds of pox. Strange little areas that I sanded and a crack would appear - looks like old repairs. I still decided not to do a full rudder overhaul. I ground these out and feathered them and only one had some water behind it. Most of these areas only had some filler in them and based on the colors I went through some were pretty old repairs. I decided to spot these areas with glass also.

Next haul out I am going to remove the skin and really see what's in there but this should be good for a couple of years (I hope) - better is the enemy of good.

Photo 1 - Poxy old repairs
Photo 2 - Old drill holes
Photo 3 - Bottom glass patch
Photo 4 - Poxy area patches
Photo 5 - Tiger George doing his usual day of stainless polishing

[Ex-Calif]

Deck & Sanding Update

Not much to really report here other than we are close...

Doug put in a full day in the cockpit and tomorrow I will finish the hatch covers a couple of the non-skid areas and the rudder sanding. Then we should be ready for final prep to paint.

Photo 1 - Starboard side aft
Photo 2 - Starboard side forward
Photo 3 - Port side forward
Photo 4 - Port side aft
Photo 5 - Doug is getting serious about it early in the day

[Ex-Calif]

More cockpit photos

Photo 1 - Cockpit port forward
Photo 2 - Cockpit port aft
Photo 3 - 5 hours of sanding will give you raccoon face
Photo 4 - I get to supervise!
Photo 5 - Rehydration is so important at the end of the work day

[Capn Morgan]

Hi Dan

Do you have some sort of schedule when you plan to launch? I might be around the weekend of the 13th if help is needed.

[Ex-Calif]

13th of what year - LOL...

Actually my target is week of the October 28 - still lots to do...

[Capn Morgan]

Sorry, a bit cryptic. I only have a few days in October and may be able to come around the weekend of the 13th. If anything, for the beers at the end! Relax Lah is in SAF now, right?

[Ex-Calif]

Sure drop on by. I don't have any absences planned for weekend days. This coming weekend I plan start the woodworking phase.

- Wood rails in the lockers for mounting wire runs and some positive and negative buses for the electrical system cleanup.
- New cockipt to deck steps
- Companionway trim
- Bilge floor
- Autopilot block
- Engine cover repair or rebuild

A bit optimistic but I hope to get away and get started on Friday. My optimistic goal is to get the lockers and bilge painted this weekend.

I hope weekend of the 6th is painting day or maybe slip to the 13th. I need at least 2 days for antifoul and probably 4-5 days for reassembly. Time is starting to get short...

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Capn Morgan

Sorry, a bit cryptic. I only have a few days in October and may be able to come around the weekend of the 13th. If anything, for the beers at the end! Relax Lah is in SAF now, right?

Ooops - We are on the hard at Changi Sailing Club not SAF. Head down the boardwalk and you can't miss the boatyard.

[Capn Morgan]

We are on the hard at Changi Sailing Club not SAF.

Ok lah!

[Ex-Calif]

How to save $800 in 5 hours

Probably the worst job ever is sanding the anti fouling. On my 26 foot boat it is worth $400 to let someone else do it. I got quoted around $800 so we decided to do it ourselves.

Not a job I want to do more than once every couple of lifetimes...

The good news is all the heavy lifting should be done now and we are in rebuild mode. The lockers and bilges have one coat of new white bilge paint, coat 2 goes on today. A few spots to fill and fair and some touch up priming to do and we are ready for paint next weekend.

We will also experiment with the Toplac today on the locker lids and see how this anti skid is going to lay on.

The more fun stuff is beginning - Yay!

Picture 1 - Step one was using scrapers to remove the barnacle heads - this makes the sanding go so much quicker and took about 1 1/2 hours.
Picture 2 - George declared a Jihad against teh boat and dressed appropriately.
Picture 3 - Where are the Blue Man Crew auditions? Hot tip - next time let George do the downwind side - On the plus side I had so much anti-fouling on me my case of crabs is totally cured...
Picture 4 - 80 grit dry. Wet sanding was an option but we decided to go dry. It cut like butter. My side about half done
Picture 5 - Real men shave with 80 grit. Although I may consider a 220 for a first date...

[Ex-Calif]

Bilge Done

Well... almost. A third coat of bilge paint around the engine bed and and a new floor and we'll be there...

Photo 1 - Where we started - Bilge B4
Photo 2 - The damage we uncovered inside the bilge
Photo 3 - Repairing the damage
Photo 4 - Bilge After
Photo 5 - Engine bed after - the engine brackets need paint and I will put a 3rd coat in this area.

[Ex-Calif]

Port Locker Done

This is the damage that started the whole bilge rebuild sub-project during this haulout. In hindsight I'm glad we re-glassed the bilge and locker.

I am looking forward to seeing how well this Danboline Bilge Paint holds up.

Photo 1 - Port locker repair
Photo 2 - Port locker repair
Photo 3 - Port locker - after looking forward
Photo 4 - Port locker - after close up

[Ex-Calif]

Anchor Locker and Aft Locker Done

To complete the series here are some shots of the anchor locker and aft locker. That's 3 lockers and a bilge and it took about 2 liters to get 2 solid coats on. With teh 1/2 liter left I plan to paint the new floor and add a 3rd coat at the forward end of the engine bay.

Photo 1 - Aft locker
Photo 2 - Aft locker port side
Photo 3 - Anchor locker before
Photo 4 - Anchor locker after