Gulf Coast 18 Fiberglass Repair and Other Refitt Tasks

[M.B. Naegle]

OK, here's the last of the misc. fiberglass I wanted to finish before closing up the Transom. The old port is covered, the loose floatation foam is glued back in place, the two pick-ax holes in the bottom stern are patched, and the tail ends of the stringers are sealed. Still need some additional fairing on the outside surfaces, but that can happen before paint.



The transom is in!... still needs lots of work, but the wood is there. I used some loc-tite marine adhesive/sealant to "glue" the wood in place and act as a filler for any surface between the wood and the fiberglass that wasn't accessible. It's not structural, and the actual strength will come from the fiberglass that fills in the inner corner and makes up the new outer skin. In retrospect after seeing more transom repairs online, I could have saved the old outer skin, but laying new glass and resin has proved to be much easier than I expected. I think most of it will go in via vertical strips, rather than wrestling with big wet sheets.

[M.B. Naegle]

(Not sure why these pics are posting upside down)

So the next step will be getting the inside corners glassed, but after that I plan to push some wedges between the back of the cockpit and the transom so that I can push in some putty to reinforce it and fill the void. In some spots the two surfaces touch and others have about a 1/4" gap. I wanted to do this when putting the wood in, but there wasn't enough room to slide the transom in from above and keep the putty from squishing out, so I'll do it with the transom in place.

I'm still thinking about the best was to handle the cockpit and bilge drain holes, but I think the best way will be to drill them oversized and make fiberglass pipes through the wood that I can then drill to size. The bilge drain had a plastic flange with threaded plug, while the cockpit had smooth glass holes that could be left open since they're above the waterline, or plugged with rubber plugs.

Speaking of waterline's, that's something else I'm reading about in the paint department. It doesn't look like this boat ever had one, but I think it would look nice and enable me to only put bottom coat on the bottom of the boat. I'm thinking I'll transcribe the fore and aft deck-to-waterline dimensions from the old sales brochure drawing, and that will give me enough information to connect the dots, but still learning about it.

[Phantom Jim]

Miles, contact me on email, jbshell@flash.net . I am fairly close to your location and have several "lost cause" sailboat repairs in my history. I may be able to help you some with some techniques and find some items that might be puzzling you.

Jim

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by M.B. Naegle

...So the next step will be getting the inside corners glassed, but after that I plan to push some wedges between the back of the cockpit and the transom so that I can push in some putty to reinforce it and fill the void.

Sorry - "putty"? What kind of putty?

[M.B. Naegle]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Sorry - "putty"? What kind of putty?

Fiberglass reinforced polyester putty. The stuff that's like fiberglass bondo. That and typical fiberglass cloth and resin are my primary materials so far, with the exception of using the loc-tite adhesive to get the wood in place.

[M.B. Naegle]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=L48Y7_T4H_0&feature=share

https://youtube.com/watch?v=fRIUujxbtwA&feature=share

Here's a couple older videos I just put up on YouTube. I'll do another soon with the more current progress. Sorry in advance that my video editing skills aren't that great, so I tend to show what's done and talk about what I plan to do. Not much action.

[M.B. Naegle]

Here's the most recent video.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=5gasCWM8J-Q&feature=share

And here's more putty and glass as of today.



I removed the temporary screws on the port side and have about 90% of the putty done along that bottom seam, and over that about half of the fiberglass is in. I also got the holes drilled for the three drains so I can get those puttied up and start getting the putty in between the transom and the cockpit, working from bottom to top.

One more musing. Even with the big access holes I'm adding to the back of the boat there's still an area in the middle that's really hard to reach to bolt in hardware, so I'm thinking about reusing the round access ports that used to be in the back of the boat. Since these screw out easier, they'd be good to open for ventilation as well, but can be closed tight when the boat is healing over.

[M.B. Naegle]

Been getting some epoxy brushed onto a few of the wood-grained pieces. The rudder cheeks got about three coats each side with some light sanding between, just enough to smooth any lumps and dust specks. They aren't perfect, but should last awhile. Once they've cured, I'll assemble them with a little sealant around the fasteners and it'll be ready to go back on the boat.

The housetop handles are filling in well with the epoxy. One had a couple cracks that the epoxy is closing in well (note clamp in picture).

[Mickeyrouse]

I want to caution you about breathing epoxy sanding dust. It can do a number on you. Use the best OSHA approved mask you can find,

[M.B. Naegle]

Haven't posted much, but have been making some progress. Biggest thing is that I got my bonded title and registration sorted out, so the boat is legal now.

I've been getting the top side cleaned and sanded preping for epoxy primer. Did the first batch of primer and it did a great job sealing up the rough sun damage and fine cracks (bigger cracks getting beveled and puttied or glassed). Since it's a two part epoxy, I'm trying to get as many repairs done as I can before mixing another batch so it dosn't go to waste. I've got some white and tan top coat paint that will go on after the primer.


I had found out that the original bulkhead compass couldn't be repaired due to the damage to the plastic and rubber elements, so I bought a Ritchie compass and got it fitted so it's ready to install after the paint is on. I'm bolting the electrical box directly behind it to hide screws and wires, and most of the electrical is gathered and mocked up, waiting for paint to be done including a battery and battery box that will sit down by the keel.

The transom exterior now has three layers of fiberglass in place that fit around and over the lip I left on the back. The next layers will bend around the corners so the new glass overlaps the old by 4 to 6". The inside corners still need a little putty and glass, but I'm using the little scraps left over from the bigger outside sheets to lay into the inside corners.

Most everything I've been doing by hand or with cordless power tools (right angle grinder mostly), as the boat is about 200ft. from the nearest outlet, but I recently got an extra long extension cord so I'll be able to go at it with our belt sanders, which will do a better job at fairing the final layers of glass.

Putty, glass, paint, repeat.... it feels like it's halfway done at least.

[Lake-Effect]

Good progress. Have a launch date in mind yet?

[M.B. Naegle]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Good progress. Have a launch date in mind yet?

Not yet. I still need to find a genoa, but I suppose I could take it out with just the main sail. Also need some more rigging, but I should have it together by the time the paint is dry.

I'd like to have the boat 100% before it's in the water, but the sooner I can check it for leaks, the better, so getting the interior lockers squared away should be low on my priority list. Same with replacing the companionway boards and top, though I would like to get them in place to keep rain water out of the boat. I want to get the basic electrical in place, mainly the running lights, as it would be easier to get all the wires in place before all the deck holes are sealed up.

Along those same lines, I've been thinking it would be handy to add stainless tubing bow and stern pulpits, while it's easy to put through bolts into the deck, but better to wait and get some practice with it in the water.

[M.B. Naegle]

4th layer of glass. More sanding to follow.

Another thought. In my previous posts and videos, I noted that I wanted to change the locker layout to better use space, but I think I figured out why they are shaped like they are. I found one of the old sales brochures online listed an option for a small chemical head included with the boat. The starboard lockers shape I think was meant to allow you to keep the head there, sit and do your business in privacy, and close it up when you're done. While it needs some work, I think I'm going to keep that layout rather than making it more symmetrical general storage. The other two lockers I might still make some changes to. At the very least I'll rebuild them as they were, but add drains to the bottom so they don't trap water and rot out again.

The idea of sleeping with my head just above a porta-potty during the overnight cruises deserves some consideration, but I'm sure most of that will come down to bathroom etiquette and cleanliness. I'm probably going to start with a basic bucket kit like Duckworks sells. I'm also going to look into making some kind of bug screen and privacy curtain for the companionway, and the hard top and planks will only come out in rough weather or to lock up the boat.

[wyb2]

Originally Posted by M.B. Naegle

Not yet. I still need to find a genoa, but I suppose I could take it out with just the main sail. Also need some more rigging, but I should have it together by the time the paint is dry.

I'd like to have the boat 100% before it's in the water, but the sooner I can check it for leaks, the better, so getting the interior lockers squared away should be low on my priority list. Same with replacing the companionway boards and top, though I would like to get them in place to keep rain water out of the boat. I want to get the basic electrical in place, mainly the running lights, as it would be easier to get all the wires in place before all the deck holes are sealed up.

Along those same lines, I've been thinking it would be handy to add stainless tubing bow and stern pulpits, while it's easy to put through bolts into the deck, but better to wait and get some practice with it in the water.

A stern rail (pushpit I think) you may find very useful as simply something to lean against or grab onto while sailing. A bow rail/pulpit is probably more optional.

Though my mast attaches to the pulpit for trailering, not sure if you have something else figured out for that.

[wyb2]

Originally Posted by M.B. Naegle

Attachment 277186
4th layer of glass. More sanding to follow.

Another thought. In my previous posts and videos, I noted that I wanted to change the locker layout to better use space, but I think I figured out why they are shaped like they are. I found one of the old sales brochures online listed an option for a small chemical head included with the boat. The starboard lockers shape I think was meant to allow you to keep the head there, sit and do your business in privacy, and close it up when you're done. While it needs some work, I think I'm going to keep that layout rather than making it more symmetrical general storage. The other two lockers I might still make some changes to. At the very least I'll rebuild them as they were, but add drains to the bottom so they don't trap water and rot out again.

The idea of sleeping with my head just above a porta-potty during the overnight cruises deserves some consideration, but I'm sure most of that will come down to bathroom etiquette and cleanliness. I'm probably going to start with a basic bucket kit like Duckworks sells. I'm also going to look into making some kind of bug screen and privacy curtain for the companionway, and the hard top and planks will only come out in rough weather or to lock up the boat.

I tossed the old porta potty that came with my boat and built a DIY desiccating head using a urine separating seat and a 3 gallon bucket. I’ve tested it in the driveway and it worked great (no noticeable smell an hour later on a warm day). I’m hoping it will be good for a family of 3 for 3-4 days, but I’m still proving that out (like right now, on the water as I type this).

At 18 ft you might find that takes up too much space (I’m at 25). At it roots though, it’s just a bucket with some medium (saw dust, wood shavings, coconut coir) that never sees any urine. That duckworks system seems to be a 3 gallon bucket with some handy accessories. As long as you find another place for urine, I don’t see why you couldn’t add some medium and have a potentially smell-free solution.