Nauticat 52 Refit

[minaret]

Once the highs are out and it rough faired as close as you can get with machine tools, it gets finished with the big boards, flexi and stiffie, by hand. Knowing when to stop machine sanding is key. You can screw it up that way.

[minaret]

Ooh, nice.

[minaret]

So nice.

[minaret]

It's dead fair.

[minaret]

See? No gap.

[minaret]

Dead fair in this plane too.

[minaret]

Secret weapon not yet depicted. Ill have to leave you hanging on that one...

[Richard5]

Mineret, while viewing the pics I was thinking you might want to stand back to give the viewing audience a broader perspective of just what is being pictured. That is, not every pic needs to be a close-up. Perhaps an alternate between close-ups and "big picture" pictures. I'm thinking not everyone readily understands what they are viewing. After all, didn't you say you want to encourage others? One way is a more illustrative guide...to let the pictures speak for themselves. Pan out for the big picture, friend.

It's great to see how your labor has paid off in the fairing. How many man hours did that take to fair? Only on smaller hulls have I used any sort of air powered tools. I imagine the work went quick.

As for you saying the trick is knowing when to know to lay off the air tools, it's not as hard as some might think. When it's you sighting down your work, seeing the lines, it is easier than what might think. Using a rougher grit to lightly "scratch out" the high spots is faster, cheaper than using that paint-like substance which shows the highs. (I forget the name of the stuff.)

[Richard5]

Originally Posted by minaret

Dead fair in this plane too.

A thing of beauty. Perfection. Such result makes it all worthwhile and you sleep well satisfied knowing all is well.

[Richard5]

Originally Posted by minaret

See? No gap.

Here is the proof in the pudding. That dead rise should be razor sharp.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Richard5

Mineret, while viewing the pics I was thinking you might want to stand back to give the viewing audience a broader perspective of just what is being pictured. That is, not every pic needs to be a close-up. Perhaps an alternate between close-ups and "big picture" pictures. I'm thinking not everyone readily understands what they are viewing. After all, didn't you say you want to encourage others? One way is a more illustrative guide...to let the pictures speak for themselves. Pan out for the big picture, friend.

It's great to see how your labor has paid off in the fairing. How many man hours did that take to fair? Only on smaller hulls have I used any sort of air powered tools. I imagine the work went quick.

As for you saying the trick is knowing when to know to lay off the air tools, it's not as hard as some might think. When it's you sighting down your work, seeing the lines, it is easier than what might think. Using a rougher grit to lightly "scratch out" the high spots is faster, cheaper than using that paint-like substance which shows the highs. (I forget the name of the stuff.)

There's not really enough room inside the tent to pan out. I can only get a couple of feet away from the hull before I'm in the plastic. I'd say I got about 130-140 hours in two weeks on that bottom. Lots more if you include the man hours that went into the slick. Big boats ain't cheap.

[bobconnie]

Theres seems to be a trend that go's "the bigger the boat the bigger the wallet needs to be" or at least it go's that way for me !! LOL If I had to hire my work out I would probaly have a 20 ftr LOL

[DSDman]

A twenty foot wallet would be hard to keep in your pocket! But that seems about right as far as wallet size goes, even though I am doing most of the work.

[minaret]

Lol! Yep, a twenty footer sounds about right...

[NahanniV]

Originally Posted by minaret

Yes, blockspots and jackstands are done in a second phase. Often, as in this case, the boat will have to hang in the slings over a weekend at splash to finish the bottom of the keel. We stagger the barrier coat and stay back a foot or so with the bottom paint for less sanding and fairing.

If you are building a shed, why not build some legs for the boat so you can remove the cradle pads or jack stands ?

This is what I have done. The boat has a slight lean against a big 8"*8" post, chain-plates are also connected to a cross beam with shackles and lashings.

Would have preferred to leave the pads in place, but there was not enough space for a roller, so I removed them. No one was allowed on the boat while the pads are out. They are replaced loosely as soon as painting is finished, till things are dry, then snugged up.

I'm no where near the perfectionist you are, but I do hate to see those square patches that always seem to appear.

I know this is probably against some safety rule or law or something; But there are crazier people than me: Once I had a boatyard neighbor who welded up a huge high cradle like contraption that lifted his 35' boat by 6 points on his aluminum toe rail so that he could sand and paint everything including the bottom of the keel

Cheers,
JM.