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C.E. Grundler · 18-04-2011, 06:20

Greetings everyone!

As I launch into the next round of projects aboard Annabel Lee, my 32’ Cheoy Lee, Google led me to this group. And while you may note that my vessel currently lacks spars and rigging, (that’s a few projects down the list and will serve primarily as steadying,) I am a sailor at heart – it’s just that the husband isn’t. I’ve singlehanded on a gaff-rigged catboat for years but once he began to talk of cruising together a compromise was in order; thus this trawler. However, by her hull and construction you can tell Cheoy Lee was more familiar with building sail than powerboats, which, along with her full-displacement speed, 4 cylinder Lehman and 1 gallon-per-hour economy (and we’re converting her to biodiesel) was why we chose this boat.

As for me, boats have been a constant for as long as I can remember. I’ve worked in a boatyard, in commercial marine transportation, and done several restorations over the years as well as having several how-to articles published in various boating magazines. And yes, this boat is supplying me with plenty of writing material, as is to be expected with a boat of this age. J Currently my husband and I are replacing the saturated teak coring in the delaminated bridge deck/salon overhead, and though I’ve done some fairly extensive work with fiberglass and West systems (see last summer’s ‘The Great Keel Ordeal’ in DIY Boat Owner.) I was wondering if anyone has any experience with laminating marine ply over a mold and/or working with epoxy resins other than (ei: less expensive than) West. Here’s a link to the project page with details of the work as it has progressed, and it isn’t pretty. Bridge Project | c.e.grundler

Well, that’s me and my boat. Now I’m off to lurk through the technical sections, but I just wanted to introduce myself.