The deck is in sad shape. There are stress cracks in the side decks and a few around the cabin top and bridge deck. I repaired the deck in a half dozen places a few years ago and though I covered the repaired areas in white paint they only added to the need to repair the deck. However, the real reason for the painting the deck will be the significant repair and modification to the hull deck joint (detailed in separate page on this site). The toerail was removed and all the caulking cleaned out (more info here). The next order of business was to wash the entire deck and topside with warm soapy water. Then, I wiped down the entire deck with Interlux 202 degreaser/dewaxer.
Almost ready to start sanding.
With a paper suit, full face respirator, and gloves I then sanded the entire deck with 40 grit aluminum oxide disks on a double action, right angle, random orbital sander to remove the non-skid. It was tedious work but after 10 hours and about 40 disks I had it all off.
The non-skid removed.
After a light sweeping of the deck I sanded the entire deck with 80 grit again using right angle DARO sander. It took less than 2 hours since I was not having to remove the non-skid, just smooth out the roughness caused by the 40 grit. Next will come 120 grit though I will wait to use the vertical axis RO sander.
Though I removed the cockpit hatches a couple of days ago I had not sanded them. I removed the hardware and bagged the hinges and hasps so I wouldn't loose them. Then I sanded the hatches with 40 grit followed by 80 grit. I also finally removed the wood trim around the companionway hatch. I don't know why I waited so long to do it. It's funny the things we will avoid somehow thinking it can be left in place and save some work . . . talking about living in a fantasy! The wood was beat up pretty bad so I must have known all along it had to some out. It took about an hour to remove it and in fact it splintered coming out due to be installed with screws and 5200. Nonetheless, I kept it to be used as a template for new trim.
I am holding off on sanding with 120 grit until I complete the hull-deck joint glass work and that may be another month while I wait for the temperatures to come up. Next on the list is to install about (50) 5/16" bolts to replace the 1/4" bolts I had installed then removed because they were to small (these replace the original bolts used to fasten the hull-deck joint together). To be able to glass over them though, I'll have to increase the countersink hole size . . . tedious but not difficult.
Though I removed the cockpit hatches a couple of days ago I had not sanded them. I removed the hardware and bagged the hinges and hasps so I wouldn't loose them. Then I sanded the hatches with 40 grit followed by 80 grit. I also finally removed the wood trim around the companionway hatch. I don't know why I waited so long to do it. It's funny the things we will avoid somehow thinking it can be left in place and save some work . . . talking about living in a fantasy! The wood was beat up pretty bad so I must have known all along it had to some out. It took about an hour to remove it and in fact it splintered coming out due to be installed with screws and 5200. Nonetheless, I kept it to be used as a template for new trim.
I am holding off on sanding with 120 grit until I complete the hull-deck joint glass work and that may be another month while I wait for the temperatures to come up. Next on the list is to install about (50) 5/16" bolts to replace the 1/4" bolts I had installed then removed because they were to small (these replace the original bolts used to fasten the hull-deck joint together). To be able to glass over them though, I'll have to increase the countersink hole size . . . tedious but not difficult.
The wood trim is removed. Not the caulking that needs to be removed with acetone and a chisel.
The compaionway trim.
Compaionway trim removed. The deck has been sanding with 80 grit.
Next I sanded the entire deck with 80 grit on the right angle DARO sander. It took less than 2 hours since I was not having to remove the non-skid, just smooth out the roughness caused by the 40 grit. Next will come 120 grit though I will wait to use the vertical axis RO sander.
Though I removed the cockpit hatches a couple of days ago I had not sanded them. I removed the hardware and bagged the hinges and hasps so I wouldn't loose them. Then I sanded the hatches with 40 grit followed by 80 grit. I also finally removed the wood trim around the companionway hatch. I don't know why I waited so long to do it. It's funny the things we will avoid somehow thinking it can be left in place and save some work . . . talking about living in a fantasy! The wood was beat up pretty bad so I must have known all along it had to some out. It took about an hour to remove it and in fact it splintered coming out due to be installed with screws and 5200. Nonetheless, I kept it to be used as a template for new trim.
I am holding off on sanding with 120 grit until I complete the hull-deck joint glass work and that may be another month while I wait for the temperatures to come up. Next on the list is to install about (50) 5/16" bolts to replace the 1/4" bolts I had installed then removed because they were to small (these replace the original bolts used to fasten the hull-deck joint together). To be able to glass over them though, I'll have to increase the countersink hole size . . . tedious but not difficult.
Though I removed the cockpit hatches a couple of days ago I had not sanded them. I removed the hardware and bagged the hinges and hasps so I wouldn't loose them. Then I sanded the hatches with 40 grit followed by 80 grit. I also finally removed the wood trim around the companionway hatch. I don't know why I waited so long to do it. It's funny the things we will avoid somehow thinking it can be left in place and save some work . . . talking about living in a fantasy! The wood was beat up pretty bad so I must have known all along it had to some out. It took about an hour to remove it and in fact it splintered coming out due to be installed with screws and 5200. Nonetheless, I kept it to be used as a template for new trim.
I am holding off on sanding with 120 grit until I complete the hull-deck joint glass work and that may be another month while I wait for the temperatures to come up. Next on the list is to install about (50) 5/16" bolts to replace the 1/4" bolts I had installed then removed because they were to small (these replace the original bolts used to fasten the hull-deck joint together). To be able to glass over them though, I'll have to increase the countersink hole size . . . tedious but not difficult.
In order to work comfortably on the hull-deck joint I would need some scaffolding so I could avoid the interuption caused by moving ladders around all the time. It took about day to build six and combined with some other platforms I had I have planks all the way around the boat.
I thought I would start sanding the gelcoat back on the hull deck joint to prepare if for eventual lamination. But after thinking about it a bit it made more sense to go ahead and sand the top sides. I started with 80 grit. It was hard to see exactly where I had sanding and where I had not unless the light was right. And, because I have a clear coat on the topside I must make sure I get it off or I will most certainly have adhesion problems later when I paint. With some trepidation I decided to "mist" the hull with some black lacquer paint. Don Casey recommended it in This Old Boat as a way to see where one has sanded. I have also heard from very reliable sources that this can backfire and cause all kinds of sanding problems. But it went well. The photo to the right shows where I sprayed and then sanding off part of the spray paint. My vertical axis RO sander would not really cut the paint on boot top. I switched to the Porter Cable right angle DA RO and it took it right off. There is nothing like having the right tool for the right job!
It was also a small milestone to sand off Far Reach's name and the hailing port of Philadelphia. They had been on there since I bought the boat. I have nothing against Philadelphia but it obviously had to go. I have been wondering for years when I would get this far so I feel great about reaching this point.
Tomorrow will see more sanding and hopefully much more progress on the topsides.
I thought I would start sanding the gelcoat back on the hull deck joint to prepare if for eventual lamination. But after thinking about it a bit it made more sense to go ahead and sand the top sides. I started with 80 grit. It was hard to see exactly where I had sanding and where I had not unless the light was right. And, because I have a clear coat on the topside I must make sure I get it off or I will most certainly have adhesion problems later when I paint. With some trepidation I decided to "mist" the hull with some black lacquer paint. Don Casey recommended it in This Old Boat as a way to see where one has sanded. I have also heard from very reliable sources that this can backfire and cause all kinds of sanding problems. But it went well. The photo to the right shows where I sprayed and then sanding off part of the spray paint. My vertical axis RO sander would not really cut the paint on boot top. I switched to the Porter Cable right angle DA RO and it took it right off. There is nothing like having the right tool for the right job!
It was also a small milestone to sand off Far Reach's name and the hailing port of Philadelphia. They had been on there since I bought the boat. I have nothing against Philadelphia but it obviously had to go. I have been wondering for years when I would get this far so I feel great about reaching this point.
Tomorrow will see more sanding and hopefully much more progress on the topsides.
Scaffolding around the boat. The platforms are set up on the middle level for sanding.
"Misting" the hull with black spray paint to make sure I get even sanding coverage.
I completed sanding the topsides today. The starboard side took two hours to complete. The port side took about three hours. It went much faster than I thought it would though my shoulders definitely got a work out. I used (26) 80 grit disks. I used the DA right angle RO sander on the boot stripe. I used the vertical axis sander on the rest of the topside. I misted the topside with spay paint as a visual aide to see what I had and had not sanded. The spray paint worked very well. It did not come off easily so I am confident I did thorough job sanding off the old clear coat. The next project will be to sand back the gelcoat along the hull-deck joint in preparation for eventual glass work.
The shed is a mess. It doesn't make any sense to clean it up till the sanding is complete. Before I started the deck and topside sanding I covered the work benches and stacks of wood up with tarps. i am not sure it helped all that much. It will likely take the better part of a day to clean it up. That's OK. We are making progress.
The shed is a mess. It doesn't make any sense to clean it up till the sanding is complete. Before I started the deck and topside sanding I covered the work benches and stacks of wood up with tarps. i am not sure it helped all that much. It will likely take the better part of a day to clean it up. That's OK. We are making progress.
Sanding the starboard side.
The starbord side sanded with 80 grit.t
In the past I have used a Dremel with a small wedge shaped grinding stone to grind back the gelcoat and prepare the surface to be filled with epoxy. But this time I used a technique I learned from Tim Lackey. Tim says that the Dremel technique does not make a wide enough cut for the epoxy filler to have the strength to prevent the gelcoat crack from reemerging. Instead he recommends using a Roloc grinder which is essentially a 2 inch round sanding disk that fits into the end of a drill. I bought mine at Lowe's. It cost about $12.00. It worked like a champ. The grove is a shallow "U" shape and about one inch wide from side to side at the top end. The drill was easy to control and in less than an hour I ground out several dozen stress cracks on the side decks and around the holes that were drilled to fasten the "eye-brow" strip to the side of the cabin top.
The Roloc style grinder attachement--perfect for grinding out stress cracks.
The roloc grinder creates a shallow but wide groove.t
Below are a few pictures of on-going projects. The propane locker hatch look good. It should look original when it is complete. More fairing work is required in the gutter assembly but it gets better everyday. Fairing is a slow process for me. If I rush it, it just makes it worse.
The balsa core around the cut-out for the aft dorades was never replaced with epoxy as should have occurred at the factory. It got wet . . what a surprise. So I dug it out. This is a picture just before I filled it. I did the same thing to the balsa core around the cut-out for the main hatch and forward hatch. Here you can see the freshly applied epoxy.
I am in the process of converting from wheel to tiller steering. To make the transition complete I need to refine (make smaller) the old emergency tiller hole that was covered with a bronze inspection port cover. It was a little off-center. I dug out the water damaged balsa core (also not sealed with epoxy at the factory). I covered the bottom of the hole (from underneath the cockpit floor) with a three layer epoxy patch. I used a jig saw to cut part of the patch out and make the hole a bit smaller than original and centered a little more to the starboard side of the cockpit. You can see it is a little oblong now which is fine becuase it will eventually be covered by a teak cover-plate. Then I filled the space from which I removed the balsa core with thickened epoxy. Next, I'll apply the patch to cover the new epoxy core. Though it is counter-intuitive, the wider patch is laid down first, then the middle size patch, and the smallest patch last. This ensures the biggest patch has the most contact with the primary surface. There are a few occasions when you might not do it this way but most of the time this is the correct sequence. I will do it the opposite way when I cover the hull-deck joint because the huge fairing job will be a bit easier with the widest patch on top. Finally, I will fair it 407 thickened epoxy. This opening still needs to be bigger than the rudder post because there will be a coupling just below this that will joint the main rudder post with the 8" extension that will protrude up though the cockpit floor and to which the tiller head fitting will be attached. The opening will be covered by a "rudder post cover-plate." I have already made the rudder post tube that will fit through the cover-plate. I made it by wrapping about 3' of wetted out biaxial around the rudder post (waxing it first and using it as a mold). Once it cured I had a perfect tube that fit the rudder post exactly.
The balsa core around the cut-out for the aft dorades was never replaced with epoxy as should have occurred at the factory. It got wet . . what a surprise. So I dug it out. This is a picture just before I filled it. I did the same thing to the balsa core around the cut-out for the main hatch and forward hatch. Here you can see the freshly applied epoxy.
I am in the process of converting from wheel to tiller steering. To make the transition complete I need to refine (make smaller) the old emergency tiller hole that was covered with a bronze inspection port cover. It was a little off-center. I dug out the water damaged balsa core (also not sealed with epoxy at the factory). I covered the bottom of the hole (from underneath the cockpit floor) with a three layer epoxy patch. I used a jig saw to cut part of the patch out and make the hole a bit smaller than original and centered a little more to the starboard side of the cockpit. You can see it is a little oblong now which is fine becuase it will eventually be covered by a teak cover-plate. Then I filled the space from which I removed the balsa core with thickened epoxy. Next, I'll apply the patch to cover the new epoxy core. Though it is counter-intuitive, the wider patch is laid down first, then the middle size patch, and the smallest patch last. This ensures the biggest patch has the most contact with the primary surface. There are a few occasions when you might not do it this way but most of the time this is the correct sequence. I will do it the opposite way when I cover the hull-deck joint because the huge fairing job will be a bit easier with the widest patch on top. Finally, I will fair it 407 thickened epoxy. This opening still needs to be bigger than the rudder post because there will be a coupling just below this that will joint the main rudder post with the 8" extension that will protrude up though the cockpit floor and to which the tiller head fitting will be attached. The opening will be covered by a "rudder post cover-plate." I have already made the rudder post tube that will fit through the cover-plate. I made it by wrapping about 3' of wetted out biaxial around the rudder post (waxing it first and using it as a mold). Once it cured I had a perfect tube that fit the rudder post exactly.
Below:
1. A test fit of the new propane locker hatch. It looks pretty good. I bought hinges from Spartan Marine that match the other hinges for the other cockpit lockers.
2. Prepping the dorade vent cut out for thickend epoxy. These should have been filled at the factory.
3. I dug out the exposed balsacore in the hatch opening and filled with 404/406 thickened epxoy. The screws will penetrate only epoxy.
4. The partially complete patch over the old diesel tank fill hole.
5. Partially complete rudder post hole. The epoxy core will be covered by a biaxial 3 layer patch.
6. The 3 layer patch that will be used on the rudder post hole.
There is a lot of work necessary to repair/eliminate the holes where the original engine controls and instrumentation were located. At the time of this posting there is no desire to replace any of these controls or instruments. Should I reinstall engine controls at some point they may be in the same location but by necessity the engine control box would be a different size so this repair is required for the time being anyway.
The only instrument planned for the cockpit is a bulkhead mounted compass and probably a depth sounder. I can pretty much tell the velocity and direction of the wind by just looking around and by the behavior of the boat . . . keeping it simple and basic. These holes will be patched from the back side with multiple layers of biaxial and then faired on the front side with 410 Microlight.
I will also be filling all the many holes around the cabin top that were drilled to install the dodger and the useless wood "eyebrow" trim--56 holes just for the eyebrow trim. After I removed the headliner the streaks down the inside of the cabin top from these many holes was plain to see. None of the holes drilled for the dodger were oversized and filled with epoxy--just drilled and screwed into the fiberglass. I am not sure what I will do about the dodger. I sold the one that came with the boat. Perhaps I will replace it at some time or maybe not. I'll let necessity determine if it is required. "Less is more."
The only instrument planned for the cockpit is a bulkhead mounted compass and probably a depth sounder. I can pretty much tell the velocity and direction of the wind by just looking around and by the behavior of the boat . . . keeping it simple and basic. These holes will be patched from the back side with multiple layers of biaxial and then faired on the front side with 410 Microlight.
I will also be filling all the many holes around the cabin top that were drilled to install the dodger and the useless wood "eyebrow" trim--56 holes just for the eyebrow trim. After I removed the headliner the streaks down the inside of the cabin top from these many holes was plain to see. None of the holes drilled for the dodger were oversized and filled with epoxy--just drilled and screwed into the fiberglass. I am not sure what I will do about the dodger. I sold the one that came with the boat. Perhaps I will replace it at some time or maybe not. I'll let necessity determine if it is required. "Less is more."
To repair the holes from the windspeed/direction and depth sounder instruments (backside of cabin) and the engine control box I traced the outside dimensions of the patch by placing sheet plastic over the area to be repaired on the inside of the boat. Then I traced the holes themselves. I then drew two more outlines between the larger outside and the smaller inside dimensions thus creating four patterns each a little larger than the previous pattern on a single sheet of plastic. I took the sheet plastic templates to the wet-out table. I cut out the largest pattern first and laid it on the biaxial cloth. I traced the outside edge onto the biaxial and cut that out. Then I cut the next size smaller patter out and did the same till I had completed all four. The last pattern cut is the same size as the hole.
Next I cut some scrap 1/4" plywood, 3/8" closed cell foam (a former sleeping mat), and some sheet plastic. I laid the sheet plastic over the outside of the hole to be repaired. I placed the foam over that, then the plywood. Last, I braced it into place. This provided me a hard flat surface over the hole to work against from the inside of the boat. I mixed up some epoxy with 406 to ketchup thick. I brushed it all around the repair area on the inside of the boat (I had previously sanded these repair areas last fall with 40 grit) I acetone washed them to make sure they were free of dust or other contamination. Then I wet out the patches and placed the largest on first. Then I applied there other patches from the largest to smallest. This patch sequence can be clearly seen in the two bottom pictures. I squeegeed out the excess epoxy. I ran the roller over the patches working out any air bubbles. The patches were pretty warm from having four layers all applied at one time. I'll need to be careful doing that as the temperatures start climbing in the days and weeks ahead. When I remove the bracing, plywood, foam, and sheet plastic I should have a flat repair area slightly recessed from the exterior surface. I apply fairing compound and sand until it is flush with the adjacent outside surface.
After I completed the patches to both of the repair areas I took a look at the forward compartment. I will need to decide where the new forward bulkhead will go. My current plan is to put it in the same area where the old one was. This one will be 3/4" plywood, vice the old 1/2". It will be tabbed on both sides.
I measured out a few options I have been considering regarding the replacement bowsprit. I am undecided as to which one I will choose. A couple of months ago I worked out the center of effort (CE) of the sail plan, the center of lateral plane (CLP) for the hull, and the difference between the two (the lead). As a result, I think I can increase the bowsprit length. This will give me a little more sail area, reduce the sheeting angle, and reduce the weather helm.
Next I cut some scrap 1/4" plywood, 3/8" closed cell foam (a former sleeping mat), and some sheet plastic. I laid the sheet plastic over the outside of the hole to be repaired. I placed the foam over that, then the plywood. Last, I braced it into place. This provided me a hard flat surface over the hole to work against from the inside of the boat. I mixed up some epoxy with 406 to ketchup thick. I brushed it all around the repair area on the inside of the boat (I had previously sanded these repair areas last fall with 40 grit) I acetone washed them to make sure they were free of dust or other contamination. Then I wet out the patches and placed the largest on first. Then I applied there other patches from the largest to smallest. This patch sequence can be clearly seen in the two bottom pictures. I squeegeed out the excess epoxy. I ran the roller over the patches working out any air bubbles. The patches were pretty warm from having four layers all applied at one time. I'll need to be careful doing that as the temperatures start climbing in the days and weeks ahead. When I remove the bracing, plywood, foam, and sheet plastic I should have a flat repair area slightly recessed from the exterior surface. I apply fairing compound and sand until it is flush with the adjacent outside surface.
After I completed the patches to both of the repair areas I took a look at the forward compartment. I will need to decide where the new forward bulkhead will go. My current plan is to put it in the same area where the old one was. This one will be 3/4" plywood, vice the old 1/2". It will be tabbed on both sides.
I measured out a few options I have been considering regarding the replacement bowsprit. I am undecided as to which one I will choose. A couple of months ago I worked out the center of effort (CE) of the sail plan, the center of lateral plane (CLP) for the hull, and the difference between the two (the lead). As a result, I think I can increase the bowsprit length. This will give me a little more sail area, reduce the sheeting angle, and reduce the weather helm.
Bracing the forward face of the repair areas.
Backside of the repair to the engine control box.
Backside of repair to old instrument holes.
Once it had cured, I removed the backing boards and plastic sheeting from the holes where the instruments and engine controls were. I washed the cured epoxy with water and a scrub pad then dried them with a paper towel. Next, I sanded with 40 grit on the Porter Cable DA Right Angle RO sander. Then, I mixed up some fairing compound and spread it on. Tomorrow I will sand and fill any holes and imperfections with 410 Microlight fairing compound.
Tomorrow I will also get to work filling all the holes in the cabin top--eye brow trim, holes that secured the dodger, holes associated with the coaming, and other assorted holes.
Tomorrow I will also get to work filling all the holes in the cabin top--eye brow trim, holes that secured the dodger, holes associated with the coaming, and other assorted holes.
How many holes can we put into our boats?
Today I filled holes, a lot of 'em. There must be more than 500 holes in the deck of the Far Reach if you include the 115 on each side in the hull deck joint, which does not include the 70 5/16" bolts I left in. All the holes in the hull-deck joint have been filled and covered by three layers of biaxial. But what about the rest. Well, in the photo to the right, which is the aft starboard end of the cabin top, between the dodger, the coaming, the grab rail, the companion way and the porthole, I count 43 holes. Seems like a lot of holes to me. Is that something to get excited about? I don't know. Only the holes that were in the vertical face of the cabin side were in solid fiberglass. All the rest in this photo go into a cored deck. Not one was filled as every credible book dictates . . . the hole should be drilled oversize and filled with epoxy. After that cures, the smaller hole is drilled into the epoxy plug to accommodate the fastener. Maybe if we are less inclined to drill holes into our boats, we would be more inclined to do it right when we have too. After making major repairs to the deck and replacing too much soggy core, I know I will be very thoughtful about drilling into the boat.
Today I filled holes, a lot of 'em. There must be more than 500 holes in the deck of the Far Reach if you include the 115 on each side in the hull deck joint, which does not include the 70 5/16" bolts I left in. All the holes in the hull-deck joint have been filled and covered by three layers of biaxial. But what about the rest. Well, in the photo to the right, which is the aft starboard end of the cabin top, between the dodger, the coaming, the grab rail, the companion way and the porthole, I count 43 holes. Seems like a lot of holes to me. Is that something to get excited about? I don't know. Only the holes that were in the vertical face of the cabin side were in solid fiberglass. All the rest in this photo go into a cored deck. Not one was filled as every credible book dictates . . . the hole should be drilled oversize and filled with epoxy. After that cures, the smaller hole is drilled into the epoxy plug to accommodate the fastener. Maybe if we are less inclined to drill holes into our boats, we would be more inclined to do it right when we have too. After making major repairs to the deck and replacing too much soggy core, I know I will be very thoughtful about drilling into the boat.
Too many holes.
This is a picture of the sea-hood and companionway hatch. You can see all the holes. Yes, I have a thing about holes. There were three holes that held the wood stop bar on the top of the sliding hatch and three that held an opposing piece of teak on the bottom side of the hatch. All the other holes were for the spray dodger. These holes were caused by drilling into the cored seahood and using pop-rivets to secure the twist locks that connect to the dodger. Once again, there was no oversize hole drilled first, filled with epoxy, and a smaller hoe drilled into that. No, they just drilled into the balas core and were done. I drilled 3/8" holes into all the holes. I fished out the the old rivets and I taped the bottom side of the hatch for those holes that went all the way through. Then I used a syringe to inject unthickend epoxy into the holes. After they cured topped off each of the holes with 407 thickened epoxy. Later I added more and sanded them smooth.
I drilled out the holes and used a countersink to widen them for fairing.
Next I vacuumed the deck and wiped it down with acetone. I then applied two coatings of unthickend epoxy to any fairing that had 410 microlight in it. Apparently, the same thing that makes it easy to sand makes it vulnerable to some solvents. I emailed the MSDS sheets of the thinners and paints I'll be using to prime and paint the deck and topsides off to West Systems for their chemist to look at. In the meantime I'll lay a coat of epoxy over the micolight. The picture to the right shows the shiny epoxy curing on the hull-deck fairing. Tomorrow I'll wash the deck, wipe with Interlux 202 dewaxer-degreaser one more time, then sand with 120-150. Then Monday I'll prime.
Yesterday I finished filling all the holes for the portlights. I initially thought if I left them unfilled I could use them as a guide when I install new interior plywood to the cabin-top sides. But it occurred to me that I would never get the holes to line up exactly with the portholes. So, by filling them I start new. A safer bet I think.
Last night I spent some time using my laser level to level the boat and strike a line to mark the waterline. It was an exasperating event. I had read Tim Lackey's description of how he does it and it seemed like a lot of work. How much easier it would be with my laser level. Wrong! All I did was chase the beam around. The problem is in the SRF I can't strike the whole hull at one time Just one side and I have to move the laser twice to do it. Tim's method essentially builds the surface of the water around the boat with stings and then you level the boat to a planar surface and mark the waterline. So, I'll do use that technique on Sunday and be ready for priming on Monday.
Yesterday I finished filling all the holes for the portlights. I initially thought if I left them unfilled I could use them as a guide when I install new interior plywood to the cabin-top sides. But it occurred to me that I would never get the holes to line up exactly with the portholes. So, by filling them I start new. A safer bet I think.
Last night I spent some time using my laser level to level the boat and strike a line to mark the waterline. It was an exasperating event. I had read Tim Lackey's description of how he does it and it seemed like a lot of work. How much easier it would be with my laser level. Wrong! All I did was chase the beam around. The problem is in the SRF I can't strike the whole hull at one time Just one side and I have to move the laser twice to do it. Tim's method essentially builds the surface of the water around the boat with stings and then you level the boat to a planar surface and mark the waterline. So, I'll do use that technique on Sunday and be ready for priming on Monday.
Today I started off scrubbing the clear epoxy with a scotch-brite pad and water to remove the amine blush. When I was finished I began to wash the whole boat with soap and water and then I noticed the water beading on the freshly applied epoxy. I looked close and it was beading all over. So I went back and reattacked with the scotch-brite pad and water and got it all removed. It was a lot of work and kind of aggravating. After that I wash the boat with soap and water. While is was drying I went to Lowe's to look at some options for putting a drain with a small plastic ball-valve in the bottom of the lazerette so I can control when I want the water to come through the limber hole and when I don't. By having a ball valve it becomes a water tight compartment. If it works out I may do this to more compartments and lockers.
After the boat was dry I wiped the deck and topsides down with Interlux 202 dewaxer/degreaser. Then I spent some time sanding and preparing the rudder for barrier coat which I hope to apply tomorrow.
As reflected in an earlier entry I had a tough time using my laser level trying to "strike" a waterline for the boat. I decided to use Tim Lackey's method. Then, low and behold, what arrives in the mail today but the May/June 2010 Wooden Boat magazine. There is an article in it about the different ways to strike the waterline. One method discussed is the same method that Tim uses.
It looks unlikely that I'll be able to prime on Monday. It will probably slide to Tuesday.
After the boat was dry I wiped the deck and topsides down with Interlux 202 dewaxer/degreaser. Then I spent some time sanding and preparing the rudder for barrier coat which I hope to apply tomorrow.
As reflected in an earlier entry I had a tough time using my laser level trying to "strike" a waterline for the boat. I decided to use Tim Lackey's method. Then, low and behold, what arrives in the mail today but the May/June 2010 Wooden Boat magazine. There is an article in it about the different ways to strike the waterline. One method discussed is the same method that Tim uses.
It looks unlikely that I'll be able to prime on Monday. It will probably slide to Tuesday.
Finally, I was able to work towards striking the waterline. After the last of the fairing cured I sanded it and then washed the whole boat with soap and water. Then I began moving some of the scaffolding around so I could use it to support the string and levels that Tim Lackey uses. This technique is also featured in the May/June 2010 Wooden Boat magazine.
I found the scribed waterline last week when I stripped the bottom paint from the boat. I don't know how accurate it is so I am taking a big leap of faith here. The boat is level fore and aft and side-to-side but this technique only requires it be level side-to-side. I made a pencil mark 4 1/4" above the scribed line at the bow, stern, and max beam on both sides. I used a level and a carpenters ruler to make sure the mark was accurate due to the hull flaring out from the scribed line. Tim has some good pictures of how to do this. Click here to see his technique for striking the waterline.
Once I had the marks in place I added some risers to the outside edges of the four scaffolding supports I would be using so they would be tall enough to reach above the scribed waterline. Then I scarffed together a couple of pieces of bald cypress I had from when I built our deck a few years ago. I made them 12 feet long since they have to be wider than the max beam of the boat which is 10'8". I didn't want to drill holes in the wood so I clamped them together. Then I clamped the boards to the scaffolding so they were parallel to the ground and I checked them with a bubble level.
Now read carefully--I wanted to raise the waterline 4 1/2" above the scribed line. So, I raised the boards till they were 4 1/4" above the scribed waterline which would allow me to bring the primer down 1/4" below where I want the final top edge of the bottom paint to be. Got that? Good, because it took me several weeks of thinking this whole thing through to figure out what would go on top of what. After the primer is on I'll take the barrier coat and bottom paint to that same line, retaping of course because I'll be painting from the top to the bottom for the primer and from the bottom to the top for the barrier coat and bottom paint. Then I'll retape it for the topside final paint next spring and then raising the waterline another 1/4" for the bottom paint to cover the very bottom edge of the topside paint. If you are confused then you are in good company. I am sure I could make it harder but I haven't figured out how yet. But, I digress . . . .
After the leveling boards were in the right place and checked for accuracy with the bubble level, I ran construction string from one end to the other and hung paint cans from the strings to keep them tight. I brought them right up to the maximum beam of the boat. Here is what stumped me and took the wind out of my sails, so to speak, for the rest of the day. The fore and aft board are 4 1/4" above the scribed waterline. But the line on both sides of the max beam is only 3 1/4" above the scribed line. How is that you ask? I don't know. If the scribed line were actually the line for the boot top maybe that would make sense but it is the waterline mark. Doesn't matter though. I know the bow and stern are straight and true. I'll prime as marked and perhaps raise it another 1/2" for the barrier coat and bottom paint. There is always going to be something that makes you scratch your head--it is a boat after all.
Tomorrow I'll tape the waterline, stage all the paint and rollers and other items I'll need. I'll wipe the boat down tomorrow afternoon and unless the weather goes to hell I'll prime on Wednesday.
I found the scribed waterline last week when I stripped the bottom paint from the boat. I don't know how accurate it is so I am taking a big leap of faith here. The boat is level fore and aft and side-to-side but this technique only requires it be level side-to-side. I made a pencil mark 4 1/4" above the scribed line at the bow, stern, and max beam on both sides. I used a level and a carpenters ruler to make sure the mark was accurate due to the hull flaring out from the scribed line. Tim has some good pictures of how to do this. Click here to see his technique for striking the waterline.
Once I had the marks in place I added some risers to the outside edges of the four scaffolding supports I would be using so they would be tall enough to reach above the scribed waterline. Then I scarffed together a couple of pieces of bald cypress I had from when I built our deck a few years ago. I made them 12 feet long since they have to be wider than the max beam of the boat which is 10'8". I didn't want to drill holes in the wood so I clamped them together. Then I clamped the boards to the scaffolding so they were parallel to the ground and I checked them with a bubble level.
Now read carefully--I wanted to raise the waterline 4 1/2" above the scribed line. So, I raised the boards till they were 4 1/4" above the scribed waterline which would allow me to bring the primer down 1/4" below where I want the final top edge of the bottom paint to be. Got that? Good, because it took me several weeks of thinking this whole thing through to figure out what would go on top of what. After the primer is on I'll take the barrier coat and bottom paint to that same line, retaping of course because I'll be painting from the top to the bottom for the primer and from the bottom to the top for the barrier coat and bottom paint. Then I'll retape it for the topside final paint next spring and then raising the waterline another 1/4" for the bottom paint to cover the very bottom edge of the topside paint. If you are confused then you are in good company. I am sure I could make it harder but I haven't figured out how yet. But, I digress . . . .
After the leveling boards were in the right place and checked for accuracy with the bubble level, I ran construction string from one end to the other and hung paint cans from the strings to keep them tight. I brought them right up to the maximum beam of the boat. Here is what stumped me and took the wind out of my sails, so to speak, for the rest of the day. The fore and aft board are 4 1/4" above the scribed waterline. But the line on both sides of the max beam is only 3 1/4" above the scribed line. How is that you ask? I don't know. If the scribed line were actually the line for the boot top maybe that would make sense but it is the waterline mark. Doesn't matter though. I know the bow and stern are straight and true. I'll prime as marked and perhaps raise it another 1/2" for the barrier coat and bottom paint. There is always going to be something that makes you scratch your head--it is a boat after all.
Tomorrow I'll tape the waterline, stage all the paint and rollers and other items I'll need. I'll wipe the boat down tomorrow afternoon and unless the weather goes to hell I'll prime on Wednesday.
Finally, I got the first coat of primer on Far Reach. I'd hoped to get two coats on but, as is often the case, the first time you do something new it always takes longer than you expect. My learning curve was vertical. I got a later start than I expected and it took a full seven hours to paint the boat and all the hatches. Based on what I learned today, tomorrow I think I can do the whole boat in about 4 1/2 hours. If I get a early start I should be able to get two coats on. That's the plan anyway.
I used Awl-Quik, a two part medium build epoxy primer. I used Interlux 2333N thinner which the Alwgrip Tech Rep told me would be fine. Based on Tim Lackey's recommendation I used 3/16" mohair rollers exclusively instead of the foam rollers and foam brush tip-out method recommended by Awlgrip. Tim had a lot of trouble trying to tip out this same primer when he first primed Glissando, his Pearson Triton. He did a thorough job of documenting his 2001 effort on his website which should be anyone's first stop who wants to attempt a similar project. Click here to read about his experience. He offered that it would be much better to deal with roller stipple when sanding than brush marks which often can't be sanded out without going all the way to the bottom of the primer. So, I used 7" 3/16 mohair rollers I bought from Jamestown Distributors and some skinny 4" mohair blend rollers from Sherwin-Williams that fit on those single prong roller handles. I used the small rollers for the tight spots around the portholes, cockpit, and on the inside corners of the cabin top. The only time I used a brush was in the inside of the gutters of the propane locker. There was no other way to get in there. And, just as Tim forewarned, there are now deep brush marks there.
The hardest part was working out a routine for mixing and thinning. I was clumsy when I started this morning and very conservative about how much I mixed up. I started off mixing up 4oz of base, 4oz of converter and thinned it 25%. It was almost like water but when if I was careful, when I rolled it on it seemed to stay put without running. The next batch I doubled in size, then for the third batch I mixed up two parts of 20oz each. Finally, I was mixing up about 30oz each of base and converter and thinning to about 30% or 20oz of 2333N. Looking back, mixing up only 16oz seems laughable, but you have to start somewhere.
When I started off, because the batches were small, everything I mixed I dumped in the paint roller tray. Then, as I became more comfortable with the mixing and rolling process I just just put a lid on the pail of mixed and thinned primer and filled the roller tray as needed. After awhile I began to get a feel for the primer and could determine when to add additionally thinner. Tomorrow I will be more aggressive in thinning and because I have developed a routine I will mix up large batches which will save me a lot of time.
I started off by priming the hatches which I had placed on some saw-horses in the garage. Then I went to the boat. I began there by working in the cockpit and exiting out on the starboard quarter-deck. Then I rolled out the cabin top and cabin sides and foredeck. Once the foredeck was completed I dropped down on to the scaffolding and painted the side decks from the starboard bow around the stern and back to the port bow. I was beginning to drop beads of sweat and working from the scaffolding seemed the best way to keep the sweat off the deck and out of the primer. Once I completed priming the deck I went on to the topsides. I started at the transom and then when all the way around the boat again.
I had originally estimated that I would use about a 1/2 gallon each of base and converter per coating but I used about 20% more than that. I think that was because I was rolling back over just rolled on primer to try and get better coverage but that was only working against me. I had to remind myself that I would be rolling on four coats and to let the process work.
The mohair rollers seemed to work well. They did leave stipple though. The primer is a creamy off-white. But what a reward to see the boat a single color instead of the nasty patch repair work of white, brown, cream, beige, etc. Best of all, I did not have any disasters today. I managed to keep the bucket-O-primer upright, did not kick the roller tray off the boat or scaffolding, or drop any of the rollers, etc.
I kept the 3M 6000 series full face respirator on the whole time which was mandatory. This stuff is nasty smelling and quite dangerous.
Though it is too soon to tell for sure since the primer is a flat cream color, the repair work did not stand out when covered with the primer. I was especialy happy to see that the hull-deck joint looked very smooth, especially on the vertical face of the topside.
I used Awl-Quik, a two part medium build epoxy primer. I used Interlux 2333N thinner which the Alwgrip Tech Rep told me would be fine. Based on Tim Lackey's recommendation I used 3/16" mohair rollers exclusively instead of the foam rollers and foam brush tip-out method recommended by Awlgrip. Tim had a lot of trouble trying to tip out this same primer when he first primed Glissando, his Pearson Triton. He did a thorough job of documenting his 2001 effort on his website which should be anyone's first stop who wants to attempt a similar project. Click here to read about his experience. He offered that it would be much better to deal with roller stipple when sanding than brush marks which often can't be sanded out without going all the way to the bottom of the primer. So, I used 7" 3/16 mohair rollers I bought from Jamestown Distributors and some skinny 4" mohair blend rollers from Sherwin-Williams that fit on those single prong roller handles. I used the small rollers for the tight spots around the portholes, cockpit, and on the inside corners of the cabin top. The only time I used a brush was in the inside of the gutters of the propane locker. There was no other way to get in there. And, just as Tim forewarned, there are now deep brush marks there.
The hardest part was working out a routine for mixing and thinning. I was clumsy when I started this morning and very conservative about how much I mixed up. I started off mixing up 4oz of base, 4oz of converter and thinned it 25%. It was almost like water but when if I was careful, when I rolled it on it seemed to stay put without running. The next batch I doubled in size, then for the third batch I mixed up two parts of 20oz each. Finally, I was mixing up about 30oz each of base and converter and thinning to about 30% or 20oz of 2333N. Looking back, mixing up only 16oz seems laughable, but you have to start somewhere.
When I started off, because the batches were small, everything I mixed I dumped in the paint roller tray. Then, as I became more comfortable with the mixing and rolling process I just just put a lid on the pail of mixed and thinned primer and filled the roller tray as needed. After awhile I began to get a feel for the primer and could determine when to add additionally thinner. Tomorrow I will be more aggressive in thinning and because I have developed a routine I will mix up large batches which will save me a lot of time.
I started off by priming the hatches which I had placed on some saw-horses in the garage. Then I went to the boat. I began there by working in the cockpit and exiting out on the starboard quarter-deck. Then I rolled out the cabin top and cabin sides and foredeck. Once the foredeck was completed I dropped down on to the scaffolding and painted the side decks from the starboard bow around the stern and back to the port bow. I was beginning to drop beads of sweat and working from the scaffolding seemed the best way to keep the sweat off the deck and out of the primer. Once I completed priming the deck I went on to the topsides. I started at the transom and then when all the way around the boat again.
I had originally estimated that I would use about a 1/2 gallon each of base and converter per coating but I used about 20% more than that. I think that was because I was rolling back over just rolled on primer to try and get better coverage but that was only working against me. I had to remind myself that I would be rolling on four coats and to let the process work.
The mohair rollers seemed to work well. They did leave stipple though. The primer is a creamy off-white. But what a reward to see the boat a single color instead of the nasty patch repair work of white, brown, cream, beige, etc. Best of all, I did not have any disasters today. I managed to keep the bucket-O-primer upright, did not kick the roller tray off the boat or scaffolding, or drop any of the rollers, etc.
I kept the 3M 6000 series full face respirator on the whole time which was mandatory. This stuff is nasty smelling and quite dangerous.
Though it is too soon to tell for sure since the primer is a flat cream color, the repair work did not stand out when covered with the primer. I was especialy happy to see that the hull-deck joint looked very smooth, especially on the vertical face of the topside.
First coat of primer.
You can just see the slight flair of the solid hull-deck joint.
It was a very long day but I was able to add two more coats of primer today which gives the boat a total of three coats of Awl-Quik primer. So far, it looks pretty good. There are a few runs and sags but that was to be expected. The hull-deck joint and the other repairs seem to be pretty unnoticeable so far so I am very pleased. The second coat took about 4 hours and the third coat took about 3 1/2 hours. A huge improvement over the first coat that took 7 hours. Tomorrow will seem downright leisurely with only having to add one coat . . . but I'll pay for it after that with the sanding!
The third coat of Awl-Quik primer.
Below:
1. Old instrument holes are gone.
2. The custom propane hatch opening looks great.
3. The primer is hiding a lot of deck repair work.
4. There is just a slight flair at the hull-deck joint.
5. The 28 holes that held on the eye-brown trim have been filled and faired as were the holes for the portlights.
6. No sign of the fore deck core replacment.
7. Another view of the propane locker gutter assembly.
8. Engine control box cut-out is gone.
9. A nice looking stern. Five holes were filled.
10. The tapped waterline came out pretty good.
On the third day of priming I rolled on the fourth and final coat of primer. Tomorrow I start sanding it off in an effort to get a smooth finish. This will be especially important for any area that will have a gloss finish, e.g. the hull deck joint, the topsides, vertical faces of the cabin top, etc. The Awl-Quik primer is a two part epoxy and is supposed to get progressively harder over time. I have been warned that after a week it will be extremely tough to sand. So, tomorrow I will attack it unless it is gummy. The aim will be to remove the roller stipple and get a smooth surface with 220 grit. I'll probably use the vertical axis RO for the surfaces that will be covered with non-skid and rely on the palm detail sander for those surfaces that will receive gloss LPU.
What a difference the primer has made. There is little-to-no evidence of the numerous repairs to the deck and especially to the hull-deck joint. As I walk around the boat I have seen only a few blemishes along the hull-deck joint. I can see a little bit of washboard on the horizontal deck edge but that will be covered by non-skid. The vertical face of the deck-edge--the part at the top of the top-sides looks very good. The propane locker gutter assembly looks very good. I am delighted.
Hopefully, I won't be sanding off most of the primer taking me back to a patchwork looking boat!
What a difference the primer has made. There is little-to-no evidence of the numerous repairs to the deck and especially to the hull-deck joint. As I walk around the boat I have seen only a few blemishes along the hull-deck joint. I can see a little bit of washboard on the horizontal deck edge but that will be covered by non-skid. The vertical face of the deck-edge--the part at the top of the top-sides looks very good. The propane locker gutter assembly looks very good. I am delighted.
Hopefully, I won't be sanding off most of the primer taking me back to a patchwork looking boat!
I had no idea how big a 36' sailboat was until I started sanding it. I had a lot of time to contemplate this today.
In an effort to stay ahead of the continued curing of the 2 part epoxy primer, I started sanding the topside this morning. Initially they were easy to sand, however, within a few hours the primer had become noticeably more resistive to the sandpaper. By 1900 tonight I had sanded all the topsides and the vertical faces of the cabin top and the cockpit foot well. I used a DeWalt palm sander with 150 and 220 grit paper. I had been advised to use the palm sander on all the parts of the boat that would receive gloss paint because the more powerful RO sander will leave swirl marks that finish primer and paint will often fail to hide. I will use the RO sander on all the horizontal fiberglass that will be covered with non-skid.
The hull-deck joint looks very good. Tomorrow, I'll finish finish up the vertical faces and then work on the deck and all the inside corners. Hopefully by tomorrow night the exterior sanding will be mostly a memory.
In an effort to stay ahead of the continued curing of the 2 part epoxy primer, I started sanding the topside this morning. Initially they were easy to sand, however, within a few hours the primer had become noticeably more resistive to the sandpaper. By 1900 tonight I had sanded all the topsides and the vertical faces of the cabin top and the cockpit foot well. I used a DeWalt palm sander with 150 and 220 grit paper. I had been advised to use the palm sander on all the parts of the boat that would receive gloss paint because the more powerful RO sander will leave swirl marks that finish primer and paint will often fail to hide. I will use the RO sander on all the horizontal fiberglass that will be covered with non-skid.
The hull-deck joint looks very good. Tomorrow, I'll finish finish up the vertical faces and then work on the deck and all the inside corners. Hopefully by tomorrow night the exterior sanding will be mostly a memory.
The start of a very long day.
So far, I have done a pretty good job of staying on my boat rebuild budget. I am ahead in a couple of areas and a little behind in a few others. However, one area I grossly underestimated is abrasives. I am truly stunned by the number of sanding disks, flapper wheels, and square sand paper I have gone through . . . and I'm not finished! I have lost count of the disks--5" PSA in 40, 80, 120 grit; 8" PSA in 24, 36, 40, 80 grit, 4 1/2" flapper wheels in 36 grit, ROLOCs, Dremel disks. I have probably spent three times what I budgeted for abrasives.
I managed to complete the sanding of the deck today. I also started sanding the inside corners of the cockpit which has proved to be quite a challenge. Sanding down the stipple in the inside corners required some thought. I finally resorted to using some insulating closed-cell foam cover for copper water pipe I had laying around. I wrapped the sand paper around it and it fits pretty good in the larger inside corners. I also have been using a hollow rubber "D" shaped gasket which seems to work fine for some of the tighter inside corners. It is tedious boring work.
I played around with sanding the outside edge of the hull-deck joint for a little while this afternoon. On the deck edge, the primer sands very easily and immediately clogs the paper. I tried a little 100 grit to see what it would do and it did not clog but it is too aggressive. Then I tried a little 220 wet sandpaper with a piece of foam around it to conform to the outside edge of the deck. I used some water and that seemed to do the trick. With the hose running gently I think it won't clog. Since I don't want to get the boat wet all over and not be able to use all the other sand paper that isn't waterproof I'll do the outside edge of the hull-deck joint last.
With some luck, I'll finish up the sanding tomorrow.
I managed to complete the sanding of the deck today. I also started sanding the inside corners of the cockpit which has proved to be quite a challenge. Sanding down the stipple in the inside corners required some thought. I finally resorted to using some insulating closed-cell foam cover for copper water pipe I had laying around. I wrapped the sand paper around it and it fits pretty good in the larger inside corners. I also have been using a hollow rubber "D" shaped gasket which seems to work fine for some of the tighter inside corners. It is tedious boring work.
I played around with sanding the outside edge of the hull-deck joint for a little while this afternoon. On the deck edge, the primer sands very easily and immediately clogs the paper. I tried a little 100 grit to see what it would do and it did not clog but it is too aggressive. Then I tried a little 220 wet sandpaper with a piece of foam around it to conform to the outside edge of the deck. I used some water and that seemed to do the trick. With the hose running gently I think it won't clog. Since I don't want to get the boat wet all over and not be able to use all the other sand paper that isn't waterproof I'll do the outside edge of the hull-deck joint last.
With some luck, I'll finish up the sanding tomorrow.
I think it is a good think that we sometimes have no idea what we have taken on, else we might never have the courage to attempt it.
The sanding is now complete. It took four days of hard work. It took two long days to machine-sand the topsides and the deck. Then, it took two more days to hand-sand all the inside and outside corners. Wet/dry sand paper and a slow stream of water from the garden-hose proved to be the key to the all the corner work. I burned through in a few areas on the deck and the corners which you can see in the photos. It was very difficult to sand the corners, especially the outside ones, without burning through. But, I don't think it makes a bit of difference. The boat looks great.
After I completed the sanding I washed down the inside of the SRF to include the vapor liner. Then I washed down inside and the outside of the boat. I opened all the doors and let the breeze and relatively dry air we have today dry everything out.
I am very happy to have this behind me. We are in a new phase.
Tomorrow I will start work on the back of the keel to improve the fairing around the leading edge of the rudder. There is too much of a gap. At the same time I'll start work to install the water-tanks and some additional floor timbers. It will be great to get a temporary plywood cabin sole in the boat and a decent temporary ladder to make it easier to get in and out of the boat.
The sanding is now complete. It took four days of hard work. It took two long days to machine-sand the topsides and the deck. Then, it took two more days to hand-sand all the inside and outside corners. Wet/dry sand paper and a slow stream of water from the garden-hose proved to be the key to the all the corner work. I burned through in a few areas on the deck and the corners which you can see in the photos. It was very difficult to sand the corners, especially the outside ones, without burning through. But, I don't think it makes a bit of difference. The boat looks great.
After I completed the sanding I washed down the inside of the SRF to include the vapor liner. Then I washed down inside and the outside of the boat. I opened all the doors and let the breeze and relatively dry air we have today dry everything out.
I am very happy to have this behind me. We are in a new phase.
Tomorrow I will start work on the back of the keel to improve the fairing around the leading edge of the rudder. There is too much of a gap. At the same time I'll start work to install the water-tanks and some additional floor timbers. It will be great to get a temporary plywood cabin sole in the boat and a decent temporary ladder to make it easier to get in and out of the boat.
It's been a year since the above entry. Other projects on the boat had to be completed before I could think about final finish paint for the topside and deck. I have been storing most of the cockpit hatches on a shelf in the garage. As part of the prep work to paint the boat, and the hatches, I dragged them out and washed them off. I sanded them with some wet sand paper and water since I never did final sanding on them last year. The bolt holes need to be enlarged and filled with epoxy then redrilled. Will deal with that tomorrow.
I spent the last two days preparing the Far Reach for painting. There is a lot to do and we are probably about a week away from rolling on the first coat of finish paint. Yesterday, I did a wipe down with Interlux 202 to ensure any contaminants were removed from all the locker hatches, lazarette hatch, companion way hatch and the sea-hood. They are on a rack in the garage where I will apply finish primer and then paint them. I also cleaned up the shed and vacuumed the deck. I have a Shop-Vac that sits on the cabin top with an extended hose. I pull the hose down through the hatch to vacuum the inside of the boat. The hose will just about reach the ends of the boat. While vacuuming the cockpit I moved it from the center of the deck to near the companionway hatch so it would reach the stern. With my back to the vacuum I was trying to vacuum around the lazarette with I heard a terrific crash. Sure enough, I had pulled the Shop-Vac over and it fell down the hatch into the boat! The vac was about 1/4 full of wood dust and other detritus. The motor was whining and dust was floating up through the portholes. There was nothing to do but stop, go down into the boat, shut the motor off, and reclamp the top to the collector. Then I spent about 30 minutes cleaning up the inside of the boat. "No good deed goes unpunished." At least I didn't fall through the companionway hatch.
Last night, about 0200 we had a huge electrical storm. Some of the longest rolling thunder I can recall every hearing . . . like an endless artillery barrage. Everyone in the house was up. It lasted about 90 minutes.
Today, I taped off the portholes with plastic and tape. Then, I spent about two hours washing off about a year's worth of grime. Tomorrow I'll perform a 202 wash down on the deck and topsides. Then, if I have time, I'll repair any dings with Interlux, Water-Tite epoxy filler.
Last night, about 0200 we had a huge electrical storm. Some of the longest rolling thunder I can recall every hearing . . . like an endless artillery barrage. Everyone in the house was up. It lasted about 90 minutes.
Today, I taped off the portholes with plastic and tape. Then, I spent about two hours washing off about a year's worth of grime. Tomorrow I'll perform a 202 wash down on the deck and topsides. Then, if I have time, I'll repair any dings with Interlux, Water-Tite epoxy filler.
Preparing the Far Reach for paint.
Today, I wiped down the exterior of the boat with Interlux 202--using the two rag method--to remove any contaminates that might being laying dormant waiting to launch an attack on the soon to be applied paint. It is slow, boring work. Though I was in shorts, I wore a full respirator and three pair of latex gloves on each hand. The solvent is so caustic it melts the gloves pretty quickly. I have tried nitril gloves but they don't seem to last any longer. By wearing three sets of gloves I can keep the chemical off my hands. I just peel off the outer layer every minute or so and add a fresh layer. It took about four hours to thoroughly wipe down the boat. I took a break every 20 minutes or so to wipe the sweat out of my mask and relax. There was no need to rush. I started on the cabin top and worked my way down to the deck, cockpit, and finally the topside. The scaffolding is the perfect height.
This afternoon, I walked around the boat circling any dings or unfair spots with a pencil. I marked for the areas that needed filler added as well as those areas that need additional sanding. Then, I mixed up some sky-blue colored Interlux Water-Tite epoxy filler and filled in the designated spots. It is apparent to me that I'll need to lightly sand the entire boat tomorrow. I found a number of spots that had the smallest vestige of stipple left over from rolling the Awl-Quick primer on last year. I remember struggling to get through it last year so I am not surprised to find it now as I examine the boat very closely. This should be much easier as the sanding requirement is pretty light. I'll use the vacuum attachment to control the dust since I washed out the shed about a week ago preparing for the upcoming painting. The Far Reach looks ready for the next step but she also looks very sterile and plain sitting there with her dull white matt primer. She and I are both ready for her to have some new clothes.
This afternoon, I walked around the boat circling any dings or unfair spots with a pencil. I marked for the areas that needed filler added as well as those areas that need additional sanding. Then, I mixed up some sky-blue colored Interlux Water-Tite epoxy filler and filled in the designated spots. It is apparent to me that I'll need to lightly sand the entire boat tomorrow. I found a number of spots that had the smallest vestige of stipple left over from rolling the Awl-Quick primer on last year. I remember struggling to get through it last year so I am not surprised to find it now as I examine the boat very closely. This should be much easier as the sanding requirement is pretty light. I'll use the vacuum attachment to control the dust since I washed out the shed about a week ago preparing for the upcoming painting. The Far Reach looks ready for the next step but she also looks very sterile and plain sitting there with her dull white matt primer. She and I are both ready for her to have some new clothes.
Ready for final sanding.
If you want to find out if you want a bigger boat try sanding the one you have. I spent the day going back over areas on the Far Reach that had the remnants of stipple from the application of the four coats of epoxy high-build primer that I applied last year. I got about 80 percent of it last year but there were a few areas that needed more sanding else it would reveal itself when high gloss paint is applied. I had somehow forgot just how much work it is to sand this stuff. I am wore out. I focused my efforts on the areas that will receive Interlux Perfection two part LPU paint as much of the deck will have non-skid. Mostly I used 220 grit and my finish sander. I used a vacuum to reduce the amount of dust. It's not perfect but it's going to have to be good enough. At least until the finish primer goes on and I can see what it looks like. To be fair it's pretty good.
Yesterday and today were spent taping the boat for paining. We also taped the cockpit locker tops which are laid out in the garage. Tomorrow we apply the first of two coats Interlux Epoxy Primekote finish primer. We sand after each coat--oh joy--then two to three coats of Interlux Perfection Mediterranean White. Since I don't have any spray equipment we will roll and tip. All the reviews are good so we have high hopes for a nice finish.
I retaped the waterline using the same method I used before (click here for the technique I used) but did a much better job than the first time. It looks very nice to my eye.
I retaped the waterline using the same method I used before (click here for the technique I used) but did a much better job than the first time. It looks very nice to my eye.
"Gloom, despair, agony on me; deep dark depression, endless misery." Or, how I bollocksed up the first coat of Interlux Epoxy Primekote and spent 20 hours repairing the damage . . . .
Ugghhh. It's been a very painful couple of days to say the least. The short version is this. I read the data sheet on Primekote. I discussed the procedures with the Interlux Tech rep. I applied the primer and it bubbled. I foolishly kept going thinking that since I had followed all the steps to the letter (or so I thought at the time) that the bubbles would evaporate. They were there as soon as the rollers moved across the boat. After the first batch I called Interlux and they said I was "not using enough thinner--go to 30 percent" I should even "make sure the rollers have some thinner wiped on them." Silly me. I added more. The bubbles got worse. I foolishly kept going. The definition of insanity to do the same thing over the same way and expect a different result. Finally, I called Interlux again and talked to a different rep. "You are using too much thinner. No more than 20% max. It was too little, too late. The damage was done.
Mad and frustrated do not accurately depict my mental condition at the time. But, I had to get over it. All I could do was to get the sanders fired up and get too work. The bubbles went nearly all the way to the bottom of the new primer layer. The sanding was very difficult--a quick pass with 120 grit on an RO sander then 220 grit on a finish sander. Nine hours of very difficult sanding the first day to get to a smooth coat on just the topside. Twelve hours the second day for the cabin top and cockpit. Hot, tired, and wore out. The "Agony On Me" theme song from the Old Hee-Haw variety show kept running through my head. It would have killed the average man :-).
This morning we tried again. Much better. No bubbles. I may need another coat of primer but I won't know till I start sanding. Moral of the story. Know what something is supposed to look like and what it is not supposed to look like and stop if you don't get the former. Oh, one more thing--go easy on the thinner.
I'll provide more details when my mental state is a little more rational.
Ugghhh. It's been a very painful couple of days to say the least. The short version is this. I read the data sheet on Primekote. I discussed the procedures with the Interlux Tech rep. I applied the primer and it bubbled. I foolishly kept going thinking that since I had followed all the steps to the letter (or so I thought at the time) that the bubbles would evaporate. They were there as soon as the rollers moved across the boat. After the first batch I called Interlux and they said I was "not using enough thinner--go to 30 percent" I should even "make sure the rollers have some thinner wiped on them." Silly me. I added more. The bubbles got worse. I foolishly kept going. The definition of insanity to do the same thing over the same way and expect a different result. Finally, I called Interlux again and talked to a different rep. "You are using too much thinner. No more than 20% max. It was too little, too late. The damage was done.
Mad and frustrated do not accurately depict my mental condition at the time. But, I had to get over it. All I could do was to get the sanders fired up and get too work. The bubbles went nearly all the way to the bottom of the new primer layer. The sanding was very difficult--a quick pass with 120 grit on an RO sander then 220 grit on a finish sander. Nine hours of very difficult sanding the first day to get to a smooth coat on just the topside. Twelve hours the second day for the cabin top and cockpit. Hot, tired, and wore out. The "Agony On Me" theme song from the Old Hee-Haw variety show kept running through my head. It would have killed the average man :-).
This morning we tried again. Much better. No bubbles. I may need another coat of primer but I won't know till I start sanding. Moral of the story. Know what something is supposed to look like and what it is not supposed to look like and stop if you don't get the former. Oh, one more thing--go easy on the thinner.
I'll provide more details when my mental state is a little more rational.
Bubbles--15 minutes after application
Repairing the damage--20 excruciating hours of sanding.
2nd coat--mo' betta.
We had a little luck go our way today. After the first primer coat disaster, and all that sanding a few days ago, we applied the second coat of Interlux Epoxy Primekote without fanfare. The directions state that you are supposed to sand between every coat. But, I did not know how smooth it needed to be sanded--I obviously had little motivation for a lot of sanding on an intermediate coat. I suspected that all I needed to do was scuff it up before applying the next coat. However, to be sure I called Jay Smida, one of the tech reps at Interlux who seems to be pretty knowledgeable about their products. He is the one guy that knew what caused the bubbles during the first application of Primekote and got me back on track. Anyway, he told me that it just needed to be lightly sanded with 220-320 then wiped down with 2333N solvent before applying the next coat. But, he went on to say that if the last coat was applied yesterday, and I applied the next coat today, I did not need to sand at all. This info is not in the directions or in any literature I have seen. Didn't matter, I was all over that opportunity. So, I performed the required 2333N solvent wipe-down and during the required two hour window to let the solvent evaporate I drove up to West Marine and picked up another gallon of Epoxy Primekote(after getting a price match with Jamestown Distributor and my commercial account).
Then, it was a simple repeat performance of the last coat--mix, allow 20 minutes of induction, mix in a maximum of 20 percent thinner and roll it on. It took about 3 1/2 hours to cover the locker hatches, companionway hatch, sea-hood, cabin sides, cockpit, and the topsides.
It was very hot today. I was soaked with sweat but much happier painting vice sanding in the heat. Because I was able to keep some air moving through the shed with the downwind doors and transom hatch open I did not don my respirator which I normally wear. I don't take a decision like that lightly. I think I am pretty safety conscious about the work I do but the reality is today I would have had heat stroke.
Tomorrow we start sanding but with any luck this will be the final sanding before applying Interlux "Perfection" two part LPU finish paint. I imagine it will take two or three days to get the surfaces smooth enough.
Then, it was a simple repeat performance of the last coat--mix, allow 20 minutes of induction, mix in a maximum of 20 percent thinner and roll it on. It took about 3 1/2 hours to cover the locker hatches, companionway hatch, sea-hood, cabin sides, cockpit, and the topsides.
It was very hot today. I was soaked with sweat but much happier painting vice sanding in the heat. Because I was able to keep some air moving through the shed with the downwind doors and transom hatch open I did not don my respirator which I normally wear. I don't take a decision like that lightly. I think I am pretty safety conscious about the work I do but the reality is today I would have had heat stroke.
Tomorrow we start sanding but with any luck this will be the final sanding before applying Interlux "Perfection" two part LPU finish paint. I imagine it will take two or three days to get the surfaces smooth enough.
Applying the third coat of Interlux Epoxy Primekote.
The next day I begin final sanding in preparation for applying paint to the cabin sides, cockpit, and topsides. Even though the Primekote was applied only 18 hours earlier it was rock hard and very difficult to sand. I used two sanders, both electric, and both fitted with 220 grit. One is a new Dewalt RO and the other is my trusty Dewalt palm/finish sander. I started off at the starboard stern and worked towards the bow and then came down the port side. I stopped at about 8:15pm because it was almost dark. I worked up the starboard side first to stay in the shade. There was a good breeze blowing today but the temps were in the mid 90s in the shed. Very hot. I didn't quite make it to the end so I will have about two hours of sanding in the morning on the sunny side. Doesn't matter because as soon as I finish the topside I will move up onto the boat and start working on he cabin sides and it will be hot there anyway. I have considered rigging a grey tarp over part of the shed to create more shade inside. But, I think the wind will play havoc with it. Even though the cover is white plastic it sill gets pretty warm inside.
The end of another long day of sanding.
Update 1800 27 May 11: I went up on the boat this afternoon. The areas around the deck hatches, the companionway area, and the cockpit look very good. The gloss is superb and there are few if any visible brush marks. The vertical face of the port side cabin top has a number of curtains. It was in the sun. The vertical face of the starboard side cabin top looks very good. It was in the shade. Most of the cockpit was in the shade. My assessment is that the increasing heat in the shed (it gets warm up high as the heat rises) as well as the sun's UV warming of the deck, combined with our lack of experience on vertical surfaces were the culprits. New strategy: Divide the areas to be painted into smaller sections to manage the effect of the heat on the paints self-leveling capabilities. I will lightly sand a few blemishes in the cockpit tonight and we will repaint it and the area around the deck-hatches and companion way in the morning. I will more aggressively sand the cabin sides and hull top-sides on Sunday and we will repaint them early in the week.
The last couple of days have been hectic as we continue to race against the arriving heat and humidity of summer as well as summer family plans that have pushed us into a corner--get the boat painted now or wait till fall when the temps go down. We had planed on painting in April. However, a piece of hardware we had custom built and that need to have its mounting location faired before we could paint arrived six weeks later than expected. This is just another reminder of why we are so determined to keep the Far Reach simple and allow us to be as self-sufficient as possible.
With that said, we applied the first coat of Interlux Perfection after an exhausting week of sanding and prep work. I only finished sanding yesterday. After sanding, I vacuumed the outside of the boat and performed a solvent wipe down with 2333N. I performed another wipe down at 0600 and we started rolling about 0800 this morning.
Below are some more photos.
With that said, we applied the first coat of Interlux Perfection after an exhausting week of sanding and prep work. I only finished sanding yesterday. After sanding, I vacuumed the outside of the boat and performed a solvent wipe down with 2333N. I performed another wipe down at 0600 and we started rolling about 0800 this morning.
Below are some more photos.
First coat of "Perfection." Very glossy and wet looking.
The cream color on the decks is awlquik primer which will be covered by Kiwi-Grip non-skid.
29 May 11: Sanding is my life . . . AKA "It's easy to be hard and hard to be smart, but if you're stupid you better be hard."Yesterday morning I wiped the deck down at 0500 and at 0730 we painted the cockpit, companion way and hatch areas with a second coat of Interlux Perfection. They look pretty good. Our skills are better but the biggest reason for change is we got ahead of the heat. We spent one hour painting. By 0825 when we finished it was 87 degrees on the deck.
Yesterday afternoon I started sanding the topside to remove the curtains and brush marks. As soon as I started sanding the brush marks became more obvious due to the shine being removed from the tops dulling them which contrasted with the shiny troughs. What to do? Sanding more than I originally thought would be required seemed the only acceptable option. There was no way I could live with a finish like that. I spent the entire day today sanding down the remainder of the port side and also completed the starboard side and both sides of the cabin tops . . . it was like "ground-hog day." Even though the relatively fresh paint sanded much easier than the epoxy primer, there are still some brush marks. I am reluctant to sand any deeper because I don't want to sand off the primer and have to start over--that just might put me out on the ledge. My disappointment is too great to either describe or spend any energy being mad about. So far, the exterior priming and painting have been the only disappointment of the rebuilding of the Far Reach . . . everything else has gone swimmingly well. As I sanded away in the heat today sweating like a pig (at 1500 it was still 101 degrees on deck with both transom hatches and all the "barn-doors" open in the shed--I was having flashback to being in the Al Anbar province during August) I considered why this went bad. - I pushed too hard to stay on schedule -- when the gammon iron arrived 6 weeks later than expected I should have shifted the plan and moved the painting to the fall when the temps would acceptable. - I tried to paint in too much heat and humidity not really understanding the problems I would create. Sophisticated two part paints have very specific environmental requirements that should not be ignored. - I think we stroked (tipped) to far back into the previously painted surface not really understanding that it was too hot for the paint to have time to level out. - I tried to paint too much on the first day given the rising heat. This was exacerbated by trying to get the painting completed before upcoming family events which would preclude painting until the fall due to expectation that the summer heat will then be in full swing. - Our general lack of experience with rolling and tipping. Some might think I am being too hard on myself but I don't think so. I have never tried for perfect. I try for very good results in everything I undertake knowing full well that my skills would make perfect unobtainable and a monumental waste of my time and resources. Nonetheless, these are valuable mistakes that I hope not to make again. Also, only documenting the things that go well defeats the purpose of the website . . . it was expected that mistakes would be made. They need to be reported so others can benefit from them just as I have benefited from reading about the mistakes of others. I think it is generally true for most people that we lean more from the things that go wrong than from the things that go right. It's just human nature.
This evening I vacuumed and then wiped the boat down once again. I am undecided if I will attempt to paint in the morning . If I do, I will wipe the deck down at 0430 and start painting the cabin sides by 0630. It may well be that the painting will be put on hold till the fall.
Yesterday afternoon I started sanding the topside to remove the curtains and brush marks. As soon as I started sanding the brush marks became more obvious due to the shine being removed from the tops dulling them which contrasted with the shiny troughs. What to do? Sanding more than I originally thought would be required seemed the only acceptable option. There was no way I could live with a finish like that. I spent the entire day today sanding down the remainder of the port side and also completed the starboard side and both sides of the cabin tops . . . it was like "ground-hog day." Even though the relatively fresh paint sanded much easier than the epoxy primer, there are still some brush marks. I am reluctant to sand any deeper because I don't want to sand off the primer and have to start over--that just might put me out on the ledge. My disappointment is too great to either describe or spend any energy being mad about. So far, the exterior priming and painting have been the only disappointment of the rebuilding of the Far Reach . . . everything else has gone swimmingly well. As I sanded away in the heat today sweating like a pig (at 1500 it was still 101 degrees on deck with both transom hatches and all the "barn-doors" open in the shed--I was having flashback to being in the Al Anbar province during August) I considered why this went bad. - I pushed too hard to stay on schedule -- when the gammon iron arrived 6 weeks later than expected I should have shifted the plan and moved the painting to the fall when the temps would acceptable. - I tried to paint in too much heat and humidity not really understanding the problems I would create. Sophisticated two part paints have very specific environmental requirements that should not be ignored. - I think we stroked (tipped) to far back into the previously painted surface not really understanding that it was too hot for the paint to have time to level out. - I tried to paint too much on the first day given the rising heat. This was exacerbated by trying to get the painting completed before upcoming family events which would preclude painting until the fall due to expectation that the summer heat will then be in full swing. - Our general lack of experience with rolling and tipping. Some might think I am being too hard on myself but I don't think so. I have never tried for perfect. I try for very good results in everything I undertake knowing full well that my skills would make perfect unobtainable and a monumental waste of my time and resources. Nonetheless, these are valuable mistakes that I hope not to make again. Also, only documenting the things that go well defeats the purpose of the website . . . it was expected that mistakes would be made. They need to be reported so others can benefit from them just as I have benefited from reading about the mistakes of others. I think it is generally true for most people that we lean more from the things that go wrong than from the things that go right. It's just human nature.
This evening I vacuumed and then wiped the boat down once again. I am undecided if I will attempt to paint in the morning . If I do, I will wipe the deck down at 0430 and start painting the cabin sides by 0630. It may well be that the painting will be put on hold till the fall.
31 May 11: Time to attack in another direction.
Yesterday I woke up at 0430 and by headlamp wiped the deck of the Far Reach with solvent in order to start rolling and tipping by 0630. After the wipe-down I was drinking my morning coffee and reflecting on the difficulties of the past week. I was forced to admit that I would probably come unhinged if I had another painting disaster. It is apparent that we have simply passed through the spring time weather sweet-spot and to press ahead is to foolishly invite difficulties I don't want. Therefore, with great regret I decided to cease painting till the weather is more supportive--probably in the fall. Truthfully, it was a great let down to acknowledge that I was not going to accomplish this task before the summer. But it is what it is. We will take some time off and then reorient our efforts.
I suspect I will cut holes for the deck prisms, drill out the holes for the chain plates, and dinghy chalks, and return to installing the mahogany staving. There are lots of other projects. A little time off will be a good thing but I always have some trepidation when I stop work. There is risk when momentum is lost . . . especially after experiencing such an aggravating failure. Progress feeds motivation and continued initiative. Lack of progress creates apathy.
Yesterday I woke up at 0430 and by headlamp wiped the deck of the Far Reach with solvent in order to start rolling and tipping by 0630. After the wipe-down I was drinking my morning coffee and reflecting on the difficulties of the past week. I was forced to admit that I would probably come unhinged if I had another painting disaster. It is apparent that we have simply passed through the spring time weather sweet-spot and to press ahead is to foolishly invite difficulties I don't want. Therefore, with great regret I decided to cease painting till the weather is more supportive--probably in the fall. Truthfully, it was a great let down to acknowledge that I was not going to accomplish this task before the summer. But it is what it is. We will take some time off and then reorient our efforts.
I suspect I will cut holes for the deck prisms, drill out the holes for the chain plates, and dinghy chalks, and return to installing the mahogany staving. There are lots of other projects. A little time off will be a good thing but I always have some trepidation when I stop work. There is risk when momentum is lost . . . especially after experiencing such an aggravating failure. Progress feeds motivation and continued initiative. Lack of progress creates apathy.
Sanding off the Perfection and Starting Over (Oct 2011)
2 Oct 11What a week. I have been dreading the final sanding since last May but I think it is now complete. I was prepared for it to be much harder than it was after all that sanding last spring. Don't get me wrong, it was a lot of work . . . about 22 hours by my count. I did most of the sanding with the with a Dewalt VS RO sander. I had to go to 150 grit to make real progress (and I ended up sanding off all the Perfection). Then I went to 220 using both the palm sander and the RO sander. Next, I "spot" primed about 20 small areas where I had burned through the primer during sanding. I applied two coats of Interlux Prime-Kote. Finally, I sanded the entire boat--minus where the non-skid will be--with 320 by hand. I am always surprised by the amount of sandpaper required to sand the boat. I am guessing I used about 120 disks and many many sheets of 220 and 320 abrasive paper. I think the "no-load" paper that I buy at Mc-Master Carr is worth every penny.
This is after three days of sanding. I still had one more to go.
When sanding by hand, I normally use a 3M hard rubber block but instead I tried wrapping a 1/4 sheet of paper around one of those foam sanding blocks you can buy at Lowes. Because much of the areas I was sanding have a gentle curve I think it worked better than the hard block. Except for some early work on the boat I have pretty much gone to using a vacuum attached to the shop vac when I use a power sander. To be sure, it is a PITA to have the shop-vac on the deck and have it connected to the sander but it does a pretty good job of capturing most of the dust which helps save a lot of time in the clean up phase. This would be a wasted effort though when using the powerful DA RA sander. It would clog the filter in minutes. I think this is the fifth time I have sanded the entire boat and sometimes it seems like that is all I do. But, this time it seemed less difficult . . . probably because I have hired a professional boat painter to spray the topsides, cabin sides, and cockpit. It's one less thing I have to worry about. After finishing up today I the washed the boat and wiped it down with denatured alcohol. Tomorrow I will start masking the boat off.
Some folks ride a Harley. I like to sand--"Sand to live: Live to sand."
5 Oct 11I spent the past few days taping and masking the Far Reach. The work was enjoyable as we have had beautiful weather. It took me about three days to was and wipe the boat down, tape off all the edges, and then mask off everything that I don't want painted. I also built racks for the locker hatches to sit on so they can be painted. I had to sand and prep the hatches since they had been on a garage self since last spring. The best guide for taping/masking that I have seen is on Tim Lackey's site (click here for his taping of Circe). I used 3M 233 tape which is solvent resistant. I bought the tape from Jamestown Distributors or you can buy it at West Marine but you pay 30 percent more. It's important to get solvent resistant tape and masking paper as the boat will have to be wiped down with solvent after it is taped and the paint itself has powerful solvents in it. I found the solvent resistant paper at a local "Car Craft" auto parts store. The roll I bought was 17.5" wide and about 500' long--plenty of paper. It cost $14.00. The painter arrives tomorrow morning. He'll paint the cockpit and cabin sides with Awlgrip tomorrow then come back on Friday to paint the topsides. The weather forecast is perfect--high of 75 degrees with low humidity.
All taped up and ready for paint.
Below:
1. I used a quarter as a template for rounding the corners. After tracking the coin with a pencil, I cut along the line with a razor knife.
2. I think this give a nice tight radius.
3. I taped supports so the paper would have something to lay on. It doesn't matter that the hole surface does not get paint as it will be under the hatch flange.
4. It took a lot of sanding to get the boat back to where it was last spring when we failed in our attempt to roll and tip.
5. Looking aft.
6. I built racks for the sea locker hatches to sit on when they are painted. The windlass platfor and tiller post flange are sitting on the sea-hood.
7.I'll mask off the bottom paint before we paint the topsides.
7 Oct 11Finally, the Far Reach has her new Awlgrip paint. My initial assessment is that it came out fine . . . better than fine in fact. The painters, Bruce and Willard Mallard, owner and operators of "Dockside Marine Services" out of Beaufort, NC did an excellent job. It was obvious that they knew what they were doing. The finish of the paint looks perfectly smooth to my eye. They were very professional, organized, low key, and appeared to be highly competent. We chatted each morning when they arrived and I left them to their work. I wandered around feeling kind of odd since this is the first work performed on the Far Reach that I did not do. Even though I spent at least a hundred hours sanding the boat, performing extensive fairing, and rolling and tipping up to six coats of primer, it still felt weird knowing a significant project was being completed and I was not doing it. But I am not complaining. In fact, I could get use to it!
Starboard side looking aft. I am very pleased.
Below:
1. Starboard side of the cabin. There was a lot of repair work performed here. Looks very good.
2. There were 28 screw holes filled (they held on the eyebrow trim) on each side of the cabin above the portlights.
3. All the hatches and the seahood look this nice.
4. Port side looking aft.
5. Starboard side looking forward. No sign of the hull deck joint faring. I am pleased.
6. The cabin top was sprayed yesterday and masked off this morning to protect it from overspray before they painted the top sides this morning.
My number one concern was would the quality of my considerable fairing work, which was a necessary part of glassing the hull-deck joint together, be visible and look amateurish. With my eye just above deck level looking along the outer edge of the deck (the four inch wide strip where the Awlgrip was applied) a small amount of wash boarding is visible. I supposed that it's possible that it may have been there from the factory and hidden by the toe rail but it is likely it was a result of the extensive grinding, glass work, and fairing efforts on my part. Nonetheless, once the 5" high bulwark is installed I don't think it will be visible. What does please me, so far, is there is no sign whatsoever of the fairing on the vertical side of the hull . . . just a slight flair outward at deck level which looks completely natural to me. Yesterday afternoon, I did notice where I had spot primed in a few places around the portlights. I had been warned by Tim Lackey that spot fairing of primer is very difficult. He is right. Though I was very careful and sanded till I could feel no edge to the primer, I could just make it out in a few places under the slick wet look of the Awlgrip. Of course the correct thing would have been to shoot three more coats of primer before the Awlgrip was sprayed but that was not going to happen. I had sanded the boat six times and that was all the sanding I was going to do. "Perfection is the enemy of good enough." I am more than satisfied based on what I saw today.
They told me not to pull the tape till Sunday morning . . . I will have a closer look then
They told me not to pull the tape till Sunday morning . . . I will have a closer look then
9 Oct 11I removed the tape and the masking paper today. I am very satisfied with how the Awlgrip turned out (the most recent pictures are directly below). It's a lot of white but once the grey non-skid is applied, the hardware is bolted on, and bulwark is installed it will look great. I think it looks great now to be honest.
After pulling the tape and masking paper I cleaned up the inside of the boat. I spend about 45 minutes sanded down the inside of the cabin sides with some 320 grit paper thinking I would apply a couple of more coats of varnish this week in preparation for installing the portlights in the near future. But, then decided I would put the varnishing off till the overhead panels are installed. So, I sat down and made a list of the next dozen or so projects to be done and made up a list of supplies to order to keep everything on track. Tomorrow, I'll start installing the overhead insulation.
After pulling the tape and masking paper I cleaned up the inside of the boat. I spend about 45 minutes sanded down the inside of the cabin sides with some 320 grit paper thinking I would apply a couple of more coats of varnish this week in preparation for installing the portlights in the near future. But, then decided I would put the varnishing off till the overhead panels are installed. So, I sat down and made a list of the next dozen or so projects to be done and made up a list of supplies to order to keep everything on track. Tomorrow, I'll start installing the overhead insulation.
Below:
1. All the cream colored areas will be grey nonskid.
2. I am pretty pleased with how the awlgrip turned out. I am looking forward to getting the hatches installed.
3. Those are not ripples or waves in the paint but the reflection of the shed cover in the paint.
4. It is very difficult to see where I spot primed around the portlights. I could not find them unless I laid down on the deck and worked to get the light just right. I am more than satisfied.
5. I am very pleased with the propane locker hatch assembly I made last year.
6. There were four or five holes in the transom area. It looks perfectly smooth. I'll install the Cape Horn Windvane soon.
7. The paint is much shinier than I had expected.
Applying Kiwigrip Non-Skid Deck Paint
For the past week my older brother and younger sister have been visiting. There are five of us and we are all very close. Anyway, no one gets away from here without contributing to the Far Reach. My brother led the effort to build saw-horses for mast work that will come later. The saw horses needed to be built at some point so now I don't have to do it later and we had fun working together. Thanks Brad. After my brother headed home, my sister Tricia stayed on a little longer. I guess some people are just gluttons for punishment. Tricia and I started sailing together when she was eight or nine years old. She plays second fiddle to no one though. She has helped deliver sailboats back to southern California from Cabo San Lucas and Hawaii. She also used to own a West Sail 32, so, she is pretty comfortable around sailboats and she's also a retired San Diego Fire Captain. Did I mention we can be competitive? Ha! Anyway, together we taped and sanded the deck in preparation for applying Kiwigrip non-skid deck paint. We started by washing the boat with soap and water. We left the boat to dry overnight. Next day, I wiped it down with Interlux 202 degreaser. I used the two rag method. Yes, I wore a full respirator and multiple gloves on each hand peeling them off as they melted. This is nasty stuff. Next, we taped with 3M 233. It took the whole day. Next day, we started sanding. I used a RO sander with 80 grit to sand down all the locker hatches, cabin top, and deck. We hand sanded along the tape edge with folded 80 grit so as not to destroy the tape. We taped over any areas that looked damaged. It took the whole day, but the boat is ready for painting. Thanks Tricia.
Taped, sanded, and ready for the first coat of Kiwigrip non-skid deck paint.
The first coat of Kiwigrip non-skid deck paint is down. It's supposed to be a one coat paint but the fact of the matter is that unless the color you are applying it over is the same as the Kiwigrip you may get some "see through" to the underlying deck color. Based on the manufacturer's instructions I would have unwittingly applied it as a single coat paint but Tim Lackey ran some tests and recommends laying down a thin base coat with a short nap mohair roller, letting it dry overnight, and applying the textured coat the next day. For more info on his experience click here. Tim has high standards and I always feel safe following his experienced advice. As much as I hate taking more time to finish the boat, I hate it even more when I have to spend the time twice because I didn't get it right the first time.
First coat of Kiwigrip applied. I have been looking at the primered deck for more than two years!
The first coat looks great. Now, if I can only remember to clean the camera lens!
The trick with Kiwigrip is pulling the tape. You have to pull it right after you roll the paint . . . or in a very short time afterwards. The paint is so thick, if you try to pull it after it has dried the tape will tear and then you have to remove it with an razor blade. Bet Tim Lackey's test revealed you can get a clean pull on the tape if the first coat is applied thin and the tape is pulled right after applying the second coat the next day. I use the same tape he does (3M 233) so I felt safe following his advice. But, because I like to know more about why I am doing something, yesterday I replicated his tests. My sister and I removed the cockpit lockers and companionway hatch slide and seahood. We previously taped and sanded them and then I applied the kiwigrip as a single part to two of them. I could see what Tim was talking about. When I looked closely I could just see the creamy colored Awlgrip primer peeking through where the heavily textured roller nap pressed down on the deck. So, I applied a smooth base coat to the other three hatches and let them dry overnight. This morning, I applied a thick coat of Kiwigrip over the base coat and rolled it with the "loopy-goopy" roller that comes with the paint and attempted to pull the tape. It came away cleanly. With that experience, Gayle and I went ahead and rolled a smooth base coat over the cabin top, cockpit, and deck. It did not take much paint and I purposely kept it thin. All I wanted to do was to add a matching color undercoat to make the top coat provide thorough coverage. Reading the instructions and the information from Tim Lackey there is no prep work required for the second coat. Just roll it on. Hopefully, tomorrow will see this project behind me. My sister flew home this morning. It was great having her here to help out with the sanding and taping. Where were you when I was grinding fiberglass?
10 Apr 13The deck paint is complete. We applied the second coat of Kiwigrip today. The temperature was about 75 F. It took about four hours not including lunch. There were no problems with pulling the tape after laying the base coat yesterday, leaving the tape in place, and applying the full textured second coat today. I am glad we followed Tim Lackey's recommendation and laid down a separate base coat first. It made a big difference in how quickly, easily, and thoroughly the second coat went down. As far as I can tell from the limited time I had to look at the deck, there appears to be zero "peek-through" of the cream colored deck primer beneath it. This is no small thing as you have to work quickly to apply the paint and get the tape up before the thick coat dries and it dries very quickly in temperatures above 60F. If you have a lot of time to paint and are working in small sections with good light you might be able to get good coverage with a single coat. We used about 1 2/3 gallon, which is a little less than I thought we would.
The deck looks great.
A couple of additional thoughts. Even though we practiced on the hatches yesterday, I think we still laid it down a little thin on the cabin top till we determined that was what we were doing. I could tell the texture was changing and I was not sure why till I realized we were not putting it down as thick. Also, you really have to think through your strategy of where to start and finish each surface area to be painted--it is tough to maintain a wet edge on such a big deck with out "paint breaks". Most production boats have paint grids with gelcoat separating them. I eliminated those when we resurfaced the decks because they looked too cookie cutter to my eyes. But, we also lost the ability to easily paint separate sections. All the cabin top gets covered at one time. The cockpit can be done in section as it has a paint grid due to the locker lids. Then, we ate lunch. Next, we started on the deck. As I mentioned, there was no place to stop when painting the cabin top of the deck so each has to be painted completely without a chance to stop. We started at the front of the cabin top and worked aft pulling the tape as we went. I established "paint breaks" in the fore and aft tape lines when I taped so that helped. We painted back for a few feet and quickly pulled the tape along both sides of the cabin top till we arrived at the aft end of the cabin top. For the deck we started at the stern and painted around the port side to the bow then back down the starboard side till we joined where we started. We painted and pulled the deck tape from the scaffolding as we moved along. It was not difficult. Gayle laid the paint on and spread it out and I rolled with the "loopy goopy" roller. We moved along side by side and when we got to a "paint break" I passed the roller to her and she slowly kept applying paint and rolling it out while I went back and pulled the tape up to the break. Then, we continued on till we came to the next paint break. That ensured we kept a wet edge. There was a little concern about the difficulty of pulling the tape since we laid a thin base coat down yesterday and left the tape in place. But it was a non-issue. We had a half dozen small tears--mostly operator error--but we had some dental picks on hand and they were outstanding at grabbing those recalcitrant strips. The dental picks were also useful to lift up the edge of the tape to start removing it. Instead of using a plastic bag to place the used tape into we used a one foot x one foot cardboard box. It worked very well. I'll be able to walk on the deck tomorrow without shoes and it is supposed to be fully cured in about a week. I am very pleased with the ease of applying the Kiwigrip. The grey color is perfect. Not too dark and not too light. The clean up was easy as well. It remains to be seen how durable it is but at this point I am happy to have this protect in the "completed" category. And one last thing. With the Awlgrip paint and new deck paint, the Far Reach looks like a brand new boat.
Below:
1. With the base coat we laid down yesterday there is no sign of the cream colored primer peek through.
2. I don't have any white grid lines along the deck to assist in painting in sections. Team work is essential.
3. With careful masking the paint was easy to lay down right up to the stanchion bases.
4. The final coat took about four hours.
5. The holes in the foredeck are for the windlass. The green tape and number help to line up the bowsprit heel cup but I am ready to remove it.
6. We chose a texture that we think we have good non skid properties but not be uncomfortabe to sit or lay on.
7. These are inexpensive dental picks. I bought them at a local auto supply store. They were a huge help in removing the tape, especially in the few places we had some tearing of the tape.
After completing the painting of the deck I started varnishing the cabinet doors and frames. It will take about 10-14 days to for this project as I had to tape off the panels to varnish the rails and stiles. When I have 4-5 coats I'll' tape off the rails and stiles an varnish the panels. That will prevent a heavy coat of varnish from covering the slot in which the panels float. When complete I will remove the tape and then apply one coat over the whole cabinet door. It takes longer to do it that way but that is the right way other wise the varnish will crack as the panel tries to expand and contract under numerous layers of varnish. While the varnishing project is being completed I'll work on shelves, trim, the mast step and deck plate, and I'll also apply grey Interlux Bilge-Kote paint to select parts of the bilge that have not yet been painted, etc.
To the right are "before" and "after" pictures of the deck. I think it is very illustrative of how far we have come and how much better the boat looks now than when we started. Later, after the trim is installed I'll add a page of just before and after pictures. I am very pleased with what we have been able to accomplish. I can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
To the right are "before" and "after" pictures of the deck. I think it is very illustrative of how far we have come and how much better the boat looks now than when we started. Later, after the trim is installed I'll add a page of just before and after pictures. I am very pleased with what we have been able to accomplish. I can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
The hardware has pretty much been removed. This is the orignal paint. Note all the instrument holes in the back of the cabin and right side of foot well. The white squares on the deck are where I replaced damaged deck core before I started the website.
Each time I go up on the boat I get a great big smile. I am very pleased. Note that we filled all the holes on the aft end of the cabin and the cockpit foot well. There is absolutely no sign the holes were ever there.
Lettering the Boat Name
Until today, I had never lettered a boat name. In the past, I had them painted on. I originally wanted the name applied in gold leaf with a navy blue outline like the classic S&S yacht Dorade, but no one in this area does that. Moore Marine, near here, that restores the high-end Trumpy yachts, apparently flies a painter in from Miami to letter their boats. That, plus the outrageous cost, pretty much ruled that plan out! I was forced to consider vinyl letters.
I used the practice letters, with the paper still on them, to work on the layout spacing.
This picture looks a little washed out. The letters are dark blue and match the paint on the bulwarks.
I visited a local sign shop that turned out to be terrific to work with. Ralph Nitt, the owner of Ralph's Sign Shop, in Morehead City, NC letters a lot of boats. He was very professional. He spent considerable time looking at pictures of the transom and then helping me pick the letter style I was looking for. I wanted something elegant but not overstated. Something with a classic look that fit the Far Reach. Once I settled on the font--Arabic Typesetting for the name and Empire BT for the homeport-- he spent a lot of time explaining to me how to apply the letters. He made me a couple sets of practice letters for working the layout. It took a couple hours each day for two days to complete the job. The first day, I fiddled around with the layout for a while and left it on for a day or so to see how it looked. The first attempt, with the letters just taped on, made it clear that I needed to provide more space between the letters as the name looked pinched in. I ended up extending the name out about four or five more inches than depicted in the first photo. When it was time to apply the letters I followed the technique Ralph explained to me. I washed the transom to make sure it was clean and dry. I filled a spray bottle with a few drops of Dawn dish washing liquid and about 30 oz of water. I used the practice letters (cut individually) to check the alignment by taping them in position. I used a lead pencil to make positioning marks. The, I practice applying some of the practice letters and pulled them off before they "set" . . . a couple of minutes. When I was ready for the permanent letters, I cut them from the long template so I had individual letters but I left the paper square around the letters, in other words, I did not trim the paper down to the letter shape itself as the letters would be too difficult to position without getting distorted. I used a grease pencil to make final positioning marks, then peeled the paper off exposing the sticky side of the letter, but with the paper backing still in place, sprayed the sticky side down with the water, sprayed the spot on the transom, and then applied the letter. The water, with the tiny amount of soap added, allowed me to gently move the letters, with the paper backing still on, as required to check the alignment. I had time to step back and see if it "looked right." Once I was sure the letter was positioned the way I wanted, I used a plastic squeegee to gently stroke the letter and the paper backing flat. Then, I gently pulled the paper backing off the letter leaving just the final vinyl letter in place. Ralph explained that using the water allowed me time to move the letter and eliminate bubbles from under the vinyl letters. Next, I removed the pencil and grease pencil marks with a paper towel wetted with acetone. Simple. The hailing port was actually the trickiest part as the hull slopes in and curves curves forward yet I wanted the hailing port to be level and vertical. I used a laser level to get the level line and a small plastic right triangle to ensure the letters were plumb to the laser line. Nonetheless, the application technique for the hailing port was the same as for the name. I am very pleased with the results. Our girl finally has her name.