BYYB Forums

Ahh, it sure feels good to be back at the boat work once again. It's been a real pain not being able to roll her out, de-rig her, and do anything. Of course, no boating season would start right if there wasn't the odd surprise. My jack-stand lowered itself a few inches over the winter, and when I tried to raise it back up, the whole thing dropped all the way to the bottom. Good thing it didn't happen while I was under it messing with the axle, or I'd have got a real shock.

Anyway, once out of the garage, the first thing I did was give her a bath, getting rid of last seasons gunk, grime and dirt ... not to mention bug splatter along the front of the cabin. After that, I made note of the areas that the hose caused water to enter the various cavities of the boat, where, how, and how much water, so I can seal it all up.

Once dry and clean, I started taking stock of the abuse the poor girl's been suffering in a state of not quite done usage, and looked over areas where the pain't been abused more than normal, especially on deck with the occasional rigging or tie down rub.

Next, I emptied out everything, removed all the lines, mast, boom, gaff, bowsprit, trailboards, etc., and got her to more or less bare hull, and commenced the work on beautification. Light sanding to prep for new paint along most of the hull, heavy sanding where things got really ugly, especially where I rushed things at the stem and stern in order to get on the water, and a light sanding along the deck to prep for more paint and non-skid.

At this rate, I should be ready for more paint next weekend or perhaps the weekend after depending on weather, since we may have rain next weekend.

I've still got to make a proper cabin hatch, and a few more enclosures for my cockpit storage, and get some caulking for sealing the windows too. For some it may seem frustrating to have that much work to do, but ah, it's bliss to me.

Glad to hear you are back at it Stuart! So, are you going to make it to Pymatuning in June for CABBS week? I will be there the second weekend (and only for one night). I haven't yet gotten to see your Weekender on the water. Also, I am hoping that Jim will be sailing in his new Kingston 15'. I need to clear out one side of my garage and organize so I can start working on my next boat.

Lets put it this way ... I'd better make it.

After stripping all the rigging and hardware from the boat, lightly sanding the sides, smoothing some areas along the stem where I rushed things to get on the water, and began preping for a repaint, I took a good look underneath after shifting the boat on the trailer so I could see where the bunks rest. Good thing, it's down to glass there, all the paint's either gone or thoroughly blistered since I rushed the drying time. Same thing where the rollers sit too. I'm pulling her off the trailer this weekend, cleaning up the bottom and getting ready to paint the whole.

Before I paint, I've got to get some measurements for the various parts I haven't built yet so that I can continue woodworking while things set up. I've got a page long list of things to do ... granted, most of them aren't truly essential for sailing, but they sure would be nice, since my poor boat's been an almost complete but sailing weekender for two seasons now.

The only thing really stopping me from bringing her along is about $400 in car maintenance I'll need before then ... I'll find out this weekend if the tax man'll be kind again.

Either way, I'll manage to be there for the weekend you'll be in town for sure, and hopefully for the week before as well. I need a real vacation this summer rather than a weekend here or there, and Pymatuning is the perfect spot to relax, unwind, and work on those novice sailing skills.

By the way, how long is ideal to wait for the paint to dry before throwing a boat back on the trailer, and following that, dunking her? ... the last two times I've retouched obviously weren't adequate ... lets see, about 3 days after the paint was on origionally, and then off to the lake, about 12 hours after the retouch, and off to the lake, and most recently, about 4 hours and off for a long drive, and a weekend in the water last summer. I just can't seem to be patient when it comes to staying off the water.

Bye for now

If you are using a standard latex paint be warned that although it is dry to the touch quickly it can take up to 30 days to fully cure and get hard. That's one reason I've changed to "rust paints" - they have an opaque pigment and dry fairly quickly to a hard surface - many less touchups required now.

Read the can carefully - it should tell you.

Stuart, I too have gone to rustolium paint for my topsides. The latex is OK but doesn't hold up well to the traffic and it tends to soak up suntan oils real bad. My hull is still lated however. She should set a FULL 24 hours before recoat and at least a week after that to the trailer. The second coat retards the complete drying of the first coat. Always use thin coats for latex. I repainted min this spring and have chipped a bunch off mesing with the top mast and new rig. Now all I need is some new sails and touch up on the paint.I

would sure love to see some photos of your completed and rigged boat

Hey there, thanks for the tips. Can you use a wagner spray gun with rust paints? I picked one up after my last touch up coats last year, but haven't had a chance to use it yet.

Craig, as soon as she's respectable I'll get some pics somehow. My digital still hasn't been replaced, so it's film for now. At the moment, I'm in awe of how many things I haven't gotten arround to yet. I've finally conceded defeat on the schooner rig as well, so I'm removing almost all signs of that experiment from her ... aft chainplates are still installed, but cut flush to rubrail height now, since I can't get behind the seatbacks anymore and the backing blocks were only throughbolted, not glued and screwed when I rushed to get them in.

She's still a fine boat, and a good sloop is better than a very poor schooner, so I'm still happy. Glad I kept the boat capable of being switched back and forth though.

Stu I have never seen a single handed schooner. Too much to do in too little time. It would seem to be even worse on smaller boats where it was hard to get around. I suspect on your size it could be done, but what a lot of different rigging it would take.