Launching on Wednesday!

   Finally, after two months of work, we are ready to launch. All the key external work has been completed that we need to accomplish in the boatyard. Now it will be off to the "fitting out" berth for work on the deck and teak and hatches and systems, etc.  Expect another couple months of work required before we are ready to head out cruising again.

   We had some "help" finishing up the bottom paint. Sue put on the final 3rd coat along the waterline and Reed, who's here for the week, helped put some extra paint on the rudder where the propwash wears on it.

   Meanwhile, I cleaned and polished the hull on Sunday and waxed it on Monday.  We removed the boot stripe tape Sunday after finishing the water line bottom painting. The lines look pretty good and the new boot stripe is a big improvement over my last attempt. 

   This year we are trying out PropSpeed on the prop as I was able to get a good deal on a supply of PropSpeed. We'll see if the anti-fouling performance of PropSpeed is worth the price. I dont think it can ever be worth the retail price.  The best anti-fouling is to not let the boat sit at the pier for extended periods - that's going to be my goal now (once we have all systems go for cruising).

      We launch on Wednesday. Hopefully the engine will start and run properly. We'll check out the new cutlass bearing and stuffing box work by the yard and make sure all is working properly. Then its repositioning back to Dare Marina for final fitting out if all goes well this week.

   

Almost Ready to Launch

Making steady progress, but it will be a few more days before launching.  Yesterday we finished undercoating at the waterline and under the jackstands.

   Today we got the first coat of final bottom paint applied as the local temp went up to 105 degrees. Fortunately we were working in the shade of the hull, and it only takes a couple hours to get a full coat applied.

 

    The first coat is now done.  Tomorrow we will apply Prop-Speed to the prop while we allow the bottom paint to dry thoroughly, then Thursday a second coat of bottom paint.   Then its just the final cleaning and waxing the hull over the weekend. Should be ready to launch early next week.

     Meanwhile, we checked off another task, finishing 4 coats of Cetol on the companionway entrance and washboards.  Looks good.

   

    

Boot Stripe Finished

     Boot stripe finally finished. I didn't realize it was going to be such a job  (actually, I knew it was going to be difficult given that I was trying to get it as perfect as the original professional job). It came out much better than my first attempt several years ago (tried to paint when it was 100degs outside - big mistake).   We rolled and tipped as a team of two, using Interlux Primecoat and 333 brushing thinner.

     Our main challenge was covering up the white primer paint underneath. It took 3 coats (thinned to ensure they flowed properly) to cover the white. I later saw the professionals mix a little topcoat with the primer to make it light blue and easier to cover.  I also had difficulty avoiding runs under the thru-hulls, which require sanding out (exposing the white primer again) and a challenge blending in with the existing paint.   Now we'll let it dry couple days, then tape off and bring the bottom paint up to the edge.

   While we wait for the paint to dry harder, its on to the next project...

Slow and Steady

  We're making slow but steady progress getting the hull back in shape. The boot stripe takes a good deal of prep work and then at least two coats of final polyurethane.

    After a week of sanding, priming, and resanding - then taping off - then 3 trips to West Marine to get the right paint and paint brush, we are ready to apply the first coat of polyurethane. Sue rolls the paint on and I "tip" it with the brush. You have to get just the right amount of thinner for the temperature and sun conditions. We had to guess with a dab of thinner. I'm not sure we ever got it right until just at the end of the port side which was in the shade.

   Here's a couple pictures of the port side, all primed up and sanded and ready to be painted.

Here's the port side with one coat of boot stripe paint. We'll add the second coat tomorrow.  The stern section came out excellent, The front has some clear brush marks that need to be sanded. Good news is that it looks great from a distance.

While waiting for the paint to dry between coats (takes 24hrs), there is time to start working on some more of the teak. I removed the two locker covers from the cockpit which I could take home and work on. Here is the original condition (one original and one stripped, then one sanded). I then had to clean and bleach them with teak treatment (no photos of that).

   And, here is what they look like in the final form.