I've been awake for quite a while, I could hear you guys talking about me. I just didn't want to get out of bed!
Anyway, it's been four years now since that repair was done. Still holding strong and looking good. Very happy with it.
South African "Catalina" 22
- Thread starter greg_m
- Start date
I've been awake for quite a while, I could hear you guys talking about me. I just didn't want to get out of bed!
Anyway, it's been four years now since that repair was done. Still holding strong and looking good. Very happy with it.
LOL!!!!! Knew you'd have a good comeback!I've been awake for quite a while, I could hear you guys talking about me. I just didn't want to get out of bed!
Anyway, it's been four years now since that repair was done. Still holding strong and looking good. Very happy with it.
Ongoing work inside the cockpit: after allowing the epoxy to harden for a couple of days (actually it rained for two days!) I could continue with the work. Removed all the strongback pieces used to secure the plywood to the side walls of the cockpit, sanded back all the rough spots, cleaned all surfaces with acetone in preparation to fill the low spots and fillet in all the corners nice and round with "peanut butter" mixture.
Sounds all easy and quick but it took another couple of days worth of after normal workday hours! Next job to do is to sand off all the high spots and glass filaments sticking up and then apply a few layers of laminate to cover the join area overlapping onto the original side walls area.
Pictures taken with the wide angle lens on my LG G6 cellphone!
Sounds all easy and quick but it took another couple of days worth of after normal workday hours! Next job to do is to sand off all the high spots and glass filaments sticking up and then apply a few layers of laminate to cover the join area overlapping onto the original side walls area.
Pictures taken with the wide angle lens on my LG G6 cellphone!
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The wind forecast for the last weekend was South Easterlies in excess of 35 knots... no prospects of sailing however excellent for sanding down the decks and blowing away the fiber glass and gel coat dust!
The the mammoth task was set about after work on Friday last. I started in the cockpit sole and side walls area with the DA sander on 60 grit which soon became 40 grit which then became the belt sander on 80 grit and soon became 40 grit... out of slow progress / frustration I whipped out the angle grinder and the sanding discs... 36 grit! Now we were talking but man the dust... I soon looked like a snowman in the blazing summer sun! I was very surprised at how hard and tough the raised bumps anti-skid pattern on the deck was and how it just chowed away at the sanding discs and belts.
I then started with a small section on the port aft deck to see how the anti slip gel coat bumps would react to the angle grinder and the type of surface left after. I did not want to patch a whole lot of gouged out areas! With lots of control, a light touch and slowly does it I then proceeded to to tackle the rest of the deck... started at around 9 am on Saturday morning and did not stop until it was done just after 1pm. A grueling 4 hours of non-stop grinding! This I then followed up using the DA sander on 40 grit sanding the whole deck area and coach roof area until around 4pm. To say I was a little bit knackered, a whole lot sun burned and certainly a little more than thirsty is putting it mildly!
My friend came over to help with stripping the blue paint off the smooth areas using paint stripper chemical and a scraper. That was a very big help indeed. Unfortunately the grinding fumes got the better of him and he called it a day late morning time!
Saturday was ended with a swim in the local sea tidal pool, a couple of beers and a barbeque braai South African style!
Was hoping to continue on Sunday but the wind died and left a most beaut day that was way too hot and way to nice to sand decks and scrape paint!
Photos from what she was to what she is now...
The end goal is white decks and coach roof with grey non-skid.
The the mammoth task was set about after work on Friday last. I started in the cockpit sole and side walls area with the DA sander on 60 grit which soon became 40 grit which then became the belt sander on 80 grit and soon became 40 grit... out of slow progress / frustration I whipped out the angle grinder and the sanding discs... 36 grit! Now we were talking but man the dust... I soon looked like a snowman in the blazing summer sun! I was very surprised at how hard and tough the raised bumps anti-skid pattern on the deck was and how it just chowed away at the sanding discs and belts.
I then started with a small section on the port aft deck to see how the anti slip gel coat bumps would react to the angle grinder and the type of surface left after. I did not want to patch a whole lot of gouged out areas! With lots of control, a light touch and slowly does it I then proceeded to to tackle the rest of the deck... started at around 9 am on Saturday morning and did not stop until it was done just after 1pm. A grueling 4 hours of non-stop grinding! This I then followed up using the DA sander on 40 grit sanding the whole deck area and coach roof area until around 4pm. To say I was a little bit knackered, a whole lot sun burned and certainly a little more than thirsty is putting it mildly!
My friend came over to help with stripping the blue paint off the smooth areas using paint stripper chemical and a scraper. That was a very big help indeed. Unfortunately the grinding fumes got the better of him and he called it a day late morning time!
Saturday was ended with a swim in the local sea tidal pool, a couple of beers and a barbeque braai South African style!
Was hoping to continue on Sunday but the wind died and left a most beaut day that was way too hot and way to nice to sand decks and scrape paint!
Photos from what she was to what she is now...
The end goal is white decks and coach roof with grey non-skid.
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Cockpit sole and drains update: Based on input from various sources and going with what my little sailing partner, Ulrich, suggested I am going with long horizontal oval slots for the cockpit drains. Different and actually looks quite spiffy!
Trying to get all the sanding work and prep work done before tackling the big job of laying down fiber glass mat across all the flat surfaces of the deck, coach roof and the cockpit sole and cock pit sidewalls and the transom inner wall.
Trying to get all the sanding work and prep work done before tackling the big job of laying down fiber glass mat across all the flat surfaces of the deck, coach roof and the cockpit sole and cock pit sidewalls and the transom inner wall.
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Cockpit drains update: Ok so I got home from work yesterday and decided to complete the cockpit drains before it rains again this week. This involved "machining" out the oval slots to correct dimensions that look ok as well as bringing the holes down to cockpit floor level, cutting in a recess groove around the holes between inner and outer laminate to fill with thickened resin to seal the plywood laminate.
About 20-something years ago now I picked up a high speed steel cutting tool for machining the piston ring wear down ridge on the cylinder liners of our large 2-stroke main engines. This has to be done before pulling out the piston. I f not done the piston rings jam on the ridge and you can end up lifting the entire cylinder liner and piston with the engine room crane! Once the seals are disturbed the liner has to come out as well! What should have been a simple 4 hour piston rings replacement job turns into a 10 hour entire unit job! So this little tool being used correctly machines down the ridge on a cast iron cylinder liner to save a lot of effort, time and money!
It still cuts like a demon after all these years and I have abused it for years on all sorts of materials from steel all they way through to wood! This tool was excellent for cutting out and shaping the slots. Still need to finish off edges to soft round shape and redo paint where needed.
Overall I think the cockpit mod has worked out quiet well. The cockpit floor being deeper somehow makes it feel bigger and more secure when standing as well as more comfortable on my long legs when seated. The one drain slot is a larger in opening area than the two original drains put together. The slots fit into a 75mm by 35mm rectangle. So there is plenty of outflow capacity in my view.
About 20-something years ago now I picked up a high speed steel cutting tool for machining the piston ring wear down ridge on the cylinder liners of our large 2-stroke main engines. This has to be done before pulling out the piston. I f not done the piston rings jam on the ridge and you can end up lifting the entire cylinder liner and piston with the engine room crane! Once the seals are disturbed the liner has to come out as well! What should have been a simple 4 hour piston rings replacement job turns into a 10 hour entire unit job! So this little tool being used correctly machines down the ridge on a cast iron cylinder liner to save a lot of effort, time and money!
It still cuts like a demon after all these years and I have abused it for years on all sorts of materials from steel all they way through to wood! This tool was excellent for cutting out and shaping the slots. Still need to finish off edges to soft round shape and redo paint where needed.
Overall I think the cockpit mod has worked out quiet well. The cockpit floor being deeper somehow makes it feel bigger and more secure when standing as well as more comfortable on my long legs when seated. The one drain slot is a larger in opening area than the two original drains put together. The slots fit into a 75mm by 35mm rectangle. So there is plenty of outflow capacity in my view.
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Looking good! A vast improvement, IMO.
The scuppers are enormous, aesthetically pleasing, and unlike mine, they sit flush with the floor - so you won't have that perpetual little puddle of dirty water at the aft end of the cockpit floor, like I do. I wish I had thought of that when doing mine!
I'm sure I would like the extra depth in the cockpit, too. Bigger and more secure, just like you said.
The scuppers are enormous, aesthetically pleasing, and unlike mine, they sit flush with the floor - so you won't have that perpetual little puddle of dirty water at the aft end of the cockpit floor, like I do. I wish I had thought of that when doing mine!
I'm sure I would like the extra depth in the cockpit, too. Bigger and more secure, just like you said.
Just a little note to say that this thread will go quiet for about two weeks... leaving on Sunday for the island of Mauritius with my family and grand children to celebrate my 50th birthday, 22 November! Definitely no hard work on the cards for next two weeks, lots of sailing, snorkeling and cocktails on the beach is on the agenda! 
Hi guys n gals... back from a very nice holiday in Mauritius with my family. Busy putting a video together so will share when it's done.
On the boat side of things I have had to really push myself to get motivated after the holiday... but have at least started to make progress by removing all the old blue paint off the coach roof and cockpit sides and coamings. Unfortunately this is just exposing all the rotten gelcoat which is probably not helping my motivation levels
On the boat side of things I have had to really push myself to get motivated after the holiday... but have at least started to make progress by removing all the old blue paint off the coach roof and cockpit sides and coamings. Unfortunately this is just exposing all the rotten gelcoat which is probably not helping my motivation levels
The week I just spent in Mauritius... work precluded me from taking a longer holiday.
Okay perhaps your understanding of holiday is different to the UK based English understanding of the term holiday... R&R, going on leave, taking a break, vacation are other similar phrases!
We call that a "Vacation" here in the states. If you take time off and just stay home, it is a "Staycation"
Holiday is reserved for sanctioned days off. (Independence Day, New Years Day, Christmas, etc)
