4 major tasks to complete before launching. what first?

[luvitt]

I have been restoring an 86 40' hunter legend for about a year now. I am determined to launch in april. I have four major tasks to complete before April 1st. They are:

1. Get the 44hp yanmar started (not too worried about it, just needs complete minor maintenance)

2. bottom paint. I have 4 gallons of cuprikote.

3. step the mast. Mast is prepped and almost ready. Im waiting on new sheaves to arrive, and i can step it anytime.

4. Wash & wax hull. heavily oxidized. i did a test area, and it looks good.

What order would you do these things in? Im not too worried about the engine, as I still have a lot of other minor/cosmetic work & rigging work to do before I start sailing anyway. I could wait on the engine until its in the water. I would rather have a floating condo than have it sit in the boatyard any longer (14 months so far).

should i wax before or after bottom paint?

any other things to think about before launching? im gonna check all seacocks and already know im gonna replace a few.

Thanks

 

[Stu Jackson]

What the heck difference does it make?

The only thing you can leave until last is the hull wax which could conceiveably be done in the water. All the rest are kinda, it would seem, required.

 

[luvitt]

Re: What the heck difference does it make?

I was thinking i could leave the engine til last (in the water), step the mast first. wash & wax before bottom painting so it doesnt wash any paint off, and bottom paint the week before I launch. am i thinking wrong?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Re: What the heck difference does it make?

I'd want the engine to be working before I splashed. If you can get water to the rw intake and use Maine Sail's bucket process then fine. But only you know what ya got to work with. Washing after bottom paint is on should not be a problem, and just be careful with the wax at the line between the hull and the paint. Doesn't matter when the mast goes in and some do it after the boat's in the water - we don't know what your yard is capable of. That's why I said it doesn't matter, or maybe should have also said, we just don't know what ya got!

 

[higgs]

I personally like to get the hull waxed before I go in. I find it harder to wax it from a dinghy. When you apply a bit of elbow grease from the dinghy, you push yourself away from the hull.

Bottom and wax job probably don't matter. I have always painted first as it is a messier job and I like to get it done and out of the way.

In my experience, masts go on with the boat in the water. Every marina I have seen has the mast crane located at the haulout slip and this is generally how they do it.

I don't start my engine until I am in the water, nor do I do my filters, etc until I have it running first. That way, if I replace filters or mess with something and then it doesn't run, I can be certain that the problem is probably limited to the work I had just done which narrows down what to look for.

 

[Hermit Scott]

If you are going to use a product like mary kate's on and off gel, I suggest you use that before you bottom paint. On and off worked great on my 1979 in making the topsides very white. However the chemecal in it eats bottom paint so you have to careful.

 

[William12213]

This is not a hard one...you have two months. You know that in a couple days you can wash the boat and wax it with ease. Besides this is a much easier job on the hard. It is easiest to put the mast in when you put the boat in the water (at least at my boat yard that is the way it is). Even if you want to do it now, it will only take a day to get it in and rig it. Bottom paint is pretty straight forward. I did my 36' in 2 and half hours and put two coats on it. So that leaves the engine....only you know what it needs but that could take the most work depending on what happens when you turn it over. If you have to order parts that will take some time also. So I think the I would start with a cold beer and mull this all over next I would fire the engine up....I mean if it goes the way you think it will go you are not talking much time. Then I would get to washing and waxing followed by bottom paint. Next comes the mast (and you are waiting on parts) then splash!!!! You are living on a sailboat by April.

That is just the way I would do it and lord knows I have been wrong before (just ask my wife). Good luck and most of all have fun

 

[CalebD]

If your marina uses a land based crane then the mast will go up before the boat gets into the travellift (if they use one). If they have a crane by the dock you will use that to step the mast once in the water. It is more about what they are set up for and the way they do things then the way YOU want it done. Go with the flow on this one.

In terms of hull vs bottom, which to do first I would suggest you work your way from the highest point on down; so decks and free board first. The rationale here is that you don't want to do the bottom paint and then spill hull cleaner on it once it is applied - you don't want to get bottom paint on your nicely waxed upper surfaces either so taping off is important for each phase. Others may disagree on my choice of work order.

I like to know that my engine will start when I get into the water so I usually choose to start up the engine prior to launch. You can always use lines, paddles and auxiliary boats to get yours to a spot where you can work on the engine so this point probably does not matter.

 

[Benny]

1) paint the bottom.
2) Wax topsides
3) Start the engine
4) step the mast

 

[higgs]

William hinted at the one thing we have overlooked. You have forgotten to insert the beer break before and after all projects.

 

[Ross]

Not just the engine but the stuffing box and shaft bearings and zincs. Waxing and painting are just a couple of days work made easier with two ladders and some planks.