Group,
We've had Kumukahi exactly one month today! :dance:
(To recap: she sat at mooring in seawater for a long time; and has been on a trailer since 2008. The hull was severely blistered below the waterline; and the interior showed the usual: water, dirt, leaves, etc. It was pretty awful inside when we got her.)
Since basically everything's there, our first two concerns have been restoring the outer hull and inner cabin. We want her seaworthy, but also clean inside. When I can, I'm working on the hull during the day; and on the inerior during the evening when the temperatures go down a bit.
Today, the work on the hull is progressing. I'm still repairing blisters; undoing unacceptable automotive Bondo repairs done by the PO; our Tuff Stuff Epoxy Primer arrived yesterday; and today we ordered our ablative top coat from the Bottom Paint Store. There's still considerable work left to do, but it's working out nicely. Thanks to all here for their help and advice.
In the cabin, we'd removed all the stashed components and bulkheads; vacuumed out the debris; washed her down inside; removed stubborn "substances" and stains using everything from bathroom cleaners to acetone; and after all that, we're happy to say the original gel coat is in pretty nice condition. Still shiny in most places.
The worst part of the cabin now is the starboard seat / table area: someone painted that a flat tan, and it's peeling off in many places. Have also found a few small wet blisters that need attention.
So, I'm in the process of removing the old paint and fine sanding the gel coat where necessary. In most areas, and especially on the textured "tread surfaces", I'm finding that paint remover and soft plastic squeegies or brushes are taking off the paint while leaving the gel coat intact pretty much intact. Will probably top with good primer and paint.
Here's some pictures I took today, to show how it's coming along. Aloha!
VBR,
Pat
We've had Kumukahi exactly one month today! :dance:
(To recap: she sat at mooring in seawater for a long time; and has been on a trailer since 2008. The hull was severely blistered below the waterline; and the interior showed the usual: water, dirt, leaves, etc. It was pretty awful inside when we got her.)
Since basically everything's there, our first two concerns have been restoring the outer hull and inner cabin. We want her seaworthy, but also clean inside. When I can, I'm working on the hull during the day; and on the inerior during the evening when the temperatures go down a bit.
Today, the work on the hull is progressing. I'm still repairing blisters; undoing unacceptable automotive Bondo repairs done by the PO; our Tuff Stuff Epoxy Primer arrived yesterday; and today we ordered our ablative top coat from the Bottom Paint Store. There's still considerable work left to do, but it's working out nicely. Thanks to all here for their help and advice.
In the cabin, we'd removed all the stashed components and bulkheads; vacuumed out the debris; washed her down inside; removed stubborn "substances" and stains using everything from bathroom cleaners to acetone; and after all that, we're happy to say the original gel coat is in pretty nice condition. Still shiny in most places.
The worst part of the cabin now is the starboard seat / table area: someone painted that a flat tan, and it's peeling off in many places. Have also found a few small wet blisters that need attention.
So, I'm in the process of removing the old paint and fine sanding the gel coat where necessary. In most areas, and especially on the textured "tread surfaces", I'm finding that paint remover and soft plastic squeegies or brushes are taking off the paint while leaving the gel coat intact pretty much intact. Will probably top with good primer and paint.
Here's some pictures I took today, to show how it's coming along. Aloha!
VBR,
Pat
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You must be younger than me. You have the ambition I had 30 years ago. Now I'm between 60 and death. All your hard work will pay off in a beautiful boat you can be proud of. Some years back a sailing buddy refitted his boat with all Harken hardware. He said, "I won't sail any better, I'll just sail prettier." Couple of questions/suggestions. When I got Freedom PHRF 57806 in 1976 it was a bare boat I picked up at the factory and I built all the interior, installed all the deck hardware, masthead rigged her with interior halyards and led everything into the cockpit myself. I can pretty much single hand her this way. I started a ships log before I ever put her in the water and noted all the work I put in. You'll surprise yourself when you read it years later and realize how much love and time you put in. Although I had a V222, "Penny Sue too" it was a 1971. Is there room under the settee hatch near the starboard side of the keel to mount your battery in a battery box with a lid secured to the hull. Also think about a deep cycle marine gel battery. They will hold a charge a lot longer than a regular battery and there's less chance of spilling acid. You need to keep as much weight out of the stern as possible. Shifting 30 pounds forward will make a 60 pound difference in the balance. Are you backing up all winches, stanchions, cleats, rails, pulpits, etc with aluminum plate? I've seen stanchions ripped out the deck. If not already done, think about splitting your backstay and adding an adjuster. This will keep from tearing up your tiller and will allow you to adjust your mast tension. Also as I mentioned before you might think about mounting your main sheet mid boom. You'll point higher, clear out stern area and mainsheet will be easier to reach under sail. Following your progress. Keep us posted. The voice of experience. Have you taken a second mortgage on your house for all the improvements. Fair winds...
