Finally

[anchorclanker]

After some false starts I was finally able to bring "Just Chillin" home. I had hoped to do this almost two months ago, but between rain and cold and school choir for our daughter, and "other things", it just kept getting pushed back.

After what appears to be 10 years of being continuously on the water, she is once again high and dry and sitting on her new trailer. And boy is she scuzzy. What happens now is debatable. I would like to trailer sail her for a while and keep her home. The Mrs would like to see her back at a marina, but one thats closer to home/more convenient. We'll see who wins that one.

For now I have to at least pressure wash and clean the hull below the WL, and start some serious polishing above to try to bring her up to standards. I need to get her off the trailer though to check and/or overhaul the keel pin and install a new pennant.

I guess my main goal is to make it an ongoing restoration while we still use her over the summer. Not a full resto, just some polish and paint, and fix what needs fixing to make her look presentable and be fully seaworthy.

I will post pics soon.

 

[anchorclanker]

Heres a few pics I promised. The bottom wasnt too bad, scuz about 1/8 the inch thick comes off pretty fast with pressure washer. Rub rails which I intend replacing, came really clean with pressure washer, as well as scrubbing with scrubby pads. Paint was a bit chalky, daughter and I carefully scrubbed with hand brushes and scrubby pads to get the dirt and grime off. Anyway, this is what 4 hours of pressure washing and scrubbing gave us. Its only a start.

Next step I want to start wet sanding with 600 and work our way up. But I am going to have to take care of the mast step area asap. It has been like this since we bought it, and the area and surrounding area appear solid, but it definitely needs attention. I am open to any advice on how to repair it, but I also want to use the boat this summer, so anything I can do to protect it for now and fix better this fall might be a better idea?

I also have to replace the hatch tracks. They are just splitting and splintering away and are virtually gone.

A question, there are two tracks on either side of the cocpit with I show in the one picture. Anyone have an idea what they are for?

 

[jibes138]

Re: the tracks...it looks like those are where your jib sheet blocks would mount. How do your jib sheets route to the cockpit? I don't see any winches in the pictures. Are you using the winches on top of the coach roof for the jib sheets? If that is the case then those may work for a small working jib of say 100% but if you are using a larger headsail of say 130 or 150 % then the sheets will need to be led further back to get the right angle on them and so you need turning blocks in those tracks to be able to lead the sheet back up to the winches. Usually this track is a T-track, I am not sure what kinds of blocks fit in that style track? Did a couple blocks come with the boat, maybe stashed in a locker somewhere? What do you have for headsails?

Re: mast step ....looks a lot worse inside than outside if your last picture is the inside ceiling? What are those two bolts for that are in back of the mast step? (or maybe in front of the mast step since orientation isn't clear). I would pull out those bolts and see if the core is rotted around the mast step. If it is you don't have much choice but to cut it open and recore it. As far a sailing this summer, Epoxy cures to full strength within a week so you should be able to cut it open, recore it, and epoxy it back up and be all done within a week.

My experience is that any leaking screw or bolt on an O'Day you will have rotten core since they didn't seal the core in any of the openings on the deck at installation. As our boats get older and the old sealant gets brittle and starts to fail and leak rotten core is guaranteed. Get some of Maine Sails magic tape and get to work.

 

[geehaw]

The tracks look like for a Bimini. The jib fairlead and track looks like it is above the window. And at the mast plate looks like it is rotten. Does it feel soft when walked on? If it is rotten hard to say if safe to sail or not. If shrouds and stay's stay tight might be alright this season. But it really needs attention soon.

 

[anchorclanker]

Here are some different views that can hopefully help gain some answers and direction. The two bolts on the deck are aft of the mast step, and are through bolted to L brackets attached to the bulkhead. I have poked around a bit in the larger hole, everything appears solid. The top is very solid, pounding on it with a closed fist it sounds solid and hard. I have even stomped my feet around the area feeling for anything soft and looking for movement, and there is none.

As for head sails, I have a 120 and 150 Genoa, and a Gennaker.

 

[jibes138]

I always liked those O'Day 22's. They used to sell them new near where I lived before O'Day folded up.

From the new pics I see your track up on the top for your jib lead. For a 150% genoa it will probably come all the way back to the stanchion at the front of your cockpit. So the track on the top of the boat won't work for that sail is my guess. You will need to lead the sheet further aft to get a proper sheeting angle on the sail.

Another possibility is if the boat was set up to use a spinnaker? Do you have a ring car or fixed ring on the front of your mast for a pole?

 

[anchorclanker]

Yes, I have a ring on the mast for the pole, but no hardware for those tracks.

Its really a nice boat, in spite of its issues. It felt really good to see her cleaning up yesterday, really stokes the fires to "get er done".

 

[anchorclanker]

Mr Miyagi was here teaching us "wax on, wax off". No, not wax, 1000 grit wet/dry. Scrubby scrubby scrubby. The water running off is milk colored, but its clearing.

As I go below the waterline im hitting a lot of blisters. Lot of copper in that old paint, but a lot of blisters. Do I just sand them flat, or do I have to dig them out, open them up and fill them? I want to go out by the 4th, was hoping to just slap something cheap on the bottom to protect it and go after it next winter.

 

[jibes138]

If you have blisters they have likely been there for a while, another summer won't make much difference. Should not be a safety issue at all.

 

[Indysailor]

They may not be blisters but rather just gelcoat imperfections. Does any water come out of them?

 

[anchorclanker]

No water came out of the few I sanded, I dont even see a hole in any, its just got a lot of bumps. Some are as large as a nickle or quarter, a bunch dime sized, and a whole bunch of little ones, hundreds probably, approx height up to 1/8 inch on the larger ones. The few I have sanded flat just look pure white alongside the bottom paint.

I assume the bottom paint being so old (VC17, 2003 according to log book), and continuously in the water since that time, that the hull should be completely stripped down to the gel coat before re-painting? Or is that a poor assumption? What would YOU do? Couple coats of epoxy paint followed with VC17?

 

[jibes138]

If you just want to get one summer out of it in fresh water, but will be pulling it regularly on the trailer for various refit projects, you will need a paint that retains antifouling after hauling and relaunching. I'd just slap a coat of the cheapest multi season paint on it if you plan to strip it over the winter. If the old paint isn't peeling off shouldn't be any reason not to leave it and paint over it.

 

[DannyS]

I'm with Geehaw, those tracks were once for a bimini.

 

[Sailorgirl222]

Those are Bimini tracks. Chillin is a fine boat. She was our first sailboat and we owned her from 2003-2006 (we bought a C&C 33). She was in fine shape inside and out when we sold her in 2006 and had a bottom job in 2003. I'm guessing that was the last bottom job she had. We never had a Bimini for it. It did have a genneker when we sold her. The couple who sold her to us told us they saw her for sale and I caught your question about the rudder on google. The rudder should swing up, I think there is a pin that you take out. We loved that little boat. She was very forgiving to a couple of beginners.