Pics from the Boatyard

[minaret]

Originally Posted by sctpc

Is there a way to revive instead of painting?

The short answer is for your smooth gelcoat, yes, for your molded in non-skid, probably not.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by olaf hart

With the balsa core deck repairs, it looks like you refit the glass section you cut out of the deck after the new core is in.
Is that so?
If so, how do you ensure a strong join with the surrounding glass deck?

Sometimes we do but usually only in smaller sections of deck, and even then usually only if we are trying to save some molded in skid or something. The trick with putting the original outer skin back down isn't glassing the seam afterward, it's making sure there isn't any void between your core and the skin. Vacuum bagging is often the only way to be certain. Often I find it quicker to go with fresh glass for the outer skin. This has the added benefit of not having to glass seams afterwards, and of being able to use a DB1708 double-bias instead of roving, which makes for a stronger deck laminate in the same thickness. Depends on the situation though.

[SteveT]

Absolutely wonderful paint jobs on the hulls - envy - envy!!!

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by minaret

Remove the rotten portion you can reach. Saturate the rest with acetone and then very carefully apply heat to dry it out. If it's in a cabinet a space heater on low in the cabinet for a week or two might do it. Seal the exterior first to make sure it's not getting more moisture while you're drying. When it's totally dry saturate the rest with CPES/Smiths or tropical WEST thinned 50% with MEK. While you are still in the chemical bonding window fit a new strip of ply to make up the part you removed and set it in WEST thickened with cabosil. This will prevent it from getting worse at least, and may actually be a decent repair though I doubt it. Put a moisture meter on the rest of the knee first if you dont want to waste your time patching a knee that's just going to be completely rotten in a few years. Do it right and it'll fool a lazy surveyor (most are)if you're lucky. But it's still a patch and not a fix.

Thank you Minaret that will do ..the boat is on a lake and wont ever see extreme sailing..I think you have started something here that may keep you busy..glad I got to ya before it gets old..Maybe you could start a Program like Clik n Clak the car talk guys on NPR..If so let me know and I will be your Russian Limo driver..Picup Androphov or your Biographer,I have already written my first novel ,Its titled "Under the Bleachers" by Seamour Butts..Thank you DVC
PS its a 1000.00 Boat and the old man that wants it is on a fixed income so cant spend any money and there is no survey..

[dofthesea]

Great pics. G being a high end builder i appreciate a craftsman. And double thanks for the time you spend sharing your wealth of information. I just did all my decks and nonskid with Awlgrip. A wonderful product. Hart to work with, but well worth it.

[AussieGeoff]

Hi Minaret,

Awesome work. Here's a question out of left field.

I just bought a ferro 35' Hartley Queenslander and appearance wise she's pretty sad, most of the paint is literally gone from the deck and cockpit and I don't know what below the waterline is like yet but I'm expecting it to be ugly. It was last slipped a couple years back and the antifoul was apparently ok then (or so I'm toldI) but I'm not expecting miracles.

What paints/seals/treatments or whatever would you use on such a hull?

Anecdotal stories are that some truly excellent marine products aren't so excellent on a ferro hull and that some non marine specific stuff that is designed for concrete and/or masonry may well work better. You are obviously a (truly skilled) GRP man and I'm not here to start another ferro v the rest argument, I've seen a variety of suggestions for coating above and below the waterline and given the quality of the work I see coming out of the shop there, I'd just like an opinion if you'd care to give it.

Cheers

AussieGeoff

[minaret]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

Thank you Minaret that will do ..the boat is on a lake and wont ever see extreme sailing..I think you have started something here that may keep you busy..glad I got to ya before it gets old..Maybe you could start a Program like Clik n Clak the car talk guys on NPR..If so let me know and I will be your Russian Limo driver..Picup Androphov or your Biographer,I have already written my first novel ,Its titled "Under the Bleachers" by Seamour Butts..Thank you DVC
PS its a 1000.00 Boat and the old man that wants it is on a fixed income so cant spend any money and there is no survey..

NP, anytime. I love those guys! Dont forget to find out how moisture got in there in the first place and fix it. Good luck!

[minaret]

Originally Posted by AussieGeoff

Hi Minaret,

Awesome work. Here's a question out of left field.

I just bought a ferro 35' Hartley Queenslander and appearance wise she's pretty sad, most of the paint is literally gone from the deck and cockpit and I don't know what below the waterline is like yet but I'm expecting it to be ugly. It was last slipped a couple years back and the antifoul was apparently ok then (or so I'm toldI) but I'm not expecting miracles.

What paints/seals/treatments or whatever would you use on such a hull?

Anecdotal stories are that some truly excellent marine products aren't so excellent on a ferro hull and that some non marine specific stuff that is designed for concrete and/or masonry may well work better. You are obviously a (truly skilled) GRP man and I'm not here to start another ferro v the rest argument, I've seen a variety of suggestions for coating above and below the waterline and given the quality of the work I see coming out of the shop there, I'd just like an opinion if you'd care to give it.

Cheers

AussieGeoff

I've never actually painted a ferro hull myself, though I've seen it done. I know you need to acid etch any bare cement, I believe with muriatic acid, before priming. I've seen a few that were very nice when finished, but I'm sure there are others on this forum who could tell you a great deal more about working with ferro than I could. As you mentioned I'm a glass guy. My only advice is that if I had a ferro boat I'd be tempted to try some experiments with acid etching it and then priming with Interlux 2000 below the waterline to provide a moisture barrier. But maybe thats totally terrible advice, I just don't know enough about ferro to help you. I would guess that once you've acheived a nice etched and primed surface you could topcoat with whatever you want. But make sure it's really fair if you plan on Awlgripping it, or using anything really glossy like that. It will make any unfairness really stand out. I know several people on this forum have ferro boats and have owned them for a long time. Try this http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...st775144thread perhaps. Good luck!

[minaret]

This hull sounded out really wierd under the hammer. Upon inspection it was pretty obvious what had happened as it's not the first time I've seen this sort of thing. When we took the peeler to it it was really obvious. Amateur hour on the chopper gun at the factory. You'd be surprised how common this sort of thing is. The hull side had a huge patch of solid resin about 1/2" thick, with a good 1/4" of gel on top of that. There was also a buttress on deck which was even worse. We removed all the solid resin and gelcoat, which had clearly been fracturing as there were several half-assed repairs in it, and glassed it all back up. PITA.

[minaret]

And here...

[Johnathon123]

Hi, I am considering a balsa core boat and Minaret your advice has been great in this topic.

A couple of questions, if I can?

1. With your experience, and given I have a choice, would you even consider a balsa core boat?

2. Assuming I do consider a balsa core boat, what is the range I should be looking at for measurements on the moisture meter.

3. IF I do buy this boat is there a way to care for the boat that will prevent issues arising rather than looking at a cure in the future?

I appreciate the advice and in fact all the time you have put into this topic!

[Vyndance]

Wow, what talent! Thank-you for sharing.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Johnathon123

Hi, I am considering a balsa core boat and Minaret your advice has been great in this topic.

A couple of questions, if I can?

1. With your experience, and given I have a choice, would you even consider a balsa core boat?

2. Assuming I do consider a balsa core boat, what is the range I should be looking at for measurements on the moisture meter.

3. IF I do buy this boat is there a way to care for the boat that will prevent issues arising rather than looking at a cure in the future?

I appreciate the advice and in fact all the time you have put into this topic!

1. I fairly recently bought my dream boat after 4 years of shopping all over the country. It has no core in it anywhere of any type. They are hard to find. If I did own a cored boat it would be foam or hexcel.

2. 5% relative humidity is the unacheivable ideal. You'll never see it unless it's brand new material that was just kilned. Anything less than 10% is good in the real world. 15% is damp, there is a moisture problem. 20%-25% is wet and probably rotten. My meters needle pegs at 30% relative humidity in the FRP gauge. When I see this I know it will be totally saturated. Different meters work differently and in different scales, buy one and get to know it. Look closely at my pics. You'll see a solid glass hull with original moisture readings at 25% dried to 7% after application of the hotvac. Cored is a much bigger problem.

3. It's really more of a question of build quality. Find out how the boat was built. If the core, and this is important, the core, and not just the laminate was done with vacuum bagging or infusion, then you have a hull which will be a bit heavier but will probably last just fine if properly maintained. Otherwise you will sooner or later be doing something similar to the work in my pics. It might be 2 years or 20 or even more, but sooner or later organic material in a marine environment will get wet and rot.

Thats just my opinion though.

[steamgoat]

Sweet pics and beautiful work,impressive, I do have a question. My boat is fairly old and some time ago the deck was professionally refinished with [ i think acrylic] urethane and griptex. It looks good and the non skid is effective. However I have to make a few repairs and modifications, how do you prep for repaint a griptex finished deck,?? [scrubbing brush and acetone ??]Thanks a lot for your time, Bruce.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by steamgoat

Sweet pics and beautiful work,impressive, I do have a question. My boat is fairly old and some time ago the deck was professionally refinished with [ i think acrylic] urethane and griptex. It looks good and the non skid is effective. However I have to make a few repairs and modifications, how do you prep for repaint a griptex finished deck,?? [scrubbing brush and acetone ??]Thanks a lot for your time, Bruce.

Awlgrip recommends a stiff brush with a rag wrapped around it with T0008. I prefer large amounts of T0008 with a fine copper wire brush and lots of rags. The idea is you are removing dirt, wax, and contaminants with the 0008 and rags, while the wire brushing is scratching it up down in the skid to provide tooth. You need to find the right brush, do it by hand, go easy and be gentle. You are not trying to remove skid or anything, just provide tooth. I find this to be much more effective prep for skid than just scotch brite and rags.
Do any repairs necessary in the skid. When you have them glassed, faired and primered, you'll obviously have a flat spot in your skid. Sand primer till feathered nicely, then mask off the whole skid pad. Mix a batch of topcoat with Griptex and apply it with a spray gun, siphon feed pot is OK for small patches. You need a tip with a minimum size of 0.70". Backflushing is often required, and I usually tie a strip of rag to my tip for tip wiping as dripping can be a problem. Practice on something to get your mix and technique right. Then shoot skid onto your patch. If it's not perfect the first time, wipe it off and try again. When it looks almost perfect, let it dry for an hour or two, and then shoot a thin coat or two over the whole skid pad. It will look brand new.
Hope that helps!