Sooo Ready to get Back in the Water...

[Suijin]

I've had my boat hauled in Urbanna VA for the past few months working on various things, living on her for the duration except for doing a boat delivery from the Canaries to St. Lucia in December. I have to say, living on a boat up on the hard in winter, even in southern VA, is a complete and total PITA. We hates it. I'm so ready to get back in the water.

The biggest job was painting the topsides. The previous paint job was just starting to fail in a few spots and it was clear that the longer I left repainting her the more arduous it would be. So, I bit the bullet and figured I would change her color in the process to flag blue.

I did pretty much all of the prep work and I now have a deep appreciation for why it costs so much to paint a boat. From the initial scrubdown through the sanding of the original paint and between four primer coats, to the fairing and taping and solvent washing I must have put 80 hours in. Decided to paint her with Awlcraft for repairability and ease of topcoating her down the line when the paint gets a bit tired.

I'm pretty happy with how she turned out:

Taking off what was left of the old paint sheen:


After two coats of high build primer and tons of sanding and fairing, she got three coats of 545:


Then three coats of Awlcraft 2000:


Adding a windvane, we drilled the holes then mounted the brackets and the vane after the topcoats were on:


When she got power washed at haulout, a nasty surprise came to light. The rudder skeg must have been damaged previous to my ownership and repaired. The glasswork was good, but the fairing was not. Much of the filler, some of which looked like bondo, came right off, so I ground it all down to the glass and started over. What a pain:







Sealed with 545, then faired and sealed again.

When it's warm enough she's getting black bottom paint to set off the blue topsides.

I'm stripping 20 years of varnish off the caprails now while I wait for it to warm up enough to put bottom paint on. It's taken me about 20 hours so far. I'm NOT going to varnish them again as it's just too much work, there is no way to protect it, and the maintenance topcoats each year are going to be a bear to apply along the outside under edge. I'm going to clean them and oil them and see how it fares for a year or two and if I don't like the result, will probably go with Cetol.

Then I have to fix my SSB, then find a replacement anemometer, and then...well, you get the idea. It's a boat.

[Cap Erict3]

She is looking good.

[CS Cruiser]

Beautiful

[Cheechako]

very nice!

[Sea_Green]

One of my favorite shades of blue. Nice work!

[lonesoldier0408]

Fine job. She's a real looker. Hope to see her, "Out there.!"

[Suijin]

Thanks. I think she is going to look markedly less tubby in her new suit than she did before. Bob Perry said that Valiants look best with the whale stripe. It may accentuate the sheer but it interrupts the rest of the lines IMHO. What does he know anyway.

Looks like the weather is not going to cooperate with the getting the bottom done so now it's time to install as many of the new portlights I got for her as I can while she's still on stilts and next to the shop. I have been dreading this job for some time, as the old port flanges, inside and out, appear to be bedded with 5200. Time to pull out the piano wire and get to it with gritted teeth.

[lonesoldier0408]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Thanks. I think she is going to look markedly less tubby in her new suit than she did before. Bob Perry said that Valiants look best with the whale stripe. It may accentuate the sheer but it interrupts the rest of the lines IMHO. What does he know anyway.

Looks like the weather is not going to cooperate with the getting the bottom done so now it's time to install as many of the new portlights I got for her as I can while she's still on stilts and next to the shop. I have been dreading this job for some time, as the old port flanges, inside and out, appear to be bedded with 5200. Time to pull out the piano wire and get to it with gritted teeth.

At least you have the plan, "and then it happened!" I hope all goes well. I fear the portlights also. Seems to be a lot of horror stories around those things and 5200. Chin up and persevere...

[Jcolman]

I admire your boat every time I'm in the yard, working on my boat. I hope I'm around when you launch her!

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Jcolman

I admire your boat every time I'm in the yard, working on my boat. I hope I'm around when you launch her!

Thanks! I'm in Annapolis most weekends. While Urbanna is nice, it's quaintness wore off after about two weeks and now I make the trip north whenever I can for some socializing. Stop in and say hi if you're around Mon-Thurs any week.

Started work on the ports this morning. The old Bomars are leaking at the gaskets and the bedding, the paint is coming off on the outside, and the acrylic is clouded. I decided if I was going to pull them I might as well replace them instead of refurbishing them. Getting them out is going to be a serious b!tch as they appear to be bedded with 5200 inside and out. Started going at the inside flange/ring with a putty knife and mallet after discovering there is not enough space for the blade of the multi-tool. Yet.

The first victim:



And the new replacement. Shiny, about 30 lbs. a piece, and about 1.5" wider:



I have 9 of these to do. Good times. I just heard a horror story about another Valiant owner who finally gave up trying to get the old ports out in one piece and just cut them up with a sawzall. I have mine at the ready should it come to that.

[letsgetsailing3]

I guess when you get done with that it will be time to sell it.

Let me know.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Started work on the ports this morning. The old Bomars are leaking at the gaskets and the bedding, the paint is coming off on the outside, and the acrylic is clouded. I decided if I was going to pull them I might as well replace them instead of refurbishing them. Getting them out is going to be a serious b!tch as they appear to be bedded with 5200 inside and out. Started going at the inside flange/ring with a putty knife and mallet after discovering there is not enough space for the blade of the multi-tool. Yet.

I replaced all the ports on our previous boat, going from crappy acrylic ones to those beautiful SS New Found Metals you have. After thinking about the project for a long time we decided the best thing was to literally rip out all the old ports, re-glass the cabin holes, and then cut new holes for the replacement ports. It was a big job, but turned out amazingly well. In the end, I think it was easier than trying to fit the new ports into the old holes.

... of course, we then sold the boat.

[Rhapsody-NS27]

Nice looking boat. The new shiny parts will look pretty good too.

[knot smart]

nice job

[HappyMdRSailor]

Soooooojeeee !!!!!

She looks fantastic man!

Give us the one sentence synopsis of your topcoat procedure method de jeur.... ignoring everything else...

Thank god you found the junk on your skeg and not "elsewhere"....