Conyplex Corporation Contest 33

[eeeasy]

No keelbolts on Contest 33, internally encased in fiberglass keel.

[MacG]

No keelbolts .......

Help .......

Open the bilge and you spot them clearly, than check the condition of the nuts.

When severely rusted, you know the score.

[eeeasy]

My Contest 33, hull #96 has internal lead ballast, encapsulated entirely in fiberglass keel. No keel bolts in bidge.

[MacG]

Therfore you are completely unaware of the condition of the keelbolts & nuts.

The last 33 I have seen had the vlearly visible and were in a bad state.

That's all I can say. And you have an early one.

[w1651]

Originally Posted by eeeasy

Turns out I have to become a "trusted member" to send private messages so this is my private message sent publically:


Hi,

My boat is going to be here by end of November for a month or so on the hard in NW Bradenton, just across the bridge for painting mostly. She doesn't need much more except.....those chainplates of yours are scarrrry! I'll be looking real close at mine. My email is eeeasy@hotmail.com.
I'd love to scoot up to St Pete and see your Contest. Rib Fest this weekend! I love to work on boats. Sometimes I think I like putzing with sailboats more than sailing.
I'm new at forums so if my protocal is a little off it's because I don't know anything about them.

Bob

Sorry I missed you. I can come down there though. I will email you with my address and we can exchange numbers to talk with each other.

[w1651]

Originally Posted by MacG

No keelbolts .......

Help .......

Open the bilge and you spot them clearly, than check the condition of the nuts.

When severely rusted, you know the score.

I believe eeeasy is right. I was looking online at another contest for sale at this website and there is no line where the keel meets the hull. That wouls explain why no bolts can be seen in my bilge either. Hull # 106 which is great. One less thing to worry about.

[w1651]

Here's that website. The first pic is of it on the hard and I cannot see a keel line.

1973 Contest 33 sailboat for sale in Massachusetts

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by w1651

Here's that website. The first pic is of it on the hard and I cannot see a keel line.

1973 Contest 33 sailboat for sale in Massachusetts

Nice boat...

[w1651]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

Nice boat...

Yes they are. They really sail well also.

This weekend I spent Saturday and Sunday painting the deck of the old girl. Pics to come soon. But what a difference and the cruddy old blue non skid is covered yp. Yeeeeeeeeah! .
Next is painting the cockpit then non skid on the top of the Salon and deck. Still a lot to do but getting there.

I am going to email you Bob don't worry.

[Michaila]

Hi guys...
Just wanted to add something to the keel debate. The Contest 33 has an encapsulated keel, there are no bolts. Below is a technical write up from Dick Zaal's site along with a diagram. I hope you find it useful... The URL is below...

http://www.dickzaalyachtdesign.nl/pr...est_keels.html

GRP Contest keels

Fibre glass Contest keels

Still on the topic of keels; this time about the GRP moulded ones with the ballast inside.
On several occasions alarmed owners asked me about a seam they discovered alongside their keels.
In fact they see the edge of the keel moulding which is made separate before the hull moulding was applied.
The reason Conyplex made the boats this way was to have a closed and watertight mould in which the hull could be released by floating in water.
On most of the keel shapes the mould is to deep to do the laminating in a satisfactory way, so the keel moulds are split on the centre line.
Most boats have rudder- and propeller skegs as well and those are combined to one unit.
After the laminates are cured the halves are bounded together by gluing tapes.

The hull moulds have a hole on the centre line to receive this prelaminated section.
The upper part of the keel moulding fits over the hull laminate while the keel itself hangs in to a water tight box which fits more or less around it.
Metal brackets are in the box to ensure the correct position of the keel and the skegs.
The joint with the hull mould is then taped off to avoid resin to enter the connection.

When laminating the skin of the hull the glass reinforcement is carried well over the keel section, overlapping at least 50 cm and forming one unit.
After the curing of the hull it is released by water pressure so the hull is actually floating in the female mould.
By boats with a reversed transom the transom mould could be opened.
But this is at a level the water will not reach.

The joint is then grinded flush and puttied for finishing purposes.
Unfortunately this was done by applying polyester based putty which was easy to sand flush, but not particular resistant against long time emerging in water.
So on older boats the putty layer can come off.
The best way to repair it is grind the polyester putty away and cover it up with Epoxy putty again.
It is very unlikely that there is a structural weakness.

The ballast contains lead lumps and small iron bits all cast in polyester compound containing Portland cement.
The top is covered by a GRP laminate, on with transverse floors are laminated.
However the Contest 32cs has a cast iron peace inserted.
Of my Contest designs only the C32cs and the C34 have an keel arrangement like this, but on all, the skegs are made in this way.
But boats as the Contest 29, 30, 31, 33 and 38 have their keels produced as described above.

[w1651]

Originally Posted by Michaila

Hi guys...
Just wanted to add something to the keel debate. The Contest 33 has an encapsulated keel, there are no bolts. Below is a technical write up from Dick Zaal's site along with a diagram. I hope you find it useful... The URL is below...

Company Profile | GRP Contest keels | Dick Zaal Yacht Design

GRP Contest keels

Fibre glass Contest keels

Still on the topic of keels; this time about the GRP moulded ones with the ballast inside.
On several occasions alarmed owners asked me about a seam they discovered alongside their keels.
In fact they see the edge of the keel moulding which is made separate before the hull moulding was applied.
The reason Conyplex made the boats this way was to have a closed and watertight mould in which the hull could be released by floating in water.
On most of the keel shapes the mould is to deep to do the laminating in a satisfactory way, so the keel moulds are split on the centre line.
Most boats have rudder- and propeller skegs as well and those are combined to one unit.
After the laminates are cured the halves are bounded together by gluing tapes.

The hull moulds have a hole on the centre line to receive this prelaminated section.
The upper part of the keel moulding fits over the hull laminate while the keel itself hangs in to a water tight box which fits more or less around it.
Metal brackets are in the box to ensure the correct position of the keel and the skegs.
The joint with the hull mould is then taped off to avoid resin to enter the connection.

When laminating the skin of the hull the glass reinforcement is carried well over the keel section, overlapping at least 50 cm and forming one unit.
After the curing of the hull it is released by water pressure so the hull is actually floating in the female mould.
By boats with a reversed transom the transom mould could be opened.
But this is at a level the water will not reach.

The joint is then grinded flush and puttied for finishing purposes.
Unfortunately this was done by applying polyester based putty which was easy to sand flush, but not particular resistant against long time emerging in water.
So on older boats the putty layer can come off.
The best way to repair it is grind the polyester putty away and cover it up with Epoxy putty again.
It is very unlikely that there is a structural weakness.

The ballast contains lead lumps and small iron bits all cast in polyester compound containing Portland cement.
The top is covered by a GRP laminate, on with transverse floors are laminated.
However the Contest 32cs has a cast iron peace inserted.
Of my Contest designs only the C32cs and the C34 have an keel arrangement like this, but on all, the skegs are made in this way.
But boats as the Contest 29, 30, 31, 33 and 38 have their keels produced as described above.

Thank You Michaila
That was just what we needed to put this debate to rest. Good to know that the deigner put into production a boat that may never have keel problems most have or will have. I wish all production boats paid this much attention to detail.

Now a little about my contest.
I haven't been here lately I have been painting. It finally stopped raining so I could get out the roller and put two coats on the deck. I also got the cockpit handled with two coats of semi gloss white.
What a difference. Tha paint worried me after the first coat but the second covered all the remaining blue up and now you can't see it at all.
I still need to put down the nonskid surfaces in a light light gray color, and sand them. If anyone has a opinion on this let me know it so I can consider all sides of the decision.
I think I will tape of the areas then put a layer of paint down. Repaint the area when dry and sift coarse sand over the wet paint to make the nonskid area. Then put down one more layer of paint to seal it.
I have to get batteries for the camera then I will post pics so you can see the progress being made slowly but surely on my boat.

[w1651]

P.S.

How is it every bird in the tri county area knew I painted my boat when I did. Is there a national bird cooperative that alerts birds to freshly painted boat decks? UUUUUUUUGH!

[w1651]

Here's another update for everyone.

I put down a coat of silver grey paint last Sunday after taping areas on deck and sanded through moms borrowed sifter. (Nobody tell her, mums the word literally) and let it dry. I used fine blasting sand and there was very little left in the sifter after each use.
But then in a day or two it started to rain during the week so most loose sand washed off.
It is though a great nonskid and turned out better then expected. I still have to put down a top coat a lot lighter in color then what's there now. It looks like battleship grey to me right now but lighter grey color will both break the white while reflecting the sun and allow me to see when it wears through to the darker grey.
I know I need to take pics and I will I promise.

[w1651]

bow repair 004 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

stem head 001 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

002 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

001 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

001 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Hello Everyone!
Well I finally got some pics for you. The first are of the bow cap I had to replace and reinforce. The hole the replacement piece and the installed cap finger prints and all. Glad I waxed it before I installed it.
If you notice I also installed new chocks on the bow. I bought them this weekend at the JSI Nauticle flea market down town for a buck a piece and painted them with rustoleum. So I think I have 5 bucks in them all totaled.
The last pic of the bow is to show the new color of the non skid I put on. Thank You Boatman61 you were right. I went and got some clean sand from a sand blasting supplier and used it with my grand mothers sifter( Don't tell my mom.). I laid down a coat of paint and sifted the sand evenly, then washed off the excess sand. I then cut the next coat by ten percent with paint thinner and applied it. I didn't like the color so I went and got a quart of the color I wanted and cut that by 10 percent with paint thinner. Then I applied one more coat with the new color. As you see it turned out nice and slips are a thing of the past. The first coat is darker Gray then the last so when it wears I can see it. But all in all I am very happy with how the non skid turned out. It's very good on the feet and the knees.
Thanks again Boatman61.

[w1651]

I just wanted to talk more about the Nauticle flea market I went to this weekend. I am a big fan of them and even though I know some of you aren't I want to tell you what I got there.
I needed bow chocks for the boat and I got a matching set that fit and that I painted black for less then 6 USD.
I also needed a throw ring for the stern that I got for 25 USD. The gentleman there wouldn't budge on price but it is a coast guard approved commercial throw ring with reflective tape and looks close to new. For 25 USD I couldn't pass it up.
I got three 14 position electrical gangs that have a 3/8 bolt to mount a battery cable to them. So I can use them as negative or positive applications and use battery cable ground and power through them. I found the ones on the boat burned up and I need to replace them as well as move my house batteries to get the electrical system back up and running.. These I bought for 20 USD and they are heavy duty, stainles steel, with nylon fiberboard backing 1/2 inch thick. They also have mounting holes drilled into them.
I also got 8 bronze rings 1/4 inch in diameter and 8 bronze hooks to go with them as well as a 5/8 thimble for 20 USD. The thimble is for my anchor road which I installed last night after painting it. And the rings and hooks are for my life lines. I am going to use them to get more ease of availability to climb on board my boat. As it sits now you can only board her at the stern. I want to be able to choose from the stern the bow and the fattest stretch of the beam. I will use stainless cable at the middle stanchions but regular 3/8 rope at the bow stern and beam.
That's pretty much it for now. I have lots of little things I still need to get done and I still have tape to remove from painting. I am hoping to get to pull the old girl this coming month or so I can get the bottom job done. When that happens hopefully I can get all the sea cocks swapped out and the hoses resecured with double clamping to make me feel safer sailing her. By for now!