Fiberglass Work and Painting
This web page describes repair that was done by Kent Richardson of Richardson's Marine Service from May 2020 to August 2020. As there was no rush on this work other jobs were given priority accounting for the long time in Kent's yard and then shop.
Kent specializes in fiberglass and wood repair and finish work. Kent was recommended by a number of local (Chatham and Orleans) shops that do fiberglass work, two of which work mostly on smaller boats and one who was too busy to take on more work this winter season.
The marine survey identified parts of the sidedecks on either side near the chain plates where the decks have high moisture and the skin of the deck has detached from the coring. The survey also identified evidence of leaks at the main mast aft lower sidestay chainplates.
The original work plan was as follows.
- side deck repair
- other repairs
- leak repairs
- repairing holes in the cockpit
- holes used for tach and wind instrument
- panel for diesel engine controls
- mounting for prior wheel driven self steering
- rubstrake repair
- painting
- hull bottom
- soda blasting,
- removing through hulls and repairing the holes,
- fairing the hull and keel,
- appling a barrier coat to hull and keel, and
- reapplying bottom paint.
- possible Awlgrip topside painting
- hull bottom
Deck Repair
About 5-6 feet of the sidedeck was removed on either side in the area of the chainplates. It was initially feared this could be worse but the damage was primarily within a few feet of each chainplate where leaks had not been addressed. The sidedeck was cut along lines of plain gelcoat avoiding any need to match the existing non-skid. The core was replaced and the skin sections were put back in place, requiring only a repair to the glass and gelcoat where cuts had been made.
Other Repairs
The sidedeck repair is the major repair. Other repairs include leaks that mostly require just rebedding, holes in the cockpit left by previous owners installing instruments in odd places, a hole left by the engine controls that are no longer needed, an some rubstrake repair.
Leak Repairs
A hard rain with high wind days after purchase confirmed the chainplate leaks. Two other leaks were noticed but the source not identified. One left a puddle on the cabinetry forward of the head compartment. This is immediately below a small openning port but no sign of leak was noticed there. The other left a puddle on the head compartment sink vanity. This is below a forward lower sidestay chainplate which is thought to be the source. There was a major leak from the main mast collar. The mast collar and the one openning port were rebedded.
Cockpit Repairs
Previous owners had installed a new tachometer and a wind instrument display in the cockpit footwell rather than bulkheads, likely because it was an easy place to put a hole and get access to the back for wiring. With no engine the tachometer is no longer needed. The wind instrument is very poorly placed since the legs of anyone sitting in the cockpit block the view. These holes were glassed over and gelcoat applied. The gelcoat repair shows no sign the holes were ever there.
The engine also had a rectangular panel in the cockpit seat backrest. This had ignition key, kill switch, glow plug switch, oil temperature, and a battery monitor which likely replaced an original smaller tachometer. None of this is needed and removal of the instruments leaves holes.
Removing the rectangular panel was very difficult since a generous amount of 3M5400 was used as an adhesive. The rectangular panel was removed and left open temporarily (taped over). A wooden cubby will be put in its place, likely with a latching door. Two existing open cubbies are further forward and used for the winch handles.
There were a number of screw holes made by previous owners, some large, that were filled. A prior owner had installed a wheel driven self steering which later failed. The mount remained but has now been removed and the large screw holes filled. The steering pedestal bars were replaced. The new bars are 1½" diameter with 12" spacing and the old are smaller diameter, 12½" spacing, and mounted further forward. The holes in the cockpit sole for the prior bars were plugged.
Rubstrake Repair and Other Scarf Joints
The rubstrake is a large teak rail on either side with narrow stainless steel cap. It is screwed to the hull with the screws hidden by the steel rubstrake cap. On both sides the scarf joint about six feet from the aft end has separated and was filled, with what looks like bedding compound. The aft end will need to be removed, the scarf joint cleaned up and reglued, and the aft end of the rubstrake screwed back into the hull.
In addition to the rubstrake scarf joints a number of separated scarf joints were noticed on the deck cap rail and these were also repaired.
Painting Hull Bottom and Topsides
Neither the hull bottom or topsides were in dire need of repair or painting. Painting both the bottom and topsides was considered but the topside painting indefinitely deferred.
Painting Cost Variations
An earlier request for bottom soda blast, fairing, barrier coat, and bottom paint plus topside Awlgrip painting was priced at various yards. It appears that there is a two to one difference in pricing from the Upper Cape (Falmouth) to the Outer Cape (Chatham, Orleans) or Maine with the Outer Cape or Maine having the lower prices. I suspect that prices might be even higher in yards closer to Boston though I did not verify that.
Hull Bottom Refinishing
The hull bottom had multiple coats of bottom paint, which had peeled in places and was painted over. The bottom was well covered in bottom paint but needed to be soda blasted. Unused through hulls were removed. The hull and keel were faired, a barrier coat was applied, and fresh bottom paint was applied.
Hull bottom refinishing was completed in five steps:
- soda blasting,
- removing through hulls and repairing the holes,
- fairing the hull and keel,
- appling a barrier coat to hull and keel, and
- reapplying bottom paint.
Soda blasting is the most inexpensive and best way to remove multiple coats of old bottom paint. Soda blasting is faster and therefore less costly than sanding bottom paint and preferred over sand blasting due to being less abbrasive.
After soda blasting through hulls that are no longer needed were removed and the holes repaired. Access to thru hulls from the inside of the hull was very limited and the seacocks bases were all glassed over. Removal of the thru hulls and remnants of the base were an owner undertaking while the boat was in Kent's yard.
Three thru hulls used for sink drains were removed. Two were used for sink drains. The other was used for raw water intake for the head. Grey water tanks will be used with grey water overflow pumped into the black water tank or pumped overboard were allowed. All raw water intake will be from the strainer and 1½" thru hull formerly used for engine raw water.
Both the bottom of the hull and the keel were faired after soda blasting. In the old days the keel could be ground to remove imperfections. Since the keel is lead, and lead is highly toxic, the keel was hammered to remove high spots, and then faired, in theory only sanding the fairing compound, but not the lead.
A quality barrier coat can avoid blistering of the hull bottom if the boat is sailed in warmer waters, such as in the tropics. The barrier coat was applied to the keel as well as the bottom, providing a limited encapsulation of the keel.
The old bottom paint was an abblative paint in light blue. The keel and bottom were repainted with a dark green abblative paint.
Deferred Awlgrip Topside Painting
The hull topsides are in very good condition. The gelcoat was buffed and waxed but a little chalky. There was what appeared to be mild oilcanning on the port side but was just variations in the gelcoat fading. The topsides were left as is other than a thorough buffing that removed any chalky or faded gelcoat and brough back the gelcoat shine.
Kent, Don, and Henrick at Richardsons Marine eventually convinced me that topside painting is not necessary and to defer that work indefinitely or abandon the idea.