Raising and lowering the Mast Part 1 of 2

The Mast is pretty heavy. We used muscle power to get it down when we purchased the boat. Later, we realized the boat rigging is designed so the mast can be raised or lowered using the existing rigging, once you remove the pin holding the backstay and reconnect it to the boom only.

The pin on the right that secures the backstay to the metal triangle plate has a button that has to be depressed to get the pin out. The pin cannot be removed without depressing that button.

My son studied the photos on the original sales brochure and figured out how to configure the rigging for raising and lowering the mast. One person can do it with the addition of three lines. Two lines hold the boom and keep it from falling off to the left or right. The third line is tied to the forward stay to break the mast loose from it’s upright position or the keep the mast from snapping into the place too harshly when raising. The photos did not depict the forward stay line. My son came up with that idea after he realized how easy that would be to do with one additional temporary line.

When the backstay line is released from the triangle plate and connected to boom only, the lines are used to lower or raise the mast. It is held into position by the wood cleat on the rear of the boat. The pulleys reduce the load enough that one person can easily raise and lower the mast by pulling or releasing the tension on the ropes. The photo on the right shows the position of the boom when the mast has been lowered.

It is a good system. We raised and lowered the mast several times to make sure we had the process down, before taking the boat to the launch site.

We have a video of the process. My son mounted a camera to the top of the mast while raising and lowering the mast. I will post a link to the video in an upcoming post.

 

Checking the sails and lines

All the existing lines needed to be replaced. Also we found one broken sail slug that needed replacing. I did a search online and found one seller who sold the kind of slug I needed for the 40 year-old boat. See package below for details.

We only needed one, but I ordered two to have a spare just in case we broke another one.

I ordered a hot knife to cut the lines and it worked well. I used painter’s tape before cutting. I let the weight of the hot knife rest on the line where I wanted to cut it. I pressed the trigger and when it started cutting I moved it back and forth slowly. I placed a wooden board under the line so as not to burn my cooler.

Testing the Outboard Motor

Since the outboard motor had been in storage for four years, we decided we better get it out and see if it still runs. We purchased a plastic trash container at Lowes for ten dollars. It worked well.

Check out our YouTube video here:

 

Outboard Motor Mount Fabrication

Working time for this task was three hours for fabrication, thirty minutes for each coat of epoxy, primer, and final top coat of 100 acrylic paint.

Tools required, table saw, chop saw, belt sander, drill, 3/8 inch bit, and Phillips screwdriver bit. We used scrap treated lumber we had left over from other projects. We coated the wood with two part no-blush epoxy prior to priming and top coating.

The original motor mount  built into this boat when sold new was a swing down fiberglass unit held on by two hinges. See link below to get an idea of how the original motor mount worked. Scroll down to see a photo of the original motor mount design.

http://www.dolphin24.org/yankee24.html

Over time, the screw holes wore and the hinges became loose. When the previous owner purchased a new 6 horsepower outboard, he decided to remove the original mount and use a handmade wooden unit that could be secured to the stern with 3/9 inch bolts. Unfortunately, the previous owner discarded the original motor mount. I made a cardboard template to get the minimum dimensions and the angle correct.

When we purchased the boat, the existing motor mount was a handmade wooden mount that left the motor too high. When someone walked to the front of the boat the prop would come out of the water. We looked at several options, and decided to build a new wooden mount that was lighter, allowed the motor to sit low enough in the water and one that would last until we could get one fabricated out of aluminum.

Below is a photo of the motor mount that was being used when we purchased the boat.

Below are photos of the new mount after cutting and assembly. We used screws and exterior wood glue to secure the parts together. The three inch deck screws can withstand a shear force load of 250 lbs each. The outboard motor weights 60 lbs.

Next we applied a coat of epoxy to water proof the wood.

After allowing the epoxy coat to dry. We will mount the unit with three four inch 3/8 inch stainless steel bolts. Two at the top and one in the lower center position.

Next up we will drill new holes in the stern and mount the outboard motor. Should be fun.

Thank you for stopping by.

Happy Sailing.

Bottom Painting The Sailboat Part 2 of 2

Applying the latex primer coats and final top coat was easy. Time for each coat applied was about thirty minutes. The primer dried in two hours and was ready for the next coat in four, but we waited awhile because we wanted to decide on a color for the final top coat on the bottom. My son wanted yellow. I wanted a light blue color.

Below are photos taken after the first primer coat was applied.

We also barrier coated and painted the rubber assembly, which can be removed from the topside. The photo below was taken last fall after we removed the bottom paint from it.

Below is a photo of the rubber assembly after three barrier coats of two part epoxy and the latex primer coat had been applied.

Bottom Painting the Sailboat Part 1 of 2

Time required for this task: Days and weeks of part-time work for us to clean and prepare the bottom of the boat. Had we been able to make it a concentrated effort, we could have done this in about twelve six hour work days.

So far, this has been the most difficult and time consuming task on the sailboat. Before you decide to tackle this job, research the Internet. There is a lot of information about removing old bottom paint. It is toxic, copper based, which is a heavy metal. You will need to wear protective clothing and eye protection.

We used two gallons of CM-15, a two-part epoxy, for the barrier coats. We could have used any number of barrier coat products, but CM-15 can be applied in hotter temperatures and is for hulls that can flex.

Before we could apply the barrier coat, we had to clean the hull and sand wet sand it with 80 grit sand paper. Below are photos of what the bottom looked like before we started cleaning.

We used a gasoline engine powered portable power washer to remove the old bottom paint. The boat had been in the water for seven years when we purchased it. Had we power washed it when it first came out of the water, all of the bottom paint would have easily been washed off. We waited two years to start cleaning and we had to power wash the bottom several times and use brushes and 80 grit sand paper to remove all of the bottom paint down to the old barrier coating.

This photo shows how we painted underneath the bunks. We lowered the bunks and supported the boat with a 4X4 post on top of a hydraulic jack. This photo shows the difference between the old bottom paint and the old epoxy barrier coat ( Gray color ). We used two part epoxy to cover the places where we used a grinder to open the blisters. We used a straight edge to level it and then after it hardened we use an air sander to smooth them out.

Below are photos that show what the bottom looked like after power washing and sanding.

Once the oil paint was removed we found more blisters and had to repair them. We used an air-powered sander to remove the raised part of the blisters and cut back until we had solid fiberglass or gellcoat. Only one blister used a liquid while we were grinding out the blisters.

When that happens, you should allow that blister to dry completely before going to the next step. Drying may require days. Below is a photo of blisters we found around the stub keel. The photo shows what they looked like after we used the small air-powered sander to remove the loose fiberglass. The blisters in the photo were ready for the next step. We mixed some two part no-blush epoxy and applied it to the areas shown making sure to extend outward around the blistered areas so they were completely covered. We did this to all of the blisters on the bottom and waited 24  hours for the epoxy to harden.

The photos below show the bottom after the first new coat of barrier paint had been applied. The next day, we realized we had a major problem. It was not dry and sticky to the touch. It should have been dry to the touch in five hours. We contacted the manufacturer and he said we did not mix it correctly. We told him we followed the instructions on the can. He quit responding after my son sent him a photo of the instructions on the can.

Notice the area under the bunks. We had to figure out how to get to that area so we could paint it. We found that the stub keel was strong enough to support the boat. so we removed one bunk at a time, after we strapped both sides of the boat and added boards under the rub rail to keep it from rolling over. That worked and the boat was steady and never moved.

Four days, later, the first barrier coat was still not completely dry on about 40 percent of the bottom. We posted our dilemma on Sailboatowners ( dot ) com and got some suggestions. We tried removing the tacky epoxy with de-natured alcohol, Ascentone, and a paint scraper so we could start over. This did not work. All we got off was a black stain. The epoxy would not come off. One person suggested we try a second coat and see if the hardening process would restart.

We did a test coat and the next day, that section was dry. Either one of two things happened. The hardening process restarted and the two coats chemically bonded or the second coat encapsulated the first coat and stuck to to it. We mixed a new batch of CM-15 and applied it to the boat. It was dry to the touch in five hours.

Below are the photos of the test area to see if the second coat idea would work.

Once we realized that worked, we mixed a new batch of CM-15 and applied it to the whole bottom.

Below is a photo of the third and final barrier coat we applied. Notice both bunks were removed to allow access beneath the bunk area for painting. We used two straps on each side and 2 x 8 boards secured beneath the rub rails to keep the boat from rolling over. The boat never moved, since the stub keel is twelve inches wide and capable of supporting the entire weight of the boat.

Next up is Bottom Painting the Sailboat Part 2 of 2 where we applied the latex primer coat before applying the final 100 percent acrylic top coat.

Thank you for stopping by our blog. Happy sailing.

 

 

 

All Eight Windows Re-installed On The Sailboat

Time requirement for this task: 3 hours.

This is a two person job. One person on the outside pressing and holding the window in place while the person inside the boat inserts the other half of the aluminum frame and tightens the screws that pull the two halves of the aluminum frames together.

My son and I re-installed all eight windows in our Seahorse 24 sailboat. We used Butyl tape to seal the windows. We got some great advice from a member of the Sailboatowners (dot) com forum. Use Butyl tape instead of silicone. Turned out to be great advice. We purchased the Butyl tape from Amazon Dicor (BT-1834-1 ) 1/8′ x 3/4 inch x 40 feet. One roll was more than enough to seal around all eight windows. We started out trying to roll the tape into a long pencil sized rope to place around the window before placing into the port holes. This did not work and wasted a lot of tape.

What did work well was to lay the tape flat around the perimeter of the window openings before placing the aluminum window frame into place. We pulled the windows down tight from inside with the screws that compressed the two halves of the aluminum frames together and this pushed out any butyl tape that was not necessary. Had we done this to start with we would have used much less tape and saved ourselves an hour of time.

We can now see through the windows.

Below are photos taken after we removed all eight windows, cleaned and repainted the topside. Further down are photos of the windows after we reinstalled them.

Next up on our list of tasks: Bottom painting the boat.

 

Day 11 and 12 of Sailboat Restoration: Replacing the window glass.

The eight windows on the boat were fogged to the point they were unusable. We decided to replace them with Acrylic.

The above photo shows the original glass after being removed fro the aluminum frame.

The photo below shows the acrylic after being inserted in the aluminum frame.

The Procedure:

We removed the glass, measured the thickness and ordered a 24 inch by 48 inch sheet of Acrylic. The sheet costs $60.00, The acrylic sheet comes covered in brown paper which you can draw on before cutting. We simply placed each piece of the original glass down on the sheet of Acrylic and traced the outlines with a pencil. We then used a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade to cut out the piece we would use to replace that particular piece of glass. We found that a medium speed setting on the jigsaw worked best. The Acrylic is easy to cut.

Important note: cut right on the line you drew around the original piece of glass. If you cut outside of the line you will end up with a piece too tight to properly fit in the frame.

Once each piece was cut, we sanded the edges lightly to make them smooth, We inserted the acrylic into the original aluminum frames with the original rubber linings. We then secured the frames with rivets. Due to the lip of the frame, we made a special spacing tool that slid over the rivet.

The homemade spacer above slipped over the rivet. ignore the part on the right. the only important part is the round spacer with a hole in the center so it can slide over the rivet until the rivet is in place and tightened.

An upcoming post will show how to re-install the aluminum frames on the boat itself.

Days 9 and 10 of Sailboat Restoration: Painting the Topside

The topside was painted with Valspar exterior primer, followed by a coat of Valspar exterior paint ( Duramax ). The walk areas were covered with Valspar Anti-Skid paint. All three products are 100% acrylic paints.

We used painter’s tape to secure cardboard inside where the window opening were to prevent the dust from sanding the topside to get into the interior of the boat.

 

 

The windows were removed prior to the sanding process. We will have a post later on that tells how the fogged glass was be replaced with acrylic.

 

It was easier to remove the hatch during the sanding and priming process.

 

Once the primer and final top coat had been applied, the walk areas were taped off for the ant-skid coat.

 

 

The tan areas are the area where we used the anti-skid paint. The texture has a sandy feel to it. We will see how it holds up under use.

 

The tan areas are the walkways where the anti-skid was used.

Here is the paint we used for the topside. We used an off-white color, but it appears white. I read where it is best not to use a pure white on a sailboat.

 

 

Days 3 through 8 of Sailboat Restoration: Sanding, primer coating and Paint.

I sanded the sides and top of the boat by hand with with 80 grit sandpaper. The sides had been painted with an oil based marine paint and the old oil based paint sanded easily and fell off as dust. In fact, the paint came off almost too easily, requiring little pressure on the sanding block. The sides took a total of two hours to sand.

The top was a different story. It had been painted with an exterior house paint, sever years earlier  by the previous owner. The sanding took quite a bit more pressure. There were places where the house paint had been painted on surfaces that had not been properly cleaned. Since paint will not stick to dirt, the paint had either already come off, or it came up in flakes when I tried to sand those areas. The top took about eight hours of fairly hard sanding to get it in the condition I wanted prior to applying a primer coat.

Since the bottom paint, or what is left of it, would have to be wet sanded, I decided to leave that part for last. The bottom cleaning and painting will be covered in a later post, after we tackle that job.

Once I had the sides and top sanded, I washed the top and sides with a solution of TSP thoroughly mixed in water. Once all of the areas were washed with the TSP solution, I power washed the boat. I used the lower setting on the power washer, typically, the setting used for washing vehicles.

After the boat had time to dry, I applied an exterior latex primer to a sample section two feet by two feet on one side. The Valspar exterior primer is 100 acrylic paint and went on easily with a four inch form roller.

I allowed the test area to dry for one day. I then tried to power wash the primer off using a higher setting of 2000 PSI on the gasoline-powered power washer. The primer coat was not phased. I made pass after pass across the area moving the washer closer each time. None of the primer came off. The primer looked as good as it did before I tried to power wash it off.

Satisfied with the results of my test area, I applied primer to the top and sides, except for one section near the hatch, which I decided to leave for another day.

One day later, I applied a coat of exterior house paint ( Valspar Duramax ) over the primer that I had applied the previous day to the sides. Again, I used a four inch foam roller. The paint went on easily over the primer and dried to a smooth finish within two hours, but I waited four hours prior to applying the second coat.

      The sides after the first top coat of paint was applied.

The sides after the second coat of paint had been applied.

 

The Duramax exterior paint is 100 percent acrylic paint, as is the anti-skid porch and floor paint I plan to use on the walk areas on top of the boat.