I chose the Pettit Protect over Interlux Interprotect for one solid reason. To reach the desired thickness, Interprotect requires five coats where as Pettit Protect requires only three. It goes on thicker. Therefore I accomplished this with only one roller replacement and in only about three hours of a hot Saturday in August.
The rugged outline of the top edge of paint wants explanation. In filling and fairing the hull's numerous cracks, I encountered quite a few of what I determined were 'bottom-style' cracks above the designed waterline, especially in the bow. These are typical of any boat; and for a sailboat that one must conclude will be heeling more often than not, under way, the imposed delineation of a waterline is pretty arbitrary. So I prepared these places as I would for any 'underwater' area; and once the waterline is established the gray can be sanded down above the line to accept topsides paint.
The black Sharpie lines, applied at the upper edge of the green-tape stripe, will represent the lower edge of the painted stripe(s). Thus I am 'cheating' the original waterline up about two inches.
I lowered the rudder in its shaft tube but without digging a hole I was unable to remove it entirely. As of this picture it has been sealed and re-'glassed (the yellowish stuff is epoxy, with some Microlight filler). I found every seam in the rudder shell to have been open and filled with bottom paint (not a good sign), which was responsible for the whole thing being saturated in water. As I used up all the Pettit Protect on the hull, I will have to buy more for the rudder and the stand squares.
From earlier photos one can see that I stripped the entire hull bare-- leaving no stripes. Earlier I had plotted all three lines-- float waterline, designed waterline, and top of bootstripe-- and recorded the measurements. These current lines come from those plots.
This sort-of-closeup view shows my 25-foot Stanley tape clamped along the toerail of the boat. Using this as a kind of number line, I dangled the other Stanley tape from this, at prescribed intervals, taking 'soundings' down along the hull to the stripe. To get the waterline back onto the hull, I had only to read my numbers back and to plot the marks from them.
I am not sure I'm happy with the replotted marks. Though I did the plotting accurately, I fear the boat is going to be too heavy, especially forward, and especially to starboard, which worries me. To starboard are the engine-starting battery, the galley, the toilet itself, the toolbox, the primary anchor and (short) chain rode, and the microwave oven as well as the skipper's usual sitting area below, where the computer and stereo are located. Everything else is more of less balanced out by a complement to the other side. For now I shall let these lines alone and count on shifting some weight about (possibly by storing all canned goods to port, for example).
In the background Jerry's 1980 C44 can be seen. Jerry's a liveaboard who's been doing a heroic job stripping bad 'glass from his boat's bottom and re-'glassing the whole thing. His stamina and indefatigable fortitude are an inspiration.
After taking some of these pics I just had to snap this view of Diana's underside all recently done in pewter gray undercoater (Pettit Protect).
Yes; the keel looks a little bent out of shape. Believe me-- it was much worse before I got my hands on it.
The paint does look a little blotchy in this view. Maybe it's glare. I can vouch for the effort than went into smoothing this; and the result really is pretty good. Undoubtedly it's better than it was when new.
The little oval block affixed to the bottom, aft of the keel, is the fairing block I made for the bronze drain plug. Maybe it's just overkill; but, then again, every girl can use a little help....
No comments:
Post a Comment