Deck survey [9/28]

Today I ordered Blue Interlux paint for the topsides and some red
Interlux hard bottom paint$$$ from Defender Industries, they were
20% less than West Marine.

I surveyed the deck today.� Took a little plastic hammer and
tapped on sections of deck composite that I had rudely sawn off
yesterday. I could see on the sawn edges where the good balsa
core made a transition to the rotten core and could calibrate my
ear for the different "sound". It is pretty easy to hear.

Then I surveyed the remaining deck and drew boundaries, according
to my ear, separating the good areas from the rotten or
delaminated areas. I measured the entire deck and measured the
rotten areas and saw that about 50% was rotten. I thought "is
the glass half empty, or half full?"

The thought of trying to patch up so much of the deck seemed
futile and at present I plan to strip off the top layer of
fiberglass, dig out the balsa, keeping the lower layer of
fiberglass, and lay in sheets of 1/2 inch plywood using epoxy
with filler. Then I will glass the top of the deck with cloth
and epoxy and then add a non-skid pattern and paint the final
result an off white. I believe this will be stronger and might
be quicker than patching. Now, the work that I have glibly
outlined in a few sentences may take weeks or months, if the
weather turns cold!!!

Cutting away [9/27]

There were dark clouds this morning and I spent some time
improving the shelter over the Etchells.� Weather is a big worry
as I have lots of fiberglassing and painting to do and the
temperatures�will be�dropping.� Some of this project will have to
wait for spring.

By afternoon the sun was out and I proceeded to cut out big
sections of the boat. This was pretty exciting as many hours had
been spent imagining what and where to cut. The result was
dramatic and gratifying.

There was lots of rot in the balsa core of the deck which I was
aware of. This fact encouraged me to start the surgery as it
would have been barbaric to chop up a boat in good condition.

It sure looks pretty sitting in the driveway.

etchells at new home [9/24]

This afternoon I bought this Etchells 22, a 30 foot-long racing,
one design, keel sloop from a guy in Bozeman.� I think it is
beautiful but it needs work.

I have had a latent plan for several years to convert one of
these from a racing boat into a daysailer-weekender.� Marjorie
wondered if we were too old for this kind of minimalist sailing
but I maintained we weren't.

Stay tuned.

12 point program? [9/17]

I looked a little at a 30 foot Etchells keel boat that a friend
has for sale cheap.� I once had an idea of converting one of
these Etchells from a one-design daysailer into an overnighter.
Kind of like putting a bed and hotplate into your Porsche and
making it into a camper.� Plum crazy but I am running alternately
hot and cold on the idea this weekend.� Marjorie is running more
on the cold side.

The Etchells mast is stepped on the keel. The bow and stern are
bulkheaded to make air tanks for flotation. There is not much
room left and the "cabin" would only be an open-backed shelter
with slightly more room that the underside of our dining room
table. Mounting an outboard is a problem.

This is what we were looking at in the rain on Saturday. Is
there a 12-point program somewhere?