Layla II has been treated to new Hull Paint/ Color

[Greg Ross]

Larossa/ Brian asked for images of the new paint work on LAYLA II.
P.O. had painted the boat some years ago and then proceeded to learn how to dock a boat I guess?
Did the full meal deal, bottom barrier coat and hull prep and paint in two part Poly-all Interlux products. Hull is "Fighting Lady Yellow" a very pale yellow, BTW
Paints were all rolled and tipped and I am very happy with the the finish, not too glossy but looks right on the planked surface.
Yet to apply are the cove stripe in gold and the trailboards in white background with gold hi-lites.
Last work in the shop will be installing new thruhulls/ seacocks and new deck hatches. And I guess we should put the Rudder back on!
I've been daydreaming about this refit process for a long time.

 

[bayhoss]

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

Best,
Frank

 

[Loren Beach]

Breathtaking!
Way to Go!!

Loren

 

[Jeff Asbury]

Oh my Gawd, that is beautiful.

I wish I could afford to do that to my "good old boat".

 

[Martin King]

Veddy nice, Greg! Gold paint or gold leaf?

 

[Commotion]

That's BEAUTIFUL!

What did you use for barrier coat? What color and type of bottom paint?

 

[Greg Ross]

Tough question Martin

Martin,
Since this refit soon reverts back to DIY and last I heard gold was around 1300 dollars an Oz, I am inclined towards gold paint but, at least the paint is called "gold leaf"
Price for all the primers, fillers, thinners, epoxy and polyeurthane materials was about $650. Half as much again for gold, hmmmm
Commotion,
Bottom was taken down to gelcoat (green) with very few small blisters needing attention. Three coats of Interlux "Interprotect 2000E" in white followed by the first coat of Interlux "Fiberglass Bottomcoat ACT" in green. Interlux recommends that first coat of antifouling be applied, depending on temperature in a matter of hours after the last coat of barrier coating.
The Interprotect product dried very quickly.
Fellow who's done the prep and paint had some interesting ideas;
The boot top is done with "Brightside Polyurethane" the one part product whereas the balance of the hull is done with "Perfection 2 Part Poly. Logic being that the boot top will likely be repainted more frequently due to staining.
The cut-in lines for the boot top stripe are as per the original gelcoat color lines, the molded in grooves above and below this stripe are both painted white to make it a simple matter to mask and repaint in the future.
Also agreed for continuity of all the coatings that all external hardware, thruhulls etc. be removed.

 

[Keiffer]

Wow!

Greg,

It looks great nice job!

Everyone time I see one of these out of the water it reminds me much I love the overall look and shape of the hull.

 

[Chad and Sandy]

Good old boat

Oh my Gawd, that is beautiful.

I wish I could afford to do that to my "good old boat".

Jeff, I just wish I had a "good old boat" >

 

[exoduse35]

OMG that is NICE! I just commented in another thread about the relative value of boats in another thread... I thought it may have been too long. Now I am sure... I could have said it with "Sometimes you are paying for this" and reposted these photos! Edd

 

[Greg Ross]

Cabin top refurb. and Hatch replacement

Progress now on working over the trunk cabin, removing and re-bedding all original through bolted hardware including Port windows.
The original wood framed deck hatches were very tired. At least on the I-31 these cabin roof openings have a stand-up lip/ dam that the wood hatch closed over.
I've had the idea for a number of years that the forward hatch at not much over 16" Square would not allow for an emergency exit. A larger hatch was in order.
To enlarge both openings this rim was cut off to provide a flat surface to accommodate the mounting flange of the replacement hatches. The replacement hatches, a 20-1/2" Bomar and a 26" Taylor-Made were selected to suit the dimensions of that larger mounting surface. Mat, cloth and glassed in wood was added to the interior of the coaming to reinforce the larger opening in the Main Cabin. The Taylor-Made will get painted to match the forward hatch.
All this work leads to a refinished deckhead in the Saloon, the Head and the V-Berth.
AND the rudder is back on.

 

[Greg Ross]

Deckhead Vinyl is gone now

Attached arer a few of images from yesterday, cedar T & G has been dry fitted in the head prior to priming. Main cabin on into the V-Berth is progressing with installation of new backing strips around the new hatches, around the perimeter and for the spacing of the false frame battens.
Planning to finish in satin white with teak trim.

Had to also during the process replace about 1/3 of the ply along the trunk cabin sides, delamination and some rot courtesy of leaking grab rails, etc.

All the port lites are out for rebedding and new closure seals. After this we should have a dry cabin!

 

[Greg Ross]

Interior deckhead refinish progressing

We've now had our weeks in the sun (BVIs' and PR) Folks who live in southern latitudes have no appreciation for the privilege of sailing in late Winter and how it rejuvenates the Spirit.
Came back to some great progress on LAYLA II, teak trim being dry fitted to the cabin deckhead.
In the "Port Aft" view we've cut away half the upper cupboard to expose a port lite I installed several years ago. Provides a clear view of the cockpit from the Galley when the companionway is closed up tight.
And thruhull installation is complete and we can go in the water any time now. Typically mid-May in our part of the World.

 

[PDX]

I love the look of the painted T and G on the coach roof. But how will you access cabin top fittings (handrails, etc) when you need to? I assume the T and G is blind nailed (or screwed)? Some related question: How long are the spans between the nails (screws)? How thick is the cedar? Could you break it easily if you need to sacrifice an end piece and then back out the screws on its neighbors? What type of cedar? Is it strong? The stuff out here, Western Red Cedar (actually a cypress) is light and easily broken.

Also, the "how to" books all speak to putting in insulation, even if only 1/2". What are your thoughts on that? If you did it, what kind did you use and how did you fasten it?

Thanks. Really excited by your work.

 

[Greg Ross]

T & G Installation Process

PDX,
In the past I had dropped portions of the old vinyl head-liner for accessing new fastener locations, real PIA
The concept here is to have access to handrails, thru-bolts for hardware, etc by removal of T & G. Perhaps difficult to see in my images but for instance along the outer portions in way of hand rails the T & G is in shorter lengths with the butt joints covered by battens and everything including the T & G is screwed. It will be necessary to remove from the outer sides working inwards, all the material was dry fitted, removed for painting and then re-installed.
The cedar T & G is approximately 1/4" thick and never seemed weak or brittle, the backers are spaced less than 24" approximately and the voids are insulated with the aluminized/ reflective bubble sheet sold as duct insulation. it's approximately 1/4" thick so two layers can be fitted-just held in place with duct tape until the the T & G goes on. I do not expect much in the way of flex with the relatively solid backing with the void spaces entirely filled.
You can purchase in local hardware stores here either (lodge pole) pine or cedar in a number of different profiles. I don't have any original packaging but seem to recall it was British Columbia product?
I'm very pleased with the way this is working out, this project was inspired my Martin Kings' and Gary Stoops' refurbishment of their I-31s'.

 

[PDX]

If it is a British Columbia product, then the T and G is almost certainly Western Red Cedar. The most common use of that size is to line closets or cabinets. It has a nice fragrance that pests do not like. But it secretes a chemical that will bleed right through normal water base paint, discoloring the paint. Make sure you use either an oil based primer or, if water based, that it is specially formulated to stop moisture (like a metal primer for example).

Will you hold the teak strips up with bronze screws?

 

[Greg Ross]

T & G Finishing

PDX,
Ay-Yup, we used the good primer, the paint is an enamel as well.
And a yes on the bronze screws for securing the teak.

 

[Greg Ross]

Fuel Polishing and Filter back-up

We`ve had a bit of a delay getting our Marina fully assembled for this sailing season. Fairly substantial storm damage from two seasons ago has had the permanent repair work gong on this past two weeks. Delaying launch has lead to tackling some added projects;
Got along today on the assembling of a fuel polishing arrangement that will replace a single filter-water separator I have had on the Boat the past few years.
This set-up will allow me to run the filters in series with say, 30 micron and 10 micron elements for straight polishing, circulated back to the tank via a dedicated Carter electric fuel pump.
or
to run on a single filter until the installed vacuum gauge indicates the filter element is clogged or if the engine falters for saturation with water. And then the capability to reverse 4 valve handles and put the spare filter into use, theoretically on the run.
The Independence 31 has what`s referred to as a Wet Locker space adjacent to the Nav. Station. We`ve found when we have wet gear it ends up on hangers suspended from whatever convenient point til it can go back in the proper closet. So, this Filter stack-up will be installed in the top of that locker space immediately in front of the fuel tank and relatively right beside the YANMAR 3HM35. For filter element change-outs the access will be excellent. A locker door will be built to cover this assembly. I`m thinking ready-use tools can be stowed in the now free space below the filters.
These RACOR filters are rated at 60 GPH flo-rate and are definitely overkill but I wanted reserve and redundancy.

 

[Greg Ross]

Finally got her ready to launch

We've had a miserable wet Spring here, better then Tornados though I would guess!
Once at the waterside I spent better part of 10 days working between showers, fog, drizzle, etc. to get her ready to splash. The weather cooperated and that finally happened yesterday afternoon.
The gold leaf "paint" on the trail boards were done over a period of 5 days "between showers"
She's been attracting many positive comments about both the color and the quality of the work.
The mast has yet to find its' way to town, hopefully a mast trailer will come available from a fellow CYC/ Ericson Owner (Steve Murray E-35) in the next few days.

 

[Greg Ross]

2nd to last post on this thread/ under sail to follow.

Eastern Canada is having the coolest, wettest Spring probably on record. Average daily high for the Spring of 2011 must be in the range of 12-14 deg. C with nightime lows of 4-6 degs and the occasional frost warning in low lying areas! This weather, primarily the rain, drizzle and fog has discouraged activities at our little Yacht Club.
This past Friday I helped fellow club members (Charlottetown Yacht Club) with the launching of 6 boats. The club has a small pedestal crane with a capacity of 5T so every boat from "D" Dock and a number of misc. scattered/ power boats require either trailer launch or service of a mobile crane. Friday was planned Crane Day. Perfect weather and virtually no wind, we were therefore able to splash six hulls as fast as conveyances (every possible configuration of trailer/ wagon/ highly modified former "float trailer") as could be moved in and out of the slot beside the crane. We were able to tie each of the boats off the ends of adjacent fingers with a single fender or rafted them together. This kept them all handy for recycling back to have their masts stepped by the same crane.
This involvement on my part earned me a ready host of volunteers to erect my mast with the clubs' manual jib crane that afternoon (repeat manual- block and tackle hoist, etc) Fully dressed my mast is a struggle with that rig, anyway, its' up.
The included image was taken at dusk Friday night, stays had been snugged up and the new full batten main had been run up the new Tides Marine mast track. The re-designed lazy Jacks seemed to wok quite well. Thanks Guy S for your article/ link! The new hatches are evident. (note to self-lube the mast top sheaves next Fall!) Note: shes' riding higher by the bow after removal of 450 Lbs of lead ingots from below the Fwd. water tank. Addition of chain rode will trim some of that out.
BTW: the vessel parked beside me is "RUMPOT IV" not "KUM*** ** We can now go sailing but without a seahood. The hood is scuffing the top of the companionway hatch/ fresh varnish. Contributory to this interference is the rebuilding of the hatch, 1/4" - 5/16" thick slats (over Plexi) were removed and replaced by 3/8" - 9/16" teak planking over a ply sandwich. Extra height of the sliding hatch caused the clash. Last week on one of the rainy days I took the seahood home to make the necessay repair. The middle stiffener rib had, at some point been broken and poorly repaired. Off-centre that middle rib was nearly about 3/16" lower then it's adjacent stiffeners. Idea was to saw and grind out the filler material from the inside of the stiffener cavity, force the hood back into shape and refill the stiffener cavity.
Jigged up persuasion with a 2 x 4" for a beam, using clamps and shaped with strut pieces between the beam and the inside surface of the hood on each side of the groove. I used two softwood strips for void filler sandwiched with a couple of ribbons of F G cloth and epoxy resin. Obviously now I should have used more glass (with perhaps a bit of carbon fibre) since the hood resumed pretty much its' former shape. What I'd removed looked like a mix of paste filler and chopped glass.
I've concluded I'll rework the drooping stiffener and then re-install the seahood on top of teak battens to give me some margin on clearance.
Other interior tasks are on the go, I've replaced the head with a Baby Blake, very handsome if such can be said about a toilet fixture, and sinks have been swapped out for copper basins and new tap sets.
The gold work on the cove molding will have to wait until the Fall.