Back from Vacation..Back to Work!

Took my girls to visit my family in Louisiana week before last. Trying to ease back into boat mode!

Able to enjoy some time on the bayous of Louisiana!

The major work left is interior and rigging.  Decided I needed to close up the boat before I start the interior work.  Here is the new port and old round port installed.

New hatches installed.  This is where I planned on putting the batteries, but with all of the weight I have already added in the stern area, I am considering locating them either in the lazarette below the the helm or inside the cabin.  Stay tuned.

Installed the new ports on the interior of the hull as well.

Before installing the ports on the exterior of the hulls, I decided to lay out the gold stripe.

Happy with the outcome.

Remember stripe will depict an arrow to go with the Iroquois theme.  Here is arrow head forward.

Also installed navigation lights as shown.

And "feathers" or arrow fletching aft.

Decided to enclose this area to hide the back of helm area.  This shot shows the bottom frame added.

Finished the rest of the frame and added a teak veneer plywood with a cut out for the door.

With door added.

This is with door closed.  I used hidden hinges to give it a clean look.  I will likely add some molding to clean up the look and hide some of the rough edges.  My plan is to install the electrical panel in the door, so I can easily access the back of the panel.  It is big enough that I will likely install other items such as battery and LPG monitors, etc.

Trying to decide what to do next.   My "Plan" has slipped just a bit.  At the top of the list is to varnish the molding that will hold the liner in place.  I want to add more liner where the original windows are, using the window frames to hold them in place.  This is the last step in order to waterproof the cabin.  Well except for the door!

Topsides Done!

Still working the Plan.  I was able to finish the topsides this week and a few other things.

On Monday, I finished prepping the hull for paint by sanding with 400 grit.  I then set up tarps around the boat.  Primarily to avoid direct sunlight while painting and also to protect the paint from any over night dew.

Prior to painting, I washed down the hull with Interlux Fiberglass Solvent Wash.  Here is the starboard side as I started the first coat on Tuesday.

This is another shot after the first coat.  I decided to tackle the paint job by myself.  You can see where I overlapped, which in itself proved to be a mistake.  After the second coat, I realized I would need assistance on the final coat to avoid overlap.

This is after the second coat on Wednesday.  While the over lap is not as visually evident, the surface was not as smooth at the over lap.  This happened because as I tipped the paint, I had to come back with the next rolled on paint and overlapped where I had just tipped.  In some places, it was okay, while others, there was a noticeable texture difference.  I ended up sanding those areas and enlisted help to paint the third and final coat.

This is after the 3rd coat on Thursday.  Hard to see the difference.  Also removed the masking from the boot stripe and bottom paint.

The port side actually got a fourth coat on Friday.  It was the side that we started first and there was a learning curve.  I decided to tip and let my son apply the paint.  It was his first time and there were too many areas where the paint was not applied evenly.  After that we switched jobs, it worked a whole lot better.

Here is a shot from the front.  The port lites and navigation light are just dry fit for the picture.

I decided to leave the underside the original gel coat.  It is still in good shape.

A shot of the backside with the rudder housings re-installed.  Also, not sure if I had posted a picture of the stern rails installed.

Close up of the rudder housing with the new stainless steel steering arm.  I will end up putting some overlapping rubber on the inside of the hull to limit any water coming in, through the slot, from following seas.

Installed the mechanism on Saturday.  This is the starboard side.

I decided to apply a couple coats of paint to the berth area.  My goal is to eventually place foam backed headliner to the walls and PVC bead board to the roof. But I am afraid that may very likely be an on the water project.  Just realized I did not paint the ceiling.  This is the port forward berth area.

Here is the head

And the other side of the head.  Unlike a lot of other Iroquois, which have been "rehabbed", I am trying not to paint over any of the wood.

This is the port aft berth.  The new port lites on either side and the paint, sure make a big difference in making this more inviting.  Still need another coat in the two aft berths.

And the starboard berth area.  Need to do some more finishing up on enclosing the electrical chase.

It was a very fruitful week.  In a few moments, I am off to start framing in the rear of the helm, where the electrical panel will be located.

Update:  

I wanted to post a shot of the topside paint finish.   Here it is:

So how do I feel about my handy work?   It is definitely a DIY paint job.  Not a mirror finish that I was hoping for, but for the money, I am satisfied.  Part of doing this blog is to show "how to" and "how not to" do something.  I don't mind showing my successes and failures.  So for future reference, I  used between 5 and 6 quarts of Interlux Perfection for the topside and probably about a half a quart for the boot stripe.  All in all, I probably have just under $500 in materials.  I am satisfied with that!

Work the Plan

Trying to stick to my Work Plan.  So far, I am on track (mostly).  This week during the evenings, I made good progress on painting the inside. Mostly the fiberglass that I am not sure if I will be covering with headliner and areas I am likely to run electrical wiring. I want to add another coat, so I will likely do that week day evenings next week. That's the "mostly" part!  

Yesterday was a short day, but I was able to bolt the 4 stanchions back on and tape the boat in preparation for the non-skid.

This morning, I added the 3rd coat of Interlux to the boot stripe. I still have a couple of areas that the fiberglass repairs are showing through. I should have used some primer prior to painting.

Here is a shot of the cockpit area after the non-skid was applied.  For future reference, I used 1-quart of Interlux Perfection, 1-quart of Flattening Agent, and 8 oz of Intergrip non-skid. compound  This covered all of the non-skid areas, including hatches and the 3 new hatches that I built.

Speaking of the new hatches, here is a shot of them in place.  Need to tweak their position before I add the hinges.  I bought some stainless steel hinges that come apart so I can remove the hatches if needed.  This will require me to notch the back of at least one of the hatches, since the arch prevents the lids from opening past about 30 degrees.
I can raise them about 18", which is plenty to fill the gas tank.





Tomorrow, I think I am going to prep the topsides for the paint.  This morning, there was quite a good layer of dew on the boat, so I will definitely need to tarp above the topsides to protect the paint from moisture.  I have taken vacation time off next week since I already have the 4th off, so I am going to take my time with the topside paint.  Wish me luck!

Inside and Out

I have put down the remaining work on a calendar.  Plan the work and Work the plan.  According to this adage, I should be done in August!  Even with that, I will need to continue to work evenings.

The plan for last week day evenings was to sand all of the teak in the cockpit. There were a lot of areas where drips had left their mark.  Besides the varnish had become old and rough throughout.  If you look closely at the teak on the left side of the picture, you can see one of those drips in the upper middle and that is after my first sanding!  The door in the back ground is for comparison to what I started with.

This is the same door midway through sanding.  I had to get pretty aggressive, using 80 grit sandpaper.  I created a real mess in the cockpit and probably inhaled my share of dust, even with a face mask.

Most of the wood is teak veneer plywood, so you have to be fairly careful not to sand through the veneer.  I probably had about 4 small "oops" moments throughout.  Hopefully I am the only one who will know where they are after everything is varnished!

I figure I spent a total of 10 hours sanding and another 2 hours cleaning up.  I washed down the teak with a bleach/water solution and then "showered" it with water.  Ended up hosing down the whole inside.  Now to try and keep it from getting more drips from the window, which have not been sealed yet!

On Saturday, I put the second coat of paint on the boot stripe area.  I am going with a 3" boot stripe, so I masked off the bottom paint/water line and faded the paint upwards.

The top of the boot stripe will be level and I will lay that out prior to painting the remainder of the topsides in Flag Blue.  According to the "Plan", that is scheduled for the week of July 4th.  I have taken that week off of work.

The majority of the boot stripe will do with 3 coats, however areas like this will need at least 4 coats to cover.

With the remaining paint, I added Intergrip non-skid additive and painted the various hatch covers.

All of the existing hatches had an integrated non-skid molded into the fiberglass.  But after filling in holes and wear and tear, it would not match, so I decided to try using the Intergrip right on top, without sanding down the existing non-skid.  This is a close up.

Same hatch cover a couple of feet back.  I decided to add 1:1 ratio of Flattening Agent to the paint to take away the gloss.  Both for contrast with the glossy border as well as to help hide the imperfections in the non-skid area.

I mixed about 8 oz of paint, 8 oz of flattening agent and 2 oz of Interdeck.    Had about 4 oz left over.

This is one of the new hatches that I made that will cover the stern extension that houses the outboards and gas tank.











Look Ahead.

This next week, I hope to lay paint down in the cabin, while things are clean and tidy.  This will prep the cabin for starting to lay out the wiring and plumbing.

Rub Rail Varnish Continued

After applying my first coat of varnish on the teak rub rail weekend before last, I was able to apply 4 more coats, before I ran out of varnish...More ordered!

Here is a shot after my last coat.  I plan on maybe one more coat of the same varnish and then finish it off with the high gloss varnish final coat.

Another shot later in the day, when the sun was really shining on it!

On Saturday, I started painting the boot stripe, but only got one coat on.  Looks like it will take 1-2 more coats.    I will do that this coming weekend.

After applying the first coat in the morning, I decided to tackle removing the oxidation from the bottom of the hull below the cockpit/salon area.

Photo of the tools of the trade.

This is a shot after my first area.  You can still see the oxidation in the lower portion as comparison.












After work hours this week will be dedicated to sanding the teak cabinetry inside the cabin.  Started today, using my orbital sander.  I will take pictures this week and post next time.  All of my teak plywood and molding is now in, so I can start to pull the inside of the cabin together in the next few weeks.

A reminder if you are going to paint with Interlux Perfection outside, to cover up your work if an overnite dew is expected.  I did a little touch up in the cockpit extra paint left over from my boot stripe, and didn't heed my on advice.  The area that I touched up is flat instead of glossy.

Let the Varnish Begin

I dedicated this weekend to varnishing the teak rub rails.  As always, more work than I planned!  During the week I started on locating the route for my electrical wiring.  This entailed drilling holes and other slots to accommodate the wiring.  The more I get into it, the more I realize that I want to do all the painting and such on the inside before I start to actually lay out the wire.

I started Saturday morning with removing the tape on the inside of the  rub rail that was used to protect it from painting the deck.  UGHH.. the exposed wood below the tape absorbed the paint up behind the tape.  Took half the day just to sand the paint off.  After I while I quit being so meticulous and just left some of the paint..  I plan on caulking between the deck and the rub rail, so hopefully it will hide some of it.   Used 220 grit to finish off the sanding.

Picking my battles at this point!

Saturday night I wiped on some Barkeepers Friend, which contains Oxalic acid, to bleach the wood a bit.

This morning, I wiped the rub rail with some denatured alcohol to combat the oil in the teak.  Then applied my first coat of Epifanes varnish.

I cut the first coat with 25% mineral spirits to thin out the varnish so that it would absorb in the wood better.  This is a shot after a few minutes.  You can see that it is splotchy, which is to be expected.  Showing areas where the varnish was absorbed by the wood.

I am using Epifanes Wood Finish Gloss, which is formulated so that sanding is not required between coats. My goal is to apply 1 coat every day for the next 5 days. (or more).  I will then use Epifanes Clear Gloss Finish for the final coat.

Just a shot to show the before.

and after first coat of varnish.

Deck Painting Winding Down

I feel good about this last week, but it reminds me how slowly things can go.  I completed my 2nd coat of paint on the entire deck including all of the hatches.  I will likely do one more coat on most of the deck and above.  Then it is on to the topsides.  I even did a light sanding of the exterior portion of the hulls yesterday.

In my previous post, I had a couple of pictures of the aluminum frames after being painted.  I then moved on to applying a bead of Dow 795 silicon sealant around the windows.  This is the shot after taping off the area to achieve a nice 45 degree beveled edge on the sealant.

All this taping takes considerable amount of time, but the results are worth it.

Below is a picture of the finished product.  

Today was a short day, so I decided to start on the helm station.  It is always a trying time, making holes anywhere on a boat, but especially after all of the time I put into this helm station.

The tape is to protect the surrounding area from the marks jigsaws to tend to leave behind.

Here goes!

Cut made, and Morse control is hooked up to the outboard control cables.  All seems to function property.  More instruments and gauges later.

















That is all for now!