Barrier Coat & Bottom Paint

December 31st, 2015

I awoke this morning earlier than I would if I did not have a huge milestone in front of me...painting on the barrier coats and bottom paint.  I needed pretty much the entire day to accomplish this goal, so I was up by 8am!  I blew out the cobwebs, through together some muesli, and was on the project by 9:15.  Because I wasn't interested in sanding between coats of the barrier coat application, as well as the application of the first coat of ablative bottom paint, I needed to work the paint on in successive coats.  The heat of an atypical Florida December cut my open time between coats, and because of this  I was nearly finishing a coat and then mixing up another batch of Jamestown Distributors' TotalProtect from their TotalBoat line of products.  

I began the morning by fine-tuning the boat stands and clearing the work area of nuisance materials that would inevitably cause me to trip and stumble.  After the work area was safe, I mixed up a batch of the TotalProtect barrier coat product in a 3:1 ratio.  I mixed 32oz of total product as I was unsure of the exact amount that I would need, and as it turned out I had some left over after the first application.  I awaited the required 20-minute induction period, but used this time to solvent-wash the hull for any missed sanding residue or contaminants.  

The pics above and below show the ugly bottom that had become this Cape Dory Typhoon...soon to be corrected.

I used a 9" foam roller to apply the 2-part epoxy barrier coat to the majority of the bottom and a chip brush to the tight places that the roller could not access: trailing edge of the keel as it meets the leading edge of rudder, and just above the trailers bow stand as this was not engaging the boat.

I was nearly finished applying the first coat of TotalProtect when I noticed the foam roller began to give up the ghost.  Apparently the adhesive holding the foam to the cardboard core was melting with the reaction to the the epoxy paint.  I bought these foam rollers from West Marine (yeah, I know!) specifically for the purpose of being resistant to harsh solvents...not too resistant.  The second coat was applied using a 3/8" nap roller also resistant to solvents, and this roller held up extremely well!  The pictures above and below were taken after the second coat had been applied.

Pictured below, Alva Anne wearing her new pants (third coat of the 2-part epoxy TotalProtect barrier coat).

The application method I used today is called "hot coating." Essentially, when the epoxy becomes tacky to the touch but does not leave paint on your finger then you are safe to proceed with the next coat of paint.  This hot coating technique was used for all 4 coats of the TotalProtect barrier coat, as well as the first coat of Pettit SR-40 ablative bottom paint.  The bottom paint chemically bonds with the barrier coat paint and thereby creates the necessary adhesion of the two paints.

The pictures above and below show Alva Anne with her first coat of bottom paint.

The bottom paint and topsides paint scheme came out great...I think.  For those interested, Interlux Perfection Oyster White and Pettit SR-40 Red.

Well, now that's a sharp looking Cape Dory Typhoon!  Alva Anne is nearly in the water.  The brightwork varnishing is happening whilst I am completing this other daily (daylight) chores....but now it's time for some champagne, Happy New Year to all!!!

Total Time: 7.25 Hrs.

Final Coat of Finish Paint on the Decks, Hull Fairing, and Bung Cutting

December 30th, 2015

Being on vacation is still necessitating that my mornings are slow and easy!  I'm out of bed by 9am, and enjoying coffee and talking heads until at least 11am.  I could be a bit more disciplined with my time during this crucial time; crucial in that I need to have Alva Anne in the water soon!  Well, I'm honestly not as demanding on myself as I used to be.  

After I made it out of the house, I began right away with the fairing of the bottom to prepare it for its barrier coat tomorrow.  The thickened epoxy application I applied yesterday was well-cured, so I started by water washing the amine blush from the surface, and then sanded to fair with 80-grit pads on the random orbital finish sander.   The picture below shows a field of small "fills" that I had applied the previous day - tan colored 'splotches.'

With the bottom sanding completed, I turned my attention to once again sanding the cockpit and decks.  As I had done the previous day, I sanded with 320-grit paper.

I made my way around the boat within one session of NPR's Fresh Air.  Sanding can be quite enjoyable whilst one is on vacation!   

After I completed the sanding work, I vacuumed the surfaces completely.  Prior to wiping the decks with solvent I mixed a 12oz batch of finish paint, and while I awaited the 20-minute induction period I chose to wipe the surfaces with solvent to clean any residual sanding reduce - there is always a good bit of lingering dust.  

The painting was again with a 4" foam roller, as well as using a small foam brush in the tight spots.  I have achieved a great feel for the balance of thinning agent, and as a result the paint lays down very nicely and produces an attractive finish.

With the painting wrapped up (finally!, seriously, a couple spots that I didn't care for had me obsessing extensively...enough, move on!), I then moved on to taping the water line for the barrier coat / ablative bottom paint.  Using the previous tape as a guide, I applied the next round of tape. I elected not to paint a boot stripe on the boat, opting for a look that hearkens back to the paint schemes of yachts in the early 20th and 19th centuries.  I'm looking forward to seeing how this actually looks on the 19' Cape Dory - I'm hoping my vision looks as attractive in the real world :)  After the new tape line was applied, I followed up with sanding the new border as well as the surface previously hidden by the first tape line with 80-grit paper.  Prior to the first coat of barrier paint tomorrow I will thoroughly wipe down the surface of the bottom with a solvent.

To complete the day's work, I wrangled up a section of the mahogany material and drilled some bungs for the eventual rub and tow rail install.

Total Time: 5.75 Hrs.

First Coat of Finish Paint on the Decks & cont. Varnishing

December 29th, 2015

The day had come.  I was finally ready to put finish paint onto the deck and cockpit well and seating! Milestone!  The painting tasks were definitely upon me: finish paint for the cockpit and deck, barrier coat for the bottom and finally the ablative bottom paint.  I had roughly timed the paint application to fall within the Christmas / New Year's break, so I'm not surprised by the volume of work compressed within this short amount of time, but now that I see the amount of work....vacation is supposed to be stress-free, right? 

I was excited to get finish paint onto the deck just as I had experienced with the topsides.  I was tired of looking at weathered gelcoat, and now have grown tired of looking at the dull glow of primer paint.  The Interlux Perfection Oyster White will be a welcomed change to the deck and cockpit.

I began by sanding the recently applied primer coat, working my way from the cockpit well, up to the cockpit seating, poopdeck, aft side decks and onto the foredeck, and finishing with the coach roof and cabin sides.  With this being the transition from primer to finish paint, I selected 320-grit paper to sand with.  

Upon finishing the hand-sanding, I vacuumed the surfaces thoroughly and then followed that by a solvent wipe down.  With the surfaces cleaned and ready for paint, I went ahead and mixed a 12oz batch of Interlux Perfection.

While waiting out the 20-minute induction period, I looked after some odds and ends that needed attention around the shop and generally prepared myself for the task ahead.  With the paint reaching its chemical zenith, I thinned it with Interlux's 2333N by 10%, gathered my necessary supplies and made my way over to the boat.  I began at the rudder/tiller tube and its base plate, and used a small foam brush to get the tight spaces in this area.  From there, I made by way around the cockpit floor up the sides of the seating, the seating itself, to the poop deck, the side decks toward the coachroof, the cabin sides and coachroof, and finally onto the foredeck.

After cleaning up from the painting session, I turned my attention to the brightwork.  I had a go 50/50 ratio coat of varnish on the boards I had been working with, and was now ready for a coat of varnish only slightly thinned.  I went with a 90/10 ratio on the varnish and proceeded to apply this on the boards with a foam brush.  

The picture quality is suffering here a bit - I promise :)  The brightwork is really beginning to show its beautiful mahogany grain!

Total Time: 5.5 Hrs.

Final Hull Fairing & Continued Varnish Work

December 28th, 2015

In the next couple of days I will be applying the barrier coat and bottom paint, and to this end I am in need of finishing the bottom to accept the paints.  There were a few areas that I was not satisfied with, so I used a spiral saw and "opened" up the areas that I saw as questionable and might present issues later on with continued cracking and flaking of the gelcoat - especially as the hull flexes.  I mixed some epoxy without thickening it and applied that "neat" epoxy to the areas that I recently ground out.  Returning to the shop I mixed another small batch of epoxy and thickened it this time with Interlux 410 Microlight fairing material.  The areas that required the fill were extremely shallow, and as such, I felt did not require a structural thickening agent.

I applied the fairing filler rather quickly as I had circled each problem area with pencil as I ground them out with the spiral saw.

To finish the evening's shortened work session - I had gone into the office today - I flipped the coaming boards and applied the same 50% thinned varnish to the opposite side.

The boards will continue to dazzle as I build the Epifanes varnish through the series of coats.

Prior to varnishing, I gathered a few of the other trim pieces and sanded them to prepare for the thinned varnish application.  It's nice to be in the stage of putting things back together!

Total Time: 1.5 Hrs.

Primer Paint for the Cockpit (2nd Coat), Companionway Slide and Cockpit Locker Hatches

December 27th, 2015

With good momentum carrying me through the holiday break, I enlisted Maggie's support in helping to sand the cockpit in order to prepare it for it's second coat of Interlux Primekote.  We had the cockpit and side decks sanded within roughly 45 minutes, and I quickly turned to preparing a batch of the primer paint.  While the 3:1 mixture sat through its 20-minute induction period, I wiped the surfaces clean of any residual sanding dust - we had vacuumed the surfaces after finishing the sanding work.  I also took the time to wipe down the the surfaces of the companionway hatch and the cockpit locker hatches.

After the 20-minute induction period was up, I went ahead and thinned the paint by 20% and began rolling on the paint.

The paint went on curiously thick in this application, I should say marginally thicker than previous applications.  But in the end, I was pleased with the paint job and am ready to proceed with the first coat of finish paint.

As I had mentioned above, and after I finished painting the cockpit and side decks, I painted the top surface of the cockpit locker hatches....

...and the companionway hatch.

While I was painting, Maggie pushed forward with some sanding work on the various trim pieces - those older teak pieces that eventually will be replaced by new mahogany fabrications.

Total Time: 3 Hrs.

Sanding & Application of Final Coat of Topsides Paint

December 23rd and 24th, 2015

Having ample time during the last two weeks of the year, and just back from a lovely sail through the British Virgin Islands, I am focused on finishing up the Alva Anne's restoration.  My focus in getting Alva Anne in the water is two-fold: 1. I simply can't wait to sail her, and 2. I need the yard room to accept the incoming Westsail 42, Laniakea...well, that name represents a strong possibility.

During the afternoon of the 23rd I prepared for the following day's paint application by sanding the topsides with 320-grit paper, by hand.  I moved through the surface of the transom, along the starboard side and then finished at the port hind-quarter.

The dull surface is prominent now that I had completed the sanding with the 320-grit.

The following day, after a leisurely morning, I prepared a batch of the Interlux Perfection Oyster White paint, awaited the 20-minute induction period, and then thinned the paint by 10%.  Like I had done with the prior coats, I rolled the paint on with a 4" foam roller.

Happy with the results, I called the 3rd coat the final coat and prepared to move on to other tasks required to complete her restoration.

One of those "other tasks" was the sanding and paint prep for the cockpit locker hatches.  With the stiffeners glassed in, I knocked down the sharp edges and generally smoothed things over to prepare for their first coat of primer paint.  I used the 6" random orbital finish sander and 80-grit pads as well as 80-grit paper by hand.

The last task on the list for today was to apply the first coat of thinned Epifanes varnish to the coaming boards and cockpit seat trim.

The first coat of varnish is thinned by 50%.

Alva Anne's brightwork will be a blend of new mahogany and old teak...at least initially.  The urgency to get her into the water necessitates that I reduce the brightwork scope, so over time I am sure to replace all the trim with new mahogany.  

Total Time: 3.25 Hrs

Second Coat of Topcoat & Locker Lids

December 6, 2015

I had intentions of sanding the hull and getting a second coat of the topsides paint on Alva Anne, but the anticipated quick paint job turned into over six hours of work....

I began with small 5"x5" squares of 150-grit paper, folding into workable sizes, and sanded the tape line to about 3 inches into the field.  Working the tight spots always takes the most time.

After the tape line was sanded, and the tight angles, I switched to the random orbital finish sander outfitted with 120-grit pads and sanded the balance of the freeboard.

I finished up the sanding and cleaned up the tools and supplies from around the boat, after which I vacuumed the hull surface.  I then mixed a smaller batch of the Interlux Perfection Oyster White.  While I awaited the 20-minute induction period - the time for the part A and the part B to chemically bond - I wiped the hull down with solvent to remove any of the residual sanding dust.

For the painting I used a 4" foam roller and started at the transom.

From the transom, I moved onto the aft starboard quarter surface and then worked my way around the boat...

...finishing at the aft port quarter.  The paint, in a couple places, had a flat appearance as if the paint was contaminated with water.  I was a bit paranoid, in this coat, to not mix more paint than I needed, and so I painted with a certain frugality of paint application.  AKA, I just got a little stingy with the paint.  It's ALWAYS a learning experience, so I will adjust my part A and part B amounts and I will adjust my application method...third and final coat will be brilliant! 

The other chore for the day was to prepare the companionway hatch and cockpit locker lids for paint. I started by sanding the get-coat surfaces with 80-grit pads.

I then sanded the undersides with 60-grit pads to prepare for some epoxy work.

The cockpit locker lids needed some support and rigidity.  I decided to recycle some short lengths of the boats original rub rail.  I cut lengths to stagger their placement on the underside of the locker lids. I cut appropriate lengths of 4" wide 1708 biaxial tape to secure the "stringers" onto the locker lids.

For the installation of "stringers," I first wiped the surfaces with solvent to remove any contaminates. I then applied a thin coating of neat epoxy, as well as the underside of the short length of wood.  After all surfaces were coated with neat epoxy, I mixed a batch of epoxy thickened with colloidal silica and applied to the underside of each stringer.  I placed the stringers into position of the underside of the locker lids, gently setting into the epoxy base.  

I then created a fillet on each side of each stringer section to allow a smooth transition once the fiberglass is laid on.  After the fillets were in place, I placed my fiberglass section onto a sheet dog plastic, and one at a time I wet out with epoxy and placed on the wood stringer.  With the fiberglass in place, I ensured a good bond by pressing into the epoxy fillet and making sure trapped air was removed from underneath the fiberglass tape.  Next step for the locker lids and companionway hatch will be to prep for a coat of Interlux Primekote.

Total Time: 6.25 Hrs.