What's on your boat refurb list this year??

[Russ Sylvester]

Florin's thread concerning the porthole rings kind of got me to thinking. A lot of folks are neck deep in building but may not be planning for the inevitable future refurb projects. I can assure the folks building that your perfect job of hull painting won't be perfect after a season or two. That varnish will need to be freshened up and lot's of sandy feet on deck make for ton's of scuffs.

The worst refurbs are the plywood parts. If the edges didn't get sealed completely they WILL delaminate eventually. Yes, even the exterior grades will eventually fail.

So my point is when you're building your fine vessel be sure to keep in the back of your mind a thought to how you will be able to take it back apart to freshen that finish or replace that piece of wood or even to change a design. I know I had to destroy my porthole rings completely to get them off because I stupidly used 5200 instead of 4200. Plan ahead.

Actually it might be interesting to see a list from some of the long time wkndr/vctner/PC/etc. owners of items that have failed. Using a boat for three or four seasons will point out the weak spots.

[Pat Mellema]

Russ

This is a good topic as I just launched last summer. When I pulled the cover off this spring I had a couple of small spots that needed attention to get it back to the way I want it. I feel with a wooden boat you are always going to have something to fix.

[Bill Paxton]

The only thing that ever failed in three seasons with my Weekender was the rudder box, and that was my fault. I simply didn't use enough screws. I corrected that mistake, added a couple of thru-bolts, and it has worked fine ever since.

This Spring I'm touching up the paint. We use the boat a lot, and it's starting to show. By this time next month she'll look good as new, and be ready for year 4.

[Dave R1]

I'm hoping I only need to touch up some paint and figure out where the lines go. I totally unrigged last fall and all the lines are coiled in my basement.

I haven't seen the boat since last fall so I only hope nothing's happened.

After paint and rerigging, I guess I'll go sail with Bill. At least I hope so.

[Phil Gowans]

Spring, summer and fall are for boating. Winter is for boat maintenance or improvements. I try to do something each year. I haven't found any significant failures, but there is always something to work on.

This year it was:

- fix the stem fiberglass delamination

- repair & re-varnish the rubrail dings

- strip epoxy & varnish off deadeyes and cleats, refinish with linseed oil

- build a burgee mount on mast

- grommet the mainsail leach for easy ensign attachment

- fix the cockpit grate and refinish

- redo some block thimbles

- make rope for lashing the steering wheel

I had the boat in the garage for about a month working on the above. The most significant was the stem fix. I will eventually put up some pictures and discussion on some of these.

Remaining for future:

- Rope fenders

- swim ladder

- add more flotation

- make a cockpit shade

- build a cover

Currently I've got the boat completely ready for water - rerigged, sails bent and gear loaded. Now, just waiting for next weekend to starting sailing season.

[Craig]

Easy for you to say Phil! It is almost the middle of April and I haven't touched mine. I too have delam problems on the stem near the bob stay mount. The chain pulls up and cracks the glass I think and allows water in under the glass. Every year I have to fix rail dings from the barnacled pilings down here and also the rain cap for the compression post. I wanted to cutter rig this year but it isn't going to happen. If you have the $$ ya got no time. If you have time the money goes somewhere else it seems. At least it is spring!!!! At least here.......

[Zeroice]

I've been working on some dacron sails that I'll be using this year. The main is almost done I just have to install the gromets and maybe some reef points. The jib just needs to have the tabling and grommets installed. I have also decided to put in a splash combing that runs the length of the cockpit, I tried out some steam bending and have 2 1x2 red oak pieces bent for the job. I plan to put in some scuppers for the deck were the water collects at the front of the cockpit through to just below the top rubrail with some copper tubing and epoxy.

To finish of the things to do for the first over night I am working on a cockpit tent that is made with flexible fiberglass tent poles and white poly tarp snapped to the bottom of the top rail. This should give me the needed room for the porta-potty and storage overnight and keep everything dry.

[Charlie Jones]

Well- I finally got tired of carrying the masts on our Sharpie on cushions stacked on deck- so I built some mast support/carriers that fit into the mast steps, with leather lined places for the masts to set into.

And since when we deliberately capsized her last summer and found that the bow floated so low we couldn't get her bailed out, I designed and built a bow floatation /storage tank to bolt in up there. Almost done with it- got the last of the glass work done tonight That'll add almost 4 cubic feet of air space in the bow- should keep the deck above water so someone in the stern can bail the boat. Glad we tried it out in shallow water

[Dave Ruedel]

Now that it finally seems to be warm enough to work outside, a few things to do. I am moving my battery to the bow for a better weight distribution, installing a solenoid valve on the fresh water line to prevent loss of water when the boat is tilted on the launch ramp, adding flag pulleys to the mast, and installing a marine radio and antenna. There are probably a few other things I will find, but nothing that can't be done between sails. Hopefully, Idyler will get its first wetting before month's end. It has been a long, wet, and cool winter here.