CS20 Hull #102 (Wes) updates

[wkisting]

Hi all,

Nothing much to report, but had our first outing on the lake yesterday. The pollen in Georgia is terrible this year, so it came as a small shock that the lake is so coated in yellow pollen that it looks like someone dumped yellow paint in the water (all last week, the sky looked like giant clouds of yellow chalk dust were descending on the city, too).

Did a few upgrades... finally got around to making a folding hinge for our long tiller, which is convenient to get it out of the way when we row with the oars, or when I want to stand up and steer. As an added benefit, it also works neatly with the tiller-tamer we installed last year so that when you raise the handle, it adds tension to the tamer and "locks" or tightens the tiller tamer also. Pretty slick.

Also, made a proper outboard mount out of mahogany to go on our custom steel outboard bracket. Looks nicer than the unfinished 2x4s we've had stuck on there for the past 2 years.

Finally, spent most of the past week adding a folding trailer extension to our trailer... turns out that we CAN squeeze a 20' boat straight into our 20'6" long garage, which gives a lot more garage space than storing it on the diagonal as we have been doing. We just had to slide the boat all the way forward to the front of the tongue and add a folding 34" trailer extension tube (Fulton brand) so that we could still hook up to our jeep without the winch hitting the tailgate-mounted spare tire. Works really well and is actually easier to launch and tow the boat now thanks to the added clearance near the rear tailgate.

Here are some pics...

[John Turpin]

Beautiful boat.

[Joe Anderson]

Wes it is hard to believe that it has been two years since you finished your boat.

I have been considering System Three paints but wonder about there durability.

How has your interior paint been holding up? Would you go with that same paint again?

[wkisting]

Hi Joe,

I've had a very positive experience with the Systems 3, though I know some people have concerns about its durability. I think folks who find it problematic for durability are probably either (A) much rougher with their boat interior than I am, or ( not using the crosslinker additive to the final coat they apply (or perhaps C, not applying the Silvertip Yacht Primer first for the initial bond to the fiberglassed interior). The paint is slightly delicate for up to 3 weeks after it is applied, but with the crosslinker (additional hardening agent) added to the final coat and allowed to cure thoroughly, it stands up to everything except hard scrapes (such as a hard-edged metal fastener vibrating against the floor while trailering for several miles, which can certainly remove the paint). It is true that other paints are somewhat more durable, but they are also more noxious or trickier to apply. The Systems 3 paint is almost exactly like the experience of using a nice latex paint... virtually no odor, very easy to apply (just roll it on), very easy to touch up (just a quick dab with a roller or brush). I really think it is a very good choice for an interior and have never regretted it.

I'm not sure I would use it on the exterior since I don't know how easy it is to get a glossy finish. I've never tried to sand it to a high gloss, as we deliberately opted to leave it with the roller texture, which is still very nice looking, but provides a little traction on the floors and seats instead of a totally slippery glossy finish. It also saves sanding work and means that touch ups really are just a quick matter of dabbing with a roller (not sanding back to a sheen, feathering the edges into the old paint, etc.). Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity. And, we only had to touch up the interior once in the two years we've been sailing her... mainly because I put the tiller/rudder housing inside the boat when trailering her once, and one of the pintles dug into the floor and scratched away the paint. Otherwise, no noticeable wear has appeared yet.

[Ray Frechette Jr]

An awlgrip finish is indeed more perfect and more durable.  Higher gloss and auto body smooth perfection finish.

It also costs several grand more  to have professionally applied over roll and tip System 3.

And once a few dock kisses are accumulated and you want it repaired again you are talking several grand to repair.

System three can be repaired on a nice afternoon with a foam brush and a few sheets of sandpaper.

Blends in incredibly nicely as a patch job.

They have a high gloss clear coat which gives a very nice gloss without the need to sand and rub out and polish.

A full court press of rubbing out of course gives  an even better finish,  but that is expensive labor wise too...

[Ken_Potts]

  Oil-based or alkyd paint from the big box places starts ugly and stays ugly while protecting the wood (or, more accurately, protecting the encapsulating epoxy from UV) for about 20 dollars per gallon.  I don't win any beauty contests but I'm out sailing while others are sitting in their workshops feathering-in the repair from the latest dock kiss.

  I love to see the beautiful finish on other people's boats but I also enjoy seeing those beautiful boats while sailing my gaudy yellow and blue workhorse that sees the water (warts and all) once or twice a week during sailing season (March through January).

  When I was getting ready to paint I called around to some manufacturers of high-end marine coatings and I never found one tech support person who would gaurantee their $100 a gallon plus coating system when applied over two part epoxy.  The only hard-and-fast rule I heard was don't apply one-part epoxy over two part epoxy, because it will not stick (I didn't test, so I don't know if this is true).  Given the wild disparity of prices and the absolute equality of guarantees (none) I opted to go with the cheap stuff and get my behind out on the water.  It's worked so far and although my boat will never take "best in show" I'm the guy who will be sailing past the awards ceremony wondering who's being buried...  :grin:

  Sorry, that wasn't very helpful, was it?  :grin:

  Ouch!  Immediately after posting this message, I re-read it and it looked to me like a criticism of the folks who go with the high-quality materials and achieve show-quality finishes.  I honestly did not mean to deride that course of action.  I have a lot of respect for the craftsmen who know how to apply a finish correctly to a boat - My intention was just to say that when I was trying to figure out the correct coating I hit a wall, threw up my hands in disgust and found a solution that works well for me.

[olp4835]

Wes, Thank God you did not put tat extra coat of paint on, the boat would be too long.  Thanks for the info on the mast material and length, we are making them longer.  BTW do you have action pics, wind blowing???    How's the baby?

Thanks, Otto

[wkisting]

Thank God you did not put tat extra coat of paint on, the boat would be too long.

Ha! That is the truth. You can't quite tell in the picture, but the short little receiver mount on the transom (where we attach the removable outboard bracket) is pressed tightly against the wall, and there is hardly 1/2" of clearance between the front of the trailer and the garage door. The other irony is that if our masts had been as long as they probably should be (about another 10 - 12" tall), they wouldn't fit without being removed from the trailer and stored on the diagonal also.

We don't have any recent pics of her under sail, but if you haven't already seen the website, there are some nice pics from our first few sails here: http://www.roguepaddler.com/cs20t.htm  Usually, I forget to snap photos under sail because I'm having too much fun. 

[Dale Niemann]

Joe,  System Three has very good durability in my experience.  I have used it on two previous boats my Bananas which I think I had for about 8 years and never repainted.  I ran her up on beachs many times and that paint is tough stuff.  I used it on "Lively" and after 4 years the paint is holding up very well. However I have several scratches which I will probably repair this summer.  I do not like the high glossy finishes.  I agree with Wes on that.  I rolled and tipped with foam and achieved a very nice finish.

Dale