Dixie

NightSailor

Captain
I've been working on DIXIE, a Sunfish that was given to me by a nice couple from my yacht club. I hope to return the favor at some point.

It is a nice looking grey on grey boat with blue stripes. Yesterday I installed a hiking strap, drain plug, inspection port/bottleport, harken 205 swivel base, and a stand up ratchet block. I have a nicer Sunfish, but I am very fond of this boat because of the color combination.

The boat had suffered some impact damage to the port bow. I started repairs on that area too. More on that below.

Here is the new look for the Cockpit:
I really like the gray theme. The coaming is in nice shape also.
Dixie853.jpg


After removing the rub rail, I could see the original color. I want to bring it back to that. I spent a lot of time buffing the hull, and I'm still not satisfied. I wet-sanded a few spots with 400 grit sandpaper. There are marks in the usual places--tiller rash on the afterdeck and spar rash on the foredeck--nothing horrible. Tomorrow, I'm going to sand it again with 800 grit and then compound it. I don't want to spend forever on the deck as I have other boats to work on, so we'll see how that comes out. I have a power buffer, but it does not seem to work all that well. I'm going to try a different compounding agent next time.

Impact Damage:
The other issue was the impact damaged area. I could not tell how bad the damage was until I removed the silicone sealer that was smeared everywhere. The damage consists of one small crack on the deck--smaller than I expected.

I did not want to make a huge repair. I wanted to preserve the blue stripe as much as possible, and so I chose to use my dremel tool to open up the area, and then made a small patch with three layers of fiberglass cloth. I did not follow the 12:1 rule on the bevel, but this is a small crack and close to the edge, unlikely to be stressed. the bevel was more like 8:1--plenty for this situation. The original crack was just about entirely through the deck with a length of about 1 inch. A proper patch would have been about 1/2" bigger all the way around.

Here one shot after the patch was sanded [below], with a nickel for size comparison. It will not need fairing and is ready for gelcoat.

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Now for the more serious damage. The hull/deck joint:

Here is the topsides of the damaged area showing the silicone sealant partly scraped away. I used a slightly dull chisel to scrape it and later used a power sander.
Dixie846.jpg


Below is a similar view with the silicone mostly sanded off. Note the cracked area in the middle. The fiberglass has delaminated from the impact down to about there.

Dixie847.jpg


In the above picture you can see I took off a little too much gelcoat in one spot trying to sand the last of the silicone off. However, this is right next to the spot that was delaminated.

I used my dremel tool to cut away most of the fiberglass that was delaminated, leaving the last layer for support of the new layup I have planned. To make this strong I'll have to turn the corner and bond to the deck. I may have to remove a bit more fiberglass, it appears to be delaminated more than is revealed here.

Note, I removed about 1/2 the thickness of the flange [below], so that my layers of fiberglass wrapping around this 90 degree inside corner won't make the flange too thick when done. I will have to fit the rub rail back on when completed, so this flange must be returned to the original thickness.

Note this photo was taken from a greater distance than the other--look on the left side to get an idea of the old flange thickness.

I used a drum disk on my dremel spinning perpendicular to the topsides to cut the thickness in half, and then used the curve of the spinning drum to round the inside corner to a smooth radius for the upcoming layup. I think three layers of cloth, with a fourth thinner strip on the inside corner will make a very strong repair.

Fortunately most of the damage was localized. Only directly at the joint is there an opening. I should be able to apply a patch that will need minimal sanding. With any luck I won't need any fairing. I may try and apply the patch and then mix my remaining epoxy with West Systems 410 on top so that I'll be able to apply both at once so I can later do sanding and gelcoat at one time in the next step and wrap this job up in a few days. Thankfully, gray should be somewhat easy to match. It is just black tint right? Or is there some blue in that gray? Oh well, I don't care if the color match is perfect, I'll be putting a graphic and a name in this area and most of the repair will be out of sight.
Dixie861.jpg


Despite my best efforts of masking the area off. The wind blew some dripping epoxy on the topsides, so hopefully that will sand off without damaging the gelcoat.

My final effort [below] was to seal a crack in the aft starboard corner. This boat was stored outside for 15 years. It's aft end saw horse broke, tilting the boat with the aft end down. Water accumulated in this corner. Freezing action split the hull deck joint.

I painted the crack with epoxy and brushed it in for penetration, followed by some West Systems 403 thickener, which doesn't drip. I forced that into the cracks with a plastic spackle type blade. Here is an after shot. I plan to sand the edge smooth and hope the sealing job went well. If not I'll try it again with some vacuum applied to suck in the epoxy.

The pictures shows the wax paper I used to mask off the area. The epoxy was applied to the edge of the lip [the dark horizontal line], and around the aft corner.

Dixie851.jpg
 
I've seen some grey boats and agree. They look sharp. The ones I've seen appear darker grey than your photos, almost battleship grey. Maybe the retired USN part of me likes it so much. I'm betting your boat looks darker grey than the photos suggest.

BottlePort is a good idea. See also: Successful Sunfish Racing (Derrek Fries), Chapter 11. Already have a pair of 5" Viking ports of the proper style installed in my cockpit on each side of daggerboard. Helps keep hull dry, takes mystery out of what's inside, comes in handy for spray tops, life jackets (compact inflatable variety), discarded water bottles, and keeps unused weight forward. Aft storage (on boats that have one) is good for stuffing disconnected hiking strap in light air races.

Good luck with the rest of your project, color matching in particular. There are many helpful tips on various postings in this forum, and yours will add to the mix.
 
I've seen some grey boats and agree. They look sharp. The ones I've seen appear darker grey than your photos, almost battleship grey. Maybe the retired USN part of me likes it so much. I'm betting your boat looks darker grey than the photos suggest.

BottlePort is a good idea. See also: Successful Sunfish Racing (Derrek Fries), Chapter 11. Already have a pair of 5" Viking ports of the proper style installed in my cockpit on each side of daggerboard. Helps keep hull dry, takes mystery out of what's inside, comes in handy for spray tops, life jackets (compact inflatable variety), discarded water bottles, and keeps unused weight forward. Aft storage (on boats that have one) is good for stuffing disconnected hiking strap in light air races.

Good luck with the rest of your project, color matching in particular. There are many helpful tips on various postings in this forum, and yours will add to the mix.

The edge under the rub rail is slightly darker. Perhaps when buffed out it will look slightly darker--not much more than what you see. The photo is pretty accurate for the shade of gray. I like the light gray.

I don't see the point in disconnecting the hiking strap, or in stuffing it in an open access ports. Ports should be closed at all times...

What is Chapter 11 about? I doubt I'll buy the book. I am trying to get rid of books.
 
The edge under the rub rail is slightly darker. Perhaps when buffed out it will look slightly darker--not much more than what you see. The photo is pretty accurate for the shade of gray. I like the light gray..

Darker gray versions were produced.

I don't see the point in disconnecting the hiking strap, or in stuffing it in an open access ports. Ports should be closed at all times....

Nope... not in open access port but in cockpit aft storage compartment, which may not exist on your older boat. When in use, my strap runs tight as a bowstring from bottom aft to mainsheet block. Great for hiking but a real pain in the ... when trying to hunker down in cockpit for drifters. I have quick disconnect at mainsheet block and toss the whole apparatus into the back.

What is Chapter 11 about? I doubt I'll buy the book. I am trying to get rid of books.

Chapter on maintenance. Not important. Basically describes the use of cockpit inspection ports.
 
Nope... not in open access port but in cockpit aft storage compartment, which may not exist on your older boat. When in use, my strap runs tight as a bowstring from bottom aft to mainsheet block. Great for hiking but a real pain in the ... when trying to hunker down in cockpit for drifters. I have quick disconnect at mainsheet block and toss the whole apparatus into the back.

I thought about attaching a hiking strap there for my "new" 1983 boat--BLACKJACK. It seemed like it would get in the way--as you said. It does avoid the need for an access port forward. BLACKJACK is close to perfect with hardly a scratch. I wanted to keep it a virgin w/respect to access ports.

Ultimately, I decided that if I wanted to use the boat, I wanted it to be functional, so I ordered a Bottleport and a 5" Viking Inspection/Fat bag, hiking strap and mounting kit--which will keep all my boats rigged the pretty much the same--with low mounted hiking straps. One access port with bottle holder and a bag, that also allows me to install a hiking strap down low, installed a little loose with a shock cord to lift it up a bit, makes perfect sense to me. The downside of course is you have to cut a hole in your boat install it there. I would not cut a hole on deck--ever. However, I don't mind if an access port is in the cockpit out of sight--more or less, and easy to reach.

I personally avoid boats with deck inspection ports when shopping for Sunfishes. There are lots of "virgin" boats out there. The only exceptions I make are for free or very cheap boats. I have two of these from the 60's which had the rudder mod and I "have on one/will on the other" glass(ed) over that ugly access port cut out on the aft deck. I pass on any boats with the old style rudders, not because there is anything particularly wrong with them (I have never sailed with one), but mainly from the perspective of standardization--all my boats can swap rudders, which makes it easy to keep spares handy.

So aside from the light air issue, how do you like your hiking strap up that high?

 
Looking good. I do like the gray top too. You will find that the gray is much kinder on your eyes when sailing in blinding sun.
 
A cherry 1983 would be nice to see.

Inspection ports: Agree - cockpit only. Many (some would say most) boats do leak a little. I have found that ports ensure the inside dries out - and stays that way - when boat not in use. In a perfect world, the boat would never leak and stay dry all the time. Without a port, you don't really know if the inside is dry. Small amounts of water are left behind and do not drain out of the installed drain plug. This results in humidity inside the hull, including eventually in the structural foam blocks. I don't believe that tiny pin-hole vent on the forward part of the cockpit wall will do the trick either. Even with the smallest leak, water will start to accumulate inside.

My 2005 started leaking almost right away. First around the splashrail, then under the lips where the hull joins the daggerboard well, and finally under the lip of the deck where it joins the mast tube. Small leaks - all located with soap bubble testing. I probably would not have noticed for a long time without the cockpit inspection ports.

My boats stay dry. Even if they do pop a small leak, it is immediately discovered and the boat is kept dry - at least between races - until I can fix. Sometimes takes a while to find. Didn't find the mast well leak for months. I accidentally filled the mast well to the top - next thing you know I'm on the Lawrance Welk Show. I was startled with the amount of bubbles and thought I might have overpressured and damaged the hull. For those of you listening in, be VERY careful with soap bubble tests. You can easily overpressure the hull and cause it to separate from the structural foam. This leak turned out to be rather large, but was masked by the rolled-up teflon sheet that I place inside the mast well to get a tight fit with the mast.

My 2006 Worlds boat went about 3 years before starting to leak around the splashrail. A little work to do before the North Americans.

Enough of inspection port stories.

Hiking strap: I stuggled several years to find what was right for me. A tight strap, high in the front, gives me a good "grip" on the boat with my weight. I can hike cross-legged or straight-legged and even on my toes when called for. The non-skid under-surface on the Zhik hiking strap is just what the doctor ordered too.

As I said, it's got to be tight, and my 200# puts a great deal of stress on both fore and aft attachment points. Here is my solution. (See images on follow-on posting.)

The fwd padeyes are traveler padeyes from a dead 'fish, placed just the right distance apart to mimimize slop and keep the fwd end of the hiking strap snugged up tight against the cockpit edge. This minimizes the tendancy for the hiking strap to "roll" about it's axis - very important. The padeyes are also low-profile for minimum discomfort when the strap is disconnected.

The fwd padeyes are bolted thru both the cockpit lip AND the cockpit wall - 3 nuts / fender washers for each bolt. This forms a box-girder structure and is VERY strong. Too date, nary a single gel-coat stress crack has appeared in that area.

I similarly bolted the aft padeyes for maximum strength. Everything installed with 4200 sealant, of course. The whole thing is incredibly strong, the way I like it. No concerns about hiking strap failure or damage to the boat.

The hardest part was taking great care to get the holes drilled right the first time.
 
Here are my hiking strap images.
 

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Here are my hiking strap images.

OK. I'm officially jealous. I love your boat. Someday I'll have to treat myself to a new Sunfish. The modern Sunfishes are nicely refined. I'd be embarrassed to show any of my boats next your yours. Wait a minute, I'll put my Etchells next to it. None of my Sunfishes though.

Awesome setup. I love the gray and yellow. Is there some green in that gray? Looks very nice.

Are those clam cleats on each side? I hate clam cleats--many bad experiences with them. I know they work ok when new.

I particularly like the hiking strap fasteners.

Is that a compass up there on the coaming?

What is the name of your boat?

Enough drooling. I'd like to see your boat up close at some point.

 
Someday I'll have to treat myself to a new Sunfish. The modern Sunfishes are nicely refined.
Another lengthy topic - new vs. old Sunfish. Lots of opions and not enough time right now. Sir, I don't know the depth of your experience with the newer 'fish. You clearly have a connection to the older 'fish. You have 7 'fish - I have 5 (and looking to acquire more). Advice: if you don't have much experience with the newer 'fish, don't assume that the newer boats are "better". It depends on what you're looking for. If my new "SCUD" sister-ship is stiff as hoped/expected, I plan to use it as my "main squeeze" boat for heavy weather conditions (until the sharper rail becomes too much for my aging body).

And yes, cutting inspection port holes in the cockpit will be painful.


Are those clam cleats on each side? I hate clam cleats--many bad experiences with them. I know they work ok when new.
Yes, they are. On this I think we can agree. I think the clams are good only for a narrow range of uses and types of line. I have very specific reasons for using them here - moderate loading; a soft, fuzzy, grippy, compressable single braid line; no holes thru the deck (only the cockpit); and most important - extremely easy to uncleat in a blow. Like the hiking strap, these have worked out perfectly.

I don't use them much though. Constantly playing the mainsheet and feeling the 'tug'. Many competitors don't use a mainsheet cleat of any kind - and I was once one of them. They sure come in handy when it's howlin'. Here, I have the newer composite material clams - far better than the metal or plastic jobs.

Learning to sail as a kid, there was just "the hook". I was happy when my father added a swivel cam.


Is that a compass up there on the coaming?
A Ronstan "Clear Start" starting timer. I love it.


What is the name of your boat?

What can I say. If you keep-a-askin' - I'll keep-a-answerin'.
 

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Another lengthy topic - new vs. old Sunfish. Lots of opions and not enough time right now. Sir, I don't know the depth of your experience with the newer 'fish. You clearly have a connection to the older 'fish. You have 7 'fish - I have 5 (and looking to acquire more). Advice: if you don't have much experience with the newer 'fish, don't assume that the newer boats are "better". It depends on what you're looking for. If my new "SCUD" sister-ship is stiff as hoped/expected, I plan to use it as my "main squeeze" boat for heavy weather conditions (until the sharper rail becomes too much for my aging body).

And yes, cutting inspection port holes in the cockpit will be painful.

Yes, they are. On this I think we can agree. I think the clams are good only for a narrow range of uses and types of line. I have very specific reasons for using them here - moderate loading; a soft, fuzzy, grippy, compressible single braid line; no holes thru the deck (only the cockpit); and most important - extremely easy to uncleat in a blow. Like the hiking strap, these have worked out perfectly.

I don't use them much though. Constantly playing the mainsheet and feeling the 'tug'. Many competitors don't use a mainsheet cleat of any kind - and I was once one of them. They sure come in handy when it's howlin'. Here, I have the newer composite material clams - far better than the metal or plastic jobs.

Learning to sail as a kid, there was just "the hook". I was happy when my father added a swivel cam.

A Ronstan "Clear Start" starting timer. I love it.

What can I say. If you keep-a-askin' - I'll keep-a-answerin'.

I like the fact the cleats do not penetrate the deck. I use a swivel base and cam cleat.

I'm a big guy, 6'4" 250 lbs. Despite the fact that there is only one sheet and one tiller, I can't seem to hold onto either when jibing <grin>. I've shortened my tiller, put a carbon hiking stick on it, and that is helping some--still I'm a bit too big for the boat and need my hands to move my body around. For me to do well competitively, it would have to be blowing real hard and a longer course. I guess Sunfish race courses are short? How long is a typical race? How many races in a day/regatta? My stamina is good. I can handle pain well when sailing--all day. I'm used to it. The sun is what wears me out and that is why I very much prefer night sailing. I've lost a few sailor friends to skin cancer and my German girlfriend (a platinum blonde) has had it. My goals is to buy a big catamarran with lots of shade. I digress...

My sailing has been all recreational so far. I appreciate the cam cleat every time I go out. Mine is set up to release easily. For my weight a cleat is not as much a problem as it would be for a lighter person.

A starting timer is a wonderful idea. I'd like to see your's up close. How did you mount it? Is it a clamp mount or screw mount?

I would love to hear someone knowledgeable like you discuss a comparison between modern and older Sunfishes.

 
I'm a big guy, 6'4" 250 lbs. Despite the fact that there is only one sheet and one tiller, I can't seem to hold onto either when jibing <grin>. I've shortened my tiller, put a carbon hiking stick on it, and that is helping some--still I'm a bit too big for the boat and need my hands to move my body around. For me to do well competitively, it would have to be blowing real hard and a longer course.

Well, big guy, I feel your pain. At 200#, I am really at the heavy end of competitive weight range. My observation is the "ideal" competitor weight is 140-160#. Notice that I said "ideal". Folks can do very well from 100 to 200#. The Sunfish is unique in that it does have a very broad competitive weight range. The same cannot be said for boats like the Laser. Nancy Heffernan just won the International Masters at about 110#. Strategy, tactics, wit and guile are more important.


I guess Sunfish race courses are short? How long is a typical race? How many races in a day/regatta? My stamina is good. I can handle pain well when sailing--all day. I'm used to it. The sun is what wears me out and that is why I very much prefer night sailing.

Courses depend on who/what/where. Lots of fun race / weekday evening courses are short (upwind legs 0.25 to 0.5 miles) and as you get to the serious competition the legs get longer (upwind legs 0.5 to 0.75 miles - or more). Windward/Leeward - twice around - seems to be the standard. A typical regatta will have 3 (+/-1) races per day.

A starting timer is a wonderful idea. I'd like to see your's up close. How did you mount it? Is it a clamp mount or screw mount?

This baby is worth it's weight in gold. You pop the timer in/out of the black plastic holder. For a good grip, it seems to need a solid/flat backing. I don't have to take my "eyes off the ball" at any time before a start, particularly the critical last seconds.

I would love to hear someone knowledgeable like you discuss a comparison between modern and older Sunfishes.

I'll save that one for later.
 

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As you may have read in my other post, I have not done much work in the last few weeks aside from trailer repairs.

I did take another look at my free boat Dixie. I've found out two things. First my crack repair in the transom/topsides flange deck joint is still leaking water. So my last repair was incomplete. When I realized water was leaking out I lowered that corner and left it that way for more than a week. Quite a bit of water came out. I was glad and concerned about this. Dixie needs to be drying out more, and sealed up tight. I think the solution to sealing the crack is to create a vacuum to pull epoxy into the flange joint, and clamp it. The crack was so small I wondered how much epoxy got in there last time. I'll be looking at building an attachment for my vacuum cleaner with a spare access port tomorrow. I'll need to modulate the pressure so that the epoxy gets sucked in but not all the way through.

The other issue was the crack up on the port bow. I spent more time with a dremel tool and found the crack more extensive than I first thought. So I prepped this area and applied a patch to it.

Here is is pre-patch. I was a little concerned with the length of the crack. There appears to be some delamination at the ends, but I didn't want to grind all the way around the boat. I decided to wet the areas near the edge of the crack that appear white (a sign of delamination) and not go crazy grinding. The bend of the joint feels strong there, so I put a limit on how far I'd take the repair.

DixieCrackRepair942.jpg


Here is the first piece of glass rough cut into shape. I would have preferred a longer piece but I will be applying several layers, so this will be fine with a lap or butt joint.
DixieCrackRepair939.jpg


A lap joint made more sense to me.
DixieCrackRepair938.jpg



Ugly view from the side. Only one layer applied. Normally I wet a multi-layer patch and put it on all at once. In this job I felt wetting each layer and appling them one at a time made more sense, so I could ensure the glass cloth was where I wanted it. That is CANADA [boat] in the background.
DixieCrackRepair933.jpg



This is actually four layers of fiberglass. The two shown above, with a strip of fiberglass tape on top, and then two more thinner pieces of tape. Some of the strips were too wide, I planned to trim the edges later--it is easy to do and allows me to reposition the pieces if neccessary without worries about the edges. The whole area is masked off, and I have a rag on the floor to collect the drips.
DixieCrackRepair937.jpg


A close up of the patch. Some of the glass extended into the gelcoat covered area. That will be ground off.
DixieCrackRepair936.jpg


This close up shows most of the layers applied. I used gloves and my fingertips to push the air out of the layup. I wanted minimum resin for this bond. There are a couple of lumpy spots. Nothing to be done about that until the material sets up and can be ground smooth.
DixieCrackRepair935.jpg


This shows all four layers clearly.
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I wanted to push out even more resin and make the surface as smooth as possible. I used wax paper on the surface to flatten out the patch and push out a bit more resin.
DixieCrackRepair932.jpg


Here is it with the wax paper removed. I pulled the wax paper off after tacky stage, but not the completely dry stage. When completely hardened up, I ground the edges and then hit it with my long board. I have not cleaned up the area under the wax paper I removed at this point.
DixieCrackRepair931.jpg




Here I've done the surface prep. I ground down all the high spots. Oops there are a few low spots which will need solvent to prepare for the next step.
DixieCrackRepair929.jpg



Close up of the repair work at this point.
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Here are my tools and gloves, as I get ready for the next stage. West Systems 410 easy sanding epoxy thickener, stirring stick, two knife blades for smoothing, my gloves and not needed at this stage--my long board. By the way, I bought an expensive air powered long board and it didn't work well. This cheap plastic one works great with adhesive sandpaper.
DixieCrackRepair926.jpg


Peanut butter applied. That is what I call this easy to sand filler mixed with West Systems epoxy. I may have put too much on, but it sands off easy. If I'm lucky I won't have to apply a second layer. Not very likely though. My guess is I'll need to apply one more very thin layer after I sand this down. Once that is done I can work on applying the gelcoat.
DixieCrackRepair924.jpg


It will be interesting to see how this comes out. I still have some concerns about this joint, but I think this will hold up well and hold water out and air in. The mechanical strength seemed fine. I hope I made a good decision on how far to extend the repair.

By thinning the flange prior to the repair, it is now built up to about the thickness it had before. So the aluminum gunwhale trim should fit well.
 
I sanded down the "hull deck split" repair shown in the last post. My goal with the repair is 1) for the repair to be solid, 2) that it not be too noticeable, 3) that it not take forever to complete. Better is the enemy of good enough. It can always be better. As some point you have to say good enough and move on. I've often though I might have to revisit a repair, but so far I never have.
Dixie955.jpg


You can see this whole job is still not ready for gelcoat. This area below is still a little rough. It is not in a visible location, so it doesn't really matter but I think I'll sand it some more. It shows a multitude of sins--ridges, gummy residue, and pinholes.
Dixie954.jpg


Here you can see a small low spot [Below]. One option is to fill it and sand it all again. Or you could just sand it down some more. I'll take plan B. I want to get gelcoat on this repair so I can finish off this boat.
Dixie953.jpg


This spot is still a bit rough. See the groove in the middle? Plus excess filler on the old gelcoat.
Dixie952.jpg


The more time in preparation here, the better the gelcoat will look once it is done. Long ago I thought, I'll just use gelcoat for filler and sand it flat. It doesn't work well. It is far better to have the whole job flat and smooth, as nice as possible, prior to gelcoat, so you don't sand though the gelcoat, and find yourself applying gelcoat over and over again.

Here are some spots where you can see I was a bit too deep with the grinder. See the arcs in the brown filler? That needs more sanding too.
Dixie951.jpg



After more sanding, it looks better.
Dixie950.jpg



It is getting better each time I sand. All this touch-up work was done with 400 grit and I used about two sheets and only my hand for pressure. A long board would have put grooves in the filler. I did use a long board for a while, to reveal the high spots, and then used a grinder to knock down those high spots. I returned to the long board with 400 grit but quickly gave that up and did the last sanding by hand. The finish work was done with fingers and the edge of my pinky wrapped in sandpaper to get a nice curve, or else the whole palm of my hand.

The top of this repair was somewhat gummy. Sanding wasn't getting it all off. Sometimes the gum just got moved around.
Dixie949.jpg



I also washed this whole area down with solvent and this make the gummy areas more noticeable. The solvent removed the gum. I suspect it was mostly residue of my tape job. I used a bit of white masking tape when I first started this repair, mostly to protect the gelcoat where I didn't want to remove it. Blue tape works better.

In any case, it took some scrubbing with solvent to getting that off. This is the sort of thing that will ruin a gelcoat repair. The surface must be clean and free of any dirt, wax, or contaminants.

Here is the result. You can see a spot [arc] on the hull where I need to fill in some gelcoat. What you can't see is a huge glom of epoxy that I dripped on the hull and successfully removed without any damage to the hull. The two hash marks, top center, all that is left of that. I'll have to sand this part of the hull with 600 grit and finer and then polish it to bring back the shine--plenty of time to do that when I finish this repair. I still have to fix the deck leak aft...need to keep moving.

Dixie956.jpg



After more cleaning with solvent. I used a rag with some solvent followed by a few clean paper towels with a bit of solvent plus some dry paper towels to make sure the area was really clean and ready for gelcoat. I also cleaned the surrounding areas some too--that dust might end up back on my repair. I may wheel the boat out and wash it before staring the gelcoat repair. If I do that I'll have to be careful to ensure the repair area is completely dry before starting. Gelcoat doesn't like moisture.

I debated trying to gelcoat tonight. I really wanted to do that, but it was too humid tonight. I was dripping sweat--a good indicator it is humid. I wish I lived in California so I could do this kind of work any time. So, if I am smart I might wait a few days for a dry day. Also, I might look at this tomorrow, and more likely than not, I'll decide to sand it some more. I may decide to apply one more very light coat of fairing. I typically use three applications of filler. If I get away with only two I'll be happy. So far, I have only one application of fairing on this repair--it would be nice to get it done in one. On the other hand. A final light touch up means the last bit of sanding will go real fast.

Regarding gelcoat: The reality is, I'm not that great matching gelcoat colors. So if the repair itself is not perfect, it will likely not be noticeable if my color match is poor--which would be way more obvious.

This time I'm going to try something different with gelcoat. I'm going to try to match the tint before mixing in the hardener. Gray should be easy--just at black tint. The question will be--how much do I add?

I can adjust it slightly after I add the hardener. The proper way is to mix in the hardener and then do the tint, and then go for shade. To get a decent match--I'm not looking for perfection, tint is not a problem--I'll need several attempts to get the shade right, so why not have a base to start from, so I can repeat the shade match if I sand through the first layer of gelcoat I apply and need to repeat the process again for a smaller area?

In any event, the DIXIE logo and name will go in this area. I'm hoping that will distract from any minor shade differences in the gelcoat, or cover most of it up. Wish me luck--I'll need it.
 
Re: Tiller Rash...

"...There are marks in the usual places--tiller rash on the afterdeck..."
I searched for "tiller rash", and here I am! (Good term ;) )

I've countered that problem by driving a brass wood screw into the top of the rudder—exactly where it contacts the tiller. The screw can be backed-out (by half-turns) to adjust for wear.

Lately, I've thought about a "better" approach, and that is, to secure each end of a braided line between the traveler attachment points and operate the tiller over it. (Maybe using "whipping line" for securing purposes). I haven't checked the clearance needed, but the tiller could be made larger in that spot to contact the braided line.

(It's only "better" because my tiller tends to race across the afterdeck faster than I can catch it!) :p
 
Re: Tiller Rash...

I searched for "tiller rash", and here I am! (Good term ;) )

I've countered that problem by driving a brass wood screw into the top of the rudder—exactly where it contacts the tiller. The screw can be backed-out (by half-turns) to adjust for wear.

Lately, I've thought about a "better" approach, and that is, to secure each end of a braided line between the traveler attachment points and operate the tiller over it. (Maybe using "whipping line" for securing purposes). I haven't checked the clearance needed, but the tiller could be made larger in that spot to contact the braided line.

(It's only "better" because my tiller tends to race across the afterdeck faster than I can catch it!) :p

That made me smile. There is one line and one tiller. I have two hands but can't seem to hang onto either of these. My solution was a cleat for the mainsheet, and I've purchased a few small bails that I thought I'd put across the aft deck with some shock cord as a tiller stabilizer.

Keeping the deck from getting scratched up--what is the best solution for that? I thought of wrapping a piece of foam with tape to raise it up a bit and provide a flatter cushion with less friction. This idea needs it's own thread. Someone out there has come up with a cool solution.
 
Re: Tiller Rash...

Keeping the deck from getting scratched up--what is the best solution for that? I thought of wrapping a piece of foam with tape to raise it up a bit and provide a flatter cushion with less friction. This idea needs it's own thread. Someone out there has come up with a cool solution.

I was just looking at my soon-to-be-replaced traveler, and it looks like a 3/8" OD plastic pipe wired between the two eyestraps will "clear" the tiller from scratching the deck. The soft plastic pipe I'm thinking about is sold as a water supply-pipe to toilets. It's gray in color.

Just a thought. :)
 

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