Trip 166 167 168 - Tue-Thu - May 17-18-19th

 

Complete the repairs on The Smile, finish the bottom paint, polish the hull and get it ready to launch with fenders and dock lines.

+++

Projects this coming summer

++ Polish the deck til it glows
++ The basis of a real electrical system
++ Practical engine controls in the cockpit
++ New exhaust system with heat exchanger, fresh water pump, water lift, exhaust hose and gooseneck.
++ Possibly a wheel for steering instead of the tiller
++ The beginnings of a galley

Until then ...

 

The Stuff needed to glas in the Smile. WestMarine makes a nice Epoxy "kit". No guessing as to how much resin, how much hardener. Just one pump of each and you are good to go. Clever.

Towels for my knees, a rug for the drips, lacquer thinner for cleanup.

 

Day One

Grind the area to the base, butter solid with epoxy, lay in the first layer. I overlapped the front edge, side to side.

 

Day Two

Same drill. Plus another layer on the front edge.

 

I mixed up a batch of epoxy with Colloidal Silica. A sort of filler. Fine as Baby Powder, has no weight, one sneeze will blow the entire can hither and yon. This is the results after application and smoothing. I mixed 2x the filler as epoxy. Amazing at how it melts into the goo. Really should look nice after a final sanding.

 

Can't see it here, but three layers of glass on the sides, eight layers on the front.

 

All kinds of boat waxes. I like 100% pure #1 yellow Carnauba. This is imported from England and available mail order only. Great wax. Now I can melt the other container I have, I purchased in 1983.

 

A Dealer was in the marina and I asked them to patch up the bow from the damage done in 25 years. Looking better it is.

 

I like it when the polish and hull look like this. This season, I want the deck to look as good.

Stay tuned ... It will be alotta work.

 

Fenders and dock lines hung, ready for season #32 in the Lake City Marina.

 

Empty Pockets' home come Monday.

 

Marina is starting to fill up ...

 

Later ...