Tag: awlgrip

Three Goals in Three Days

I can handle that.  In the middle of the night, it finally dawned on me that I needed a goat that I could accomplish in one day.

As Ziggy Stardust would say, Wham, Bam, Thank you, Ma’am.

Otherwise my brain just keep spinning, like tires spinning in the snow going no where. Not fun. Well, at least I can’t freeze to death unlike some other interesting times in my life.

So today, I awoke with a doable goal, finish the fly bridge projects, mostly fixing my VHF antennas, check the winch switches and spreader lights.

So by 5 p.m. all was done, two antennas fixed, at least one working, lights, switches all done and that stupid 8-foot VHF antenna, fixed, I think.

Good enough for government work. I don’t know who said that, I don’t think it was the Spiders from Mars. No, they are all over the boat.

The AwlGrip painting is done, virtually all of it. We’ll be putting on the bits we took off during the next two days.

The bottom is almost done.  Two layers of epoxy, one tie coat, another primer coat for the new anti-foul and one anti-foul coat is on.  One more to do tomorrow.

The prop got this new age treatment.  Supposed to work much like “Prop Speed” (more efficiently), with an etching primer and

A typical tree lined road. I will truly miss the beauty of Ireland and it's warm denizens.
A typical tree lined road. I will truly miss the beauty of Ireland and it’s warm denizens.

then a silicon overcoat (it feels like really smooth rubber), but at 1/10 the cost of Prop Speed.  Don’t have much to lose there.  I trust my Irish brothers.

Fuel tank pieces are finally done and getting installed tomorrow.

The prop after "Prop One" application: a yellow etching primer, followed by a silicon clear coat. It takes three days to cure.
The prop after “Prop One” application: a yellow etching primer, followed by a silicon clear coat.
It takes three days to cure.

My task tomorrow, put all my tools and parts away and install my driving lights.

Friday’s task, get the boat ready to go, re-rig the mast and paravanes poles, sort out the engine room, get her ready to splash on Saturday.

Saturday, high tide is at 11:04 a.m., so we will go into the water around 9.  I’ll do a few figure 8’s in the river, wave at the tourists shaking JFK’s hand and dock again.  I’ll then change the warmed up oil, check the fuel filters and wait for the fuel truck to come and give me 1000 liters for 580 Euros.

Not bad, two years ago it would have been 1400 Euros.  I would have to stay home.

Fueling should be done by noon, at which point the ebbing water should be picking up the pace, as I will to.

One long blast on the horn to warn everyone that I am either coming or going, depending upon your perspective and it’s on the Dunmore East to wait for the change of tide.

 

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Phase I is Done

Dauntless after her second coat of primer
Dauntless after her second coat of primer

Phase I was doing he stuff that had to be done before Dauntless got her feet wet.  All done except for salt water pump.  For a competent person, this is a few days work; for me about three weeks.

  • Forward Bilge
    1. Complete hookup of New Vetus holding tank, with new fittings and electrical
    2. Install new bilge pump (old one becomes spare) with new check valve
    3. Make additional fresh water hookup and run hose to forward compartment for Raritan Purisan
    4. Check connections for salt water pump (new, hasn’t worked since installed)
    5. We found a bare wall bulkhead in front of old holding tank. Gary sealed it and put Gelcoat on it.
    6. Check all clamps for the multitude of thru hulls in this area
  • Anchor Locker
    1. Pull all the chain and rode out for both anchors
    2. Vacuum the bottom of chain locker
    3. Replace two deck fittings for fresh & salt water connections
    4. Re-mark and reverse anchor chain
    5. Add 90 feet polypropylene to end of chain rode (this is because it floats, making it easier to find should I have to abandon anchor with no time for anything else)
    6. Paint anchors
    7. Find third anchor for stern
    8. Make up a new, longer chain snubber

The Electrical list is untouched, but the first four items a-d, will be done in the next days.  The rest in the next two months.

  • Run new VHF cable to the two radios
  • Replace plugs for Navigation lights
  • Add Name Board lights
  • Install new Driving lights
  • Add USB ports in salon and second cabin
  • Add new switch and breaker panel for fridge/freezer in pilot house
  • Add switch panel for solar panels

Once D is out of the shed we will be able to re-rig the Paravanes and the mast.  Gary’s carpenter has made another bird that got broken in the North Sea and has repaired the doors.  The Rocker Stoppers are a work in progress.

  • Restring birds to new line, 3/16” Amsteel, so that I can modify the depth of the birds.
  • Boat Yard is making rocker stoppers for me to use while at anchor

For the Wood Trim, I can’t oil anything until all the sanding is done. I will do this next week, before we head out of the shed into the hard, cruel world.

  • Teak “eyebrow” around pilot house has been scrapped and sanded thanks to Leonie & Martin. I will put Tung Oil on it and see how that works.
  • Oil all the benches that have been sanded

Fuel tank is in the final stages of being done.  Sealant has been applied and new inspection ports are ready to be installed. Anti-Foul will be applied the last day, next Friday.

Most of the heavy lifting by Gary and the New Ross Boat Yard are done or will be in the next week:

  • Port fuel tank sealant and new inspection ports
  • New bottom job, with two coats of epoxy and one of a tie-coat
  • New anti-foul by International, a semi-hard coating that is made for slow boats like Dauntless and should last at least a few years.
  • Painting of the hull from the cap rails down, including the bow pulpit
  • Fixing on of the side doors that while latched open this past winter the winds ripped if off the hook and broke the entire frame. (winds this winter were higher than 100 knots or 110 mph.
  • New Bow thruster blades

Getting the forward cabin and compartments fixed, cleaned and put away was the big monkey on my back.  It was critical to get done and as long as it was unfinished the boat was unlivable.

I’ll start sleeping on board Friday.  It’s feeling like my home again.

My first glass of wine on Dauntless since October.
My first glass of wine on Dauntless since October. And looking forward to forward cabin.

Gary is just finishing applying the second primer coat.  That will get sanded tomorrow, then washed again with an Awlgrip wash (a solvent, like paint thinner) before the first finish coat goes on.  At that point we will actually see the final color.  I hope I like it!

I literally had my first glass of wine on board, the first since October (I’ve had wine, not just in a glass!). I do have rituals you know.

P.S.  Here is a bonus video of Gary applying the second primer coat today. ( I don’t post many videos because it takes hours to upload one video sucessfullly.)

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