CD Typhoon in South Carolina

[Skeep]

So we got a dry day, temps were cool and although the weather threatened another Winter Storm for us here in the south, the roads were dry enough I took the 1st Mate's convertible off the trickle charger and did some errands. One of those errands was to check on S/V Baggy Wrinkles!

So no one was at the yacht club. Weather was dark and a cold wind rattled the standing rigging in the yard. I was almost afraid to glance at the cover for fear perhaps the hellacious winds of a couple nights ago had erupted a gaping hole in a weak area where perhaps I'd failed in securing well enough. But no fear was founded.

I unzipped the quarter-deck entry and shoved my camera through the zippered opening and this is what I saw!



Wow, that made my day! We'd had an ice storm a few days ago in the current weather sequence which has been making its way form the mid-south USA all the way to the Canadian Maritimes. I really figured this was the acid test for the cover. After I checked further, I saw that apart from a bit of moisture seeping from the mast collar, the foredeck was clean and free of debris as was the freeboard. Nothing was able to gather or pool on the cover at all. For the first time in a long time I breathed a big sigh of relief!

[Jim Walsh]

Very nice, Skeep. With a proper winter cover you have the opportunity not just to protect your boat but you have the added benefit of a protected environment in which to get some work done, especially for those of us in areas which suffer long winters.

[Skeep]

Can you get any heat down below within that tent structure? Looks awesomely private!

[Jim Walsh]

If there's any sun at all you get a surprising amount of radiational heating. The nice thing is it keeps the wind off you. The boatyard does keep the electricity on since we have a couple hardy souls that live aboard all winter and quite a few that stay in the water all winter. If I had a project which required it I could easily get a couple space heaters aboard.

[Skeep]

So now the adventure turns under the water line. Hull paint removal.



It's remarkable. I agree with whoever on this site said it, that you usually do this first after purchase because you cannot stand it not to do it, and then you never do it again. Or something like that.

Underneath the ablative is this nonsensical paint brush barrier coat of grey which makes sanding the hull a tedious task for sure. The lines of the paint brush are clearly identifiable leaving a very rough uneven surface for the bottom paint, itself a mess of powder. Oh well, it's time to get it off.

[Skeep]

So, here's a predicament. No lift available at the club. But creativity exists in large amounts. So, how does one get to working on the hull when the Typhoon is sitting on the trailer? So as most of the ablative is now gone, only the bit underneath the supporting bunks remains.



The other day I ratcheted down 4 straps attached to primary cleats and reliable points, attaching the dory to the Trailer itself. Then I proceeded to test the method by pushing down the bunk supports on the opposing side. Alas, there was still too much pressure and I chickened out.

Next method will be to tie-off the vessel at two nearby trees, allow the Ty to balance on her keel and push the bunks down again while she's tied up. Now I only employ this method because one of our fellow yard members did the same with a 30' Catalina. I was rather amazed at the site. Surely I can achieve this feat?

It's raining a bit too much right now, but once the weather clears the Dory will stand by for a tie-up!

[Steve Laume]

Can you borrow a few of the yard's jack stands? Wedging a couple of 2X4s up under the rub rail and tying them in place should work as well. I might only do one side at a time that way but it should work fine if no one starts dancing around on deck.

I took both my Ty and Raven down to the bare hull the first years I owned them. Boats are like most relationships in that you are most excited in the first year. As time goes by you get more comfortable and are more willing to accept to accept her faults. It isn't that you don't love her as much, quite to the contrary. It is just that you realize how much you enjoy her despite her imperfections.

I get a great deal of satisfaction, from that one hard season of work, every time I haul Raven and see just how smooth her bottom remains ten years later, Steve.

[Skeep]

LOL, wow Steve, I thought you were going to take off in that 2nd paragraph on a Relationship Seminar! Good insights however!

Well, we have no jack stands, oddly enough for most of the boats here are but Flying Scots and MC Scows. That was to be my desire but the tree method may have to sustain me on this. I think the idea of supporting with the rub rail makes me nervous because I do not know how strong it is and we're talking lots of poundage here. You know? But thanks for the concept. I'll keep it on deck for later!

[David van den Burgh]

Why not make a temporary bunk board consisting of a horizontal piece pressed against the hull by two verticals? Wedge the verticals in the ground and against the horizontal board. I suspect that would work without too much grief or anxiety.

[Skeep]

Thanks David, that's about what Steve was suggesting. I'm just not certain about the viability of the rub-rail. It makes me a bit nervous! Wait till you see the "tree" method. I will tie her in on Saturday at the club and unveil the solution. We've had quite a bit of rain the past week and will finally get a bit of a break on Saturday. Our club has a work day planned as well so it's a good time to add a bit of Dory work into the mix.

[Jim Walsh]

Why not make a temporary bunk board consisting of a horizontal piece pressed against the hull by two verticals? Wedge the verticals in the ground and against the horizontal board. I suspect that would work without too much grief or anxiety.

I was thinking the same thing but terminating with a couple bottle jacks rather than wedges on the ground. Easy to place and remove. Drop the bunk boards once in place and go to work.
It'll be interesting to see the tree method. Too many variables using a live tree for anything but landscaping for me but I wish you well. My brother and I used to use an oak tree and a come-along to pull engines 40+ years ago until the tree split unexpectedly and dropped a 440 wedge engine at my feet. Since that day trees and I have gone our separate ways.

[Steve Laume]

Unless you have a bunch of trees and can find enough places to tie off to on the boat, I would still back things up with some braces. If the boat is sitting upright and balanced on the trailer there will be very little tendency to tip, thus very little pressure on the braces. The fore and aft, balance point on the Ty is just aft of where the keel turns up. The reason I mention this is that if you tie off to the mast and it is not balanced and starts to lean, the stern will kick around and the boat will flop over. If you don't feel comfortable bracing against the rub rail, you could pound in a few stakes on each side of the boat exactly where they are needed. You could even double each set up. I would plan on using stern, winch and bow lines, with low stretch rope, if I was to go this way. You could use something like a trucker's hitch so you could tension each side until things were nicely balanced.

This is not a situation where you need great strength to hold things in place but more a question of balance. You can kind of feel your way along to know when you have things right.

Just be careful, Steve.

[tjr818]

If money is no object . . . have you seen this method?
http://totalboatshow.com/wordpress/2015 ... are-hands/

[Skeep]

Steve, you make a good point on the possibility of the turning. I tied her off via the winches and then an Engineer came along and encouraged me to put bracing between the hull and the bunks "anyway," for safety. I did comply. Here is what she looks like in place:



and...

[Steve Laume]

Lookin good! With the bow still tacked to the trailer and the full keel resting on the bunk board you have things very well under control.

I once had to jack a Typhoon off off keel blocks and poppets to get a cradle under her. Things got a little interesting at one point but we didn't lose her. It was a good thing because she was inside an old barn and probably would have gone right out through the wall. Once she was on the cradle, we did the Egyptian thing with rollers, ramps and a come along to get her up onto a flat bed trailer.

It must feel great to have all that old paint off of her and be done with that job, Steve.