CD Typhoon in South Carolina

[Skeep]

Well thanks, almost done, paint is on the way as of Friday, and if weather cooperates I may get her done before I have to head to Washington DC for 2 weeks in May. Keeping fingers crossed. For those interested in the particulars on the Epiphanes paint I will be using, check out this video: https://vimeo.com/121065972

As a safety exercise, everytime I am underneath the Dory, I check to validate that I can quickly embed myself underneath the trailer frame, "just in case" and "in the event" she perhaps might flop!

The next final prep will be sanding with 320, firmly establishing the new waterline position, and then painting the bottom. I found out the other day that the waterline was ganked. At the bow she was spot on, yet the aft was way off. Speaking with another Ty owner, I will probably raise my actual waterline which is "at empty" to bring her "underway" waterline to visible. Then the boot stripe will be more visible as well.

[Skeep]

The prep phase is somewhat tiring and always an adventure. I started this a good two weeks or so ago and but for the last weeks rain, I've been crawling around underneath the Typhoon like a boat monkey, sanding, feeling the hull for smoothness, bumping body parts on the galvanized trailer, and running through the gamut of sandpaper, returning the next day to repeat all of the above. It's been tiring. Falling asleep in front of the television at 8:30 in the evening puts me awake at 2am, and that's counterproductive too!

But she's looking better. As I await the paint and look at the weather, I see my windows of opportunity vis-a-vis humidity and temperatures at about this day or that. Almost ready.

Did some additional work on the rudder with a bonding epoxy to satisfy the bit of cracked areas between the rudder shaft and blade. Using 320, went over the hull repeatedly to get her as smooth as possible in anticipation of the paint phase. I'm probably going to paint the rudder first, and perhaps wait and see how that goes, not sure. Back in the day, I made a lot of Surfboards and know that once you know your products, you can go like a wizard. Until then, proceed with caution! We shall see what happens!

Baggy Wrinkles down to fiberglass, and smooth as a whisper. Wonder what color I should paint the bottom? I've a post for this on my blog to see what people think. Right now, she's about as pretty as she'll ever get, ready for some new paint...

[Skeep]

Well the painting went well. Re-adjusted the water line and the boot stripe. The Epifanes paint worked well despite my freshman capabilities. There's more on my blog, but these photos help to see some detail I did not put there in the same way.


And when the tape was pulled I dropped it in the water to check the results:

[Jim Walsh]

Lookin' good, Skeep! Well worth the time and effort.

[Sea Hunt Video]

Skeep:

What brand tape did you use It looks like it sealed well and prevented any leaking or seepage under the tape. Very nice.

[Skeep]

Thanks Museum owners. The tape is 3M Safe Release. Let me tell you, that tape is far beyond the regular blue tape you find in stores. It is a bit wider and has elasticity and tenacity, both of which you need to accomplish the task. Check my recent blog entry for some up close photos of the tape in action during painting.

[trapper]

Skeep,

I saw your boat yesterday for the first time since you painted the bottom. Stunning!

[Skeep]

Thanks Fran. Wore me out during the month of April/May!

For others, this is what she saw:




Before splashing again, am having my metal workers shape a protective strip of brass or aluminum ( their decision ) for the stern. Will also get their advice on my winch cans. I'd like to have them polished by a more industrial method than I can manage....!

[Skeep]

Every modification is an adventure!

Today I will retrieve my tattered aluminum stern protective strip from the agreeable southern gentlemen at the metal shop who always tell me they'd like to come along on my sailboat when I have the bikini clad models aboard, ok...lol. And today I will take them my Gibb Winches to see if they have some creative ideas for them. Here is a photo spread of the winches along with several questions:

Gibb is the name. There's no crank device for these. Simple, one speed, which I've never found the need of a crank to work well.


Taken apart, cleaned with kerosene. Can anyone tell me why the base component of the winch set would be chromed? These winches set upon the bronze stands of course...the bases appear to be chromed brass of sort...so is there a bronze to brass problem perhaps so the manufacturer did this for a good reason I would imagine?


Here's the up close of the mechanism inside. All clip springs work well, one winch perhaps a bit more freely than the other, but both turn fine with little lubrication. Teeth on the doo-dads are fine, working well.


And here is the problem I think I want to resolve, both the deterioration of metal ( how did that occur? ) and the dull finish which doesn't sit well with the overall refit and refurbishing program of Baggy Wrinkles:


I do invite your expertise as I am ignorant as can be about metal and have determined that my good-ole boys downtown will be the experts in the refurbishing of these units.... What can you bring to the table on this?

[tjr818]

Sleep,
I imagine that at one time the entire drum had been chrome plated. Many years of wear and perhaps some aggressive cleanings have removed the chrome from the exposed surfaces. Without the protective chrome plating the softer metal of the drum has been more susceptible to wear and corrosion.
I am sure we would all like to see how they look when refurbished.

[Skeep]

Tim, interesting observation. The gentlemen reviewed the pieces this morning after handing me an incredibly polished aluminum stern strip which I will show upon installation--even surprised them!

After looking the winches over, they initially made some observation possibilities: one is that the aluminum drums had suffered exposure but appeared to have less wear on top where the finish is a matte with minor scuff marks, and two that the extreme deterioration or pocking marks of whatever origin can be smoothed to a best possible finish, and third that the winches, being aluminum, will probably shine up just like the piece of aluminum rub rail I asked them to handle first. ( It was my test piece for them. )

I left an awful lot of discretion to them as they seem to look at metal in a largely more objective way than I do. They see responsive and enduring qualities and relationships of metal that I'd not thought of. They also commented on the chrome bases which are chrome over brass saying that there might be a metallic problem between the brass and bronze, a term which I forgot, and for that reason chrome is much harder than brass and would endure longer--and so it appears to be so.

Every time I go there I learn stuff. And because of my age and temperament, I forget it unless I write it down.

[RLW]

Skeep...

Can't speak to the restoration of the drums, but those "doo-dads" are pawls.

[Skeep]

Thanks for clearing that up!

[RLW]

Skeep...

Here's what the winch drum looks like on #995; the rough area is designed in for friction.

[Steve Laume]

Although those might be the original winches, supplied with your boat there is no reason you need to keep them. The only way you are going to get rid of the deep pitting is by filling them with something. That may work fine but they are never going to polish up to a flawless finish. Those winch barrels were originally anodized, not chromed, and it looks like the pitting was cause by lines being left in place on the drums for a very long time.

If it was my boat, I would be searching e-bay and local consignment shops for some bronze replacements. Small non self tailing winches are pretty easy to find and sell pretty cheap. They would be a step up for your Ty and might turn out to be a cheaper route than messing with what you have, then never being quite satisfied with the end result, Steve.