Another spring project....barrier coat

[Jim Walsh]

Exceptionally warm and calm day today. The pro in my yard watched me scrape and sand all the bottom paint off last December. He stopped by to see me working on my furling gear yesterday and advised me to use his labor saving technique to apply my barrier coats and bottom paint. He recommended I apply barrier coats and bottom paint to all of the areas adjacent to the jack stands first. Then they can all be repositioned only once while the remainder of the hull is barrier coated and antifouled.
Here are a couple pictures I took this afternoon. I managed to get three applications of barrier coat done since the weather was so cooperative.

[tjr818]

Brilliant! I wish our yard was aware of that last year. I will let them know,

[Sleepwalker]

Just curious, do they relocate the blocks under the keel too?

[jen1722terry]

Looks good, Jim.

We were fortunate that the PO barrier coated our 31 the year before we purchased. Scraping a bottom may be work beyond our capabilities at this stage.

Wish I had used the contrasting bottom paint method, as it would save paint.

Beautiful weather, and it looks like we're due for more this spring. I think I'll go out and climb a nearby mountain.

Jenn and Terry

[Jim Walsh]

Just curious, do they relocate the blocks under the keel too?

Those two spots will be done just prior to launch. I've already spoken to the yard manager and he will accommodate me. It pays to be a good customer sometimes.

[Sea Hunt Video]

It pays to be a good customer sometimes.

What "pays" is to have yard that looks as squared away as your yard Jim. The DIY yard where I used to haul out was run by a nice person but the yard was filthy. I mean filthy. It was sold to another marina corp. that is turning it into a "powerboats only" yard that is allegedly to be connected to a new condo building being developed.

I am in search of a new yard. The choices in South Florida keep getting fewer and fewer.

[jen1722terry]

I hear ya, Roberto.

Our yard in Nova Scotia is minimalist, also. They still launch with this ancient marine railway, and only at mid-flood tide or higher. Quaint place, like the old yard I worked at when I was a kid helping a sign painter do mahogany transoms with gold leaf and varnish. I love it!

Good luck finding a new yard

Jen and Terry

[Jim Walsh]

like the old yard I worked at when I was a kid helping a sign painter do mahogany transoms with gold leaf and varnish.
Jen and Terry

I'll be expecting to see "Glissade" in gold leaf on your transom this summer
I wish ORION was done in real gold leaf. I have "stick on" gold leaf with shadowing. I always thought it looked classy. Someday.....

[Jim Walsh]

Still making progress. All the barrier coats are done and the stands have been relocated. We have 8" of snow forecast overnight but it should warm up enough by Wednesday for me to finish up by the weekend.
She looks faster already. I no longer have a bottom which resembles the surface of a golf ball.
(When I say "I" I mean ORION, not I as in me)

[Jim Walsh]

This job is drawing to a conclusion. All the barrier coats applied. The initial coat of red ablative was applied. The first coat of blue ablative is in the next photo, and my final coat of blue ablative is in the last photo. I was pretty sure I was going to change my bottom paint color to teal but I decided to go with blue. Going forward the only time I'll be applying more blue paint is when the red undercoat is showing. I intend to keep my "racing" bottom. As you can see I still have to paint my boot top, I'll knock that out on our first sunny day.

[Jeff and Sarah]

Looking good! I think you might be surprised by the speed you pick up this year. I got an honest 1/2 a knot (blistering speed by Cape Dory standards) out of the bottom job I did on Prerequisite last year. I'm not sure if that says more about the new state of the underwater surfaces or their old state though!

Even if there wasn't a speed bump, it's nice to know the job is done right.

[jen1722terry]

Very spiffy bottom, Jim.

Seems a pity to get it wet.

We'll be curious how much of the blue ablative wears off this season. We still use a one-color approach, but may switch to the two-color you're using to monitor wear of the paint.

Cheers!

[Jim Walsh]

My yard kept me suspended on the Travelift overnight which gave me the opportunity to complete the areas which had rested on the blocking. I sanded those spots right down to the gelcoat, applied 4 coats of barrier coat and three coats of ablative in less than 16 hours. My aim was to not inconvenience them any more than absolutely necessary. They were very accommodating and I really appreciated their help.
I was launched as soon as the paint was dry to the touch. What a great feeling to complete a big project.
Over the last few days I have taken advantage of our clear but blustery weather. When that wind is piping up over twenty knots over that forty-eight degree water it gets bone chilling cold. I would walk down the dock to shore and it was t-shirt weather. At the end of the dock on the boat it was sweatshirt and foul weather jacket weather! Today it was calm and warm. I tuned the rig, bent on and furled the sails, and all those dozens of things necessary to be ready for that first sail. I can't wait to try out my new staysail furling unit. I still have to commission the auxiliary and I'm going to wait a week or so before activating my water system. That first sail is very close