Plastic Classic Forum

I will be inspecting a Triton next week with the possible intention of purchasing the boat. Other than the usual things to look for with a boat of this age, I assume that there may be some things, particular to the Triton, that I should be looking for. I will appreciate any and all suggestions.

Near the end of the 2010 sailing season on my Pearson Ensign, I seemed to notice a delayed reaction between moving the tiller and the boat’s reaction. Once the boat was pulled, I inspected the rudder and found that it was loose on the shaft. I removed the rudder assembly knowing that either a repair...

[quote="charlesadan"]There's a drain installed in the keel to let the bilges empty before winter storage. Does anyone know if this is normal for Ensigns? I didn't see a manual bilge pump... Should I have? It's not a self-bailing cockpit. The drain plug was added. I think it is a good idea ...

Hull #421 was built in 1963, the 2nd year of production for the Ensign. I would closely inspect the mast step, making sure it was sound. Repairing the "foundation" of the mast step is a little involved. Also the rudder and rudder post as this can add $1,100+ to the cost of the boat if you ...

I have tried many different knee pads and what always bothered me the most was the straps "cutting" into the back of my leg. Duluth Trading has pants with a knee pad pocket that I tried and I thought they worked very well. The pad stays aligned with the knee and there are no uncomfortable ...

Has anyone ever bought a boat at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy's boat auction, or attended the auction? Everytime I look at the boat listing, it never seems to change even though they indicate that they have 2 - auctions each year. I'm just looking for some general information to see if it is a...

I am thinking about doing my first re-core project on my Ensign this fall. The area over the raised cabin is very soft. I have decided to work from above to keep gravity on my side. Since the entire area over the raised cabin is soft, I have to remove the fiberglass right to the outside limits of th...

Does anyone know when Pearson began putting the name plates with hull number on the their boats? I have an Ensign (Electra Day Sailor) built in 1962 that doesn't have a name plate and there are no signs that it ever did.

I like the idea of using a bosun's chair with the main halyard.
You could also post your question to the Ensign's User's Group to see if your fellow Ensign sailors have another idea.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EnsignSailors/

Here is a link that has photos and description of stepping a mast on an Ensign:

http://www.sailsaratoga.org/fleets/ensi ... tml?page=1

Steve Morse: 657-2729 That's good to know. After redoing the bootstripe and stripping the bottom to the gelcoat and applying to 2 - coats of bottom paint, the transporter I used was very rough putting my boat in the water. He managed to scrape off a big patch of the bootstripe on the starboard side...

Has anyone tried a stain to even things out? I did. This is what I posted on 4/15/08: I stopped in at Hamilton Marine this afternoon to ask them about using stain with the Epifanes Clear Varnish. They were nice enough to call Epifanes directly to get their advice. The Epifanes representative recomm...

I haven’t been able to achieve a completely smooth finish with the Epifanes Clear Varnish. I am getting what first appears to be a beautiful smooth finish until a closer look reveals very, very tiny raised bumps. These bumps are about a ¼” to ½” apart and can only be seen when the light is just righ...

Before I fill and fair the wood stern post of my Ensign, I want to prime the wood and metal. Is there a wood and metal primer that I can use under the epoxy filling and fairing? http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/cf4197e8a5.jpg [/url] [/img] http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/ff7154e5d1....

I was just at Fat Andy's Hardwoods in Cumberland the other day getting a price on some mahogany for some cuddy cabin doors. However I never saw the product, so I can't comment on the quality. Here's the info: Fat Andy's Hardwoods 373 Walnut Hill Road - P.O. Box 425 - Cumberland, Maine 04021 Toll Fre...

Thanks for the responses. I stopped in at Hamilton Marine this afternoon to ask them about using stain with the Epifanes Clear Varnish. They were nice enough to call Epifanes directly to get their advice. The Epifanes representative recommended using a filler stain by Z-Spar. He said that the stain ...

I started the stripping process unintentionally when I was cleaning the hull with a pressure-washer. The thicker areas of bottom paint began to peel away from the high water pressure, so I began to concentrate on the removal of the paint instead of cleaning. That method removed less than ¼ of the en...

The pieces of mahogany have weathered due to neglect. The result is varying wood tones ranging from gray to a natural mahogany color. I am concerned that the varied tones of the wood will telegraph through the varnish and produce an undesirable result. Is it possible to stain the wood first to even ...

That makes sense. I'm starting to get it now. Thanks for the clarification.

Yes, that's a piece of mahogany. It seems to be hard and solid.

Thanks again for the responses.

Thanks to everyone for your input. Let me address the barrier coat issue one more time by this post I found in "Questions & Answers" under the subject "Naked Bottom": Assuming by barrier coat you mean something like Interlux 2000, don't do it. All you need to do to talk yours...

I am just starting the restoration of a Pearson Ensign, hull #1. I have no experience with this sort of thing, therefore I have been relying on various forums, like this one, websites such as Interlux and West Systems and books like Don Casey's Sailboat Maintenance Manual. Tim's websites dedicated t...

I have a Pearson Ensign that I am restoring. I have removed the brightwork that can be removed and have begun the process of scraping/stripping. Most of the brightwork is solid mahogany or mahogany veneer plywood. When it comes time to apply the new finish I plan to use an Epifanes product in a glos...