Plastic Classic Forum

Jeremy

Many thanks for the advice, Zach. Those sticks in the hull scare me too. Why do you suggest moving the outlet further down? Perhaps better flow, but I'm hoping to minimize below-the-waterline holes in the boat. The cockpit has an aftward bias, not too pronounced, but I would say the aft drains are d...

Jeremy

My cockpit drains consist of a small hole in each corner. The forward drains exit through glassed in tubes, to which the deck drains are also connected: Forward drains: http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t405/kewaydin/7a997376.jpg?t=1334168155 Starboard drain tube: http://i1058.photobucket.com/albu...

Jeremy

Although I'm still busy working on my "big" boat, a Rhodes Meridian 25, I just bought another sort of plastic classic. A fiberglass sailing dory. Apparently, it was built by a fellow who was somehow involved in caring for Narragansett Bay lifeboats. One winter, he used the hull of one of t...

Jeremy

Mahoney's is the only likely prospect for a rotary tool in Mattapoisett - up North Street toward 195, Mahoney's is on a road (called "Industrial Ave" I think) off to the right before the first entrance ramp, Otherwise, you're going to have to go to Fairhaven / New Bedford / North Dartmouth...

Jeremy

Saw Froonie on E-bay today. I was surprised to see her for sale so quickly after completion of your restoration. What happened?

Jeremy

I made a loose Tyvek "envelope" for my spruce mast last winter, which seemed to work well. As I understand it, Tyvek can pass water vapor but not liquid water. I also cut a couple slits on the bottommost hanging portion of the envelope so that any water that managed to find its way inside ...

Jeremy

It's been a lot less severe than it could have been in Mattapoisett, Mass., though it's still blowing hard. A couple boats got loose, including a Stone Horse, but it looks reasonably undamaged. (Video here http://www.necn.com/08/28/11/Despite-warnings-from-officials-people-v/landing.html?blockID=555...

Jeremy

But for the fact that my boat didn't make it into the water this year, I'd be in the same position. My mother's boat (a Doughdish (plastic Herreshoff 12 1/2)) is in Mattapoisett and depending on how the track develops, will probably be pulled. It did, however, ride out Bob successfully on its moorin...

Jeremy

If only I'd asked in advance! . . .. I figured I needed a saw and what a mess a hand saw made. Perhaps a knife would have worked as well or better, but I must say that the pizza box/Multimaster solution was quick, precise, and handy.

Jeremy

I'm a marine maintenance newb and not up on all my marine goops, but have recently successfully removed from the attachment points of my cockpit coamings a bunch of rubbery stuff fitting the description of what you're dealing with with a heat gun. That may indeed be your best next step.

Jeremy

Okay; I've made some progress. Because of the thinness of the inner skin, which I broke through in a number of places, I first reinforced the corners of the bridgedeck from below. Working against gravity in those tight and awkward confines wasn't easy, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be ...

Jeremy

Here's a photo of the dinghy for which I bought the 3/4" gunnel guard: http://gallery.me.com/jandj/100066/IMG_0208/web.jpg?ver=13055452340001 I have the stuff and it should fit nicely around that lip that makes up the gunwale (though I may have to relocate the aft set of oarlock sockets inboard...

Jeremy

Thanks, Rachel. I'm, um, unburdened with experience in this area, but this worked well.

Yes the recore is comng along fine. I'll post an update in the other thread. Thanks for asking!

Jeremy

Silly little trick, but I found when cutting some replacement balsa core for a recent repair, once the pattern was marked out, an easy way to make the cuts to put the core to be cut on an empty pizza box and cut it with a multimaster (or knockoff). The core material remained nicely supported, and th...

Jeremy

West Marine has 20' of the 3/4 Gunnel Guard (1.5") for $77, a considerable discount from the ~$7 to ~$10 a foot the stuff ordinarily goes for. http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=11151&partNumber=173460&langId=-1 (I recently bou...

Jeremy

Just got the parts back from Mystic Stainless yesterday. They did a very nice job. Thanks for the reference. Bit pricy - but I didn't feel I had the time to devote to finding a suitable art student!.

Jeremy

That's a beaut! Congratulations on the launch.

Jeremy

Ooh, drool! . . . So on the wooden pedestal bases... you just have million mile long machine screws? On the Murrays - the guy I bought them from had an additional set of MW5s at $175 apiece. Don't know if he still has them, but if anyone's interested, let me know. Yes, the current pedestals have se...

Jeremy

Thanks again Rachel. Seems like you're at that "Okay, do I try to keep this as minimal as possible? Or is that making it harder while I try to work around stuff? And should I just tear more/bigger off and do it right? Might this even be easier? But what about this season?" etc. etc. PRECIS...

Jeremy

Many thanks for the detailed reply, Rachel. Here are a few photos: http://gallery.me.com/jandj/100059/IMG_0244/web.jpg?ver=13042562290001 The above photo shows the port area, after removing much of the rot but before grinding the inner skin. To the lower left is the brittle original foam that was un...

Jeremy

So, in pursuit of a deck leak, I have (perhaps inevitably) embarked on that scary bit of old-boat maintenance I hoped to avoid: the deck recore. And, in such a convenient location: the bridgedeck/sidedeck/under the coamings. With some difficulty, I've got the coamings off (and dispite their conditio...

Jeremy

Thanks all, that gives me a lot more confidence in the maneuver. I suppose it's obvious, but I hadn't thought how the keel's ballast plays into the equation. I don't have to do the move yet - just planning ahead - but some anxiety is lifted.

Jeremy

In my younger, irresponsible days, I organized a drunken boarding party onto motor yacht docked in Kennebunk because of its obnoxious name: Cash Flow. In retrospect, I feel quite badly for any fear caused to its occupants. That said, I think the least tasteful boat names are those that (even oblique...

Jeremy

Thanks, everybody! Very helpful. When I get around to doing this, I'll let you know how it goes.

Jeremy

My 25' Rhodes Meridian is in the driveway, on keel blocks and jackstands (two on each side, one at the bow). The blocks bear the weight and the stands keep the boat balanced. My problem is that my aft jackstands are too tall, so that the pads reach the topsides. Since I'd like to paint the topsides,...

Jeremy

Thanks, Rachel. Very interesting. I am continually amazed at the depth of your plastic classic knowledge, and the extent of your files!

Jeremy

Mine is Hull 112, built in '63. Here's my builder's plate (unfortunately not bronze) http://gallery.me.com/jandj/100035/P6050001/web.jpg?ver=12774298280001 The few photos I have readily available are here (http://gallery.me.com/jandj#100035), as she appeared the when I bought her. Though the photo's...

Jeremy

I guess I should count myself lucky. My Meridian has the open weave, without the plastery compound. Although it is a Dutch built boat, the builder was Royal Netherlands Aircraft Factories (a successor to DeVries-Lentsch?)

Jeremy

Perfect! Just what I'm looking for.

Jeremy

My tiller has considerable play - 48 years have taken their toll on the bronze tiller hardware, resulting in elongated holes in the bronze tiller fitting that attaches to the bronze head to the rudder shaft. (I'll try to post a photo later). Bushings installed previously failed to remedy the problem...

Jeremy

The prior owner of my Meridian did just this, but I don't actually think he ever used it. I'm on the fence about using the conversion, or reconverting the space to water storage (probably with a new bladder tank within the old rigid fiberglass one) and using a porta-potty or fabricating a composter....

Jeremy

If I hadn't dumped the darned handle overboard, I'd probably keep the current system. If I'm taking a reef, sail shape is not high on my priorities. Wouldn't the flatter shape that comes of roller furling only further depower the rig, after all? But the choice between fabricating a handle and riggin...

Jeremy

Thanks for the caution, Ric. I'm sure you're right - functionality certainly trumps aesthetics. I've got to give the boom a thorough inspection to see how best to appropriately ground the hardware - I've got a few months, the boat gets hauled Monday.

Jeremy

Thanks, all. This has been very helpful - good food for thought. I think I'll probably convert to slab. I'm thinking about terminating the reefing line near the gooseneck with a bronze tubular jam cleats. https://shop.woodenboat.org/images/PRODUCT/medium/dav1089.jpg My thinking is (1) that letting o...

Jeremy

Interesting - given how robust the bronze mechanism is, I can imagine that it wasn't a cheap option!

Jeremy

My Meridian has wooden spars. The boom is round and has a worm gear for reefing the mainsail by winding it around the boom. It's not that great a system - not as fast as slab reefing, and results in poor sail shape - but I can live with it. Trouble is, in an inept moment, I dropped the only winch ha...

Jeremy

I know this is an old thread, but to demonstrate how ubiquitous these are in the Northeast (or at least in Mattapoisett where Brownell is located), take a look at my friend's son's Halloween costume. He's always wanted to drive one of those rigs. http://sea-fever.org/2010/11/01/brownell-systems-wins...

Jeremy

Thanks, Rachel. I have been in touch with Charlie and Laura. Great folks, and agree they did an amazing job on Tehani!

Jeremy

After I posted a brief reply to Brodie's Marlin listing, I got a message and warm welcome from Rachel, a fellow Meridian owner. She pointed out that my message to Brodie was my first post since becoming a member in July. So I figured, it's time to stop lurking and introduce myself. I grew up sailing...

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