Plastic Classic Forum

CharlieJ

Sold the old one and bought an inflatable because the mini simply would not fit on deck on Tehani. Tehani is now Laura's boat and I have back our previous one, which you CAN put the mini aboard-SO new one comes to life. I needed a dinghy anyway, for my new (old?) boat- Necessity is her name. 1972 Li...

CharlieJ

That's how I've always set'em.

CharlieJ

Hi Zach- not of that job, no. I'm done with that one

Been cruising onboard Tehani since then. Back home now. My next project will be for a B and B Yachts Minipaw dinghy.

CharlieJ

Tallystick wrote:Haha, I almost didn't post the good deal on epoxy I found at ebay for fear of getting flamed for not using West Systems.

I haven't used WEST SYS in quite a while. Been using 2-1 epoxies, for the last 5 boats I built.

CharlieJ

Been kinda wondering the same thing.

CharlieJ

Johnson Marine has hand swage fittings and tools also- It's what I used on Tehani in 2006. Still going good, and I'm very satisfied.

http://www.csjohnson.com/

CharlieJ

I've been sailing for several years on one's little sister- A 1961 Rhodes Meridian 25. An absolutely delightful vessel at sea. Just returned from a 2 1/2 year cruise covering around 7000 miles. I'd swap up to a Ches 32 in a heartbeat. Looks just like the Meridian, but 7 feet longer. I can steer with...

CharlieJ

Why not phone the Gougeon's and ask? Their tech support section is always willing to answer questions like this.

Or simply put the batteries in a battery box made for the purpose, and fastened down.

CharlieJ

Better yet- find some one who installs drop ceilings and borrow one.

CharlieJ

Lived aboard, and cruised full time, for 2 1/2 years (Texas to the Chesapeake and back, around 7000 miles), with a single Grp 27 battery and a 32 Watt solar panel. Agree pretty much with LazyGuy, but here's a few more thoughts- Get rid of the electric water pump- two reasons- first it's unneeded- a ...

CharlieJ

Pretty fair price. I last paid (last week) $49 a gallon from B and B Yacht Designs. Plus shipping of course. It's a 2-1 epoxy like Raka or MAS.

It isn't shown on the web site,, but Carla will sell it to you over the phone. Good folks to deal with.

CharlieJ

Are you planning to cruise the boat? Or just local sailing? If you are planning to cruise, just paint the bottom paint to the top of the bootstripe, and forget the stripe. Because you'll wind up moving the waterline up anyway! If you are sailing local, and not loading stores for cruise, paint the bo...

CharlieJ

Originally, the Cunningham was designed as a rule beater. It allowed more tension on the luff, without extending the sail past the black band put on by the admeasurer. The down haul would pull the tack past that band, the Cunningham doesn't .

Invented by Briggs Cunningham in the 1950's

CharlieJ

exactly so

CharlieJ

I'd keep them wet with the lemon juice for a bit, then keep gently working them. I found two sails in a dumpster at Point Lookout Marina when we were there, all rigged with bronze hanks, many of them corroded to the point of immobility . Cut them off the sails and soaked them in a jar with lemon oil...

CharlieJ

Yep- as I said- it's really a form of oxidation. and washing it leaves a nice brownish patina, which I really like the looks of. But sometimes old bronze is so corroded it looks terrible. And the pistons get clogged up on piston hanks.

CharlieJ

I thought that the green-blue patina bronze develops is good for the bronze; sort of protects it. Why get them all clean and shiny when they're just going to return to the state they're in now? LOL- good point. It's really a form of oxidation, which is what rust is. I've begun just washing the bron...

CharlieJ

plain old lemon juice will clean the green off. Does a great job. I clean all my bronze using it. Can't say if it'll strain the sail- most likely the green would.

CharlieJ

Just re-purchased a boat I owned some years ago- got her here yesterday. I painted the mast about 10-12 years ago and it's still doing great, other than some scrapes, etc. Normal wear Sanded, shot two coats Zinc Chromate primer, then two coats 2 part poly. Most of the mast looks as good as when I sh...

CharlieJ

Common practice is to put 5 or more (some say 7) coats of barrier, but that is to prevent blisters from developing on more modern, new-age gelcoat. Your hull is aged (like mine) and if it has none to date, I would not wast time and money building to the recommended mills on the cans... Two coats of...

CharlieJ

As of 1645 on Weds afternoon (12-21), Tehani is snugged into her home slip in Port Lavaca, Texas, and I am back home. Was a good cruise for the most part, totalling 6885 miles. I was singlehand for 2190 of those.

But I'm glad to be home for a while.

CharlieJ

been a busy time.. Tehani is now in Alabama waters. Crossed the gulf (singlehand) from Tarpon Springs to Apalachicola two weeks ago. 177 miles, 32 hours. Been progressing up the Florida panhandle since. Had a really bad day two days ago- pounding into 20-26 knots in Santa Rosa Sound in cold weather....

CharlieJ

Tehani and I have made it across Florida via the Okeechobee Waterway. Now sitting in Laishly Park Marina, Punta Gorda, Fl, on the gulf coast. First time in gulf waters since Feb, 2010. Been raining last few days, but I should be able to continue in the morning. Heading up Florida's west coast. Shoul...

CharlieJ

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/11/how ... /index.htm

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/11/how ... index2.htm

Hope you enjoy them. Was a busy four weeks.

CharlieJ

what a question!! Lots of spots. The Bahamas waters are fantastic. A great three months. DC is well worth the trip. Anchored out in Washington Channel. Paid for dinghy dock privileges at Capital Yacht Club. How else can you stay in DC for $15 per night?? Three blocks walk from National Mall. Annapol...

CharlieJ

Got some wifi so thought I'd say hello. Hard to follow a bunch of forums using an Iphone, so I let most slide. Saw where Kurt has taken the board-he's a great guy (drinks a bit much but oh well!!!) Not really but that's a standing joke between us-grin Since last I was able to post (I think) Tehani h...

CharlieJ

Fiberglass coatings in FL sells thinned Epoxy for sealing wood, I use it on every piece of wood that appears porous or weathered. That's a very different formulation of epoxy than what is sold and used as regular adhesive, coating, glassing epoxy. As shown in the EpoxyWorks article, the Gougeon's r...

CharlieJ

I'm with Rachel on the varnish and here's why. My tiller has seen much use in the cruising we've done in the last two years. The varnish has gotten sorta sticky from all the hours of hands on use. Recently it aggravated me enough so I simply used a fine scrubby and some soap, and washed it down. Sti...

CharlieJ

Hi Kurt-congrats

see you again in a while. Keep the beer cold- Grin

I'll be starting back your way in a few weeks. Plan to stop again.

See ya then

CharlieJ

I have one question- why WEST? It's, bar none, the most expensive epoxy on the market. MAS is cheaper as is RAKA and both are quite good. But for the last five or six years I've been buying epoxy from B and B Yacht Designs. Very good service and very competitive prices, for a really good epoxy. I've...

CharlieJ

Thanks Rachel. May not be a frequent poster anymore, but I still read the site now and again.

See you in a bit-May 1 is coming at us like a freight train!!

CharlieJ

Yah!! I can login again!!

Tehani's tracks are screwed onto her toerails, where they've been for 50 years now.

CharlieJ

On rare occasions yes. Not often. During the rebuild I talked to Brion Toss about added double lowers. He saw no need, so we didn't. Edited to add- That spar is a box section, original Spruce. All four sides are full length, no joints. It's finished with four coats of automotive acrylic clear coat, ...

CharlieJ

I've posted this on other boards, but she deserves mention here too- Seafarer Meridian 25, Hull #10, built in Holland in 1961. She's certainly not the original boat anymore, but the wooden mast is still going strong. And she's well traveled too, particularly since we got her in New York where she ha...

CharlieJ

Nice Story Tom. Christmas is a beautiful boat.

CharlieJ

Hi Rach- how was the dive trip. Enjoyed talking to you then. Hirilondë- we'rer refurbishing a house on some property Laura's family owns, getting the house and land ready to sell. I have one boat project I PROMISED I'd do- 34 foot trimaran damaged in hurricane Ike. Cold molded outer hull to be rebui...

CharlieJ

Laura and I have spent a tad over the last year aboard Tehani, out cruising. So far, the entire gulf coast, a VERY cold winter in southwest Florida, the keys (ditto on the cold), Bimini, Berry's, Nassau, Exumas ( down to Little Farmers Key) over to Eluethera, back to Nassau, then to Gun Cay and back...

CharlieJ

I can dig it. I spent Friday down Port Aransas working on the Vanguard- in the drizzle and winds gusting 30, right ON the water. Saturday here was completely miserable. I think the word is "YUCK!!". Sunday not a whole lot better 18- 22 mph winds, steady drizzle-rain-drizzle and 45 degrees....

CharlieJ

Thanks Rach- And the weekend trip went????

CharlieJ

First post for me in a LONG time, but I had to respond to this. I have been a furniture restorer and refinisher for 28 years now ( now retired) Part of our work was caning in it's various forms - splined ( machine cane), hand woven, danish etc. Varnish will work quite nicely on cane. Stain however d...

CharlieJ

LOL- Not in the slightest David. I'll use it myself from time to time-grin Frankly, I'm trying hard to get out of the "using epoxy " business. I have a 25 footer at the shop getting a new interior, a 34 foot tri to re frame, restringer and replank one ama side ( damage from Rita) and a 28 ...

CharlieJ

Defender catalog price- $97.50 for one gallon of resin and one quart of fast hardener, plus shipping brings it to over $110 and probably closer to $120. As opposed to 1 1/2 gallon for $89 INCLUDING shipping. I don't see that as all that reasonable. And when I was buying 15 or 20 gallons for a boat f...

CharlieJ

Almost certainly bronze if exterior. Hey- my oldest son, three grand kids and two great grand kids live in Jax. I built my trimaran on the island under the high bridge where the Atlantic Blvd bridge crosses over the ICW. There's probably a steel hulled Roberts 38 upside down there still, and a Rober...

CharlieJ

All that is most definitely true Brian. And they have a tech support second to none. They've helped me with several NON- boat projects back when we ran the wood shop and hadn't gotten back into boat building. One of those projects was a repair to a damaged full life sized Jesus figure on a 9 foot ta...

CharlieJ

Rreferring to the question on FGCI- Well, other than the fact that they sell some brand of epoxy, the website seems pretty much slanted towards polyester resin use, not epoxy use. Which may be ok, but they just don't seem to be a good place for any help with the epoxy. MAS, RAKA, B and B, etc, can a...

CharlieJ

I've used RAKA, MAS, Sys 3 and WEST. The very lowest price of any epoxy I've found is from B and B Yacht Design in North Carolina. It's a 2-1 ratio, I've been using it for several years now, have built five boats with it, and am completely satisfied. Last I bought was 1.5 gallons ( 1 gal resin, 1/2 ...

CharlieJ

500 watt Quartz shop lights give off a great deal of heat- you can aim them at the project from several feet away and warm things up nicely. If you can build a box or tent, so much the better. I do recall Meade Gougeon at an Experimental Yacht Society meeting once- 1978 or 79, telling us about someo...

CharlieJ

Note: For best results, its best not to simply go by the seat of your pants. Epoxy is a finely formulated material and should be treated as such. It isn't rocket science but it isn't Elmer's glue either. Precisely!!! If it should be 5-1, make it 5-1. not 4-1 or 5-2. To do otherwise can compromise t...

CharlieJ

James Baldwin's list is excellent - many on there are on mine, and a few are new to me, so thanks. Where can I find a Great Dane in my price range? Like a Contessa 26 or a folkboat with standing headroom... I think you can forget about either of those with standing headroom. I don't think it's gonn...

CharlieJ

I've found the two to one ratio epoxies to be MUCH slower curing than the 5-1 such as WEST Sys in cooler weather.. In temps to about 50 degrees, the MAS, SYS 3, RAKA, etc, can take up to three full days to reach a sandable cure, whereas WEST will do it in 24 to 36 hours usually. Colder than that, th...

Plastic Classic Forum

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Re: Couple of articles by me in Duckworks

Re: Shroud tension

Re: Couple of articles by me in Duckworks

Re: Miss you folk

Re: Miss you folk

Re: Lifeline turnbuckles

Re: Chesapeake 32

Re: Lead-Acid Battery Acid and Epoxy

Re: finding the waterline on trailer

Re: Electrics Advice??

Re: Good deal on epoxy

Re: Bootstrip Color Options

Re: Sorry, It may be a Dumb One

Re: Sorry, It may be a Dumb One

Re: Cleaning Bronze Jib Hanks

Re: Cleaning Bronze Jib Hanks

Re: Cleaning Bronze Jib Hanks

Re: Cleaning Bronze Jib Hanks

Re: Painting an aluminum mast or boom?

Re: Do I have this Right?

Re: Howdy folks from Tehani-

Re: Howdy folks from Tehani-

Re: Howdy folks from Tehani-

Couple of articles by me in Duckworks

Re: Howdy folks from Tehani-

Howdy folks from Tehani-

Re: New tiller - Cetol, epoxy or varnish?

Re: New tiller - Cetol, epoxy or varnish?

Re: Site move

Re: Epoxy Virgin; Which West Hardener & Fabric

Re: Genoa track on toe rail.

Re: Genoa track on toe rail.

Re: Tehani celebrating her 50th this year!!

Tehani celebrating her 50th this year!!

Re: We had a great sail accross the Gulf of Maine this summer.

Re: Howdy folks- been a while

Howdy folks- been a while