Hull, Internal and Topside Maintenance
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I've been told - that once the work is caught up, that
the maintenance of a wooden boat is nearly the same as for fiberglass.
The diary of work on the hull and upper decks which we chronicle below
will either prove or disprove that myth. Right now I'm living
proof that that statement may not be all that true. But I'm having
fun and looking forward to every weekend on the boat. I truly
can't wait to get into woodwork and experiment with epoxies and paint.
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A general note for painters - we used Pettit Easypoxy topside paint #3348 Jade Green for the hull and bulwarks. We are using Interlux Brightside white for the deckhouse and Pettit Ultima SR for the bottom. |
October, 2004
I have started on the new headliner in the salon and replaced
the refrigerator. The refrigerator is a Whirlpool model ET0WSRXMQ with Satina TM doors and consumes 6 amps
and cost $377 from Lowes (suggested retail $459).
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Refrigerator onboard ready to move into salon | In the salon | In place, the teak trim need to be added around the box opening and the unit secured to the floor |
June, 2003
Our first true leak in the hull occurred last month. We
have hulled Tortuga out at the Huckins yard on the 9th. A quick survey of
the leak site shows a plank that is so loose that it moves when pressed.
Fortunately, it's repairable with minimal expense. Received a call today
indicating that there is some worm damage and will patch those locations and
re-touch up with fresh bottom paint. There are 7 through hulls on Tortuga.
Two where checked/replaced last year at hull out, I'm having the remaining 5
removed, cleaned, new base plates fabricated and the hull openings treated this
time.
January, 2003
A test fit of the portlight in the master berth head went
excellent as far as the hull cut out shape goes. However - the latches on
the portlight when dropped down to allow opening, can't drop far enough down to
allow the interior hatch portion to pivot open. Two choices, figure out a
way to simply unscrew the black plastic handles completely each time you want to
open it, or cut the teak wood frame below the window to give additional
clearance. I sure didn't figure on this one!!
November, 2002
Started replacement of the portlights. There are 5 on the
port side and 4 on the starboard side. The primary lights are 14x7" and
the two most forward on each side are 5x12". I've ordered one of each from
Pompanette. I'll
order the remainder if they're OK.
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Features:
Glass dimension: 6 1/2" x 13 1/2" (165 x 343) |
September, 2002
I have found that I'm not the best hand brush painter. So
this month we purchased a Campbell Hausfeld HPLV paint sprayer from Home Depot.
It won't provide an automotive finish but it sure looks good on the wood
surfaces I've completed so far. And clean up is a snap.
Update October 2004
I have thrown this thing away! I was unable to get a
consistent spray pattern and many times there where lumps. It seemed to
appear after a number of uses. So it could be a result of not geting it
cleaned well after use or wear on the needle. In either case - the effort
to use it overcame the effort to paint by hand.
April 13 - May 27, 2002
The port damaged area has now been completely cleaned out.
Rotted wood removed and epoxy injected into drilled holes has firmed up rot I
can't get to. Will start laying in glass-filled epoxy to give foundation
for plywood layers. Will finish off with a final coat of epoxy prior to
priming.
March 23, 2002
The painting tasks continues as I work forward up the port side.
See the related story.
March 9, 2002
The bottom painting at Huckins is complete. We brought
Tortuga back to Ortega on Saturday morning. Started the sanding and
preparation of the bulwark and transom interior sides. I'm using the
BrightSide gray primer from Interlux. Completed one coat by Sunday
afternoon. Started sanding the bottom of the roof deck over the stern
sitting area. There's lots more work here since the paint was several
layers thick and needs significant feathering to give the desired smooth look.
I plan on applying two coats of primer and two or three coats of top coat.
I'll be using the Interlux bright white.
February 19, 2002
Visited the Huckins Yacht Corporation just down river from Ortega
yesterday to make arrangements for having Tortuga hauled, the bottom painted and
the depth sounder and water temperature transducers replaced. We are
planning for this event the week of March 4th.
The following pictures show the work performed at Zimmerman Boat Yard in Virginia and the condition prior to entering the yards.
Repair Work as of September 25, 2001
We anxiously await getting the boat in one week.
Repair Work as of September 5, 2001
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Repair Work as of August 22, 2001
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Repair Work as of August 14, 2001
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Repair Work as of August 13, 2001
We have found a rotten but block and another bad plank.
$$$$$$$$$ On his knees is Mitch, our favorite carpenter at Zimmerman.
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Repair Work as of August 6, 2001
The end of last week brought some minor bad news.
Even though I anticipated it, Zimmerman has found water damage to the plywood
sub-floor under the bulwark and extending at least four strips of teak planking
inboard. It was also determined that the rub rail was fastened internally
rather than through the frame externally, making it impossible to remove without
lifting the deck first. We are awaiting another estimate so that a
complete fix can be accomplished.
The estimates are in with an anticipated 40 hours of additional work.
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Repair Work as of August 2, 2001
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Bulwarks prior to restoration
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| Port Side deterioration aft of door | Port side moving forward near ladder up to main deck. |
Port side door and bulwark. |
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| Port side near brace showing engine room vent | Port side showing filler that has separated. | Port side door (open) looking aft. |
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| Port side just aft of vertical support | Port side looking aft from forecastle. | Starboard side looking aft showing bulwark removal. |