Sailing HideAway: Healing the Keel

During a difficult recovery in bad weather we managed to drive HideAway's  keel into the wrong side of a side bunk.  Correcting the navigational error caused gouges to the keel and our serenity.  Since HideAway, a Com-Pac 23, hull #2, has a fixed keel with concrete ballast protected by 40 years accumulation of bottom paint, most of the damage was limited to paint scratches.  Except this one:

Macro photography revealed the deepest gouge did not penetrate the fiberglass fixed keel.  It did, however remove the gelcoat.  I acquired a quart of Total Boat  Total Fair epoxy fairing compound from Jamestown Distributers. The product is available in pint, quart and gallon sizes.  I feared a pint may not be adequate so I bought the quart.  Clever marketing, these Jamestown folks. 

The product performs as advertised.  Its easy to mix and forgiving enough that precise measurement does not seem necessary as long as the mix turns a UNIFORM light green.  If is doesn't just add a dab of the other color, yellow or blue, and mix, making sure all of the product on your mixer is consumed. Ya'all are familiar with 3M Marine Adhesive Sealants I'm sure.  Total Fair is just as gooey and sloppy!  You have been warned.     

A word about safety equipment:  You need it.  Especially the mask and chemical resistant long gloves. The product is easy to sand, but that really means lots of fine dust.  My orbital sander connects to a shop vacuum and that helps a lot, but your lungs will thank you if you wear the proper mask. 

Check out my Zazzle store below- Thanks

Sailing Boats
by SailingHideAway

SMALL BOATS ROCK!!!

framed art prints

Sailing HideAway Trailer Tire Wheel Covers

As if you don't have enough to worry about as a small sailboat owner!

The first set wheel covers crinkled like cheap wrapping paper.  Trouble was not far behind a Florida sunset.  Add  strong cold front wind to the equation and you have shredded wheel covers.

Here's our answer -- Spend More Money - No surprise there.

Wheel covers are considerably cheaper than the four brand new tires they protect. 

Will the new vinyl covers work????  

Please visit our Sailing Hideaway Zazzle store below - Gotta save for those tire wheel covers don't you know!

Sailing Boats
by SailingHideAway

SMALL BOATS ROCK!!

Sailing HideAway: Non-Skid Topside Painting

In the days since retirement began I have realized a certain calm in the knowledge that not much absolutely has to be accomplished right this day. I set my cruise control to the speed limit and watch the races. Red light? No matter. Traffic - Ha, who cares? Life is less stressful until a project appears on the horizon. Then another and pretty soon a not-to-be-amended-schedule appears.

I allocated a week to paint the HideAway's non skid areas and I'm on schedule. Each morning I pack a lunch, tools and paint stuff and drive to work. Wait a minute. To where??? Yep, that's what it feels like and I don't like it. Granted, we are racing summer. It's mid April and already the temperature is almost 90 degrees and the UV index is 'Fry in 10 minutes'. The Florida humidity is not here yet but getting closer by the day- I can feel it.

In our recent videos you may have noticed the HideAway could use attention of the painting kind. If you're contemplating such a project this video is for you. In it we discuss the joys of calculating the amount of non skid powder to mix with 2/3s of a quart of expensive paint, peruse products used and how they performed.

Although the weather looks good in the video, the wind was gusting 18-25, shaking the boat and blowing paint onto various items that did not require painting. Did I mention the paint is very, very expensive? Warning: There is no video of watching paint dry -- Sorry.

Next up will be cockpit drains and rewiring the mast. Yippeeeee!

SEE SAILING HIDEAWAY ON ZAZZLE BELOW- Design your own world

Sailing Boats
by SailingHideAway

SMALL BOATS ROCK!