River Boating Forum

Yet another spendiferous weekend - stuff summer, autums like this I can live with. While those of you that are still in the water potter up and down your chosen waterway - river/canal - some of us, well, me anyway, toil away on dry land. During the week I took delivery of my new front timber rail. What a difference, the old rail is dead straight with a slight curve at the ends, the new one is curved over the full length with a much deeper curvature at the ends - this will fit much better ( I would have liked to added a photo but for some reason I can no longer add photos - something for for the boss (Selena) to look into? - I tried to add photos last post but I was told NO!).
Still, today I started applying the varnish to the new rail after a quick sanding. As I am sure you are all away is a very long tedious job, apply a thinned down coat, sand with wire wool, apply a thinned down coat, sand with wire wool, apply a thinned down coat, sand with wire wool, etc, etc. Well 4 coats later it is still not good enough, sadly the ambient temerature is a bit low for a quick turn around, but it is working - I will get there - This weekend is a little messed up as we have to make a long promised visitation to an old friend on Sunday but a quick sand before we go and a going over with an un-thinned coat when we get back should do it. We have to remember most of the wood will be un-seen but I am a little picky - Most of it all, as I say will be unseen but I want it all to be well protected and the bits that may be seen I want to look nice (well, ok, at least).
That aside, and working in London allowing I will apply a couple of more coats after sanding with the wire wool in the evenings, should see it all done by next weekend, ready for fitting, also with the weather permitting. Although next weekend will also be screwed up with other commitments - BUT it WILL be done - come hell or high water - ok, forget the high water, we have all had enough of that!
Other than that it was a case of more paint stripping with a hot air gun! OK, do not panic, I have got the measure of such a nasty device on fibreglass & gel coat. I can now strip a good 12" of paint about 2" wide in one go without damage to the gel coat, my arm aches like hell but it is a lot quicker than just sanding. I have also learnt that at some time it its life the old girl lived in Uxbridge. Based on the paint layer/ colour "Highland Mist" lived in Uxbridge, or at least was regisered as living there - Any Ideas any one?
So far the original name goes, it still eludes me, although a a starter of "D" is evident plus an "h", "g" and an "e" (not in that order)- I am a little confused right now but I hope it will become a little more obvious when I get to do a bit more sanding. Once I get a few more letters I will request a bit of help from those of you that are following the on-going saga of my little project.
I must admit that I will be glad to be seeing the back of the sanding and scraping, although I guess it is all my own fault for wanting to take it all back to the gel coat (If truth be known I was half hoping that the gel coat finish could be saved - The cream topsides I could have lived with - but a grey hull - FORGET IT!!! No way was I going to get a new gel coat done/sprayed especially on a little 22 footer worth 2p. Based on past experiance I have one days sanding to do now, then a bit of undercoat and a couple of top coats and all the painting is done. I can then get down to the knitty-gritty. The interior woodwork, wiring, cutlass bearing, etc. etc. etc. - Will it ever end??? All I know is the worst is now done, the expensive bits! (Apart from the spot light re-chrome - does anyone know a good company/person that can re-chrome/coat the back lense of light units? HELP please!)
I know a couple of sheets of ply are still required for the inside but at least this means I do not need 'marine ply' Bl**** expensive, but good old WPB ply (if the abreviation is correct). Yes, the cutlass bearing might be a few more pennies than a couple of quid, as too will be the other few mechanical odds and sods. So like I say the worst now is over, I just need the weather to be favourable and NO interuptions, if all goes well we are still on for a 2009 launch - everything is firmly crossed I just hope in this current climate the bank will also play ball!!
-(just in case anyone also calls into the blog on my own site to see the pics, I have not updated it yet, but I hope to in a few days. Please bear with me - there is only so much I feel like doing after a week in London spent on the computer -
PS, are all comuters ignorant, rude and downright 'orrible, with out a please or thank you? - I thought it was Londoners, now I am not so sure, a few Londoners I have spoken to are quite nice but the commuters.... I think I will not say another thing as this might be a family site!
Regards to all and happy boating!