Varnishing pleasure

May 01, 2022 by Lukasz Kumanowski

Finally! My favorite part of spring maintenance - varnishing. I really mean it, I enjoy varnishing, especially when it goes smooth. What I don’t like is all preparations for varnishing: abrading/keying the surface, vacuuming, de-greasing etc.

I planned to finish all these preparation steps yesterday but life dictated otherwise. I had to do them today which put me in high pace to finish everything before early afternoon - best time for varnish.

Practice shows that on warm, sunny days - like today - one should wait with varnishing until air starts to cool down resulting in boat hull being warmer than surrounding. Not too warm because then we run into condensation problem but a bit warmer. This will inhibit degasing of wood (if any) and increase probability that varnish will sit nice and firm.

My own theory is that varnishing never happens in the morning anyway because there always are many jobs to finish before I can grab the brush and start spreading the syrup. One other observation is that it pays to start on Sunday afternoon, around 16. What happens is that most people are going home (Monday-stress syndrome) and boatyard becomes silent place. No more cars driving by and rising dust clouds, no curious by-passers - perfect calmness.

I vacuumed the whole boat in the morning, including bilge areas which accumulated wood dust after winter work. Someone took away aluminum platform which I wanted to use during varnishing so I had to construct temporary platforms for reaching whale-deck. Cleaning the hull with paint thinner followed.

First went deck structures - hatches and main sail system. I instantly noticed that the varnish got too thick. It did not flow correctly and was dragging on the brush. I carried on as I already started, besides - hatches are horizontal so they will not develop “curtains” even with slightly thicker layer of varnish. It will just take a bit longer to cure but thicker layer offers better protection. It is always a tradeoff.

Moving to the hull. I always start with whale decks - they are small enough to get feeling for proper varnish dilution. Any faults are less visible. I diluted the varnish to get it flow better and carried on.

It goes very quickly. It must go quickly otherwise the wet edge is no longer wet and new area does not blend with the previously varnished part. I used to call varnishing “meditation with a brush” but it is more of a sprint than slow meditation. Each area must not take more than 20s to spread the varnish. That’s my way of doing it and it proves to work quite fine.

I run out of thinner so in the end of this session the varnish got thickened again, resulting in visible brush traces in few places. They will hopefully merge before all cures but before next time I need to secure enough of thinner.

That went smooth - just a few “curtains” below some fittings, otherwise I’m pleased with the result.

What is left to be done:

bottom paint
paying seems with Farm (to avoid launching drama)
flushing the engine with fresh water - to purge glycol before the launch

Time to book launching.

Cockpit sole - engine room doors

April 30, 2022 by Lukasz Kumanowski

Plan for today was to vacuum the whole boat in preparations for varnishing tomorrow. And to install cockpit sole (engine room hatches) locks.
Due to sudden family emergency I managed only to install locks before I was called back home.

As often with boat work the final effect is barely noticeable but it took a fair amount of time to prepare all parts and fit them in place.

These hatches were long on my list of improvements. I made them new just after I bought the boat - old hatches got damaged with age, contaminating partially cockpit structure. I removed everything (and used this opportunity to remove the engine and repair frames underneath) a few years ago. My new hatches are built same way as the old ones: they cover engine room but they just lie on top of these wide openings. I added rubber seals around them so that rain water does not reach the inside of the hull and is drained from the cockpit directly to sea. However - should there come huge amount of water instantly into cockpit it would lift the hatches and flood the hull, possibly sinking the boat.

Now, on boats one cannot rely on gravity as a main force holding things. Some positive way of holding stuff in place is needed. In case of these hatches I decided to lock them in place with 8 bolts protruding into cockpit walls.

To accept these bolts - and to keep cockpit walls waterproof - I fabricated plugs from brass.

A fair amount of fitting was needed to mount them in exact position so that latching bolts enter them at proper level. Finally all was in place: brass latches screwed with bronze screws, bedded in Ettan to water-seal exposed wood.

Eight latches for two hatches. They slightly press them down in place, deforming rubber seals underneath for water seal. They ain’t go nowhere!

Battery lashings, through-hulls, pre-varnish preparations

April 25, 2022 by Lukasz Kumanowski

Cold again, rain and wind. I start with tasks inside the cabin: cozy compared to conditions outside.

Battery compartment got its oak beam screwed into place. I oiled it with several layers of Owatrol. This will work fine for interior wood.

Thick silicone-bronze screws hold it steady towards thick, laminated frames. More than enough for both batteries to stay in place. I lashed them tightly in place. It ain’t go nowhere!

Epoxy set up nice and tight. I cut out and sand flush remaining plugs, prime them with järnmönja. In a week time (or two?) they should be dry and ready for anti-fouling paint. There remains rings after hard-screwed through-hulls. The wood, being compressed for 60+ years, will not come back to shape. I will probably fill them with epoxy filler in the future, to totally mask the spot but for now I leave it as is.

On the inside, as additional protection should the epoxy fail, I screw thick copper plates on top of glued bungs. Additional sealing with Ettan. I considered spreading Sika instead, which would act as glue and sealer, but decided to go just with Ettan. Bronze screws are holding very well, copper is thick and I don’t expect the epoxy bond to fail so why mess with Sika.

Ettan sealing should protect both the bung and also stop water from going between plates and the hull. I leave bottom edge free so the water have possibility to escape into the bilge.

Back at home I finished making mast collar. I made it from 5mm thick rubber, sewn on the edge (flush) with waxed twine. I will probably glue additional, thin layer of rubber on the inside, further reinforcing the seam. The collar will be held in place water-tight against the mast and deck collar with stainless steel rings.

Remaining jobs before launch:

vacuuming the whole boat in preparations for varnish (hull, hatches)
varnishing
anti-fouling
re-connecting batteries, electrical systems check (bilge pump, lights, battery levels, engine starter)
engine flushing, to take out antifreeze from sea-water cooling installation

I might also finish POD heater installation. The second radiator was just delivered, what is left is just connecting everything, adding silent water pump (got it already) and trying out the system.

Time to book launching!

Warm!

April 18, 2022 by Lukasz Kumanowski

All of sudden we have 15 degrees C!

I rushed to the boatyard to use this opportunity for epoxy process.

Earlier during the week I machined copper plates which will be used as additional security should the wooden plugs leak or got loose.

I cut these thick copper plates using jig saw so I needed to square them out on a proper machine. Adding chamfer on the top edge of each plate so that it will not keep any water.

They will be installed on the inside of the hull, with additional Sika bedding acting as a sealant and glue. As yet another level of protection they will be held in place by several bronze screws. Eat this!
I finish them in brushed surface, they will age nicely.

Before these place are screwed I need to glue wooden plugs to close unused through-hull openings. There are three such places: two after removed marine toilet and one after removed mechanical log.

After abrading hole edges with sandpaper I degrease them with acetone. All according to the book.

Plugs in place. I used WEST Flex epoxy, even though mahogany is very stable.

I will return to them after epoxy sets, cutting them flush and securing with copper plates.

There was hardly anyone in the boat-hall, I was hoping that Jim will show up. A bit disappointed I finished abrading port side for varnish and headed home.

Bilge work. Preparations for varnish

April 10, 2022 by Lukasz Kumanowski

Snow is melting again. Hopefully last time this spring.

I went to the boatyard with a plan: measure size of copper plates needed to close through-hulls on the inside, mark the size and lashings places on planned cross-beam (stick) in battery compartment and start preparations for varnish.

As is often the case I started with something entirely different: cleaning and servicing bilge pump. Since launching day is coming soon and since linseed oil in the bilge has hardened it was high time to do this.

Sump sieve required attention: accumulated debris clogged it almost entirely.

Air vent was non functional for the same reason.

Cleaned o-rings and assembled all parts again. It took a good part of an hour, leaning in the bilge.

Screwing it all to the keel timber, in so confined space that hardly one hand can be turned inside, is a curse. Still not as bad as on Skärgårdskryssare!

I could finally put back cabin sole boards. No more balancing on floors and frames!

Battery compartment. I will install oak beam behind batteries and use it to lash them tightly in place. That should keep them in place and allow me to access everywhere around them.

The main part of the show today is abrading the hull prior to varnish. I use scotch brite this year. No need to sand the varnish every year, it is enough to scratch it so that the new layer can have mechanical bond to the last one. I managed to do half port side today.

Last thing before leaving - I removed the tiller to clean and oil it at home. It got some damage from rope I used to hold it in place during stormy weather.