Kaimusailing

It was possible to make a time lapse video with a couple of problems. To get the mast and crane in the pictures, I shot in portrait mode. Plus I was using Canon’s “L” size for the photos. The video application is looking for landscape mode and a smaller sized frame. So, the video comes out lying on its side and oversized for the computer screen. In order to make a proper video I would have to resize all the photos and rotate them. Probably have to rotate and crop, then resize.
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There was actual work going on through all this launching and playing around in Richard’s dinghy. He let me ferry crew back to the dock after the catamaran was anchored in the North River (Marsh). The dinghy is so cute, but it is small with not too much freeboard. It looks like it will be OK for two and in harbor use, no choppy bay crossings. It is very maneuverable and moves easily through the water. He hints that he might make an improved model. As it sits now in the water, he will have a lot of sailors asking him what company makes it.
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Also, one of the spectators at his big catamaran launching said they thought Fountaine-Pajot had stopped making the Antigua model. They had, long ago. This boat is over 20 years old, but the spectator thought it was brand new. It is a showpiece.
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I was starting work on Kaimu’s topsides and experimented with using a paint pad to apply the arctic white acrylic urethane. It works, but is slow. Next I will use phenolic 1/4“ nap rollers. The quality of the finish might suffer a bit. It will allow larger batches of paint and faster work.
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Instead of working with 20-30 sq ft patches of hull, I can mix a quart batch of paint at a time and roll it on before it goes off. I should be able to coat about 2/3 of a hull side at once. Thus, I began expanding the preparation to an entire hull side at a time. This works out even as the weather heats up, because there is always at least one hull side available in the shade. My plan was to get the deck and cabin top work over with before the really hot weather arrived. The forecast is now for up in the 90‘s the next few days.
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We had a celebration at the gas station restaurant and had a larger crowd from the boatyard than usual. As we sat around the table I noticed there was only one captain there who had a monohull, and he was looking for a catamaran. I pointed to myself and said, “catamaran”, then went around the table, “catamaran”, “catamaran”, “catamaran”, “catamaran”, “catamaran”, “catamaran”, and finally, to the odd man out, “monohull”. He responded with the nautical equivalent of “Oh shucks”.
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I found the best tool for attacking the surface of the Wharram hull is the belt sander. I was using 40 grit belts from Lowes. The bite of these belts is aggressive and the belt sander gets pulled along. Aiming it up the hull and leaning on it just a bit causes it to go along like a self riding lawnmower. Otherwise it would be a very bulky tool to use.
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After doing the topsides from the waterline up to the sheerline, I used the angle grinder with a 36 grit flap disk to feather out any remaining divots in the old paint. If there was any question about the old paint’s condition, crazing, cracks, flakes, it was sanded off. The result was a dull flat surface with little smooth craters where a pit or crack was sanded out.
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The port outboard hullside was the one in worst condition. There was a 20 sq ft patch of missing sheathing and a bad section of sheer stringer/rub rail. The sheathing problem was mostly below the waterline, so a narrow repair was made on the part that would be painted along with the topsides. The edges of the fiberglass repair were feathered out into the hull’s surface.
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The spots that would need filler were first primed with unthickened epoxy. Then a mix of colloidal silica/phenolic microballoons (50/50) was troweled on with a homemade plastic disc that looked like a half moon. I cut it out of old kitty litter pails and made the curved part match the curvature of my mixing bowls. This way the curved part could scoop out all the available fairing mixture and the straight part could smooth it perfectly flat. This hull side, port outboard, was the one with the most repair work, yet I was done with the fairing mix by 3 in the afternoon.
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In one of the photos taken during Time and Tides launch, Rocky, the boatyard owner and manager, is checking the progress with Kaimu in the background. Kaimu’s hull is dirty with old paint and mildew. The next day I tried a cleaner called “LA’s Awesome” because one of the yardbirds said it removed mildew like magic. I wet down the hull, then sprayed the cleaner all over, then quickly scrubbed with a soft brush on a stick. The mildew came off like magic. I then did all the rest of the boat prior to sanding and fairing. I will post an “after” picture next time.