Main Mast Work Part 1

 

Part 1 of the mast work performed on the main mast: filling, and high build primer.

I have displayed a few pictures showing the work performed on the main mast.

I sanded the old paint and primer off the main mast. The paint was thin and the mast had a few dings in it. I also wanted to inspect the mast under the paint and primer. I noticed small voids and areas where the original fairing compound was cracking or just coming out.

I used a die on my drill to get the voids shaped better for new filler and I it was easier to remove the old material.

<-- In this picture it is easy to see the small holes along the edge of the original filler. Out it comes so new material can be added.

<-- Look at the many colors of original material used for the mast. All this was under the white old paint.

Here in this picture the primer 545 has been sprayed and that allowed me to see where I needed to add more Awlfair product as shown in the red color. -->

Another example of how the fiberglass underneath is shown as ripples in some areas. This Awlfair will help and the High Build primer will also help to smooth out the area. -->

<-- The surface of the High Build left an orange peel texture and that made it very easy to see the areas I needed to sand smooth in order the the primer 545 to go on. The High Build did a great job of filling in the areas where fiberglass texture was bleeding through, more pinholes, and other imperfections. I had a difficult time acquiring the High Build on account the distribution of the product was hampered as well as a fire at the plant that makes the product. I purchased the High Build from a place in Florida that had one one gallon in stock and I ordered the converter for the High Build from a place in Rhode Island.

<-- Here is the mast with the orange peel sanded off and the mast smoothed out. It only needs a wipe down before spraying the 545 primer.

Using Awlgrip

 I decided to use the Awlgrip products after spending the winter time researching different paints. The first product to use is the Awlgrip Awlfair to fill in voids and larger holes and imperfections and accidents. Awlfair is a two part mix and spreads easily.

After the Awlfair was applied and sanded, I sprayed one coat of Awlgrip primer 545. This coat allowed me to see any imperfections with greater detail because the mast is white  - one color. I applied the Awlfair once again to any areas I missed.

Once satisfied with the work using the Awlfair and with the mast sanded and cleaned I applied five coats of Awlgrip High Build. This two part epoxy mix was sprayed and on the final coat sanded. High Build did a great job of filling very tiny imperfections.

Once the mast was sanded smooth on the High Build and wiped clean, I sprayed five coats of the AwlGrip 545 finishing primer. 

The product I am most interested in using is the  Awlcraft 2000 paint. This is a softer paint and reported to be polishable. The soft attribute of the paint is more important to me because the masts are carbon fiber and s glass - they flex.  I was looking for a paint that was not brittle hard. A paint that is elastic is less prone to developing micro cracks.

At the time of the posting of this post I have just finished spraying the priming 545 on the masts. Future post will show the Awlcraft 2000 surface paint.

Mast Painting Staging Area

 When I decided to paint the masts of Great Ketch I knew that it needed to be done at my home. After I transported the masts - one at a time - to my home, I used the overhang behind the garage to suspend the masts, I then used a 10 x 10 foot tent to fasten a tarp over in order to keep the masts out of direct sun light.

One tarp that measured 6 x 30 feet was used to create a wall to protect the masts from wind - white tarp wall toward the right in the picture. The tricky part of painting masts outside yet under cover is one can not control environment. I wanted to have some ventilation so the ends were kept open and typically the breeze comes from the north end of the area to the south area.

My set up wasn't perfect  but I was at home with all my tools such as air compressor, electric, water, restroom and fridge. 

The picture on the left is displaying the main mast with all the old paint sanded off. The straps suspend the mast and allows me to rotate the mast to sand all areas. The base of the mast is in the foreground; toward the mast head is a blue tarp over a tent frame. When it was time to spray, I placed tarp on the floor from base to the head of the mast.

Transporting the Masts

 I wanted to paint the masts but not do the work in the boat yard because of the amount of dust and traffic in the yard. The best place for me to perform the work would be at my home behind the garage.

I used a 10 x 8 foot board attached to the mast head that made it possible to fasten to the hitch of the truck.

The harbor freight trailor used is placed so the the weight of the mast is supported. Having the mast on the trailer aligned in the center prevented tire drag. 

Having a person follow was helpful to keep an extra set of eyes on the tow while also adding safety to the transport. I traveled 16 miles from marina to my residence on all back roads.

The masts were transported in September of 2020. My plan at that time was to sand the old paint off and inspect the integrity of the carbon fiber/S glass underneath. 

The masts were built in 1988 and the paint was becoming thin with scratches and some bubbling underneath caused by moisture getting between the winter tarp and the mast - effectively creating a green house effect. In the past, I used white paint to just cover areas where the glass was starting to become exposed, but it was time to strip the masts and paint the entire masts.

Access Panel Part 1

 

The access panel from the head to the engine room is shown on the picture toward left. Notice that the panel is that dry, starting to flake, oak veneer.

The build is a foam panel with laminate on both sides. The trim is glued to the edges over the veneer that is glued to the panel. I have already removed the trim and the oak veneer from the panel. I discovered that the top and bottom of the panel has wood block that is app 5. x .75 x 2 inches in size. I am unable to separate the wood block from the back of the trim. Therefore I shall need to make a new wood block, which is really a spacer for the panel to ensure a tighter fit into the passageway.

Notice the opening into the engine room from the head area. Rather than having the original oak look on the panel I plan to have it white veneer to match the wall. The trim will be painted flat white paint.

In order for me to get myself into the engine room I place one leg in while going in backwards. Once I have a foot on the floor in the engine room I am able to lift my leg and then bring the rest of myself into the room. One needs to sit down when working in the engine room. 

Once in the room I can easily work on the water pump, change the fuel filter, check the belts, and check the level of the coolant in the Yanmar GM20VF engine. Also located in the engine room is the water pump for potable water, and the battery charger, the diesel fuel tank. There is plenty of space for storing items. Not many 33 foot sailboats have a separate engine room. Often the engine is sort of in the cabin and in a very tight enclosure. I have never been a fan of engines just under the stairway on account of the mess it could potentially make in the cabin, the limitation of access in and out of the boat as a result of the engine work in front of the companionway, the noise and heat closer to the cabin -  well if one is testing and running the engine it is basically running while its in the cabin, the odor in the cabin, and the tight enclosure. 

A Head Looking Back

Some folks were interested in more information on the white lamination I made to the head area so I added more pictures and information. 

The picture toward left displays the white (plastic) counter type formica on the back wall of the head area. Notice the oak laminate around the port light. The same but older and cracking apart oak laminate was on the back wall. I wanted less maintenance and a cleaner look and because all the walls in the head had white formica except for two walls prior to my ownership of Great Ketch, I decided to make the entire head area white. Moreover, Nat Herreshoff typically had the inside of his boats white. The large opening allows one to access the engine room. The panel to the engine room is oak veneer and will be changed to white during the winter of 2020.

I removed the oak veneer panel that surrounded the port light in the head area as well. Using the panel I removed I was able to make a new template and make the white laminate panel. The process I performed was to epoxy the white laminate onto a thin sheet of plywood 1/8 thick. The plywood was epoxy sealed first,then I epoxied the white plastic to the plywood, followed by trimming the edges with a router and then file. When the template was complete I glued it to the wall so that I can remove it later if required.

Braces on Wal

Picture displays braces pressing the larger laminate to the back wall.The process was the same as outlined above. I made the braces from by cutting small squares from plywood and screwing one screw only through the plywood to the top of the wood brace. A foam pad was glued to the plywood and each brace post was cut a little longer than the measurement from back wall to the opposing wall. I wanted to ensure that the brace can be wedged between the walls with enough pressure to hold the template against the wall having the white lamination.

Refresh in the Head

C-Head Toilet

One area in Great Ketch that I wanted to refresh was the shower and head area. I removed the shower grated teak floor and seat and sanded it and revarnished. The look of the floor and seat is outstanding. For the grated teak floor I ensured that the underside was epoxied in order to really seal it from any moisture.

Shower Seat

New caulking was added to the corner seams of the shower stall  and the trim work into the shower was sanded and varnished.

Another improvement I made was to replace the oak veneer panel that surrounded the port-light with white veneer.  Most of the walls in the head area were white veneer while only the aft wall and wall with the port light were oak veneer. One problem with oak veneer in a boat is that they need to be sealed in order to prevent de-lamination of the panel as a result from moisture. I also preferred the white veneer because original Herreshoff boats typically were painted white inside on the walls and ceiling and I wanted to tip a nod to the yesteryear look of the Herreshoff boats. Moreover, white can have a super clean look.

The shower floor under the grated floor was painted of with the non-skid Kiwi grip, which is the same non-skid I used on the top of the deck of the boat. I replaced the shower pump with a new RULE bilge pump.

Shower Floor

Door to Head

The door to the head was sanded and revarnished and I replaced the door handle. The old handle was worn out and the nickel plated hardware was worn off. It looked awful.

In addition, I replaced the faucet for the sink as well as a new drain. The sink was cleaned and reseated. The head itself was replaced with a C-Head composting toilet. For my thinking I prefer the C-Head over the traditional marine toilet for the following reasons:

1) Easy operation and easy maintenance - no pumps, joker valves, and moving parts

2) More storage space for liquid waste 

3) No need to look for specific waste stations

4) No oder from leaky hoses or connections

5) Ability to stay out longer off-shore because waste can be managed efficiently

The head is not completely done as there are some minor trim work that needs to be completed, but, the majority of the work for this summer has been completed.