J30 - Rattle and Hum

2008 Pics before Launch

2009-02-27T04:47:00.000-08:00

Keel - Building out the leading edge and planing the trails edge

2008-05-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Trailing edge and about a 1/2 foor out needed to be planned down.
Same on the port side.
The templates were showing that the leading edge needed to be built out a bit so I used hardwood batten to build out the leading edge.
Glassed over the "new" leading edge.

Templating the Keel

2008-04-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

Had to grind down the cracked glass located where the keel attaches to the fibreglass stub on both the starboard and port sides. They were minor cracks but I couldn't live with them.

Using the templates I have confirmed that this keel has not been templated with J/30 templates. The keel requires about 1/2 an inch (10MM) added to the leading edge. As you can see with the templates that creates a gap up into the maximum chord thickness.

The end of the keel about 1 foot from the trailing edge wasn't flat so it had to be planned down.
I only had to plane down the trailing end of the keel (using a power planer). The leading edge was left untouched as it will be built up using hardwood battens about 10MM wide and 5MM thick.
Same on the port side.

Hull Update - All that is left is the polishing

2008-04-22T10:30:00.001-07:00

The Starboard and port sides have been wetsanded (800, 1200 1500 grit). The boat has been cut with a machine polisher.

In this picture the first quarter of the starboard bow has been machine polished with polishing compound.

Epoxy barriered holes for the deck hardware

2008-04-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

All holes required to fasten down hardware was filled with epoxy before redrilling.

If leakage occurs in the future, the balsa core is not compromised and will stay dry. I predrilled the holes using variable speed with a 5/8" counter sink bit - then use a 5/8" inch forstner bit to drill the balsa out. Then filled the holes with epoxy thickened with collidical sillica, I used a 50 ML medical shringe to push the epoxy in. I used masking tape to seal off the inside so that the epoxy couldn't ooze out.

Hull Liner Primed and Painted

2008-04-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

With the boat taped off with no ventilation I couldn't spray. I'll rolled awlgrip 545 primer and then rolled awlgrip properly prepared with flattening agent. Not as good as spraying but I can live with it.

95% of the hull is now faired

2008-04-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Removing the antifouling

2008-03-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

Antifouling has been removed with Carbide Scrapers(shown below)... I have found nothing to be as fast and efficient. Using a cheap scraper doesn't do the work! If you use one of these make sure you grind down the edges so you don't gouge the gelcoat! I get mine from http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=20095&cat=1,190,43040,43041.

Starting to fair the hull with a board sander.

Templating the rudder - Phase 2

2008-03-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

Using the template to create the new shape. The pictures below show the steps in creating the guides usingepoxy thickened with Collodical Silica. Fairing filler will be used to fill in the rest. So when block sanding the Collodical Silica which is harder to sand then the fairing filler will retain the foil shape.

I will grind down the high spots created by the epoxy that was squeezed out from under the template.

Fair the rudder using template

2008-02-25T16:36:00.000-08:00

I ground down the high points on the rudder. There where 4 areas that had to be ground differently (A,B,C,D) due to the fact that when I glassed the old skin back it was in four panels from the water line down and each panel was off more than the other.

The A section was fine, I just ground off the gelcoat and pretty much had it. The red arrows outline the bevel over the cut that will be glassed over for added strength.

The B section from the leading to trailing edge was to thick so I ground the old skin completely off and thinned the balsa out. I'll lay up new glass and build it up all over again.
The C section had an overly thick area right in the middle so I ground down the skin and ground down some of the balsa. This will be built back up with new glass. The black highlighted areas indicate areas that are fine.
Section D never had it's panel glassed in and it won't be. I'll be laying up new glass in this area.

Rudder - Balsa and skin completed on one side

2008-02-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

Underneath the epoxy that was mixed with colodical silica is the 1/4 inch balsa. Once I placed and pressed the skin back on the overflow of epoxy would spill out. Also Note: I spread epoxy/colical silica on the skin before assembly.

80 Pounds of salt pressed and kept the skin in place.
One side with new balsa and the skin put back on. This side will next have the cuts beveled and glassed over with cloth.

Rebuilding the Rudder - continued

2008-02-18T14:18:00.000-08:00

Rebuilding the area where the rudder's pintles attach to the rudder and where the Tiller attaches to the rudder with glass and epoxy...there will be no more wet balsa in the rudder again!

Cutting open the rudder - Summary

2008-02-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

The Summary:

The balsa was wet throughout the rudder.
Half of the rudder was rotten with no structural integrity.
All water damage was a result of the 7 bolts holes exposing the balsa wood.
It took 2 hours to cut open and clean out both sides.
When cutting open above the water line leave at least 1" from the leading and trailing edges.
When cutting below the water line leave 3.5 inches from the trailing edge and 1 inch from the leading edge.

Rudder - Opening up the port side.

2008-02-02T11:56:00.001-08:00

Using the measurements from the starboard side I cut open the port side.

Look at the rot around the bolt holes! It doesn't leave much doubt as to where the water was getting in.

Rudder: Opening up the starboard side

2008-02-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

The big question....where to cut into the rudder. I used a drill to figure out where the balsa ends on the leading and trailing edges of the rudder. The marker lines indicate that below the water line I need to cut:

- 3.5 inches from the trailing edge
- 1 inch from the leading edge

Above the water line I can cut a close as 1 inch on both sides.

I'm using a grinder with a metal cutting disc to do the job.
The first section is open!

The second section...on the starboard side.
As you can see I was close, the cut can be no closer than 3.25 inches from the below waterline trailing edge.

Rebuilding the Rudder

2008-02-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

Rebuilding Rattle and Hum's Rudder:

The above pictures illustrate the stress cracks in the rudder.

Thanks DAD!!

2008-01-25T06:32:00.000-08:00

The steps are the old teak ones finished with Spar Varnish and inlayed with strips of Ash.

The floor board was actually broken in 3 or 4 spots when I bought the boat. The "Old Man" cut out the bad spots and recontructed using the old teak, some new teak and ash.

Dad is just about finished with varnishing the rest of the woodwork.

A Quick Update

2007-11-27T10:04:00.000-08:00

It's getting to cold to continue wetsanding the hull. I still have the starboard side to sand, buff and polish; the port side needs to be polished.

Next projects:

1) Removing the bottom paint, I'm doing this the hard way...with a scrapper. No matter how cold it gets I can still get the job done.

2) Finish fairing the hull liner, prime and paint. I'll see if a heater can bring the internal temperature of the boat high enough to paint. If not I'll have to wait until spring.

3) Rebuild the rudder

4) Finish the wood work

5) Cushions to be recovered

Polishing the Port Side Hull

2007-11-20T09:07:00.001-08:00

The below pictures show the result of cutting and buffing. The port side has been wet sanded with 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 sandpaper using a hand block. The hull was then machine buffed with a cut and then a final polish (using appropriate pads).

So we can assume 2 things:
1) Wow, a cut and buffed paint job looks beautiful!
2) Damn Jason, your ability to spray a quality coat of paint sucks!

Cutting (sanding) the port side

2007-11-18T14:37:00.001-08:00

Today I wetsanded the port side with 800, this removed the orange peel and overspray. I then followed up with sanding at 1000, 1500 and 2000 grit.

These pictures are the result:

The following pictures are the aft quarter after I cut with the buffing compound. This isn't the final stage I still have to compund again with a final compound.

In this last picture the flash shows the swirl mark of the cutting compund, the final coumpund will remove these swirls.

The Hull Paint....NOT GOOD ENOUGH!

2007-11-17T16:42:00.000-08:00

It pains me to say this but the my spray job on the hull isn't up to my standards. I didn't get any sags or runs but I have orange peel to some degree everywhere and overspray in some areas.

So what's next....

Well I've researched "cutting and buffing" or call it "colour sanding". Here are a couple of websites describing the process:

http://www.autobodystore.com/rsw.shtml

http://www.repairnation.com/paint_n_bodywork/buffing/wetsand&buffing2.htm

This is the benefit of Awlcraft over Awlgrip and that's it's ability to be buffed and polished. I figure if your going to race your boat your going to need a paint that can be touched up. With my experience with Awlgrip is you get a tough, beautiful finish but your screwed if you damage it!

So these are pictures of my first attempt at cutting and polishing:

The Transom (took about 1.5 hours to get this result)

This Finish is like a mirror...the kind of result you would expect from a professional sprayed Awlgrip job. I like it so I'll contiinue.

This picture displays the contrast between the cut and buff (the transom) and the aft starboard quarter which has yet to be done.

Same as this picture, look at the clarity of the tree in the transom and the blurry tree in the aft port quarter.

She is back home

2007-11-17T16:38:00.000-08:00

My father and I have towed her back home.!

Painters Tape Removed

2007-11-12T08:42:00.001-08:00

The non-skid

2007-11-08T17:09:00.000-08:00

Non-Skid was applied by mixing 1 part awlgrip colour base (whisper grey) with 1 part converter then mixing with Silica until as thick as drywall mud. After the "shinny stuff was tapped off" I rolled it on with a meduim nap roller. Using a clean unused meduim nap roller to roll over the paint to ensure an even look.

Shooting Awlgrip Whisper Grey on the deck

2007-11-07T13:57:00.001-08:00

I wish I could say the deck came out as nice as the hull, but I can't. I have a couple sags but I'm going to live with them.

Another 2 coats of Vivid Red

2007-11-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

Just sprayed it on today, no sags, drips or runs....hopefully tomorrow it will look just as good!

First 3 coats of Vivid Red

2007-11-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

If you look closely you can see the overlap....so I roughed it up with 220 and sprayed another 2 coats.

The primer has been sprayed

2007-11-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

The dummy in the yellow is me, Bruce Moore and Andrew Tibbets looking at my sanding technic!
The boat is now primed with Awlgrip's 545 primer, I wish I had used grey base instead of white. It would have required less coats to get a uniform colour base.

The J30 is finally under a roof!

2007-11-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

This J/30 Hull number 124 has had 7 soft spots cut out of the transom and deck with new balsa glassed back in. These areas are now faired and ready for primer.

The fall weather is getting pretty cool in Nova Scotia so I managed to acquire a roof for a week where I will prime and paint the boat using Awlgrip products.

Hull sanded and ready for primer

2007-11-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

First Pass completed

2007-10-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

Starting to board sand the hull

2007-10-24T10:09:00.001-07:00

Thu-Hulls in the Transom

2007-10-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

The cockpit drain on the starboard side was rebuilt when the rotten section of the transom was replaced.

The picture below shows the holes in the transom on the port side. As you can see the thru-hulls expose the balsa wood. If the thu-hull seal is faulty then the water is going to get in. These two are dry and solid but I will be grinding out about an inch of balsa around the hole and filling with thickened epoxy which will:

1) seal and protect the balsa wood

2) The epoxy will not let the thruhull compress the balsa wood

A picture of the port side with solid epoxy protecting the balsa wood.

Refinishing the Woodwork - Work taken on by my Father

2007-10-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

Removing the port side woodwork

A Mess to clean upMore Mess! Starboard side unfinished
Port Side Finished - Thanks for doing all this woodwork Dad!

The Fairing Process - Sanding 2nd and Applying 3rd/Final pass

2007-10-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Fairing Process - Sanding the 1st Pass

2007-09-23T13:12:00.001-07:00

The Fairing Process: First Pass

2007-09-23T08:21:00.001-07:00

Port Side

2007-09-21T09:32:00.001-07:00

Glassing over a teak insert that raises the traveller out on top of the cockpit.

The Bow - going to Starboard

2007-09-21T09:24:00.001-07:00

Cabin Top (Part 2)

2007-09-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

Rebuilding the cabin top

2007-09-21T09:05:00.001-07:00

Deck Hardware Removed

2007-09-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

Cutting out the Rotten Core from the Transom

2007-09-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

2007-09-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

The Boat was purchased in July 2007. She was prevouisly named Dulcinea.

The name Dulcinea: Seeking after the traditions of the knights-errant of old, Don Quixote finds a true love whom he calls Dulcinea. She is a simple peasant in his home town, but Quixote imagines her to be the most beautiful of all women. At times, Quixote goes into detail about her appearance, though he freely admits that he has never seen her.Don Quixote describes her appearance in the following terms: "… her name is Dulcinea, her country El Toboso, a village of La Mancha, her rank must be at least that of a princess, since she is my queen and lady, and her beauty superhuman, since all the impossible and fanciful attributes of beauty which the poets apply to their ladies are verified in her; for her hairs are gold, her forehead Elysian fields, her eyebrows rainbows, her eyes suns, her cheeks roses, her lips coral, her teeth pearls, her neck alabaster, her bosom marble, her hands ivory, her fairness snow, and what modesty conceals from sight such, I think and imagine, as rational reflection can only extol, not compare."

I have since decided to rename her "Rattle and Hum", named after a great album from a great band U2.