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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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My First Sailboat in the water this week !?

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knightwind
Navigator

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Canada
114 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/27/2008 : 21:59:27

So if all goes well my first sailboat will be in the water this Thursday!
Last time I sailed was in sea cadets when I was 16...got my CYA White Sail Level 1 qualification...we'll see how I do in a boat 10 feet longer and 4 thousand pounds heavier...(Consider that a veiled plea for any advise from you seasoned skippers.)

The reason for this post is a question I have about hull prep.
The keel has a few small rust spots. The seller said to bring a wire brush and give it a good once over before dropping it in the water.
The owner's manual (Thanks to this great site) says you can use common "rustoleum" paint on it.

Do you think it would be reasonable for me to scrub and paint it Thursday morning on the truck and expect it to dry in the few hours it will take to deliver?

What about "clear-coating" the hull before it goes in? Expensive?

There is also a half-inch chip "dinged" out of the prow? (front vertical seam) about a foot above the water line. From what I've learned I beleive we call this the "gellcoat".
How serious is this and how do I repair it?

Any advise will be appreciated.

-Peter

Peter Keddie
Turkey Point, ON
79 Catalina 25 Fixed Keel #1050

Edited by - on

quilombo
Captain

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USA
301 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2008 : 22:28:46

I just used rustolem on my swing keel,(its cast iron and has rust on it) it takes a good two days to dry,
they sell lots of gel coat repairing kits in boaters world or west marine,
I dont know much about clear coating, but I rec a good marine waxing
good luck and have fun

Edited by - on

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 08:13:21

I also used rustoleum, in spring of '07. On the haul out in the fall '07, it looked as if I did nothing...

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 09:11:21

As to the "clear coating" question. I assume that you're trying to deal with sunbleached gelcoat. I'd try a polishing compound and/or Vertglass or a similar finish restoring system. Save painting the hull as a last resort.

I went to my local hardware and got a small bottle of appliance surface chip repair stuff and used that on a small gelcoat chip. I'll have to wait till fall haul out to see how well it worked.

p.s. Congratulations on your boat and welcome to the forum.

Edited by - John Russell on 04/28/2008 09:12:35

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 09:24:34

I gather we're talking about Lake Erie--fresh water... and that you're leaving her in for the season...

If so, bottom paint might be the most important discussion (and one I'm not qualified on for fresh water). Rust on the keel is pretty much a way of life with the older, cast iron keels, unless you do some real work with rust reformers, epoxy, and then maybe some gelcoat. Paint will be temporary--don't sweat it for this season--there's plenty of iron down there!

Also don't worry too much about the hull--there are ways to shine it up, including polymer finishes (VertGlas and Poly Glow) as well as fiberglass restorer/wax (3M and Starbright), but it sounds like you need to splash her pretty directly--that stuff can wait for next season when you have some prep time. The gelcoat ding can be fixed with gelcoat patch that comes in a tube at West Marine and elsewhere, but that's probably not critical either.

Somebody talk about bottom paint...

Edited by - on

knightwind
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Canada
114 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 09:54:03

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave Bristle
 I gather we're talking about Lake Erie--fresh water... and that you're leaving her in for the season...

PK - Yes. Lake Erie fresh water for the season.

Somebody talk about bottom paint...

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

PK - Ya. Somebody talk about bottom paint.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 10:12:30

Peter,

As to bottom paint, if you're able, ask the previous owner what is on the hull now, and if needed, recoat it with the same. With only a week before you launch, I doubt you can do much in the way of changing antifouling strategies.

With that said, I currently use VC17, as do a lot of other Lake Erie sailors (and powerboaters) in my end of the lake. On a previous boat, I used an ablative which also worked well.

With only a week before launch, I guessing your just going to drop it in for the season and worry about it next year. No real harm in that.

On one of our family camping trips, we camped out on the dunes at Long Point. Very nice.

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 11:03:15

Painting is not something to rush into. Painting a boat is like painting anything else, the biggest part is preparation.

Did you get this boat surveyed before you bought it?
Do you have pictures of the bottom that you could post?
If you are a do-it-youselfer, as many of us here are, you will need at least 2 full days to paint your bottom yourself. A week of evenings and a weekend would be preferable. If you get a pro to do it, you will likely have to get on a waiting list.

If at all possible, launch - go sailing and learn as much about your boat as possible. Have fun.

Edited by - on

knightwind
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Canada
114 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 12:04:26

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by stampeder
 Painting is not something to rush into. Painting a boat is like painting anything else, the biggest part is preparation.

Did you get this boat surveyed before you bought it?
Do you have pictures of the bottom that you could post?
If you are a do-it-youselfer, as many of us here are, you will need at least 2 full days to paint your bottom yourself. A week of evenings and a weekend would be preferable. If you get a pro to do it, you will likely have to get on a waiting list.

If at all possible, launch - go sailing and learn as much about your boat as possible. Have fun.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You know, Stampeder, I know what you're gonna say, but after dropping $7500 for the boat and another $1500 for the slip, there was nothing left to pay for a proper marine survey. I read as much as I could and checked the things they say they check in a survey i.e. blistering, soft spots etc. We decided we'd have to take the chance. I'll let you guys know in the next while if that decision was sound.
I do have some pictures of the keel I could post...but I can't figure out how (other than as a link).

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 12:14:02

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by knightwind
 You know, Stampeder, I know what you're gonna say, but after dropping $7500 for the boat and another $1500 for the slip, there was nothing left to pay for a proper marine survey. I read as much as I could and checked the things they say they check in a survey i.e. blistering, soft spots etc. We decided we'd have to take the chance. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Nothing wrong with doing a self-survey. I do my own surveys.

Edited by - on

knightwind
Navigator

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Canada
114 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 12:18:51

Do you have pictures of the bottom that you could post?

How does one post a picture?

Edited by - on

stampeder
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Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 13:04:27

Go to the All Forums page and click on Testing Forum at the top, then look in Sticky: How to Post Photos to the Forum

basicly, you need to use a picture hosting site, from which you post pictures here.

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 13:10:35

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">You know, Stampeder, I know what you're gonna say, <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Oh great, now I gotta think of something I wasn't going to say.

The boat I bought was 1,000 miles away, so I used a surveyor who only had to drive 20 minutes.
If I had been close enough to do my own inspection/survey, I would have done so. If you are confident the this is the right boat, the only compelling reason to get a survey is cheaper insurance. So, if you amortize the difference between cheaper insurance and the cost of a survey, you will probably come out even or ahead.
If I had done my own survey, I would have looked at a lot more things closely, especially the sails. All my surveyor told me was, it has sails.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 13:13:23

In a nutshell,...

1. Upload your photos to a Shutterfly account
2. Copy the picture's URL address from the account
3. Paste it into a forum message using the

icon.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 13:19:56

Peter: Is there paint on the bottom now, or is it bare gelcoat (like the sides)? The Lake Erie guys here (and at your marina) can give you an idea of what might grow on her if you leave her in without new paint. Some paints are good for multiple seasons and some aren't. Also, most "ablative" (slightly chalky) paints can go on top of most "hard" paints, but not the reverse, and the apparent favorite lake paint, VC17, probably can only go on top of itself.

Anyway, it's possible you'll be OK without new paint this year--you just won't win any races.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 04/28/2008 13:21:28

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 13:33:03

As far as the survey is concerned, Don & Mike are right, sort of. They're old salts with a fair amount of experience. Not everyone is so qualified. Surveyors have their place. Since I am mechanically dis-inclined, I would have been very anxious about buying a boat of that vintage without a survey. But, I bought Kaija without one since she had been surveyed 2 years prior, was only 8 years old and I was given a copy.

That's water over the dam. Don't look back Peter, look ahead. You made the right decision for you.

Edited by - on

knightwind
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Canada
114 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 13:53:14

Gave it shot...here's the links to my boat pix.

share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Aat2jdi5ZMWTiA

or

knightwind.shutterfly.com

Edited by - on

stampeder
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Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 14:15:57

Now that you have a Shutterfly account - use the insert picture icon above which will insert some brackets and the letters 'img' here on the forum, then go to shutterfly and right click on the picture, a dialogue box opens, left click on 'properties' (at the very bottom) - when the properties box opens, copy the URL then paste in between the img brackets.

As for your bottom - your port side looks better than your starboard side.

Your keel looks fine and bottom looks okay. I think the PO was right, take a wire brush, clean it up, paint the worn parts and go sailing. You have wear, where you'd expect it. Looks like PO painted on an extra coat on the leading edge.

Edited by - on

knightwind
Navigator

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Canada
114 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 14:28:01

Ok. Here goes. Dis is ma boat.

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knightwind
Navigator

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Canada
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Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 14:29:44

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by knightwind
 Ok. Here goes. Dis is ma boat.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Why was my pic so small compared to yours?

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 14:36:26

It's small because you are copying the thumbnail URL address.

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 16:20:24

Select the picture in Shutterfly so you're viewing the larger version, or view it in Slideshow mode, and right-click and copy that URL. The thumbnail version is useful if you want to put a picture in your signature (by putting (img) and (/img) around it (with square brackets).

IMHO, you don't have enough rust to bother with this year. There's always gonna be some...

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 04/28/2008 16:22:59

Cbucki1
1st Mate

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USA
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Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 16:56:40

Peter,

Congrats on the purchase of your new Catalina 25!

As a past CYA instructor in Canada (teaching on Lake Ontario in Toronto), I commend you on completing your white sail 1. This being said, I'd encourage you to get some crusing lessons - CYA has a great class that can be complete in a one week crash course or two consecutive weekends. You'll leave the class with all the info you'll need to safely hit the water in your keelboat.

Edited by - on

knightwind
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Canada
114 Posts

Response Posted - 04/30/2008 : 06:52:09

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Cbucki1
 Peter,

Congrats on the purchase of your new Catalina 25!

As a past CYA instructor in Canada (teaching on Lake Ontario in Toronto), I commend you on completing your white sail 1. This being said, I'd encourage you to get some crusing lessons - CYA has a great class that can be complete in a one week crash course or two consecutive weekends. You'll leave the class with all the info you'll need to safely hit the water in your keelboat.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Does the qualification ever expire ?

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