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Brought my Baby home and I feel great !

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tblanco
Deckhand

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16 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/08/2002 : 02:21:09

The past few years have been a little slow for me, economically, thus I had decided that I could no longer maintain my SK 25 because the dock fees were just too much.
I took her out to the south end of San Diego Bay and with a six month permit from the harbor police, I anchored her there while I tried to sell her.
My situation was desperate, I couldn't afford to buy a new trailer and buying a used one was next to impossible. I placed various adds on this forum and various others but to no avail.

The desperation grew as the months went by and there was no trailer to be found. I had also put several adds to sell her, but when someone contacted me I just couldn't let go and I'm ashamed to say would tell them it was "no longer available".
Six weeks before my permit expired a miracle happened! Less than two miles from my home someone put up a trailer for sale! It was a motor boat trailer that would require some work ( boy did it!) but it met the specs for weight and lenght and the gentleman let it go for $325.00!!!!
I had to invest about $800.00 more in sanding her down grinding some parts and painting her. I though I would never finish!!
Then I took it to a trailer shop where new boards were fitted to hold her up high.
About two weeks ago several friends helped me to load her up onto the trailer and lower the mast. Another friend loaned me his truck and I brought her home!!! <img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>
The lesson to be learned here is: DON'T GIVE UP !!
Several people here were very kind in providing me with information about trailer specs and mast lowering tecniques, for this I am enormously grateful.
I will be working on "IBERIA" a little at a time for the next six months putting her in tip top shape. Then I hope to take her out again for a few months and then bring her back home, it depends on $$$$ !!!
This forum is a source of enormous information provided by great people and it will help me a great deal. If I can, I will try to contribute a grain of salt from my experience in my endeavour.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you for being a part of a great forum.

I would post a photo of her but I can't figure out How to do that yet!

Take care Y'all !!

Tony Blanco

<img src="" border=0><img src="" border=0><img src="" border=0><img src="" border=0><img src="" border=0>

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1774 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2002 : 10:43:26

Hi Tony,

GOOD for you! I'm glad you kept your boat. I can relate to your situation ... I thumbed my nose at Corporate America a year ago, and I haven't seen a paycheck since. The LAST thing I'm going to do is sell my boat ... she's a refuge and a distraction that helps me keep my sanity. If, like you've done, you keep your boat high and dry for a while, there isn't a big drain on your pocketbook for keeping her.

I felt sooooo bad when Doug and Ruth sold "Wind Lass" ... I'm glad Doug's work situation has stabilized, but now he's boatless. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Doug & Ruth will find a great boat this winter when the boat prices are reasonable (are you looking, Doug?).

BTW, if you need help posting photos (the five you posted at the end of your message don't show up), send me an email and I'll see if I can help you out (buzzmaring@aol.com) ... it's really easy once you get the hang of it.

'Glad you kept "Iberia" ... now get to work!

Buzz Maring, C-25 SK/SR #68, "Freya"

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frich
Captain

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USA
418 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2002 : 12:15:29

Hi Tony

Good for you! I hope you have many great sailing days ahead. I too have a trailer I was thinking of letting go, but after hearing of your plight i have second thoughts.

How did you paint the trailer, as i may consider doing this to mine. I have heard of a brand called "hammerite" that can be applied over rust, what did you use

Frank Rich
C25 84 SK

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2002 : 21:39:16

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
How did you paint the trailer, as i may consider doing this to mine. I have heard of a brand called "hammerite" that can be applied over rust, what did you use
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>
Frank: If you have some rust, look around for a "rust reformer" such as one from Rustoleum. Theirs is a cream-colored liquid that turns ferrous metals and rust black on contact, and dries as a clear coating over it. It "stabilizes" the rust and leaves a surface you can paint over. It has worked for me.

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

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tblanco
Deckhand

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16 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2002 : 21:45:27

Hi Frank!

First of all let me make it clear I'm no expert. This is the first time I paint a trailer.

As a matter of fact I did use "Hammerite" !

I have a Builders Emporium not to far from my home and I asked a person in the paint department what was the best paint they had for my project. The sales person told me Hammerite was the best paint they had and it didn't require a primer.
However the sales person was unsure if it would work for a trailer that would be exposed to salt water.
It cost me about $39.00 for a gallon and I brushed it on.
The paint dries pretty fast. It doesen't look smooth like you usually see on sprayed on trailers, it has a texture to it.
The guy that adapted my trailer (B & L TRAILERS in San Diego) liked my paint job.
Don't put it on too thick cause it won't harden well.
I've only put the trailer in the salt water once so I can't really say how well it will hold up.
When I got it home I hosed it off with fresh water just to be safe.

As far as the trailer, I sanded it down (way down) to the point I could see just shinny metal. Only in spots where I could net get the sander into corners and such I just slopped it on!

Ok Frank I guess I wrote a book, Sorry.

P.S. Keep the trailer, it will help you out in a tight situation, and if (God forbid) someday you hace to sell her, the trailer is an added bonus which adds tremendous value.

Have fun sanding and painting!

Tony Blanco
"Iberia"

Edited by - on

Gary B.
Admiral

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USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2002 : 13:26:04

Good job, Tony! I used Hammerite on my e-z loader (the one I measured for you some time ago) I don't ramp launch in salt, but so far the paint is holding up great. I am waiting to see how the swing keel looks when I pull her this fall, cuz I painted it too, under the bottom paint.....Gary

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2002 : 21:12:32

I'm curious: Are these trailers not galvanized? In this age, especially within 1000 miles of an ocean, why would anyone build or buy a trailer that's not galvanized? Paint only takes care of the outside of things like tubes and box sections--it's the insides that'll getcha. On a good galvanized trailer, all you need is a set of Bearing Buddies, and you're pretty safe in salt water.

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

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tblanco
Deckhand

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16 Posts

Response Posted - 10/10/2002 : 03:22:06

Dave:
Your absolutely right, these are not galvanized.

I wish I could have found one that was, but in my situation I took what i could get.
With regards to protecting the steel. My trailer has solid steel beams and have no air pocket or interior to them other than steel, thus any rust would start to show up from the outside.

My neighbour, a fisherman, with considerable more money to spend on his hobby has a boat that weighs more than 10,000 pounds and trailers it on a six wheel steel trailer also. I don't know if there might be strenght factor between steel and galvanized.

Perhaps steel is something that can be repaired or modified more easily, that is why they still make them.

B&L trailers in San Diego, who helped me convert the motor boat trailer, makes nothing but steel trailers, small ones and six wheelers.
OK Dave sorry for the loooong reply..

Tony Blanco

<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2ce31b3127cce9152cdadfc450000001010" border=0>

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frich
Captain

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USA
418 Posts

Response Posted - 10/10/2002 : 15:10:46

Tony & Dave

Thanks for the info on paints, I will look into both products. And yes may trailer has a galvanized main body but the cradle is steel. When it comes to having everything look pristine i do get a little stupid, thus the need to paint the galvanized part

Frank Rich
84 C25 SK

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/10/2002 : 21:14:59

Frank: You may have trouble getting paint to hang on to the galvanized surfaces... The zinc is slightly powdery on the surface, unless you give it a quick acid bath before painting--that's partly how the car companies get paint to stick on their galvanized panels. Basically galvanizing is meant to "go to gray"--even more so than teak.

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

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Gary B.
Admiral

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USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2002 : 04:13:02

Dave: My EZLoader came with the boat (used). It's now 24 years old, and it's painted. I live within 100 miles of the ocean and used it a few times in salt, but I rinsed it immediately with fresh. When the brakes went south, I replaced them and swore never to dip it in salt again. I ramp launch in fresh water here on the Columbia River, but sling the boat off the trailer into and out of salt each summer in the San Juan Islands. Of course it rusted a bit over the years, but a wire wheel, brush, then two coats of Hammerite made it look new a couple of years ago. Of course I would prefer galvanized, but have you checked the PRICE difference? I'm just fine with what I have....I drive a Mitsubishi Mirage, too, even though I am quite certain that a BMW is better!

Regards,
Gary B.
Encore! SK/SR #685

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