Cabin Top Paint ~

I'm in the middle of painting the boat right now.  

Well, not actually at this moment.  What I mean is that nearly half the boat has been painted so far.  

The previous owner had the hull sides and bottom of the boat painted back in January of 2011. So the only area really needing paint is the topsides. The cabin top, cap rails and gunwales, cockpit lazarettes and nonskid decks are the areas I'm focused on now. 

Where o where to start...?


This is a shot of my broker and friend Randy Hinely on the helm as we sail across the Gulf of Mexico on delivery home to Niceville.

You can see the areas of concern in the cabin top bulkhead.  The duct tape is covering an old portlight that had been removed.  Also the engine gauges were mounted in this same bulkhead area.  It reminded me of a oversized cars dashboard... not very nautical.

Plans to change these things began immediately underway. 

 Another shot of us sailing back across the Gulf of Mexico.
Here you can see the ugly yellow plastic covering the portlight holes. It was very brittle and would crack if touched.

A shot of the starboard side deck. The weathered teak is asking for some attention as well.

After throughly cleaning and inspecting the topsides, I decided to remove the teak eyebrow trim that wraps around the cabin top. It was badly cracked in spots and needed to be stripped.

After removing the eyebrow trim rail I exposed many screw holes which needed filling and faring.

Trim screw holes counterbored and ready for epoxy filling.

At this point it was apparent that the teak hand rails would need to be removed as well.  Unfortunately they were leaking into the cabin top a little, and need to be re-bedded after painting.

  The deck looks super clean with everything removed.  Now time to remove those big windows.

Quite a mess we've got here. The windows were leaking pretty bad. You can see the amount of crud that collected inside the window frame.




Another main area of concern was the cabin top bulkheads in the cockpit. I still had those old holes from the gauges and the old portlight. 

My idea was to fill the holes with wood and fiberglass them over. 

This is a view from inside the cabin looking aft at the bulkhead. You can see the wood plugs glassed in place.  I spent much more time glassing the exterior surface of this bulkhead to get it smooth and fare. Somehow I dont seem to have many pictures of that step.

This is where the eyebrow trim rail ended near the cockpit.  The big main cabin windows are held in with blue masking tape.

Next I removed the main hatch covering the companion way.

Its built of teak and very strong, however it had leaks coming through the seams.


Companion way hatch completely removed and ready to repair.

All of this area will need to be painted with the cabin top.

There was an enormous amount of prep work that went into painting just the cabin top section of this boat. Many hours spent filling and faring, sanding and sanding. then filling and faring some more, sanding, sanding, etc, etc....

I did the majority of this section by myself.  I could have spent another season trying to get everything prepped out perfectly, luckily I have Dennis Mayhew to remind me of one important thing... Its a boat, not a church. Just paint it.

Thanks Dennis for helping me keep things fairly simple.

 Primer ~ Port side

Primer ~ Starboard side

Primer ~ Starboard side looking aft

Paint~ Starboard side

Looking good during the Single handers race ~ October 2012 ~ BBSC 

New cabin top paint shining in the sunset ~


Once again, its feels good to look back at another project completed. I'm always amazed at how great this boat looks after finishing projects like this. She is a great boat with classic lines, and steps like this really help to show that about her. 

I've toyed with the idea of leaving off the handrails to keep that clean look on deck, however she wont be a dock queen forever. 

"You're gonna need those handrails one day when those Abaco seas come crashing on deck!" ~ Dennis Mayhew

Original Bronze Portlights ~

Like many other projects on this boat the previous owner had already started this one.... fortunately he hadn't gotten very far with it. 

When I first bought the boat it had some sort of plastic covering the portlight holes, looked to be maybe cheap shower panel or some other home depot type material. Certainly not marine grade! I'm not sure how long it was there before I found the boat, and the first time it touched it, it cracked and broke. Obviously ultra violet rays had been eating away at it for some time. Luckily it lasted through our trip home before I scraped it off for good.

The original bronze portlights were stowed below in a cardboard box when I found the boat. Sweet! I thought...   they have already been restored and just need to be installed.  Simple, right ?

First I wanted to paint the cabin top portion of the deck prior to installing the portlights to give them a super clean line when finished.  This was easier said than done. I ran into a few snags while prepping the cabin top for paint that delayed the portlight installation a little.  I'll get into that later.

For now I'd like to focus on the bronze portlights.

All six holes were originally cut at the factory, as far as I know. And all six holes seemed to be odd shapes. Not perfectly shaped like you would think from a factory install, however this was the seventies...

So I made rings of wood to fit around the lip or flange of the portlight to give the proper size and shape hole to install into.

 Frame rings cut from luan plywood to reshape the portlight holes.




Next I glued them into place and began reshaping the cabin top wall from the inside.

Here you can see the hole taking shape.



This is the portlight being dry fit with clamps.

Notice the wood ring between the portlight and cabin top wall.


Since the portlight spigot size is only about 7/8" and the cabin top wall thickness varied between 7/8" and 1", I basically had to flush mount them. This means there would be nothing sticking out of the cabin top side deck wall except the outer trim ring of bronze.

Here you can see the portlight being held in place by butyl bedding material.


This was my first time working with this stuff. It was difficult at first until applying a little heat, then the stuff gets real stretchy! The interesting thing is that it makes great gasket material and can flex with movement of things like a sailboat. 

Applying butyl bedding to portlight spigots and inner frames.

Time to drill some holes ~



All the original holes for the portlight hardware had been filled when I painted the cabin top. I also did some epoxy work on the interior side of the holes to seal everything up nicely.  After securing the portlights in place with butyl and clamps it was time to drill the new holes.

Close up of new bolt holes and butyl bedding material.



The next step was to simply bolt on the outer trim rings to finish off the project.  But what bolts to use?  I found some decent barrel nuts and some counter-sink bolts to fit it all together.  Wish I could sprang for the counter-sink barrel nuts, however they would have gone over budget for this project, so I settled for these.

Here you can see the new mounting hardware and the polished bronze outer trim ring.

After applying the butyl bedding compound along with the foam tape to the inside of the trim rings, they were ready to go on.

Butyl ~

All butyled up and ready to go!


This project was a loooong time coming! Super stoked to have these portlights installed! They fit great and I'm really glad that we were able to use them in the restoration. In such an extremely consuming project such as a boat of this size its important to use and reuse anything we can. Hopefully we'll get another 30+ years out of these old original bronze portlights!

Here is the final look after install.

 Polished bronze against new Awlgrip always looks great!



Here she is after the first water test with the hose on deck.

Sealed up tight ~



 Shining bright at night!!

Looking fresh during the day!

 This project brings our sweet boat so much closer to being livable. These portlights are not only a huge cosmetic upgrade, their a big step in making her a comfortable live aboard boat inside and out.  Plus we can finally keep the rain out and let the breeze in. ~ 

Why the Downeaster 38 ? ~

I have loved the lines of this yacht since the first time my eyes laid upon her.

When I was a younger lad, growing up near water and hanging out in marinas, it became quite easy to notice certain boats and yachts with style. My father had a few boats over the years, none of which had any amount of style and grace. A good friend of mine once said... "life is to short to own an ugly boat" and I agree.

I recall walking the dock of BWB marina back in the day, and always noticing the 'Lily Kathleen'. A late 1970's classic, a Downeaster 38' Cutter. I was smitten from the start. I even remember doing some cleaning and varnish work on her once she came on the market. It wasn't until getting to ride along for a sea trial one day, helping Randy with a prospective buyer, that I realized how fond of the Downeaster I really was. It would be many years until another one came into my life.

I found my boat on Yachtworld.com.  I had been perusing the internet for small-ish crusing sailboats able to fit a nice small family aboard comfortably. Also I wanted and really needed something with the option to charter out. A boat with enough space and livability to carry a few paying passengers for a few days.  A double stateroom layout would be perfect! However, a 2 stateroom layout is hard to find in a boat under 40', and the cost of owning and maintaining a boat over 40' is silly! 38 feet of boat is plenty! Especially since I found a Downeaster 38' with an optional interior configuration and a 2 stateroom layout.  This is sort of a rare thing....

  Dimensions and specs for all Downeaster 38' rig types.

This is the line drawing of the Downeaster 38' Cutter with Sail Plan and standard interior.

Down East Yachts was the concept of Bob Poole, a Mainer who relocated in California to build boats. His first model was the Downeaster 38' which he contracted Newport resident and naval architect Henry Mohrschladt to design. It proved a successful design from its conception in 1975 and saw around 250 boats built until they closed in 1981.  Down East Yachts was located in Santa Ana, California and also built a few other models designed by Poole himself: the 32', 41' and 45' although the 38' was the only model designed by Morschladt and the more coveted design.  These 38's are certainly sought after boats and can be found all over the far reaches of  the globe.  

Original yacht plaque on our boat.  Lindita was #206 in production completed in May of 1979. 

I have no idea of how many owners shes had before us, but one things for sure, we'll be the proudest ones yet! She wont be the same boat once we set sail with her again!

As of now, we've owned the boat since September 2011, over 1 1/2 years!!!  and in my opinion were over half way through with our restoration.   Though many tough challenges lay ahead of us still, with every project completed, I've learned that much more. I'm very excited for the next couple seasons and the opportunity to take on new projects, bringing us that much closer to our goal...  Sailing away ~

Cockpit Scuppers ~

I never realized how much rain can fall on a boat until I took apart the cockpit scuppers. Once the scuppers (drains) were removed and the drain holes were covered with masking tape, its amazing how much water will collect, or will drip into the interior of the boat.  Having just re-installed the diesel engine, this all-the-sudden became a huge concern since they were located directly over the engine room.

Luckily my good friend and dock neighbor Ryan donated a  new pair of scupper drains to LINDITA!

 
They were a totally different size and shape from the previous ones, however things like that don't really seem to matter anymore. I'll make them fit, somehow.  Another customized improvement is underway!


    First I used a Dremel to bevel the orifices to fit the new scupper drains. 
                                                                                               

This was the old cockpit drain system constructed of  pvc plastic pieces. I hit my head on these a few times before ripping them out.  Also they leaked.  

Test fitting the new drains, they are a little to long for the desired space. This area of the engine room is crucial head space for crawling over the engine and into a comfortable spot to work.  Needing as much room as possible, I hacksawed off enough of the threaded drain tube so I could still install a backing block and nut.

Also the engine room ceiling was painted.

 For this I used a West Marine topside paint of sea gloss white. It should wear well in the engine room.

 The new stainless steel drain scuppers, cut down and ready to go.

Once installed the cockpit takes on a whole new feel. I dumped several 5 gal buckets of water into the cockpit to test for leaks...

No drips, no leaks! The drains were finished off with a few select pieces of preformed radiator hose from the auto parts store to make the right curves and keep the whole works relatively simple, using as few parts as possible.  Now when I climb into the engine room I'll hopefully only bump my head on a rubber hose. 

                                          

Bow Down ~

My last post covered restoration of the mast, booms and rigging. Here I'll address another major issue connected with the mast project, the bow pulpit and bowsprit.

 The very most forward point of the boat, on the tip of the bowsprit is called the Kranze Iron.  It holds and helps spread the load from the forward rigging.  Upon removal we found that the round plug of wood had broken free from the bowsprit itself and was sort of floating in place.

 One thing helping to hold it all together was the bobstay. Its a piece of standing rigging going from the bowsprit down to the waterline attached to a chainplate or tang.  This particular rig also has a dolphin striker which acts mostly as a support for the bobstay.

You can see the dolphin striker pointing down here.

 

The very bottom of the bow, just above the waterline is where the bobstay attaches to a tang fitting. Notice the crack in the bobstay shackle...

Luckily it all held together thru 2 days of sailing, crossing the gulf from Tampa to Panama City. Here you can see the bow under sail. Notice the support block under the bowsprit, looking a little aged.

After removing the dolphin striker, bobstay and bowsprit, we noticed the wood plug had broken free under the kranze iron.

The plug and center of the bowsprit were cored out and filled with a new fiberglass core to mate the plug back on. The entire bowsprit was then coated with epoxy...

Then painted with 3 coats of Awlgrip. Now she's ready to go back on the boat.

But first, a little more structural support work to be done. I glassed in two teak ribs to help support the deck area where the bowsprit and sampson posts join together.

 Under the V-berth I found the access to the bobstay mounting bracket buried under layers of rotten fiberglass. Years of wet, salty, muddy anchor chain had been dripping down thru this area and into the bilge, eroding the integrity of the fiberglass. Once I started picking at it, it all had to come out.

 This is the back of the bobstay tang bracket after removal and cleaning.

Two blocks of mahogany should help support this bracket and also soak up some resin.

 After glassing in the bobstay tang bracket its ready for paint and also feels quite secure. One step closer to getting the bow back on!

These are the Sampson Posts that stand next to the bowsprit and receive mooring lines. Also the dolphin striker has been polished and it ready to remount.

 The Sampson posts after filling the old holes with new wood and getting a coat of epoxy.

Another 3 coats of Awlgrip and the Sampson posts are ready to go.

After closely examining the bows components, I was curious about the compression post below where the mast is stepped on deck. After removing the cabin floor, I removed the water tanks and exposed the bottom of the compression post located in the bilge.

The mahogany wood was in fine shape, so I stripped back the old glass and filled in some new cloth and epoxy.  Another piece of wood was glassed in to help support the floor around the compression post.

A new teak block was constructed to support the bowsprit on deck. You can see the 30+ year old block has seen better days.  Also in this picture you can see a piece of standing rigging coiled up ready to go back on the mast. Along with a polished anchor hawse pipe cover.

 Cleaning and inspecting all standing rigging components.

Getting ready to bolt it all back together. You can see the backing plate for the dolphin striker bolts epoxied in place here.

Here is the bowsprit after installation. You can see the Sampson posts sticking up and the dolphin striker sticking down.  I forgot to mention about the original bolts holding the dolphin striker on, or should I saw barely holding it on. They turned to rusty dust upon removal. It felt good to replace them with nice, shiny new stainless ones!

I am replacing the roller furling unit and had to drill out the upper hole on the kranze iron for a bigger sized clevis pin to accommodate the upgraded rigging.

Here is the bow almost complete.   Kranze Iron, Dolphin Striker and Bobstay with turnbuckle all installed.

Finally it all comes together! The new bowsprit with new Harken furling system is installed!!

Standing on the end of this new bowsprit, feeling the magnitude of this boat coming together has been an experience like no other. I am now beginning to understand what this project will require from me... strength and perseverance, and oh yeah, money.  Were getting much closer to going sailing!