Sunday, May 20, 2012

Summer Start Prep

Next weekend is Memorial Day... the start of summer
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As most of you know, summer is the magic season here in the Coastal Town of Marblehead, Massachusetts.  Between fishing, boating, tie-ups at the islands, cookouts and hanging out on the Yacht Club Porches,  we try to find the time to get some work in and make some money.
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Every summer is important.  You'll be dead a long time... so you really can't afford to waste the summer in Marblehead.
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So I spent some hours this weekend getting the Pram and the Tender ready for the water.  I sanded and epoxied the outside hull of the pram and got it ready for a coat of primer and some finish coats of paint.  I won't make the mistake this year of putting bottom paint on the pram.  It's more of a problem always having the bottom paint come off on your hands than powerwashing whatever growth decides to reside on the pram bottom.  I know that there will be algae and barnacles galore on the bottom within a month, but I'd rather deal with that than bottom paint residue on your hands.
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The Herreshoff Columbia Tender is another problem altogether.  Trying to keep the whole thing with a natural finish has been a nightmare.   The outside hull is fine, but the gunnel rails and the seats can't seem to hold a coat of epoxy and marine varnish, and the interior flooring panels have to be screwed down on rails and hold all sorts of debris underneath.
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I'm going to spraypaint the interior from the seats down... White.  Marine White High Gloss.  And I will omit the flooring panels all together.
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Even though the seats are laminated mahogany, oak and cedar... the fact that epoxy and varnish peals away within a season has me looking for a better maintenance alternative.   Have to go with the paint and see how that works this year.
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There's probably another 20 hours of work left to get these boats up to the MOAM standard of excellence. I would love to squeeze these hours in before the end of the week, but I doubt it.  Have to head down to New Haven, and that always kills any personal hours left in the week.

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