My life as a sailboat owner begins. . . .

[Musketaquid]

So here's my story. . .

A couple of years ago I became fascinated with the idea of sailing. So much so, that I developed this grandiose idea of saving up, buying my own boat, and spending several years cruising up and down the east coast with my wife with no agenda at all.
So I begin to read a lot about sailing and eventually begin browsing this forum. I come to understand that the best way to learn about sailing (without having to pay for lessons) is to volunteer to crew at races. So I find a racing association at nearby Smith Mountain Lake and shoot them an email. In less than 24 hours I get a response from a gentleman who only lives a few minutes from my house. "You're welcome to sail with my son and me. We just bought a Cal 25 and are new sailors."
I crew with my new friend at several regattas, mostly serving as rail meat, still not entirely sure that I know what I'm doing. But that's okay, I'm having fun. I mention to him my plans for owning a boat someday and he says he'll help me find something even though I'm not sure I can afford one now.
One day my phone rings and my wife answers and says it's for me.
"Who is it?"
"I don't know."
The voice on the other end asks if I am who I am, and I confirm.
"So I hear you're looking for a boat."
"I would love one, but I don't think I can afford one right now."
"Well, I'll make you an offer you can't refuse . . . free."
So I go down to check out the boat, a '69 Bristol 22, and there's nothing wrong with it at all. Turns out the guy has a new boat and has been trying to sell this one for years to no avail. I sail with him a few time to get the hang of it and now comes the fun part: touching it up so it looks as good as it sails.
I am by no means a handyman, but I"m willing to learn and work to do whatever needs to be done. I'm hoping some of the SailNet members can make some recommendations for me.
Rioja


some shots of the V-berth I'd like to touch up




what would be the best way to approach this? Sand it down and go over it with some polyurethane?

I also need to touch up the cockpit a little. These screws keep coming out. Should I remove the teak, fill the screw holes in with some epoxy, and screw it back in again?

[Insails]

now that the "Free Part" is over...you can pull out the wallet!!

[JohnRPollard]

Hey, congrats on your new boat!

I would scrape and sand all the loose paint off those surfaces. Wear a dust mask and clean up thoroughly. If you end up using an electric sander, try to use one which you can attach to a long shop vac hose. Set the shop vac outside the cabin, and suck out the dust as it gets sanded off.

After you've removed all the loose paint, you'll want to inspect for any water damage. Hopefully there's none and you can move right to priming. If you suspect any "issues", post some photos and we'll try to help with suggestions for remediation.

Study up a bit on primers and paint. you should be able to get some compatible products from Pettit or Interlux, or Kirby for example. Take a look at the Sailnet store to see what they might have. If you can't find what you need, check out Jamestown. White or off-white is usually the best choice for color on the interior of a boat -- keeps things bright on those gloomy days.

Good luck with your project!

[daydreamer92]

Originally Posted by Musketaquid

So here's my story. . .
"Well, I'll make you an offer you can't refuse . . . free."
So I go down to check out the boat, a '69 Bristol 22, and there's nothing wrong with it at all. Turns out the guy has a new boat and has been trying to sell this one for years to no avail. I sail with him a few time to get the hang of it and now comes the fun part: touching it up so it looks as good as it sails.

Oooo! Congrats!

re: touching up interior

what would be the best way to approach this? Sand it down and go over it with some polyurethane?

First, go find a copy of Don Casey's "This Old Boat". So incredibly helpful for touching up the Used Boat. Honest.

I'll tell you what I'm doing to the very peel-y inside of my boat.

Remove trim and/or lights if you can; easier to paint without them there.

Scrape as much loose stuff off as you can. Wipe surfaces with acetone to get off wax residue from fiberglass (Don C. explains this better than I just did. He says if you sand first, you embed the waxy stuff into the little nooks and crannies). If things are moldy, make a little solution with bleach to get rid of it.

Then sand with a random orbital sander (palm kind of thing). I don't know that you MUST get all old paint off, but you probably don't want so much on there that when you repaint, there are ridges where the old layers are.

Clean up debris from sanding/scraping.

Get a can of exterior grade house paint, like Porch and Floor. Pick a bright light color, like white or something cheerful/pastel that will lighten up and visually broaden the interior space. I went for a very light yellow because yellow is a happy color (seriously, it is).

Mask anything you don't want paint on.

Paint!

Remember stuff like respirators and a painters hat and goggles and lots of fresh air.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by daydreamer92

First, go find a copy of Don Casey's "This Old Boat". So incredibly helpful for touching up the Used Boat. Honest.

That is a great suggestion. This "free" boat will need a fair bit of elbow grease to restore her glory. Go straight to the source: Don Casey.

[bljones]

x3 on "This Old Boat". It is, hands down, the one single best general boat-fixing and improving resource available... when you are away from your computer.

Beware though, that "TOB" will also tempt you into doing many, many more projects than you thought you would every try.

Get yourself a subscription to Good Old Boat magazine, as well. Entertaining, informative and a great way to pass the time while the boat is on the hard. one of the few magazines that I read cover to cover, including the ads.

[Michael K]

Welcome to the wonderful world of boat ownership. There are many ways to approach your projects. Now, if this were me, I'd take a simple approach. First, I'd ask the previous owner to describe his/her short list of "must-dos". Then, I'd ask for his/her list of "want to dos". This way I might discover some issues that were previously overlooked. My objective would be simply to enjoy the boat as much as possible in the first season and defer the cosmetic maintenance until later. I'd get to know the boat far better in the process, which would help to revise and prioritize the projects list. In the interim, I'd find and read front to back a copy of Don Casey's "This Old Boat"; the book explains how to approach a wide variety of projects in a clear an unintimidating way.

[sailingdog]

If you're going to be working on your boat a lot, I would highly recommend investing in a full-face respirator mask, like a 3M series 6000 one. This will provide more comfort and protection than the disposable or half-mask type units and is well worth having, since they're very durable and cost-effective in the long run. Fiberglass, teak and many of the chemicals used in boat repairs are nasty compounds and can cause serious long-term health issues.

I'd also highly recommend through-bolting the teak piece if you have access to the area behind it.

[cb32863]

Congrats on the boat. You are living the dream that I am hoping to make reality sometime this year. Be sure to keep us posted on your progress.

[carl762]

Congrats. You Lucky Devil You!!!! Looks like a great project.

1.5 months to launch at this end. Most of the work is done, but for a couple wiring jobs.

Again, have fun. Definitely get Don's Book, and subscribe to Good Old Boat. Great magazine, with how-tos every issue. Kinda like the po-man's yacht magazine.