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Ready To Go Back In?

12K views 111 replies 21 participants last post by  PalmettoSailor 
#1 ·
We received notice by the yard to be ready to go in by April 1st. I guess its time to get hustling. I received my bottom paint this week from defender so as soon as the weather breaks for a few days I will turn myself into a smurf. I also received our new Honda eu2000i generator and have it's propane conversion kit ordered. I need to change the boat's name and go through my check off list for launch. I will of course address whatever the Winter gremlins may have done. Tomorrow I'll go down and charge the batteries with the new gen. THIS IS WHAT I LOVE!:D
 
#5 ·
I'm at White Rocks Marina on Rock Creek. Right next to the MYC.
 
#7 ·
Actually, I'm sitting in Mikes right now having a beer while the gen is topping off the batteries, I removed the old name and port of call today. I love this time of year, the whole boating season password US!
 
#9 · (Edited)
Yawn...we will be taking the canvas off and going sailing on March 15 if the weather cooperates. Slip pick day is the following weekend I think at our club. All we have to do is put our heavier air 135 on first ( we use that till May then bring out the 155).

I know the dark blue hulled C&C 27 at White Rocks we see her out frequently. C&C owners tned always have their eyes on their fellow brothers and sisters as they are few and far between on the East Coast.

Sawmp...I though you have a three stage charger in the boat to charge the batteries. Will they let you plug in there ( 110 adapter to shore power)? When you use the 2000 to charge your batteries do you connect direct,? I was under the impression it was a very slow way to charge batteries? (13.3a/ hr if you use the ac and 8 amps/ hr dc)

dave
 
#11 ·
Sawmp...I though you have a three stage charger in the boat to charge the batteries. Will they let you plug in there ( 110 adapter to shore power)? When you use the 2000 to charge your batteries do you connect direct,? I was under the impression it was a very slow way to charge batteries? (13.3a/ hr if you use the ac and 8 amps/ hr dc)

dave
Hi Dave, the boat is on the hard and I haven't seen an outlet anywhere near it so I just go down there at least once a month and connect the positive leads back up like normal and then plug the 30A outlet from the charger to the boat, the batteries go to "Float" within 10 or 15 minutes but I usually leave the generator run for an hour or so just to be sure...Plus I hang around inside with the cabin lights on just checking different things out. This time was the first time for the new Honda. I had an old smaller Honda 800 W that a friend gave to me and asked if I could get it to run properly, I cleaned the carburetor out and she runs nice but the last time I had it at the boat something went wrong with the voltage regulator and it was pumping out 150 volts. I ordered a new regulator that worked right for a day and then the voltage went to 5.56VDC, they exchanged it for another one that doesn't work (Same 5.56VDC) so I have to get in contact with them (online) and find out what they want to do. I can always hook up the old regulator and just use that gen for lighting but I just went ahead and bought a nice brand new 2 thousand watter for our boat.
 
#12 ·
Welcome sailors! This is a great site, these people have given me lots of great guidence, I'm sure you will enjoy the same.

I bought the Honda just this week, so I'm no expert at all. Also this is our first year with a larger sailboat, we graduated from a smaller 26 footer just back in September. I will say the generator is very quiet. It has 2 modes, "normal" and "eco", in normal it runs and is a bit loud but nothing like a regular generator, in eco it is very quiet but if you are to cycle large loads on and off it is not recomended since the engine can't ramp up the low RPMs fast enough for the high load. This generator has an inverter that regulates frequency indipendant of engine speed unlike a regular generator that has to maintain a set RPM. I bought the Honda EU2000i Companion, it has a 20 Amp AND 30A recepticle, the regular EU2000i has just 2 20A recepticles. I bought it for it's light weight of 46lbs to recharge if I ever ran the batteries down too low PLUS we plan to experiment with air conditioning options this Summer. I did look at Yamaha's equivelent and almost bought it instead until I noticed the Honda had a larger engine which means it's going to handle higher loads better. I also have a tri-fuel conversion kit on the way to run it off propane so I don't have to worry about spilling gasoline everywhere. I have converted a few generators over to tri-fuel and it is REALLY worth doing.
 
#13 ·
I wish I was ready! Had the bottom soda blasted earlier this month and now need to fill, fair, sand, barrier coat, and paint. Still need to buy the paint but have all the other supplies stockpiled. I also need to install a couple of thru-hulls, re-do the boot stripe, and wax the hull. I'm hoping the warming trend continues as I'd really like to get all of this finished by the first weekend in April. Fingers crossed! Either way, I'll be spending a lot of time at the boatyard in March.
 
#15 ·
Is there a prefered temp for applying the barrier coat? How long for each coat to dry before you can apply the next? What kind of bottom are you going to use. Swamp, T37, and I use the Ultima60 which was recommended by Shawn to me and has been a great paint. ( I used the Micron Extra before which was also good). Are you trying something different?

Before you do the waxing, use some FSR gel. You can do this noew on a really cold day. It works really well to get rid of the tannin stains and marks, although you may want to do that before you do your bottom work or it will take it off. It took me 2 hours to do the FSR treatment and wash it off and it had amazing results and is an easy apply and wash off.

Dave.
 
#14 ·
4arch, I ordered my Ultima60 bottom paint from Defender,it was at my door in 2 days and I saved $100 a gallon compared to what WM wants.
 
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#16 ·
With the barrier coat products being epoxies the recommendation is to apply at 50 degrees or above. Recoat times are a few hours up to fifteen days. The first coat of bottom paint has to follow immediately behind the last coat of barrier or else you have to sand. Temps in the 50s for more than a day or so at a time are iffy in March but I’ll just have to take it as it comes. I’m debating between the Ultima SR 40 or SR 60. I’ve used the 40 in the past with good results but if the 60 is a whole lot better I’ll consider it.

The FSR is part of the plan as we’ve had good results with it too. We don’t have the time or patience to do the full Maine Sail wax job, but we’ll be happy just to get the topsides cleaned up and protected.
 
#17 ·
With the barrier coat products being epoxies the recommendation is to apply at 50 degrees or above. Recoat times are a few hours up to fifteen days. The first coat of bottom paint has to follow immediately behind the last coat of barrier or else you have to sand. Temps in the 50s for more than a day or so at a time are iffy in March but I'll just have to take it as it comes. I'm debating between the Ultima SR 40 or SR 60. I've used the 40 in the past with good results but if the 60 is a whole lot better I'll consider it.

The FSR is part of the plan as we've had good results with it too. We don't have the time or patience to do the full Maine Sail wax job, but we'll be happy just to get the topsides cleaned up and protected.
Since I have never applied to BP myself I cannot tell you if this is true, but I heard the SR60 is a little more difficult to apply because of the added copper content. Sean was right as their is a better sloughing off of the ablative with the Ultima at a lower speed than the Micros Exrtra as eveytime our diver went down he said it was pretty clean with the Ultima. Course we use our boat every weekend which helps somewhat, but we did also with the Micron also. We are on our third season with the Ultima 60 and it still looks good.

Dave
 
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#18 ·
Going on season three is impressive. We weren't getting more than one from any product due to adhesion issues that hopefully will be solved with the fresh start I'm doing. From mid April through mid November Spindrift usually leaves the slip at least once a week but our marina doesn't allow divers so I need to get as much performance as possible from the paint alone. I'll short haul mid season but it's expensive and I don't think it's as effective or as good for the paint job as hand cleaning.
 
#22 ·
Yeah the Ultima 60 is worth it. Than T37chef for the tip. We do have a diver go down in April , June and Sept. since we get together with the other members of our club as a group and have it done it never exceeds $50 sometimes is &25. Diver is a good way to keep youaint fresh. Also use the petit spray on your prop.
 
#36 ·
I guess I'll find out when I look it up but are there different sprays to choose from under Petit? I have a Flex-o-Fold prop that appears to have never had anything on it.
 
#23 ·
After two years my Pettit Vivid has worn off in several large areas, so it's time to redo the entire bottom. I see these great recommendations for Ultima SR60 and am tempted to switch. But I have a couple of questions:

With a 25 foot boat I'd like to paint it myself like I did 2 years ago. What are the issues that make Ultima SR60 difficult for DIY jobs? Is it just that you need to hand-stir it more often? (I can deal with that.) Or does it settle so fast that you need special equipment to keep it continually mixed. I have a couple mixers that work with electric drills, but that's a BAD idea (ka-boom!!!). I don't have any air-driven mixers (which would be needed for flammable paints). So it's important to know whether hand mixing can keep the copper suspended.

Also, I hear that SR60 is more effective because it's softer and sloughs off faster. Thanks to the river's tidal currents, my boat's SOW is ±2 knots, almost 24 hours a day while sitting in the slip. Will these currents slough off the SR60 too quickly?

I've been generally happy with Vivid in my fresh river water, but looking ahead I hope to be spending more time cruising into saltier areas, so might want something a little stronger.

I also know that once I go to a soft ablative, I can't easily go back to a harder coating, so want to make sure to do this right.
 
#27 ·
The Ultima60 needs to be stirred a lot thats all. You should only put small amounts at a time in the roll pan.

In you situation I am not sure I would use the Ultima60 or 40 because of the current which is constant and swift where you dock. Do you ever have a diver go under the boat or do you? How much time will you spend in real salt water docked? Whats your boat look like when you take her out of the water every year before its pressure washed?
 
#32 ·
I never come out in the winter.

Beware of temperature limits for paints and adhesive during the spring rush-to-launch. It may seem warm to you, but paints don't get used to the weather. I've had too many bad experiences while trying to rush the weather; I've learned.

Most bottom paints are 50F minimum and require longer drying with cool nights. Hard to get the extra coats. Topside paints are far less forgiving.
 
#35 ·
Zanhiser's doesn't allow diving the bottom at the dock either. Not for safety or electric current issues, it is my understanding that it has to do with their certification as a "clean" marina. I grab a mooring and clean the bottom when needed. I find it has benefits over diving at the dock, i.e no fishing lines to tangle or pilings to bump. Takes me and the kid about 45-60 minutes to clean and change the zinc.
 
#37 ·
Swamp,

I believe Dave's referring to Pettit Zinc Coat Barnacle Barrier. I've used it for the past several seasons. It's definitely better than nothing and by some accounts is nearly as good as the alternative that costs 10x as much. It sticks well to the bronze prop and lets the barnacles slough off under power. Unfortunately I haven't had luck getting anything other than barnacles to stick to the stainless shaft and strut!
 
#39 ·
FYI, after deliberating on Pettit Vivid vs. SR40 or SR60, I've decided to stick with Vivid this year. It has worked well for me in fresh water, and the last few years' reviews in Practical Sailor lead me to believe that it should be fine for a few weeks in salt water. In fact, in P-S's tests in Florida saltwater, Vivid rated higher than SR40 (SR60 wasn't tested in the reviews I saw).

Here's another decision: I think I'm going to give their Vivid WHITE bottom paint a try. I've read a lot of reviews on other message boats, and apparently any slime color wipes off easily. It will be pretty cool having a boat whose bottom looks unpainted (from a distance). If I don't like it, I'll have a nice contrast coat if/when I go back to blue paint.

I called Pettit and they said that this will go over my current Vivid blue with no bleed-through, and should fully hide in two coats.
 
#40 ·
Probably best to go woith what works best in your area and your type of sailing as well as dock conditions.

The Ultima 40/60 I know is an ablative.

Isnt the Vivid a hard coat paint. Expensive paint for a one season paint isnt it?

Which issue are you looking at March 2012?
 
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