First time out since 1985

[lat 64]

Well I got down and finally pulled(had it pulled) the boat out of the water for the first time since I've owned it(2008). Also, it is the first time for the boat on the hard since 1985. The bottom was maintained at low-tide by the PO all these years.
I found out why the cooling water was slowing down. I just wasn't getting the volume I was used to. Plugged up intake. See pics

I pressure-washed the boat for twenty minutes right after it got to the yard and it came amazingly clean. It had never been touched since June 2008!
The paint: Petit Trinidad is all I know. Must be some good stuff!
And look at that cockpit drain! A gate valve! Guess what I'll be doing to the boat next spring?

Al tucked away for the winter now,

Stay warm all,
Russ

[Bingy]

Not A4 related but wondered when was the last time the mast was removed.

[Skywalker]

Since 1985!!!

I guess you can feel pretty confident you won't get any blisters!

She did clean up very well indeed.

Good luck with your offseason projects. Here's hoping you can go another 30 years between haul outs!

Skywalker

[sastanley]

Russ, since you go so long between haulouts...maybe remove that "strainer" on the hull, and just have a thru-hull..then, put a canister style strainer in the boat somewhere, between the water pump and thru-hull.

I have a cheap-o plastic one from BoaterBits in Canada, that has served me well..of course there are nice high-$$ bronze Groco and others available too.

The Trinidad is good stuff. I have a buddy that I think is on season four...he does dive on his boat regularly though.

Looking good for 6 years in the water.

So, how did the PO do the bottom?? Run it aground and prop it up so it wouldn't fall over?

[ndutton]

My interpretation was this was the first winter dry storage since '85, not the first haulout. 29 years with Pettit Trinidad? It's good stuff but not that good.

Russ, according to my diver Pettit Trinidad red outperforms blue by far. He can't explain why but it's still the truth.

That external thru hull strainer has to go.

[lat 64]

Bingy,
I think the rig is original. Mast is deck stepped—I don't think it's ever been down.

Sky,
No blisters yet that I have found, but then it snowed six inches the next day and I just wasn't into looking close. 1968 boat.

Shawn, Neil,
I never even knew there was an external strainer. I have the good Raritan plastic model on my intake line.
I'm going with Compass Marine's "best Practices" and replace all the seacocks and funky stuff from the ol' gal. Five seacocks and through-hulls to buy. I'm going to smash the piggy bank for this one.

The first two pics in this post tell the story of how the PO touched up the bottom paint. You need a really low tide to do this. I think he said he did this at least every two years. So yea, underwater painting! I did not take these pics, They were from just before I bought the boat. I hope the rudder was not really supporting it!
I only took the last pic of the boat in the yard last week. As for the rudder, It swings nice and is not bent. I tried to drop it, but the boat is on a concrete pad now and I could not dig a small pit to let it drop all the way out. I need to repair a crack in the top. I'll just do a fill patch this spring and then next fall I'll have the yard leave the stern out over the dirt so I can dig that pit and drop it to do a better fix.
Note: The wrinkle in the closeup is on the paper photo—not the keel!. And check out that old knotmeter paddlewheel. A vintage Kenyon. That goes away too.

Moyer Marine will some of my business too this winter as I pile up parts to get ready for a flurry of repairs in April or May.

Rus

[ndutton]

FYI, blisters didn't emerge until a government imposed resin reformulation occurred in about late '73 ~ early '74. The reformulation was forced on the industry and we couldn't do a thing about it other than PAY for warranty repairs through the nose. Thanks a lot. As I think about it I'd consider it yet another financial factor leading to the demise of a previously vibrant industry. All the internet 'experts' never make the correlation do they? Your 1968 boat will likely never see a blister and if she does it will be an isolated case, not the common leprosy pox.

The exact same thing happened to fiberglass hot tubs popular at the time.

[JOHN COOKSON]

Russ
If the boat is going to be moved by a lift, and you know you need to drop the rudder, drop the rudder while it is in the lift. It's easy to do.
Ditto for the reinstall.
Maybe you can sweet talk the yard into lifting the the boat so you can drop the rudder now and and reinstall when you go back in the water. If you can't sweet talk 'em money speaks.

TRUE GRIT

Edit: On second thought it looks too damm cold. 'Fraid I'm in a California mind frame.

[sastanley]

Great pics, Russ..I guess he just slid it down the pilings!

I have been very happy with my marelon seacocks (installed 2009). They are much cheaper/lighter than heavy bronze, and seem to perform just fine.

I probably have some pics over in my first long thread, "old boat, new owner.."

[lat 64]

This yard does not use a lift. They have three big trailers with hydraulic arms to match the hull shape for each boat.

Pretty sllck. It just goes up a big ramp like a ski boat on Sunday evening.
The boat goes like that to the yard about two miles away on the road
They have go on the airport taxiway to get around powerlines. They do this often and are good at it. Great bunch of guys, good yard.

[67c&ccorv]

Get rid of the strainer - they do nothing but cut off the water supply as they foul...which you know well by now.

I had the same gate valves and setup in my 1967 C&C Corvette - I must admit that when I replaced them the wooden backing plate (which is molded into the F/G) was bone dry and still capable of supporting the new backing plate!

C&C made their boats pretty solid in those days.

[JOHN COOKSON]

Originally Posted by lat 64

This yard does not use a lift. They have three big trailers with hydraulic arms to match the hull shape for each boat.
Pretty sllck. It just goes up a big ramp like a ski boat on Sunday evening.
The boat goes like that to the yard about two miles away on the road
They have go on the airport taxiway to get around powerlines. They do this often and are good at it. Great bunch of guys, good yard.

For my edification......

How do they get the boat from the trailer to the hard so it can be supported by jack stands?
How do they load the boat back onto the trailed for launch?

TRUE GRIT

[Antibes]

The arms on that trailer each have hydraulic arms that can be raised and lowered. They pull the boat to the yard raise it up to where they want it and throw in the Jack stands as they pull the trailer out. Reverse the process when launching. My yard does the same except they use a construction crane to load them onto the trailer because there is no ramp from the water.

[lat 64]

Yep. What he said.

No cranes. The other big yard with the commercial fishing boats has a travel lift, but it is situated in place that's a bit of a pucker for guys like me.
This was so much better.
It's really low stress. No dramas. Just two guys and a truck and trailer. They did let me hold the dock lines to keep me out of the way. No yelling, a few jokes now and then, but serious work done safely. They backed in and I floated the boat over the trailer and they raised up the arms to meet the hull shape. It took a few tries to set the arms right because they wanted it to be perfectly centered.

I highly recommend this way to haul out.

Rus

[Antibes]

Rus:

If they are still pulling boats in your yard and the trailer is going to be by your boat, I would see if they could raise it up so you could pull the rudder and do it at home once and right. I wish that's the route chosen in the beginning with mine

[lat 64]

I was hoping to do just that, get the rudder out and bring it home to do up right in the shop at home. Oh well.
I think there is abut six to eight inches of snow right now in that yard.*
I live 600 miles to the north of the boat. I am home now and the boat is on the hard so I sleep at night. All good.
I have so much else to do like seacocks, engine upgrades etc. that I have puuullenty to do.

Next year.

[joe_db]

I am fairly certain a large number of boats in Maryland - even if 50 years old - have NEVER had the mast removed. The only reason my mast has ever been out is I had to fix the mast step - so once for me since 1973.

Originally Posted by Bingy

Not A4 related but wondered when was the last time the mast was removed.

[sastanley]

Russ, I keep forgetting you are so far away from the boat. You are way more dedicated than me. My boat is 12 miles away and I feel she is neglected.

[Dave Neptune]

Russ, I thought you lived in Homer, if not where and where is the boat. I just looked up the storm on your way and saw that Homer was near Kenai. I have some friends from Kenai, an old fishing family my buddy married into. A few friends also head up to Kenai for fishing each season and they bring me fish~yum yum.

600 miles is a sort of dedication to boating like I have not seen before especially in a short season zone like yours. You should be a hero to many dreamers.

Russ, not to rub it in but tomorrow I am going out perhaps to Catalina for the evening or just a long day-sail. Temps low 80's and 10~15 kts of breeze. I'll toast you at noon with a snort of Yukon Jack!!!!!!

Dave Neptune

[edwardc]

Originally Posted by Dave Neptune

...I'll toast you at noon with a snort of Yukon Jack!!!!!!

No, Russ' favorite brew is Arrogant Bastard Ale!

[Dave Neptune]

Ed, I have 2 Arrogant Bastard Ale 22's and some Stone I.P.A's on the boat!! It's one of my favorites too. I have been to the Stone Brewery 5 times for dinner or lunch now down Escondido way. Great food and a really nice tour. After the tour you get 6 short glasses, one each of the popular brews and something special or two if yer nice! They will even serve up some "wort" if you like sampling the mix which I do.

And as Russ should well know by now is that he is certainly "not worthy" of being allowed to drink one !!!

Dave Neptune

[lat 64]

Oh! I thought it said noteworthy—also true, if you look at it that way.

Notice in that photo I have a firm grip on both glass and bottle. There are pirates everywhere I'm told. You see, my lovely wife likes it too. Arrggh!

With lighted fuses in her hair
she climes the lines and shrouds
'til her sheets are loose and flyin'
she goes swingin' in the clouds

Cheers,
R.

[lat 64]

It's been a year and I finnally got to this chore.

Here's the evidence I can get something done eventually.

1. pulling the through-hull with a spare keel bolt. it's jst set up like a gear puller to work it slowlly out of the old polysulfide(?)goop.

2. A homemade through-hull wrench.

3. The new cockpit drain all done. See post#1 for original gate valve

[JOHN COOKSON]

Originally Posted by lat 64

It's been a year and I finnally got to this chore.
Here's the evidence I can get something done eventually.
1. pulling the through-hull with a spare keel bolt. it's jst set up like a gear puller to work it slowlly out of the old polysulfide(?)goop.
2. A homemade through-hull wrench.
3. The new cockpit drain all done. See post#1 for original gate valve

Dude:
You get things done in laid back "Hawaiian Time " but you live in Alaska. Congratulations.

TRUE GRIT

[Dave Neptune]

Nicely done Russ.

Dave Neptune