Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife

[Blue_Heron]

Must have been pretty tight quarters in there.

You got that right, Scott. When I came out from under there I had epoxy in my hair and in my mustache. Decided it would be a good idea to get a shower with a stiff brush and lots of soap and shampoo before the epoxy set. I woulda looked like Buckwheat if that stuff had set up. The sleeves of the sweat shirt I was wearing are pretty crispy now.

Sunday, I got the top of the seams laminated. Just have to grind it flat and do a little fairing.



Dave

[SBD]

Looking REALLY good.

[seafari25]

Dave,

Youre building a battleship there. I think you have addressed the structural issues very well and wont have to worry about a thing down the line.

Id like to thank you, as well as Chuck and Connor for taking the time to look in to the matter as closely as you have. Im curious to have a look at ours more closely now as I have some cracks in that area as well. I will try to get some pics and tell you what I find.

Looking forward to your progress,
Brandon

[Blue_Heron]

Dave,

Youre building a battleship there. I think you have addressed the structural issues very well and wont have to worry about a thing down the line.

Well, hopefully not a battle ship, maybe a battle wagon? The way I’m looking at it, I’ve added strength without adding weight. It can’t hurt and might help.

Id like to thank you, as well as Chuck and Connor for taking the time to look in to the matter as closely as you have. Im curious to have a look at ours more closely now as I have some cracks in that area as well. I will try to get some pics and tell you what I find.

Looking forward to your progress,
Brandon

Brandon, honestly, I wouldn’t have attempted an undertaking like this without a site like this. The knowledge, expertise, and support available here are unmatched. The info you’ve shared is part of that, so thanks back at ya. And I’ll second your thanks to Chuck and Connor. I’ve been on the phone with both of them swapping info on these boats.

I’ll tell you now that I intend to take a page from your Gramps’ book and modify my trim tabs to follow the step in the hull. Believe me when I tell you imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Meanwhile, back at the shop…

After spending the past couple weekends under the deck, I went back into fabrication mode this past weekend and made the lip for around the engine compartment. I tried out a new (for me) mold material. Since I was dealing with flat surfaces, I tried out some masonite for part of the mold surface.

The process was to first, build and trial fit the mold.





Then I sprayed the mold with 3 or 4 coats of lacquer sanding sealer, let it dry overnight, made clay fillets and then sprayed 3 or 4 coats of PVA.





While I was at it, I made a mold for the hatch lip for the remaining hole in the cabin deck. That’s in the background of these pictures on the second set of saw horses.

Next step, sprayed gelcoat.





Then after layup with a little help on the cure from a space heater.




And the trimmed piece trial fit in place.





I still need to grind the perimeter of the deck around the engine compartment and epoxy/cabosil it in place. Then I’ll lay a couple more layers of glass on the inside and wrapped under the deck to make it bullet proof. I don’t want it to break if someone steps on the edge.

Dave

[Fr. Frank]

beautiful.

[Blue_Heron]

Thanks, Padre. It’s not quite as purty as it looks. It’s got a little alligatoring in a couple spots. But I think I’ve figured out what I did to cause it and I’m looking forward to testing my revised technique on the next part.

But the clock is ticking and it won’t be long before Spring has sprung here in paradise. The redbuds are abloom and in a few weeks, we’ll be in the thick of pollen season. Around the middle of March in these parts, everything, and I mean everything, will be covered in a thin layer of fine yellow dust when the oak trees bloom. I decided I’d better get going on my patching, fairing, and sanding so I can get a jump on painting while conditions are suitable.

So I started by patching about 175 screw holes all over the top cap and cockpit. I have a bad habit of trying to reinvent the wheel instead of using traditional methods, and I guess I did that on the screw holes. I reground an old ¾” paddle bit so it would drill a shallow countersink.



Then I filled the countersunk holes with a putty made of poly resin, cabosil, and chopped glass. I put a little patch of peel ply over each patch to consolidate the chopped glass and smooth the surface of the patch.




And after peeling off the peel ply:




It seems to have worked well. But there’s one thing I’ve learned about reinventing the wheel. Most of the time, if I come up with a great, new idea, I eventually discover that either it’s not new, or it’s not great. Hopefully, this one will work out. If all the screw holes pop the first time I take to the seas, at least I’ll know what not to do next time.

I got all the screw hole patches sanded down last weekend and took Friday off to shoot the first coat of 545 primer on the cap, hull sides, and transom.





I owe a debt of gratitude to strick for the guidance he provided in our phone conversations. He gave me some tips on prep and spraying and it showed in the results.

Next step was to go to work on the bottom. I figured it would be easier to hit one side at a time if I leaned the hull over to expose the belly of the whale:



After sanding:



For a 39 year old hull, it’s in pretty good shape. There are a few shallow scratches and scrapes, but no real damage. I hit the port side bottom with fairing compound:



And then shifted it to the other side to go to work on the starboard side:



I still need to sand, fair, and sand the starboard side of the bottom and sand the port side. Then I can shoot it with 545. I’m thinking I will shoot the keel with some gelcoat before priming so if the paint scratches, it won’t be as obvious.

Dave

[strick]

Dave those are some unique photo angles of a 25 seafari that we are not likely to see again for some time

Dare devil or crazy I don't know what to call you...but you are truly a one man work force! keep up the good work.

In the photo below is a fella that took it to another level a while back...I think you guys need to have a beer together some time.



strick

[floorboy]

Is that what Strick was talking about when he said they bank like an f-16 fighter??

[Blue_Heron]

Is that what Strick was talking about when he said they bank like an f-16 fighter??

Well, I don't know about an F-16, I'll have to take strick's word for it until I get mine in the water. But the '73 brochure compares it with an F-4. See any resemblance?



strick,
I've got that beer chillin'. Any time you get over this way, look me up. I'll sure give you a shout if I ever get over to NoCal.

Dave

[nestorpr]

Oh man! Does that photo bring back some memories: