THE FEAR FACTOR

[FELLOW-SHIP]

I have noticed a fundamental barrier regarding doing what needs to be done on ones boat. I think I will steal the name from the T.V. Show and say We All have a level of “The Fear Factor” which can paralyze us from doing the WHATEVER NEEDS TO BE DONE. I personally never re did a boat before I did my boat and never worked on others boats for a living at some boat yard. Yes I have owned boats most of my life but owning one and redoing one is another story all together. Well one day I Decided to take the plunge I thing it was about 4-6 months before Jason started this great sight anyway now I see all this great info (thanks Jason) on this sight that I did not had the advantage to learn by others experiences first before doing the work on my boat. But I still see The Fear Factor – it’s kind of like maybe I will break something or I will do something that Can Never Get Repaired, or if I do it I know I will just screw it up somehow.
Just wondering what were your hardest Fear Factor projects on your boat??

My two worst ones were
1. That BIG transducer hole in the bottom – I figured I would brake loose and it would kill me and everyone else on the boat the first time out. It took me a few weeks before I got up the nerve to cut that much glass out of the bottom of my boat.
2. The second one was Painting my boat with a Roller and a Brush. – I figured it would look like a piece of Bleep and that would have made me feel like everything else I did was also a piece of Bleep as well.

What I have learned that no matter how bad you think something might come out If you use good materials and take your time and drink enough beer everything works out pretty darn good.

Fellowship [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[warthog5]

I remember a Fear Factor quite some time ago. It was cutting the new core for my transom. It was not a 4X8ft piece of material.

That piece of Kledgecell cost over $300. The waste was a thin strip 1in high and 12in long and it tapered from the middle to both end's of that piece.[like a triangle]

I just bought some $10 a sheet lauan and made a pattern. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[pogden]

drink enough beer everything works out pretty darn good.

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

My fear is the transom, floor, painting...I better start drinking now(I just won't stop).

[SCSeacraft]

You callin me a chicken there fellow-ship?
Them could be fightin words.
Donnie

[Billybob]

Well, I have to second you on the if only Jason had this site when I was doing mine statement - I would have known a lot more.
I gotta be honest - I have no fear at all, I just look at it as " well if I screw it up, I'll just do it over and over til I get it right"
Take the spraying, I never did it until I did my SC.I had some drips I had to sand down and do over, but gradually I got the hang of it.
It's not that I'm fearless, I'm just such a cheap bastage that I always try to do stuff myself. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Now I'm restoring this 72 El Camino with my 15 year old, a real rust bucket. We never welded before, but we bought a mig, read up on it a little, and it's really coming out great.You learn stuff, sometimes the hard way (like ALWAYS wear that helmet)- but you're better for it in the end.
You gotta draw the line though - like that knee replacement I been needin [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
Soon, I have to reglass my bottom - I'll take some pics.

Bill

[ocuyler]

I call it the "stupid factor". I always have the desire to do the project and love to tear into it. At some point, it becomes apparent that it's more difficult than originally considered. So the bogging down sets in for days, weeks or months. Then the motivation to finish comes back, it is usually under duress of finishing sooner, rather than later.

That's when the "errors" begin. I often get in a hurry and get going a little too fast. Here are my top ten "oops" items to avoid when working on your SeaCraft:

1. Consider what's behind or under the thing you're drilling a hole in...

2. Stripping screws is really stupid...

3. Dry fit things BEFORE opening the tube of 5200...

4. Golf spikes and gelcote don't mix... (don't ask)

5. Not wearing gloves when working with epoxy or 5200 and touching your eyes is a bad deal...

6. Not wearing gloves when working with epoxy or 5200 and taking a leak is an even worse deal...

7. Measure 4 times - cut once...

8. That smoke you see is your $250 VHF (w/ DSC) you installed without an inline fuse, not your helper smoking a bowl under the console...

9. If you paint or re-gel your boat - you will inevitably "touch" the dock in a way you never thought possible...

And although there are scores more - my #10 "oops" is:

10. Budget your project and add 25% more money, 50% more time and 100% more beer...