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Since my arrival in Portsmouth last Sunday, I’ve put in a full week of effort. As previously mentioned, I have a lot going on with my job and a huge project due next week that has occupied quite a bit of time. I have also spent a bunch of time aboard (and under) Sans Souci.
The plan is to launch early the week of May 10th and I have scheduled Jim Hilton to do the in-water survey on May 13th. Before Sans Souci can go in the water, there are quite a few tasks to complete.
By far, the biggest project is to get the bottom prepped for launch. All boats that spend most of their time in the water need to have their undersides painted with a product that will inhibit the growth of marine invertebrates like mussels, barnacles, worms, etc. I’m using a product from West Marine called PCA Gold (priced like it’s made of actual gold) that the previous owners had used. It’s much easier to stick with the same stuff since you can just paint right over the old. Well, you can paint over the old after it has been sanded. Sans Souci has her bottom painted in black, definitely the dirtiest color!
Best not to breath all the toxic dust– 50% copper
Nasty stuff
Once the bottom was prepped, it was time to apply the new paint. In order to reduce the number of brain cell lost to volatile organic vapors, I stayed with the respirator. I plan to leave Sans Souci in the water and don’t want to haul her out to reapply paint for a few years so I decided to put two coats on the entire bottom and three on the high wear areas like the waterline, bow, and behind the prop.
As you can see from the picture above, Sans Souci is resting on stands and they had to be carefully moved so I could paint under them. The whole project took all weekend and my shoulders will be feeling it long into next week.
I also used a different paint product on the prop that should help me save fuel by keeping the marine life off the spinning parts. I replaced the anodes with heavy duty zincs on the prop shaft and propeller in the hopes that they will last as long as the paint.
It wasn’t all sanding and painting, I had plenty of time to kill while I waited for paint to cure between coats. I spent that time organizing and exploring the boat. Among many other tasks, I was able to figure out a few of the complex systems on board including the on board WiFi system, the refrigeration system, and getting the Single Side Band radio to work. I unpacked spare parts and tools out of her many lockers and storage areas and put my mind to how I want to organize things. There is so much to learn about this boat!
Bottom painted and ready for launch
Before she goes in the water, I still need to grease the MaxProp (fancy folding propeller) and polish the topsides (area above the water line and below the deck line). The topsides polishing will be another shoulder killer– I’ll be using polishing compound to shine her up and then wax to protect her– all with an electric polisher. For now, I’m quite satisfied with the progress.
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Good luck, Hugh! I will be interested to hear about your high adventures!
What a beautiful boat. Again, am so impressed that you have the courage to follow your passion. Stay safe and have fun, Hugh!
Fascinating progress report! A labor of love, obviously, but so steeped in the romantic sea adventures to come.
Amazing. I am loving your blog posts.
Lots of work for a weekend! My son works for a company that applies Kavaca ceramic wraps to boats. Just an idea to consider in the future.