The View From The Slip

[FlyWright]

I'm just completing a 'working weekend' of flinging varnish at the boat and completing electronics mods. Sitting here relaxing in my cockpit, I'm reveling in the activities of the egrets, blue herons, otters, turtles, mallard ducks and the occasional beaver. Took a dinghy ride to break away from the slip and generate a breeze to cool down.

Life is good!!

 

[markpierce]

Beautiful. ... Isn't retirement wonderful? ... Let's see how you handle a "two-cycle" manual dinghy later this month. It has been some 55 years for me.

 

[FlyWright]

When you say "handle a "two-cycle" manual dinghy", I trust you mean me sitting in the back your Trinka cradling a cold IPA with you or your lovely Perla at the oars while I call out "stroke...stroke...stroke...". Otherwise, I have no idea what you're talking about!

 

[markpierce]

Perla oaring you? In your dreams, Al.

 

[Codger2]

I'm just completing a 'working weekend', Sitting here relaxing in my cockpit.

I'm thinking my re-write of YOUR statement might be more accurate as your wife probably reads these posts.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Perla rowing? I'm not see'in that.
I see Perla w the food basket and wine perhaps offering a word or two in the interest of a straight course to her pre-determined destination. She'll be in the stern where she can keep an eye on her man.

Mark are those two dinks Trinka's?
Love the lines and stern up where it should be.

Fly .. beautiful pic.

This was our "view from the slip" when we were working on Willy in Everett WA.

 

[markpierce]

Mark are those two dinks Trinka's?
Love the lines and stern up where it should be.

Yes. Picture is from the maker's website.

 

[LaBomba]

I was also doing some project work, brightwork refinishing and stopped for lunch. Still a lot of boats not in the water here. Nice, quiet and peaceful.

 

[CPseudonym]

Here is mine from last weekend.

 

[Phil Fill]

Perla rowing? I'm not see'in that.
I see Perla w the food basket and wine perhaps offering a word or two in the interest of a straight course to her pre-determined destination. She'll be in the stern where she can keep an eye on her man.

Mark are those two dinks Trinka's?
Love the lines and stern up where it should be.

Fly .. beautiful pic.

This was our "view from the slip" when we were working on Willy in Everett WA.

When were you in Everett.

This is a sun set of the harbor.

 

[Marin]

This what we see from our aft deck when it's not raining.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Great views guys.

Phil we were there in 05 before we went to Thorne Bay on "O Float". Is your boat the one tied to the old fisherman's float? to the right and rear of my pic on post #6 ?

Marin I suspect you must be on the FB to see over the rock pile.

 

[Marin]

Great views guys.

Phil we were there in 05 before we went to Thorne Bay on "O Float". Is your boat the one tied to the old fisherman's float? to the right and rear of my pic on post #6 ?

Marin I suspect you must be on the FB to see over the rock pile.

No, it was taken at high tide. I might have stood on the step on the side of the aft cabin however. I wasn't on the flying bridge as we keep it covered all year except when we have guests aboard.

 

[Phil Fill]

Great views guys.

Phil we were there in 05 before we went to Thorne Bay on "O Float". Is your boat the one tied to the old fisherman's float? to the right and rear of my pic on post #6 ?

Marin I suspect you must be on the FB to see over the rock pile.

The Eagle is centered in the picture I attached and we are the first ugly boat one the commercial dock. Yes to the right of your picture. We really like the slip as its at the bottom of the ramp, its very quiet back there and close the Farmers Market and the Music on the water.

We like high tide, its low tide that make the ramp so steep. My wife has a tough time and many times has to wait for the tide, or I have to be behind her to push and/or let her rest against me. We need a seat 1/2 up to rest.

As mentioned high heels realy help going up the steep ramp and we walk back ward down the ramps.

 

[gwkiwi]

This is twilight on Pickwick Lake MS just off the TN river, the fish here are big and the lake water is great, just stay off the river at this time of year.

 

[Per]

Excellent photo FW! Nice view.

FW (or anyone), what is a good tool to sand down varnish? Some sort of electric powered unit which can sand accurately and with not too much effort yes i know but still, i have some sanding to get done.

 

[Marin]

Excellent photo FW! Nice view.

FW (or anyone), what is a good tool to sand down varnish? Some sort of electric powered unit which can sand accurately and with not too much effort yes i know but still, i have some sanding to get done.

If you want to take varnish completely off, if you sand by hand or electric sander you run the risk of sanding wood off, too. The best and most recommended way to remove varnish (if that's what you're trying to do) is use a heat gun--- carefully-- and scrapers. Lots of discussion on this in the archives.

If you just want to smooth existing varnish down prior to applying additional coats, 220 grade sandpaper is what is commonly used by the experts (shipwrights/yard owners) on the GB owners site. I used to go up to 320 and even 400 until corresponding with these guys as well as talking to shipwrights in our marina we hired from time to time. They said for typical items like hand, cap, and grab rails, hatch covers, etc., 220 is as fine as you ever need to go to get a glass-smooth finish.

I was very skeptical but I tried it and they're right. So now I never go finer than 220 and when I am able to apply the proper number of coats to an exterior piece it comes out looking like glass.

 

[Per]

not wanting to take it all the way down, just to clean up and prepare for new varnish and understand what you are saying about the grain, but how about some machinery?

 

[FlyWright]

Per, Good to hear from you again! It's been a while.

I just finished putting a couple coats of Epifanes on my caprail last weekend. If the underlying varnish is in good shape and you just need to rough it up for the next coat to adhere, try a green Scotchbrite pad. I give mine a hand scrub to knock down the gloss, then wipe clean of any dust. The best part of this is the minimal dust that results and the ease of scuffing the varnish.

This time I tried a new product from Epifanes called Wood Finish Gloss. It doesn't need sanding between coats which really cuts down the application and drying time needed. The instructions say to wait 24 hrs between coats, but I read elsewhere that, without sanding, it can accept a 2nd coat under ideal conditions after 8-12 hrs. I tried it after 10 hrs and it seemed to work well. It can be thinned with mineral spirits or topped with the Clear Gloss Varnish. Since I was after protection, not perfection, I did neither. We'll see how it holds up after a summer on the water. If I like it, I might use it on my doors and window trim this fall.

 

[Marin]

not wanting to take it all the way down, just to clean up and prepare for new varnish and understand what you are saying about the grain, but how about some machinery?

If I'm prepping a good size flat surface for refresher coats of finish (we use Bristol on the exterior of the boat) I use a Makita palm sander. AC, not rechargeable although it would be nice sometimes not to have to deal with the cord. I don't know if Makita makes a rechargeable palm sander or not-- I've never looked. But if they or someone has one with a lithium battery that has a decent run-time that would be nice.

Most of what we're refinishing on our boat is the exterior teak and most of that is curved surfaces. So we do the sanding by hand rather than risk getting flat spots with a sander.

 

[Per]

Per, Good to hear from you again! It's been a while.

I just finished putting a couple coats of Epifanes on my caprail last weekend. If the underlying varnish is in good shape and you just need to rough it up for the next coat to adhere, try a green Scotchbrite pad. I give mine a hand scrub to knock down the gloss, then wipe clean of any dust. The best part of this is the minimal dust that results and the ease of scuffing the varnish.

This time I tried a new product from Epifanes called Wood Finish Gloss. It doesn't need sanding between coats which really cuts down the application and drying time needed. The instructions say to wait 24 hrs between coats, but I read elsewhere that, without sanding, it can accept a 2nd coat under ideal conditions after 8-12 hrs. I tried it after 10 hrs and it seemed to work well. It can be thinned with mineral spirits or topped with the Clear Gloss Varnish. Since I was after protection, not perfection, I did neither. We'll see how it holds up after a summer on the water. If I like it, I might use it on my doors and window trim this fall.

yeah me to, for protection, not perfection but i have some spots where there is dry spots so i need to do some spot repair.. yikes.

If I'm prepping a good size flat surface for refresher coats of finish (we use Bristol on the exterior of the boat) I use a Makita palm sander. AC, not rechargeable although it would be nice sometimes not to have to deal with the cord. I don't know if Makita makes a rechargeable palm sander or not-- I've never looked. But if they or someone has one with a lithium battery that has a decent run-time that would be nice.

thanks Marin, I dont care if rechargeable or not as long as is handy. i gotta get to work.

 

[Moonstruck]

Hey Flywright,

It looks like you could see these two floating down behind your boat at anytime.

The African Queen (1951) - Humphrey Bogart - Katharine Hepburn - We Made It - YouTube

 

[FlyWright]

Now that you mention it, they look familiar.