Companion Way Flange and Rudder Work

Companion Way Flange and New Epoxy

This past week or so, I have been working on some little tasks, but I guess that's what the whole build is about. A bunch of little tasks.  I had already glued up the companion-way flange a while back and coated it with a few coats of epoxy. I finally decided to glue it to the companion way opening. For the epoxy part of the job, I decided to try out some new epoxy in a tube that I purchased from Jamestown Distributors.  What I purchased was the TotalBoat Thixo Wood 2:1 Expoxy System.  I found it difficult at first since the caulking gun I had was not strong enough. I ordered a heavy duty one from them as well and it work like a charm.  Below is a picture of the gun and epoxy. You purchase the tips and depose of them after each use.  Only one application per tip. There is a top that screws back on, so you can reuse, which I did.  I have used it a few times and are very satisfied. The only issue I would have is the cost. 

Below is the flange epoxied on. 

This is after the initial glue up and an extra coat of epoxy. 

For the companion way hood, there is a portion that I didn't fiberglass. The manual really doesn't show it or talk about it, but I decided it was easy to do.  You can see the portion in the picture below. I will do the other side as well. 

Rudder

I used the caulking gun with epoxy to do the fillets on the rudder.  I was impressed on the mix consistency of epoxy. It made very smooth fillets. I wish I would have done this on the epoxy fillets for the bulkheads, but it wouldn't have been cost effective. 

Fillets on Rudder

After I did the fillets, I applied fiberglass to both sides of the rudder and down onto the bottom portion across the fillet. This should make that joint very strong. 

Epoxy applied with 1 coat. 

When I was installing the blocking on the seat backs, I went ahead and drilled the holes for the boom gallows. I then covered them up with the seat back top.  To get the hole cut, I drilled up from the inside and created a hole. I then used my router with a cut-off bit and just went around the hole. 

I have also been coating it with additional epoxy as well as the other holes for the hatches and dorade vents that I recently cut. 

Both starboard and port holes ready for the boom gallow poles. 

Still planning on the flip. I purchased some moving blankets and need to get some old tires from some place. Will try to get this done in a couple weeks. I have plenty of tasks to keep me busy.

Cutting Dorade Vents and Hatch Openings

I decided to do some of the smaller tasks this past week.  I started off with the Dorade Vents. I purchased the hardware kit from CLC, so I am use the Dorade Vents and hatches that they provided.

For the dorade vents, I tried to establish a center method of measuring, so I can have both sides looking the same.  Below is the port dorade box hole after I drilled it. I used a 3" hole saw bit.  I drilled a pilot hole for the center and then used the hole saw bit. Not very difficult, just takes a while to find the center and you are alway scared about drilling into your boat.

The starboard dorade vent dry fitted. It will be install once the hull is painted. 

Port side hole drilled and vent dry fitted. 

I made a pattern out of cardboard for the hatches. I then measured/traced on both sides and cut them out with a saber saw. I then had to use a rasp and hand saw to get them to the final shape. I plan on coating the edges of these holes and the dorade holes with epoxy for water proofing.

In preparation for the plywood flange around the companion way opening, per the manual I used a rasp to angle the edge, so that water will not stand there. I already have the flange ready. I will probably glue that this week. 

I rough cut the rub rails. I still need to fill the screw holes with epoxy and need to do some sanding and the final shaping. Still a lot to do on them.

I think the rails turned out pretty good. At least they are not bumpy!! 😀 

Next up: I have been putting off sanding, but I know I will need to get the top part of the hull sanded. I will be working on that some this week. I am also planning on flipping the hull and figuring out what my plans for that will be and who I can get to help. 

Rub Rails and Rudder

Sorry about the delay in updates, I have been busy with normal life and yard work!

I have been working on the boat where I can and have made a lot of progress on the Rub Rails. As of today, I have 2 of the layers attached on both sides. I used the timber kit, so the rails are made out of mahogany. For the most part, they are pretty easy to bend. The first layer of rails, I did use the hot water and rags to pull them in. To help, I used a tie-down ratchet strap to force the last few inches. I also dry fitted each and used screws to hold in place. I used little blocks of wood as to not damage the rails.  Both of these tricks I found from other builders blogs.

This is the port side with rags soaked in hot water.

Too get that last couple of inches I used the ratched strap below.

Below is the layer epoxied in place. I used about 4-5 ounces of thickened epoxy using cabosil. I brushed it on with a chip brush. I was worried about doing this by myself, but during the dry fit, I made little marks on the wood to realign. With the dry fit, all the holes are pre-drilled, so I just had to align things. I used some small pieces of rope to hold one end, while I worked on the other. It is manageable with one person, but if you have a helper, that would definitely work better.

Picture below is of the 2nd layer done on the Starboard side and it looks like I am working on the port side. I only did one side at a time, since I wanted that little piece of wood sticking out to hook the ratchet to.

This is the last layer below dry fitted a couple of nights ago. I am going to epoxy it this Sunday.

I also managed to epoxy the bottom piece of the rudder on. I tried some new epoxy in a caulk gun ready made that I got from Jamestown Distributors. The gun was not strong enough to get the epoxy out and I had to really struggle. I ordered another heavy duty gun to use, so hopefully that works better. It was something I wanted to try, but I think my final opinion will be that it is pricy for what you get, but the decision is out. 

Also on the bottom piece, be sure to notice the direction it is supposed to go on. I had pre-drilled the bottom piece on in the wrong direction and just caught it when I was applying the epoxy. Almost a big oops! 

Rub Rails and Sanding

I took another trip down to Beaufort NC the weekend before last to attend the annual Wooden Boat show. Got to take a sail and they had plenty of boats to look at. Sorry,  I forgot again to take some pictures. Too much to see and observe. Had a great time, but it takes away from boat building!

This past weekend, I had to get caught up on house chores, but did get to spend some time working on the boat. I had some odds and ends I needed to finish up first.

The fiberglass on the transom needed to have its final coat of epoxy, so I had to do some sanding first before applying it. At this point the topside is done with epoxy and fiberglass. I have a lot of sanding to do.

Rub Rails
This was my big project for the weekend. To start off, I needed to create a jig to cut the rub rails. I purchased the timber package, so the timber was mahogany. The plans call for 3 layers of rails. Each layer getting a little bit smaller with a small taper. I have decided to taper the layers with a belt sander once I get all the pieced installed on the boat.  I have seen on numerous other blogs that this was the method they used.

The manual stated that the rails will be over 16 feet, so I had to do some scarfing. Each piece will be made out of 3 pieces. Two 8' and a 3' needing to be scarfed together.

The manual also states that you should use a 10:1 scope. I used a piece of plywood and another scrap piece to create a a jig on the table saw sled. I drilled holes through the table saw sled and used 2 1/4 inch nuts/bolts to attach. The 10:1 scope was measured out and a piece of scrap wood screwed to the plywood to make the scarf angle.

 Below is a picture of the jig. I just used a small clamp to hold the pieces of mahogany on the sled and cut away.

Below shows the 2 bolts to hold the plywood to the sled.

I only had one problem with this and had to re-adjust the small piece of scrap that created the angle. I first used the 10:1 measurement. Measure 10 inches down and 1 inch up. The only problem with this is the pieces of mahogany are only 3/4 inches.  The result of this is a short scarf of about 5-6 inches. This may of worked, but I remeasured with a 10:"3/4" inch. This created a long scarf which will work fine. Once I got the scarf cut the way I wanted using scrap pieces, I cut everything.

Below are the 3 different size rub rail pieces all ready to be glued.  18 pieces to cut.

Close up of the scarf cut 10:"3/4" .  Plenty of surface to epoxy together.

Now trying to find a place to glue 20 foot long pieces was a challenge in my garage. I finally decided to use my 8' plastic work table with saw horse on each end. This allowed me to glue things up and clamp.

Below is the first piece epoxied together. I think I used to many clamps! :-) 
I clamped both horizontal and vertical. This way the slippery epoxy joint will stay where I want it.

I have two of the rails epoxied up and 1 of them cleaned up. I unclamped the second one tonight and will sand later this week as well as glue the 3rd 2 pieces. I will attempt to attach the first pieces this weekend. I think I am going to use the hot rags and have them soak. I need to figure how how to attach. I may need to get some help. Holding a 20 ft. piece of wood and trying to get is screwed in straight will be a challenge. 

Just about finished fiberglassing the topside of the hull!!!

For the most part, I am finished fiberglassing the topside of the boat!!!!!! Yea!!!!!!
I still have some filler coats to do, but all the fiberglassing is done.

An oh yeah and that dreaded sanding part still needs to be done!!!! 😟 I may do some now and just wait until after I flip it over. I am sure I will have some dings to fix, so no need to make final finish until then.

Hard to believe I am talking about flipping the boat!!!!!

Companion way slide
I finished up the slide with applying fiberglass and 3 coats of epoxy. The corners turned out better on the slide than the companion way hood, so I was pleased. I still have them overlapping, but I didn't have as much on both pieces. I cut one short and then just had the other wrapping around. I think my mistake on the companion way hood corners was just too much fiberglass and it didn't want to lay right.

Fiberglass ready to be wetted out. I have it sitting on 2 - 5 gallon buckets. 

1st coat

All ready for the trim piece and sanding. 

 I still need to install the trim piece, but I will take care of that soon.

Cockpit Fiberglassing

Well this section was a royal pain in the you know what. I still have problems with doing vertical fiberglass. It turned out ok, but I had to fuss with it a lot. I used a plastic spreader on the floor part and tried to pull the epoxy up the sides. I then used a roller and cut off chip brush to apply to the corners and to use on spots. Having to work on your knees leaning down is not an ideal work position, but I survived. I planned to have both cockpit seats done and to do this part last, so I had a place to climb into the boat and work on the area.

Oh and prior to doing the fiberglass, I went over everything with a sander to make sure there were no bumps. Doing the other areas, I had some epoxy runs that needed to be removed.

Ready to be wetted out. 

All wetted out and ready for 2 more coats.

This was the last piece on the cockpit seat area. I had to be careful not to clog up the centerboard pendant hole, but I just took it slow and worked around it. I didn't have to go this wide with the fiberglass, but having 2 layers where you will be stepping into the boat will help to firm it up. 

All wetted out and ready for multiple coats.

Transom Skirt Fiberglass 

I was a little worried about how the fiberglass would lay in this area, but it actually was not too bad. I used some blue tape to hold in place and wetted out the outside of the transom skirt first. I then used a roller and rolled it from outside over the top. I then used a chip brush with the brushes cut to dab the epoxy on.

Once I flip the boat, I think I will climb under and work on that area a little. I need to run a piece all the way down the seam.

I cut a dart in the middle and then a couple on the inside. 

Below is the transom skirt all wetted out. 

I forgot to get a before picture on the piece that goes from the seats up to the bottom of the skirt trim. I used thumbtacks instead of blue tape to hold it upright. This piece of vertical was not too bad. While holding the top, I rolled from the bottom up. I also learned to take it slow. I sometimes would rush and trying to go fast just pulls the fiberglass.

All wetted out. 

Heading down to the Beaufort NC Boat Show this weekend. Looking forward to seeing all the boats and talking with other builders!

Sanding and Fiberglass in Cockpit Area!

I decided to sand some on the areas in the bow and cabin that I have already fiberglassed as well as the cockpit area I planned on fiberglassing this past weekend. Sanding is always a fun task, but I will say the new sander is much nicer and does a quicker job. While sanding I noticed some areas where the epoxy was sort of flaky. I assume it was due to me trying to epoxy in the garage when temperatures were marginal or close to 60. Not a huge deal. I sanded them down and re-applied epoxy over the areas.

I also took some time this past weekend to get my epoxy station back in order. Over the winter, I was using smaller jugs and storing them inside. I think it has warmed up enough, so I have the big 5 and 1 gallon containers back in the garage. I re-primed the pumps so I would get the appropriate amounts.


Slide and Rudder
For the companion slide, I was able to re-apply thickened epoxy over the screw holes and the second application filled them completely. I then had to re-sand everything. The slide is ready for fiberglassing.  I also filled the holes on one side of the rudder and sanded them smooth.

Filling brad nail holes. 

2nd attempt at filling screw holes top and sides.

Below is a picture of the slide sanded and cleaned. I will probably apply the fiberglass later this week. The piece of wood on top is going to be the trim. I have yet to cut it out and fit.

Cockpit Fiberglass

Below is the fiber glass laid out ready to be wetted down with epoxy. As I stated earlier, I sanding the area good and then whipped down to make sure the area was clean. Making the fiberglass lay on the many different angles is a challenge. After some time, I finally got it to where I wanted it or as best as I could get it.

I would estimate that it took me 2-3 hrs. to lay the fiberglass and then mix up enough epoxy. I counted 6 red cups when I was done. I used a plastic spreader on the horizontal parts, but then used a roller to get the vertical as well as a chip brush in the corners.

Fiberglass ready to be wetted out. 

Below are a couple shots of the 1st coat wetted out. I will be applying the 2nd and 3rd coats after work today and tomorrow.

Next up will be the foot area in the cock pit. This is going to be a fun area with the location and angles. Glad it is not that big.  Its coming along slowly but surely!

Will Winter ever end? and Fiberglassing the Companion Way Hood

Well "Old Man Winter" doesn't seem to want to go away, so I am still sticking with the bench projects. I can't wait until I can do the large fiberglassing. I am over 50% done. I just have to do 2/3rds of the cockpit area and transom and then I can start on the rub rails.

Home chores took over last weekend and I was only able to work on the boat for a couple of hours. Had to change the oil in the lawn mower and cut my 3/4 acre lot! :-( And this weekend we are going out of town again, but I have to keep the boss happy! Oh, did I mention they are calling for more snow!

I was able to sand the epoxy filled holes on the companion way hood, but the holes didn't fill up to the top on the slide, so I am going to have to do another fill with epoxy. Something I didn't mention on the screw holes. I originally drilled the holes with a counter sink bit and it was 1/4 inch in diameter. So my original plan was to fill them with wood plugs, but the 1/4 inch wood plug bit I bought created plugs that were too small. I guess I could have used them, but at the last minute I decided to just fill with epoxy.  They seemed too loose. I didn't have time to think too much, because I already had a cup of thickened epoxy mixed.

Below is the fiberglass ready to be filled with epoxy.

Below is the companion way hood all wetted out. I did have a problem on both corners where the drains are going to go. For some reason each side got a bubble under the overlapping glass. I discovered this after the 1st coat and cut it out and sanded. I am trying to decide how to handle applying fiberglass to a quarter size hole. 

One possible solution is to run fiberglass down both entire sides. I have looked on other blogs and don't see where anyone did this. That option will cover the hole where the bubble occurred and also coat the long side pieces all the way down with glass. I find it interesting that I had a bubble on both sides, but the fiberglass laid perfectly over the small trim piece on the top.

Since I have to redo the plugs, I just decided to coat the inside of the slide with epoxy as I was applying the 3 coats to the hood.