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Night Cap has been booked in at Fenwicks marina for Thur 28 July (just over 2 weeks away). Order of jobs will be:
1. Remove 2 redundant thru hull fittings and seacocks and glass over holes.
2. Remove sink THF and seacock and replace with new Bronze ones.
3. Cut out and fill any osmosis
4. Anti-foul with International Micron Plus (already bought whilst Whitworths had it on special)
5. Polish and wax hull
6. Repaint stipe along the side (green to become blue stripe)

I know this is a long list (hopefully osmosis won't be a problem). PLEASE, any suggestions on how to do these jobs will be most welcome. Come on guys I know there is a wealth of knowledge amongst you.

John

G'Day john,
always willing to help but there are other more eminently qualified people than me. Besides I feel I have been having too much to say but I noticed that you had a previous post about slipping that went unanswered. So here goes.

I'm sure more people will add to this.
Firstly why do you need to remove the skin fittings? Is it like me and you had an insurance survey?
Secondly if you need to replace the seacocks Insurance companies like "Marine Valves" they're brass bodied with a stainless steel ball. about $16 from Bias or Whitties. If you are replacing them with gate valves it may not be as good. Check with them first. They will be 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch on your Top Hat. They are easy to get.
How many WEEKS are you booked in for?
Nah, really should only take 2 or 3 days if its good weather. I found winter a bad time to slip, the days are short and the weather too cold, resin takes longer to go off, you can't go in the water for long.
Painting the stripe, someone else may be able to help there, mine peeled off. I used Norglass Polyurethane so I'll leave that one.

I put a post up about osmosis, if you can fibreglass it is easy. those were big blisters and I let the experts do it. It cost me $220. More than worth it. Don't try and do everything yourself, sometimes its better and politically correct to get the marina to do it. At least you can watch them and see how the pros do it.
I have done several small ones, about 50c piece size. Use an old wood chisel and dig out the wet glass to solid dry glass and fill with resin and glass. Bog it up with filler, sand smooth, prime and antifoul.
Or if you follow Norglass's recommendations burst the dry ones and let the pressure out. They won't get any worse. The wet ones wont get any worse either.
see part 2 for antifouling.

Hi John,

This is what I did for the other redundant thru-hulls, viewtopic.php?f=3&t=127
It would be fantastic to get some feedback from you & photos of what these now look like 2+ years later....

This is a good start for item 2) viewtopic.php?f=3&t=445

for item 5) Follow this process http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-main ... h-wax.html & you'll have her looking better than new

cheers
shaun

Part 2
Antifouling.
This is probably the easiest job you can do yourself. If you muck it up no one will see it in the water.

The slipway will give you a time to be there. Usually they will drop one boat in and if its about your size they wil run your boat on and bring it up. If not they will tell you to hang about, reset the cradle and put it back in the drink. They all have different methods, some put ropes around the winches and the cradle arms so it doesn't slide on the cradle some just put it on. stay on the boat until the operator says so and stand in the middle of the boat till it settles on the cradle. Top hats are really stable, Felicite was only held by one arm when the 50kt Westerly front went through a few weeks ago and she didn't budge at all.
They usually have "A fairy" when they see the water pouring from the rudder but they are hollow and this is normal.
Gernie the growth off. Don't get too close, let the water do the cleaning.
use a stiff paint scraper to get any barnacles or solid animals off.
Use a hose on trickle and wet sand the old antifoul with 80 or 120 grit wet n dry. Use a sanding block like a 3M brand block you can get from Bunnings.
wash all the loose stuff off as you go. You should now have a clean hull. Look along the hull while its wet to see where the blisters are, then let it dry. Mark them so you can see it when its dry. I used a scraper to scratch a line in the antifoul.
Replace the skin fittings and seacocks.
If the Hull is dry, mask up the top sides (the wind and water line) with 50mm wide tape You will need one roll 50m long.
Next you will need;
2 x long nap rollers, paint roller handle and cheap extension handle ($3.50), paint tray.
cling wrap,
paint solvent (usually Turps for the brushes),
two 75 or 100mm cheap brushes.
Shaft anode.
1 small tin of Hard racing antifouling for the prop and shaft.
paint stirrer and electric drill and extension lead to stir the paint. A Battery drill wont do it.
Rubber gloves (these are so you don;t leave finger prints then no-one can tell who stuffed up the paint job)
No, really, you wil be wearing any paint on your skin for the next time its antifouled.
Really old throw away clothes and take a change of clean clothes with you!
Away you go.
Part 3

Part 3
Painting
Stir the paint with the stirrer going right to the bottom and then back up to the top and right around the bottom of the tin.
Pour into the tray and roll it everywhere you can.
For the bits you can't get to, use the brush, especially on the edges where you get turbulence as it will wear off there first.
paint the prop with hard racing antifoul.
Wrap the brush in glad wrap for the the next use or wash it out in turps.
Leave it for the necessary drying time.
polish the hull. You will probably need a wool buff and the electric drill.
Do any other jobs you need.
Replace the anode. Don't paint over the anode, you'll stop it working.
Next day as soon as the hull is dry assuming it has been dewey put another coat on.
Finish any other jobs.
Next day Day 3 relaunch the boat.
Go for a sail.

Hope it helps.
Greg.

Hi John

I have to agree with Greg This is my advise and I've done a lot this over the years.(slipping etc not advise ) If your a virgin at it ? I wouldn't bite off more than you can chew and end up a "Mad Hatter ". Trying to complete your list and not allowing enough time to do it. If the skin fittings aren't urgent etc I'd leave them to a later date ,reason ? If you don't seal or grind the hole back enough and build the glass back upwards again in layers and don't do it properly you will end up with moisture in your patch and future osmosis problems.(if you have bubbles)

Depending on build up of antifouling will depend on whether you scrape or wet and dry or both .
Grinding bubbles etc depends on how many and how big .
Cut and polish etc ,takes me 3 hours plus ,and that's with a proper polisher .
Boot tops etc , use a good tape done properly will last 10 years
This all takes time and sometime more than what you think.

If this is your first time maybe you should remove anti-foul build up wet and dry, note problems and fix the ones your capable of fixing.Polish ,boot top tape, anti -foul etc

This all depends on how much time you have on the slips .If you haven't done this before keep in mind it is a tiring job, hard on the back etc.

I believe you are better doing what you can comfortably handle in the time you have and leave some up your sleeve to plan and take notes for the next slipping , including lots of photo's .

I've been fortunate enough to have the use of my family 's slips for Egret II and have never been rushed for time .Yet it did take me all week end to remove Egret II's 10 years of antifoul and wet and dry her back for example.If you do have build up and don't get it back to a firm base the new paint won't stick properly or even more annoying when you roll the new anti-foul on ,it pulls the old stuff off.

Apart from my advise ,Greg's hit the nail on the head .
Oh !If you are going to wet and dry ? Don't forget the barrier cream ? Otherwise you'll go home looking like a"Smurf "that's if your anti-fouling is blue .


All the best Bear

PS If anybody with no idea wants to help ?give them a fishing line ! it will be a lot easier on you and better for them !

Thanks all, Great comments and suggestions. The more I learn.................
Is Boot Top some kinda dividing line between antifoul and hull above the water??
What is stipe just under deck called?
I intended repainting the stripe just under the deck (from current green to blue) and was wondering what is best paint to use. Are tapes available to use instead of paint. Does it need to be gloss or can it be matt? I had planned on brushing it on, but someone said it should be sprayed. What do you guys suggest?
Thanks, John

John, As Bear said you will be flat out just antifouling and polishing and knackered to boot! Only do what you have to do, the days are short and if you have any bad weather you wont get much finished. Talk to the slipway, they're on the spot and can help you.
Did you only book it in for 1 day the 28th??
I didn't get the detail on Felicite finished because of a SW change.

Most important too, acid wash the hull to get the stains off like rust and mud before you cut and polish.

Re. polishing, that video is helpful but it is american. The blokes at the slipway showed me how to do it, cutting compound on the hull, not the buff. Ask, they are usually happy to show you.

Boot topping is the stripe just above the antifouling.

Take free advise for what its worth.
Greg.
Usual disclaimer applies!

Greg and everyone else thanks for replies. Night Cap is booked in for slipping thursday afternoon. Fewnwicks will water blast thursday afternoon or first thing friday morning. I am hoping water blasting will be thur pm, that way we can see the hull and makes some marks, plan how to tackle the jobs and maybe acid wash.
If that works out we can hit it hard on the friday. She is booked in for the saturday also. Sunday is our decision.....no noise allowed and if we don't work sunday, no charge. Return to Neptune's playground on the monday morning. We like this plan because there is time for things to dry, for us to regroup and if necessary get supplies. Also the sunday is available if we need it. I have started writing shopping and other lists.

BOOT TOP: I had assumed the antifoul simply ended at/near? the waterline. How do I add the Boot Top? Is it dark paint to match the antifoul. Shouldn't the antifoul come a little higher than the waterline? I had better get out there this weekend and have a good look at Night Cap as she sits in the water.

Regards, John