Time to strip!

I'm now down to the final few pieces of hardware that need removing from the deck to get the hull and deck prepped for painting.

One problem was how to remove the the rigging eyes mounted in the deck, one to port was encapsulated the other hidden behind a 'formica' panel so after much cutting and swearing the port one came away, to starboard prompted me to remove the galley module.

The main reason being i have always had designs on making a better galley for the boat to encompass a few modern conveniences and also so i can carry out the reinforcing work on the keel stub more proficiently.

Having wrestled the panels off i was left with galley module which i duly marked along lines in the moulding to aid accuracy and also to provide a way of fitting the new module to the dimensions of the old.

It came away after a bit of a fight to be left with a rather large gap.

Now onwards to the rest of the hardware, next being removal of the pushpit requiring access to the lazerette, time for the jigsaw and grinder again.............................

A right good decking.

Having trawled the owners forum for some magical answer to removing 40 years of non-slip paint it became apparent there was no magic tool or technique available and so was resigned to spending a large part of my life and using countless roles of 40 grit sandpaper removing the old paint.

Seeing myself resembling the Monty Python 'Its' character waist deep in used sandpaper wasn't really an option as

a) i'm impatient by nature and
b) i'm working all next week , so i need to get a lick on.

For some reason the sandblaster wasn't upto the task, in return for removing a piece of non-slip no bigger than my hand it duly emptied 25kg of sand all over the foredeck......... sod that, my breathings only just got back to normal from stripping the hull.

Time for a re-think, so after much surfing i concluded either a grinding cup or a ferociously abrasive pad both of which attach to my 4" grinder. Having returned from purchasing said items it was time to try them both, first up the grinding cup which essentially is a diamond cutter you can use in a grinder.

This 'ploughed' through the non-slip..........and also a significant part of the cabin roof, next it was the turn of a 20 grit abrasive disc. This proved just as 'efficient' at destroying the cabin top but was eminently more controllable.

As you can see from the pictures (like me in 'speedos') it is not pretty but weighing up how long it would take to sand the non-slip off i feel it will be less time consuming to cut all the paint from the cabin top and decks then fill and fair with 404 / 407 fillers.

Of course I could live to regret this decision.

Go play in the sand pit!

Its been a while since i last posted anything but can now report the boat is free of all its anti-foul and am now carving (literally) the decks up with a 20 grit abrasive disc to get rid of 40 years of non-slip paint. More of this later

The pictures reveal a certain amount of repairs and damage and of course the full extent of the blistering to the hull, but without sand blasting there would be no way of telling the condition of what lay underneath.

There are no before and during pictures for this part of the project as it was a 'head down and get on with it' job, i can report this is the first and last time i will ever do this.

Apart from the half ton of kiln dried sand from my local builders merchants and the acquisition of a big bastard compressor and blasting pot to undertake the job i can see why professionals charge the fees they do.

Even with all the protective equipment (air fed mask, disposable overalls, ear defenders & ski goggles...yes ski goggles) the dust gets everywhere not to mention looking like a twat.