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.

Covering up..................

After the spectacle of lifting the boat came the realisation we'd be putting the canopy backup, not a problem in itself ; but there's something incredibly demoralising about doing the same job twice.

Although that said we had done it once so a second time round would prove easier, even if the weather wasn't on our side. Not believing how utterly shit the weather could be within 24 hours it was good to get in the relative warm of my newly completed (temporary) cathedral.

Thoughts now turned to temporary power and lighting to make the space more practical, after a quick run to the local 'wickes' diy chain i came back with some cable, sockets and four floodlights and produced this

Having taken delivery of a new batch of west's and a load of cloth my attentions have now turned back to the remaining (port) keel which is nearing the end of its filling and fairing operation.

Just a coat of hi-build filler, some red oxide and the studs bolted in - jobs a gooden!

"Move along please, nothing to see here."

Well friday the 25 tonne crane arrived, slightly bigger than what i'd imagined; turns out the driver hadn't been told there was two telephone cables in the way of the boat. Give him his due he got the jib between them and set up for the lift.

Needing to check the reach and that he'd have enough movement to get the boat clear of the bungalow, I was hoping to be inconspicuous but there was no chance now. After what seemed like an age the Centaur finally left her mounts and headed for the back garden.

Now for the tricky bit of flying the boat through the air over the bungalow. It hadn't occured to me how pretty a hull she has as you tend to focus on the rather boxy cabin top but was granted a view you don't often get.

I was growing less weary as the boat reached its final destination and with a bit of shoulder barging we got her sat on the cradle, interestingly the crane driver said the boat tipped the scales at 1.8 tonnes.
Considering the boat is completely stripped out, that would make the boat quite a bit more than 3 tonnes with everything back in.

Take two

Work has slowed down again so i've awarded myself the week off to ready the back garden for the boat. I have decided (for what it'll cost) to build another cradle although Chris's old one works fine theres no room between the box part of the cradle and the keel stub.

Therefore to make repairing the keel stubs easier i have built a new box cradle

The design of the box is a foot narrower although the cradles end plates are still the same size (4 foot) i beefed up the actual box so it wouldn't twist as the original had (slightly).

The added benefit of this cradle will be having the boat sat as it would in the water (level) which will help alot. i know all this sounds a bit over the top but as there is a lot of interior work to do i don't want the hassle of trying to level things when the time comes.

How bigs your cat?

Feeling slightly demoralised after tearing the canopy down it was time to go to the merchants and order everything over again (sleepers, timber, coach screws etc) it all came the next day on a flat bed as promised and so construction on the worlds largest litter tray began.

Now a dab hand with the hole driller i got through the soft soil in minutes, set the mixer up (again) and went for it, long story short, got the foundation down in two days and the plate bolted together in about four hours, a new personal best for Centaur canopy building.

Next it was down with the poly sheeting and add two tonnes of gravel to taste, then doing by best not to knacker my back place two railway sleepers on sharp sand to level accurately et voila.