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Larry's LogThe next day was spent preparing and applying the new barrier coat. First, I had to decide which one to get since the stuff I used on the keel was insufficient to do around the entire waterline. I looked at the Ameron coating and it looked pretty good but in the end I bought the Interlux product I was familiar with - Interprotect 2000. While I retaped the boat in preparation for priming, Diane went to buy the epoxy barrier and some other supplies we would need. While I mixed the coating, Diane washed down the sanded area with alcohol and then I started applying the barrier coat. Although there already was a barrier coat on the boat, the prior day's sanding had penetrated it in several areas and I felt it need more barrier to be protected. We would need 2 coats and luckily, it doesn't require sanding between coats but the timing to apply the antifouling paint after applying the last coat of barrier is somewhat critical, as the instructions say that the antifouling paint should be applied before the barrier is fully cured, thereby giving a chemical as well as mechanical bond. By the time I started the first coat, it was already 12:30 so it would be too late to do a second coat and then the antifouling after that, but it took almost 4 hours for me to apply the first coat, since it became very thick and difficult to work with after about 2 hours in the pot, so I mixed small batches. The directions say a minimum of 4 hours but in the heat of Trinidad, plus it was breezy, probably cut down on that. In any case, I stopped for 30 minutes for lunch but mixed a batch before I went up so that it would be ready to apply when I finished eating. The second batch was also smaller that the first and only required 1 hour to apply. By the time I finished, it was 4pm. We were talking to Randy and Cheryl on Caribee when Neil, from the company that made the oil cleaner, came by. YSATT had said he come over and he wanted to ask us some questions about the problem we had and try to understand what happened. We spoke for a while and he got a clearer understanding of what had transpired although he didn't understand what in his product had made the paint unusable. We asked about some kind of reimbursement for our out-of-pocket expenses to repair the damage, such as the barrier coat, brushes, as well as replacing the bottom paint that was now removed. He said he was going to come back tomorrow with the President of the company (he was in Trinidad from Canada) so we would see what happened with that later. Neil also stopped to see Donald Stollmeyer, and of course, Donald confirmed what we had said about the problem. At least we were making progress. The next day was a long day; for me working on the waterline, and for Diane; helping me a bit and running errands. I started just before 8am, mixing the first batch of barrier and started putting the second coat around the waterline just after breakfast. I mixed smaller batches today since the stuff got so thick as to be unusable, although I discovered that using a narrower container helped - I suppose the solvents didn't evaporate so fast when not exposed to as much air. The only problem with mixing smaller batches was that I had to wait 20 minutes after mixing each batch for "induction." I also had to move the scaffolding more, not an easy task since the supports were 6 feet tall and the planks to walk on were 16 feet long, 2 x 12 lumber. Anyway, I made it around the boat in about 3 hours, much better than yesterday when it took 4 and one-half. I mixed the last batch just before lunch and after eating, I finished the second coat. Diane went to Peake's to get some more bottom paint, in black as a flag coat, so we would know when the paint was wearing away. So far, we had spent about $350 on repairing the gummed paint problem - not including any labor. When she got back, I mixed the paint and started applying it to the waterline where I had started the barrier, since the proper amount of time had elapsed. The barrier coat directions said to apply the antifouling before it fully cured (presumably to get a chemical as well as physical bond) so I made sure that I started in time. Of course, the paint went on very quickly using a roller, and I had to wait when I got the spot I started the last batch of barrier since not enough time had elapsed. While I waited for that, I sanded the strut, cleaned it and put the black antifouling on it. I also put some paint in the space between the rudder and the skeg, since this was a problem spot for barnacles. I also just touched each repaired blister with the paint to give it some more protection. After the waterline was painted and the blisters covered, I found that I had enough barrier left in the mixing pot to do one side of the keel. I figured that as long as I had the material, I might as well use it and provide some extra protection so I applied it to the port side of the keel. It started to thicken considerably by the time I finished, and there was just enough for that side but it seemed fine. I would have to sand it tomorrow before putting the antifouling on it since I wouldn't be able to paint it within the specified time period but felt it was worth it. I thought I had enough unmixed barrier to apply to the starboard side also, and that would be the first task for tomorrow morning. Diane had run several errands for me, including getting some more lube oil for the engine and the guy was nice enough to deliver it just after 5pm. She had also heard from YSATT earlier in the day saying that the people who were supposed to come back from the company that made the oil dispersant, regarding our problem, would come tomorrow instead. They had contacted the paint company and were testing to see what the effect their product had on the paint. I could tell them that (and did) but I guess they have to figure it out for themselves - more knowledge through chemistry. I started early again the next day with mixing a batch of barrier coat for the keel. I had used about 3 quarts to do 2 coats around the waterline and had enough, I figured, to do the keel again to really seal it against water intrusion. So I mixed a batch and sanded lightly the port side of the keel where I had put the left stuff from yesterday. It had been very thick when I applied it and the coating was full of ridges from the brush strokes. Since it wasn't fully cured yet though, it sanded easily. Diane went shopping for, hopefully, the last time in Trinidad. After applying the barrier to both sides of the keel, I ran some errands and bought some last minute supplies. When I got back, I did some small things while waiting for the epoxy barrier on the startboard keel to cure sufficiently to apply the first coat of paint. After it was on, the boat looked kind of strange with the waterline black, the hull red with small black spots and the keel black (and actually only one side of the keel was black since I wanted to put a second coat of barrier on the starboard side tomorrow). Still, we were "making significant progress" (we used to say that at work as a joke) (sorry, "work" is a four letter word). Anyway, we were closer to splashing and after doing the port side of the keel, I did the second coat around the waterline but stopped short of finishing because we were getting low on the black antifouling. I felt we had enough, but wanted to make sure I could put at least one coat on the starboard side of the keel. Assuming I did have enough, I would finish the second coat on the waterline and then reapply some as a third coat at the bow. About that time, Diane came back from shopping and I helped get everything into the boat. I started cleaning up and got ready to go over to Joe's Pizza. Lynne and Paul from Kiana had just come in from Carriacou and we were going to meet them for dinner. We met them and some other friends at about 6:30 and had a very nice evening. Good Friday and the yard is very quiet. The first thing to do today was recoat the starboard side of the keel with barrier. I mixed up the barrier and ate breakfast while waiting for it to set a bit. I had been using my epoxy syringes to draw up the 2 liquids but they finally broke since they were so thick. I didn't want to use any more so I tried a small mixing container and had Diane help me since it was so windy that the small plastic cup would keep blowing away. It seemed to work fine although naturally the mixing ratio wasn't as exact as with the syringes. Once that was applied, I had to wait until it cured the required amount of time (3 hours) before putting on the first coat of antifouling. In the meantime, I started putting things away in the boat. For the last few weeks, tools and supplies were just pushed off to the side instead of being stowed away since I was using them so often. Now, hopefully, most of the stuff was not needed anymore and we could get the boat straightened out and ready to leave. Around noon, just as I was putting things away, Neil, from the company that makes the oil dispersant that caused the problem with our paint, came by and we talked a bit and we showed him another boat in the yard that had the same problem. He said he would stay in touch with us and he took the paint tray that had some dried black antifouling on it as a sample. He also wanted to come back and get the paint can once it was finished. I said I would save it for him and Diane said she would make copies of the various bills to show our out-of-pocket expenses involved in fixing the problem. We would leave copies with Powerboats and YSATT. He said they would be testing the paint and tell us the results. He stopped short of promising to reimburse us but said he would be talking with Donald Stollmeyer and YSATT, and if we left, with us via email. A little after lunch, I applied the bottom paint to the starboard side of the keel. Since I had some paint left over, I finished the second coat along the waterline (starting at the mark I left from yesterday) and put a third coat on the waterline at the bow, the highest wear point on the boat. I had enough to put a second partial coat on the port side of the keel since I had some left and just wanted to use it up. I saved the empty can for Neil and started another small project - cleaning up the man-overboard (MOB) pole. It was made of fiberglass and the long shaft holding the flag was shedding fibers that would stick to your skin and be very uncomfortable. It was still usable I though so I sanded the pole with 80 grit paper, but all that did was break off the existing fibers sticking up and loosen some more. It did though get the worst ones off. I took a rag and washed the pole down with alcohol to remove the dust and dirt. Of course, in the process of sanding and cleaning, lots of the fibers stuck to my skin - very nasty so I washed my hands several times and it helped. I then mixed a small batch of unthickened epoxy and painted it on the pole with a small brush. That would keep the remaining fibers on the pole but since epoxy isn't UV resistant at all, I needed to paint it. I did that with some spray enamel after the epoxy dried - sanding it lightly beforehand. It looked pretty good in white - I had wanted yellow or orange paint but they didn't have that color. Diane was lucky enough to have time for a nap; I didn't have that luxury yet - but hopefully soon. She did though, go over to Kiana late in the day and borrow some videos (some pretty good ones). Since I was finished painting for the day, while she was gone, I continued putting things away. Saturday was much like the previous days - I continued painting and putting away tools and supplies and generally organizing things. Diane mostly worked on her logs, which were very behind and did some cooking. We were looking pretty good for really being able to splash on Tuesday. There was something a little strange that happened though. I had finished painting the waterline and the keel, now with red antifouling (the color of the rest of the hull) and had gone up into the boat to change the transmission fluid (a messy job because of the way the fluid is drained), put stuff away and find my grease gun. I finished all that around 3pm. When I went back down to empty the bucket with the old tranny fluid and get the stuff I had left on the ground, the empty used mixing containers I had left there from doing the barrier coats were full of water. I couldn't figure out how it had gotten there. The ground around the containers was dry, as was a rag on the upturned oil drum I had been using as a makeshift workbench that was right behind them. Everything was right under the boat and the hull showed no signs of any water dripping. Very strange. It had been very windy, and the support used to prop up the bow had fallen down. When I went to put it back up, I noticed that one of the jackstands had moved slightly and wasn't supporting the hull - definitely not good. So I put it back in position and tightened the jackscrew to where it should be. I had periodically checked all the stands but that was the first time I saw one had moved. My last task of the day was to grease the prop; I used the grease gun and removable zirc fittings. It's a neat system that worked pretty well. |