A-231 Periwinkle

[bill@ariel231]

Periwinkle did make a few more trips until work got in the way.. here's a picture from July. That's my sister Kris, brother-in-law Tony and their son Michael doing the driving...

[bill@ariel231]

the ice is melting must be time for bottom paint. Interesting thing happened last year, you can see it in the pictures where the bottom paint has been sanded. Last year's bottom paint was "pink", the can said "shark gray" but "pink" it stayed until it hit the water. I got a few raised eye brows at the boat yard. We'll see what comes out of the can this year...

[joe]

I think the smiles on the faces of your "crew" say it all !!

[bill@ariel231]

While I once subscribed to the idea that I was going to keep Periwinkle's systems very simple (at least that was my plan 10 years ago)... I couldn't resist a Radar I stumbled upon last summer. It's a old 12" Sitex T150. The problem is how and where to mount it. I had in the back of my mind the thought I might make it a "clip-on"  that could be removed when I didn't plan to use it. A mount on the Spinnaker car was one choice, Another is at the stern rail. Of all the boats I've sailed on, those with a pole mount on the stern seemed the least likely to foul lines etc. I looked at Mr Lackey's install along the center line of his Triton (http://www.triton381.com/projects/restoration/electronics2.htm ), very nice but a similar install with my split stern rail would result in a lot of struts to keep it in place. The second best option seems to be the location mocked up below (port side aft).

The obstacles to this install will be the 6" deck flange and the pole blocking a clear path between the deck cleat and the fair lead. Argh! this would be easier if the lazarette hatch was smaller or the boat was couple feet longer.  Looks like the 6" flange will have to go....

[joe]

Have you given any thought to taking your stern rail to a shop and having them weld a bracket on for you?  You could have them cut the 6" plate off of the bottom and weld a "sleeve" piece of tubing onto your stern rail.  You could then put it into the sleeve and secure with one or two ball-lock pins when you wanted to use it and then just pull the pins and stow the whole thing when you wanted it out of the way.  Just a thought.
Joe

[bill@ariel231]

Joe

interesting thought. I was headed down the track of fabricating a clamp that grabs the base of the stanchion (like a cheeseborough clamp). I'll give that a think...

thanks,
bill

[bill@ariel231]

today was a day for getting the top side sanded and ready for a fresh paint on the cabin and decks. Ebb, you are right, "silicone is EVIL"... we spent far to much time sanding that goop from around the portlights we glued in last year...

[bill@ariel231]

on the plus side this year's "experiment in tools" is working just fine. I picked up a set of drywall stilts last year for a theater project. always thought they would work at the boat yard for some varnishing... It turns out these are faster than staging and kind of fun too.

[mbd]

Very clever idea Bill. Could come in handy when there is no room around the boat for staging as well.

[bill@ariel231]

the weather hasn't been helping this year's race to the water.  generally i'm in the same week as Liberty (Triton #15). Looks like she beat me in this year...

[bill@ariel231]

Since I wasn't sure if last year's pink bottom was the result of insufficient mixing, or the fact that I was painting in a snow storm. I took no chances; this year the paint got a thorough thrashing with a mixer and was applied on a warm day.

[Tim Mertinooke]

That's a nifty mixer.  Before I slapped on a quick coat of paint over my repair this morning I must have stirred the new quart of bottom paint for 15 minutes.  I envisioned something like what you just posted while I was slowly entering carpal tunnel town.

[bill@ariel231]

and the result...

[bill@ariel231]

I was really happy with the mixer.. the paint was homoginized in about a minute. I did pour off about a quart before using the mixer. I bet it'd make a heck of a mess with a full can of paint.

[bill@ariel231]

today's project is painting the decks and coach roof. it's been about 3 or 4 years since the last paint job on the decks. I got the second coat of white on the vertical surfaces painted today. hopefully I'll get the sand finish on the foredeck painted before the week is out.