First, I am sorry to everyone following for not posting in a while.
There are several updates to this project. Because I was unsure of everything I didn't want to post it until things actually happened.
First off, I don't have any pictures at this time... well, I do and don't. I have no idea how to take a picture from google maps and post it here. So, just click on this link to see a true satellite view of my 110. I thought it was cool. How many people can say they have seen their sailboat as viewed from space? Well, now that you see mine, I'm sure you will go look up yours too. :)
http://goo.gl/maps/VGu6b
I ordered everything I needed to get back to work on my boat. I now have all the epoxy, fiberglass, and paint. I ordered my plywood. When it came in I discovered I had a battery/charging issue with my truck. So instead of getting stranded trying to retrieve my plywood, I took it to my mechanic to figure everything out. Battery issue is now solved. Truck is home and the very next day I attempted to get my plywood, the truck wouldn't run well... barely, I mean it spit and sputtered and then just died. It's now back with my mechanic. These are the problems of dealing with a 20 year old truck. When my wife's car is paid off, we'll be getting a new truck. Something that will look great pulling the 110 trailer. :)
2 more updates:
1) I located a rudder! Hurray! Thanks Bill! When I got to his place 3 hours away I discovered there is more to it. He offered me one of his old hulls that went with the rudder. At first I thought to myself I don't need another hull. I already have my hands full with the first one. I couldn't stop looking at the one he offered. It's hull #377. He already had the old fiberglass stripped off. The wood is solid as a rock. Much more so than mine. Not a single piece, as far as I could tell, needs to be replaced. I finally told him I would take it! It will take far less time to finish #377 than it will the hull I have right now. I already have all the epoxy, fiberglass, and paint I need to finish it. Now, I just need to get my truck working and get back over to Bill's house to get the #377 hull and other stuff Bill offered to give me.
2) Mast, boom, and sails!!!
A big thanks also goes to Fred for giving me a used mast, boom, and sails. I now have almost everything I need to hit the water.
The 110 Sailboat community have been a wonderful group of people! I can't tell you how much I appreciate everyone's willingness to give advice or used equipment. This has been a wonderful experience so far.
The bad news is that my old hull now needs a new home. If you know anyone looking for a project, let me know. I will help them as much as I can like everyone has helped me so far.
I won't make my deadline of getting the boat in the water by the end of July. This has more to do with the delays in ordering parts and getting them. Now, I'm hoping by the end of August I can get it all put together. My current delay is now getting the #377 hull back home. Once it is here and I get some good weather, it will take little time to get it seaworthy.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Keel part 3
The area the keel was on the hull isn't as bad as I thought. I do need to replace a section of the plywood, but the rest of the bottom isn't so bad.
Side note, with the keel off, the boat is very light. I'm able to pick up the bow or stern and lift with little effort. Gives me hope the boat will be close to the 910 pounds when it's done.
Keel removed
I finally got the keel off after cutting two bolts and got the other 4 unscrewed.
I kinda thought it wouldn't be good under the keel. My suspicions were right. You can see by the picture below that the plywood is very rotten. It's a good thing I removed the keel. I was able to scrape away all of the plywood with a few light passes with the claw of the hammer. Looks like I will be replacing a portion of the bottom. I may consider replacing the whole section or the entire bottom just because I can at this point. Might be best in the long run.
I think this is the first time the keel has been off the boat. There was no barrier between the keel and the plywood. It had several layers of this dense foam/epoxy stuff. to fill in the gap between the keel and hull.
After I ensure all the needed wood is replaced, my plan is to epoxy and 1 layer of 4 oz glass on the bottom. Then the keel will go on over the glass. It's my thinking that this will help put a barrier between the wood and keel to help reduce the chances of water getting trapped between the keel and wood.
As always, if you know a better way, I'm all ears and willing to consider anything. I know many of you have far more experience than I do with this type of work.
Keel removal
I was planning on sandblasting the keel today. I took a quick look under the boat before I started the job. I found that some of the wood separated from the boat and is rotten beyond repair. I think having the boat upside down put more pressure on the bottom of the boat due to the weight of the keel. Though it created more work for me, it also showed me more things that must be repaired.
My plans of sand blasting now changed to keel removal. Some people suggested that in the beginning. I am hoping this isn't a huge setback. I should probably expect more setbacks as I dig further into the job. :)
Friday, June 14, 2013
Gearing up for repair
No pictures this time, but here's an update.
The boat has been tarped this whole time and kept very dry considering all the rain we've received the last few weeks.
Part of the reason I haven't worked on the boat is because I needed to acquire the materials needed for the repair. Because this is my first time taking on a project of this size I didn't know what I needed. Here are the things I've recently purchased and ordered:
5 Gallon kit of West System epoxy and other tools needed to mix and apply the epoxy. Total $700
Several colors of Paint $205
4 oz Fiberglass about $500 (I say about because the order hasn't gone through yet.)
Sandblasting equipment and media $50
I was advised to watch the weight of the boat because it should come in at 910 pounds. I'm not sure what the current weight is for the boat. I have no way to measure it. Some people told me to just epoxy the boat followed by paint. I decided to use 2 layers of 4 oz. fiberglass for the bottom and sides because the boat is old and I'm not sure how structurally sound is the wood. The thought is the fiberglass will help make the boat more rigid.
What's next?
The paint should arrive in the next few days. Once that is here, I will sand blast the keel followed by filling in some of the deep divots with epoxy filler. I will then do a barrier coat followed by primer and paint.
While I'm waiting for the keel epoxy and paint to cure I can also start filling in some of the gaps and random holes in the hull. It isn't bad, but a few places need some help.
The total spent on this project this post is $1455
Total for the entire project so far $2055
The boat has been tarped this whole time and kept very dry considering all the rain we've received the last few weeks.
Part of the reason I haven't worked on the boat is because I needed to acquire the materials needed for the repair. Because this is my first time taking on a project of this size I didn't know what I needed. Here are the things I've recently purchased and ordered:
5 Gallon kit of West System epoxy and other tools needed to mix and apply the epoxy. Total $700
Several colors of Paint $205
4 oz Fiberglass about $500 (I say about because the order hasn't gone through yet.)
Sandblasting equipment and media $50
I was advised to watch the weight of the boat because it should come in at 910 pounds. I'm not sure what the current weight is for the boat. I have no way to measure it. Some people told me to just epoxy the boat followed by paint. I decided to use 2 layers of 4 oz. fiberglass for the bottom and sides because the boat is old and I'm not sure how structurally sound is the wood. The thought is the fiberglass will help make the boat more rigid.
What's next?
The paint should arrive in the next few days. Once that is here, I will sand blast the keel followed by filling in some of the deep divots with epoxy filler. I will then do a barrier coat followed by primer and paint.
While I'm waiting for the keel epoxy and paint to cure I can also start filling in some of the gaps and random holes in the hull. It isn't bad, but a few places need some help.
The total spent on this project this post is $1455
Total for the entire project so far $2055
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Bottom fiberglass removed
The follow pictures show the fiberglass removed from the bottom. It was so easy to pull up. It took less than an hour to strip off all of the fiberglass. I think all of the material below the waterline came off with little effort. You can see the sheets sitting on the ground. Some of it just about fell off when I gave it a slight tug.
I'm happy to also find out that the wood under all the fiberglass is in great shape considering the fiberglass was falling off. There is little damage from the elements.
The boat was then covered with several tarps to keep it dry. We have quite a few days of rain forcasted.
I'm happy to also find out that the wood under all the fiberglass is in great shape considering the fiberglass was falling off. There is little damage from the elements.
The boat was then covered with several tarps to keep it dry. We have quite a few days of rain forcasted.
A close look at the damage
Here is a closer look at the damage. You can see the fiberglass is gone or delaminating from the bottom of the boat. Some of the exposed wood is damaged due to the elements. The last two pictures are of the stern. Both are the same piece at two different angles. The piece of wood that makes up the stern is too far gone and will need to be replaced. Good thing I am a woodworker.
Upside down
Now that the boat is oriented so that I can work on the bottom, I need to raise it up yet again in order to set it on some make shift saw horses.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Flipping the boat
Today's plan is to get the boat upside down. The boat weighs about 900 pounds. One-third of this weight is the 300 pound keel. The boat is currently sitting on its side with the keel sitting on some blocks.
I'll try to explain what I tried. My first attempt was to get straps around the boat at the front and back. One side of the straps much shorter than the other side. The idea was to pull on the shorter side with the chain hoists which would cause the boat to roll. This started to work until the keel was off the blocks. The keel was doing its job trying to keep the boat upright. The boat started to slowly slip in the straps remaining upright no matter how much I tried to lift it.
I felt both good and bad about this at the same time. I felt good because it gives me further confidence that this boat will be difficult to capsize once in the water. Bad because I had to figure a new way to get it upside down.
I decided to grab the keel with one of the straps. I wasn't sure how good this would work because I had no way to support one side of the boat. I only had 2 gantries. One on the front and one on the keel. It worked surprisingly well. The boat slowly rolled upside down. I then set it back down on the ground so I could move the gantry and get under it properly to raise it off the ground again.
How am I going to roll it back upside right? I'm not quite sure yet. =) I'll figure that out when I get to it.
I'll try to explain what I tried. My first attempt was to get straps around the boat at the front and back. One side of the straps much shorter than the other side. The idea was to pull on the shorter side with the chain hoists which would cause the boat to roll. This started to work until the keel was off the blocks. The keel was doing its job trying to keep the boat upright. The boat started to slowly slip in the straps remaining upright no matter how much I tried to lift it.
I felt both good and bad about this at the same time. I felt good because it gives me further confidence that this boat will be difficult to capsize once in the water. Bad because I had to figure a new way to get it upside down.
I decided to grab the keel with one of the straps. I wasn't sure how good this would work because I had no way to support one side of the boat. I only had 2 gantries. One on the front and one on the keel. It worked surprisingly well. The boat slowly rolled upside down. I then set it back down on the ground so I could move the gantry and get under it properly to raise it off the ground again.
How am I going to roll it back upside right? I'm not quite sure yet. =) I'll figure that out when I get to it.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Raising the boat
Sorry for the bad lighting. It was getting late and I knew I had to get the boat off the trailer and tarped before some bad weather moved in. The boat was mostly dry and I want to keep it that way from here on out.
Here you can see that I used recovery tow straps attached to a chain hoist on each gantry. It was quite easy to lift the boat off the trailer. Even at 10' tall, the gantry was nearly not tall enough. The fin keel didn't clear the very back end of the trailer. I ended up having to slide the trailer sideways before pulling it out. It made me think about how am I going to get the boat on/off the trailer at launch sites. As it currently sits I would need to have a boat hoist at the docks to load and unload the boat. I want to have the ability to launch the boat anywhere I travel. I am now talking to some welding shops about altering the back of the trailer so the boat will easily launch off the trailer without getting hung up on the keel.
There are a few more pics I will post showing how I got it on the ground.
Here you can see that I used recovery tow straps attached to a chain hoist on each gantry. It was quite easy to lift the boat off the trailer. Even at 10' tall, the gantry was nearly not tall enough. The fin keel didn't clear the very back end of the trailer. I ended up having to slide the trailer sideways before pulling it out. It made me think about how am I going to get the boat on/off the trailer at launch sites. As it currently sits I would need to have a boat hoist at the docks to load and unload the boat. I want to have the ability to launch the boat anywhere I travel. I am now talking to some welding shops about altering the back of the trailer so the boat will easily launch off the trailer without getting hung up on the keel.
There are a few more pics I will post showing how I got it on the ground.
Gantries
I knew the first thing I had to do was get the boat off the trailer and flip it upside down. My thought was to start from the bottom up in the restoration. I wanted to get the fiberglass off as fast as possible to see how bad is the wood underneath.
It took several weeks to wrap my head around how to build a movable crane of some kind that could handle the weight, but yet be able to move it around. I came up with a gantry crane.
The gantry is built with ten foot long 4x4s. The beam across the top are two 2x8s that are glued together with an industrial polyurethane glue (not the crap you get at Lowes or Home Depot.) All of the braces are 2x4 at least 4' long. I used 3/8" through bolts on everything. I wanted to build this so if I really wanted to I could pick up the boat with just one gantry and not worry about anything. All of the wood is treated, so hopefully it will last for decades. It is my hope ever Fall to slip the boat upside down for the winter to keep the snow and ice out of the cockpit and protect the deck from UV.
I raised the heavy gantries by attaching a chain hoist to the basketball hoop metal brackets. My wife used the chain hoist while I guided the gantries once they reached their tipping point on the way up. It was quite easy with the two of us. Those chain hoists have a huge mechanical advantage.
Lumber, hardware, and chain hoist about $450.
total investment so far $600.
It took several weeks to wrap my head around how to build a movable crane of some kind that could handle the weight, but yet be able to move it around. I came up with a gantry crane.
The gantry is built with ten foot long 4x4s. The beam across the top are two 2x8s that are glued together with an industrial polyurethane glue (not the crap you get at Lowes or Home Depot.) All of the braces are 2x4 at least 4' long. I used 3/8" through bolts on everything. I wanted to build this so if I really wanted to I could pick up the boat with just one gantry and not worry about anything. All of the wood is treated, so hopefully it will last for decades. It is my hope ever Fall to slip the boat upside down for the winter to keep the snow and ice out of the cockpit and protect the deck from UV.
I raised the heavy gantries by attaching a chain hoist to the basketball hoop metal brackets. My wife used the chain hoist while I guided the gantries once they reached their tipping point on the way up. It was quite easy with the two of us. Those chain hoists have a huge mechanical advantage.
Lumber, hardware, and chain hoist about $450.
total investment so far $600.
Overwhelmed Spring 2013
The snow melted and the weather started to warm up. I walked past the boat countless times trying to grasp the size of the project wondering where I would begin. I hadn't a clue. I didn't know the first thing about fiberglass and understand watching a few videos on You Tube does not make one an expert.
I started making phone calls to local people who might know something about repairing boats. Most of them didn't even bother to return my phone calls. Some of them did refer me to others. In the end I only had two experts take a look at the boat.
The first guy took a lot of time to explain things and describe everything that would need to happen in order to restore the boat. In the end, he told me he wasn't interested due to the amount of work required. The value of the boat would be less than the amount of time and resources required for restoration.
The second guy flat out told me he wasn't interested after taking less than 3 seconds of looking at the boat. I was discouraged! LOL
The International 110 has quite a few followers. It's a cool boat with a cool history. I had to decide whether I was going to give the boat away or do the restoration myself. If you are reading this blog, I think you know my decision. =)
I started making phone calls to local people who might know something about repairing boats. Most of them didn't even bother to return my phone calls. Some of them did refer me to others. In the end I only had two experts take a look at the boat.
The first guy took a lot of time to explain things and describe everything that would need to happen in order to restore the boat. In the end, he told me he wasn't interested due to the amount of work required. The value of the boat would be less than the amount of time and resources required for restoration.
The second guy flat out told me he wasn't interested after taking less than 3 seconds of looking at the boat. I was discouraged! LOL
The International 110 has quite a few followers. It's a cool boat with a cool history. I had to decide whether I was going to give the boat away or do the restoration myself. If you are reading this blog, I think you know my decision. =)
Beginning of 2013
When I got the boat home it was cleaned of trash and the thousands of leaves that collected inside (most from my maple tree). The wood was closely inspected and showed little deterioration. My initial assessment is that the boat isn't that bad off aside from the fiberglass falling off. I hoped to get the keel off the boat so I could easily flip it upside down for the winter. This didn't happen. I still can't figure out how the keel is bolted on to the bottom of the boat.
I began my research on the International 110 Sailboat. It was designed by a famous boat builder, C. Raymond Hunt, as a one-design single hull racing boat. When people ask me what it looks like I like to tell them it's a giant kayak with a 300 pound steel fin keel under it. The main and jib have about 150 sq ft and the spinnaker is an additional 100 sq ft. That's a lot of sail for a 900 pound boat. I can't wait to get it in the water later this summer.
Even though the boat looked like it was in bad shape, I felt this was a project worth doing.
I began my research on the International 110 Sailboat. It was designed by a famous boat builder, C. Raymond Hunt, as a one-design single hull racing boat. When people ask me what it looks like I like to tell them it's a giant kayak with a 300 pound steel fin keel under it. The main and jib have about 150 sq ft and the spinnaker is an additional 100 sq ft. That's a lot of sail for a 900 pound boat. I can't wait to get it in the water later this summer.
Even though the boat looked like it was in bad shape, I felt this was a project worth doing.
Delamination of fiberglass
Here is some of the worst damage. The fiberglass is delaminating in large sheets from the bottom of the boat. The exposed plywood is in good shape.
First few pictures
This is the boat I got for free. She's missing a rudder, sails, top deck is falling in, and the fiberglass is delaminating in several places. Initial inspection shows the wood to be in good shape. There's still hope.
Introduction to the restoration of my International 110 Sailboat
It is my intention to update this blog as often as I am able. Don't expect the blog to be spelled correctly or grammatically correct. Some updates will come after I'm tired from working. :)
In the Fall of 2012 I was given a free International 110 Sailboat, however I had to pay for the trailer. Owning a sailboat has been a dream for a long time. I didn't know where to start. Everything happens for a reason.
I am a novice sailor. I've been out a few times on a friends boat. He showed me a few basic things to help me gain confidence. It was more like, "hey! grab that line and pull it." I think I know enough now to get myself into a lot of trouble if I try to sail on my own. When this boat is finished, I'll be sure to take along an experienced sailor on the first few voyages.
I have a nice wood shop with some great tools. With over fifteen years of woodworking experience I feel I should have little problem to repair and replace any wood that might be in bad shape.
I have no experience with fiberglass. I've been reading and watching YouTube videos trying to learn as much as I can about it. I also have a few people trying to give me advice. I'm sure I'll catch on pretty quick once I start working at it. One thing good I have going for me is that I've used 2 part epoxies in the past.
I plan to also keep a running tally of my expenses in the blog both for myself and for others to see how I progress through the process.
I may not be doing this the cheapest or easiest way possible. I am doing it the best way I know.
If you have any links or information about the International 110 or about fiberglass boat restoration, please feel free to contact me.
Current costs involved with boat restoration:
Trailer $150
In the Fall of 2012 I was given a free International 110 Sailboat, however I had to pay for the trailer. Owning a sailboat has been a dream for a long time. I didn't know where to start. Everything happens for a reason.
I am a novice sailor. I've been out a few times on a friends boat. He showed me a few basic things to help me gain confidence. It was more like, "hey! grab that line and pull it." I think I know enough now to get myself into a lot of trouble if I try to sail on my own. When this boat is finished, I'll be sure to take along an experienced sailor on the first few voyages.
I have a nice wood shop with some great tools. With over fifteen years of woodworking experience I feel I should have little problem to repair and replace any wood that might be in bad shape.
I have no experience with fiberglass. I've been reading and watching YouTube videos trying to learn as much as I can about it. I also have a few people trying to give me advice. I'm sure I'll catch on pretty quick once I start working at it. One thing good I have going for me is that I've used 2 part epoxies in the past.
I plan to also keep a running tally of my expenses in the blog both for myself and for others to see how I progress through the process.
I may not be doing this the cheapest or easiest way possible. I am doing it the best way I know.
If you have any links or information about the International 110 or about fiberglass boat restoration, please feel free to contact me.
Current costs involved with boat restoration:
Trailer $150
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)