[Public-List] PRINCESS book

[dan walker]

re read princess and mowattsboat who would not float every winter. i know sad pathetic creature, but it does take my mind off my lot of being where winter occurs



________________________________
 From: Gordon Laco <mainstay at csolve.net>
To: Jonathan Adams <laughing_gull at verizon.net>; Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> 
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 9:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Public-List] Bilges and Hull Painting
 
Hello Jonathan - 

Your description of digging down while wondering how far you were going to
have to go reminds me of one of my favourite passages in a book titled
'Princess' by Joe Richards.  Richards had just bought Princess (she was a
Friendship sloop; he bought her in the mid 1930's)  using every penny he
could scrape together, and after concluding the sale decided to clean out
the forepeak where the anchor chain was coiled.  He dug through sand and
sludge that had accumulated over the years, reaching in through the small
access port... Digging, digging, the handfuls of soft black crud never
seemed to end.  Finally he found he was reaching into what seemed like an
empty space with his arm in up to the shoulder... And his fingers felt
warm.... And he realized he'd dug right through the rotten oak stem and his
hand was extended into the air, the warmth he was feeling was the sun.

He described the next moments... "I grabbed a claw hammer and went after the
bum who had my money, but he got away".

Here's a thought on your bilge.  Our boats have encapsulated ballast, which
means the iron pig is laid into the glass keel.  If your keel is damaged in
a grounding, water can get past the iron and up into the boat.  Sealing off
the ballast with epoxy and cloth or whatever is probably a good idea.

Gord #426 Surprise


On 12/03/12 8:48 PM, "Jonathan Adams" <laughing_gull at verizon.net> wrote:

> First of all thanks for all the comments on hull painting. I read them all.
> However,  no sooner had I started sanding the hull, and committed to a hull
> job, then I discovered a new feature of the old boat!
> 
> The engine is currently out, and I had cleaned the bilge to what I thought was
> the floor of the bilge. This involved about 2 inches of sludge and many pieces
> of hardware. However, it was not drying, so I dug further. I ripped up the
> board that (I now know) separates the ballast from the bilge. Beneath this
> board was another 2 + inches of oil drenched sludge. I kept digging, and was
> seriously concerned that I was going to just keep going. However, I got to a
> baton running fore and aft, and below that it seemed to be wet, but clean.
> 
> So ... put a fan on it, threw kitty litter down to soak up water, and put a
> 60w bulb down. It seems to be drying out. My question is - any advice for a)
> making it as dry as possible; and b) sealing this back up?
> 
> I had thought about putting a few plastic boards down there, and pouring resin
> with some filler around them to build the bilge back up to where it was. Then
> I thought about just making a sludge of kitty litter and resin - what have
> other folks done?
> 
> 
> Looking forward to your comments.
> 
> Jonathan
> Laughing Gull 197
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