Alberg 30 Refit: Re-coring Port Side deck (cont.)

The warm weather has continued here in the eastern part of the United States, which has enabled me to continue my boat work. I am really trying to get this side deck closed up before Mother Nature decides to bring winter in full force. I worked over the last few weeks preparing the exposed area of the port side deck. 

I picked up where I left off and cut the new Core-cell core. This stuff is super easy to work with. I laid all the core in place and marked it for the G10 board.

All the G10 board cut and ready, and in its final resting spot sandwiched between the inner and outer deck. I also beveled the edges of the old skin to provide a nicely prepped surface for the new fiberglass to grab onto to make a good strong joint and bond.

First mate and I had a few days off over Christmas. Outside temperatures soared close to 80! We took advantage and decided to lay in the new core. 

To prep the area for new core and G10 board we cleaned the entire area twice with acetone. Once cleaned we mixed straight West System resin with the 206 West Systems slow hardener. This mixture would give us ample working time with the warm temperatures. After we wetted out the entire area with the resin mixture we let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. During this time we starting mixing the West Systems resin with 206 and 406 Adhesive Filler. As with the lazarette area, we used this mixture to spread under the new core, bedding it into the existing deck.

Here is a piece of the new core all wet with epoxy waiting to be laid down.

After we had a all the core in and all voids filled with the thickened epoxy we applied the sandbags to weight it all down. This prevents the core from lifting and makes sure it stays conformed to the deck's contour.

The next morning, thanks to another day off, I got right to work sanding the cured epoxy and new core in preparation for new top layers of fiberglass. I did not get any pictures of the finished core but it took a good hour to prep it. After it was all prepped I began laying out and cutting the fiberglass.

I marked all the fiberglass pieces with a sharpie markers to help with the placement.

The second layer all cut and marked.

Close up of the new fiberglass laid over the previously damaged stanchion area (see previous posts for before pics of the damage).

A little trimming and tweaking was needed.

After wetting out the area completely I laid on the first two pieces of new side-deck top skin fiberglass.

All wet out with West Systems epoxy, showing the G10 and core.

Much better than what was there before and I would venture to say even better than new!

First layer with all air bubbles removed ready for next layer. You can see the G10 board I laid into the core for the jib track. This will provide strength and prevent water from leaking into the core.

The entire area with 2 layers of new 1708 biaxial fiberglass applied. I made sure to stagger the seams between layers. 

After letting the area set up for about 30 minutes, I applied a skim coat of the 407 fairing epoxy to help fill in the weave of the fiberglass. I thought this area of the deck was only going to need 2 layers to complete the new top skin. After a bit of sanding I now realize another layer of fiberglass will be needed. I am not sure I will get the additional layer on this winter but at least the area is all sealed up and can be walked on (we excitedly tested that out just this afternoon and were pleased with the results!)

Stay tuned! A surprise is in the works...

Alberg 30 Refit: Bottom paint removal continued and hull blisters

This evening I finished up the nasty dirty paint removal task on the port side of the hull. During the last few months I have been pretty busy with work, family and other projects and I was becoming frustrated and worried that the refit would never progress. I had piddled around here and there but no major tasks were getting done. Fortunately, this has changed. I made it a priority to get this refit rolling.

I had been using a 6" sander to remove the paint. That thing made all kinds of dust. It removed the paint but was a bear to use. I decided to try scraping a majority of the paint. This turned out to be a great decision. In about 4 hours time I had scraped almost the entire side. 

After scraping a majority of the paint, sanding with a 5" Bosch orbital sander made getting to the gelcoat quite easy. Another 4 hours and I had 2/3 of the port side hull down to the gelcoat.

Working away at little bit at a time, I put in 2 hours last night.

Using the trailer as a bench and stool has come in quite handy.

Another angle of the sanded hull

Here's where the bad news starts. My Alberg is full of blisters (water intrusion), This is a good example of one. From what I can tell this is not a new problem and one that someone tried to repair long ago...about 6 layers of bottom paint ago to be exact, so maybe 20 years ago....who knows???

You can see the hull issues better in this photo. That discolored area which extends all the way to the stern seemed to be some severe crazing, and is full of blisters

The red dots appear to be old blisters that were filled and the other dots are new blisters. 

As you can see from the pictures I am making progress. I seemed to have opened a can of worms here on the hull. I surely want to fix the issues as best I can, but I also want to be sensible about the repair. I am devising a plan now to use West System epoxy for the repairs, and until then I'll be sanding the starboard side. More to follow!

Repowering our Old Alberg 30?

During our refit I have given some thought to perhaps repowering our Alberg 30 with a new propulsion system. It's not that the one we have is not adequate, it is just old. Why not replace Sal's Atomic 4 while she's here at the house?

Here is a picture of the Atomic 4 that we have now. She is still a very good engine, but it's old technology and uses quite a bit of fuel, not a good option for cruising beyond America. She was rebuilt back in 2008 by A4 gurus at Moyer Marine, and hasn't really been any trouble for us. 

(picture from Betamarine.com)

Here is what I would like to put into our Alberg 30, a Beta 14 Diesel. This engine uses probably 1/3 the fuel of the Atomic 4, and diesel on a sailboat is safer than gasoline. So why not? Well, the $8,000 price tag. That's about 5000 extra reasons why this will not be at the top of the list.

(picture from starmarineinc.com)

Next consideration is the outboard. While not exactly designed to push a boat of Sal's size, in calm water it does just fine. I have seen several cost-conscious cruisers with boats similar to ours using this option. It frees up space on the inside of the boat and uses about 2/3 the fuel of our current system.

(picture from Thunderstruck.com)

Next there is electric power. I really like this option for some reason. No more fuel costs other than batteries (every 5-6 yrs). This system's only draw back is range. The large battery bank needed to supply a decent range is just not practical on a boat of our size. But let's face it, our Alberg is a sailboat...how much should we be motoring anyway?

These are our choices and I am still doing the research on each. Each option has its pros and cons and I will be weighing them out here on the blog during the coming months.

What are your thoughts on powering a sailboat?

No Snow on Sal!

So far the shelter has been doing its job! Our Alberg 30 is staying dry. A bit of drifting snow is finding its way onto her decks but for the most part, nice and dry.

I've also added a bit of light for when the weather warms up. I will be able to work into the evening and night time hours, this will really help with refit progress.

Until next time, stay warm! 

Beautiful weekend-In progress

The last few days the weather here has been great, nearly perfect! I finished all of the welding on the trailer and finally applied some paint to most of it. I was only able to paint the front half but its getting there. This Alberg 30 trailer will soon have an Alberg 30 sailboat on it.

Here is what our Alberg 30 trailer project looks like this am, starting to come together

We went to an absolutely great Bruce Springsteen concert last night, one of the best performances I've ever seen. The E Street band was amazing. They played for 3 hrs straight. It was well worth the money. Today WE ARE GOING SAILING!!!! It is going to be close to 80 degrees and there will be a nice southerly breeze. Check back for pictures and a sailing report

My eyes!!

My eyes!!!!!! The sun is shining and the ground is starting to dry. I should be able to get back to work on the trailer here in a day or so. My yard is almost free of standing water, with temps near 70 the yard will dry rather quickly. So for the next few days I will try and get some house stuff, like cleaning the garage finished.

Feeding the ducks yesterday as the storm blew through and turned my yard into a tiny lake. It was 35 and raining yesterday, today near 70 and sunny. Welcome to Virginia

Progress to Report

Had another good progress day on the trailer. At this point I believe she could hold old Sal, upright anyway. I was originally going to have the yard place Sal on the keel support and leave her there in the slings while I made the supports to keep her upright. I decided to go ahead and make the stands before hand. The decision was made after receiving a great drawing and measurements from James Baldwin of www.atomvoyages.com. The supports came out great. As you can probably tell I used old boat stands. I simply cut them up and reused what I needed, not too bad considering I paid $25 per stand! 

Yours Truly welding the support in place

More welding

Using my calibrated eye to ensure all is straight! An eye I got from my uncle and my father. Both of them taught me, from the time I was a child to the the day I left for the Navy at 18, how to use my hands to create and fix things, something that no amount of money or school could replace. I could never repay them for it either; what they instilled in me growing up is priceless. It is because of them I am able and not afraid to do what I do today...Thank you guys! 

"Laying a bead" as they say

As you can see in these pics, most of the trailer mods so far are just temporarily welded in place ('tacked' in welding terms.)

I will transport the trailer out to a friend to use a much larger machine to complete all the welding.

One support finished

Close up of the other side

I am very happy progress has been made. I was able to complete 2 of 6 planned hull supports. I finished the keel supports and cross members. I am working hard to get the trailer finished in the next week or two. I hope to have the boat on the trailer by the end of the month. I am going to purchase fenders tomorrow.
Looks like some foul weather headed our way this week, ice then snow.....so progress may be slowed once again.

Stay Tuned!

Thinking of warmer times

No trailer progress to report, the cold has settled back in this week. Snow flurries yesterday and a few more today have halted all outside projects. Tomorrow's high temperatures are only supposed to reach high 20's. The thought of that gives me chills. To combat this frigid weather I am looking at pictures of our previous Adventures aboard Salacia. 

Schooner Virginia passing us as we sail out of Little Creek on Chesapeake Bay

First mate headed down the docks as we return from a nice sail

A steady course with a 10kt breeze, very refreshing!

Ok, back to today....it is cold. It's going to continue to be cold for at least the next 3 or 4 days. I hope to get back to work on the trailer this weekend.

Stay Warm!

Plans, Plans, Plans

Right now we are in the "planning to plan" stages of going cruising. We have our vessel, we have a vision and  we are working on a plan to get us there. This is harder than it seems: deciding to take a complete 180 from everything you know and setting off for distant shores. Sound scary? That's the best thing about it! First and foremost there is no clear and cut path to this type of life. There are books, blogs and forums written by others that have done it before but they are still only the few. None of the seem to say exactly how they broke away. Some say how easy it is and some say "just go!" but is it the honest truth...or glossed-over hindsight? 

First mate and I have chosen to take a path less followed. Life is a very finite entity. We decided working day in and day out, each day so similar to the last that it seems like sleepwalking until days blend into years and years become old age, is not for us. We have been fortunate enough to travel the world together once already. We have seen the beauty of  east and west coasts of USA, Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Israel, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Turkey.....we have been many places and met many wonderful and interesting people. We want to keep going. There is still a whole world out there to explore and we want to experience it. 

Getting Sal ready to take us on such journeys will take time and dedication to the project, but won't be the hard part. While the work itself will be difficult to get done, there are many books, blogs and parts available out there to make her a safe voyaging vessel. 

As I write this I am passing ideas around in my brain on ways to make a living while we're out there. This is the hard part...figuring out what we will do to maintain this lifestyle. We want to eventually be live-aboards on the west coast. That to me is easy and attainable. I can work while living aboard. But we also want to cruise. Can we save up enough money while stateside to leave for years at a time? My guess is no. We want to visit many foreign places but we know we will need income. How will that income be earned? This is the great question and the hardest to answer. All of my money making experience tells me I need to trade my skills and efforts for cash. Can one just cruise up to a foreign country and get a job? Probably not. So what will we do? 

This is where I am right now, trying to formulate a plan and a good one to keep us moving toward our goal of enjoying the life we were given and not waiting for the golden years. We are working hard at the moment and that is all that matters. We are continuing to plan...while moving forward with our plan.

Flying the drifter in 2012

New Year = Alberg 30 Refit, or something like that

With this new year coming in with quite a chill I thought I'd take the the time to let everyone know what 2014 has in store for us and Sal. 

    We will continue to go to work and live everyday life (EXTREMELY frugally). This will help us move towards freeing ourselves of the soul-crushing imprisonment of debt. It will also give us time to work on skills that will help us sustain our cruising lifestyle when we finally do go. First mate is now a 200-hour Registered Yoga Instructor and she will spend 2014 sharpening her teaching skills. We hope she can use this to earn an income while cruising. I will be working on finishing my documentation and submitting my 100-Ton Master package to the USCG. I will also be busy..very busy....because:

   We are pulling our Salacia out of the water and putting her on the hard here at the house to begin a refit. (The neighbors are going to love it) <*snicker*>. As with any other plastic classic, Sal has some issues that need to be addressed. And beyond that she was never meant to be lived on, so we will be working to turn her into a capable cruiser/live-aboard vessel for the two of us. We will not be completely gutting her and starting over but rather working with what is already there, as she is still in fairly good condition. 

The last time we had her hauled nearly 3 years ago

Some of the major concerns and minuses:

• Delamination and soft deck issues, needs new electrical, she has some compression in mast beam area from water intrusion
•    Strengthening of forward chainplate knees
•    Water Tankage
•    Rebuilding and mounting our Lofrans Manual windlass
•    Adding inner forestay and running backstays
•    Rebuilding Toe rails and securing hull to deck seam
•    Painting and freshening up of all areas
•    Dodger/sun shade for cockpit
•    NO SAILING : (
•    Add Boom Gallows
•    Upgrade ground tackle
•    Mounting chainplates for drogue
•    Add ventilation
•    Recondition original 4 forward opening portlights
•    Adding heat source
•    Build deck chocks for our dingly

Some areas that are pluses or already done:

•    Rigging- Both standing and running rigging are only 2 yrs old
•    Already reconditioned mast and mast hardware
•    Head- fairly new Lavoc with a new holding tank
•    Electronics are new and not even installed yet
•    Own dodger 
•    Own windlass
•    I can do almost 99% of the work myself
•    Save money on slip fees
•    Build or sew a drogue
•    Already own new ground tackle, just need to build anchor storage on Sals bow-maybe a small bowsprit.
•    Already own  new ABI porlights
•    Own trailer
•    Aux power-while gas, like new including shaft, cutlass bearing and prop
•    Have Dingy

As you can see, this list is quite extensive and lots of work will be involved. This is one reason we decided to refit her at the house. Traveling to and from the marina wasted time and fuel. I was able to purchase a trailer that I will modify for her. That project is now under way and I will be updating you all on the blog here soon.

I am also going to try to be more attentive to the blog. I am hoping that you all can provide some constructive feedback as I know some of you have experienced a refitting.

Picking up trailer and towing it home about 45 miles. She is made with 2 6,000 lb axles and 4x6 x.375 steel angle. Plenty strong to hold and carry Sals 9,000 lb bottom

I will be adding a keel support and boat stands to keep her upright. 

One other important thing to note is that we know the work involved, I have the time for such work and we have no rigid deadline. I have a goal of 12-18 months but if it takes longer so be it.

Please stay tuned and follow along!

Gorgeous Day Sail

      We enjoyed a great sail this past week. Here are a few shots from the day. We really like our new light weight drifter. I bought it off of craigslist for $250, a steal! I  tried to get some interesting shots with our new (to us) Canon DSLR T2i, another craigslist find! I also added a few videos to our new YouTube channel, you can view them from the link to the right from our blog

 My beautiful first mate relaxing on the deck as we move right along

 A shot of the new rigging and drifter.

Another shot looking up the mast. Crystal was at the helm while I moved around taking a few shots

Here is one of the videos I uploaded to YouTube