On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:57:08 GMT, "Thomas Wentworth"
wrote:


Next question: The Pearson Vanguard is old, 1968. The hull is sound, the
decks are sound BUT..

the finish of the deck, especially, looks chalky. And the inside looks like
CRAP.

I painted an old boat once. First, I sanded. Then, filled the devits, then
clean with solution,,, and then I had the boat painted with a tough paint
,,, Enron ???? or something.

What about deck paint. What or how does one redo an old deck? Since the
fiberglass has little grooves for footing, and all ... how or what can be
done to refinish?

Can you cover the existing deck with something like a laminate? Of course,
you would take off all the old fittings etc first, I presume. That might be
a good thing since then everything could be checked out and replaced if worn
out.

I get the impression this is a free or near-free boat. In that case,
air it out, power wash the deck, paint the bilge, consider redoing the
cushions, and wipe the teak parts with cleaner, then orange oil. It
will smell better, look better and be more pleasant.

Then focus on the safety stuff: radios, bilge pumps, thru hulls. Fix
if needed. Are the sails OK? Lifelines? Halyards? Rigging? If you
can't tell, get an opinion. The colour of the deck would be irrelevant
if the mast comes down in a gale because you have 38 year old
turnbuckles and deformed chainplates.

Then focus on comfort: are the cushions perished? Is there mildew
anywhere? Does the head work, or does it stink?

There's a hell of a lot you can and should do with hot water, TSP and
elblow grease to make a stinky old boat into "a classic, with
character". The pricey or time-consuming upgrades can happen later, if
at all. The point is to make it safe, pleasant and easy to handle.
Beautiful will come in the use, not the sparkle of the decks.

======

Another engine question. With a 33' sailboat. What if there was no engine?
Could I use a rubber dingy with an outboard as a tug?

Awkwardly, yes, and in a seaway, alone, probably dangerously.

I remember the
schooners down in Maine used this method. They didn't have an inboard
engine that pushed the boat. I think they had an engine just for power,,,
lights etc. But getting in and out of the harbor they used a tug method.

What are your thoughts???

You've be better to just bolt an outboard to the stern, I suppose, but
weight in the ends, the awkwardness of handling an outboard while
steering...it's not so hot. Also, you'd need about a 15 hp, which
means a biggish mount and a 120-140 lb. engine, minimum. Then there's
the issue of boat power...the magneto on an outboard is pretty
minimal, so you'd have to charge batteries aboard for a radio, cabin
lights, etc. The inboard engine is the bird in the hand...why not fix
it and get a charge every time you leave the harbour?

Hey, the boat if FREE. I'm just trying to keep it that way.

That ain't going to happen. Boats cost, and cost fairly consistantly,
by the nature of the environment around them and the sporadic nature
of their use. You can keep those costs down, but at some point the
boat and eventually you will suffer. You can pay others to keep it
nice, but most of us just do incremental "boat jobs" and maybe one or
two "projects" a season, so we can enjoy sailing for its own sake.

R.