Painting Windie Hulls

[Hockeye]

Hi All

I'm restoring a pair of Mk2 Windie hulls.  Includes filling in dings and scrapes and new fibregalss strips on the keels.  Otherwise they're in good condition.

The hulls are (were) white but have been stained by immersion in red mud.  Indeed the new gel coat is much whiter!

I'm thinking of painting the hulls a new colour, but not the decks.

Do you have some advice on preparation and best paint to be used?  Is brush painting an option or should I be looking to spray paint?

 

As a side issue, I'm replacing my mainsheet.  I sail sloop rigged (no trapeze). My existing mainsheet runs right out to the blocks when on a run but the mainsail doesn't touch the shrouds.  I have a triple block on the rear traveller and a double block on the boom. What is the ideal length for the sheet? I'm thinking 8M.

Thanks

Hockeye

[Badboy]

Use a two pack paint, and spray the hole hull its much easer. You should be able to buy a good quality 3L paint, hardener & thinners for under $200.

 

I've seen a guy use that new type of paint that's self leveling. You are supposed to roll on then quickly brush and its supposed to come out like its been sprayed on. Well his prep was very bad and he did a poor job so it looked terrible. But in little sections it looked good so its possible but easer to just spray paint.

Another guy in our club painted his hulls 2 pack white and they look awesome, and it's easy to fix if needed. Prep is everything though & make sure you use lots of that wax & grease remover before you paint.

 

MK2 do you mean a bulkhead boat (ply bulkheads inside) If so make sure it's bulkheads are in good nick, glassed over is best, and horizontal one between the beams is in tack and in good condition as well. I'm saying this because if you use it for racing the foam blocks must be all stuck in well, and bulkheads must be all good so your hulls are not soft. Having hull walls that aren't rigid is slow. Spend time inside your hulls and it will sail better.

 

Your main sheet sounds about right, I have mine so if the traveler is centered & I let the sheet out the boom wont touch the stay.         

[Hockeye]

Hi Badboy

Thanks for your comments.  You have only mentioned cleaning the wax etc off the hulls prior to painting with 2-Pack.  Shouldn't I sand the hulls as well to get an adequate key for the new paint or does it just bond to the existing gel coat?

My Windie has manufacturing details engraved behind the rear cross member on the starboard side.  It also has forward hatches.  It appears that 50 mm thick polystyrene bulkheads have been retro-fitted into the hulls (the forward hatches are larger),  presumably after the original plywood bulkheads rotted out.  Some of the bulkheads are loose since they have been "glued" in using expanding foam which doesn't really take to the fibreglass.  I plan to re-glue them using SikaFlex Marine adhesive.

 

BTW I recently had a new tramp made by John Vials, a motor trimmer located at Pt Macquarie.  He was referred to me by Darcy.  John is more used to making Maricat tramps so I ended up with a hybrid version.  There are loops on the rear of the tramp thru which I need to place a 20 mm electrical plastic conduit on which to lace to the rear cross beam.  John also missed on stitching down the trailing ends of the foot straps, but I can get that done locally by a sailmaker.

A warning to everyone, make sure you measure the precise distance between your sail tracks on the hulls to ensure that the tramp slides on taut!  Even subtract a mm or 2.  I found a few mm difference between my old Mk1 hulls and the new S/H Mk 2 hulls.

Any further advice would be appreciated.

[Badboy]

Hi Hockeye

Yes it goes without saying, sand sand sand, and then fill & block back. Then sand sand sand, Prep is everything, anything you miss will stand out. You wont see it as much on the hulls but any dings on the decks you will see. You can use car bog, it seems to be ok. Or get the correct filler. Do the rudder blades as well.

 

Good that its got bulkhead's fitted, restick all the foam in with black or white sikaflex so its rigid. I would take it apart, so beams off & what fittings you don't remove mask up. After your finished all the prep last thing is to wipe with wax & grease remover. Maybe youtube the spray painting because it a great way to get tips on pressures and set ups. 

Cheers

Quin

[Just One More]

2 pac is the best but keep in mind that stuff is poision in a bottle and should only be sprayed in a spray booth while your in a  fully ventilated suit. I assume you don't have that facility so make sure your in a well ventilated area and any over spray doesn't drift over your neighbours fence. You will also need to spend the money on a good ventilation mask from a spray shop. They come with different filters that clip on the front, one is esprcially made for 2 pac paint chemicals.

 

You can use the 1 pac paints which will provide you witha good finish for a about 4-5 years but hey definitely don't have the longevity of 2 pac

 

If your spraying white then add a drop or 2 of orange orche to the paint, this will take the bright white off the colour and make the boat look more original and as Quinn says spray the complete hull, leaving the deck will disappoint. Like painting the walls and not the ceiling which make the ceiling look very ordinary. I wold suggest you don't change the colour because if you get a scatch the white will show through the colour and really stand out, where as white on white hides it some what.

 

Paul

[slammin]

I suugestbyou keep it tatty that way its a sleeper. Rock up to the comp and blow them away. Seriously tho I leave mine out the front of the house and it won't be stolen I bet if I tarted her up she'd disappear one night.

[Hockeye]

Not a bad idea Slammin!  I'm dying to get it out in a blow and new paint won't make it perceptively faster.  Perhaps a good cut and polish may do the trick.

 

Just bought new bungs but the threads don't match the female part.  So I bought new bung assemblies, only to find that the boss on the female part is larger than the originals, ie 25 mm vs 20 mm originals.  I now have to plug the bung holes in the transoms and drill out using a hole saw!  What else will stop me sailing???!!!

[knobblyoldjimbo]

look on sailinganarchy.com/forums there are a lot of articles on roll and tip method, look up youtube too. its a very effective way for the amature.

 

Dont forget to allow time to sail though.

 

btw on my Maricat 10m of mainsheet seems to be the go for 6:1 plus traveller.

 

with the tramp you dont wsnt the trailing edge straps ti be stitched, you tie them to the rear beam in the position and tightness you want.  once youve installed the tramp you tighten it up around the conduit as tight as you can- ive used an iron bar to get leverage. tighter the better.  because its cross cut the tramp stiffens up the whole platform.

[knobblyoldjimbo]

but do tell what type of paper are you using?  40grit?

 

also bear in mind that polyester bog shrinks while epoxy doesnt. i've read that epoxy sticks better. you don't get bondage anyway whichever type you use, just a mechanical join.

[Hockeye]

Thanks Jimbo

I will still be lacing with cord between the electrical conduit and the hooks on my rear beam as per standard Windie tramps, so I'll be able to get tension on the tramp.  I've decided not to go ahead with the paint job as suggested by Slammin.  Think I'll give the hulls a good water blast then a cut and polish.  I'm finding that gel coat is good for filling minor dings etc, providing I grind or sand first.  It can be built up over several coats then sanded back. It sets off rock hard as it's epoxy based.

[knobblyoldjimbo]

Nope, gelcoat is polyester based.  Look it up, it tends to shrink over time (my 40 year old Careel had a few repairs that eventually dropped out).  The sticking capability of epoxy is said to be superior, you don't get a chemical bond with either poly or epoxy but apparently epoxy has a better mechanical bond.  That't pretty much the extent of my understanding and I'm not a great practitioner.

I'm doing some finding out since my Mari (Sweet 16) was painted which as day follows night means that it needs repainting at some stage.

Stick to function over form and you'll have many more saliing days!  Not long ago a Windy crashed into me knocking out a thumbnail sized dent - I did epoxy and those glass balls.  I put packing tape on back to front (it's Mylar and doesn't stick) you use the tape to get a really nice smooth finish, take it off and go sailing, nothing more to do!