Nugland

Probably far from comprehensive, but I wanted to get as much written down as possible:

• Re-rig the masts in preparation for hoisting them
• Review all safety equipment requirements (with an emphasis on equipment with expiration dates - fire extinguishers, flares, etc.)
• Bottom paint (and reviewing old photos really makes me want to throw some of the copper-bronze on the leeboards)
• Legalize the potty (including, perhaps, sealing the through-hull)
• Obtain an Ohio boat sticker for 2009
• Legalize the transom with some pretty lettering. Or at least legal lettering
• Hang the leeboards (Sam said that he wants to be there for that)
• If allowed, get the masts hoisted

There are other things that I could write down right now, but they can wait until the boat is launched. Or they can be done wherever they fit. Whatever; the list is the stuff I need to get done in order to dunk the Centennial.

This is the image I sorta had in my head when we started this whole painting thing. Yeah, we still have to paint the bottom (with more paint, dollar-wise, than we’ve used so far), but that’s the below-water part. This is what I want people to see when I sail up alongside.

And I really dig it.

A side note: now that the scruffiness of the original paint has been replaced with this shiny newness, the boat, in person, looks a little toy-like. That was unexpected.

There have been three days of work since my last update: Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday. Mark Best joined us on Saturday and got the first coat onto the outsides of the leeboards and the first coat of white on the port side.

On Sunday, we got another coat onto the leeboards and the white part of the port side. On Tuesday I went down on my own and put the last coat of white down all the way around.

The next trip might finish up the leeboards, Additionally, I plan on prepping for the various trim painting. That will involve masking, sanding and priming of the rub-rail (which will be the same yellow as the rudder) and the toe-rail (along the top of the deck). That’ll be painted black.

After that, it’ll be rigging and bottom paint. Oh, dear, the end is in sight.

My nephew Ivo came from Philadelphia (with his parents) to help me celebrate. It was also my sister Anna’s birthday, but not her 46th; she’s younger than me.

We went back to Meinke’s on Sunday to paint (and paint and paint)


The things we accomplished:

• Second coat on the inboard sides of the leeboards.
• Touch-up on the black parts of the masts.
• Base coat of white on the ‘topmasts’ (like most ‘modern’ gaffers, Centennial’s ‘topmasts’ are just extensions of the mast).
• First coat of yellow on the rudder (hot!).
• Base coat of white on the starboard side.

The white on the sides didn’t go on so hot, but some sanding and another coat should do the thing nicely.

As usual, click for more pics

The black part of the hull is done.

We also got a nice coat of paint on the masts and on one side of the leeboards. Funny thing: it turns out that one quart of Interlux Brightsides is exactly equal to the amount of that paint we can paint in a day. On every day of painting black (there have been three) we have exactly polished off a quart.

Gotta tell ya, once you figure out what it is that this paint wants you to do (and start doing that), it goes on amazing.

Since June 9th, when we had a bunch of help with the initial sanding and the first coat of primer, we’ve been back to centennial several times. We’ve managed to:
Sand again and apply second coat of primer.
Sand again and apply first coat of black on the topsides.
Sand again and apply the second coat of black.

There are at least four more days of painting just to finish the topsides, then a day to paint the bottom.

Things left to do before getting her in the water:

• Touch up the black on the hull.
• Two coats of black on the leeboards (now primed). This will take a while, as you can only paint one side at a time.
• Two coats of black on the masts (we cheater-primed them already).
• Yellow above the water line on the rudder (pure vanity).
• White on the mast-tops and top of the transom.
• Lettering on the transom.
• Bronze paint on the rudder and bootstripe (the line above the waterline).
• Two coats of red bottom paint (after sanding and cleaning).

Beyond that, we have to get the masts up. Then into the water (Yay!).