December 3 & 11, 2003
December 3rd was batten day. By this point all battens had been cut and fitted for length. On this day, we sealed them with several coats of epoxy (Prolyene).
The week of December 11th was time to seal the entire boat. On Monday the 9th, we flipped the boat upside down again! To do this, pallet racking was built up at each end of the boat with cross members at the top. Straddling these cross members fore-aft was an I-beam on which a 3-ton hoist was hung. This was repeated front and back. We then picked the boat up as has been done many times before, and flipped it over. About midway up the pallet racking another cross member was put in place and the boat was lowered onto these. This provided long-term stability to hold the boat upside down.
The boat was then blown out and let to sit for a couple of days to ensure all the dust was out. On Wednesday the 11th Mike Campbell and Mike Hanson sprayed three coats onto the inside of the boat. The spray was a special clear-coat epoxy (Prolyene) that will seal the wood, aluminum, bolts, etc. and protect from UV radiation.
This sealing was allowed to cure until the next Monday when the boat was turned back over and set down. It took another week for the epoxy to fully cure.
Now the boat is sealed and protected inside and out!
Read MoreThe week of December 11th was time to seal the entire boat. On Monday the 9th, we flipped the boat upside down again! To do this, pallet racking was built up at each end of the boat with cross members at the top. Straddling these cross members fore-aft was an I-beam on which a 3-ton hoist was hung. This was repeated front and back. We then picked the boat up as has been done many times before, and flipped it over. About midway up the pallet racking another cross member was put in place and the boat was lowered onto these. This provided long-term stability to hold the boat upside down.
The boat was then blown out and let to sit for a couple of days to ensure all the dust was out. On Wednesday the 11th Mike Campbell and Mike Hanson sprayed three coats onto the inside of the boat. The spray was a special clear-coat epoxy (Prolyene) that will seal the wood, aluminum, bolts, etc. and protect from UV radiation.
This sealing was allowed to cure until the next Monday when the boat was turned back over and set down. It took another week for the epoxy to fully cure.
Now the boat is sealed and protected inside and out!
