Suliere's Blog

I did not manage to strike many jobs off the list on Friday – The Just catamarans chap was busy elsewhere and nobody else turned up but those sorts of day happen.

Still found some trapped hairs in te varnish so decoded to rub down and spray the varnish on. Did the rubbing down with 1000 grade on a random orbital sander but the spraying did not go too well and I ended up spraying and then brushing it in. I later found out you need a low pressure spray for it and have to continually shale the container as you spray – a sort of shake and spray.

Nevertheless it looks reasonable and with a rub down with 1500 and 300 grade it should suffice.

Put the screecher up a few times and realised that the furling loop is about ten feet to short to use in the cockpit and so needs replacing. I am also seeing if its 12mm is simply not needed and if a 10mm will turn the spindle OK.

I also researched having a top down furler for the gennaker. Its would be very handy to be able to simply furl and unfurl the gennaker form the cockpit. Saves all that going out front with socks etc. I have many questions and West marine could noit answer them all today …. they asked me to call back tuesday when they can phone up some experts on it.

One job that did make progress even on a saturday was the cockpit window security film. A chap wo does this full time called by and quoted me for attaching the security film to the four cockpit windows a job that is now scheduled for Wednesday. Wewere told the glass was bullet proof when we bought the boat but when the sail fell down, just as it has done on two other SF50’s we broke the glass and found out it was not only not bullet proof but shattered into tiny bits that were even sticking under our finger nails some 6 months later! In fact still finding bits a year later. Hence the security dil is intended to prevent that ever happeneing again.

By the way there at least three ways that you can make a mistake in putting up a screecher and I now know how to avoid all three! …:-)