Bought a Never splashed Colvic Countess 33 on eBay, Looking for infos

[GregOddity]

Detail, mere detail...

THAT had me laughing my head off :encouragement:

 

[GregOddity]

I'm just wondering how you get a bulkhead sized piece of wood through your hatchway?

There's a couple of ways to do it. my prefered is to have it fit off course, the second is to indeed have it in strips, Bulkhead in 3 parts tpe of thing, the most likely tho is cutting the hatch to make it fit. Don't try this on a refit, but mine is a "new" build, theres a lot of cutting commin

 

[GregOddity]

Those prices are for the best marine ply for external use and a bit OTT for internal construction except structural bulkheads. For most other internal uses you can use the lower grade which is roughly half the price. Arguably the best supplier is Robbins in Bristol www.robbins.co.uk who do both grades in their Elite range. For the volume you need no doubt you will get a discount, but it will still make a big hole in your budget along with the GRP materials and adhesives to attach it all to your boat.

If you build your boat properly it will be dry internally and delamination is not an issue, but good quality ply is both stable and much easier to work than WBP. However, I have a Ply built boat which I have owned for 35 years and have used (good) WBP internally in non critical areas without any problems even though with open bilges it is permanently damp. The secret is to protect it properly with an appropriate coating such as Danboline.

I must admit I tried quiet a few merchants and I doubt its wallpaper paste as it kinda looks like the pancake dough after 1H in a bucket of water... Thanks for the heads up, i'm thinking robbins it is.

 

[pvb]

THAT had me laughing my head off :encouragement:

No, we're the ones laughing....

 

[GregOddity]

No, we're the ones laughing....

Not yet youre not, wait till I finish it, THEN you will Laugh your head off now perhaps a tinge of a smile with a slight curving of the lip.

 

[seaangler23]

There's a couple of ways to do it. my prefered is to have it fit off course, the second is to indeed have it in strips, Bulkhead in 3 parts tpe of thing, the most likely tho is cutting the hatch to make it fit. Don't try this on a refit, but mine is a "new" build, theres a lot of cutting commin

Or if your really pernickity do it out of half or third thickness of ply required cut 2 or 3, first one vertical and next horizontal ect and then laminate back together inside the boat, instead of having full length joints, but scarfs would probably suffice if getting glassed

 

[GregOddity]

Or if your really pernickity do it out of half or third thickness of ply required cut 2 or 3, first one vertical and next horizontal ect and then laminate back together inside the boat, instead of having full length joints, but scarfs would probably suffice if getting glassed

We’ve been discussing that, back and forth, but as the door into the cabin was only partially cut and never finished, we still need to cut the rest and therefore it’s still kind of hard to see where that will leave us. The door needs changing as well as we don’t want the cut as deep as it is, there’s only a small lip that will need to be higher in order to prevent water ingress when listing. That will influence the size of what w can fit through, so were planning on cutting the top and moving stuff inside and then doing the bottom, that may even be enough for the bulkhead in the forward.

 

[GregOddity]

So in other news I’m sorry I have not yet posted the layouts or did much else, but the past week was spent recovering from a mud incident with our new tender and outboard. It completely derailed our plans for this week and not much was done I must admit.

 

[GregOddity]

Here’s an interesting question. The countess has glass and aluminium on the portholes, they all leak and I’m going to investigate it properly but, has anyone changed glass for acrylic? advantages? The glass seems to be in good condition, the aluminium on the other hand has seen better days, so Im thinking of making new frames out of stainless.
Newbie on portholes..

 

[zoidberg]

The secret is to protect it properly with an appropriate coating such as Danboline.

A better 'secret' is to coat all ply edges in epoxy, with a double treatment wherever there may possibly be water collecting. See The Gougeon Brothers On Boat Construction', West System literature, and lots of other guidance - including here. You're likely, anyway, to want to make fillet joints with thickened epoxy and woven roving tape, taking care to avoid creating 'hard spots' on the hull.

Consider making tiny 'limber holes' with little pvc tubes embedded, where water might collect when sailing and heeled. Not many pro boatbuilders do that!

When you get some prices from Bristol-based Robbins Timber, you could with profit compare with price offerings from Avon Plywood.... just on the other side of Briz'l.
www.avonply.co.uk/‎

They don't have such a flash product catalogue, nor do they take a stand at all the boat shows, but you might be pleasantly surprised at their knowledge and service. Did I mention prices....?

 

[GregOddity]

A better 'secret' is to coat all ply edges in epoxy, with a double treatment wherever there may possibly be water collecting. See The Gougeon Brothers On Boat Construction', West System literature, and lots of other guidance - including here. You're likely, anyway, to want to make fillet joints with thickened epoxy and woven roving tape, taking care to avoid creating 'hard spots' on the hull.

Consider making tiny 'limber holes' with little pvc tubes embedded, where water might collect when sailing and heeled. Not many pro boatbuilders do that!

When you get some prices from Bristol-based Robbins Timber, you could with profit compare with price offerings from Avon Plywood.... just on the other side of Briz'l.
www.avonply.co.uk/‎

They don't have such a flash product catalogue, nor do they take a stand at all the boat shows, but you might be pleasantly surprised at their knowledge and service. Did I mention prices....?

No, you did not but I'm assuming. I'm going to have a look at that on Monday. I've been looking at the tubing because I have some spots that do collect water and I think there’s no need for that. Thanks for the reminder. I’m going to have to have a good look at Gaugeon Brothers.

 

[Tranona]

No, you did not but I'm assuming. I'm going to have a look at that on Monday. I've been looking at the tubing because I have some spots that do collect water and I think there’s no need for that. Thanks for the reminder. I’m going to have to have a good look at Gaugeon Brothers.

Having used their products extensively building and maintaining wooden boats I know the Gougeon Brothers book (and the more digestible material from Wessex Resins on how to use West products) is valuable background, but it is of limited use fitting out a GRP hull as you are. There is no need to use expensive epoxy, but do as most boatbuilders do and use polyester and mostly glass mat for bonding to the hull. For wood to wood joints there are other much more usable and perfectly adequate adhesives such as polyurethane. There is really no need to seal end grain with epoxy except perhaps the bottom of panels that go into the bilge. However your main aim is to eliminate water inside the boat by ensuring all fastenings going through the hull and deck are properly sealed and using a drip free shaft seal such as the Volvo type. Then the only possible sources of water are either from the domestic plumbing or the engine, neither of which should leak if properly installed and maintained. My last two boats have been GRP and neither have leaked - bilges are dry as a bone and on the older one the electric bilge pump died because of lack of use.

By all means make sure the bilges are clear and limber holes or tubes connect to the lowest point where your pump pickup is located as this is easier to do before you fill the boat with cabinet work, but the aim should be to eliminate all potential sources of leaks.

 

[GregOddity]

Having used their products extensively building and maintaining wooden boats I know the Gougeon Brothers book (and the more digestible material from Wessex Resins on how to use West products) is valuable background, but it is of limited use fitting out a GRP hull as you are. There is no need to use expensive epoxy, but do as most boatbuilders do and use polyester and mostly glass mat for bonding to the hull. For wood to wood joints there are other much more usable and perfectly adequate adhesives such as polyurethane. There is really no need to seal end grain with epoxy except perhaps the bottom of panels that go into the bilge. However your main aim is to eliminate water inside the boat by ensuring all fastenings going through the hull and deck are properly sealed and using a drip free shaft seal such as the Volvo type. Then the only possible sources of water are either from the domestic plumbing or the engine, neither of which should leak if properly installed and maintained. My last two boats have been GRP and neither have leaked - bilges are dry as a bone and on the older one the electric bilge pump died because of lack of use.

By all means make sure the bilges are clear and limber holes or tubes connect to the lowest point where your pump pickup is located as this is easier to do before you fill the boat with cabinet work, but the aim should be to eliminate all potential sources of leaks.

Coming from a different world when it comes to boats, Fiberglass is actually the only thing I never really used before, I’ve used quite a lot of very “fancy” stuff for quiet a lot of prototyping but never really fiberglass.
I’m actually looking forward to trying out some stuff with it. Seeing if I can adapt tech used on more advanced mats
I am indeed thinking of having every contact areas properly treated with epoxy maybe up to 20 cm above to prevent moisture creep but yes I do agree that there is no need to epoxy the all grain.
I have not yet even decided what resins or manufacturers I’m going to use. First, I want to test them to see how they behave. I’m actually curious about contraction etc. (a problem with music instrument’s) I’m gonna have to re-read your post. I like it.

 

[Tranona]

Coming from a different world when it comes to boats, Fiberglass is actually the only thing I never really used before, I’ve used quite a lot of very “fancy” stuff for quiet a lot of prototyping but never really fiberglass.
I’m actually looking forward to trying out some stuff with it. Seeing if I can adapt tech used on more advanced mats
I am indeed thinking of having every contact areas properly treated with epoxy maybe up to 20 cm above to prevent moisture creep but yes I do agree that there is no need to epoxy the all grain.
I have not yet even decided what resins or manufacturers I’m going to use. First, I want to test them to see how they behave. I’m actually curious about contraction etc. (a problem with music instrument’s) I’m gonna have to re-read your post. I like it.

You really are wasting your time using exotic materials in a 30 year old GRP hull. If you can get the inside completely clean it is worth applying a flow coat to get a nice smooth surface, which is what quality builders do now. However looking at your video of the inside, cleaning to that level will be a challenge. Danboline is the traditional coating for bare GRP. It is waterproof and fairly tolerant of surface condition. Specifically formulated for the job.

Obviously you don't coat where you are going to bond wood to the hull - there you grind back and follow the normal process of bonding with resin, mat and cloth as appropriate. Plenty of material on line or youtube covering bonding as it is the common process used for fitting out of hulls.

Epoxy has its uses particularly for localised repairs where getting GRP back a state where new polyester will adhere well to old, but this is not what you are doing so best to stick to the proven and economic method.

 

[Jamesuk]

Not much clue on the boat but the coffee machine, Life is simple with a Nespresso machine, they work on boats too in port or at sea with the addition of a 2.5kw inverter (Mastervolt or similar (not eBay)).

Alternatively you can start the Yacht cafe something I have been keen to explore in Land locked Witney. It’s right up there with the idea of owning a boat one day.

What ever you do, good luck.

 

[Wansworth]

From experience as a non professional boat builder/restorer/fitter the best results are achieved after you have learned by you errors on your first project.

 

[Graham_Wright]

As above, Prices i gave were from Robbins, you may get better prices from somewhere like Timbmet, they have a minimum order of 10 sheets

I bought from Timbmet so called "Marine Grade". A week after purchase, it was spattered with mould. They did change it but only after a fight. They sold me 2 sheets.
I would bite the bullet and go with Robbins. Expensive they certainly are but "1088" will be found and they are pleasant helpful people.

 

[Graham_Wright]

Then the only possible sources of water are either from the domestic plumbing or the engine, neither of which should leak if properly installed and maintained. My last two boats have been GRP and neither have leaked - bilges are dry as a bone and on the older one the electric bilge pump died because of lack of use.

Ahem! Does it never rain where you sail? Have you never been visited by a rogue wave? Do you never scuba dive?

 

[earlybird]

From experience as a non professional boat builder/restorer/fitter the best results are achieved after you have learned by you errors on your first project.

Didn't someone once say that a second boat project is a triumph of hope over experience? Or something like that!

 

[Tranona]

Ahem! Does it never rain where you sail? Have you never been visited by a rogue wave? Do you never scuba dive?

Rain does not get in if you close hatches. If your cockpit drains properly water should not get down below. If you scuba dive then perhaps going down below while still wet is not a good idea.

Anyway, this occasional ingress of water can be dealt with easily and is not a cause of water damage down below. Paint all the bilge area in Danboline will keep the water away from anything that can be damaged pending mopping up. Damage is caused usually by leaks that are constant and lead to water getting into wood or bilges permanently wet. That is unnecessary in a well put together GRP boat.

So, the advice is to concentrate on eliminating potential sources of leaks in the build process rather than trying to use exotic material.