MiToS re-built/fit- versilcraft Mystery43

[vas]

Ok... how about doing it properly....

Qwatrol D1 (oil) ... wet on wet until wood does not take on any more... ( 5 + coats)....

Wait 24 hrs +

Owatrol D2 (oil based with hard glossy surface that is flexible oil underneath).... probably 3 - 5 coats ... and will last for a considerable time...

Theory goes.... oil disperses water from underneath and thus does not crack... did my davits etc a couple of years back and still is going strong with a nice surface... will do the aft bench this coming spring...

A lot of work in prep, but you have the weather, virgin wood and if on-shore for a while longer will be worth it...

The last coat of D2 can be mixed with epoxy if you really need a hard wearing surface...

Once you have the nice shiny D2 deep surface, all you need is a new thin coat once a year.... should take an hour or so for you...

Alf, just asked the co for local dealer.

My only concern is that afaik UV radiation in Scotland is a tad lower than in Greece, so are we sure it's going to perform and not crack/disintegrate down here?
Many ppl swear on Epiphanes varnishes, but ppl using them have to redo every year

Hence my oiling only idea. Will look at this closer and make up my mind by next week that Alekos should be finishing painting.

Hi Vas,

I am gobsmacked at how well it looks painted. All the effort with filling and sanding has certainly paid off.

Re your shinny screws/bolts, can't you heat them up and drop them in some old diesel oil for a nice deep blue colour?

ah, good point, I've done it many years ago, should be able to get a blueish tint like that, will give it a try, thanks!

I am glad Alekos wants to paint the screws!

I was thinking black screw caps might be an easier solution?

Alekos is very keen on doing a proper job and doesn't like shortcuts.
IIRC screw caps mean certain type of screws with a threaded hole in the middle (but may be wrong) Doubt other snap on covers are going to last the heat, vibrations, salt and uv out there.

None commented on the anthracite ring and alloy tubes on the portlights though!


cheers

V.

 

[wakeup]

None commented on the anthracite ring and alloy tubes on the portlights though!
V.

Ok I wasn't going to say anything but I think the anthracite grey doesn't look right on the porthole surrounds, IMHO it would look much better in the same light grey that has been used on the hull and then I don't think you would need to paint the tubes anyway. Just my 2c.

Ignore this comment if this is the original colour scheme of course but I don't think so.

 

[MarieK]

Vas I stole this photo from another post today. A very nice swift trawler with a dark hull. How about getting the portlight rings plated?

 

[Divemaster1]

Alf, just asked the co for local dealer.

My only concern is that afaik UV radiation in Scotland is a tad lower than in Greece, so are we sure it's going to perform and not crack/disintegrate down here?
Many ppl swear on Epiphanes varnishes, but ppl using them have to redo every year ....

have a look here..... http://www.deksolje.com/index.php?langue=en&page=faq for more info....

Lasted 4 years + on my swim platform last time I did this properly, but you need to make decision yourself.... Cracking is due to water ingress underneath, and if properly saturated with oil (D1) underneath it together with the D2 oily base stops the water ingress...

 

[jfm]

Fantastci stuff Vas

S/s screws are widely available in a chemically etched black colour. Very mail-orderable. Post back if you need links, but I just tried google and it gave loads of suppliers

Looks to me like a coat of oil on the bare iroko asap would be a good idea, before it lightens too much

 

[vas]

Ok I wasn't going to say anything but I think the anthracite grey doesn't look right on the porthole surrounds, IMHO it would look much better in the same light grey that has been used on the hull and then I don't think you would need to paint the tubes anyway. Just my 2c.

Ignore this comment if this is the original colour scheme of course but I don't think so.

That is one approach, the more discrete one if I may say so. Not too keen tbh, and wanted to have these 9 elements on each side show and "mark" the hull, not hide in there.

Vas I stole this photo from another post today. A very nice swift trawler with a dark hull. How about getting the portlight rings plated?

Yep, if I had paint the hull darker, the polished chrome look would be excellent, but mine is much lighter, so the contrast is not going to be enough.
Further, considering the pitting on the anodized alloy after almost 40yrs in the sea means that there's no way they're going to polish properly.

have a look here..... http://www.deksolje.com/index.php?langue=en&page=faq for more info....

Lasted 4 years + on my swim platform last time I did this properly, but you need to make decision yourself.... Cracking is due to water ingress underneath, and if properly saturated with oil (D1) underneath it together with the D2 oily base stops the water ingress...

Looks v.good, i'm persuaded, found the Greek dealer, he recons that for 10sqm (more or less as it's around 30cm by 30m long) I need two lts of each, hope it's not 50euro a lt! So will put an order tomorrow in order to use them end of next week

Fantastic stuff Vas

S/s screws are widely available in a chemically etched black colour. Very mail-orderable. Post back if you need links, but I just tried google and it gave loads of suppliers

found a couple of companies but they seem to be in different measurements than then normal 3.5X40 fe that I need (that is 3.5mm dia of the screw body and 40mm long from head to tip) I think that the ones I did manage to find are steel rather than wood screws with different thread pattern and slightly bulging head. Phillips or torx or square tip are fine. If you can suggest something better than anzor I'd very much appreciate it J.

Looks to me like a coat of oil on the bare iroko asap would be a good idea, before it lightens too much

Was worried myself, so did a bit of light sanding and it comes up darker, so should be OK for another week before painting

Update on various things ranked on importance:

Alekos daughter had a new set of x-rays yesterday, impressive recovery, 3 of the broken bones have mended completely, the damage on the other is just visible, so she should be ready to (carefully) go back to Patras for her last year at the uni in a couple of weeks.

Tomorrow I'll work with the allu frame guy for the sliding patio doors to get the proper shape accurately, and should have the doors (without the security glass panes) ready by Tue.

Alekos agreed that anthracite ring and pitted alloy tube is carp, so he's going to lightly sand, fill and paint with the same anthracite colour the inside of the portlights sorting out my great problem regarding polishing and sorting them out.
Inside, everything will remain anodized alloy (no pitting and in generally excellent condition).

All that means that I have to somehow disassemble the shade and glazing out the assembly (NOT an easy task) They are hold together at a top pivot point with a ss tube sliced along it's length. Need to get the RIGHT size of pin and press it on/off (I feel hammering it on wont cut it).

Did a small repair where the f/b helm construction meets the lower helm roof and I'm pretty sure that there's going to be some decent finish on that.

Extremely busy at real work, wondering if and when I'll manage to get her ready for launching

cheers

V.

 

[vas]

10 days from last update, not many things to report as weather's been rather wet and Alekos needs a decent weather window to do any painting, did some repairs on the windscreen surrounding and ended up adding some light mat and epoxy to make sure there wont be any crazing later on.
So, removed the two windscreens on Wed or Thu, did the repair, started raining, covered it all up, cleared, Alekos did the filling and sanding and today primed it. Started raining when we met today lunchtime to fit the two screens back in place (temporarily) in order to be able to secure the thick plastic sheet on top and make sure that wind wont push/pull it away with all the water ending in the nice new interior. Anyway, made it just in time (wet polo shirt is drying in the chair next to me in my office to prove it...)

next pic shows the sanded area and the troubling bit between the two windscreens:

Securing the interior from potential failure of the covers:

All sorted and primed now:

Regarding the salon sliding door, checked with the fabricator, fits perfectly in place and also did a match test of the colour Alekos was painting with the door frame. Seems that we have a pretty decent match, so the bulkhead around the doors will be definitely painted the same hull gray:

Last w/e did some work on the trim tabs, massive pieces of ss (around 1m long ) with all sort of carp on them. Sanded them clean on stbrd side, and removed port side as well. Wondering what I'll do to them as:

• if I'm going to a/f them with normal a/f I've been v.stupid cleaning them so well from all primer and a/f (wasn't flaking anywhere must admit)
• if I use TK spray and keep the boat in the water all year round I'm going to get some nice growth
• I cannot use copper based a/f (or even try diy coppercoat) on them (still not happy with explanations given though)
  

Within one week and a fair number of showers, they have now a bit of surface rust which puzzles me a bit, any ideas:

In the interior, sanded one but the last piece of caulked teak panel for the heads, this time the hull lining for the shower area. Looks pretty good, so happy with that. Bolted it in place (wont glue them as I want to be able to check what's going on behind) and it will be sealed all around in due course.

Finally, worked a bit in the port cabin and fitted the three drawer cabinet (is this what you call it?) that George brought in, mounted and fixed the VIMAR sockets/push button and usb charging port, secured it in place and even fitted the handles (some elbow grease to clean muck and old paint out of them!) End result looks v.good:

Also fitted the wardrobe frame and doors, but had two issues with it.

First was that the new 1.5euro each BLUM mechanisms I bought (I gathered that even if I change my chrome plated BLUMs every couple of years I'll be dead before I break even with the potentially shocking price of the ss items that I couldn't even source down here...) have their fixing points further away from the door meaning that there wasn't any timber there, easy to fix with a 20x30mm batten epoxied and bolted in place (helps cover some staples and get a clean finish there):

Second (still not sorted due to lack of time) is that either the main door panel or the frame is slightly warped and I cannot get the door to fit properly, but I'm sure I can sort this out in an hour or two.

Since I'm mentioning lack of time, I should probably mention that I was offered and accepted the post of vice rector for finance and development at our university a few weeks ago. Means that plans for working a couple of full mornings and a couple of evenings and w/e are long gone and I'm working my arse off to get on top of things as part of this managerial post [new rector as of Sept 1 and three vice rectors to run the 700+ teaching/admin staff shop...].
It's extremely challenging (especially due to the Greek financial situation - Unis are public funded which has decreased more than 50% over the last 5yrs!) but also an awful lot of work, rather different to the admittedly also challenging and awful lot of work on MiToS...
Seriously considering keeping MiToS on the hard over winter, realistically finish at a much slower pace all the work I need to do, get George to help with building a new bathing platform and fitting it in spring before getting her in the water for the summer.
My typical week's worth of work on MiToS is realistically going to take me over a month under the new setup

cheers

V.

 

[petem]

All looking great. Does the new post mean more €€€ for you (congrats if this is a promotion). If so, could you employ someone else to help?

On the subject of keeping her on the hard, I've always felt that this is sensible for as long as possible as putting her in the water will bring its only issue with no real benefit other than a slight psychological one.

Pete

P.S. "Three drawer cabinet" is as good a description as any.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Vas, congratulations on your new job, hopefully worthwhile in other ways if it leaves you with less leisure time.

As much as we all want to see MiTos back in the water, it makes sense to leave her out whilst you've still got jobs outstanding. In fact, maybe she should be put in a museum and never actually launched!

 

[Divemaster1]

Congratulations on your new position Vas.... Season is coming to an end, and I believe you will be better off keeping her dry and continue with the high quality work you have done so far at a slower pace than rushing her into the water... deep down, you know that you'll end up regretting that.

 

[KevB]

Congratulations on your new post but inside I'm a bit gutted as it means we won't see so many updates Keep it on the hard for the winter, you know it makes sense.

 

[RIN]

Give George your camera, maybe he can supply our weekly fix! Congratulations on the new job

 

[jfm]

Good going Vas on the work front - I agree it makes sense to keep MiToS oow for the winter

Good call on the Blums. I bought the s/s ones for my aft deck furniture at something like £9 each iirc and 18months on they are rusting nicely. OK a bit slower than mild steel, but they sure are not 316. So you did the right thing

 

[vas]

Morning all,

Weather's been nice to us over the last 3-4 days, so some progress to report and aching arms! It's amazing how quickly the body forgets the pain it's gone through and objects to another dose of it

Alekos painted the lower helm window inset in the matt(ish) anthracite used for the engine room vents and portholes' trim. Looks v.good
Took me 2.5h last evening and only managed to fit the port side windscreen. That means cleaning and polishing again the ss frame, and inside clamping frame, carefully clean the rubber seal, put a thin bead of black screen silicone in the slot where the ss frame fits, carefully fit the seal, check it all around, put the screen in place with some help, add another thicker bead of silicone around the vertical sides and bottom of the window frame and push it in place. Then you got to do the very tight and nasty job of bolting the inner frame in place. End result looks perfect, well pleased. This evening I'll do the stbrd side screen.

The two pics above look well unfocused due to the haze of the anthracite paint on the masking, next one gives the real feel. Mind there are some dodgy inaccessible spots on the overhang under the frame towards the sun deck as well as on top on the other overhang of the lower helm roof that was a pain to paint strip and an even worse pain to sand. They are not perfect but one has to stick his head on the windscreen and look up (not visible from the lower helm/galley area) so not bothered.

Saturday morning I started preparing the iroco strip all around for the D1 and D2 treatment that will follow (thanks Alf!). Iroco's been in place since the beginning of summer and has taken a lot of UV and heat and is well bleached. Sanded with 40grit to remove some epoxy remains and generally smoothen bits that the screws (now removed) securing the 10mm thick strip had warped the timber. After 3h of hard work I've done half the stbrd side... Not impressed and not looking frwd to the other three hrs to finish off the stbrd side. Mind most of port side has had this treatment soon after fitting and furthermore port side is facing east so gets much less UV exposure than stbrd. Again end result looks v.good.

Today Alekos is going to get the anthracite top coat on the upper helm. Finished preparations in the area after the repairs I did last week involving a thin mat over the troubled area on the bottom of the following pic. In hindside, I should probably have covered EVERYTHING with a thin mat and epoxy before Alekos epoxy filling the lot.
As we were joking yesterday, every timber boat he paints is an "investment" for him as there are regular maintenance/partial repaint jobs to be done, so he'll definitely be around keeping MiToS in good shape over the years.

Moving inside, port cabin wardrobe doors in place, got to do the stbrd cabin one as well at the next rainy w/e...

Hull lining heads panel ready caulked, sanded and secured in place. Waiting for the other panels (already caulked and sanded) to be bolted and sealed in place. Probably heavy winter job tbh...

George following his long MiToS work break finished painting the salon furniture, just checked them, ready to be fitted. Will wait at his workshop for all the paintwork to finish and salon windows be secured and seals tested. If you go back a year or two, you'll see that this cabinet was wider and longer, so all drawers had to be sliced and narrowed and the length on the other side shortened to enable me building a two seat sofa on stbrd (to be built over the winter)

Next week's plan is for Alekos to get the topcoat on all the superstructure and me hang the passerelle at the w/e before the neighbouring P45 is back in place. See how it goes.

Regarding the new post at the uni, rector is the equiv of the Brit vice-chancellor, which makes me a pro vice-chancellor (sounds very pompous...), a four year assignment and something like couple of hundred euro extra on my salary, so not quite enough to get someone involved as suggested and not something I'd like to do even if the extra pay was 1K a month (I wish!)

cheers

V.

 

[KevB]

I'm still amazed at how good that paint job looks. First class and glad to see your not above getting your hands dirty now you're a "pro vice-chancellor"

 

[symondo]

the colour choices look stunning in my opinion and a lovely finish!

Im curious - with the work put in - its certainly coming together pretty nicely - do you have arials/gps/radar kit t o go on? just wondering where you would place such stuff with no arch without loosing the tidy lines.

 

[rafiki_]

Fit and finish is coming along beautifully Vas, it must be nice to stand back and admire now and again, and enjoy the results of your efforts.

 

[vas]

I'm still amazed at how good that paint job looks. First class and glad to see your not above getting your hands dirty now you're a "pro vice-chancellor"

haha teaching or pro vice-chancelling means I have to be at least clean when I get to the uni. Last evening was rather challenging as I refitted the front windscreens and managed to get this nasty black windscreen silicon/glue in some of my fingers. A bitch to clean, had to use daughter's nail varnish remover this morning to get the last bits out before spending a whole day in admin. In my book, the real difference between full prof and pro whatever is that (I was told) I better not wear shorts in the admin bldgs. Since assignment was almost mid Sept I can live with that, but noway I'll follow that rule next July and August

the colour choices look stunning in my opinion and a lovely finish!

Im curious - with the work put in - its certainly coming together pretty nicely - do you have arials/gps/radar kit t o go on? just wondering where you would place such stuff with no arch without loosing the tidy lines.

Good point, short stub aerial for backup VHF and AIS receiver just ahead of the upper helm bulge on the coachroof. Horn just in front of that and searchlight on the anthracite painted slope just astern of the antenna.
Main antenna inside the superstructure at the lowerhelm by the galley
gps antenna inside the superstructure cabins corridor in the middle of the sundeck
digital tv antenna somewhere in the superstructure salon area, behind some upholstered panels. Not too bothered as we never watch tv anyway.
obviously no sat dome.

Radar, that is a point, haven't come across a cheap garmin one, so atm no radar

Plan is to built a smallish and very lightweight hardtop over the still to be built main upper helm seating and fit two solar panels plus a radar and a decent vhf antenna there. Have to admit that although I've been toying with this idea for the last three years (got sketches to prove!) I'm not happy with the designs yet, so nothing concrete atm.

Fit and finish is coming along beautifully Vas, it must be nice to stand back and admire now and again, and enjoy the results of your efforts.

true, problem is that I now lack the time to stand back and admire Paul

well, since decision was made to keep MiToS on the hard over this winter, I can at least enjoy as much work as I can do whenever I can...

Alekos painted antrhacite black the exhausts and upper helm on Sunday lunchtime. Looks v.good although the darker the colour the more the errors stand out (but that's why it's not glossy but mat ) This area is quite complex, lots of repairs, modifications and oddly shaped bits difficult to sand, prime and prepare. Overall, v. happy and will be happier once I assemble the engine levers and sort out the small "door" of the cabinet which was too wide to fit and needs some work getting it in place and fitting the hinges and lock. If the weather plays ball, will be in my w/e list.

you can spot some dust from sanding the iroko rubbing strake in the next two pics:

and the upper helm:

Not convinced that the footrest area under the dash should be black, may be better white as the sides and lower helm roof. Will think about it again and may take corrective actions.
For sure I'm going to make a canvas (or something) cover soon for the whole dash area with proper "buttons".
Decided against fitting a windshield up there, can always add one at a later date.

cheers

V.

 

[vas]

me again

Alekos managed to paint the "whites" on Saturday and started raining (just a few light showers) on Sunday.
Lower helm roof was painted twice, first time was late noon and unfortunately lots of humidity in the evening made a mess of the colour (actually lost all it's shine)
Light sanding and recoating cured it. Various pics of the top coat and masking the anthracites follow:

ready for painting:

and the finished article, looks awful in the next pic, slightly better in the pic after:

I'm generally concerned that the white is very bland and looks indifferent (to bad) with the iroko rubbing strake and toerail in place and treated. We shall see...
At deck level things look much better:

following is my 2h worth of work for the w/e... Upholstering the lower helm hatch and fitting the hatch with the right white silicone:

and the finished article from outside:

the triangular upholstery is ready at home, will probably fit it over the w/e if I'm lucky.

The other 2h worth of work on Saturday are managing to fit the door frame on the heads. That's a surprising difficult task, with wedges, hammers, levers, swearing (of course!). Does look good though:

Week is again too busy, arranged with my "neighbour" to lend me a hand (and a small crane...) to hang the passarelle in place. Not a job I can tackle with handpower only.

knackered,

V.

 

[MikeBrazier]

Thanks for the update Vas, brilliant.

I have been trying to source some tiles like that in the UK, only with greys and perhaps silvers, very difficult and no wish to use glass tiles which seem to be all I can get.

Mike.