MiToS re-built/fit- versilcraft Mystery43

[KevB]

Thanks for the update Vas. Looking very good.

 

[jfm]

Looking amazing Vas. Huge admiration for you here in getting to this stage.

The iroko rail is tricky isn't it? What about keeping the bare iroko on the top/horizontal/deck surface, but painting the sides that you see when you look at the boat in profile? Then attach a s/steel trim strip/fender strip along the top of the sides, to cover the interface between painted iroko and oiled iroko?

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.

In case of any use, the tiles in the pic below are 20x20 bisazza in a mix called "Iside" with about 20 white gold tiles added. You can get other colour mixes of course, eg lighter greys. They are made of glass but they are opaque and as easy to cut as ceramic tiles, and easier than porcelain. Ceramic and porcelain tiles have vitreous glazing of course, so the wet surface is going to be glass whatever you buy. To get the right look it is crucial to get the right grout colour, often not white.

 

[Divemaster1]

.........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:

All looking very good Vas !!...

One small point on the door frame (and you won't like me for it ... );

Would it not look better if the joint was at the loser level and not up at head / eye level ?? ... Mine are very similar to this (if not exactly) and installed with join at the bottom ... and yes, they are a right pain to install when into a tight wall... but there is a knack to it .... Slight twist and tilt to get top part installed ... (or in your case bottom.... another reason to do it the other way ) ... slide and use wooden batton when knocking the top & corners in... followed by one of the sides into near full position ... then next side pulled over bottom part of other side and push as far as you can with hands, and use screwdriver as a wedge to slide last part of joint in at bottom, whilst keeping other side in forcefully...

... once top was in correctly and one of the sides slid in place with other overlapping at bottom (small piece of wood inserted to avoid scratching, I used a slightly over-sized piece of wood as a distance wedge and knocked it downwards step-by-step to ensure sides slid in correctly and only towards the end did I use screwdriver as wedge for the last lift and slot into place...

 

[vas]

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.

Just checked the last box of the leftovers of the tiles, company is called TREND. Tiles are 20x20mm and are acrylic, quite to very annoyingly hard, texture is quite interesting with a small grain making them v.pleasing to the eye. They have at least a dozen styles with three different colours (or four). box is just over one sqm (iirc) and price is well, v.reasonable must be under 20euro/sqm (again iirc)
check them out.
looks like they have a dealer in the UK http://www.tiles.org.uk/directory/5428-Trend-GB-Limited

Looking amazing Vas. Huge admiration for you here in getting to this stage.

The iroko rail is tricky isn't it? What about keeping the bare iroko on the top/horizontal/deck surface, but painting the sides that you see when you look at the boat in profile? Then attach a s/steel trim strip/fender strip along the top of the sides, to cover the interface between painted iroko and oiled iroko?

John,

main issue is that I feel that the three colours wont match; that is the hull grey, the superstructure white and the iroko owatrol treated
I'm not prepared to go through the painting the sides as the texture wont be right and will look a mess. I got to go through the filling, sanding, priming and spray gun painting by Alekos. That's going to be a big mess when all this paintwork is now over and complete
I'll stick to original plan and D1 D2 them all. Most of the work is already done, just need to find the right weather window to get the 3-4 coats of D1 for starters!
The ss profile strip is also a pain and difficult to get a nice and clean finish. Not to mention that I'm not at all keen at introducing yet another material, texture and colour to the equation.
What really needs doing (but wont happen now!) is change of colour for the superstructure. Must be something slightly warmer taking some hues from the iroko and still matching the hull grey. Not difficult, but due to time issues we opted for some good quality Greek topcoat considering this as the first try which will be redone in a couple of years to sort out small glitches/issues with wood working itself in place. Seems that the hull was a success, but the plain white on top is not good enough; mind there were only 4 colours to choose, so not really spoilt for choice.... Will think over the next season, decide on colour and order from US or UK (I'm told they are top in such colours, gave me a couple of companies names which I forgot as soon as I heard some prices exceeding 100euro per lt...)

All looking very good Vas !!...

One small point on the door frame (and you won't like me for it ... );

Would it not look better if the joint was at the loser level and not up at head / eye level ?? ... Mine are very similar to this (if not exactly) and installed with join at the bottom ... and yes, they are a right pain to install when into a tight wall... but there is a knack to it .... Slight twist and tilt to get top part installed ... (or in your case bottom.... another reason to do it the other way ) ... slide and use wooden batton when knocking the top & corners in... followed by one of the sides into near full position ... then next side pulled over bottom part of other side and push as far as you can with hands, and use screwdriver as a wedge to slide last part of joint in at bottom, whilst keeping other side in forcefully...

... once top was in correctly and one of the sides slid in place with other overlapping at bottom (small piece of wood inserted to avoid scratching, I used a slightly over-sized piece of wood as a distance wedge and knocked it downwards step-by-step to ensure sides slid in correctly and only towards the end did I use screwdriver as wedge for the last lift and slot into place...

Alf,

no problems I still like you

that was my original thoughts when I cleaned and polished the frames and was about to fit them back. I realized that all frames are identical (in terms of hinges and lock placement, means that if doors open to the left or the right you simply have to turn the frame 180 degrees and consequently move the joint from top to bottom.
Actually all but one frames in the original door layout (if you remember only two out of 4 doors is in it's original spot) had the joint on top.
Furthermore, having fitted one left hand and one right hand door (next to each other) I notice that although the top joint is closer to my eyes, I tend to notice the bottom joint for some odd reason. Someone could probably write a research paper on the topic (not me!) but seems to work alright.
Very curious to know where the joint is on your set of four doors
Pretty sure the frames will be the same, brilliant quality heavy gauge alloy in them!
Got some work to repair humidity damage to the doors though, want to keep them as I really like the grey formica top on them, endgrain is painted and colour is not in good nick, got to find a way to restore them

cheers

V.

 

[Mr Googler]

Looking really good vas. I don't think the white is bad at all. Once other bits are on like rails etc, it will break it up visually. Maybe a big decal or some lines down the side?

Re the doors, I would notice a join on the bottom more as I tend to look down where my feet are going when stepping through doorways like that. Perhaps that's why I bang my head a lot

Always look forward to your updates

 

[jfm]

Vas
All agreed re iroko and not introducing ss strip

I love the white + grey combo with the small bits of charcoal. It looks fantastic and the detailing of a black or white boot top will really finish it off. I think you got the shade of grey exactly right. Btw I am doing a lot of painting on my boat this winter and will add significant grey sq metre-age in awlgrip crystal silver which is near identical to you hull, so I'm putting my spray gun where my mouth is

So that leaves the iroko. I've stared at the picture and I'm getting to like it. I think the real good look will be when you do the teak deck in phase 2. Take the teak right to the iroko and then the wood surface will appear to wrap continuously over the gunwale edge and down the hull sides for 120 mm. Salvador Dali! Get the colour of the wood all the same by sanding it and this will look great IMHO. For sure i'd do that first before putting a kind of beige colour or dusty brown or whatever onto the superstructure

We are splitting hairs anyway. This project is a huge credit to you (and G and A!) and MiToS is looking really stunning. We're getting impatient now for the criss crossing wakes photos!

 

[rbcoomer]

Hi Vas,

I've been doing a bit of catching up as not had a lot of time for reading forum lately so have only be scanning updates quickly. Been having a proper read the last few days however and really impressed with the transformation now taking place! I keep going back looking at those paint pictures too... Stunning! All that hard work is really starting to pay dividends and show through - you must feel justifiably proud when you look back? I agree with JFM on the colours in terms of waiting until you've done the teak as I also think this will transform the overall picture and she'll look absolutely beautiful!

There were a couple of areas that I was unsure of current progress and plans. (Apologies if you've covered recently as I've probably missed a chapter of something important in the process! ) There were some questions early on regarding the draining of the flybridge and quite a lot of remedial timber repair I recall - did you resolve this and are you going to refit/replace radar arch? The other area was the swim platform and IIRC you were contemplating a bit of redesign there too? I'm sure you have more than enough work ongoing, but I was curious on latest thoughts on these?

Great news on the job front too as that sounds like both a fantastic compliment and opportunity for you - although I hope it doesn't delay your labour of love too much!

Best regards,

Robin

 

[petem]

Worth noting that the original boats were very white....

Yours will look great, particularly if you add a MYSTERE logo and nav light as per the original design. Can you get decals made up in Greece? There are a couple of companies in the UK that can do this for a reasonable price.

 

[Divemaster1]

Worth noting that the original boats were very white.....

Think you will find that the boat in the picture is a copy of Mitos .... Produced by JCL on license from Versilcraft ..

Whilst white, the logo they (or at least some of them) carried was more discrete than the one JCL's carried...

 

[petem]

Think you will find that the boat in the picture is a copy of Mitos .... Produced by JCL on license from Versilcraft ..

Whilst white, the logo they (or at least some of them) carried was more discrete than the one JCL's carried...

Fair enough. Personally I'd go for MYSTERE in stainless steel type lettering in the original font, preferable with a Versilcraft logo.

 

[wakeup]

Vas, Looking absolutely superb.

I now get the charcoal vents and the porthole surrounds. Once the wood is varnished/oiled it will look stunning, you might find the white will dull down a little after a few months and not look as severe as it is now in your view.

I think she will look really quite something cutting through the water.

Internal furniture looks great and you are going to have retro classic with all mod conveniences at the end of this.

Did you say that you have to now re-attach the P brackets?

Can't wait for the next instalments.

 

[Firefly625]

looking great Vas, thanks for the update.

 

[Hardmy]

Vas, you really impress me. Such a commitment, such perseverance! Not only would I lack of those two virtues, but I would also fail because of my lack of manual skills! I think this is the thread I read the most in this forum and I am really looking forward to the launch, which is within reach.

We will cruise in Greece the next 2-3 years, certainly passing near Volos, and I hope we'll be able to share a Ouzo or our Slivovic with a toast on you!

 

[vas]

Worth noting that the original boats were very white....

Yours will look great, particularly if you add a MYSTERE logo and nav light as per the original design. Can you get decals made up in Greece? There are a couple of companies in the UK that can do this for a reasonable price.

Alf is right, this is the JCL Mystere out of GRP and pure white. The Italian version had the black surrounds on the helm windows and the black caping at the f/b helm, which I'm keeping.

Think you will find that the boat in the picture is a copy of Mitos .... Produced by JCL on license from Versilcraft ..

Whilst white, the logo they (or at least some of them) carried was more discrete than the one JCL's carried...

True Alf, but you should have seen the mess the two holes per letter did to the plywood! Unfortunatelly I haven't got the lettering and tbh I'm not sure I want to get all of them back there.
I'll probably get a smaller/more discreet MYSTERE logo cut in ss here and bolt them on. Got some imho good quality semirecessed nav lights. Boat didn't come with the originals and I couldn't find them anywhere nor was I too fussed with sticking to the originals in this respect.

Vas, Looking absolutely superb.

I now get the charcoal vents and the porthole surrounds. Once the wood is varnished/oiled it will look stunning, you might find the white will dull down a little after a few months and not look as severe as it is now in your view.

I think she will look really quite something cutting through the water.

Internal furniture looks great and you are going to have retro classic with all mod conveniences at the end of this.

Did you say that you have to now re-attach the P brackets?

Can't wait for the next instalments.

Yep, started sanding the top of the toerail iroko and it looks great, keen on seeing the handrails back in place.

haven't messed about with the p-brackets (yet at least!) only removed the ss screws securing the rudders and found half of them corroded. Bought new ones, not fitted them yet as I want to finish with the painting of the lazarette first.
Unless you mean something else?

Vas, you really impress me. Such a commitment, such perseverance! Not only would I lack of those two virtues, but I would also fail because of my lack of manual skills! I think this is the thread I read the most in this forum and I am really looking forward to the launch, which is within reach.

We will cruise in Greece the next 2-3 years, certainly passing near Volos, and I hope we'll be able to share a Ouzo or our Slivovic with a toast on you!

thanks for the kind words, really enjoyed the pics and story of your Croatian tour, did that back in 2012 (on a car) and would love to visit again by boat one day.
Sure when you're around let me know and since you've not got a permanent base, you could winter in the boatyard here


OK, updates will be during w/e as the new work means I'm at the office from 8 till 5 or even 6 some days, then I got to go home to the family so no time for MiToS...

Last week I decided to have a go at a bit more upholstering finishing the lower helm roof lining, and particularly the piece with the hole for the newly installed portlight. Worked out quite well, and fitted it in place yesterday evening. Following pics show the lining process (took me a good 2hrs..)

and fitted in place:

As you've probably seen on the horn placement thread, horn restoration hasn't gone as planed, so I'll pick that job up later (knowing me, probably two days before launching...)

The other job postponed for ages was the passarelle fitting. Being a good 50-60kg lifting it by hand to 3m something in order to get the 400mm 14mm dia bolt through the bracket already mounted on the transom is pure science fiction. So got my next door neighbour (in the boatyard that is) with the P45 to lift it and hold it for me with a small crane. Job done in 10mins!
We temporarily put a ladder to support the passarelle at what I roughly calculated as the lowest spot and I now have to do all my calcs so that the passerelle has the right travel and still be able to perform it's intended actions.
Passarelle is rather long, approx. 2.7m fully extended and I want it to obviously not go low enough to push/break the bathing platform on it's supports, nor stay too high up for lifting the tender. Remember some discussion that took place last year, so trying to accommodate all ideas expressed then.
The ladder with the (bended on the one side) cross beam to hook the tender is at 1.7 from the transom and comes down a good 0,45m.
Quick sketch shows that a good size for the bathing platform is 1.3m (at the centre, obviously 1.5m on the edges unless I decide on a curved ending which I find no reason for). AutoCAD section is on it's way, more measurements to be done tomorrow. Bear in mind that the transom slope is approx. 23deg

next one has better saturated colours:

Since crane was on a truck, we emptied most of the rubbish that had gathered over the summer under the boat plus a couple of scrap batteries (with the crane). Need a few more hours to clear up the space and have it ready for antifouling...

Tomorrow is toerail sanding and head scratching (for the passarelle ram) day

cheers

V.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Great progress Vas, like everyone else I'm totally in awe at your skills and all the progress you've made. Best of luck with balancing the demands of MiToS and your new job over the final few months until launch.

 

[MarieK]

This looks fab - very impressed with upholstery skills

 

[jfm]

Looking very very nice Vas. I love the black headlining over the helm. Much respect to you

Purely as light relief (rather than big thread drift) here is a pic I thought you would enjoy, having done some mosaic tiling. This is a boat moored in Antibes. The guy just didn't think it through before starting to stick the tiles - indeed he didn't think it through on any level really. I wanted to shout "kingplank" to him as he worked his way across the foredeck. The black mat right at the bow hides a very dodgy "interface"! Anyway, he has the same enthusiasm for boat refitting as you at least so for that must be applauded

 

[MapisM]

Quick sketch shows that a good size for the bathing platform is 1.3m (at the centre, obviously 1.5m on the edges unless I decide on a curved ending which I find no reason for)

V, aesthetic might be the reason. I've seen a few swim platforms retrofitted on traditionally shaped sterns like yours, both with the external border following the same curvature of the stern, and with a more square-ish design.
And imho, the latter looks much more as an afterthought, while the first has a more "consistent" look.
No big deal anyway, and congrats for the latest progress - not that I'm surprised to see that, of course!

 

[vas]

Looking very very nice Vas. I love the black headlining over the helm. Much respect to you

Purely as light relief (rather than big thread drift) here is a pic I thought you would enjoy, having done some mosaic tiling. This is a boat moored in Antibes. The guy just didn't think it through before starting to stick the tiles - indeed he didn't think it through on any level really. I wanted to shout "kingplank" to him as he worked his way across the foredeck. The black mat right at the bow hides a very dodgy "interface"! Anyway, he has the same enthusiasm for boat refitting as you at least so for that must be applauded

blimey!

just came back after a full day of meetings to my office, slightly dizzy and on a very dim 19inch monitor, saw the pic and thought it was snow/ice on the boat (wondering what's the point of posting it here tbh...). Only after reading the text did I realise what I was (almost) seeing...

Fking unbelievable, what a pity, curious how it's going to look like after a couple of winters and sun. And I wouldn't like to be walking on in barefoot midday either.

It's not a case of enthusiasm, it's also a case of having an overall perspective and I'm afraid taste!
Need a rest.

cheers

V.

 

[KevB]

Are you sure that design wouldn't look good on your bathing platform Vas?