Bunym0b
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Bunym0b
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srm
Well-known member
Very nice looking boats and much more comfortable motion at sea than a modern equivalent though, of course, lacking the caravan volumes inside which in turn makes them safer in a seaway.
Regarding painting the hull black, consider the effect of solar heating of the planking. I am not joking, having observed marked temperature differences on GRP and steel boats with dark and light deck /hull colour. I have read comments of dark hull paint causing planking to dry and open.
Many years ago I had a steel boat (McGruer design converted from wood to steel in Belgium of similar lineage to the early Holmans). She came with white decks that were always cold under bare feet. A couple of years later I repainted the decks using a dark grey paint as the glare from the white deck was uncomfortable on the eyes. It was then too hot in the sun for bare feet and that was in Shetland and Norway! The following year I went for the classic cream deck paint; restful for the eyes and comfortable temperature for bare feet.
debenriver
Member
I seriously wouldn't paint the hull black. It will open the topside seams. And it's really difficult to maintain.
Cheers -- George
Bunym0b
Member
im sure that you are right abo=out the seams. That was why I took her from Oxford Blue to White. I am a bit slack with the maintenance once she is in the water. I do take the paint back to the primer each year and she gets three coats-the rest is left up to luck. She does look good in white and it sets off the gold coving and the red boot top and green anti foul. the varnished transom is beautiful too
Bunym0b
Member
debenriver
Member
She looks pretty good. And summers are for sailing, not varnishing and painting!
We sail with a friend here (in Rockport, Maine) in a Buzzards Bay 14 – once the boat is in the water we simply sail whenever possible and forget about maintenance until the next Spring. The season here is rather short too (June to September/mid-October).
We sail with a friend here (in Rockport, Maine) in a Buzzards Bay 14 – once the boat is in the water we simply sail whenever possible and forget about maintenance until the next Spring. The season here is rather short too (June to September/mid-October).
jamie N
Well-known member
A lovely boat indeed, but have you a thought to taking her back to bare wood, and varnishing the hull to further enhance it?
Makes it look less like a plastic/GRP thing.
Makes it look less like a plastic/GRP thing.
Wansworth
Well-known member
White reflects the heat so seems stay tight in summer.............when it’s hot,on tuesday
Bunym0b
Member
I've thought about taking her back to the bare wood but its a lot of work. The wooden transom is about as much of that as i can manage. This year its the 5 year strip back of the varnish to bare wood and then 6 coats!
jamie N
Well-known member
It's a conundrum for sure, but it's part of having bought into the joy of a wooden boat.
debenriver
Member
Unless the topside seams are splined and the fastening holes plugged, a clear finish is not very nice. When building a timber boat, the builder really needs to know if the finish is to be clear, so that the planking timber can be more carefully selected (for colour, run of grain etc. not for quality) and the fastening holes accurately counterbored for plugs and the seams splined.
In any case it's a nightmare amount of work to maintain! Pretty rare even from new and near impossible on an older boat that has been painted for many years.
Here in Maine, in Rockport harbour in particular, there are a surprising number of clear finished traditional carvel yachts (perhaps five or six). But honestly, they don't look as nice as the same class painted ones ... in my view anyway.
Cheers -- George
In any case it's a nightmare amount of work to maintain! Pretty rare even from new and near impossible on an older boat that has been painted for many years.
Here in Maine, in Rockport harbour in particular, there are a surprising number of clear finished traditional carvel yachts (perhaps five or six). But honestly, they don't look as nice as the same class painted ones ... in my view anyway.
Cheers -- George
Bunym0b
Member
I think the biggest reason not to is the cost of varnish vs. paint. Its a coat of primer, under coat and two top coats. Varnish would be a lot more and would be too much work. This year I want to take the varnished coamings back to bare wood and varnish them.
jamie N
Well-known member
The removal of the painted topcoat was done by a previous owner. The hull takes a bit of effort, but no more than keeping a painted hull looking good I'd imagine. I believe that a varnished hull shows coating faults earlier than a painted one, which lets one get into a 'little & often' work routine. It's a question of 'buying into the idea' of it for me, plus being 'just about retired', I do have time available and 'enjoy' the work, which isn't everyone's situation.
