Friday, August 10, 2012

Color My World

100+ sanding discs and one blues tune later, I completed the long-dreaded step of sanding the hull.  Time for paint.  I'm not too imaginative with colors, and have a hard time visualizing the finished product in varying colors.  To help with the visualization, I used a  "paint-my-room" tool available on a paint supply store's website to try different colors on PocketShip.


Pocketship #1 in "PocketShip Blue"


Some re-colored options
Some considerations in selecting a color were:
  • PocketShip looks great in dark blue
  • The majority PocketShip's that have built are dark blue
  • I want a degree of uniqueness in my boat
  • Light blue makes it look like a 1986 Catalina.  Not happening.
  • I don't want the boat to look like a big Tylenol.
  • The color should look spiffy, perky and cheery.
After much deliberation, I made my choice and traipsed off to Fisheries Supply to spend some dough.  I bought a gallon of primer, 2 quarts of Interlux Trilux33 antifouling paint for the bottom, 2 quarts of Brightside for the sides, and a couple of quarts of Brightside and some flattening agent for the topsides.

Taped off waterline




Bottom paint goes on
I levelled the boat and marked off the waterline using a laser level I bought cheap at Harbor Freight.  I though about going the cheap route and using some cheap, clear plastic tubing filled with water, but I'm glad I didn't.  The laser was quick, easy, and worth the money I spent on it.  Another thing worth the money, 3M Fine Line tape...that stuff is great...there was no seepage under the tape.




The paint went on great, particularly the Brightside.  Rolling and tipping worked as advertised.  I did two heavy coats of bottom paint, two coats of primer, and four coats of Brightside.  There are a couple of drips and dribbles that I need to touch up, but it looks great!



What colour is in the can?
Painting the sides...in black and white?
In an attempt to ascertain whether there is anyone out there reading this, I have decided not to reveal the final color selections right away. Instead, I will reveal a clue anytime I get a comment on the blog. Enough comments and I will reveal the color. So, are you out there? Are you interested?


The centerboard is in!
With the painting done, I again summoned the corps of engineers and flipped the boat upright again. I forgot to secure the centerboard. I also forgot to mention that Earlie...before painting the bottom, I installed the centerboard. I remembered the story on Dave Curtis' blog about having to negotiate around a garage door opener to get his centerboard in place. I had a similar challenge. In previous photos, you may have noticed a kayak hanging over the sailboat. Yup, that made it more interesting than it otherwise would have been. 




 
Over She Goes!
Out of the garage again!
Where was I? Oh yeah, I forgot to secure the centerboard before the flip. So, as the boat went out, wham, down went the board.. Fortunately, I had, for some reason or other, put a knot in the pendant, so the board only half-deployed. So, we abruptly reversed course, heeled the boat back up to 90 degrees, slid the runaway centerboard back into the trunk, tossed a piece of tape over the "escape route", and finished the roll. I had remodelled the old building cradle, cutting down the sides and padding it with old carpet, and thence the uprighted boat resumed its place. BBQing followed.

In other news, I'm working under a deadline now...I'm trying to get the boat done in time to take it to Pt. Townsend for the annual Wooden Boat Festival.
Seeing the boat upright was actually a little bit of a letdown.  The feeling is similar to when I attached the decks back in January.  I had become used to seeing a shiny, nearly complete object, and suddenly, all that disappeared, and a more complete view of the work to come emerged.  And, with one month to the Wooden Boat Festival....   ACK!


8 comments:

  1. Jon, I have definitely been reading along on your journey with great interest. I am looking forward to seeing what color you selected:)
    Jim

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jon,The boat sides look extremely glossy. I hope you reveal the colored picture soon.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Definitely been reading with interest! I'm going to have to go with dark green. You (like me) seem to be favouring the darker colour schemes, though with white below the bootline. Sadly I don't have space/time to take on a pocketship at the moment (though I'm having a crack at a kayak), so I'm living the dream through the blogs of others, and its been great to see how you're getting on. Hope you enjoy every minute of it! Pete

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know what you mean about living vicariously through the blogs of others. I remember reading Dave Curtis' PocketShip blog long before starting my boat. I'd rejoice with him in every victory, and suffer through every setback.

      Right now I'm reading a number of boats written by cruisers/liveaboards, imagining what it'd be like to live aboard. It has definitely captured my fancy, there'd be no room to build more boats.

      Delete
  4. OK, That worked better than I thought! Thank you for the morale boost...other than Malcolm and "Everett Dave", I reall wasn't sure if anybody was out there!

    So, Clue 1. I really liked a colour I saw on a proa. I think a PocketShip would look great in said colour, but in the end it was louder than I wanted, so I avoided that Madness.

    Anyone else reading?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good job Jon...anxious to see the finished project.
    Sandy and Forrest Lee

    ReplyDelete
  6. It looks gray to me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jon, Thanks for the recent garage tour and personal update but I still follow the blog.
    I've been reading a lot about painting over epoxy. I think for my 15' Tango skiff I'm going the "house paint" route. Black 15 year on the bottom, gray non skid for the interior bottom, and dark green Brightsides, for the gloss, on the hull exterior. Inside hull and seats to be determined. The gunnel and knees will be mahogany and finished bright.

    ReplyDelete