Our new favourite thing

OK so we're no different than anyone else - a new trick comes along and all of a sudden we are using it for everything - almost. The new trick is actually a pretty good one and it saves a lot of time. It is called "smooth grey Bondo" - yup -  the stuff they used to plug into the holes in your car's fenders back in the day. Turns out is the same resin used in fiberglass, waterproof, durable and toolable in 20 minutes. This discovery came about following our dismay at the uneven lay of the boards we scarphed and glued into the bow sections of the 16' Shepherd Outboard - onto the computer with Clarion Boats and they put us onto this trick for fairing the underhull before creating the new planks. It is all about fairing! So we got started on both the Shepherd and TNT bottoms.

Anton applying the goo

"bubble, bubble toil and trouble"

and shaving it down to fairness.

This is amazingly quick to do and is quite easy to work with once demonstrated. In this case it will be encapsulated between layers of the bottom and so not visible. The idea is to give the new planks a fair hard place to land.

Same deal on the TNT - although we thought we were ready to paint before discovering this stuff. It has allowed us to raise the bar on quality of finish without sanding through the bottom planking! It will also allow us to improve the shape of the bottom which had some concave sections in the running surface.

just getting started on TNT bottom

 Mini-Hopper jumps along too!

Bernie was in this week getting the epoxy all over the boat, deck, bottom and all. The areas to be varnished bright have been stained and epoxy coated as well. Next step is the inner panels, figuring out the steering, a keel or fin to keep it going straight and some more finer details.

preping the decks for epoxy

staining done inside and out

a dramatic picture! Totally faked!

It is time to get the summer boats ready for the water so the Gas-Hopper will have to go into storage to make space for doing this. We got the trailer mostly back together except for the electrics and loaded the boat up. Gas-Hopper is away and Dileas is in the shop.

Trailer restored by Blastal Coatings!

And the skiff finally got it's staining done too! Thanks to Ray and Jim!

next step is varnish on the whole inside.

And in the engine shop Joseph got our 1957 Johnson 18HP all ready for the season so it is over in the museum for now. Next!

Don't forget this Thursday, May 29 at 7 PM, is our monthly Shore Leave Night. Weather permitting we will have another BBQ and bonfire on the lawn behind the boatshop. Still only $10 a head for food and beer! RSVP! 905 873-0141