The first thing when I get to work, is to check on you and your crew. I only wish I could come help. Your web page brings a warmth only a sailor and mother nature can give. Your hard work will pay off and man I can wait to see her when you done. ALso I can’t wait to open up youe web site and read that your under way. Breaking free of the grid, man would I love to do that as well. Alex, thank all of your freinds today for the fine work that has been done, your new found love (ship) is soon to be the talk of the ocean. How go get finish and sen more viedo, I’m so ready to see the world ago thru your camera lens.

Chris Waddles

You’re looking good, and I’m anxious to hear how you think she sails. At 27,000 pounds, it takes wind to move her, but when the wind gets heavy she’s splendid. She points much better with the aluminum spars, and the water line came up with that transition.

For those who don’t know fiberglass history, Splendid was an early fiberglass boat, and Cheoy Lee, who was a pioneer in it’s use for commercial boats, still made fiberglass the thickness of wood at that time. There are two plugs from the deck on board, and the construction was teak, fiberglass, teak and another layer of fiberglass, and that’s just on the deck. I removed the top fiberglass because some of the boards were worn and were buckling up, and everyone told me if I just screwed them down I’d be apt to allow water to seep into the layers.

In classic girlie style, I bought a break fast set, thinking I could must unscrew those boards. Well, chisel, crow bar and lots of effort brought the boards off in pieces. Most of the screws then came up with a crow bar, and the rest were cut level with a grinder. The boards were also laid down with tar. Some of that washed off with a cleanser I bought, and the rest was ground off the glass. Then I poured quarts of a thin epoxy product down the screw holes, because I was paranoid about sealing everything. Then I used epoxy and filler, lots of sanding. a coat of paint, a coat with the non skid and 2 more coats over everything. It was lots more project than I thought it would be, which is typical for any boat project. Then the cabin top paint looked awful, so sanded and sanded and couldn’t get the cracks out of that paint, so used the epoxy filler, sanded and painted. The finishes help fairly well in storage until the sand blasting that came with hurricane Wilma.

Sorry the sit in the cow pasture let that generator decay, but sounds like you’re into a quick and easy fix. Glad she’s with the sealife around her again.

Tammy