Sabre 28 - Cruiser - Project

[Gracie]

Hi Alan

 

Poor you with the allergic reaction, hope you feel better soon.

 

Thanks for the update, really enjoying it

 

Grace

[JawsOrca]

Thanks Grace, I'm normally OK.. I think it affects everyone.. but its been really annoying me lately.. thankfully we are almost done with cutting fibreglass about.. although we need to adjust the shower floor to take a sump pump.. I'll probably hide when daves doing that!

[MBA Marine]

After a few years its amazing how much of a tolerance you can build up, but best advise (and at this time of year not that unpleasant) always have a good wash down with cold water.  Hot/warm water opens the pores in your skin allowing the irritating fibres to get further down, the cold water closes the pores and lets you wash off the dust. Its not nice when even after a really thorough shower you can go to bed and still feel a horrible prickly sensation on your arms and cheeks (and not its not the wife!!)

 

one more bit of advice, which is not nice in the summer is a disposable overall  and rubber gloves, then use masking tape to seal around your wrists and legs, face mask and eye protection (air fed respirator is great) I know it sounds extreme but if you are grinding you will thank me if you follow these tips. I have had the misfortune of working with the stuff since I was 18 and 15 years on I still do not like it!!

[JawsOrca]

Mark, I don't know how you could do this full time.. It's a nasty feeling (Similar to roof lagging irritation isn't it) I must admit at the moment I'm really rolling around it in shorts and tshirts and no face mast so I'm being a bit stupid. Certainly brilliant recommendations there and if we are doing alot of it then thats the way we will go.. for now I'll let dave do the cutting and the hoovering lol!

 

Quick little update. We spend the last couple of days away from the boat (it was my special Bday! and I don't work on that day!) But we went down to Portsmouth and collected our sidelining. We went for slight off white foam backed and a barrel of special glue for it.. We spent about an hour in the shop/factory though and they were really good with us, they told us all how to do it (plus the other bits) and I even got a bday discount lol Whilst there though we also got a guestimate on the seating which was OK.. bit cheaper than I expected so I'll shop around closer to the time.

 

So we will continue to put the sidelining off as long as posible (I'm dreading it!) but it sounds easy enough (I done once before and it was OK, but this is bigger but we have the right glues).. We have two weeks of a couple of weeks and will probably do then.

 

Daves over painting the decks although I think he's done now so thankfully the decks now have one coat of gloss.. one more to do (Sunday hopefully).

 

This weekend we hope to cut about the bathroom to allow for the loo to fit and lower the floor to give a sump for the shower... Reminds me I need to chase the chandlers for the loo it should be there now...  

 

Pictures on the next post.

[JawsOrca]

Couple of pictures from daves painting this evening.

[Gracie]

"it was my special Bday! and I don't work on that day!)"

 

Hope you had a lovely birthday  , did you do anything nice on your day off, had a bloody good rest I hope

 

Grace

[JawsOrca]

Thanks Grace it was certainly nice but nice to collect the sidelining too The hotel even had a bath so I managed to have my quarterly bath! (Dont have a bath on the houseboat lol

[Gracie]

Quarterly bath a, do you find people back away from you when you're talking to them

 

My girl friends reckon if you smell as good as you look, you shouldn't have any problems

 

Sorry girls night in again lol

 

Grace

[JawsOrca]

Lol Grace, The houseboat has a huge wet room but I soo miss a bath...!

 

Some pictures attached of todays work... we started work on the inside the cabin, the whole interior structure was a mess so we sanded and filled and sanded and filled and then primed.. pictures before primed today.. The loos will be another week so cutting the loo/shower will be left to next weekend. 

 

Hoping to gloss bits of it tomorrow though (We really don't hang around).. already looking good though (It's just been used as a storage shed before) and already nice to walking round bare feet (I love that feeling of smooth fibreglass.. like walking on a sandy beach).. Also tomorrow we will probably prep for the sidelining.. (I really don't want to do the sidelining.. its soo hard!)

 

More pics next time..

 

 

[Gracie]

I know I've said it before but she is going to look gorgeous when finished, have you thought about the colours for the interior, I think pink would be nice, I wanted pink fenders but strangely the men in my life said no lol

 

Grace

[JawsOrca]

Lol I dare you to get pink fenders! or at least pink fender socks (then you can take them off)... but not pink for us.. I think colours age too quickly.. so its mainly black, white, stainless steel and a small bit of blue...

 

I probably shouldn't admit this on here but I'm taking a bit of inspiration from Richardsons/horizon  "Far Horizon" (although I've not seen her.. but I have seen richardsons/sheerlines "Kingfisher").. I have spent days and nights planing the finish! I'm settling on off white headlining and sidelining. Real Oak faced internal walls (Bulkheads) and kitchen doors (Black granite effect worktop (Undermount sink) Stainless steel cooker).. A black (But leather) accent strip around the curtains like on far horizon. Hopefully black swade cushions. Real Teak and Holly cabin sole (flooring).

 

I have another serious compulsive issue with lighting.. I like lots of different lighting (Daves screaming at me because the fuse panel is massive!). So it will have lots of micro LED strip lighting (around the curtains). Blue safety lighting to light up the floor all over the boat. Remote controlled multicoloured mood lighting in the forward cabin and standard round stainless led cabin lights all round (No fluorescent tacky caravan lighting here!).. Bathroom will be all white with a cute designer sink and electric flush toilet and led lit mirror (and small led strip lighting). 

 

The wheelhouse will have blue lighting above the seat on the roof, the two small down lights which are on the side walls.. the seats there will either be a light beige or a blue and white mix (I'm not sure yet - I think beige looks more modern now). The floor there will be a tek deck. 

 

It will all be done to a very high standard and perfect.. We can't do anything less! 

[Gracie]

Wow, sounds nice, you wanna play that Rickos fella at his own game and hire her out lol

 

Grace

[BroadScot]

Its really taking shape now young Alan, are you going to name this good ship "Blackpool illuminations! "     I rewired flats with less lighting than that lot! My only worry on the horizon is the stainless steel cooker, nice as they are, they show up every mark possible.

A wee wiring tip, leave plenty of spare capacity on each Circuit. Easier to add than take away later.

 

You'll soon be off to the Med with it soon laddie :

 

Iain.

[JawsOrca]

Iain. I will really start to turn the corner now.. Daves the electrical and mechanical one and I think he's making sure theres plenty spare bits and overrating everything.. we like to ensure things are all over rated

 

Todays Update.

 

Shinny bits day. Stern light in.. Exhaust outlet in (Its a vetus one can you spot the tiny little vetus mark..!).. More primer inside and primed the wheelhouse hatches. I started sanding and varnishing the little bits of timber work and geez the timber is bloody lovely under the crap ronseal (p.s it doesn't do what it says on the timber... its rubbish.. don't use it.. just varnish).  We made a seriously bad rookie mistake though.. the vetus UFO vents are way smaller than the mushroom vents already in place.. and theres no way out so we will need to patch the holes and re-cut (yup and we have painted everywhere.. masking masking and masking though) ... seriously annoying though.. I just pray it can all be done neatly otherwise the roof may need reglossing (which is no biggy we still have plenty of paint left).

 

Pics attached..  

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Hi Alan,

 

One bit of advice i was given when i painted my boat was to do all painting and varnishing in the morning. You posted above about painting in the evening, the only problem being that during the evening, condensation can settle, and ruin your hard work.

 

Great to see she`s coming along nicely too.

[JawsOrca]

Hi Speedtriple (have you got a trihull?)

 

Thanks for this and that's very true and a annoying issue. Painting is a bloody nightmare.. I really hate it!

 

This is the logic we used for this.. (Although it's a black art!).. the external paint was mostly done in the summer (those two weeks back in june..!) and we did this mainly around 3pm (so the structures warm.. but the suns cooling down so it doesn't bake it on) and the touch drying of this paint is about 2 hours (ish) so it should be dry enough not to be affected by condensation.

 

Annoyingly for us too because we still want get about the boat during the day we can't really do in the morning as we would lose the day.. but otherwise painting in the morning would would be good (unless its too warm because it may dry too quick).

 

The decks and internal painting has been done a bit late in the day but we aren't overly concerned about the finish on these (they maybe covered in timber later).. Thankfully we appear to have got away without problems as she is now all painted apart from the final covering on the decks which will just be the rough non slip coat (we will just add non slip granules in the topcoat) and that will be a rough finish so we will do quickly when the rain stops! (or next june!).

 

Your certainly right though if its done too late it can spoil.. Some guys at the club (No hard feelings guys if you are reading this (gulp)) spray painted with 2 pack under car headlights at night between rainstorms.. it looks ok (ish

 

Thanks for your comments though.. We have a whole week on the boat this week.. aiming on installing the sidelining.. hoping to cut about the floor in the loo, install the Bulkheads and make a big dent on the electrics! hopefully some more! (Then we are off to norfolk for a week recovering!) 

[JawsOrca]

Wow the headlining was easy... cough.. it wasn't too bad actually ... to glue it and put it up took all of 30 seconds... as once it stuck.. it stuck!

 

We done about 3/4 of one side.. the fidderly bit was trimming around the window and screwing the trims back on so all in all the job took 4.5 hours... My fear that the screws wouldn't refit was almost founded. of about 50 screws 3 were a pain but we made do. 

 

Also today dave made the all round white light (we brought a little stumpy plastic one but it was too short so dave found a alloy bar and made it longer, He also fit the port and starboard nav lights and I sanded half of the door down so it can be re varnished. 

 

We have a full week on the boat so I'll probably post daily.. hope it doesn't annoy anyone though...

 

Pics attached

[Gracie]

Well, it certainly won't annoy me, you and Dave are doing such a grand job, you deserve a break next week, did your mum and dad get away ok?

 

Grace

[JawsOrca]

Thanks Grace. Yup it sounds like all is good and they are overnighting in Reedham tonight.. (So if anyones there go tap on the side and wake them up lol!). Graham put a better a prop on and it sounds like it goes a bit better too.

 

Certainly looking forward to relaxing next week

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Alan,

 

If you see us on the Southern Broads next week give us a wave.

 

Oh and just because you are on a boat, don't be tempted to paint it.

 

Regards

Alan

[JawsOrca]

Thanks Alan, 

 

The boats at brundall (eastwoods) and we will probably be at loddon for saturday night then through breydon sunday (I need to check the tides though)!

 

I can't explain how much I hold back ripping the kitchen and the aft bathroom out lol but that's for my folks to have the pleasure doing.. Shes a lovely boat actually brings back a ton of memories as is a sister to Alpha firefly which was my favourite up there and we hired the most.. shes looks a proper boat!

 

Fingers crossed on the weather though. this week is looking better

[JawsOrca]

Today was mento be a wet day and it started cloudy so we didn't have the guts to play around with the windows, although we have a couple of screws which wouldnt bed into the interscrews correctly so we had a play to work out whats what and we noticed we needed more screws. It was actually good to do today though and not panicking when installing the sidelining ... Thankfully/strangley we have a marine window company close by (well Hadlow near tonbridge), thankfully he has more stock (M5 8 and 10 mm raised countersunk machine screws and M5 10mm interscrew - Not something everyone sells!) and I'll be there at 9.30 tomorrow morning to collect supplies then we can spend the rest of the day installing the sidelining!

 

Else today, Dave did boring bits in the engine room, remade up the masthead light as we decided to install he forward facing masthead light on the all round pole (Thanks Ranworth Alan , he also installed the air horns.. (We have two.. One nice polite one.. "Excuse me" and another true air horn from a truck which is "Pardon me I asked you nicely now get the  out of the way"... (Perfect for when sailing boats under engine try and make me move!))

 

Oh I sat in the sun and sanded the door and door frames up. We also did some wiring (Dave tried out a flash soldering iron) and whilst I was nattering to other boat owners here Dave varnished the door frame.

 

Couple of pics attached.

[Gracie]

Never mess with Sailies Alan, as soon as I see one tacking when I'm at the helm I run a mile lol. Great write up as usual, when are you packing up and going to your mum's boat?

Grace

[JawsOrca]

I'm still kinda a saily myself (Just don't like wet weather) .

 

I enjoy dodging them on the broads! Dave any my mum is the same though.. it is easy though just pass at the stern

 

We are spending this week on orca and off to norfolk saturday morning, just hope we can get alot of work done though

[JawsOrca]

Today started early.. Off to the marine window company near tonbridge (Highly recommended.. the chap has everything window and can even repair windows - He's in Hadlow He even has a talking parot which is cool!

 

We got our screws and we so needed them..!

 

So today we got one side all done with sidelining... Oh (I'm not religious) but when I said earlier it was easy.. I was joking.. Please still kicking me..! It was harder today .. not sure why but we got it done.. and it looks lovely.

 

Dave (Nothing to do with me!) found a dinghy which floated in on an earlier high tide.. The commodore of the club told (him) to take it.. He's already called it "Flotsam" or "Jetsam" still trying to work out whats what.. I think its Flotsam...

 

Also on todays high tide one of our neighbours came back to the marina after being in a dry dock .. I did the usual jokes; your going the wrong way. Lovely cruise?, You can't leave that there!.. But it was nice to watch the little tug boats at work they did really well!

 

More sidelining tomorrow.