Keels, Keelboots, Angle Grinders and Yours Truly.

My logic was so simple. Get the boat up, get the area that will eventually sit on the bunk-boards sand off the bottom paint, and repaint.The rest I can do with it sitting on the trailer if I have to. When I read the instructions on the paint it says not to use it on cracked paint. OK So I have to take off the paint.  Tried using a sander.  Then tried two different types of paint remover that is supposedly safe for glass.
It's not gel coat and paint remover won't touch it except for a few spots where it is weak.
 The sanding idea was taking just to long. Slower then any thing remotely close to tolerable. Using sanding disk like there is no tomorrow, etc. I take the hint and go get a angle grinder. That works fine except for the fact the only angle grinder I can afford that has adjustable speeds is the Kawasaki. The reviews on Amazon were not great. Having no other affordable choice  in the adjustable speed selections, I decided to go with it and see what happens.

I am on my third angle grinder. Took the other two back, They just up and quit on me. NO warning, no weird sounds just boom., Nada, nothing, They both acted like they were simply unplugged.  OK I am at tractor supply talking to the sales lady ( CHARMIN IS THE BEST! ) and decide to go with a different brand. NO adjustable speed but I have to do something, this deal of constantly having to stop in the middle of work to replace the grinder got really OLD FAST! BEST IDEA for this trouble is KEEP YOUR RECEIPT!!!!

Decided on a dewalt. It was in my price range. The dewalt is a GREAT TOOL! It was kicking the paint off in record speeds. There is only one problem, It is TO MUCH HORSE! If it was just a bit smaller in diameter, and the handle was a bit easier on the hands, maybe I could have done it, That thing had some major power in it. Trouble  was after about 2 minutes of using it my hands were so wore out I could barely keep a hold of it  and work one finger up to turn the silly thing off! Such is life. I call up the dewalt company to see if they have any thing easier to use. This is not a product issue. This is a my hands are to darned small issue! NO such critter unless I want to go with a 7 inch at almost 200.00. OUCH! 

OK What to do? GRRRR! Took it back and got a another Kawasaki. Not wild about it. The ladies out there know I will be bringing it back. Honestly I'm not expecting a 40.00 grinder to be commercial grade.  I believe it is however reasonable to expect one lousy angle grinder to be able to grind a thin layer of epoxy paint off at least 25% of the hull on a 22 ' fiberglass sail boat with out going kaput on me! .Enough said about THAT subject!

SO far boat work wise, progress is slowly being made in spite of tools issues.

 I now have one extremely naked keel waiting on resin and cloth. I put a couple of coats of Rustoleum rust converter on it and it has been sitting out side doing just fine. For the record , in case any one is interested, the same sized keel fits both the 22' and 25 ' Mac-Gregor.  Thanks Sumter for that diagram that showed that.

 

 In a previous post I mentioned how small the space was that almost 400 dollars of fiberglass working tools took up. Realize that almost 400.00 did include a really big roll of cloth. Honestly I think if I bought another fat max tool box I could probably put them all in it and still  have plenty of room for the grinder, accessories, my sander and disk.. 

Honest folks,that is all there was.

For the most part I have the bunk board area bare on the flat parts. 

The keel boot is trying to make me crazy.   I poked around. The bottom paint goes up about as far as my 3rd finger into the hole. That's what 3 maybe 4  inches?  Not wild about it but I decided to see what a 7 inch disk is going to do.  Getting past  however far the disk will go is just not going to happen. I do not  know what kind of epoxy paint was used but the idea at this point is simple. Use acetone to wipe off all the bottom paint, Scrub like crazy. Repaint the deep parts I can't reach with a grinder with epoxy paint and refuse to worry about it!

I was seriously contemplating putting new glass all the way up to the rub rail.  If I am going to have this much hassle just getting the bottom done FORGET redoing the whole thing. I'm taking it up to maybe 4 inches above the water line for safety sake then THAT'S IT!

 In the middle of all this grinder work I find at least 3 spots in the hull that have to be ground out and repaired. Not big spots mind you. A crack on both sides of the keel boot  at the bow end, which I will attack with the dremel; a fairly deep ding maybe the size of a dime on the bottom and this little itty bitty pin hole that drips from the water that got into the boat this last rain we had. I never would have known it was there except the lid for the front hatch blew off. Thank Heaven for small  back handed blessings is all I can say. Yes, when I apply the resin it would probably have filled it and would have never caused me any trouble. Since I know it is there I am going to take a real close look at it under a strong lite inside and out. There is a spot inside along side the keel boot that I suspect may be the culprit.


Other then that, not a lot going on.  I finally have internet at the house again so post should come more often.  The house is empty! What in my area I can load into the van in an hour or two if I really had to. I have an ad in the paper to sell or rent the house. The yard is almost done. I have some stuff I am planting on the north side so it looks nice. Other then that its about  the boat as far as my to do list goes. All the van needs is  some shocks on the back. That I'm going to cheat on and have them installed.
 Had to take an unexpected trip up north last month. Other then the transmission having to  be rebuilt, it ran fine. Once we got the tranny fixed the van did great. Guess that was my shake down cruise land wise.  I averaged 12 mpg. Not great but hey its an old Chevy. 350 and still going strong. As long as I stay away form ethanol  I am OK.
It has finally started getting hot so If I can get up early enough in the morning to get out there and run the grinder I might actually get this done.  Thinking about getting a cheap 10.00 fan to put some breeze in and just get after it. I work for a while, take a break then get back at it until I  just cant hold it up for more then a few minutes. Then it is time to quit for the day. I am averaging maybe 2 to 3 square feet a day. Considering its working crouched under the boat or flat on my back holding the grinder up, I guess I'm not doing to bad for an old woman. 

Its coming along. Slow but sure. This boat is going to float with me in it! At this point I have exactly ONE GOAL1 That is take me, the dogs,m my van and this boat and go make a hole in the water. Anything else is anarchy!
I have been rethinking this idea of hitting the coast right away. I have to learn to sail this boat. I can do that at almost any lake in the country. Back when I first started researching all this I found out fairly fast inland ASA sailing lessons are a lot cheaper then in coastal areas.   Power Squadron classes are also on the check it out list.   There are a couple of lakes with in a 150 miles circle if I can't get this place under contract.  Its just a matter of continuing to put one foot in front of the other and I WILL get this done!
That's it for now.
Sail safe but SAIL!