Interior of the S2 6.9

The interior of the boat is all original and in great shape.  I don't plan on doing any modifications to it at this time.  The layout has the standard V berth up front and two quarter berths on each side port and starboard.  A small area to the right of the keel enclosure has room for a porta-pottie. Beneath the companion way steps is an opening cabinet with tons of storage for life jackets and other gear.

The walls and ceiling are covered in a gray nylon carpet that is easy to clean. The cushions are tan with a maroon pattern.  The windows are trimmed out with teak and the wood covering the keel enclosure center is also teak.  The floors are all fiberglass with one main floor hatch center.

It has interior lights, one in the V berth, one in the head area and one in the main salon. The fuse panel is located in a small cabinet in the head area.

 Salon looking forward

 Main Salon

 Port side

Starboard side berth to the right

New Lemar Deck Hatch

It is Memorial Day weekend and I am sitting hear looking out at the lake while it rains.  It is almost June 1st and I have not had the boats in yet.  The flood on the lake and the crummy spring weather have put me a month behind.  This weekend I plan to put the power boat in.  I have a little touch up on the keel  of the sailboat and that will go in too.

The old Gray Enterprises (Bomar) deck hatch had seen it's better days. The Plexiglas was cracked and someone rather poorly tried to re-glue it into the frame.  One of the dogs that holds the hatch down was broken off.  It was time for a replacement.  I searched the web looking for a suitable hatch that would be a step up in quality from the Bomar.  I still have the old hatch if anyone needs replacement parts.

The Lewmar 40 low profile hatched  looked like a possible replacement.  The rough opening for the Lewmar is 16 9/16 which is close to the Bomars opening of 17 1/2.  I purchased the new hatch for $286.00 at Hodges Marine.

The problem is how to make the opening a little smaller.  I thought of using strips of wood to trim out the inside of the hatch but decided to use epoxy to make it strong and permanent.

I had to build a mold that I could poor the liquid epoxy into to form the new hatch opening.  After many hours of thinking about this I had it figured out!  I used a piece of foam insulation with the tinfoil backing as the base of the mold.

I then used flexible weather stripping 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch to make the curved corners and outline of the hatch.  I sanded the edges of the old opening and wiped it down with acetone.  I placed the mold in the opening of the hatch, centered it and braced it from below with a piece of wood to keep it in place.  I then seal the foam insulation mold to the opening with some caulk so the epoxy would not run into the cabin.  I mixed up 16 ounces of resin and poured it into the mold creating the new opening.

Close up shot of weather stripping with resin poured



Full shot of mold and resin

 New hatch rough fit

Paint touch up

 Installed the hatch today!

New hatch

Rudder and Keel Rehab

Rudder Work

I am getting close to putting the boat in the water for the season.  Memorial Day usually is the official start of our summer season here in the Midwest.  Like other parts of the country we have had an unusually wet and cool spring.

Last weekend I put both boat lifts in the water along with the dock.  The water level is still a little high so I have not put all sections of the dock in yet.

I was taking a look a the rudder the other day making sure it was ready to go.  I notice that it had a huge crack in the top where it pivots.  I took the bolt out that holds it in and found some major damage.  Further inspection showed that the top portion of the rudder was hollow around the pivot bolt. The torque on the rudder caused it to crack. 

I cleaned out the crack and remove the broken pieces.  I ground down the face of the top portion of the rudder to allow me to add some fiberglass cloth and resin for reinforcement.  I got out my epoxy resin and mixed up about 12 ounces.  I set the rudder on edge and poured in the resin to fill up the void inside the top portion of the rudder.  Once that curred I applied the cloth and resin over the face of the rudder and wrapped it over the edge to reinforce the broken spot.  I put on two layers of cloth and resin.

The trailing edge of the rudder had three spots the size of a quarter that were broken out.  I sanded and taped off these areas and applied a little epoxy resin to fill in the voids.  Once dry I sanded these down to contour with the edge.

The picture below is the finished product. I should have taken some pictures during the glassing to give you a better idea of the damage.  I gave it four coats of the same bottom paint I used on the hull. Interlux VC Offshore Epoxy.

Finished Rudder with epoxy paint, the damage was on the top of the rudder on the right end of the picture

Keel Work

I noticed the previous owner had run into a few object and caused a little damage to the bottom of the keel.  He had made an attempt to apply some bondo fiberglass to fix the problem. I chipped all of that off and ground it down. It appears that the keel in encapsulated in what appears to be foam. 

The repair will involve applying epoxy resin and several layers of fiberglass cloth to seal the keel up and prevent water intrusion. I will attached more pictures as the process progresses. The shot below show the keel prepared for fiberglass.

 Keel front view

Keel bottom view

Keel gelcoat ground off

Keel ready for glass

Finished keel repair

She hits the water tomorrow

Installation of Raymarine ST40 Speed and Depth Transducers

I wanted to add speed and depth indication to my S2.  I looked at several different options and chose the Raymarine ST40 for it's features, size and price.  I found a set of transducers on eBay that matched the display so I was in business.  

I found the Raymarine ST40 display on sale at Overtons for $180.  The bidata display shows two readings at once. The transducers actually pickup depth, speed and water temperature. 

The hull of the S2 6.9 is about 9/16 of an inch thick cored with 3/8 inch balsa.  This construction makes for a extremely solid hull. The outer skin seemed to be about 1/8 inch thick and the inner skin was thinner at about 1/16 of an inch.  This is a shot of the core taken from one of the holes drilled out near the keel.

When cutting in a thru hull it is important to know if your hull is solid fiberglass or if it is cored with wood or foam.  If your hull is solid fiberglass simply cut the hole all the way through and install the thru hull with 3M 4200. 

The picture shows the proper preparation for a thru hull fitting in a cored hull.  The hull of the S2 is cored with basla wood. If a hole was simply cut in the hull it may leak into the core and and delaminate the hull. The proper way to prepare the thru hull is to cut the inside core out a little bigger than the thru hull fitting. 

 In my case the transducers are 2 inches in diameter.  I cut the inside out with a 2 1/2 hole saw.  I then filled the hole with fiberglass resin to seal off the core and then drilled it out with a 2 inch hole saw.  The instructions recommended that the transducers be installed ahead of the keel and on the flattest part of the hull not to exceed 10 degrees.  They also recommended that they should not be place in front of each other because it might cause turbulence and affect the readings.

I am just waiting for a warm day to install the transducers. To power the ST40 display you simply need to run a red wire to the positive lead and a yellow wire to the negative lead. I am still trying to figure out where to install the display.  I am not sure I want to cut more holes in the bulkhead so I am considering alternate locations. Stay tuned.

Fabricating New Hatch Guides

My 6.9 S2 is a 1985 vintage. Like all good things some of the hardware eventually wears out.  The hatch guides are a common thing that eventually breaks or cracks.  The original guides were made out of some type of hard plastic. I am not sure if it is lexan or polycarbonate. 

I searched the Internet for a replacement product and considered using aluminum or wood.  I did  not want to use wood because that would mean staining and varnishing which means I would have to redo it every couple of years. I was looking for the no maintenance option. 

As I was wondering through our local big box home supply store I ran across plastic brickmold that you use to trim around the doors on your house.  This is made out of a vinyl plastic and look about the right size and thickness.  I purchased ten feet for about $13 and thought I would give it a try.

My wife is always telling me to think outside the box, so I saw no reason this stuff might work.

The original guides were one 1 inch wide by 3/4 high.  The groove was set 1/4 inch off the deck and the was 3/8 inch wide.  I got out my trusty table saw and proceeded to rip the brickmold to the proper width.  I left the original thickness as is for added support.

After I cut the piece to the proper length and ripped the 3/8 inch groove. I drilled seven hole with a 3/16 inch bit.  I use 1 1/2 inch stainless steel screws and counter sunk then so they were flush.  I then applied a generous bead of 3M 4200 to the bottom of the guide and screwed it down tight.

 

The final product turned out very nice if I do say so myself.

Out of Storage and the Projects Begins

I finally freed the boat from storage after one of the worst winters on record in the Midwest.  My long list of projects will start with bottom paint.  I starting sanding the bottom today in preparation for bottom paint. The old bottom paint was peeling bad and needed attention.  I plan to keep the boat on a lift at my lake home when not in use so I thought I would not need to use an anti-fouling bottom paint. 

I looked at several different kinds and settled on Interlux VC Offshore Epoxy.   It is a two part Teflon bearing Epoxy that has a hard slick finish ideal for powerboats and racing sailboats. Teflon adds lubricity and eases wet sanding and burnishing.

The pictures below show about two hours of sanding with 80 grit paper on my random orbital sander.  A few more afternoons sanding and I should be ready for paint.  The instructions calls for washing the surface and and wiping down with 202. Complete instructions are listed below.

Preparation:

BARE FIBERGLASS: Begin by scrubbing well using soap and water and a stiff brush. Rinse with fresh water. Wipe with Fiberglass Solvent Wash 202. Sand with 80 grade (grit) paper. Wipe with Fiberglass Solvent Wash 202.
CLEAR EPOXY: Begin by scrubbing well using soap and water and a stiff brush. Rinse with fresh water. Wet sand with 80 grade (grit) paper. Wash down with fresh water. Wipe with Fiberglass Solvent Wash 202.
BARE METAL: Sandblast or grind to bright metal finish. Immediately apply Viny-Lux Primewash 353/354 thinned 25% with Viny-Lux Solvent 355. Allow to dry for 1-24 hours.
Method Apply 3 coats of VC Performance Epoxy. VC Performance Epoxy is designed for spray application but can be applied by brush and rollers.
 
Hints
Mixing Mix base and curing agent thoroughly at the specified ratio. Allow 45 mins at 50 deg F/10 deg C and 30 mins above 77 deg F/25 deg C for induction.
Thinner Reducing Solvent 2316N.
Thinning Thin, if necessary, after induction.
Cleaner Bare Fiberglass - Fiberglass Solvent Wash 202. Epoxy - Fiberglass Solvent Wash 202.
Airless Spray Pressure: 142-170 bar/2100-2500 psi Tip Size: 0.48-0.53 mm/19-21 thou.
Conventional Spray Pressure Pot: Pressure: 3.44-4.08 bar/50-60 psi - gun pressure; 8-15 psi pot pressure. Tip Size: 1.4-1.5 mm/55-60 thou. Siphon Cup: Pressure: 3.06-4.08 bar/45-60 psi. Tip Size: 1.4-1.5 mm/55-60 thou.
Other If fairing is necessary, use Interprotect Watertite between 1st and 2nd coats of VC Performance Epoxy and then apply 3 coats of VC Performance Epoxy over the Interprotect Watertite.
Some Important Points Product temperature should be minimum 10 deg C/50 deg F and maximum 29 deg C/85 deg F. Ambient temperature should be minimum 10 deg C/50 deg F and maximum 35 deg C/95 deg F. Substrate temperature should be minimum 10 deg C/50 deg F and maximum 35 deg C/95 deg F.
Compatibility/Substrates VC Performance Epoxy can be applied to gelcoat, bare fiberglass, epoxy and properly primed metal. Apply to clean, dry, properly prepared surfaces only. VC Performance Epoxy can only be applied over two component products that are specified for underwater use. If there is any single paint (such as antifouling paint) on the surface, it must be removed and then proceed as with bare surface.
Number of Coats 3-4 as needed
Coverage (Theoretical) - 200 (sq ft/Gal) by spray
Recommended DFT 3.5 mils dry
Application Methods Brush, Roller, Airless Spray, Conventional Spray - Pressure Pot or Siphon Cup

Once the bottom is sanded down to bare fiberglass I hosed the bottom down with water to get all the dust off. Once that was dry I used the Interlux 202 fiberglass wash to wipe down the hull in preparation for painting.  Make sure to use rubber gloves when using the 202 wash. It is a really strong chemical cleaner.

I used a 7 inch foam roller to apply the paint. I purchased these from Jamestown Distributors. They come in 3, 7 and 9 inch widths. Make sure you have some mixing pales because the Interlux VC Performance Epoxy has to be mixed 1:1. After mixing it has to set and pot for about 30-45 minute before you can apply the paint. This allows the curing agent to start reacting with the base. I applied the paint on a day that was about 70 degrees. I thinned it slightly with the Interlux 2316N thinning agent. 

When I rolled the paint on and small bubbles appeared. I tried using the roll and tip method but the brush left line in the paint so I just went back and rolled over it again and it smoothed out.  I may have needed more thinning agent to allow it to flow out.  This process is trial and error until you find the right mixture that works for you.  I applied three coats one after the other after the previous coat was somewhat dried and non tacky.  It took about a quart of paint per coat on my 22 ft boat.

The final product

 Bottom paint job done!

 Starboard side

 Keel shot, note holes for Depth and Speed transducers

Rear view, note drain scuppers still need paint