Friday, September 26, 2014

Change of Address

After I have tried on numerous blogs, I finally found the one that fits me perfectly:

Sailing on Elbow Grease

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Punch a hole in a boat

The fittings have been removed.  Now for the frightening but fun part

Removing the patch and re-patching:

Patch Removed - Wow that is a big hole

Hole cleaned up and patch made with a step joint

Dry fitting the patch 

Patch epoxied to hull and sanded smooth

Seams tape with Fiber Glass tape and epoxy

And then of course MORE SANDING

P.S.  Traditionally people will use a scarf joint, but due to the awkward shape of the hole, I rather used a 1cm step joint so it would fit better.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

To Do List

So the old boat has a new home, but for the time being it will not be a safe harbor.

List of to do's:

1.  Remove all the fittings
2.  Remove old patch in hull
3.  Remove Stern
4.  Patch the hull
5.  Fit new stern
6.  Fix other minor dings and bits
7.  Sand till you are aching all over


8.  Sand some more
9.  Repaint bottom of hull
10. 7 Coats of Marine Varnish
11.  Refit all fittings
12.  Stand back, open a beer and admire your handy work

and then

SAIL SAIL SAIL



Tuesday, March 25, 2014

MAC 24hr Challenge

Some people say I am crazy, going from a Fireball Dinghy which is sort of like a old American Muscle Car to a Mirror, a small hatchback car.


But for me and the wife it was a better fit and I always wanted to do the MAC 24hr challenge at Milnerton Aquatic Club.  The Fireball did not meet the criteria, but the Mirror did.

Photo from MAC Site
So the race was on, will the boat be in time for the race?  Will I get a team ready and sailing before then?

Old Boat, New Home

Early in 2014 I was in search of a new boat to refurbish and sail. I came across a very sad looking Mirror while looking at potential boats.









Wife gave it a look and said, not worth it.  BUT I am one of those people who can't walk away from a neglected boat that is in need of a new lease on life...so Mirror #40819 went with us.  


About...

This blog is about...

Scrap that, here are a few pictures:


The Author - Johan aka Smilicus


 What he sails - Mirror # 40819



Where he sails - Cape Town, Western Cape Province