End of the first phase, now the next phase begins

The blasting begins!

We survived the sandblasting and painting. As Dough says: I have learnt so much from my mistakes, I plan to make some more. The steel boat gurus say you should not sandblast more than you can paint the same day. The painters and others say steel does not rust so fast. Well, it does. I had hoped to do the sandblasting and painting in May, the driest month in Pretoria, but one thing and the other delayed us till end of June, a period where fog and early morning frost or dew is a real possibility.

We decided to sandblast inside, and then spray it. Then we would sandblast the outside and spray that. Of course the blasting outside would damage some of the paint inside. As a sop to my paranoia about rust it was conceded to blast the loose parts like tanks and window frames on the last day of blasting, so the painting could begin immediately.

Hard, dirty work. There has to be a better way. 

I had decided to use Carboguard 550 epoxy primer in two colours: blue over the blasted steel so it is easier to see what areas were missed, then a second coat of gray to build up to the required thickness.

The first problem was that, once we had blasted the outside, rust spots appeared overnight, requiring a second brush blast. And the loose parts picked up damp from the floor they were laid on, showing rust within hours, again requiring a second blast. Secondly the blasting opened up pinholes and porous welds, at a time where re-welding was just not possible. Thirdly we did not realise how difficult it would be to remove the spent grit from inside. The contractor eventually gave in and rented an industrial vacuun cleaner, which did the job in minutes.

Rust spots on the rudder within hours. Damp floor is the cause

Luck was with us: the 5% chance of rain did not materialise. Then problems with the airless spray machine caused it to spray a thick first coat, in effect two coats at the same time. Which meant that the inside of the boat and most of the loose parts are now blue, the rest is gray.

Outside blasting did not cause much damage to the inside paint as far as we could see, but I will do a minute inspection once we are in full sunlight.

Next time I build a boat (Wife having hysterics in the background) I will decide on the paint system before beginning to build. All steel will be blasted at a proper sandblasting plant and coated with a  welding primer. Then, as the work proceeds, it will be wire-brushed and re-primed.

And I will not have freshly painted parts nearby when someone brushes grit off the hull....

Pinholes and porosity. 

The idea of building upside down so the grit from blasting inside would fall out has much to recommend it. So too Colvin's idea of leaving the keel plates off, so grit can be shovelled out there. Buckets of grit weigh a lot!

Now what remains is a few spots of remedial painting and cleaning up the site, then begins the woodwork. A lot of new mistakes to make...

And the primer goes on. 

It feels like going down the rapids

My assistant, Prince, had fun with the Karcher, spreading degreaser

I rafted the Owen falls rapids in Uganda three times. That is enough to have you certified. The major rapid is called Silverback, and you have the whole Nile river going through about 30 meters of channel. It looks awesome from the top, and there is really no way to chicken out and walk back. And when you start going down, there is a moment, as the stream begins to take you and the river makes a hump before you, when you wonder if this was a good idea.

The work on Dreamtime is at a similar point. We did a major degreasing today, washing the whole hull about four times, partly because I tripped over the bucket just when we had washed out most of the degreaser, and spilled a whole lot of fresh, expensive degreaser back into the hull, so we had to wash that out again.

And scrubbing the interior. 

Tomorrow morning I have to get up early to collect the compressor and fill it and the jerry can with diesel. The sandblaster and the spray painter will be there around nine, and then we start.

Once sandblasted we have only a few hours grace before we have to have the paint on. Now, the first problem is: Sandblasting should take about three days. Do we interrupt the blasting and paint when half is done, and risk damaging the primer with the next lot of blasting? Do we trust that the rust will give us time?

One power cord. Two hosepipes to drain the water, one to put fresh water in.
Result: one almighty tangle. They say it has to do with string theory.

Pretoria has beautiful sandblasting weather in May. Cold, dry, clear. But we were not ready. In fact we should have been ready last year in May, but things got complicated. Last weekend we had a cold front move through, which brought some moisture. Fog in the mornings, especially the low lying areas. This morning the hull was wet, even under the old swimming pool cover I have over her. So, no possibility of waiting overnight.

And I have only half the paint I ordered. Which should be OK for the first coat, but... It was promised for tomorrow. Insh'Allah.

Are we ready yet?

Something is dripping ...

And another three weeks have gone. Weeks of grinding drainage holes: Mark Twain told of a steamboat that was like a politician: the whistle used more steam than the boiler could supply so when the whistle blew the boat stopped, like a politician who, when his mouth opened his brain stopped. Well, I have a political die grinder. It works like a charm, for two minutes, then the little compressor has to run for five minutes to catch up. So imagine, if you will, me grinding away for two minutes, then I climb down the ladder to drill holes, grind seams, or do whatever, The moment the compressor stops I am back up the ladder, grind for two minutes....

No, leaking!

The last bit of rewelding of seams had a story to them. Isaac called me to show that they could not weld the central seam, as there was water dripping out where Kenzo had ground it out.

Supports are rewarded

Awkward welding of a support under the side deck

Rudder fittings go on.

So I drilled a little hole.... The closed compartment where the mast support rests was not as closed as it should have been, and was full of rain water. I cut four 50mm holes in it in order to be able to see the hull, which is what I had asked for in the beginning.

I also drilled all the holes where rivnuts must go to 9mm, took out the waste and water tanks and drilled their mounting holes to 11mm for the 8mm rivnuts that will hold them. And today we had the last session of welding the rudder fittings on, and grinding the last sharp edges round. We did not quite finish that, so I have three days to do that when we are back from the coast.

Then the sandblasting and spray painting waits. A compressor is lined up, but I must do the paperwork and pay a deposit. The sandblaster is lined up and a deposit paid. The paint and degreaser is lined up and paid for, but I do not have a delivery date. Airless spray equipment is lined up, but must be checked. The most important element, though, is still missing: the spray painter. I have a name of someone highly recommended, who has worked at the factory before. They trust him on their equipment. But he does not answer his phone...

Thanks to David for helping with the welding, and Bongani for grinding miles of seams and rounding hundreds of corners!

And to the Profection team: Isaac, Kenzo, Lucas and Thomas.

Stay tuned...

Last of the fix-ups.

Wave breaker built: check.

This was supposed to be a weekly update. But a week-long diving trip, a week-long job, and a lot of frustration has intervened.

Up to now I have been fixing up builder's screw-ups. I have also been fabricating a few additions of my own such as scuppers and a cover for the generator exhaust, as well as drip-catchers for the cockpit drains and the lockers. I also made a wave-breaker to keep the worst of the Pacific rollers off the main hatch.

Pinhole in the weld

We have been adding supports between the stringers where the pilot berth is to go, to carry the steel legs and supports of the berth. The supports will go in next week.

David and Bongani have been kept busy with the grinding and welding. And I finally got Profection to inspect the welds and re-weld. Isaac did beautiful welds after Thomas had ground them out. Lucas supervised. A nicer bunch of professionals I have not met.

More pinholes in a weld. 

And I had the guy from Stoncor out to look at the boat and advise on painting. He is not in favour of coal tar epoxy, it burns and gives a toxic smoke. Apparently a diving platform off Namibia, painted with this, went up in flames recently, and created all sorts of fun and games, not to mention environmental hazards. Insteads he recommended an epoxy coating and a water pipe paint as second coat. Now to get someone to apply it!

One problem is the sun: I can now work till about eleven before the sun makes work

And a big hole. 

impossible. My tarpaulin has been shrivelled by the sun, and today it was blasting down with evil intent!

Jobs for the coming week:

I have to get the little lathe going so I can get the fittings and bearings for the rudder done, then we can weld the fittings in.

The supports for the pilot berth must be measured and welded in.

I have to drill all the boltdown holes for the internal hatches. The stainless steel rivnuts, or 'rabbits' as the guy at the shop called them, are in the toolbox and waiting. But I will install them only after the sandblasting and primer is in. (I suspect I ordered too few, 50 might not make it!)

Thomas grinding out bad welds

We need to grind the outside seams at the cockpit and the rub rail, and do any remedial re-welding. Bongani did half today, the other half is waiting.

As soon as the die grinder arrives (there is a story to get your blood pressure up) the internal drainage holes need to be radiused and the edges broken.

And then we get to the next biggie: The sandblasting and painting.

Isaac doing welding magic. 

Summary of work done, and what still remains to be done

So far I have been repairing what the builder did wrong, or not the way I wanted to, and I added a few things to the deck, which I asked for but never got.

Izaac cutting the limber holes. 

Today we had Isaac of Profection Manufacturing cut the limber holes bigger, which should have been done at the initial building stage. Some that were provided were so small they got blocked by dust and blown sand. Isaac did have one oopsy, and made a leeeetle hole in the hull, but that will be quickly welded up.

Bongani framed the portholes and welded them up

We made frames of 25mm x 2mm angle steel, to pull the warped topsides around the portholes

Old hatch slides coming off. Note the wave breaker for when we take the seas green over the bows. 

back to a fair profile. Since I was fighting the new inverter welder, it took me all of two weeks to cobble together ten frames. David and Bongani clamped them, welded, and the result is great!


I took off the companionway hatch slides, eventually I had to resort to a cold chisel. Damaged the slides and also the deck. The deck will be easily welded up, the slides will be re-made, nothing that money would not take care of.  Some scrap provided slides for the washboard slides.

On the deck I built a wave-breaker arc, complete with a 12mm rod welded on the top. This will serve to protect the main hatch from waves when we round Cape Horn, and also to fasten a canopy to.

David welding the new slides for the washboards. He had no hassle with the new welder.

More detail of the wave breaker. The Horn to starboard there!

The coming week I will have all the welds inspected, finish off the ends of the rod on the wave breaker, and finish the rudder fittings. Saturday coming we will fit the rudder at least provisionally, fix the deck and the small hole in the hull, and start on the trailer re-design, so that the supports of the boat can be taken off and replace. The trailer cost a lot and that money must not just serve as a boat cradle.

We are also changing the rudder hinge to a more robust and field repairable design. More on that next week.

Then I must arrange the sandblasting and painting. If anyone has ideas about paint, let me know. I am inclined towards coal tar epoxy, but it is environment-unfriendly. There is another epoxy that is used inside water pipes and tanks, but that requires a SA 3 sand blasting finish, something I am not sure we can achieve inside. The third option is an epoxy with aluminium and zinc powder; basically a cold galvanising treatment. Comments are welcome!

And thanks to David, Bongani and Isaac, I appreciate your help, guys!

Life on the moorings

For the past month and a week or two Dreamtime has been moored behind a factory about 10km from home, and a lot has been done.

Painting is fun

Adam felt at home

The trailer has been stabilised with some screw jacks, thanks to the help of son-in-law Lawrence and grandson Adam. Being from Durban Adam assured me he knows all about boats, and it was hard prying him away from the boat. Thanks, Adam!

Diederick, sleeping on the job

Then the newest

Neat little hatch for the generator exhaust

grandson, Diederick, came to help. Here we have to talk about work ethics. First the guy was late for his welding lesson because he wanted to have a snack, then he fell asleep on the job. Well, at one month old perhaps I should not be too hard on him.

The new welder.

In the meantime David Dhlamini has been welding on a number of things. He built a neat little hatch for the generator's exhaust, and a number of other little jobs that should be finished before we do the sandblasting and spraypainting, which is planned for May. He convinced me to invest in a small inverter welder instead of the old air cooled one, now we burn through welding rods at a frightening rate! A worthwhile investment.

Bongani, grinding away. 

And Bongani joined the team, grinding down the weld seams. It is good to have professionals on the job.

The factory now must make a few parts for me to fit the rudder, and then inspect the seams and advise which ones have to be re-welded.

And then the sandblasting and spraypainting saga!

David and I

First voyage ... sort of.

Careful strapping down!

We checked the weather forecast: clear, hot, with the possibility of thunderstorms near our destination. At four in the morning we were off, heading south. Some miscommunication with the truck driver lost us an hour, but we loaded the mast and other cutoffs, then went to the scrapyard where she was moored. In fact, chained: wheels can be stolen off unattended trailers!

Inches to spare at the tollgate

Highveld thunderstorm

Strapping her down took another half hour, and then we were on the road! At first we took it slow, gauging every sway and swing from the following car, but as he gained confidence the truck driver added some speed. After about 80 kilometers we stopped to remove the tarp, it served no purpose and distracted us. A few kilometers further a few traffic cops were checking their speed camera, and belatedly pointed the driver to the weigh bridge. He gaily waved back at them and we continued on our way.

The day was a scorcher: in the high thirties Celsius. We cooled down as best we could, and later it became cooler, with some clouds developing.

Our first toll gate had a bypass, but at the second one we carefully slid through, with inches to spare on each side. Entering Johannesburg we heard radio reports of thunderstoms and even hail. We did get some raindrops, but managed to thread through the columns of rain. Nearing our destination we went down a last long hill, bane of many heavy loads, but we had no problem! And then we were at the factory, where she will be moored for the next few months until the welding, painting and interior is complete.

A nerve wracking first voyage, but a successful one. Let us hope the rest will go as well as this one.

A safe arrival