For a couple of new photos, see:

http://www.pbase.com/gould/extreme_makeover

and check out "first look....." and "incredibly nice finish on the
false stack"


*********


Oh, My!

Just about the moment I was in danger of becoming discouraged by the
amount of time so far involved in the refit and refinishing of
"Indulgence," I dropped into Seaview North to check on progress.
The portion of the job one could generally describe as "painting"
has been in process for over a month. The difference between a truly
excellent paint job and "just OK" is determined, in large part, by
the amount of time and effort spent prepping the surface prior to
applying the primer and finish coats. I walked into the paint shed to
discover all but the "brow" over the forward cabin windows wrapped
in masking paper, so for a moment I was disappointed that there
wasn't much to actually see. Then, I spied something nearby that
seemed remotely familiar and ambled over to investigate.

"If I didn't know better," I thought, "I'd say that looks
like my false stack. But how could it be? This component is as smooth
as glass, has a gleaming finish that features almost three-dimensional
"depth," and looks as though it probably came off a multi-million
dollar custom yacht." A careful examination of the piece revealed
that it was indeed the rejuvenated, refinished stack! I thought, "If
the rest of the boat is going to look anything at all like that, the
slow and deliberate pace with which the yard is proceeding is OK with
me."

I encountered Phil Riise, owner of Seaview Boatyards, in the parking
lot outside the hangar.

"Hello, Chuck!" said Phil, "What do you think of your paint
job?"

"Well, there isn't much to see unless I want to tear up the masking
paper and I don't want to screw up somebody's work. But I did get a
look at the false stack and I have to say that looks exceptional."

"The rest of the boat looks just as good," said Phil. "We're
very impressed with this ALEXSEAL paint. Yours is the first boat we
have used it on, but we are going to start recommending it as a
preferred product. I've known the guys who represent ALEXSEAL for
years. Most of them used to be with US Paint, the people who make
Awlgrip, so they know good paint and they have every right to be very
proud of this ALEXSEAL. I'll have one of the guys peel back some of
the masking paper so you can get a look at a portion of the results."

Tiel Riise, manager of Seaview North, accompanied me back into the
hangar to allow me a look at a portion of the hull. Tiel remarked,
"You are going to be very pleased. Our painter thinks this ALEXSEAL
is fantastic. It goes on very nicely, and it seems to have more solids
than{some of the more commonly known brand names}."

Tiel peeled away several feet of masking paper just above the waterline
on the starboard side. Oh, my! The finish on "Indulgence" never
looked that good back when we found her, (she was about 10 years old at
the time). I'd be willing to bet she never looked that good the day
she left the factory, and I'd pretty sure the finish will compare
favorably with just about any boat we'll moor next to for some time
to come. Some of the world's most premium yachts use paint, rather
than gelcoat, for a finish. Humble little "Indulgence" will never
be a "premium yacht," but based on the sections I've been able to
see so far she will have an absolutely spectacular complexion

Nor'westing is deadlining just before Memorial Day Weekend. I'll be
spending at least two days of the upcoming holiday up in Bellingham
"with Bernice". (Bernice was the Norse goddess of the woodlands and
her name is the etymological root for the English word, "varnish").
The paint should be completed by the day after the long weekend, and
then progress will pick up substantially. While only one person can
paint a boat, (and when that person appears to be as skilled as
boatyard version of Michaelangelo he or she is entitled to take the
time to do a near perfect job), once the paint is finished an entire
"crew" can get aboard and wrap up the rest of the operations
simultaneously.


Prop and Shaft

In the "while we're about it" category, we pulled the prop and
shaft for inspection. Leroy Nopen, of Seattle Propeller on Westlake
Avenue, put the prop on his computerized scanning device and announced,
"Your prop is in very good shape. If you look on the monitor screen,
you can see how all the blades are almost exactly the same. This
program is set up to make sure that your prop is at least a Class II,
and for trawlers that is more than adequate." Leroy tapped a key on
his keyboard and the image on his computer monitor changed. "Well,
that's interesting," he said. "Your prop not only meets Class II
standards, it actually falls within the much stricter Class I. The only
adjustment you could make would be to upgrade to a Class S, which is
virtually perfect, and 99.9% of boats don't need to be Class S.
Sorry, Chuck, but there's not a darn thing I could justify charging
you to do on this prop, it just doesn't need any work."

(We did hire Seattle Propeller to polish the prop).

Our "prop" luck didn't hold when the shaft was examined. One of
the "isms" associated with Asian trawlers of the 70's and early
80's was a tendency for prop shafts to be less than absolutely true.
We were out of whack by 14/1000ths of an inch at the end of the shaft,
enough to create unneeded vibrations and exert additional stress on the
cutless bearing. A new shaft is on order.


Looking forward

We are anticipating some relatively rapid progress in early June. With
any luck at all, the next issue's installment of "Extreme
Makeover" will feature some photos of a finished and relaunched
"Indulgence"

See you on the water! (Soon, we hope).