Done

with this years refinishing. All painting complete, just another coat or two of varnish on the hatch frame to go. Also need to finish stripping the hatch itself and figure out how I’m going to make and attach the hatch runners. Remember I had to cut off the old ones to remove the hatch as it was assembled back in 1962 with the runners in place. I’ll probably use some vertical grain teak let in the hatch end pieces. This means I’ll either need to make new drop boards or add an arc shaped piece to the existing one. (Which also needs to be stripped, primed and painted.) It never ends (and what would I do with my time if it did).

Sjogin was launched today and surprisingly is not leaking too much. Due to the pressure of getting her back in I didn’t do my usual pre-wetting so perhaps it’s due to the damp weather lately. I’ll give her the usual scrubbing this weekend and hope to have her rigged by next weekend.

Here are some photos of my progress and Sjogin sitting in the slings:

Forward in shed
Here she is last night in the shed with all then painting done. Each year she gets fresh paint on all surfaces.

This year I’ve used paint from Kirby Paint Co. for the first time. They even matched the Interlux Seattle Grey I usually use. Apart from being a little more difficult to work with (not keeping a wet edge), I was very satisfied. It’s a semi-gloss that’s somewhat flatter than the usual semi-gloss by Z-Spar, Interlux or Pettit. It’s great for hiding the many defects that Sjogin has developed over the years. She’ll pass a five foot test now rather then the usual ten.

Aft in shed
Aft view. Freshly polished letters just visible to starboard.

Slings forward
Sitting in the slings soaking up.

Slings aft
Aft view. After the rudder soaks for a while it will hang vertically.

Happy owner
The happy owner.

Progress

on my annual maintenance program for Sjogin. The major project this year is stripping the house sides and cabin top along with renewing the brightwork. Over the last week or so I finished removing paint and have started in the other direction.

Also find below a variety of pics taken over the last few weeks.

Pics follow:

ready to strip
All the sealing has been done; epoxy on the old canvas and Pettit Sealer on the house and hand rails.

Tools
My paint stripping tools. There’s a piece in this month’s WoodenBoat about making handles for Red Devil scraper blades. The bent file can cut both ways and is handy for lifting old paint. It also makes a great seam cleaner as it can shave the sides of the seam back to clean wood.

aft
The house all primed as well the bare spots (many) on the topsides. The Yard will do the bottom.

forward
The view from forward.

beds
September beds. It’s pretty much a plant eat plant world now.

9/11
September 11th at Our House.

masthead
Finally, back to Sjogin for a snap of her masthead and fly.

Happy September 1st,

our first day back from Newport and Maine. Another successful WoodenBoat Show. About two dozen members of the WoodenBoat Forum came to the show resulting in an inordinate amount of fun from drinks and dinner Friday and Saturday nights to “racing” on Gleam and Northern Light .

Then on to Brooklin for a family visit. Glum start Sunday through Tuesday till the front came through, then a spectacular Milky Way display. Wednesday was a crystal clear, late Summer day in Maine. Managed a couple of sails and a lobster boat trip to Stonington.

Pics follow:

Russ Brilliant
Russ on Brilliant, the Olin Stephens, 1938, Nevins built beauty.

Brilliant
A perfect counter stern

head
The folding sink in the Master’s head on Brilliant

When and If
General Patton’s pre-war schooner.

Julia Gleam
Julia on Gleam with Northern Light to Port. This was before our briefing.

crossing
Racing on Gleam. (We did cross Northern Light on Port).

Then on to the Wooden Boat Capital of the world, Brooklin, Maine.

Katie D
Going to Stonington for lunch on the Katie D

Stonington
The Katie D tied up in Stonington.

Bob and Tendress
A man and his boat.

Rozinnante and Quiet Tune
Just in time for this month’s issue of Wooden Boat, a pair of L. Francis Herreshoff ketches. Rozinnante and Quiet Tune passing on Eggomogin Reach. (Technically the Rozinnante is a yawl, modified by Doug Hylan.)

Julia
Julia on Tendress on a grey day with a light breeze.

More pics on Flickr

There are also more boat show and 12 Meter photos HERE and here. They were taken by Margo and Katherine respectively ( WBF members). Here are a couple of samples:

RM
I got to raise the easy part.

R&J
Motoring into the harbor. The skipper has mastered steering with his feet.

Finally, here’s a link to the 12 Meter Thread on the WoodenBoat Forum

One goal reached

today. Went through the grits and finished sanding the hatch frame. Also completed the repairs to the dodgy bits where thay are joined. Yesterday I fit and glued two dutchman where I had cut back to good (sort of) wood and trimmed them fair today. Finished my day with a thinned coat of Epifanes varnish to the frame.

Pics follow:

Dutchmen
Dutchmen fitted and glued up.

Start
Starting to fair.

Done
Done and ready for varnish.

Fresh varnish
The first coat of Epifanes varnish

View
The view from Sjogin’s cockpit. Nice breeze today.

More progress pics

and some Sjogin porn. Making slow progress on this years projects. Started the finish scrapping and sanding on the hatch frame. Also removed a punky spot on the frame on the starboard side. Will need to fit a dutchman before varnishing commences; hopefully this weekend. Also finished scrapping the hand rails. They will need a good sanding to fair them. This is probably the last time I can get away with refinishing them as they are getting kind of skinny.

Pics follow:


Evidence of surgery. Punky wood successfully removed.


Finished with the heat gun (for this year). Now sanding and filling and fairing (and more sanding) begins.


Paint be gone!


Light at sunset fills the shed. You can see where I’ve been picking at the hull paint. The topsides are paint sick and she needs to be wooded. Next year…..No, really.


Aft view. At times like this I squint as hard as I can to imagine her done and ready to re-launch.

Progress pics

of this Summer’s work on Sjogin. She was hauled on the 1st and put in the South Shed at Beaton’s. She’s in the back, near large doors that are open to the breezes. It’s often 10 degrees cooler in there on a hot Summer afternoon.
This year’s projects include stripping the paint off the canvas cabin top, rails, hatch, hatch frame and the cabin sides. All will be patched, puttied, sanded and sealed and then painted or varnished.
Also some garden and sailing pics as well. Went sailing with John H. on Wednesday in his Sandpiper. Tacked down along the 3 foot line behind Island Beach. Ran back to SPYC as the sun set. Delightful.
Here they are:


It begins. Fan on the foredeck to help the breeze blow away the paint fumes.


The hatch off and the paint half stripped off the canvas.


Implements of destruction.


Dodgy bits; the canvas is missing and will need an epoxy patch. I plan on sealing the canvas with thinned epoxy. Also the cabin top was nailed on with galvanized nails which are now little volcanoes of rust. They need to be cleaned up, sealed and filled.


Not too bad for 44 year old Fir plywood. The corner of the cabin top needs to be sealed and refastened.


John H sailing along Island Beach


Sunset over Barnegat Bay.


Sunrise this morning at 6:10. A perfect summer day. I plan on taking off this afternoon to get caught up on my hedge trimming and weeding.

Last sail of the Summer

as Sjogin is to be pulled next week for her annual make-over. Although I’ll try to get her back in before the Equinox, it will indeed be fall before she’s launched again.

Most folks do their painting and repairs in the spring, use the boat in the Summer and put it away in the fall. Since I sail through the Fall, Winter and Spring, this time of the year is spent tending to her needs. After hauling and washing the bottom she will be put in the South shed at Beaton’s, a relatively cool spot with plenty of ventilation and a moist dirt floor.

Today, after the sail I stripped the sails, boom and running rigging in preparation for the haul out.

Here are a couple of pics from today’s sail:

Hove to off Reedy Creek
Hove to off Reedy Creek. Though hot I had a nice breeze from the WNW to NW at 8 to 12 with gusts to 15.

Russ
Comfortable in the shade from the main. Had a nice long reach back to Swan Point, then a beat through the moored boats back to the dock.

Raven
Raven being single-handed. It’s pretty rare to see one of these boats being sailed by one person. No comment on the reef.

Mark Beaton

to the rescue. I ran aground this morning just outside the basin at Beatons. Sailed too close to the marsh and got hung up on a shallow spot. It was the first time in years and of course in full view of the boatyard. No amount of pushing with the scull or heeling her over worked. I was ready to go over and push when I saw Mark coming. He noticed me from his sail loft and came out in the garvey to tow me off. Oh the indignity.

This incident happened just after I took Cary and his expectant wife Pam out for a quick sail and a heave to. Cary’s a cousin of an old friend and just happened to be at Beatons this morning. It was the first time Pam had ever been sailing. It’s a special treat to introduce someone to the particular magic of sailing for the first time.

There are also some pics of our mid week sunset sail with Dave and Cheryl, our BVI sailing partners.

Pics follow:

Mark
Mark Beaton to the rescue.

Cary and Pam
Cary and Pam hove to off Swan Point

Dave and Julia
Dave and Julia who bless her heart is passing up beer and wine.

Russ and Julia
Julia and I enjoying the sunset as Sjogin takes care of herself.

Cheryl
Cheryl driving home. Wind 8 to 12 out of the SSE. Delightful.

Mr. Lincoln’s dreamboat

soaking in the straps at Beaton’s today. She’s an old tabloid cruising boat designed by William Crosby back in the forties. She was built by Mr. Lincoln and his son years ago. They also have a Rozinante to their credit. I spoke with Tom Beaton today who said Mr. Lincoln is 92 now and wants to go for one more sail in this boat that means so much to him. I’ll follow the progress of this last sail and advise further.

His boat is similar to Caprice, the 24’ sloop that was my first cruising boat. She also was designed by Crosby with a v-bottom, chines and a fractional rig. When I get around to scanning some of our old photos I’ll post some pics.

Mr. Lincoln’s boat and a couple of other pics follow:

Lincoln
Mr. Lincoln’s dreamboat.

Garvey
The Beaton’s garvey. A damp day, wind out of the South at 15kts and spitting rain.

Oktusk
Another one of the gems at Beaton’s. She’s an Oktusk design by Al Mason.