Survey and Bottom Paint

Sedna (back when she was named Aero)  was moored in Warrenton OR across the bay from Astoria's West Harbor.  






The POs, Tom and Barbara, came up and we had a beautiful day to sail over for the survey.  

Tom took good care of the boat for over 20 years and turned over a file box full of records, receipts  and manuals. They were selling for health reasons and were very happy to have a buyer that appreciated the boat's style, workmanship, and care.

Karl (Dick) Hellberg our highly recommended surveyor rated her:

 

I was giddy as a school girl. . . on arrival at the yard.  The Yard manager suggested I take these pictures for the next guy that lifted her out so they'd know where to place the straps.  These are when we carrying her over for the splash.

Dick was very informative during the survey.  As we dug and poked he pointed out aspects of the boats construction and condition. 

Bottom line she was solid, well maintained, and a good value.  Of course she still wasn't mine, there was paperwork and insurance and waiting a few days for the official survey.  


But Dick pointed out the advantage of applying fresh bottom paint before she went back in the water.  So, I offered to paint Tom's boat, if that was OK with him, 







Tom replaced the zincs, 








and Lisa polished... three days later she was back in the water.

D4 Dinghy

I build a D4 Dinghy from plans on the internet. The only internal frames were the forward edge of the aft locker, midships under the seat, and about 8" aft of the bow.  I built her switch and glue style up at my Cabin on Mt Hood. With a cordless drill, power skill saw, and hand tools. I used 2 sheets of 1/4" plywood, scrap lumber and covered with Fiberglass. 

Forward and Aft lockers were water tight and contained flotation from Swim Noodles :)

The finished product was a little heavy.  Maybe because I added a deeper skeg (to track better), swing keel trunk and (windsurfing) sail that I bought from Gorge Performance for $20.

I put pictures of the plans on my phone and laptop so I could have them while I was building.  NOTE: The plans have one little glitch (verified by another builder)

The dimension of the bottom panels is 1" short at the center-line (keel) so I had to splice in a wedge between transom and the bottom panel 1" at the center-line and 0" at the chine.  Thus all the grey goop in the locker where the bottom meets the transom.

Sheer strakes were epoxied and screwed from the inside so there wouldn't be any screw heads on the rub rail.

Under the forward seat hides the swing keel Trunk.  I rigged a line that attaches to cleats for lifting and lowering and built a mast step for the mast.

Finally I painted with One part polyurethane.  Brick red outside and tan inside.  I left the cedar strakes and cedar seats natural.









Below are some more Pics of the process.

Frames built to hold the boat when upright















Fancy gravity assisted clamps, or as we call them Rocks!


















My wood shed, the tarp was to keep fir needles for falling on the finish more than for rain, though there was a little of that too.

More Gravity assisted clamps bending the strakes.











 And my custom designed tension clamps holding the forward bulkhead in place.

In 2010 my home overlooked the Willamette River in Portland Or.  I watched the live aboard's in the marina below my place and realized I could live my dream of owning a cruising sailboat.  

I looked all over the PNW looking at sailboats thinking I wanted a Pilothouse Sailboat. A Pilothouse would keep me dry in the rainy PNW weather and provide a roomy cabin so I didn't feel trapped. 

Summer of 2011 I found Aero a 1974 Hallberg-Rassy 35' Rasmus hull #277.  
She was exactly what I was looking for.  

There is a hard windscreen and dodger with full canvas and isinglass windows to surround the cockpit providing an extra sun-room.

She has a center cockpit with a small cabin aft and the main cabin forward.  

Solid, well maintained, small enough I could single hand, yet large enough to live aboard.  She wasn't a Pilothouse she is better.  


She has a wood burning stove in the saloon that provides ample heat in the cool wet PNW winters.  














The stovepipe runs up through the head providing the unanticipated advantage of warming and drying the head



















The Galley is in a straight line,
Starboard, with the nav-station aft providing good counter space.  

The front cover of the gimbaled stove/oven folds down so I can easily use the stove top. The top cover slides aft to the chart table.

The Settee is to Port with handy cubby holes and booklocker...














Some Random Pics follow...