DaySailer.org Forum

Hi all,

Wanted to introduce myself. I recently purchased a daysailer (Hull:DS10899, Class:1905) and have spent the last few months sanding, varnishing, and swearing; there are some before and after pics below. I won't detail all the pain and suffering I've worked through (e.g. I had no idea a DS could widen due to years of having the thwarts removed) as nothing I encountered hasn't been discovered and solved by someone else on here. While I've been sailing and working on boats all my life, virtually all of the work I've done on the boat so far has been informed or inspired by the work of others on this forum.

All this to say I'm very grateful for all the help provided by members on the forum and I hope to be able to contribute something back

Adam

Great pictures!

Nice boat.

John

That is a great looking boat. Nice job!

In restoring a 1966 DS1, I discovered the hull separated after I removed the thwarts. I tried pulling it back together with straps, but it did not work. I finally laid the boat on it's side and the weight of the hull was enough to pull the hull together. Another solution is to use a come-along with straps.

Great job! I like your cargo nets up against the cuddy roof and what looks like a backpack? I would love to hear more about where you got that and how it's working out for you. I have been thinking about halyard bags. I had not thought about cargo net. That might work out well.

It is interesting how we think of fiberglass as rigid and stable, not something that's plastic. I definitely notice my rig tension decreasing if I leave my boat with hi rig tension on it for too a long time. Though, not as much after reinforcing the bilge.

I have a 1969 boat that needs to have the thwarts refinished. How fast does the hull separate after removing the thwarts for refinishing? Would it be better to remove them one at a time and refinish them each separately?

John

Hi John

It may not happen at all. On my boat, it happened as soon as I removed the thwarts. I think you could prevent it by building a temporary brace across the hull with a 2x4.

Not a problem for me. Mine came undone (screws broke) and I didn't even notice it right away - I think I found the broken screw before I noticed that the thwart was loose.

I'm glad I read this. I still need to remove, sand, and varnish my thwarts. I think I'll cinch her up tight before I remove them, just in case.

Thanks for all the kudos, but really couldn't have done it without the advice on the form. These boats really are labors of love.

The cargo nets are working out great! I've shifted the gear around to have spare lines/emergency gear in one and use the other for halyards when underway to keep them clear. I picked them up on amazon - they're 'Rig Rite 1150' and are used for some nautical application. They are a perfect size for mounting on the two ribs under the cuddy. I'm picking up a third to mount under the stern area beside the motor mount. to keep charts and a radio close to hand while underway.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00QMT3488/ref ... cargo+nets

http://www.amazon.com/Rig-Rite-1150-Car ... B00QMT3488

I think the backpack you're looking at is one of my life jackets.

Adam, love your teak fittings. Simply beautiful. Did you stain it or is the color original? Gloss is very nice. Sealer or clear finish? I just cleaned and re-oiled my cuddy doors. They came out nice, but I think I really love the glossy finish on yours. I think that is one of the short-comings of the DSII. They gave up all that nice teakwood for a closed in cuddy and extra cockpit floatation. John

The DSI used mahogany, not teak

The wood work on the DS1 is beautiful, but its a lot of work to restore - I'm hoping that maintaining it will be easier than what I went through. I had thought about sealing with epoxy and covering with varnish, but decided to go with pure varnish because I had previous experience with it. The wood work is all done with semi-gloss spar varnish with 5 coats. 1st coat 50% diluted with thinner, 2nd coat 20% diluted, and the rest of the coats 100% with light sanding in between. Definitely a fall/winter project next time. The "H"centerboard cap was varnished with stain mixed into make the maple look more like mahogany. I don't think I would do the stain again, i regret not letting the natural color of the maple through.

Thanks for the info on the cargo nets! That's definitely on my list.

You should have no regrets on the appearance of your woodwork. It looks great! The key to varnish longevity is keeping it touched up, keep it out of the sun as much as possible, and a light scuffing and recoat annually or when it starts losing its gloss. Floorboards are definitely the hardest to keep looking great. Don't let them sit in bilge water as the moisture can get in the wood and lift the varnish.