Deck colour!

[MarkRyan1981]

Gosh she does look lovely Nicholas, thanks for posting, it gives me hope and a will to continue the work .

I note you painted the translucent part of the fore hatch - I'm considering doing that myself, although doesn't that make the forecabin exceedingly dark?... ah wait, I see, you added a port light later on to that? Custom made?

[patentnick]

Hi Mark:

Thanks for the kind words. In strong sunlight she looks really good. When it's overcast, one notices some flaws .

I never liked the original translucent hatch so I painted it. When I installed heating on board, I decided to add a small hatch (it's Lewmar's smallest).
The tricky part was to create a plinth for the hatch to be mounted on, since the original hatch has a pronounced curve. I think I'd posted some photos of the process in the past. Anyway, when left in the ventilation position, it allows air to circulate. I've done the same to the upper companionway slide (see photo).

I'm sure you've noticed that some owners have installed a large hatch in the saloon, replacing the original shell ventilator. I like that too, but I'm not ready to cut such a large opening on the coachroof yet.

N.

IMG_0270.jpg (482.13 KiB) Viewed 83025 times

[MarkRyan1981]

Just writing up my deck painting bit for PBO, whats your second name Joern? Do you mind if I submit a photo of your Ballad to the production editors?

Nicholas, do you mind if I do the same with yours?

[patentnick]

Hi Mark:

No problem.

Nicholas

[weemistermac]

Hi Mark. I've been reading through this post and am keen to see the results and hear about your experiences!

[MarkRyan1981]

Check out Practical Boat Owner in the UK for December (it'll be out in November at some point). I wrote the whole lot up for the mag, six pages of paint geeking out... I'll post again when the magazine is out. Not for the faint hearted, but she looks amazing now.

[weemistermac]

@patentnick Nicholas, your weatherboards look great. Are they just painted ply or a laminate of some sort? I've been toying with replacing mine, as well as my cockpit locker lids, galley worktop etc with something like a waterproof HDF board. I'm wondering if anyone else has tried anything similar and if they/you would have any recommendations.

[patentnick]

Hi there!
The washboards are made from 15mm marine plywood, painted with two coats of epoxy primer and two coats of 2-part PU paint. I've actually made new front and rear slides from teak, as the originals would not accommodate 15mm plywood (I'll post a photo later on since I don't have access to my photo files right now). My quest has been to make the companionway totally waterproof, as it's the largest opening on the boat and could allow a huge volume of water below; I have an idea of how to go about it but I'm not totally happy yet. I've always liked the companionways on some Van De Stadt designs (see photo from an Excalibur 36) but that would involve major surgery. Anyway, if I come up with something half as smart, I'll make sure to post it.

As for the cockpit locker lids on my boat, they were glassed over by the previous owner. This has made them heavier but far easier to maintain; dents and scratches are filled with epoxy or polyester filler and spot-painted.

[weemistermac]

Not for the faint hearted, but she looks amazing now.

I'll look forward to seeing that!

[weemistermac]

Hi there!
The washboards are made from 15mm marine plywood, painted with two coats of epoxy primer and two coats of 2-part PU paint.

Thanks. I think I'm moving away from the idea of a 'waterproof' laminate/HDF idea and going for marine ply. My existing washboards and locker lids seem to be original but coated in dark creosote! I just need to decide f I want to go for wood coloured or cream, to match the deck & cockpit.

I've actually made new front and rear slides from teak, as the originals would not accommodate 15mm plywood (I'll post a photo later on since I don't have access to my photo files right now). My quest has been to make the companionway totally waterproof, as it's the largest opening on the boat and could allow a huge volume of water below; I have an idea of how to go about it but I'm not totally happy yet. I've always liked the companionways on some Van De Stadt designs (see photo from an Excalibur 36) but that would involve major surgery. Anyway, if I come up with something half as smart, I'll make sure to post it.

Great! I'll look forward to seeing that.