A LONG NEEDED HAUL OUT

The whole time we were working on the boat getting it ready for cruising we knew it needed a bottom job. We decided to wait until we were in Mexico to get the work done. We also knew the original thru hulls would need replacing.

Once in La Paz we contacted Marina Del Palmar to get a quote.  Tom at Cruiser's Supply recommended them to us plus other cruiser's spoke well of them. We  made a haul out date of November 28, 2016.

I knew Nellie Jo had very little paint on her and had sat for 18 years in her slip before we bought here. So she had about 22 years of never being hauled out. I kept pushing that thought to the back of my mind as the date grew closer. I had visions of hundreds of blisters and all kind of bottom issues. I also knew Bud (Bud Taplin the godfather of Westsails.) said our boat was built before the oil shortage in the 70's so I should have no issues. I also had a diver do a bottom inspection before we bought the boat. I took a gamble hoping for the best.

November 28 2016 shows up and we motor to the boatyard to haul her out. We pulled straight in to the slings only to be told we need to back in. Nope...not gonna happen. I can not back Nellie Jo up straight in a big area much less with large expensive power boats within ramming distance. But no issue the yard grabbed some lines and spun Nellie Jo around like they do it every day. (OK they do do it every day.)

Here is Nellie Jo the first time out of the water in 22 years!

So now we are in the slings and being lifted up. Deena and I were still on the boat as they hauled us out of the water and drove us to our spot. I don't think they do that in the states...

Once she was settled in and they put a ladder up for us we disembarked to see just how bad the hull was. This was the first time we had seen Nellie Jo out of the water! To my surprise she looked well. There was very little paint left on her so most of the gel-coat was showing. There was little grow on the hull as we have here scrubbed about every four weeks. I looked hard after the power wash and could not see one blister! Yeah I was so happy!

Removing what was left of the bottom paint.

We had the hull sanded down and 3 coats of epoxy barrier coat put on followed by two coats of hard red colored 67% copper paint. But before all the epoxy and paint we had two thru hulls removed and one 1 1/2" thru hull down sized to 1". All the remaining thru hulls were changed to Marlon with Marlon valves.

Hull sanded down and getting ready for 3 coats of epoxy primer

               

                       

Primer coats on.

Hard 67% copper anti fouling paint on.

The topside of the boat was wet sanded and polished out as the gelcoat was faded. As a side note when we bought the boat we thought it was a white hull. It was so oxidized it looked white. Check out the picture of when I first started to wash it.)

Nellie Jo (then Misty Blue)  with the beginning of a hull wash when we first bought her. We thought the hull was white!

With the color sanding, polishing and waxing Nellie Jo was looking like she was new! She was shinning and we were very pleased with the work.
 With as old as the gel-coat is we will probably have to paint the  topside next time we haul out for bottom job. She is 42 years old!

The original gel-coat was wet sanded then buffed out. Look you can see our reflection!

While in the yard we had them install a manual black water whale pump and change the elbow at the thru hull to a full radius elbow. Before the tank was gravity feed and had a short radius elbow. This set up caused me to have to jump in the water with a stiff thick wire and shove it in the thru hull as the poop would always get stuck at the elbow. I did not enjoy this set up at all! I would have to be decontaminated after "poop diving"! YUCK!!
Aww but no more, With the manual pump and new elbow it is a really easy set up now and I don't have to  do poop diving any more!

Here are some more miscellaneous pictures of her on the hard.