Since becoming Kuaka’s caretakers in 2021, we undertook a few projects. These include:
- Major electrical / wiring refit with new solar, charger, etc.
- New jib, gennaker (on furler) and staysail
- Sanded the bottom to bare metal and primer, weld repairs to hull plating, and re-did epoxy barrier coat / bottom paint.
- Dropped the rudder to check rudder bearings (they were good!)
- Sanded all paint from the topsides and left as bare metal, replaced non-skid with Tuff-Coat
- Electronics upgrades with tank sensors, NMEA network, etc.
- Built a new nesting dinghy
- Major engine service – including replacing engine mounts and prop
- Complete standing / running re-rig, stripped mast paint to bare al.
- Re-painted entire interior, new cushions and upholstery
- Replaced chain and worn out windlass, re-galvanized anchor
- Replaced some windows and re-bedded others
- And the list goes on and on and on!
Here are some photos of the bottom job in Port Townsend.
The boot stripe needed sanding and fairing
Ready to get to bottom paint grinding
An archeological study of bottom paint layers
About half way done
Removing paint from the gunnel
First full coat of epoxy primer
Alternating white and gray primer. We thought about keeping the bottom gray but already had the blue paint. Also, TIG welding hand rails and some other detailed bits.
Back to blue.
And back to the water! That was a month!!!