Brightwork & Hardware Removal, Sanding (blue Dhow)

April 8, 2018

I started work on the blue Dhow today, beginning with removal of her brightwork and hardware.  Actually, a lot of the outboard rail was dry-rotted to the point of crumbing in my hand, as well as large sections missing all together.  I did manage to remove the entirety of the inboard rail, however. 

I removed the keel by backing out 4 #12 wood screws.  The keel will be set aside as an aide to templating new keels for both Dhows.

Next, I removed the transom-hung rudder stock - secured with a combination of bronze wood screws and #10 bronze machine screws. 

I flipped up to the bow and removed the pad eyes that held the Dhow's painter.

After I removed the seating at mid-ships and forward, I then moved on to assessing and removing the inboard and outboard rails.  As I had done with the white Dhow, most of the copper rivets required the angle grinder and a cut-off wheel to remove the flattened head.  After removing the head of the rivets on the outboard side, I then used a larger flathead screwdriver and popped what was left of the outboard rail off of the Dhow.  I then hammed the remaining rivet back through the Dhow and then worked the inboard rail for removal.  I was able to remove the inboard rail without breaking it, as can be seen below.  The inboard rail was either soaked or steamed to allow for a bend that matched the bow; there are scarf-joints on the aft third of the rail.  The bend at the bow is pretty severe, and I am wondering the white oak I planned to use would take this severity of bend.  I am thinking of a installing two rails for the inboard and two rails for the outboard, both with a more mild bend, and meeting at the bow.  Nothing set in stone for the moment.

I then went "below" and removed the daggerboard trunk.  This easily came off the boat with the removal of 12 screws from the hull, and then separating the trunk from the literal fillet of silicon around the base the trunk on the interior.

With the significant hardware and brightwork removed, I turned my attention to grinding the damaged laminate.  The obvious places that required attention were: starboard aft quarter (shown below)...

...port aft quarter (shown below)...

...port mid-ships where the topsides meet the bottom (shown below) - I can suspect that the previous owner drilled a drain hole in the Dhow as he kept it lying around his backyard - hey, at least I kept her inverted and up on blocking! :)

I set up the vacuum and RO sander outfitted with 40-grit discs to begin sanding the hull.  In a previous session sanding the white Dhow, I took a moment to test sand the blue Dhow, using 80-grit discs, and noticed a 'stubborn' paint.  Because of that test sanding, I outfitted the sander with 40-grit discs...but, whatever paint is on the blue Dhow, IS ON THE BLUE DHOW!  I spent probably two hours on the hull and made the progress that can be seen below.  I will most likely break out my Porter Cable 7335 for the next go of sanding.

In the process of sanding I am noticing more damaged laminate requiring work, but certainly expected this - paint can cover a multitude of sins.  

Total Time Today: 4 hrs