The only thing Lemon about it, is the colour. That's all eminently fixable, fiberglass is very straight forward to repair, and it will absolutely be worth it.
Indeed, she appears to be structurally sound overall, and those holes can be dealt with rather easily - especially when compared to working on steel hulls. The hardest part will be matching the colour on the finishing coats of the patches.
@@CruisingTheCut Make sure your first work is where it's the least important. When my wife and I rebuilt our first house, she learned to tape and float sheetrock/plaster board/drywall as she finished the walls. She started in the big rooms and finished with the master bedroom closet - where she did her best work. Don't do that.
As a project boat, Twiggy looks to be a good candidate. Sure there’s work to be done, but so far seems to be very fixable without outlandish costs. Carry on David, I’m excited to watch the transformation.
The irony of talking about welding, not being able to do it and having to get it done when it clearly sounds like someone is welding in the background 😂
There are those of us that think he secretly bought a boat with numerous issues so he could drip feed us with a new discovery every few weeks or months. There's only so many vlogs you can do with a finished boat. :-)
Keep your chin up! I had a similar project with a 1971 27 footer. I patched and sanded and painted and sanded and … well you get the picture. For 2 years. After many years of cruising I gave it to a friend and got a bigger boat and I’m sanding and painting and sanding and …
Hello? I just thought we Germans have a reputation for being a bit mean because of our team. As a consolation, the Spaniards also have problems with Georgia
Nooo! Don't give up. The old girl's nearly 50. She just needs a bit of time and effort. All those gel coat issues are easily fixable for not a fortune, just a lot of effort. Your yellow top version really looks great. Just take your time.
I always wonder when you know when you are at the tipping point on projects. I have the tendency to think, well once I get this fixed I should be on the other side, only to be confronted with a new needed repair. I have to admit that part of the enjoyment of watching you is knowing that it's your project, not mine.
Fibreglass boats of that era were built thick and strong. Will last forever. Clean up the gouges well and fibreglass them with glass mat and it'll be good as new ones. Good thing is there's no osmosis, a dreaded fibreglass/GRP lurgi. With your railings, check how they are fastened to boat before planning surgery. Outboard starting: petrol does go off over time, 2 stroke especially so try to start off with fresh. Higher octane. and a squirt of EasyStart will help starting. Antifouling only lasts a year or so . Ask boatyard if worth adding 2 small bilgekeels to improve tracking and steering. 25to 30mm thick timber planks routed to fit hull and cut to taper up to 100mm following hull curve. Bond on hull with fibteglass tape to avoid drilling holes on hull. If you hit something hard at speed with the bilge keel you want it to break pr come off rather hull damage. That hull shape isn't designed for 3 or 4 mph.
Instead of wood spacers of a specific shape, if you know someone with a 3D printer, they could fab those out of near solid ABS or carbon fiber filament with screw holes and all. They wouldn't degrade like wood.
David, the multiple layers of anti-fouling paint in different colours is common. Anti-fouling paint always flakes off easily, it is designed to, that is how it stops the growth from happening.
Just takes willpower and a list! You can do most of the work! You might get dirty! Lol Your the first person I’ve seen including myself that power washed and came out clean! How is that possible! Lol
The hull need a total makeover I think. Repair all the damages, remove the loose paint and then apply new paint inside and outside. The engine also need some love if you intend to keep it. Replace the cooling impeller, check the carb' and make sure it's greased and oiled everywhere.
I never get tired watching David work while safely an ocean away? May I suggest cheap golf tees of another color to spot the holes? Wet again in Twenty-Seven.
Scrap the bottom with a wide putty knife and paint job done. Bog up the damage in hull and just paint the repair. Give it a polish and it will look great from 10ft away.
Yep a project boat for certain. Reminds me of when I built my boat. I've worked in marinas for several years as a mechanic so I'm giving you this little bit of a recommendation - working with fiberglass is not hard but if you want it done right you should have a pro do it so it looks nice. From what your video shows, it is not in too bad a shape and should take half a day to do. Looking at the cracks in the gelcoat, maybe repaint the boat with Awlgrip. With the bow rail (that's what we call it here in the states) you should be able to have one made or find one in a marine scrap yard that with some ingenuity will do the job. I'm looking forward in seeing your progress.
Nothing wrong with project work whatsoever- my renovations are carrying on into next year now. Full removal of the old generator is planned and replacement. I look forward to watching your updates as I send you some of mine too. All the best.
Knowing something about boats, as much as you want to do all the work yourself to save money...i'd save up and let the yard do the bottom sanding fiberglass and painting the bottom. the sides you can do. But to do all that on a trailer not going to be easy, not at all......but when you get it done looks like a cute boat
Now day's it's a throw it away generation, no matter what it is or the size of it. There is nothing wrong with fixing things to keep them going just a little bit longer. Anyways, they did build stuff better in the past. Great video.
Its not that bad. You should see my 1985 speedboat before I got a new patch and Gelcoat on it. It works It floats its a good start for a project David.
Good entertainment for your followers, David! I'm not sure why you say at the beginning that you expected lots of comments that you should just give up the Twiggy project. I don't see any comments like that although I didn't read all of them. And it also doesn't seem to me this boat is so badly deteriorated as all that. Luckily, she was built in a time period when wooden cores weren't used, so the laminate didn't soak up water even though there was damage that breached the outer shell. There's no sign of delamination, and the damaged areas could be repaired by someone with the right skills (or who's willing to learn them). I'm amazed the window frames didn't leak (as happened repeatedly on one of my boats). It's odd that the bow pulpit didn't fit the deck but I'm sure your ingenuity will find some way to fix it. I'm looking forward to seeing a new, better Twiggy take shape.
A cupla tips for you- before power washing, remove everything that is removable. Then, start at the top and work your way down, so as to avoid washing everything multiple times.
Peculiar about the guard rails, the odd angles almost look as if they have been installed on the wrong sides! Would be curious to see if they lined up if swapped. Very much enjoying the boat restoring content!
The stainless rails at the bow, they look as though they have been bent inwards until they have lifted from the deck. Perhaps a squash in a lock? Bend them out again until the foot plate sits flat again. Of course they might break or crack depending how soft the metal is. Bend the pipe instead of cut and weld. Worth a try?
Everytime I look at a video about this boat it sadly reminds me of an important principle I learned in Economics 101... ... The Sunk Cost Fallacy. Because, it appears there will be no end to the costly and time-consuming repairs this boat will need. Life is too short to obsess over a lost cause, especially for good blokes like you.
And that is *exactly* why it's a terrible idea to view everything from an economic perspective: you are entirely missing the far more important factors of enjoyment, satisfaction and learning.
I must shamefully admit that as I scanned my homepage your thumbnail brought my scan to a screeching halt. No bother, it led to another excellent adventure of Cruising The Cut! Well done as always, David. Lots of pressure living up to the standard you've established yet you come thru every time. Cheers.
I believe in you and think you and Twiggy will have a great time, especially if, as the Beatles said, you can get by with a little help from your friends.
I suggest some sort of epoxy paint for the interior to cover the rough surfaces. And thick rubber pads under the railings with wooden reinforcement on the interior. I live in the US, but a call for help in your area could get you volunteers to help bring Twiggy back to ship shape.
Many years ago I had the dubious pleasure of "borrowing" a Microplus 600. I found it difficult to get it to steer in the direction I wanted it to go, unless it was at planing speed. It had a Yanmar 65hp with power trim and tilt. Now thats ok when you are out in the middle of a large lake but as in your case I spent most of my time cruising rivers and canals with frequent visits to harbours jettys, locks and marinas. Due to its design, flat bottom, shallow draft and high freeboard slow speed maneuvers were always diffucult if not impossible in any sort of wind. Add to this the centre cockpit- aft cabin arrangement made it near impossible to fend off at the stern. With the hood up it was impossible. Having said all this we managed to spend a very enjoyable fortnight cruising the Shannon. The reason for tellin my story is to give you some advice, and now, while the boat is on the hard would be the best time to avail of it. Bolt some false (timber) keels to the bottom to improve the directional stability at low speed. The increase in draft would not be a problem when using the boat in the canal and you probably care less about the reduction in planing ability. The chances of finding an undamaged second hand pulpit for a Microplus are very slim, it's the first thing to hit the wall when the boat goes off course, which it will, all the time. It should be possible to tweak the bends in your existing one to fit the deck better. Use a telephone pole or a gate post as a solid anchor and bend a little bit at a time.
Way back in the early 80s when I was 22 I bought a Domino 17 footer (copy of the Shetland) so Fiberglas with an Evenrude 5Hp outboard. Money was tight so the deal was done £170 with a trailer. I towed it 5 miles with a mini! The red lower white upper hull was covered in green mould but being into motorcycles Ajax and T cut got that cleaned up, 2 strokes were easy and a quick service and carb clean saw in running great. The big money went on a new white hood and fenders. Curtains made and a sink and stove installed and it was ready. Spent 3 years on the local cut scratching that itch to own a boat it was brilliant and claim to fame I made a profit on a boat!! Would I do it again? Yes in a 35ft steel narrowboat, I was sick of tacking into the wind in the end.
@5:25 i think you have a perfectly good looking hull there, minus a few days or a couple of weeks work. depending on how much work you put into her. have fun 😇
That fiberglass work is all minor stuff. My Catalina 27 was cracked clear through behind the keel. I just ground it out and layered it back in with epoxy and woven glass.
Another caption for the rails is to build up some fibreglass, possibly on top off some wooden or plastic spacers as bulking filler, to create a platform with the same slope as the metal
You think people are going to be screaming that you bought a lemon. All I see is a great load of DIY boat repair videos ahead which is fantastic! It's an adorable little boat and I really look forward to it becoming a cute little home away from home on the water.
The battleship USS New Jersey was in dry dock recently which they documented in videos on TH-cam. Funnily enough Twiggy presents some of the exact same challenges ... if on a slightly smaller scale...
It can all be fixed David. Think of the work to be done by the Ship Happens Crew! You can do it. A couple of those Corner Fenders, the ones that look ugly might save those corners. I spoke to a boat owner once who agreed they are ugly but had saved his transom and corners so many times. Another option might to be remove the pulpit rails and get a 'Bum' rail made and fitted along the centerline at the bow. One of the hire companies on the River Shannon fit them to a lot of their boats. It was costing a fortune in stainless steel as they were getting mangled, mostly in locks. They work well, some thing to grab hold of and rest your bottom at the same time. they ran from cabin top/front to behind the anchor area. might be a soloution.
I think I might have commented somewhere about power washing our back deck. I’d never tried it before. But it was very enjoyable. The deck isn’t new so I had to quit. We can’t afford to replace it so I didn’t want to ruin it.
Oxalic acid and Tide (laundry detergent), the green stuff will run off. I use about a quarter cup of oxalic acid and twice that amount of Tide in 5 gallons (4 gallons imperial) of hot water, I use an RV washing brush to apply. Oxalic acid can be purchased from Amazon, or a lumber store, it is used as a deck cleaner (house hold deck). Oxalic acid is an organic acid (like vinegar) so it will not eat you or your stuff.
Seems like the muck could do with a nice soak in a cleaning solution for a spell and then finish with a jet wash. As for the guard rails, removing them and confirming their original intent may be prudent prior to conjuring a solution. Perhaps something else is awry altering the contour that, if removed, identified, cleared, and corrected, it's possible that it may fit snugly and securely. And I emphasize 'possible'.
@@CruisingTheCut bummer it was an idea that popped into my head, without being able to look at it closer I couldn’t rule it out. They must be from a different style boat, I couldn’t imagine they would design them that way, even back in 70s if I remember the old girls vintage correctly
Morning David Always interested to see what you get up to either with the van or the boats !! Nice to see a project of one type or another Perhaps a couple of bottles of rum offered in the right place may get you another set of hands 😊😊😊😊
Wessex Resins in Romsey ran day courses on the use of West System epoxy products to repair boat hulls. I completed the course about 18 years ago & it was very useful, especially learning their technique for building up patches for holes up to 6 inches in diameter. They have a number of YT videos about repairing polyester resin boats like Twiggy.
We have renovates wooden sailing boats - my wife learned how to caulk - and fibreglass boats - I learned how to fibreglass. Yes it's not that straightforward at first but you'll soon get the hang of it and can pride yourself on the end result. The boat deserves it and so do you. "Ne'er a faint heart" etc.
I guess in the US that would be a basis for the lawsuit or at least some buyer seller agreement renegotiation due to hidden flaws... It's always joyfull watching you near the boats.
Working to repair fiberglass is not difficult. I was a whitewater kayaker for many years, using fiberglass boats. Repairs were commonplace due to banging off of rocks. Easy to do just requiring preparation. Start on the bottom in unseen spots, and once you get the hang of it do the upper body repairs. Use Saran wrap to keep it smooth and keep the bugs off while it sets up. It peels right off afterwords.
Don't get rid of it! This is a perfect opportunity to learn how to patch fibreglass! The small pits probably only need resin filler or something like that, and some glass cloth with resin for the big bits. I'm sure someone can teach you.
The fibreglass dings are of little consequence, and easily repaired. The main challenge will be colour matching (unless you intend to paint her). The 'pulpit' has had at least one substantial bash - best take it off and either bend it straight or get another made.
It's a fiberglass boat - EASILY repairable. Enjoy working on it. We successfully replaced all the wood on a boat transom using a vacuum bagging process. It worked excellent to pull the new internal marine plywood up tightly against the existing fiberglass on the hull. A right angle grinder with a very aggressive carbide carving head did marvelous at removing all the old rotted bits. There are even dust hoods available to for these to help extract all the dust and debris.
Well done, you. We enjoy watching you fix her up. You do a wonderful job and have the know how. God bless you and I don't know if God will allow 10 years to wait, but wait we will. Take care.
I think it's fabulous that you're restoring her, putting some life back into old twiggy good for you and good for her.. I think you're both lovely can't wait to watch your progress 😽
And of course the project will do the wellbeing thing for David as well. Top Tip: ALWAYS have something pleasurable to do and not against the clock. David's recent video(s) ref volunteering is excellent testament to that. This is especially good for retirees, it really, really is.
Hi David, like you said it is a project boat and it’s still floating and I think it’s well worth saving. There’s a lot worse votes out there than this one that had been saved. Example tally Ho , a total rebuilt from the ground up , from Australia
I would recommend you look in to plastic padding´s glasfiber 2 part (hardening) epoxy putty, often used to fix rust holes in cars, it will also fill most if not all the holes and scratches in your boat. It does dry green (or did last time I used it) so a topping of gel coat will most likely look best. It does fill and bridge gaps with a strong patch and for large holes a aluminium net is often used as scaffolding (on cars) as long as you get to clean "healthy" material around the damage. For small damages/holes in transparent plastic I recommend uv curing resin, it can make a nearly invisible patch and cost a tiny fraction of new plexiglas or similar, including lantern covers as there are pigments you can add should a clear patch not do.Good luck in your project boat.
Your DIY projects are always inspiring! A most enjoyable montage of powerwashing as well. I think you should put the guardrail attachments out of your mind for now, the condition of the caulking looks very good, and there's so many other fish to fry on this project. Can't do everything all at once!
I think Twiggy is well worth restoring, David, and I'm also sure I'm not alone in looking forward to watching your progress as you put her back in proper trim!
"Well, she was a very dirty girl....which is not always a bad thing" had me in stitches David, thank you for making my evening.
I'm so pleased someone liked that! It amused me to think of it hahaha
Gave me a good laugh as well.
@@CruisingTheCut Naughty fella, many of us caught it, I'm sure!
Hahaha
Me too 😂
The only thing Lemon about it, is the colour.
That's all eminently fixable, fiberglass is very straight forward to repair, and it will absolutely be worth it.
Thank you! Yes, I'm hoping so though I'm quite certain my fibreglass technique will be poor to start.
Yes. My best friend's boyfriend used to repair boats like this back in the dark ages . Fibreglass is much easier then wooden hulls according to him.
@@CruisingTheCut Well, that is nothing to be ashamed of and your past performance dictates that you will learn quickly and become very good at it.
Indeed, she appears to be structurally sound overall, and those holes can be dealt with rather easily - especially when compared to working on steel hulls.
The hardest part will be matching the colour on the finishing coats of the patches.
@@CruisingTheCut Make sure your first work is where it's the least important. When my wife and I rebuilt our first house, she learned to tape and float sheetrock/plaster board/drywall as she finished the walls. She started in the big rooms and finished with the master bedroom closet - where she did her best work. Don't do that.
"Isn't always a bad thing...". 😂
😉🤣
As a project boat, Twiggy looks to be a good candidate. Sure there’s work to be done, but so far seems to be very fixable without outlandish costs. Carry on David, I’m excited to watch the transformation.
Fingers crossed!
I agree. Rebuild the boat in the manner that suits the budget and satisfies the intended use. Make it your own, and have fun doing it.
Please remember that B.O.A.T. stands for, Break Out Another Thousand. Enjoy
The irony of talking about welding, not being able to do it and having to get it done when it clearly sounds like someone is welding in the background 😂
Sorry to say, but I’m delighted that you brought a lemon, it means loads for content for me to enjoy.
Really looking forward to following the process.
Oh, there will be loads indeed!
She is not a lemon 😊
Have faith - it can move mountains so they say - the only thing lemon about our Twiggy is the colour.
She's the perfect colour for a lemon...🙄
There are those of us that think he secretly bought a boat with numerous issues so he could drip feed us with a new discovery every few weeks or months. There's only so many vlogs you can do with a finished boat. :-)
Keep your chin up! I had a similar project with a 1971 27 footer. I patched and sanded and painted and sanded and … well you get the picture. For 2 years. After many years of cruising I gave it to a friend and got a bigger boat and I’m sanding and painting and sanding and …
Who knew that watching jet washing a boat is more enjoyable than watching England play football. Bliss. 👏👏👍😀
Almost anything is more enjoyable than that, to be fair!!
Everyone who isn't English.
Anyone who's ever watched England
Hello? I just thought we Germans have a reputation for being a bit mean because of our team.
As a consolation, the Spaniards also have problems with Georgia
@@derniederrheiner4518not any more!
Hi David, it's better to unwind your extension cable all the way. So that the heat can dissipate, ask me how I know
Nooo! Don't give up. The old girl's nearly 50. She just needs a bit of time and effort. All those gel coat issues are easily fixable for not a fortune, just a lot of effort. Your yellow top version really looks great. Just take your time.
At least we can count on one Englishman to provide some actual entertainment this Sunday.
Hahaha harsh!!
@@CruisingTheCut even Twiggy puts in a performance with all injuries she has..............at least she tried
Hey, the F1 wasn't rubbish for once! Won by an Englishman!
The lads came through in the end, as I always knew they would!
I always wonder when you know when you are at the tipping point on projects. I have the tendency to think, well once I get this fixed I should be on the other side, only to be confronted with a new needed repair. I have to admit that part of the enjoyment of watching you is knowing that it's your project, not mine.
You need to check if any dampness in the hull around the damage, that can cause delamination.
Of course we'll stay with you. Having watched all 337 of your stories, I'd hate to miss out on what you have ahead.
Fibreglass boats of that era were built thick and strong. Will last forever. Clean up the gouges well and fibreglass them with glass mat and it'll be good as new ones. Good thing is there's no osmosis, a dreaded fibreglass/GRP lurgi.
With your railings, check how they are fastened to boat before planning surgery.
Outboard starting: petrol does go off over time, 2 stroke especially so try to start off with fresh. Higher octane. and a squirt of EasyStart will help starting.
Antifouling only lasts a year or so .
Ask boatyard if worth adding 2 small bilgekeels to improve tracking and steering. 25to 30mm thick timber planks routed to fit hull and cut to taper up to 100mm following hull curve. Bond on hull with fibteglass tape to avoid drilling holes on hull. If you hit something hard at speed with the bilge keel you want it to break pr come off rather hull damage.
That hull shape isn't designed for 3 or 4 mph.
6:45 could the original installer have swapped the left and right side rails when they put them on and thats why the bases are at a wonky angle??
Careful with the anti fouling, it can be rather toxic depending on which type used!!!
👍
Up there with the vlog that involved the hammer and a chimney 😂😂😂 good luck ☺️💛
Instead of wood spacers of a specific shape, if you know someone with a 3D printer, they could fab those out of near solid ABS or carbon fiber filament with screw holes and all. They wouldn't degrade like wood.
It's in fine shape for a 50-year-old fiberglass boat. Keep going.
That's the plan!
I love your optimism and competence. They'll get you through this doable project. Can't wait to see what's next!
Optimism, yes! Competence ... let's see hahahaha
David, the multiple layers of anti-fouling paint in different colours is common. Anti-fouling paint always flakes off easily, it is designed to, that is how it stops the growth from happening.
Ah, thank you. That's a relief!!!
Just takes willpower and a list! You can do most of the work!
You might get dirty! Lol
Your the first person I’ve seen including myself that power washed and came out clean!
How is that possible!
Lol
Great that the red antifouling didn't adhere too hard 🤗
The hull need a total makeover I think. Repair all the damages, remove the loose paint and then apply new paint inside and outside.
The engine also need some love if you intend to keep it. Replace the cooling impeller, check the carb' and make sure it's greased and oiled everywhere.
I never get tired watching David work while safely an ocean away? May I suggest cheap golf tees of another color to spot the holes? Wet again in Twenty-Seven.
"Gettin' Twiggy wit it" Thanks for another lovely video, David!
Scrap the bottom with a wide putty knife and paint job done. Bog up the damage in hull and just paint the repair. Give it a polish and it will look great from 10ft away.
Those rails have had a good wack
SWITCH them around hehe
Yep a project boat for certain. Reminds me of when I built my boat. I've worked in marinas for several years as a mechanic so I'm giving you this little bit of a recommendation - working with fiberglass is not hard but if you want it done right you should have a pro do it so it looks nice. From what your video shows, it is not in too bad a shape and should take half a day to do. Looking at the cracks in the gelcoat, maybe repaint the boat with Awlgrip. With the bow rail (that's what we call it here in the states) you should be able to have one made or find one in a marine scrap yard that with some ingenuity will do the job. I'm looking forward in seeing your progress.
perfect Sunday evening viewing
Good thing with the boat being GRP you don't need to worry about rust, win-win
the alternating colors are to detect it's wear, real common on sailboats to alternate color and putting on a few coats
Nothing wrong with project work whatsoever- my renovations are carrying on into next year now. Full removal of the old generator is planned and replacement. I look forward to watching your updates as I send you some of mine too. All the best.
I'm very much looking forward to watching the progress, however slowly it may go...
Knowing something about boats, as much as you want to do all the work yourself to save money...i'd save up and let the yard do the bottom sanding fiberglass and painting the bottom. the sides you can do. But to do all that on a trailer not going to be easy, not at all......but when you get it done looks like a cute boat
You have a wicked sense of humor David! Oh yeah 20 years?????
Now day's it's a throw it away generation, no matter what it is or the size of it. There is nothing wrong with fixing things to keep them going just a little bit longer. Anyways, they did build stuff better in the past. Great video.
Its not that bad. You should see my 1985 speedboat before I got a new patch and Gelcoat on it. It works It floats its a good start for a project David.
Looking forward to the adventues of the little yellow boat 😊
Good entertainment for your followers, David! I'm not sure why you say at the beginning that you expected lots of comments that you should just give up the Twiggy project. I don't see any comments like that although I didn't read all of them. And it also doesn't seem to me this boat is so badly deteriorated as all that. Luckily, she was built in a time period when wooden cores weren't used, so the laminate didn't soak up water even though there was damage that breached the outer shell. There's no sign of delamination, and the damaged areas could be repaired by someone with the right skills (or who's willing to learn them). I'm amazed the window frames didn't leak (as happened repeatedly on one of my boats). It's odd that the bow pulpit didn't fit the deck but I'm sure your ingenuity will find some way to fix it. I'm looking forward to seeing a new, better Twiggy take shape.
A cupla tips for you- before power washing, remove everything that is removable. Then, start at the top and work your way down, so as to avoid washing everything multiple times.
Peculiar about the guard rails, the odd angles almost look as if they have been installed on the wrong sides! Would be curious to see if they lined up if swapped. Very much enjoying the boat restoring content!
Oh David, you didn’t take note of the washing instructions when washing coloureds.
That’s how I ended up with a pink! bath mat 😂
The stainless rails at the bow, they look as though they have been bent inwards until they have lifted from the deck. Perhaps a squash in a lock? Bend them out again until the foot plate sits flat again. Of course they might break or crack depending how soft the metal is. Bend the pipe instead of cut and weld. Worth a try?
Everytime I look at a video about this boat it sadly reminds me of an important principle I learned in Economics 101...
... The Sunk Cost Fallacy.
Because, it appears there will be no end to the costly and time-consuming repairs this boat will need.
Life is too short to obsess over a lost cause, especially for good blokes like you.
And that is *exactly* why it's a terrible idea to view everything from an economic perspective: you are entirely missing the far more important factors of enjoyment, satisfaction and learning.
I must shamefully admit that as I scanned my homepage your thumbnail brought my scan to a screeching halt. No bother, it led to another excellent adventure of Cruising The Cut! Well done as always, David. Lots of pressure living up to the standard you've established yet you come thru every time. Cheers.
Haha glad the thumbnail worked :-)
I believe in you and think you and Twiggy will have a great time, especially if, as the Beatles said, you can get by with a little help from your friends.
I suggest some sort of epoxy paint for the interior to cover the rough surfaces. And thick rubber pads under the railings with wooden reinforcement on the interior. I live in the US, but a call for help in your area could get you volunteers to help bring Twiggy back to ship shape.
Many years ago I had the dubious pleasure of "borrowing" a Microplus 600. I found it difficult to get it to steer in the direction I wanted it to go, unless it was at planing speed. It had a Yanmar 65hp with power trim and tilt. Now thats ok when you are out in the middle of a large lake but as in your case I spent most of my time cruising rivers and canals with frequent visits to harbours jettys, locks and marinas. Due to its design, flat bottom, shallow draft and high freeboard slow speed maneuvers were always diffucult if not impossible in any sort of wind. Add to this the centre cockpit- aft cabin arrangement made it near impossible to fend off at the stern. With the hood up it was impossible. Having said all this we managed to spend a very enjoyable fortnight cruising the Shannon.
The reason for tellin my story is to give you some advice, and now, while the boat is on the hard would be the best time to avail of it. Bolt some false (timber) keels to the bottom to improve the directional stability at low speed. The increase in draft would not be a problem when using the boat in the canal and you probably care less about the reduction in planing ability. The chances of finding an undamaged second hand pulpit for a Microplus are very slim, it's the first thing to hit the wall when the boat goes off course, which it will, all the time. It should be possible to tweak the bends in your existing one to fit the deck better. Use a telephone pole or a gate post as a solid anchor and bend a little bit at a time.
Way back in the early 80s when I was 22 I bought a Domino 17 footer (copy of the Shetland) so Fiberglas with an Evenrude 5Hp outboard. Money was tight so the deal was done £170 with a trailer. I towed it 5 miles with a mini! The red lower white upper hull was covered in green mould but being into motorcycles Ajax and T cut got that cleaned up, 2 strokes were easy and a quick service and carb clean saw in running great. The big money went on a new white hood and fenders. Curtains made and a sink and stove installed and it was ready. Spent 3 years on the local cut scratching that itch to own a boat it was brilliant and claim to fame I made a profit on a boat!! Would I do it again? Yes in a 35ft steel narrowboat, I was sick of tacking into the wind in the end.
@5:25 i think you have a perfectly good looking hull there, minus a few days or a couple of weeks work. depending on how much work you put into her. have fun 😇
That fiberglass work is all minor stuff. My Catalina 27 was cracked clear through behind the keel. I just ground it out and layered it back in with epoxy and woven glass.
Another caption for the rails is to build up some fibreglass, possibly on top off some wooden or plastic spacers as bulking filler, to create a platform with the same slope as the metal
A "project"? Yes, I think you're right. The big question is whether yours will be complete before Sarinda, the ongoing project on Ship Happens.
You think people are going to be screaming that you bought a lemon. All I see is a great load of DIY boat repair videos ahead which is fantastic! It's an adorable little boat and I really look forward to it becoming a cute little home away from home on the water.
I just noticed, Twiggy has a nice rub rail!
David there is a product called Milliput, it's an epoxy putty that is great for filling holes and dents. Use the standard one.
A good sanding. Some careful epoxy filler. Some more sanding. And then new paint. Very doable.
The battleship USS New Jersey was in dry dock recently which they documented in videos on TH-cam. Funnily enough Twiggy presents some of the exact same challenges ... if on a slightly smaller scale...
It can all be fixed David. Think of the work to be done by the Ship Happens Crew! You can do it. A couple of those Corner Fenders, the ones that look ugly might save those corners. I spoke to a boat owner once who agreed they are ugly but had saved his transom and corners so many times.
Another option might to be remove the pulpit rails and get a 'Bum' rail made and fitted along the centerline at the bow. One of the hire companies on the River Shannon fit them to a lot of their boats. It was costing a fortune in stainless steel as they were getting mangled, mostly in locks. They work well, some thing to grab hold of and rest your bottom at the same time.
they ran from cabin top/front to behind the anchor area. might be a soloution.
Third suggestion for the guard rails, chuck the pointless guard rails in the skip and fill the holes. You are welcome.😊
I think I might have commented somewhere about power washing our back deck. I’d never tried it before. But it was very enjoyable. The deck isn’t new so I had to quit. We can’t afford to replace it so I didn’t want to ruin it.
Oxalic acid and Tide (laundry detergent), the green stuff will run off. I use about a quarter cup of oxalic acid and twice that amount of Tide in 5 gallons (4 gallons imperial) of hot water, I use an RV washing brush to apply. Oxalic acid can be purchased from Amazon, or a lumber store, it is used as a deck cleaner (house hold deck). Oxalic acid is an organic acid (like vinegar) so it will not eat you or your stuff.
Seems like the muck could do with a nice soak in a cleaning solution for a spell and then finish with a jet wash.
As for the guard rails, removing them and confirming their original intent may be prudent prior to conjuring a solution. Perhaps something else is awry altering the contour that, if removed, identified, cleared, and corrected, it's possible that it may fit snugly and securely. And I emphasize 'possible'.
The railings on the bow are probably mounted on the wrong side. Swap them around and see how they fit.
They're not designed like that, unfortunately
@@CruisingTheCut bummer it was an idea that popped into my head, without being able to look at it closer I couldn’t rule it out. They must be from a different style boat, I couldn’t imagine they would design them that way, even back in 70s if I remember the old girls vintage correctly
Project boat for sure. Dont give up or quit, it will be more valuable than ever after you turn her into the beauty she will be.
Morning David
Always interested to see what you get up to either with the van or the boats !!
Nice to see a project of one type or another
Perhaps a couple of bottles of rum offered in the right place may get you another set of hands 😊😊😊😊
Wessex Resins in Romsey ran day courses on the use of West System epoxy products to repair boat hulls. I completed the course about 18 years ago & it was very useful, especially learning their technique for building up patches for holes up to 6 inches in diameter. They have a number of YT videos about repairing polyester resin boats like Twiggy.
David, just love your updates on Twiggy. I don't care if it takes you 20 years. Only hope I'm still alive !!! Regards from New Zealand. 😂
Well done David, great entertainment. You now have the perfect excuse to change the colour scheme. 😄.
It's good to see you sorting "Twiggy" out. She might be an old-ish lady; but she's yours; which says it all.
Respect where it's due.
Cheers!
Under the bowrails looks like thickened epoxy.If so leave it be.Very strong.Keep the sun off it! CHEERS from Here!!!
As someone who is a bout the same age as that boat I can tell you that a few chunks out of the gel coat and other beauty blemishes are quite normal 🙂
If this is what you like/want to do, then it's not a lemon after all ... have fun with it ! We like watching 👍👍!
Looking very positive actually- out of the water was the genius decision.
I hope so!
When the boat is back in the canal it will be lovely. All fixed up and driving properly.
We have renovates wooden sailing boats - my wife learned how to caulk - and fibreglass boats - I learned how to fibreglass. Yes it's not that straightforward at first but you'll soon get the hang of it and can pride yourself on the end result. The boat deserves it and so do you. "Ne'er a faint heart" etc.
I guess in the US that would be a basis for the lawsuit or at least some buyer seller agreement renegotiation due to hidden flaws...
It's always joyfull watching you near the boats.
Working to repair fiberglass is not difficult. I was a whitewater kayaker for many years, using fiberglass boats. Repairs were commonplace due to banging off of rocks. Easy to do just requiring preparation. Start on the bottom in unseen spots, and once you get the hang of it do the upper body repairs. Use Saran wrap to keep it smooth and keep the bugs off while it sets up. It peels right off afterwords.
Thanks for the tips!
A drain and a through hull plumbing might help with motor well leak.
David, I hope it takes you less than 10 to 20 years. I will be gone by then. Just love your vlogs.🙏👍🇦🇺
Don't get rid of it! This is a perfect opportunity to learn how to patch fibreglass! The small pits probably only need resin filler or something like that, and some glass cloth with resin for the big bits. I'm sure someone can teach you.
The fibreglass dings are of little consequence, and easily repaired. The main challenge will be colour matching (unless you intend to paint her). The 'pulpit' has had at least one substantial bash - best take it off and either bend it straight or get another made.
. . or take it off and toss it over your shoulder. It's too low to grab for balance if you are on the front deck and it really serves no purpose.
nothing wrong with a Project boat. My wife has always said I was a 'fixer-upper' she has been working on it for 25 years so far :)
It's a fiberglass boat - EASILY repairable. Enjoy working on it.
We successfully replaced all the wood on a boat transom using a vacuum bagging process. It worked excellent to pull the new internal marine plywood up tightly against the existing fiberglass on the hull. A right angle grinder with a very aggressive carbide carving head did marvelous at removing all the old rotted bits. There are even dust hoods available to for these to help extract all the dust and debris.
Interseting project my friend but I have other issues to follow😊
Well done, you. We enjoy watching you fix her up. You do a wonderful job and have the know how. God bless you and I don't know if God will allow 10 years to wait, but wait we will. Take care.
Back to basics! Some filler in the right places and several coats of paint and it will look like new - from the outside. Onwards - and upwards!
Well, I think I may very well have 10 years to give, as it's been over 5, I think I've been watching & it's gone by so quickly!
I think it's fabulous that you're restoring her, putting some life back into old twiggy good for you and good for her.. I think you're both lovely can't wait to watch your progress 😽
Cheers!
And of course the project will do the wellbeing thing for David as well.
Top Tip: ALWAYS have something pleasurable to do and not against the clock.
David's recent video(s) ref volunteering is excellent testament to that.
This is especially good for retirees, it really, really is.
Hi David, like you said it is a project boat and it’s still floating and I think it’s well worth saving. There’s a lot worse votes out there than this one that had been saved. Example tally Ho , a total rebuilt from the ground up , from Australia
I would recommend you look in to plastic padding´s glasfiber 2 part (hardening) epoxy putty, often used to fix rust holes in cars, it will also fill most if not all the holes and scratches in your boat. It does dry green (or did last time I used it) so a topping of gel coat will most likely look best. It does fill and bridge gaps with a strong patch and for large holes a aluminium net is often used as scaffolding (on cars) as long as you get to clean "healthy" material around the damage. For small damages/holes in transparent plastic I recommend uv curing resin, it can make a nearly invisible patch and cost a tiny fraction of new plexiglas or similar, including lantern covers as there are pigments you can add should a clear patch not do.Good luck in your project boat.
I'm looking forward to this adventure making it to at least a year and a half.
David you can practically bend that stainless pipe over your knee. Take it off and bend it till it matches. Good luck from ny usa
Your DIY projects are always inspiring! A most enjoyable montage of powerwashing as well. I think you should put the guardrail attachments out of your mind for now, the condition of the caulking looks very good, and there's so many other fish to fry on this project. Can't do everything all at once!
7:55 David. Truck wash is very good for cleaning boats. Just let it soak in for half an hour before blasting off. P🇳🇿
David, it looks like the bow rails have had a hard bump that bent them, maybe you could remove and reshape them to fit properly...
hi david.. yes i'm looking forward to growing old with you.. lol oh what fun.. lol
I think Twiggy is well worth restoring, David, and I'm also sure I'm not alone in looking forward to watching your progress as you put her back in proper trim!